BusinessDay 21 Jul 2019 by BusinessDay

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www.businessday.ng Sunday 21 July 2019

Nuradeen Tahir, Taraba corps member, grips life with artificial hands

p. 3

inside Deplorable PH International Airport road beckons on Wike as FG looks away

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Vol 1, No. 272 N300

The North faces a bleak future ?? Cadbury posts 11% growth in if current security challenge is revenue on higher domestic sales not addressed - Shettima p. 11 39 pp.41.

Nigeria in trouble, faces unsure future

Obasanjo, Anyaoku, Danjuma, Soyinka, others see danger BMO warns groups, urges caution

p. 18 Innocent Odoh, Abuja and Iniobong Iwok, Lagos

p. 19

Wole Soyinka: Celebrating African literary giant at 85

arely three months to the 59th birthday of Nigeria, the dreams of the founding fathers and the quest to build a modern economy, have remained largely unrealised. The situation even gets worse as some ugly streaks within the country have emerged so large that the nation is reeling in violent crisis, poor economy and polarisation along ethnic and religious lines with the increasing quest by many citizens to dump their fatherland for other countries. Nigeria is said to be more divided now than ever. Hate speeches, outright lies and hypocrisy appear to have become statecraft. There is Continues on page 2

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Obasanjo

Anyaoku

Danjuma

Let court decide El-Zakzaky’s fate - Presidency …Says Buhari will not stop his trial

Tony Ailemen, Abuja

Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico shoot LaLiga’s transfer spending to record $1.2bn

p. 43

he Presidency on Friday appealed to El-Zakzakyled Shi’ite sect members to desist from needless violent street protests and await the decision of the court in Kaduna where their leader is currently being tried. This is just as Presidency vowed that no amount of pressures from the followers will compel President Muhammadu Buhari to abandon

his trial In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the issue of El-Zakzaky is before the court in Kaduna and his supporters should focus on his on-going trial instead of causing daily damage, disruptions and public nuisance in Abuja. In an apparent reaction to the persistent protests by the group which appear to have defied all government efforts to curtail, Presi-

dency noted that “It is wrong to be in court and resort to violence at the same time in order to get justice for anybody accused. “Presidency warned that the destruction of public property in the name of protest is not within the right of this group of Shi’ite members,” adding that “no government anywhere would have tolerated a situation where any group would take over public roads in cities as they have done in Abuja and interfere with the rights of other citizens

who are prevented from reaching their destinations.” According to the statement, “We imagine a situation where families are taking their loved ones to hospital for emergency treatment and they are held up needlessly by the protesters. No government anywhere in the world would turn a blind eye to this unlawful behaviour. “As far as this country’s Ministry of Justice is concerned, the Continues on page 3

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Nigeria in trouble... Continued from page 1

palpable fear that Nigeria might degenerate further into chaos that will threaten its corporate integrity if not properly handled. At various times recently, the following Nigerians have cried out that Nigeria was dangerously inching towards anarchy. Theophilus Danjuma, a retired lieutenant general and former minister of defence, had noted that “Nigeria is insecure”. Olusegun Obasanjo, a former head of state, recently urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “do something now before it is too late.” Emeka Anyaoku, a former secretary general of the Commonwealth also pointed out that “Nigeria is in a very bad state of insecurity.” In his candid assessment of today’s Nigeria, Wole Soyinka, a professor and Nobel Laureate, told the Federal Government, “You have failed to secure the lives of Nigerians.” Bashir Othman Tofa, who contested the June 12, 1993 presidential election on the platform of National Republican Convention (NRC), lamented that “dark clouds are hanging over Nigeria.” Tunde Bakare, founder of the Latter Rain Assembly, who was also picked by Buhari as running mate in the 2011 presidential election, believes that President Buhari has not performed well, hence his assessment, “You have failed.” Recall that some socio-political groups in the country, particularly in the south had last week spoken out in response to certain comments by some elite group in the north. A few days ago, Goodluck Jonathan, a former president, expressed deep concern about the state of affairs in the country, particularly the high level of insecurity, hence his advice to the powers that be, “Change your security style/ strategy now.” The Yoruba Solidarity Forum (YSF) at the weekend described the statement by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) urging the herdsmen to leave the South as diversionary, saying the Federal Government must investigate those behind the statement. Members of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and the Coalition of the Northern Groups last week advised Fulani herdsmen to leave the Southern part of Nigeria and return to the north, where their safety and that of their property could be guaranteed. But in a statement at the weekend, signed by Olajide Odumosu, the group’s publicity secretary, the group expressed worry over NEF’s advice made by the forum under the chairmanship of Ango Abdullahi. The group said Abdullahi was old enough to know how to handle such sensitive issues. The statement noted that such comment can only heighten the tension in the country, saying the Yorubas in the southwest are

President Buhari

Lawan, Senate president

a well-coordinated tribe in the world. “As a race, the Yorubas have a right to life, to live in any part of the country; we are very accommodating and no tribe should take us for granted. Issuing a statement urging the herdsmen to leave the south is uncomplimentary, and it is like sending a wrong signal to the South.” But the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) believes that those with such pieces of advice should keep them to themselves, as according to the group, they tend to be more divisive than unifying. Speaking to BDSUNDAY on the crises bedeviling the country, a political economist and security analyst, Majeed Dahiru, said it is unfortunate that Nigeria for 59 years as an independent nation state has not fulfilled the aspiration of what a modern nation should be in terms of being united, prosperous and secure. He said that Nigeria is grappling with numerous problems arising from corruption, poverty, and all other forms of societal failures, such that Nigeria has become more divided than, perhaps, any other time in its history in 59 years, which he blamed squarely on the problem of leadership. He lamented that Nigeria has not had the kind of leadership that has the vision and the mission to transform Nigeria from just a collection or a country of micro-ethnic and geographic nationalities to one that is truly a nation of a united people with a united agenda under a deliberate and purposeful leadership. “You have to understand that Nigeria has yet to resolve the all important question of national identity. Nigeria operates more as country of indigenes rather than a country of citizens. Now in a country of indigenes, loyalties are to individual sections of the country and in the process even properly constituted authority can be undermined on the platform of sectional sentiments. Whereas, a country of citizens is one where loyalty is to the Nigerian state and fidelity to the constitution is elevated above

another,” Dahiru said. “Now, we need to make a fundamental shift towards a country of citizens through a purposeful non-divisive form of leadership that carefully guides an intricate form of assimilation and integration of Nigerians where ever they choose to reside in the country with full political and economic rights extended to them accordingly. This must be thorough, it cannot be one-sided; it cannot be partial; it has to be complete and comprehensive. Until this is done we will not realise, not just the dreams of our founding fathers, but the aspirations of a modern and prosperous and united country that is secure among the comity of other nations. This is precisely the panacea of Nigeria’s myriad of problem,” he further said. The Columnist also blamed the crises on the nature and character of the Nigerian state and also castigated President Buhari for raising sectionalism to a disturbing level in the country, stressing that political parties that are supposed to be the engine room of the democratic process unfortunately have taken advantage of these divisions and the political process is now largely premised on primordial sentiments of ethnicity, geography and religion in what has been aptly described as politics of identity rather than a process that is dependent on competitive ideas of economic ideals that aim to develop Nigeria in an integrated and holistic manner, where everybody benefits. According to him, “We have seen a degeneration of our political process since, at least, 2015 towards this direction. I said this because between 1999 and 2015, there were modest efforts by successive governments to move Nigeria away from a country of indigenes to a country of citizens through policies, actions and spread of appointments in such a manner that no section of the county was left behind. So, we saw a level of unity at least among the elite class that made sure that important state decisions were taken without recourse to ethnic and geographic sentiments.

Gbajabiamila, Speaker House of Rep

“But today, it appears not to be so and I have always blamed this on the rise to power of President Buhari, who rose to power on the back of ethno-religious populism in the Moslem North, which guaranteed him a base considering the fact that they have a larger democratic demography. So, he can so much afford to win election in such exclusivist manner without recourse to national unity because he is guaranteed a steady and large voter demography that is ethnically and religiously charged to stand by him at all time in the contest.” “We have observed that Buhari’s sectionalism has not paid at all, it has not even paid the north. The north today has become one of the poorest regions in the world, the less secure in Africa and the third most terrorised region in the world with an upsurge in the number of out of school children from 10 to 13.5 million. So in essence it as not paid the President and his people to be sectional and this is because no nation can ever be developed along sectional lines,” he said. Speaking to BDSUNDAY about the reasons for the upsurge in the myriad of crises, Law Mefor, a clinical forensic psychologist, said corruption and unemployment in the country and societal pressures on Nigerians, especially the youth is not only pushing them out of the country but also driving them into all kinds of criminal activities. “The reality is that we are in a country where only consumption makes sense, we don’t produce anything and in the simple value chain Nigerian workers, especially the youth, are not represented; everything is outsourced. We export the primary produce like crude oil, palm oil, cocoa and others in raw forms as they are brought back to us as finished products. “What that means is that we are outsourcing production and that is where employment is created. In other words, we are just consumers. So, if you churn out graduates in their thousands every year and you are not creating jobs then that is major crisis.”

According to him, “The fact remains that we have not done enough as a country in terms of making effort to industrialise to really keep everybody busy so that one way or the other people can get legitimate income. So, if we have not been able to provide the basic jobs then we have to take part of the blame for what is going on”. BMO has also urged the socio-political groups in the country to heed President Buhari’s advice and play more unifying roles than resort to divisive politics that could adversely affect the nation’s unity. The group said it is worried by what now seems like a gang-up by leaders and elders across the country to polarise the country. In a statement signed by Niyi Akinsiju, its chairman, and Cassidy Madueke, secretary, BMO said that these elders have in recent times been making unguarded statements that could further widen the nation’s fault lines. According to the statement, “We have a situation on our hands where people who are, by all standards, elders and also leaders in their own right, and who have benefitted from a united country, but are stoking the embers of tension in the land. “So it is gratifying to see the President calling them out in the aftermath of a call by a factional leader of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) Professor Ango Abdullahi on Fulani herdsmen to relocate from Southern Nigeria. “There is no doubt that the Professor and his colleagues in the shadowy Nigerian Leaders and Elders Forum (NLEF) have, even before the 2019 elections, been engaged in scare-mongering, all in an effort to ensure the election of their preferred Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. “So it is amusing to see these same people under the umbrella of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum accusing one of their own of making ‘unguarded and reckless’ comment when that is actually the stock-in-trade of their group. “Even in their homily to Ango Abdullahi, the group claimed that President Buhari planned to set up RUGA settlements for Fulani who carry arms! What could be more irresponsible and reckless than this outright falsehood against the President? “It is against this backdrop that Nigerians should view Buhari’s advice to these socio-political groups to stop heating up the polity”. The pro-Buhari group also urged the various socio-political groups to put a stop to the circle of ethnic jingoism they had been spreading in the name of commenting on security issues. “If we have to go by the stance of the likes of Ohanaeze and Afenifere on insecurity in the country, then one could be tempted to assume that all other ethnic groups held a meeting and agreed to hand over their arms and ammunition to the Fulani in order for them to perpetrate all crimes”, BMO said.

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Nuradeen Tahir, Taraba corps member, grips life with artificial hands Nathaniel Gbaoron

or the rest of his life, Nuradeen Tahir, a corps member on assignment in Taraba State, will grip life with artificial hands, no thanks to the two accidents that claimed his two hands at different stages of his life. Recalling his first ordeal with the accidents, Tahir notes that the first one occurred in 2003 when he was in Primary Six at Shehu Abduha Special Primary school Gwarzo, in Kano State, resulting in the amputation of his left hand in order to save his life. Despite the early setback, young Tahir was determined to further his education and later gained admission at the Maitama Yusuf Sule University Kano, where he graduated in Islamic Studies. Sadly again, he was among the 17 corps members posted to Taraba State, who were involved in accident while leaving the orientation camp to their primary assignment. Once again, he survived the accident, but lost his remaining hand. Now without any hand, Tahir gives a vivid account of

his ordeal when BD Sunday visited him on his hospital bed at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Jalingo. “The accident happened some kilometres away from the orientation camp while we were traveling to Gembu Sadauna Local Government Area of the state, where we were posted for our primary assignment. It involved 17 corps members in a commercial bus. I learnt that one died at the spot,”

he says. Tahir, who feels severe pains all over his body, thanked the good Samaritan that brought the victims of the accident to the hospital, but he is not happy with the treatment he receives at the hospital. In one of his protests, the hospital management moved him from the surgical ward to the amenity ward. But the reality for the

second child of 18 children (from two wives though) is the loss of the remaining right hand. But he is strong and determined to pursue his dreams even without hands. All he asks for are artificial hands and a job to prove himself in disability. “The DG has promised to provide artificial hands, which will help me to carry out my activities. I am willing to use the artificial hands”, says 27-year-old

L-R: Oluranti Adebule, former deputy Governor of Lagos State; Tajudeen Olusi, APC Chieftain; Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State; Funso Odesola assistant general overseer (Admin) RCCG; Rachael Odesola, his wife, and Oluremi Tinubu, founder, New Era Foundation, during the commissioning of Patience Home built by New Era Foundation in collaboration with the RCCG (Throne of Grace Parish, Region 1) at Lukera, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

Tahir. But he prefers to return to and work in Kano, his home town and where he will be close to his family. Although the NYSC state coordinator assured the victims that the state government would foot the bills, Tahir wants them to do more. “I want the government to give me a job or anything I can do to earn a living”, he insists. However, the NYSC scheme allows for relocations, especially for people with disabilities, it intrigues why Tahir refused to relocate to Kano, where his family resides. Tahir tells BD Sunday that he refused to apply for relocation because he wanted to serve in Saduana in order to meet people he has never met in life. “It was my choice to go to Sadauna because I learnt that Jalingo and Sadauna are the most peaceful places to stay in Taraba. Moreover, I learnt that the weather in Gembu is calm. For these reasons, I insisted to be posted there”, he says. Tahir is still in the hospital in Taraba State. He looks forward to his discharge from both the hospital and the NYSC programme, but will live life forever on artifi-

Let court decide... Continued from Page 1 case involving El-Zakzaky is no longer in its domain. The Federal Government no more has hands in the matter and to that extent, the government at the centre can be said to be clear of any alleged violations of court orders as being trumpeted every day. “These rallies and street dances ostensibly to openly insult the President and other leaders, threatening bloodshed will lead nowhere because President Buhari will not ask the country’s judiciary to abandon due process and set a suspect free.” Presidency also assured the group that Buhari’s administration is determined to enforce the decision of the court clearly issued adding that “the administration has absolutely no hand in the on-going court case and the courts are free to determine the bail request and the final outcome. The mentality that you are above the law and that your own rights are superior to other people’s rights is unacceptable. “You can’t be provoking other citizens by interfering with their own rights on public roads and disrupting their businesses and call it democratic freedom. In democratic traditions, their rights end where the rights of others begin.”

Insecurity: Nigerian economy in doldrums as OBJ exposes... Continued from page 31 kind of a more communicative state, a state that talks to the citizens and provide justification for what they do and not a state that is feudal or neo-feudal, not a state that believes that it has a manifest wisdom. Modern states are going to contest with all nonstate actors on the control of the state, on control of narratives on control others. “The Nigeria state should move out of its narrow confines and start talking, we have got more ethnic and more religiously divided. Symbolism should come in; people should have a sense of belonging. The president should look at the staffers in the Villa and they should be much more diverse, those who man security and politics architecture should be very diverse, that is one way of pulling out of the precipice otherwise we may see ourselves grounded in an avoidable violent conflict. He also believes there is the need for some kind of conference but not sure whether it is the type that Obasanjo is calling for. He said however that at the minimum, the president can create an informal group that dialogues periodicallycutacrossparties,

cut across ethno-religious groups, made up of people who are manifestly patriotic and intelligent, whether they are formal or not. President of the Middle Belt Forum, Pogu Bitrus, in his reaction, agreed with Obasanjo’s assertion, saying, “if you remember what happened in Rwanda and Burundi, it started just at this level that we are in. Genocide in Rwanda happened when the Tutsis were being stereotyped as the aggressors just like we are now seeing the Fulani herdsmen as the aggressors, we see them as the people killing and devastating the land. Obasanjo’s observations are correct, we are heading to genocide because people cannot continue lying low where a particular ethnic group will lay claim to killing people and committing acts of genocide against other people on the pretext that their cattle have been rustled. “This has been happening in the Middle Belt and even in the north, the typical Hausa man in Zamfara is also complaining that the Fulani are killing them and if all these aggrieved people react against the Fulani, it will be a genocide of monumental proportion because Nigeria is not a small place

like Rwanda or Burundi. Even the South West has warned they will not take the Fulani killings lightly anymore. So the government should take this issue seriously to avert catastrophe,” he said. Pogu noted that the utterances of President Buhari and Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State, did not help matters as they two Fulani leaders appeared to have lent support to the activities of the herdsmen, who El-Rufai claimed in 2018 he paid to stop killing Nigerians and who Buhari had claimed come from Libya and neighboring countries. Pogu also said that the situation was compounded by the complicit nature of the Miyetti Allah to the killings adding that the group always claimed responsibility for the killing. He also condemned the now suspended plot to provide Ruga settlement for the Fulani, stressing that the policy cannot work because, the people to be settled are foreigners from Mali, Senegal, Chad and Niger and their desperate attempt to impose a “grave yard diplomacy” where they will use violence to coerce indigenous people to cede their land to nebulous people who are total strangers. He agreed with Obasan-

jo’s call for a national dialogue and pointed out that the situation deserves urgent attention before it snowballs into total anarchy. However, The Chairman of the Partners for Electoral Reforms, a non-governmental organisation, Ezenwa Nwagu, said Obasanjo and others are raising false alarm adding that Nigeria is not approaching an Armageddon as being predicted. He said that the alarm follows a predictable pattern particularly from disgruntled politicians who have lost power. “The first thing is that you should go and look for 2004 Civil Liberty Organisation report on the state of the nation. After you have read it you will just see a predictable pattern. With the loss of power in 2015, many people have not recovered and they are creating the impression that the nation will disintegrate. They have not let off since after 2015, it is not going to be Armageddon. “We are in 2019. In pre2015, the US or whichever predicted that the country was going to disintegrate, many of our citizens sold their properties and ran away from the places they were living. We are in 2019, the country has not disintegrated. The

big question is that those who stoke this ember of disunity, the losers of the elections and their supporters in the media and the civil society and from the pulpits are giving the impression that the country is ungovernable and the media is helping to accentuate the story and create fear in the mind of our citizens. “It is the responsibility of those who can see through this madness to shut them down and ensure that their voices are not as laud as they want us to think it is. I live in a place where people sold their property and ran away to the east for an imaginary breakdown of the country that is not going to happen. Because people lost power does not mean that that the country will be ungovernable and that is my point. The truth is that the country is not in Armageddon,” he said. Nwagu agreed that there is insecurity but disagreed with the impression that the country is going to collapse, stressing that the impression is driven by politics. “Everything is driven by politics, and the politicisation of the insecurity is more dangerous. There is nothing that is going on that is completely new. There has been insecurity problem in the country;

there was the Jos crisis, the Tiv-Jukun war is going on, the Ebonyi-Cross River people have been at war since the coming of this civilian rule, so why do we want to create an impression that there will be war in the country?” He asked. Nigeria has perpetually been moving towards a self destruct mode, which prompted some analysts to suggest disintegration. Nigeria is dying slowly, a death far more agonising. But it is really worth saving Nigeria from the precipice and save it from the human catastrophe that may emerge. Nigeria appears to be a great human community that can unite and build its capacity. But the nation can save itself if only President Buhari understands his obligation and seek assistance from the people to pull the nation back from the brink. Clear lessons abound for Nigeria to learn from. After all, empires and nations have died and re-emerged mostly stronger, albeit in other forms. The Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and the AustroHungarian Empire are very good examples. In Africa, Eritrea had separated from Ethiopia and South Sudan pulled out of Sudan over irreconcilable differences.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

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Bayelsa guber election: 20 PDP aspirants pay N420m for forms David Ejiohuo, PH Airport Corresponent

he People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State have so far raked in over N420million from sale of forms as over 20 aspirants have so far picked forms for the governorship race in the state scheduled later next year. One form is sold for N21million. Arrangements for the governorship election in the state are in top gear and several people, especially, the politicians, are having a field day. As at the time of filing this report, it is believed that over 20 members of the ruling party have so far collected the governorship forms. According to our sources from the Bayelsa State, three aspirants have so far picked the form from the All Progressives Party (APC), sold at the cost of N 22million each. Those that have picked the forms from the APC include the former governor of the state, Timipire Sylva, a one-time speaker in the Bayelsa House of Assembly and the immediate past Minister of state for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, and an old time politician, Preye Aganaba. From the PDP side, those that have so far collected the form include some top government functionaries or operatives, senators

and some retired big shots from the Federal Government ministries and parastatals. They include the present State Deputy Governor, a rear-admiral, John Jonah; the chief of staff, Talford Ongolo; the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Kanele Okara, and a serving senator, Doye Diri. Others are a one-time retired permanent secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power and Secretary to the Bayelsa State government, Godknows Igali; former MD of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Timi Alaibe; a member of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi; a senator, Emmanuel Polker; the out-going Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Benson Konbovei; a successful businessman, Kemebie Okoko, and a one-time Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Ebebi. As at now, it is expected that more forms may be collected by members of both parties and others political groups in the state before the closing dates (end of this month) for PDP members and August for the APC members. The state Governor, Seriake Dickson, had earlier this month, called members of the restoration team in the state for a prayer and fasting meeting for a divine direction in the choice of a flag bearer for the party in the state. Our sources from the state disclosed that the governor, at the end of the prayers and fasting meeting,

forwarded three names from the members of the restoration team as the possible candidates for the number one job in the state. The submission of the three names among the Restoration Team, after the spiritual exercise, was said to have caused so much bad blood among the members that made the governor to throw the door open for whosoever wishes to have a shot at the guber race. Thompson Okorotie, an elder statesmen and a PDP stalwart in

lhassanDoguwa,majority leader, House of Representatives, has observed that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was responsible for the incidences of rubber stamp by National Assembly. Doguwa explained that the constitutional provisions for the oversight functions by the National Assembly and other activities made the legislature susceptible to rubber stamp actions, but the National Assembly only rubber stamp on issues that seek to actualise the aspirations of Nigerians. Sections 88, 89, 128 and 129 of the 1999 Constitution makes provision for the National Assembly as a Legislative Institution to monitor, scrutinise, review and evaluate the performance of the executive arm of government or its agencies on a continuous basis to ensure effectiveness, efficiency and good performance. The House Leader, who gave this indication during an interface

with journalists covering the House in Abuja, however, said the 9th Assembly was resolute on ensuring legislative-executive harmony devoid of rubber stamping in the negative aspect. “Sometimes, I believe that those who drafted the constitution, if you go through the constitution and the workings of the National Assembly and the executive arm of government, the moral intent was to make the National Assembly a rubber stamp. Rubber stamp in the sense that we rubber stamp when such things are in tandem with aspirations of the Nigerian people. I think that is what the rubber stamp does. “The concept of the constitution that makes the National Assembly to oversight and superintend the activities of the executive, especially in the implementation of policies and programmes, the budgeting and what have you. The intent was a good one and it was meant for the National Assembly to rubber stamp what is in the interest of the country. “This 9th Assembly will look at the laws, especially the electoral act where we have a lot of contradic-

elsa State PDP and we have always managed it and come out more united and successful,” he said. According to Okoritie, the state governor was right to allow every interested party to go for the form and that subsequently, gubernatorial primary will be conducted in the state. “Yes the governor did well to throw the door open because it will give the interested parties a sense of belonging and unity that will work for our advantage,” he added.

Uja Tor Uja, executive secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), (middle) with NCPC Management and all Zonal/Metro staff cross country at the ongoing Training/Workshop for all NCPC Zonal and Metro Staff in Markurdi, Benue State.

How 1999 Constitution makes NASS rubber stamp, by Doguwa James Kwen, Abuja

the state, while speaking with our correspondent at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, said there was no cause for alarm because of the number of aspirants. The elder statesmen, who was once the majority leader in the old Rivers State House of Assembly, said the number of the aspirants in the guber race was not a problem because it was not the first time the state was witnessing it. “This has always being the case in Bay-

tions. This House will take it very seriously to look at some of these issues,” he stated While calling on the media to support the 9th Assembly in the achievement of its legislative agenda, Doguwa said: “There is this very long standing problem we have about the institution of the National Assembly. “This is one very wrong perception that we members or stakeholders in the institution cannot clear it ourselves and we will expect that role to be played by you people (press). You are operating inbetween the public and various institutions of government and you are here. We also consider you ambassadors of this great institution out there on the street. “We urge you to always present the National Assembly in the best possible light. Where issues contain misunderstanding, misperception, ignorance and sometimes blackmail, we expect the press to help us play this role by really putting everything in perspective. Sometimes, we talk about issues of even our allowances and the budget we have here in the National Assembly.

‘Alleged Otti’s suspension from APGA is impostors’ handiwork’ UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

ollowing the purported suspension of Alex Otti, the governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Nkem Okoro by a faction of APGA in Abia State led by Augustine Ehiemere, the other faction led by Nkem Okoro has described those responsible for the rumour as impostors masquerading as executive members of the party in the state. A press statement signed by Ebere Uzoukwa, state publicity secretary and made available to BDSUNDAY in Umuahia reads: “The attention of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State, under the leadership of Hon. Nkem Okoro, has been drawn to the purported suspension of Alex Otti, the 2019 governorship candidate of the party by some impostors masquerading as executive members of the party in the state. “They also ventilated amid illegality the expulsion of our in-

defatigable and congress-elected state chairman, Hon. Nkem Okoro, from the party.” “The leadership of APGA in Abia State, wishes to reiterate that the duo of Augustine Ehiemere and Sunday Onukwubiri do not belong to the executive of our great party at any level in the state, hence they lack powers and authority to suspend Dr. Alex Otti, or any other member of our great party.” It accused Ehiemere, Onukwubiri and a few others of regrouping shortly after the 2019 general election and shamelessly aligning with the People’s Democratic Party and government of Abia State to frustrate Alex Otti’s petition at the Abia State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia. “They suddenly offered themselves as willing tools and surrendered to the whims of our oppressors and enemies of the state to destabilise APGA and further sustain the sufferings occasioned by the maladministration and repulsive governance under the ruling PDP in the state.

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How Wike moved fast to avert bloodshed in selection of new Eleme monarch … As seasoned administrator, Philip Obele, emerges now One-Eh-Eleme Godwin Egba, Port Harcourt

overnor Nyesom Wike is said to have averted bloodshed and unrest in the oil-/gas-rich Eleme area when he urged the people to fill the position of a new monarch. Now, peace is said to have returned to the area with over 200 companies. The belief that some people are born to rule evidently played out for the newly coronated king of Eleme in Rivers State, Philip Obele. He is now the new king to

rule over oil and gas city with over 200 companies. Historically, the graduate of Political Science (Obele) is said to be a child of destiny having been born into the lineage of kingship. On the July 10, 2019, he was unanimously elected and installed as the current king of Eleme xi after the demise of Samuel Oluka Ejire as Oneh-eh Eleme from Agbonchia who died on December 6, 2018 at the age of 89 years old. Obele was said to have merited his installation based on his being a secretary to two Eleme councils of chiefs during the tenure of late kings

of Eleme, Ngei from Alesa and Ejire from Agbonchia communities. His humble and die–hard supporter, Joseph Oluji, traditional ruler of Ewuu Community in Aleto Clan, attested that Obele was born a ruler who inherited the kingship from his late father who was the spokesman of the community. He said: “Like his late father, he is an embodiment of peace, loyalty, faithful and God fearing person in servitude. In Eleme tradition such a person has the blessing of his elders, chiefs, thus we from the Ewuu and other

Obele

clans in Aleto unanimously chose him to take the position of our spokesman”. “From this position he (Obele) rose to become the traditional ruler of Chumu

Community also in Aleto Clan with even communities. When Aleto wanted a clan head, our people chose him because he met all the qualifications. Beyond that, when the royal majesty, Ejire wanted to release one of his tittles, he also chose Obele as One-Eh Nchia comprising six clans, namely; Ogale, Agbonchia, Aleto, Alesa, Alode, And Akpajo respectively. “Progressively, Obele was also appointed as secretary of council of Chiefs and Elders, by the late Ejire.” After the demise of Ejire, there must be somebody to accord his burial rights; it

was then the sitting Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, appointed Obele as acting king to put all the burial rites in order to avoid tension or blood-bath that might arise from some persons already agitating to take over the kingship of Eleme in general. That appointment made by the governor was a saving grace that warded-off a looming bloody crisis in Eleme kingdom because the appointment as an acting king superseded other chieftaincy titles in all the 10 clans that make up of Eleme land, Oluji explained.

Students urged to choose the path to real success Electoral officers testify, insist …As Timi College holds thanksgiving service guber elections held in Rivers Seyi John Salau

igerian youths have been advised to always rely on God and seek to please Him at all times, as that is the pathway to enduring success. The advice was given during the valedictory and thanksgiving service organised in honour of the outgoing students of Timi Comprehensive College, Surulere, Wednesday. Admonishing the students to always resist negative peer influence and do the right

thing, Michael Anyanwu, chairman of the occasion, noted that the society is full of negative influences and that youths must be wary of those whose motive is to influence them, negatively. He noted that some parents these days have become negative influence on their children, by arranging mercenaries to sit for examinations for their children and also bribing teachers to award high marks for their children. Anyanwu lamented that some parents go as far as withdrawing their children from schools that do not believe in assisting students in

examination hall, and registering them in those places where the students rely wholly on teachers to pass, even terminal examinations. He said he decided to bring his children to Timi because he discovered that the school consciously impart the knowledge so well that the children stand on their feet and defend themselves in any examination. Speaking on ‘Nigerian youths and the challenge of the 21st century’, S.A. Gbadamosi, noted that today’s youth struggles between right and too many wrongs, urging however, that no matter

L-R: Babatunde Atolagbe, father of the day; Michael Anyanwu, chairman; Titus Olagunju, proprietor; Janet Adepoju, principal; Tolulope Ifebogun, mother of the day, and Pius Ayanbajo, special guest, during the thanksgiving service.

A cross section of graduating students

the negative pull, those who are determined would also overcome. Gbadamosi urged the students to fix their eyes on bright future and never allow what they see today to blight their dream. He noted that the technology age has brought with it too many challenges that were never experienced by past generations. He therefore, urged the youth to use technology to better their lives and not to their own ruin. In their various remarks, Zebulon Agomuo (special guest); Babatunde Atolagbe (father of the day) and Tolulope Ifebogun (mother of the day) advised the graduating students to resist the negative pull from peers and other negative influencers as there are always serious consequences for wrong doing. Reminding them that everyone’s activity here on earth would ultimately receive its complementary reward, the students were urged to aim for the best in life and never allow social crimes to ruin their lives. They were also advised to see as role models, people who made their marks in their chosen areas of endeavour through dedication to duty and hard work and not those whose sources of wealth and achievements are suspect. In their speeches, Titus Olagunju (proprietor) and Janet Adepoju (principal) emphasized and urged the outgoing students to be worthy ambassadors of their Alma matter. Olagunju said that Timi was founded on the principles of the word and fear of God and is committed to giving the pupils sound education. According to him, over the years, the management and staff of the school have lived up to the motto of Timi as “a school with divine distinction.”

Ignatius Chukwu

ocal Government Electoral Officers (EOs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have confirmed that Governorship Election held in all the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Testifying at the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal on Thursday, five INEC Electoral Officers stated that the Governorship Election on March 9, 2019 was conducted in line with the Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines. Speaking during a cross examination by African Democratic Party (ADP) lawyer, Dolapo Tella-Attoni, INEC Electoral Officer for Okrika, Okemanu Clems Okechukwu , stated that the election held in all the 12 wards of the LGA. He noted that the result sheets from all the wards were signed by him and transmitted to the INEC office at the state level. Also answering questions from 2nd Respondent (Governor Nyesom Wike) lawyer, Okey Wali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Okemanu Clems Okechukwu noted that “materials were received and results announced at various polling units. The results were properly signed by INEC and party agents present”. Also testifying before the Justice J. A. Orjiako-led panel, Patrick Uzoka, electoral officer for Degema Local Government Area, stated that result sheets from the polling units of the wards in the LGA were signed and recorded by INEC officials on duty. Reacting on question

of violence in the area during the election, he said: “I did not get report from any party agents that the results announced were concocted and I did not also receive any report of violence during the election.” He noted that some units were cancelled and added that he did not notice presence of an ADP agent at the collation centre. Ijeoma Obari, electoral officer for Omuma LGA, told the Tribunal that no official or party agents made any lawful allegation against the governorship election as regards to Omuma. He added, “We conducted ourselves in accordance with guidelines issued by INEC.” INEC Electoral Officer of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, David Edak stated that the governorship election in the area was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere. He said that the voting was devoid of violence. Electoral Officer for Ikwerre Local Government Area, Stephen Koko Bassey said that the Governorship Election held peacefully in the area. Speaking with journalists outside the courtroom, Garba Tetengi (SAN), attorney for INEC, noted that five INEC witnesses testified in court. He disclosed that the commission still has seven days to present more witnesses. “We have called five witnesses today and we will continue tomorrow. We have seven days to conclude our own witness testimonies. By our reply we have listed 24 witnesses, but from the way the petition was presented, the evidence given will decide as to the number of witnesses we will call.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

News

Rotary District 9110 plans war against cancer, heart diseases, poverty

RUGA policy: Abia denies donating land to FG

…Installs Akeredolu as 39th district governor

UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

otary International District 9110 in its recently held installation ceremony of Rotarian Jide Akeredolu as the 39th district governor 2019-2020 at Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos had concluded plans to wage war against the spread of cervical cancer, congenital heart diseases and also reduce poverty among the people of Lagos and Ogun States. This was stated by the new District Governor, Akeredolu where funds were raised to undertake key humanitarian projects for the 2019-2020 Rotary year. According to the governor, “Under my watch, we shall continue to mobilise funds in order to bring the projects to fruition.” Speaking further, he hinted that the cervical cancer prevention programme has become a priority to his administration, going by the alarming rate at which lives are being lost to the deadly disease in recent times. Another project being planned is the treatment of congenital heart diseases which has continued to claim lives of many children, especially those from indigent families who cannot afford

the costs of open heart surgery. Besides, the district governor said that a significant proportion of funds raised during his tenure shall be devoted to addressing the needs of people who are in extreme poverty through empowerment programmes, using the already existing Rotary Vocational Training Centre in Igbogbo, Ikorodu as a pool from where beneficiaries would be sourced, in fulfillment of Rotary’s commitment to giving hope to the vulnerable people around the world.

While reflecting on funding, he noted that a total of 200 million naira is required for the various projects and programmes in his tenure. Part of this, he said, is hoped to be raised through grant from the rotary foundation while well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies are expected to partner by donating cash or providing materials and logistic support. “We hope to achieve a lot through medical missions in driving the congenital heart disease project,” he said, adding that each mission is open for sponsorship for the

Royal visit to the Baale of Mende by the Rotary Club of Maryland, Ikeja during the official visit of District Governor Jide Akeredolu

sum of one thousand dollars. As part of its fund raising initiative, the district has launched a one million dollar challenge through which Rotarians and their friends were given the opportunity to win a brand new car and other juicy prizes through lottery Besides, Rueben Abati, a former adviser on media and publicity to President Goodluck Jonathan, also spoke extensively on, ‘Our Endangered Humanity and the Politics of Service’, where he said that Nigeria should emulate the Rotarian mode of succession because of its interventionist ideal through which our common humanity, locally and internationally, as members of a diversified race, can be reinforced and strengthened. Appreciating the unity among the Rotarians, he said: “You have been able to create a succession system that is rancor-free, and relatively politics-free. Somehow, every member knows when it is his or her turn to sit at the table, not to eat but to serve and make a contribution. He however, advised the entire continent of Africa’s leadership to adopt a rancour-free political style.”

Lawyer’s book offers exciting vision for happy marriage Modestus Anaesoronye

ith an enviable career profile spanning more than three decades, Dominic Ichaba, a legal practitioner, chartered stockbroker, executive coach and corporate governance expert, has published his first book going outside his field to seek peace in marriages. Looking at his field, one would have expected a treatise on jurisprudence or an insider’s view on corporate governance and management, but marriage is where he believes he could impact society. Asked why a book on marriage, the bespectacled sexagenarian who hails from a small village in North-Central Nigeria, offered that marriage influences individuals and societies greatly. “Marriage affects societies and nations. Good marriages are most likely to result in good families, good families will produce good communities, societies and nations.” Writing from personal experience, research and over two decades of marriage counseling, Ichaba stated that “Marriage is one institution that has made a significant impact in my

life, beginning from my own parents’ failed marriage, marriages I observed growing up and my own marriage.” During the launch of the book titled, ‘Surprised by marriage: the life transforming vision of marriage’, in Lagos, the book reviewer, Tunde Ojo, observed that it is “the first book by the author but it has drawn from his rich life experience as an authentic African, husband, scholar-practitioner and minister. Ichaba has written eleven chapters of serious content made dynamic by pulsating prose. Lean meat, devoid of fat and verbal puff.”

Ojo disclosed, “Surprised by Marriage opens with an enthralling drama of domestic violence in a rustic village setting. With an admixture of verbal violence and wry humour, an embattled couple… is set for their usual fighting bout. The wife screams and calls the husband “chimpanzee.” It is difficult to query the logic of the woman often physically abused by her husband…. A beating bout is afoot. Spectators have gathered to be entertained by this dysfunctional couple. Thankfully, the tension-soaked episode ends on a note of humour, even if temporar-

ily, to the great relief of the reader. The husband, either being “benevolent” under the influence of “burukutu” (local gin) if you can call it benevolence, or better still, sheer providence, rejects the usual resort to beating his wife black and blue but calls her “Mrs. Chimpanzee” in retaliation to his wife’s word of abuse.” The book reviewer, a veteran of Nigeria’s marketing and media landscapes, was quite excited about the quality of the work. Hear him: “Hardly do you find a book on marriage with such a dramatic start.

L-R: Richard Ikiebe, chairman of the occasion; Taiwo Osipitan, chief launcher; Tunde Ojo, reviewer; Chidiebere Ichaba, wife of the author; Dominic Ichaba, author; Clem Baiye, and Wilson Badejo, all guests during the launch of the book titled, ‘Surprised by marriage’, in Lagos.

che Ihediwa, the Abia State attorney-general and commissioner for justice, has dispelled rumours and insinuations making the rounds that the state government has approved the proposed trailer park at Arungwa in Osisioma LGA for RUGA settlement in the state. While briefing newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, Ihediwa, the immediate past commissioner for land, said that the land in question was supposed by all intents and purposes, to be a trailer park as requested by the Federal Government in 2014 during the reign of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He disclosed that up till now the said land is yet to be handed over to the Federal Government, adding that the state government had not issued any allocation paper to the Federal Government in respect of the park nor C of O because the land available at Arungwa was less than the 50 hectares requested by the Federal Government for the project. He said that it would be a deviation from what the South East Governors agreed on for Abia state to make available land for RUGA purposes. He also advised Abians intending to sell their land to prospective buyers to be sure of the purpose for which

it is intended, adding that the state government at present has a policy of scrutinising any land measuring up to five hectares to determine its purpose before issuing certificate of occupancy, insisting that the state government would not consent to the RUGA policy as the state does not have enough land to meet its farming needs. The Abia Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice wondered why what started under former President Jonathan took another coloration under President Buhari and fingered Eze S.I. Owuala (a professor of Banking and Finance, UNILAG) and traditional ruler of Umuobasi Autonomous community in Osisioma, as the architect of the unfortunate insinuation. He said he was disturbed that Eze Owuala could go ahead to spread such rumours on the strength of a personal opinion and challenged him to produce proof. The Attorney-General urged the traditional ruler to tender an unreserved apology to the Abia State government within seven days or risked being dragged to court. Onyebuchi Ememanka, chief press secretary to the governor in his comment, noted that it was inconceivable for anyone to associate Governor Okezie Ikpeazu with the establishment of RUGA in the state when the South East Governors’ Forum of which he is a member, has not given a nod to the policy in the zone.

NGO vows to reduce restiveness, poverty in Niger Delta UDOKA AGWU, Umuahia

non-governmental organisation (NGO), Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND), has reiterated its resolve to reduce poverty and youth restiveness in the region through economic development and peace building. EmekaIle,theprojectlead, made this known in Aba, Abia State, during a dissemination workshop and roundtable on private sector engagement and partnership in the Niger Delta youth empowerment pathways project organised by PIND with support from Ford Foundation. He disclosed that PIND was established in the year 2010 by the Chevron Corporation to build partnership for peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta. Ile hinted that the group achieves its objective by growing networks of international and local partners to collaborate in developing

and implementing innovative programmes in the region. He further added that it was the belief of PIND that the solution to youth restiveness would result in stability and increase in income and empowerment in the region. According to him, “Our end goal is to reduce poverty and conflict in Niger Delta region through the interaction between economic development and peace building. We keep tracking places where conflicts are growing in the Niger Delta, trying to restore peace through creating alternative youth empowerment. “We concentrate on in training in the Agriculture, aquaculture, construction ICT and the renewable energy sectors to develop mode for job creation.” “We want to see people who wanted to train because they want to see a bigger picture in the future. Empowerment for us should revolve around result achieved by participants after the training and as an incentive for undergoing the training,” he further said.

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News State of the nation: Agom-Eze makes case for Buhari Udoka Agwu, Umuahia

nn Nwanyibuife Agom-Eze, a former senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari administration in its efforts to lay solid foundation for the emergence of a great nation. She made the call in Abakaliki, the Ebony State capital at the weekend while addressing journalists on the state of the nation. The South-East coordinator of APC Senatorial Aspirants Forum explained that the first term of the Buhari administration had set the tone for a legacy anchored on transparency, effective utilisation of public resources and diversification of the economy of the country. According to her, the challenge of building a virile and prosperous nation demands collective efforts to overcome, even as she gave kudos to the Buhari administration for pursuing peopleoriented policies that will enhance the living standard

Agom-Eze

of Nigerians. “Nigeria cannot continue to be a potential state. There is the urgent need for translating abundance of natural resources that our country is blessed with into better living conditions of Nigerians and that is what our President is doing,’’ Agom-Eze said. According to her, “In making diversification of the economy of the country a deliberate policy of his administration, President Buhari has demonstrated that he possesses the requisite experience to move the country to a new level because over-dependence on oil became an albatross on our efforts to develop.’’ The APC major stakeholder in Ebonyi State also said that the war on corrup-

tion currently being waged by the incumbent administration became necessary in view of the monumental damage it has caused the country at home and on the international scene. She argued that purging Nigeria of corrupt practices and strengthening democratic institutions which the Buhari administration is pursuing remained a sine qua non in the efforts to set the country on the path of prosperity and greatness. Agom-Eze, who aspired to represent Ebonyi South in the Senate during the last election, noted that President Buhari needs patriotic, dedicated, and experienced hands in his cabinet to help him actualise his transformation agenda and therefore, call on Nigerians to have faith in the incumbent administration and continue to support its leadership. She also appealed to Mr. President to consider nominating a woman of Ebonyi State extraction in his next cabinet in order to correct the imbalance in appointment of women of the southeast geo-political zone into cabinet positions at the federal level which had eluded women in the state since 1999.

Bayelsa elders warn against imposition of governor by FG David Ejiohuo

he people of Bayelsa State have vowed to resist any form of federal might and the imposition of a governor by the Federal Government, during the forth-coming governorship election in the state this year. An elder statesman and a People’s Democracy Party (PDP) chieftain in the state, Fineman Wilson, gave the warning at the weekend when he spoke with Airport Correspondents at the Port Harcourt International Airport Omagwa on the forth-

Seyi John Salau

L-R: Abayomi Ogein, chairman of the occasion; Christopher Megwara, guest minister; Priscilla Megwara, proprietress, and Henry Iwuchukwu, a special guest, at the event.

He said that most times, what a child eventually becomes comes from the home. In his remarks, Christopher Megwara, husband of

the proprietress, said the parents must not forget the days of little beginning and that they must continue to sow in the lives of their children as they will reap

relentless in efforts to impose governors and leaders during such elections across the country but that the Bayelsans were prepared to defend their votes to any length. “We are aware because this is not the first time they will try it in this state. They have tried it before and we defeated them and by our resolve and determination to enthrone democracy in Bayelsa, we will defeat them again”, he stated. “Bayelsa State, he explained, is a PDP state and will remain so, come 2020 inauguration and swearing in ceremony in Yenagoa,” he said.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor, (midddle), flanked by NBA President, Paul Usoro, SAN (left), Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat (right), with members of the NBA delegation and officials of the State Government during a courtesy call by the NBA Delegation at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja.

Parents urged to take more interest in their children’s academics arents have been advised to invest more in the education of their children for a secured future. The advice was given in Lagos on Thursday at the annual graduation/prize-giving ceremony of Laddertop Nursery &Primary School. Speaking at the event, Abayomi Ogein, chairman of the occasion, urged the parents not to be weary in investing in their children’s future, even though challenges abound in today’s society. He urged the parents to show more interest in their children’s progress in their academics, by looking at their books, checking their homework, buying the necessary books and meeting their needs as much as possible. Ogein, who noted that nothing good comes easy, urged the parents to also show good examples at home in whatever thing they do before the children, as “charity begins at him.” He said that no matter the teaching in school, the real classroom is at home, where the children learn from their parents.

coming election in the state. Wilson explained that it was a fact that the Federal Government would wish to use its might and impose a governor in the state but that his people would resist it to a standstill. According to the elder statesman who was a onetime deputy majority leader in the old Rivers State House of Assembly, the people of Bayelsa State were aware of the Federal Government’s plans and are prepared to defend their votes with whatever they have and resist any form of imposition of a governor. The present APC-led FG, he noted, is known to be

bountifully in a short while. He prayed for the parents for constant divine provision and also of sound health. He also prayed for the children for God’s abiding presence, excellence and divine protection. Priscilla Megwara, the proprietress, in her speech, expressed her gratitude to God for his protection all through the session as there was no loss of life of any pupil or parent. She also appreciated the parents for their faith in Laddertop, pledging that the school will always do anything possible to align with latest developments in teaching and learning processes for the overall good of the pupils.

US, Nigeria sign pact to improve food security Innocent Odoh, Abuja

he governments of the United States (US) and Nigeria have jointly signed a declaration of partnership to launch a five-year “Feed the Future Nigeria Country Plan” to increase investments in food security, build greater resilience, and improve household nutrition in the country. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Affairs Division of the United States Embassy in Abuja. The Feed theFutureisaUSgovernment initiative coordinated by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to sustainably reduce global poverty, hunger and malnutrition. US Chargé d’Affaires Kathleen FitzGibbon, who delivered a keynote address for the American government at the ceremony, said “this Plan will connect farmers with suppliers, improve agricultural extension services and inputs, and stimulate market growth to present new opportunities for millions of households to improve their standard of living and quality of life.” In his opening remarks, USAID Acting Deputy Mission Director Todd Sorenson said the exhibitors repre-

sented a “snapshot of the resources and expertise ready to play their critical part in developing a dynamic, diverse, and market driven agricultural economy. “In such an environment, the private sector can play “a key role in driving the business of agriculture while helping ensure a bounteous supply of highly nutritional food to feed the nation and provide jobs with growth potential,” he said. Building on the Government of Nigeria’s priorities for food security and nutrition, at both the national and state levels, the new Feed the Future Country Plan provides a blueprint to accelerate agriculture-led economic growth, strengthen resilience among people and systems, and support a well-nourished population – especially among women and children, the statement said. The Feed the Future Country Plan focuses on Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states, as well as the four northeastern states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, and Yobe. It will develop five of the government’s prioritized agricultural value chains with the strongest potential for increased productivity and enhanced market linkages. These are aquaculture, cowpeas, maize, rice, and soybeans.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

PhotoSplash

Tony Anonyai (1st l), chairman, audit committee, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc; Eddie Efekoha (2nd l), MD/president, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria; Austin Enejamo Isire (2nd R), chairman, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF), and Jite Ebojoh, at the burial ceremony of her mother at Ovu Inland, Ethiope East, Delta State.

L-R: Oyet Gogomary, group head, external relations and communications, OVH Energy; Ismaila Ibrahim, winner of motorcycle (okada); Jacob Fayehun, chairman, National Automobile Technician Association, Lagos Chapter; Olabiyi Babafemi, chief marketing officer, OVH Energy, and Lillian Ikokwu, head lubes, OVH Energy, at the first raffle draw of the ongoing Oando Oleum Awoof Promo in Lagos recently.

L-R: Bayo Akinola, zonal business manager, NB Plc; Grace Chinwe Onaiwu, distributor; Sarah Agha, portfolio manager, national and international Premium Lager; Anike Soyinka, distributor, and Funso Ayeni, national trade marketing Manager, NB Plc; at the launch of the Legend 45cl SKU. L-R: Chijioke Charles, Hi-life fest quarterfinalist; Destiny Onochukwu, Hi-life fest quarterfinalist; Maria Shadeko, senior brand manager, Goldberg and Life Lager; Chidi Egwu, brand manager, Life Lager, and Chimaroke Chimex, Hi-life fest quarterfinalist, at the Hi-life fest event in Ladipo market.

Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole (5th r), president/chairman, Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa, flanked by guests, members and Inductees at the 2019 Institute of Information Management (IIM) Africa Annual Lecture, Induction and Investiture in Austin Texas, United States of America, recently.

L:R: Yusuf Inskilu, national secretary, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society; Lion Abiodun Adediji, multiple council chairperson; Sheikh Zakariyah Moh’d Thanni, Lagos State Council /branch missioner; Lion Wesley Kafidiya, district governor, 404B2 Nigeria, and Lion Kayode Oshinuga, 2nd vice district governor, after the Jumaat Service, at Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Mosque, Surulere Lagos.

L-R: Patricia Ojora, trustee, Gallant Graces Foundation; Ayodeji Ademiniyi, principal, Tarkwa Bay Senior Secondary School, and Janet Adetu, founder/president, Gallant Grace’s Foundation, at the CSR program for Government Senior Secondary School Tarkwa Bay Lagos. The initiative is to promote grooming and personal development among girls.

Jameson Master Cooper Ger Buckley and Alani Adenle, Jameson Brand Ambassador, at the presentation and Jameson’s unveiling of premium whiskey like no other, Jameson Black Barrel.

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Inside Lagos

Water transportation: Will Sanwo-Olu turn the tide? JOSHUA BASSEY

f the new administration in Lagos put action to its words, the years ahead will witness a robust water transportation system that is efficient and less risky for passengers. Over the years, it has been more of talk and less of action. As a result, very little has been achieved in the water transportation sub sector in terms of efficiency and reliability. This is despite the fact that 25 percent of Lagos landmass is made up of water, which connects different parts of the state. Unlike the road that accounts for about 95 percent of movement of persons and goods across the state, water transportation operates far below its potential. According to statistics from the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), the sub sector currently accounts for only three percent of movement

Passengers onboard a speed boat in Lagos

of persons and goods, lifting less than million passengers annually from an estimated 22 million population of the state. This, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes is not only grossly low, but unacceptable. According to Damilola Emmanuel, managing director of LASWA, the waterways have the potential to do far above its

current three percent with continued investment, improvement in infrastructure, safety measures and advocacy. But issues of safety have been a major concern to the residents, some of whom have lost their loved ones in avoidable boat mishaps. Only last month, over 12 persons, mostly youngsters lost their lives when a boat travelling from Lekki to Egbin in Ijede cap-

Group boosts climate protection with GreenLife project DIPO OLADEHINDE

ahara Group, an energy and infrastructure conglomerate, has taken its GreenLife project to Ijora, Lagos, in a bid to boost climate protection. This is against the background of havoc wreaked by seasonal flooding in populated metropolitan cities like Lagos where plastic bottles and bags and other waste materials crammed drainage channels, thereby hindering free flow of water whenever it rains. Apart from the monumental losses it causes, flood is a potential source of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. According to the company, the GreenLife project seeks to galvanise action towards tackling climate change through collaboration, recycling, capacity building, awareness raising as well as investment in clean, affordable and sustainable energy. Sahara Groups director of governance and sustainability, Pearl Uzokwe said climate change is one of the most pivotal and critical issues that our generation face in Nigeria its often overlooked because there are always many other challenges the

country grapples with. “We have an office in Ijora, so we have looked around and discover there is a waste management problem. The level of waste that we have requires a multi- faceted approach to solving which is why we are doing this, Uzokwe said. Tajudeen Agbalaye, a local chief in Ijora community described the initiative by Sahara Energy as very good and will improve the lives of his people as most of them do not know the consequences of throwing waste into the drainages. “Programmes like this will further educate the people especially the women on how to manage waste, Agbalaye told Inside Lagos. Nigeria is exposed to extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, sand storms and heat waves. Almost 6 percent of Nigeria’s landmass is estimated to be severely degraded, at a time when population is increasing at over 2 percent per year and numerous sectors depend on the integrity of land resources to deliver on key sector objectives. Sahara Group’s commitment has inspired the adoption of the GreenLife project which seeks to galvanise action towards tackling cli-

mate change through collaboration, recycling, capacity building, awareness raising as well as investment in clean, affordable and sustainable energy. Oluseyi Ojurongbe, manager at Sahara Foundation said the company is very interested in people and climate change which is why initiatives like this is very key because its provides a platform for which business strives. If the environment is clean and not polluted, less people will fall ill so it’s a backward integration approach we are using instead of offsetting peoples medical bill, Ojurongbe said. Ojurongbe said the company has already identify someone who was selected by the communities for training who will later train other members of the community on how they can convert waste into precious materials. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), nine out of ten people in the world are exposed to polluted air and worse still, air pollution kills seven million people each year. A new World Bank report found that air pollution costs the global economy more than $5 trillion annually in welfare costs, with the most devastating damage occurring in the developing world.

sized. The boat was said to have been overloaded with over 20 passengers. The accident occurred around 7.42 pm as the illfated boat was already approaching its destination. Most of the dead were said not to have put on life-jackets which would have kept them afloat until rescued. Aside from the needed investment in water transportation infrastructure by

the government, a number of operators have been alleged to paying lip service to the safety of passengers onboard their boats. Some would sail without enforcing the “No LifeJacket No Ride” rule on the waterways. In the view of the new administration, this cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. At the 4th edition of the Lagos Traffic Radio annual lecture series held at the Radio Lagos multi-purpose hall, Agidingbi, Ikeja, with the theme “Lagos beyond roads; the inter-modal transport option,” SanwoOlu signaled the intention of government to change the narrative. According to the governor, represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, government plans to scale up investment in the water transportation space in collaboration with the private sector. “The current traffic situation indicates that 95 % of transportation is done by road in our state of over 22 million people.

The plan therefore is to reduce the number of cars on the road and provide alternative options which are rail and waterways that will be efficient and safe for Lagosians and those who visit our state,” said Sanwo-Olu. Ac c o r d i n g t o h i m , discussions are ongoing with various private sector groups who have expressed intention to invest in the waterways, which he admits is currently grossly underutilised in terms of harnessing its economic potentials, stressing that “the water transportation sector will receive lots of attention.” Will Sanwo-Olu turn the tide? Will the new administration give the general public and patrons of the water transportation system reason to increase their patronage and possibly win the confidence of millions of residents who still have phobia for water, or will it be more talk and less action like the previous administrations in the state?

Lagos APPEALS identifies 3 water bodies for cage culture

agos State AgroProcessing, Productivity, Engagement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) project has identified three water bodies, as safe for tilapia cage culture in the state. Oluranti Oviebo, the state project coordinator, made the disclosure, Friday, in Badagry, during a capacity building for farmers APPEALS project is a World Bank-assisted project, in collaboration with the Federal Government, partnering the Lagos State government. Oviebo noted that comprehensive analysis had been conducted on the water bodies in Afowo in Badagry; Agbowa in Ikorodu and Ebute-Afuye in Epe. According to her, the cage culture is in the open water naturally growing fish but confined in a cage; but the earthen pond is the aquaculture, where you have your pond and there is water seepage. “The project has carried out thorough investigations on these areas – Afo-

wo in Badagry; Agbowa in Ikorodu-Epe and also Ebute-Afuye in Epe. “It is not enough to say you are going into Tilapia farming and then you will go and find any water body to start using. We took the samples of these water bodies and the soils so that it doesn’t look like a mere experiment. “We have to be sure of the composition of these sites to ascertain their suitability to culture tilapia,’’ the coordinator said. Oviebo noted that existing fish farmers must have a minimum of three years experience in the business, with a very good business plan to access grants. The coordinator said there was need to leverage on the country’s huge water bodies and diverse fish species. The three-day capacity building in Topo, Badagry, focused on tilapia production, using the cage culture rearing method; control of water hyacinth and production of organic fertiliser from water hyacinth.

Remi Ahmed, a tilapia cage culture farmer, said that the APPEALS project had created an opportunity for farmers to harness technologies in the fisheries sub-sector. Ah m e d s a i d t h e r e were certain processes involved in cage culture, that would make tilapia cage culture easy and productive which farmers hitherto, took for granted. “This event is to promote the cage culture of tilapia. There are lots of water bodies that are underutilised. Let me be fair to the northerners who use them for irrigation; but in the West, we do not use them for anything. “If you have the floater, the restrictions, which is the cage you can put in the water, put your fish and start feeding it. It will reduce mortality because they are in their natural habitation. “Even in the north, irrigation should not be the only use of our water bodies because you can still use the water of the cage to do your irrigation,’’ he said.

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Lagos, the rains, the roads and the people

Frank Aigbogun editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

Tayo Ogunbiyi

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

hat it has been raining profoundly in Lagos for quite some time now would be an understatement. The volume of rains being experienced lately at the ‘Centre of Excellence’ corroborates an earlier forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) concerning “extended rains for areas in and around Adamawa, Ogun, Edo, Niger Delta and low-lying areas such as Lagos”. A critical feature of Lagos topography is that the state is essentially made up of low lying terrain up to 0.4 percent below the sea level. Naturally, this arrangement is the source of huge drainage challenges that confront the state. If this is added to the volume of rain that is being experienced in the state lately, it would be realized that there is possibly no way there would not be flash flooding in Lagos. Logically, when flash flooding occurs, one of the negative effects is that it washes away the surface of the roads, thereby making them almost impassable. This often re-

sults into avoidable gridlocks that make motoring a dreadful experience. Flash flooding is, therefore, one of the factors responsible for frequent damages of Lagos roads. This explains why the Lagos state government regularly does palliative works on roads across the state. However, irrespective of natural, scientific, human and other such plausible factors that complicate traffic on Lagos roads, it remains the primary duty of government to ensure that the burdens of the people, especially in terms of reducing travel time is reduced to the barest level. Well, the good thing is that the current administration of Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu clearly understands the place of the people in a democracy. Being a government that came into office through an overwhelming mandate of the people, one principal thing that is held sacrosanct by the administration is the wellbeing of the people. Transportation and Traffic Management remains the first cardinal aspect of the Sanwo-Olu administration agenda. Since assuming office, the government has not only been taking the talk about improving traffic situation in the state, it has also been walking the talk. For instance, on his 5th day in office, precisely on Sunday, June 2nd, Governor Sanwo-Olu, in the company of his deputy, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, visited the long abandoned Lagos-Bada-

gry Expressway and pledged the commitment of his administration to resume reconstruction work on this all important road before the end of June. True to his words, three weeks after he made the promise, the Sanwo-Olu administration actually flaggedoff commencement of work on the international gateway. Again, as always, the primary of objective is to bring soccour to Lagos residents who live along the axis. Presently, the state government has empowered the Lagos State Public Works Corporation to fix bad portions of roads across the state. Thus, Corporation has been able to fix all its equipment while its plant is now fully up and running. This has enabled the corporation to begin palliative works on major roads around Ogudu, Iju, Ilupeju by Ilupeju Secondary School, Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Ikotun- Igando axis, Apapa, Jibowu, Ikorodu Road, parts of Ikorodu town, Itoikin, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi among others. It is important to stress that personnel of the corporation work 24 hours round the clock in order to ensure speedy intervention. They work at nights mostly in high density areas of the state to ensure that the traffic situation is not further compounded. By defying the prolonged rainy season in its road rehabilitation’s quest, the Sanwo-Olu administration has disregarded a universally held belief that road maintenance work is seldom done during the rains.

Governor Sanwo-Olu has charged the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, to effectively carry out their functions by ensuring strict compliance with all extant traffic rules and regulations as prescribed in the enabling law. Similarly, the governor announced 100% increase in the allowances of LASTMA officials to encourage and motivate them in the discharge of their duties. Meanwhile, Governor SanwoOlu has assured Lagosians on the completion of all outstanding road projects in the state. The Governor made this assurance during a recent work visit to the Imota Rice Mills in Ikorodu division of the state. Towards this end, SanwoOlu assured Ikorodu residents that contractors would soon be mobilized to begin work on the Igbogbo and Agric/Isawo Roads as soon as there was a break in rainfall. He said: “We are aware of the two major critical roads in the Ikorodu axis, the Igbogbo and Isawo/Agric Roads. When there is a break in the rainfall, the contractors will fully get back to site. We need to be tactical to avoid waste”. Without a doubt, the SanwoOlu administration understands the need of the people and it is ever ready and willing to do all within its means to ensure that Lagosians are given a better deal. This is what it promised Lagosians and this is the course it is determined to pursue. Ogunbiyi is of the Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

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Politics The North faces a bleak future if current security challenge is not addressed - Shettima Shettima Yerima an activist and national youth leader of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), recently spoke to a select group of journalists in Lagos where he said that the country was sitting on a time bomb if the current security challenge was not urgently addressed. He also spoke on President Buhari’s decision to honour MKO Abiola, among other issues. INIOBONG IWOK was there. Excerpts:

The security crisis facing the country is escalating at an alarming proportion; what is your group doing to address the situation? et me ask you this question, how do you address a woman who you marry and keep in the house and starve her of food every day, leave her hungry day in day out and tomorrow you come and you expect her to fulfil her obligations as a wife? It’s a simple example, when an environment or a society is the way the North is today, where you have high rate of unemployment, where when it comes to the issue of Western education you realise it is not even encouraged by successive governments, like Awolowo did in the South West, where almost all the younger generations are direct beneficiaries of Awolowo’s gesture, some of you benefited from the free education and to some extent they made it compulsory and some of these legacies are seen working today. Today, Lagos State can boldly say we have passed a law, that a child of six, seven years must not be seen on the street begging, in fact, must not be seen on the street roaming, he must be in school from so and so hour to so and so hour; those laws are possible in a state as big as Lagos. But those laws are so impossible where I come from; it doesn’t work, poverty is high, hunger is much, I have fear that in the nearest future some of us may not live to even talk, I am worried not just for myself, but for my children, by God’s grace today my children are doing well; they are in school, but can they live in peace, certainly I don’t see that happening.

the family, the family needs it. We are saying ensure that as you put your picture in the Villa, put Abiola’s picture there too, as a former President of the country who never ruled, at least, it will be on record and children yet unborn will see the history. Those are serious issues, for me, I was thinking the government would have gone beyond that.

Recently, the Federal Government celebrated June 12 as the nation’s democracy day with a public holiday; also the National Stadium Abuja was named after the late Abiola. You are among Nigerians who have been calling for the honour of Abiola; are you satisfied? When you said if I am satisfied, I will say not yet; yes something happened, some of us have spent major parts of our lives in the struggle for this June 12, I will say that was my first step into the pro-democracy struggle, it was June 12 that brought some of us into the limelight; I remember some of my contemporaries such as the Aare Onakanfo today, the likes of Asari Dokubo, people like Sowore, Mayegun, these are people who at that time were just growing up and many others, Wale Okuniyi and the rest of them, many of us were just coming out of school and some others were in school at that time, we were working as foot soldiers; the like of Shehu Sani who by God’s grace is today a senator, were ahead of us, age wise and experience wise. We lost some who were killed by the military at that time. I remember one Mustapha who was always around any struggle, any protest, he is still in Lagos, but goes with clutches now because he lost one of his leg. So many of them lost their jobs, many were incarcerated; some of them lost their families. I remember a comrade who lost his wife and kids when the attack came. Those are things that happened many years ago. When I was talking yesterday, I was on air on Channels TV on Politics Today and I mentioned something; I said these things are not about

Shettima Yerima

Abiola as a person, but there was something that made us come around at that time, we formed a rallying point, we believed in the idea of that struggle at that time, we believed in the manifesto of MKO Abiola at that time. What are those things that actually drove us closer, the issue of fighting hunger, alleviating poverty, controlling it to some level, food on the table, insecurity to be addressed, addressing corruption, unemployment and so on. These were things that were very important and germane at that time, subsequently Nigeria killed him. At that time we were more united than we are today, I don’t know really, but maybe I was so young, I didn’t get to know that Wale was different from me Shettima, or Tunde or Emeka, I did not know any of this, we moved on together; I didn’t know if there was difference between religion at that time, because we celebrated Christmas together, and when Sallah comes we do the same, the only thing that differ was that when it is Sallah it was like I am coming to your house to eat today and you are also coming to my house at Christmas if I was a Christian, that was the only thing I remember, but today we are all much more divided than we were. But, why is it so? Now come to think of it, under this regime insecurity is at the highest of it, nothing is impossible, I don’t know if I am thinking like this because I am from the North; I only come to Lagos briefly. Sometimes, I stay in the North for six months or even one year without coming down here, you only read my statements from there. Secondly, the issue of poverty is higher, hunger, today you people in the Southern part of the country are living in paradise when it comes to the issue of hunger, because even among some of our people that seem to be among the elite, some of them find it very difficult to eat, people don’t go to farm anymore, kidnapping now has gone to a level that people only write you a letter, sell your property if you don’t have money, come and pay, if they come

to your house it means you are too stubborn; it has come to that level. The issue of banditry is a thing that happens religiously every day in the Northern part of the country; there is no place that is safe in Northern part of the country. Now, if you look at all of this, the hunger, the poverty, the unemployment and everything, it contradicts the principle of the struggle of June 12. I was looking at something bigger, when you say whether we are satisfied, it has not addressed anything yet out of what we are thinking. That one grazing reserve, abandoned property, was named after MKO Abiola is not enough. Public holiday good, at least, there is a change from May 29, to that day, even some people among my contemporaries say it is politics, even if it is politics, it has to some extent started; a journey of a million miles starts with a step, we have taken a step to some extent on June 12, I don’t know if one mad government will come up in the future to reverse it, I hope that doesn’t happen, because almost all of us will rally round and become enemy of that government if they reverse it. But, beyond this, why is it so difficult for the government, if they are truly sincere, to gazette it, that an election actually held on June 12, 1993, that somebody, Mr. A won that election, it was a clear defeat, those things are before everybody, they are in the archives; you can always have access to those results, the man who conducted the election attests to the fact that truly Abiola won the election; why was it so difficult for the government, the previous governments and the present one which is also determined and willing to shake body and move as if it’s all for the progressives, why is it so difficult to put into the gazette that MKO Abiola was a president, so that the benefits, entitlements of what those other people are enjoying or enjoyed. If you say the man did not live long, he died a few years after; fine, from the day he won that election begin to look at those benefits that are supposed to accrue to him, join them from that time to the last minute he died, give it to

But is this honour not a big step forward? Now, when you talk about democracy day, what is democracy with hunger in the land, what is democracy in the midst of insecurity, what is democracy without respect for the rule of law, where rulings or pronouncements are made by competent courts and it is only in this regime where I see impunity thrive, undermining court rulings in so many cases. The case of Dasuki is one; El-Zakzaky is another, so many of them, probably I may also be a victim soon, because I am always a victim, tomorrow I may be picked and a court will rule and nothing will happen. So, it portends danger; today it’s the issue of El-Zakzaky, Dasuki who are direct victims, it could as well be anybody, so where lies the whole thing called democracy and democracy day? Unfortunately, we have some of our contemporaries today who are opportuned to be in government, who are directly benefitting from it, they are gladly raising their hands and jumping up and down. I have said it before, I said when Jonathan named UNILAG after Abiola, the protest against it was not initiated by the students themselves, it was sponsored by some elements here in Lagos, who instigated the students and funded them to raise that protest, so that Jonathan will look stupid and they rejected that thing completely; isn’t UNILAG more prestigious and better than that stadium? I am sure the President has never been there, because you can’t even find good animal there, some of them rejects it not to talk of human beings. I was at the stadium a few days ago, one of my friends goes to the gym there and once in a while you see people doing exercise on weekends, I was surprised how it looks like, I have never seen an ugly place like that in recent time and a government property. Somebody built that stadium, all they would have done was to renovate it, put the facilities, and improve it to an extent. Obasanjo built that stadium, yet you said PDP has not done anything, but part of what the PDP did is what you are using today to showcase and take glory. When you talk about rail, was rail initiated by this government? Tell me exactly one thing that they initiated, sometimes we get carried away on sentiment, sometimes hypocrisy becomes the order of the day, we see serious issues happening before our face and we concur and fall into some of these things that are not right, we are still in the trenches, nothing like being satisfied, after over two decades at the trenches do you expect that at this level I will be fooled by any magical happenings and I will just give up everything and say yes we have arrived? Where did we arrive at? Struggle has become part of our lives probably we are going to die struggling, so for me it is just a step, just like Oliver Twist we are asking for more, it’s part of life.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Politics My dream is to remove Ajegunle youths from the street - House of Reps member

Jonathan Aderoju

uring the 2019 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State declared results for the House of Representatives, Ajeromi/ Ifelodun Federal Constituency election inconclusive in a fiercely contested exercise between the then incumbent on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Rita Orji, and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Kolawole Taiwo, a popular figure among youths, having been a two-time chairman of the local government and former deputy speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly. The declaration heightens tension among residents in the Lagos most volatile community. In the first result declared by the INEC for the February 23 election showed that the PDP candidate, Orji polled 31, 982 votes, while Taiwo of the APC got 28, 758 votes. The difference between PDP and APC’s scores was 3224. In the bye election conducted by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) Kolawole Taiwo was able to edge out his opponent, with 988 votes to emerge winner. Since his election into the lower chamber, Taiwo has continued to affirm his resolve to transform his constituency and constituents, through quality representation. He said that he has made a clear sketch of the structural needs of his constituency to include prompt

Kolawole Taiwo

tackling of the drainage problems in the three divisions of the constituency, re-orientation of the mindsets of the youth in the area of model selection shift through purposeful engagement and direct emancipation of the constituents through empowerment programmes that have thorough impact on the lives of the people “Ajegunle is divided into three parts, the Olodi/Wilmer side is the outlet; I inspected all these areas during my campaign, they took me round and I have a firsthand view of the problem, especially the customs yard which I am going to take up soon. “They have the culvert blocking

the major outlet of water into the street and instead of them to do a box culvert, they did a ring culvert, it is not good for us. I spoke with them and told them I am going to remove this if I win and I have won, we are going to remove it, because in the process of trying to save the flow they now block a section of it again with some iron blockage and that one gathers dirt and prevents flow of water which directly affects our roads,” he said. According to him, “One of the best layouts we have in Ajegunle is that of the Olodi and Wilmer. Imagine the drainage is good and you are on that road you see the road very straight and so beautiful,

but most of the roads are bad and I know we are going to attract a quick fix for that. “I am going to do a lot of visitations, I am a trained legislator, we do a lot of work in the house and I know the National Assembly is different from the state assemblies, we still need to learn some of their moves, but the outside contact is the same. “In Apapa, we allowed heavy trucks to ply our roads; they have damaged most of our roads, many of which are made for small vehicles not big trucks, but because of what we permitted in Apapa by allowing them on our roads they are in deplorable shape. We will use that to solve those problems, because I am aware we need to put in so much for the people to know the difference between our government and the previous government.” Taiwo, in an interview session with a select group of journalists, said the youths in Ajeromi had been exposed to all forms of negative influence taken from the street and that as a result decisive action needed to be taken to save them from cultism and all other social vices. According to him, “I also raised these issues during my campaign about our children picking wrong models, if there is one area that anything from the street would affect, that area is Ajegunle, because we are always on the streets, our own life is on the streets. “I was discussing with one of our council chairmen and said why can’t you build a mall like Ikeja mall, where our children can stay, they

will not be living on the street again but in the mall, we will take them out of the streets to the malls because now the street is dangerous. “The bricklayers, carpenters, mechanics are now cultist and our youths pick this wrong model from there. They pick wrong models and it is giving us problems, that is why I talked about building a youth centre, we want to have a platform where we can bring people that have passed through Ajeromi who are good to be role models to come and sensitise our youths.” The legislator also harped on the importance of having a functional stadium in Ajeromi/Ifelodun “The two previous governments have tried, they were unable to deliver; I know I am going to persuade the governor-elect about the Maracana stadium; we have the site, we are ready to go, let them give us and we are going to return it positively; we are going to use it to remove most of our youths from the street. “I am the pillar of sports in Ajeromi; I am always proud to say it; I told my people, and boxing is back. Our boxing competition would be revived and we would make it to be under HKT foundation now; therefore, it is not going to sink with politics because we must do everything to remove the youth from the street.” “Overseas, they use sports, most of their sports women and men made their millions when they were young; therefore, they had no reason to be wayward rather they focus on improving themselves. We are going to use sports because we are gifted,” he said.

party in the state was holding Lagos PDP to ransom. “What they are saying is not true, that is their thinking, do they have what it takes to run a party? When they need something, it is Bode George they run to; there is none of them that have not benefited from him. If the man leaves the party they would know we don’t have a party,” Shelle added. However, a South-south leader of the party in the state, Sunday Ekanem, told our correspondent that the Ben Obi peace committee may not achieve meaningful success because the real issues that led to the current disagreement would not be settled. “I don’t see anything coming out of that meeting, they came last year, and what did they achieve? The real issues have been neglected; is not just to come and share positions and go,” Ekanem said. Segun Adewale, in an interview with BDSUNDAY expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. Adewale, however, cautioned against imposition of another set

of state executive members on the party by Bode George, threatening that he would vehemently stand against such decision again. According to him, “They did well, everyone spoke their mind; I am ready for peace, but Bode George must not impose anybody on the party from the back door again, if that happens I am ready to sack such people again,”. “The people want the party to liberate them, there is no reason why we can’t win election in Lagos for 20 years now, the people are tired of APC and the same APC is using some people within the party to divide us, because they don’t want Lagosians to liberate,” Adewale said. In recent months, the current crisis has led to the defection of some leaders of the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), notably among them is the former Minister of Works, Adeseye Ogunlewe. Lagos PDP only won a state Assembly position seat and a federal House of Representatives seat in 2019 general election in the state.

PDP moves to resolve Lagos chapter crisis …As peace committee meets state party leaders

Inibong Iwok

he main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has moved to resolve the leadership crisis which has engulfed its Lagos State chapter in recent time; consequently, a peace committee from the national headquarters of the party, recently, met with PDP leaders in the state. The Lagos PDP has been engulfed in internal crisis since after the 2019 general election over leadership tussle, particularly the state chairmanship position. The crisis has since split the party into two camps. Segun Adewale, a leader of the party in the state, had been laying claims to the chairmanship position, alleging that the Agboola Dominicled state executive expired last December, and that based on the 2016 state congress of the party, he was the legally recognised state chairman. The crisis has been further aggravated by infighting, accusation and counter-accusation among leaders

of the party in the state, who accuse one another other and the Agboola Dominic-led state executive of working against the party’s interest in the 2019 election. However, in a bid to find a lasting solution to the crisis and check the poor performance of the party in subsequent elections in the state, a peace committee led by Senator Ben Obi, a chieftain of the party in Ekiti State, Abiodun Olujimi, and others, met at Raddison Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Sources at the meeting told BDSUNDAY, that several leaders of the party in the state, including the governorship candidate of party in the 2019 gubernatorial election, Jimi Agbaje, were in attendance and they urged the national leadership to follow the constitution of the party in running the affairs of the state. The source further stated that there was unanimous agreement among the chieftains that there was the need to reduce the influence of some leaders of the party in the state, while the next state executives should emerge through a transpar-

ent state congress. Speaking on the meeting in a telephone interview with BDSUNDAY, a former chairman of the party in the state, Tunji Shelle, said it was time all aggrieved leaders forget the past in order to move the party forward, stressing that he was ready to make sacrifice for peace to reign. According to him, “Yes, they came on a fact-finding mission and they met with us and they are back in Abuja to submit their report. We were all there, some leaders spoke well and some did not. “A lot of people just joined politics to insult people, some of them that where there are not real PDP members, they went to contest in another party and came back; we know them.” “But the party has to move forward; I am ready to move round and resolve things, it is just some people are not sincere,” Shelle said. The former chairman, however, dismissed insinuations by some chieftains of the party in the state that Bode George a leader of the

Sunday 21 July 2019

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Politics ‘Buhari’s achievements have changed the impression of rest of the world about Nigeria’ A youth leader, Razaq Olokoba, is a public analyst, social commentator and human rights activist. He is also the national president, Campaign for Dignity in Governance (CDG), a coalition of over 70 civil society organisations. In this interview with INIOBONG IWOK in Lagos, the pro-democracy activist warned those insinuating retention of power in the north after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023 to bury the idea, saying, such a position would throw spanner into the wheels of the country’s political, economic and social progress. He also spoke on other national issues. Excerpts:

What is your assessment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s first term in office? e stand by saying that the template for the first four years in office has taken Nigeria to a credible level in the comity of nations. And if you look at the rating of Nigeria in the international community in terms of moral issue, I think it is on the rise. The impression of international money lenders about Nigeria now is improving unlike before when we have it on record that whenever Nigeria borrowed money, the money would end up in private pockets of government officials. So, the music has changed now so has the dancing steps. This means that the relationship of Nigeria with the rest of the world has tremendously improved. They can now point at Nigeria as a nation that is serious. And back home, Buhari had a difficult start. And we are so lucky that the profile of the man Buhari shows that he is a peculiar human being. That is the reason we are able to survive as a nation. And that is the angle we have not been looking at. But if he was someone who does not have that kind of experience, maturity, dexterity and understanding of our political terrain, we would have been in a big mess by now. What impressed you about his first term in office? His achievements changed the impression of the rest of the world about us. It is experience that has pulled Nigeria through in the last four years. If we want to be specific, if we look at our economy, before Buhari came on board, the major income for Nigeria was from oil which was being rejected worldwide by every country doing business with oil. So, we were operating a comatose economy at that time. The country was getting into bigger trouble because funds were no longer available to run our life. Ninety percent of what we consumed was imported. And the currency used in importing those commodities was dollar and we don’t produce dollar here. It is the business that you do in the international market that earns you dollar that we used to buy all those commodities that we consume. So, the dollars were not coming in again. War would have broken out that time but it was averted. Now, we are back on our feet and moving forward as a nation. The economy is becoming healthy and healthy every passing day. In the past, we never took agriculture seriously in Nigeria. No country has 100percent of what it consumes, agreed. You can have 70percent of what you consume. But you must have additional 30percent of what you consume from the international markets. But sadly and ironically, in Nigeria, we produce less than 5percent of what we consume while we source for over 90percent of what we consume from outside the county! But gradually under Buhari, we are producing more of what we consume now. We are heavy consumers of grains like rice. And today, we know the story about rice in Nigeria. Importation of rice has reduced drastically. We are also exporting yam now. And position of Nigeria in the

Razaq Olokoba

exportation of cocoa is on the rise. Even raw materials that factories use in production are being made available in Nigeria. Factories are getting raw materials from agriculture. So, by and large, things are getting better for Nigeria economically. But people are still complaining about security challenges in the country. What can you say about that? Well, on security, you will agree with me that in every region in the country, there is what looks like a low scale war. If an Army General like Buhari is not at the helms of affairs in Nigeria, we would have been in a big mess. But because the General is at the helms of affairs, he understands perfectly the strategies and military tactics. Now, if Boko Haram rear their ugly heads today, their heads are cut off before they think of regrouping again. But it was not like that before when they had permanent flags in some parts of the country as their own republic. Then, other challenges came in the east, in the west and kidnapping came as ingredients to all the crises we have on ground. And everything became diluted. But because of where Buhari is coming from as an Army General, he was able to locate specific strategies for each region. Buhari is a God-sent to Nigeria. So, with all my analyses, you will agree with me that God sent Buhari to us when we needed him most. Then, what are your expectations in his second term? Well, he is expected to sustain what he has started as I told you earlier. He would surpass his earlier achievements especially with the friendly parliament on ground. The eighth Assembly members gave themselves away that if the National Assembly was expunged from the constitution, Nigeria would not have felt its absence. But take away the Judiciary; the

nation would be in fiasco. Take away the executive for one week, we may not recover for ten years because it means you want to take away the Army, you want to take away the Police, you want to take away Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that manages the economy of the country for one week. So, you have to make yourself so relevant and so indispensable which the Parliament is missing! The Parliament is supposed to be the most relevant arm of the government because governance is essentially around the Parliament. Parliament is what started what we call the governance today. It is when two or three people meet to discuss the affairs of their community. It was what gave birth to both the Executive and the Judiciary. But sadly, in our own country, that arm is the most irrelevant in our affairs. But luckily for us now, we have people who have the required charisma and impeccable character to lead our Parliament. We have people who are more patriotic and thankfully, we are going to have our nation back by having our Parliament back. We are having it back already but we want to have it more in our grip. And with what is already happening between the Parliament and the Executive today, hope is already rising to assurance that we are going to have our country back. Gone are the days when the Parliament used to hold the nation to ransom. You cannot do that to a nation by hiding the budget of a nation for seven months! Where do you stand on the 2023 presidency matter? That is a very interesting topic and really, we have to be very careful about it. Insinuations are going round already that the presidency would still remain in the north in 2023. And I say, the insinuation is a very dangerous one. Well, I know the insinuation that power would remain in the north by 2023 is a minority opin-

ion. And the caution I want to throw is that about 26 years ago, when June 12 presidential election won by MKO Abiola was annulled, the country was healthy and working fine. The country could absorb all kinds of political shock as at that time. In spite of that, the June 12 scenario shook the entire nation to its very foundation! The entire world stood still and paid serious attention to what was happening in Nigeria. And no patriotic Nigerian would want us to pass through that kind of agony again in our life as a nation. For those saying that power should remain in the north in 2023, maybe they think they have the numerical strength, it is a primitive demand and nobody thinks along that line again nowadays! No matter the number of a people in a nation, you should consider them as a factor that if they cannot make, they can mar. You cannot deny them of both abilities to either make or mar. If they cannot control the process, they can destroy the process! If they cannot add value to the process, they can reduce value from the process. And that is the angle we must look at. The north, I mean the Hausa Fulani, was on the list of the most trusted ethnic groups in this country. But, that impression became battered by the roles they played during the June 12 crisis! And that is the impression Buhari is trying to correct now. He wants to create a new impression of who a true northerner is. He wants to create a new impression that a northerner is someone who is patriotic, someone who is not self-centred, someone who wants Nigeria to move forward and someone who wants the best for Nigeria. He wants to create a new impression that a northerner is someone who wants to build Nigeria to be respected in the comity of nation; someone who wants Nigeria’s economy to be among the best ten economies in the world. That is what Buhari is trying to do. But the insinuation that power should not leave the north is not only unacceptable to the southerners; it must be classified as one of the primitive demands of the recent times. So, whoever has that kind of notion, even for tactical or strategic reasons, should know it is a dangerous kite to fly. It is a dangerous position to push. It would not earn Nigeria any good. And that idea should be dropped. The most qualified ethnic group, the most qualified region to produce the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023 are the Yoruba people. Nations in the world today pass the most peaceful terrain now; nations in the world now had understood the danger of taking their people to pass through a difficult terrain in the past. So, the easiest terrain, the most peaceful terrain, the most workable terrain and the most acceptable terrain in 2023 is to allow a Yoruba man to become the President. The demands are so little and understandably, majority of northerners would accept the proposal that a Yoruba man should come on board. There may be furious resistance from the north, but in the south, there is no sane Yoruba man that would say that his kinsman should not become the president. I am yet to see such a man’s position to justify that.

14 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Feature

ExxonMobil, new initiative and community relations in Akwa Ibom ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

o b i l Pr o d u c ing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC/ MPN) joint venture, appears to have launched a new initiative aimed at improving its community relations programme in Akwa Ibom State. In April, it unveiled a N170 million-project under its investment scheme, focusing on peace and conflict resolution workshop, clean energy project, community safety awareness campaign and an upgrade of market stalls as well as community beach party. Two months later, it is holding high level meetings with lawmakers from Akwa Ibom State who are in the National Assembly. The company led by its top executives has met with Patrick Ifon, member representing Eket federal constituency, the core oil producing community of Akwa Ibom State and recently had a meeting with Onofiok Luke, former speaker of the state House of Assembly, who now represents Etinan federal constituency in the House of Representatives. Many observers see this as a welcome development coming at a time the company’s community relations activities has hit an all-time-low. Before now, the company was a household name in Akwa Ibom State and indeed, the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. By then, it used to pride itself as a good corporate citizen of Akwa Ibom State. According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the company which is a subsidiary of ExxonMobil Corporation produced over 500,000 barrels of oil per day in 2018. Though figures for 2019 are not readily available, industry sources put the figure at over one million barrels of oil per day. However, since its merger with Exxon years ago, things have not been the same again and the company has struggled to keep up with its community relations programmes. Before then, together with its joint venture partner, it had a “very active community relations programme made substantial contributions in the area of health, education, sports, water supply, electricity and road, especially around its operational base in Akwa Ibom and River States.” With agitations and blockades by youths demanding em-

ployment, prompt response to oil spills, payment of severance benefits and other labour-related issues including the difficulties in securing minor contracts from the company and its affiliate firms, it is clear that all is not well with the company and its host communities. According to Tom Benjaminsen, the company’s general manager, joint venture operations, more than 25 cases of “unprecedented harassment, badge seizures and attacks on the company’s contractors by a handful of individuals have been recorded between January and April this year.” Obviously, things are not looking good with the company’s activities in Akwa Ibom State. One can hardly blame the youth for the increase in agitation for improved economic programmes in the host community given that issues of a clear cut Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the company and the host communities have yet to be sorted out; the many reported cases of oil spill and the inability of the local community to benefit from minor contracts of supplies have not helped matters. Though the company says it is now focusing on “sustainable development projects aimed at promoting economic independence for communities in our areas of operations, through partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGOs), capacity building, micro financing of small and medium enterprises, healthcare and agriculture,” this has not helped to stem the agitation in the host communities because they seem not to go far enough. For instance, among the sustainable development projects,

embarked upon by the company is a beach party that took place at the Ibeno beach where youths gathered to dance and sing songs. One wonders, how that could translate into a viable sustainable development programme for the community. When the going was good, the core oil producing communities of Ibeno, Esit Eket, Eket and Onna Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State enjoyed significant improvement in physical infrastructure like roads, water and electricity projects as well as scholarship programmes. In fact, many of the streets in Eket town, widely regarded as an oil city of Akwa Ibom State, were constructed by the oil company. At its peak of excellent community relations, the oil company had a sizeable budget running into millions of naira for community assistance programmes. This was seen in the number of projects that were completed and inaugurated in the core communities. In addition to its airstrip in Eket town, it also had a shuttle service by Bristow helicopters and had a thriving logistics department in the area with booming activities at is jetty in the area. But gradually, the oil company scaled down its operations, leaving the host communities in a state of disbelief. The issue of how the company relates with its host community formed the plank of the discussion during the meeting with Pat Ifon, a former local government chairman of Onna Local Government Area, who insisted that the dialogue should have been with the community leaders in the host communities. “There is a need to sit together with the host communities and

come out with a working agreement and ways of consistent community action like we used to have back then,” Ifon said. Indeed, the new approach by the company of going to the nation’s capital to engage the lawmakers from Akwa Ibom State in a dialogue of sort without first talking with community leaders at the grassroots where the company has its operations seems like a top-bottom approach to resolving crisis, a development many believe would not go far enough. This approach is like treating the symptoms of a debilitating illness rather than the disease itself. For instance, instead of committing itself to an MoU with the community to take its community relations programme to a new level, it has elected to selectively engage lawmakers from the state who are in the National Assembly in what some indigenes of Akwa Ibom described as “face-saving meetings”. “It is our interest for you to represent us well, ExxonMobil is part of your constituency,’’ Eme Udom, the company’s general manager in charge of venture relations was quoted as saying during a meeting with Luke. Many community leaders, including Ifon, believe that having a Memorandum of Understanding will curb the incessant facility blockade by the youth, adding that it would define the stands of both the company and the community as anyone who crosses the ‘red line’ will be called to order by the law as contained in the agreement. The meeting with Luke was no different as the lawmaker informed the oil company’s delegation led by Eme Udom that it should take steps in ensuring that local contractors are given

same opportunity like their counterparts from other parts of the country. The vexed issue of the company’s relocation of its administrative head office to Akwa Ibom State, an issue that has been on the front burner of discussions for years, was equally on the table. To facilitate the relocation of the oil company’s head office to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the state government is constructing a 21-storey building in the banking district of the state capital to guard against excuses. The company, however, was said to have made no response on the issue of relocation during the two meetings. Although it claims that it is paying three percent of its revenue to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as required by the law, many are not enthused by it as it has not helped to upgrade decaying infrastructure in the host communities. Some indigenes, who spoke with BDSUNDAY, claimed that for years that the company has operated in Ibeno, the link road to its operational base was in a sorry state of disrepair. “It took the occurrence of a massive oil spill before the road could be fixed. The community with the state government had to sit down and agreed on how the money for the payment of compensation arising from the oil spill should be spent. It was then agreed that part of the funds would be set aside for the construction of the road. Though the road had since been completed, the company caused a stir when it erected a large billboard with the amount it claimed to have spent on the road,” a concerned youth, who claimed to be in the vanguard of the agitation for improved presence of the oil company in Akwa Ibom, said. “The company needs to revisit its community relations approach; it needs to talk with the community leaders, the youth and all groups,” the youth leader, who pleaded anonymity, said. BDSUNDAY was also told that announcing a budget of less than N200 million for its community relations programme, covering workshops on conflict resolution and a beach party can hardly address the myriads of issues that the community has been agitating for over the years. “Claiming to maintain a very active community relations programmes with its joint venture should be seen and felt by the host community and should aim at real sustainable development of the oil-bearing communities,” he said.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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Feature

Financial inclusion: First Bank on the right path OBINNA EMELIKE

hile Nigeria has about 96.4 million adult population, it is sad that 40.1 million (almost half of the population) are financially excluded in a digital age where ePayment, eCommerce, among other hassle-free financial services, products and banking innovations are trending. Moreover, it is also shocking that women, youth under 35 years, rural residents and those in Northern Nigerian, particularly North West and North East are the most financially excluded. As well, the development is a big challenge to the actualisation of Nigeria’s 80 percent financial inclusion target by the year 2020; an initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, the situation is worrisome to First Bank Nigeria Ltd., which is unarguably, the leader in electronic payment services adoption in Nigeria. The foremost tier1 bank has been in the forefront of supporting and implementing CBN initiatives aimed at aiding robust, more secured and vibrant financial system and most recently, the campaign for financial inclusion, which among other benefits, would lift many Nigerians out of poverty. In furtherance of the campaign, First Bank organised a joint seminar for banking and telecoms regulators on the theme, ‘Advancing ePayment and Digital Innovations in Africa- Evolution of Nigeria’s Payment Systems’. The seminar, which held on July 8, 2019 at Lagos Continental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, was timely and a boost to financial inclusion across the country, especially among the unbanked. From tracing the evolution of payment systems in the country, the appraisal of the feats achieved so far in financial inclusion and solutions on how to tackle the challenges in the actualisation of a full-scale financial inclusion across Nigeria, the seminar was worth attending. Of course, you do not expect less with delegates from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), central banks across West Africa, Interswitch, Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), executives from First Bank branches in Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, DRC Congo, Guinea, among executives from telecom and fintech companies. The burden of the millions of unbanked Nigerians has made First Bank to engage in series of researches, and seeking sustainable ways of wooing them to the financial space. In his presentation at the seminar entitled “The Role of Mobile, USSD and Agent Banking in Financial Inclusion – The

FirstBank case”, Chuma Ezirim, group executive, eBuisness & Retail Products, First Bank, highlighted some of the facts supporting the bank’s commitment at assisting the CBN to achieve its financial inclusion target in Nigeria. According to him, despite being the oldest existing financial institution in Nigeria (established 1894), First Bank has evolved with many innovative products and services even targeted at boosting financial inclusion in Nigeria. For him, the FirstMonie was one of such innovations aimed at taking banking to the grassroots and lifting the 40.1 million financially excluded Nigerians to exciting banking platforms. As well, the Agent Banking offering is focusing on serving financially excluded individuals and small businesses in rural areas and is experiencing exponential growth with significant revenue and social impact. According to Ezirm, First Bank has boosted financial inclusion in Nigeria with its Agent Network now covering 28,059 agent locations in 755 out of the 774 Local Government Areas in the country with 18 million monthly transactions valued at N240 billion. Aside the Agent Network, First Bank is reaching out to the unserved with its USSD Banking offering. As at June, 2019, it has 7.7 million subscribers on the USSD platform and still counting with 62 million monthly transaction volume valued at

N200 billion. The good news is that over 75 percent of transactions carried out on the USSD platform were done by the bottom of the pyramid customer segment with feature phones. Considering the fact that 36.6 million people, who are financially excluded are women, therefore women empowerment, according to Ezirim, is a key focus area in the financial inclusion mission of First Bank. “EFInA’s A2F 2018 survey indicates that 55.1 percent of the totally financially excluded people in Nigeria (36.6m) are women. Firstmonie Agent network therefore purposefully targets to empower women in order to bridge the financial inclusion gap, as well as, reduce poverty. Today over 6,000 women are active agents on the network, empowered to do more for their families and become employers of labor”, Ezirim said in his presentation. Of course, Musa Jimoh, deputy director, Payment System Management, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), agreed that granting financial access to the poor is a sure way of reducing poverty. He said at the seminar that in line with this, the CBN is at the forefront of the campaign for financial inclusion and has even forced commercial banks to reduce the requirements for opening accounts to encourage the millions of unbanked to get on board. He highlighted other initia-

tives by the CBN to woo the u n b a n ke d a n d c o l l a b o ra t e with commercial banks, fintechs, among other stakeholders in achieving 80 per cent financial inclusion target by 2020. Some of the feats achieved by the CBN in financial inclusion, according to Musa, include; mobile money to push financial services closer to the people; cashless policy to reduce cost of financial services and encouraged digital payment system and the Biometric Verification Number (BVN) with 35 million bank customers captured. To understand the imperative of financial inclusion in today’s banking system, Mike Ogbalu, divisional chief executive officer, Interswitch, i n h i s p re s e n t a t i o n a t t h e seminar titled, ‘The Evolution of Payments in Nigeria’, highlighted the feats achieved so far, as well as, commending First Banks for leading the financial inclusion campaign with its several innovations. For him, the Nigerian payment system has evolved in the last 20 years with the first ATM by Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria in 1987, first offline POS, interbank ATM, Quickteller, Verve, BVN introduction, migration from magnetic stripe to EMV cards and presently to over 20, 000 multifunctional ATMs across the country. Other initiatives that have aided financial inclusion in

Nigeria, according to Ogbalu, are the cashless policy of CBN, which resulted in a revolution that boosted eCommerce, ePayment, electronic revenue collection, web payment and birth of fintech and eCommerce companies such as Jumia, Remitta, Konga, Payporte, Paystack, MallforAfrica, among others. Ogbalu commended First Bank for being the largest issuer of Verve card and the only bank to have ATMs across all the local government Areas in Nigeria. But the smooth interaction by stakeholders courtesy of the NIBSS Instant Payment, according to Premier Oiwo, managing director, Nigerian Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), has enabled banks to be well-positioned to implement financial inclusion, as the pointto-point fund transfer service has averted the chaotic situation hitherto experienced in settlement among banks. For a full-scale financial inclusion, the delegates of the seminar, especially members of the panel of discussion, agreed that the focus should be on mass market customers. Also, they pointed to the direction the payment evolution is heading; scan-to-pay, wearables, APIs, blockchain & distributed ledgers, open banking, social payments, PSBs, and more. But First Bank is set for the trends with innovative products and services, Adesola Adeduntan, chief executive officer, First Bank Nigeria Ltd., assured.

16 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Interview In whatever you are doing, be yourself, be unique and be real – Kenny Blaq

Kenny Blaq is a young award winning music, comedian in Nigeria; the art has brought him so many international recognitions. In an interview with JONATHAN ADEROJU, Blaq speaks about his career and the comedy industry, among others. Excerpts:

May we know who Kenny Blaq really is? am Otolorin Kehinde popularly known as Kenny Blaq, I am a stand up music comedian, I like to explain myself through music. I am from a family of seven and the last of the family; I am also an alumnus of the Federal Radio Cooperation. What led you into the art of comedy? I will say passion to always see people smile and happy led me into comedy I always want to responsible for everybody’s laughter I don’t like seeing people bored at all, I guess maybe because I saw myself as an unserious person before or as someone who liked to create humour out of everything, so because it flows naturally someone asked me one day if I wanted to do it on stage and I was like yes, why not? I can give it a try because I love watching comedy videos and comic cartoons. So, I went on stage for the first time and I did my thing and I did it well. So, from that day, I decided to take it to new level. How was it like for you when you started? It was not all that good but really it was not bad either. If I will say, I had a bad day when I started, it wouldn’t be all that bad because I was able to make some people laugh. And trust me I haven’t been to a place and people don’t laugh, but the same time there was a time people didn’t laugh not because I wasn’t funny but because people thought I was too young, so they were anxious to hear what I had at that time instead of talking more I saw myself singing more and they were just confused if I was a comedian or a singer; so I started working really hard to make people see that this is something new, eventually I was able to make them feel the experience of the music and comedy combo. Did you ever think that your comedy will take you this far? Yes, I knew it was going to get me this far but not this soon; I didn’t know I would be a worldwide name this soon; everything just happened like lightening. I knew I was going to get somewhere because of the type of ovations I get from the things I do and also the challenges I face from what I do gives me hope that nothing good actually comes easy. If things give you challenges then you should know something is right about what you are doing. But when everything happened this soon, I was like well what else I can do other

Kenny Blaq

than to embrace it and continue to strive to do more. As a super star there are good times and bad times; what can you say has been your bad moment in your career? Okay, so we are all humans so it is right to say we all have good and bad times. Well, mine was when I was performing at a wedding where everyone was having a good time and marrying when I got a call that my mother just passed away; it was really challenging for me at that point I didn’t know what to do and I wanted to burst into tears and at the same time there was no way I was going to destroy someone the wedding because of my tragedy. I just let off my chest for that period, did my thing, went back home and faced reality of my mother’s demise. Then, I have had other bad moments on stage when I cracked jokes and people didn’t laugh; also moments where I go up on stage and tried to play a material and it didn’t come on; I just stood and stared because it’s something new I was trying to put out at that point you just see me moody and crying and trust me, it still happens till date. How has comedy shaped your life as a person? Well, comedy has made me a better person, it has made a

voice in my community, it has also made someone that most people are aspiring to be someday; really, there were places I never thought I would go to in this world but because I chose this part it has taken me to those places and I have met with the high and mighty in the society. This same comedy has helped me acquire a home of my own and also helped to empower people around me. How will you define Nigeria comedy industry? I think we are getting better; at least, we are getting so many international recognitions from different parts of the world. There is no country you go to in the world today that they don’t talk about Nigeria comedy industry; they all know that Nigerian comedians are very creative. In fact, everything happening in the social media right now in terms of comedy is coming from Nigeria; I will say 60 percent of it though. The industry is really striving; we now have online comedians, stand-up comedians, comic actors such as the famous MR IBU; so industry is becoming vast I must tell you. Talking about sectors, you know so many investors come in to invest in other sectors; do you think people are willing to invest in comedy?

Yes, there are investors already and others are willing to invest in the industry, there was a time comedy central was in Nigeria. It will soon get to a point where foreign comedians would want to come into Nigeria to host their own shows here, because as you know, most of us go outside the country to do our shows; it’s just a way to lure them down to our country too for their own and I see that happening soon and if it happens like that continuously, I see a lot of people wanting to invest in the industry gradually. In fact, we have people here in Nigeria that invest a whole lot in the industry; people like Amaju Pinnick and others. What actually happened to Nite of a Thousand Laff that used to be home to Nigerian comedians? Well Nite of a Thousand Laffs is still there, I can’t say much about it because am not part of the planning committee, but what I know is that presently they are investing in other talents and grooming talents; the show as we all know gave birth to some of the comedians we know today and you can’t serve for long you just get to a point and graduate. So, all I can say is that Nite of a Thousand Laffs is just like

a school that some comedians needed to go so as to be able to establish themselves. What are the challenges the comedy industry is facing? Hmmmm challenges; I think it will be brands or sponsors not believing in the comedy industry as much as they believe in the music and movie industry. I think brands need to come into the comedy industry and see what we are doing there. I don’t even think musicians do a lot of shows as we do. In fact, even when they do their shows we must be involved. There is no way you will attend an AY Live or ALI BABA shows without seeing musicians or even our footballers coming to just have fun and ease off stress. So, brands need to look into our industry and get a way to help boost the industry. The 3rd Edition of your show Oxymoron is coming up soon; how can you describe the journey so far? It has been amazing so far, God has been faithful; I am nothing without his grace. We did the first one that was the XFILE, then THE RUSH, now THE THIRD TERM, it is a music comedy thing; a lot goes into planning and others; in all God gives us the grace to scale through, we are hoping to do better than what we do, however it has been challenging I must say. It gets to a point when you have done well but want to do better but at the same time you don’t want to overdo so as not to bore your fans. This is the first phase of the Oxymoron, one, two, three, after this we will go for some time and come back again with another phase of Oxymoron; this one is an avenue to say that we are graduating into another class. How will this edition of oxymoron be different from others? It is going to be very different because we watched our previous editions and saw some of our lapses and found out of a way to correct the mistakes and improve in this edition. In this edition we will be playing with the number 3, it is going to very different people will be seeing us in another style entirely. We are going to be telling stories that everyone notwithstanding the social class you belong to relate with. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag now. Just come and see the best of music comedy and dance in its purest form.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 17

Interview ‘Lagos housing deficit stems from poor city planning’ Akintade Esan is the co-founder of Wealth Island Properties. In this interview with Gbemi Faminu, he spoke on the steps Wealth Island Properties is taking to ensure affordable housing for low-income earners and the company’s plan in bridging Lagos’s huge housing deficit. Excerpts: How does wealth Island standout from its competitors in the real estate business? ne interesting thing to note is that I did not come into real estate just to make money rather to address the housing deficit. There is a high rate of housing deficit in Nigeria but I believe where people live in affects their mentality, how they behave and how well they will live, is all centred on where they live. What we are doing to stand out from our competitors is by building a unique space where people can own apartments and also make money from real estate while we also, propagate the gospel of rental income that is not well known in Lagos and in Nigeria at large in the last four years.

Regardless, all the documents provided are valid and presentable.

Who are those comprising your target market? Presently, we have lots of speculated properties in Nigeria so when selling a piece of land; sellers will say you can make money from this property in the next three years and things like that. At Wealth Island, we are advocates of ending poverty and housing deficiency and for us to achieve this; we decided to not just sell properties in emerging communities but also in a prime community that is developed so those who intend to use their properties for building or renting can do it conveniently. We have parkway gardens at Jakande Estate in Isolo and we also have properties around Lagos including Anthony. We are doing this because we recognise the opportunity that people can take advantage of and most times this kind of opportunity is rare. Most time people are offered pieces of land at the extreme end of the town or even the outskirts of the town while they promise future prospects, this we regard them as prospects and not the reality of the future. We offer properties where you can conveniently stay with first-class infrastructure and believe every Nigerian deserves a good life regardless of where they have been. For every willing Nigerian, we are ready to provide properties in desired locations and that is an example of what we have at the parkway gardens in Isolo area. We provide close proximity to people’s wellbeing in mind. How affordable are your properties for the middle and low-income earners? It is interesting to know that the property in Bucknor is not necessarily too expensive so we are talking about property worth N4 to N7.5million in a central area. This is a landed property with infrastructure that does not require you paying extra money which is quite rare. We also made provision for installment payments running through six months with no hidden charges. We

Seeing that you do not enforce workmen for your clients, how do you ensure they are regulatory compliant in erecting structures? As humans and adults, we have the power to make our decisions, therefore, we perform supervisory roles on whatever the client is building to ensure compliance with the laid down rules. Enforcing our team of professionals will be a restrictive approach; therefore, we leave customers to suit themselves while we ensure they are compliant with the policies. Also, we follow up procedures for customers who make use of external professionals. They have to provide a bill of what they want to construct within the estate and we follow through on it. We also ensure that standard apartments are being built because we are spending N400 million providing infrastructure for over 100 plots of land.

Akintade Esan

are doing this because people can begin to live in the heart of the city. Normally, a plot of land goes for N13 million Bucknor GRA but at Wealth Island we are running a promo and selling it between N4 and N7.5 million which means that you can make money even when buying your property. We give you options of building your house and building your wealth. We are in business to make money but we are also in business to make people’s lives better. Running such deals at a huge discount, how are you able to make profits? We acquired the lands years ago as a wholesaler; therefore, we are not running at a loss. Furthermore, the promo does not include all the phases of the estate. While our customers might be making more money than us, we are of the opinion that we need to create welcoming environments for people to live in. we are making sales, getting our profits and also making lives better. What does the package entail? We are selling a serviced plot of land which means we are selling land that has all the required infrastructures outside the house that is, the roads, electricity, security, water, and drainage among

others. We spent close to N50 million just to achieve this. In essence, while you build your house we provide the necessary infrastructure for you. The idea is for you to buy the land, and live in a good environment or make more money. Considering government policies in erecting structures and the free will giving to people to build their structures, how do you ensure your clients build a government compliant structure? In our estates, we do not determine what our clients build but we ensure that specifications are followed and regulations are adhered to. For instance, within the estate, we have a space for duplexes, bungalows and the likes. We have our team of professionals that ensure the structures are policy and rule compliant with the Lagos state laws. How do you manage the necessary documents for land and house ownership in Lagos? We ensure that all the necessary documents are available for our client which includes a deed of conveyance which signifies that the land was initially bought in 1968 when there was nothing like the certificate of ownership.

What other areas do you operate in Lagos? We have estates in different areas of Lagos which includes, Jakande, Ibeju Lekki opposite a private beach, Magodo, Anthony and Maryland among others. Our aim is simply to create an enabling environment for people. I am on a mission to ensure people live in good neighbourhoods that will allow them live-well and this is what drives us at Wealth Island. We want environments that promote trade interaction and safety. What possible solutions can be used to address Lagos’s housing deficit? The housing deficit in Lagos stems from not knowing how to build a city. In Lagos, we are not building the city, we are just amassing population. We need to shift focus to commerce, human interaction also known as mobility intelligence among others. According to the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode in 2016, he said Lagos loses N42 billion annually due to traffic congestion. Real estate is the gold of Lagos and it can affect Nigeria as well but most people do not know how to go about it How would you evaluate real estate in Nigeria? Real estate in Nigeria is one-sided; it is overrated in some sectors. Real estate has an opportunity to improve the economy as the growing population will call for it but then, prosperity in real estate does not thrive alone based on population. Furthermore, there is no financing structure. There are 3 phrases of real estate, we have the emerging markets, the declining market and the green market. In Lagos, revitalisation is very important.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Focus

Deplorable PH International Airport road beckons on Wike as FG looks away Outside the Airport

Outside the Airport

…President Buhari commissioned the airport in October last year but drawbacks abound … FAAN denies abandoning it …Users say road is crime route

Ignatius Chukwu & David Ejiohuo

he stretch of road from the domestic wing to the international wing of the Port Harcourt International Airport which goes further into the airport communities has turned into not only an eyesore but source of threat to airport users. This seems to make a mess of the glittering facilities of the airport commissioned on October 25, 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari. Users have continued to express apprehension over the intimidating darkness that envelops the area at night, with attendant attacks by hoodlums and other criminal elements. No official of the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Port Harcourt has been able to accept responsibility for repair of the messy stretch but the road has become a big issue which came to the fore when Turkish Airlines began landing in Port Harcourt two weeks ago. The Port Harcourt International Airport for years had had both wings at the same spot but rebuilding that started in 2012 as part of the $600m rehabilitation project of four major airports in Nigeria (Lagos, Abuja, Kano and PH) by the Goodluck Jonathan administration successfully relocated the international wing further away from the main airport location. BDSUNDAY sources said the funding came from China-Exim Bank loan of $500million and another US$100million counterpart fund facility. The new commissioned international terminal wing has the capability to process about seven million passengers annually, covering a space of approximately 28,000m2 and has 24 check-in-counters and three baggage collection carousels. It also has 12 immigration desks at arrival, 16 immigration desks at departure; four security screening points, four passenger boarding gates and a host of other facilities. The terminal building contract was

PH International Airport: images of good and bad (Inside is world class, outside is an eyesore) awarded in 2012 by the Goodluck Jonathan administrator but the large-scale construction work started in 2014, with the main structures which include a two-storey building, a cargo terminal work, and several ancillaries works, but the Buhari administration said the work stopped at 30 percent stage. According to the immediate past Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who presented a welcome address at the commissioning ceremony, the Port Harcourt Airport project was expected to be delivered within a period of two years but was bedeviled with various technical challenges. Sirika had explained that the current administration had to approve the China Exim Bank loan to complete the project because the Port Harcourt Airport, the third- busiest Airport in the country, was very important to the Nigeria economy, as it served over 1,080,284 passengers in 2017. The old terminal building, he explained, was unable to provide the requirement and space to handle such volume of passengers. It is not clear if the mess affected the link road or not but for the commission-

ing ceremony, the road was scrapped and made motorable, only to crash soon after. Officials of FAAN would not confirm it was part of the airport project or if it was abandoned. What is obvious is that the stretch is deplorable and serves as an effective source of embarrassment to the beautiful inside. Worried by the eyesore, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, offered to rescue the entire ageing road from the PH-Owerri highway to the international airport at Omagwa. It is a one lane road that cuts across the international airport residential quarters and the terminal buildings to run into what is known as the airport communities of Ipo, Omademe, Ubima, and the much-celebrated Rising Palm Farms & Estates. Probably because of much use and age, the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, for a very long time now, had become an issue as a result of the increasing pot holes, pools of water, accidents and several robbery operations. Our Airport Correspondent reports that users of the road have become endangered because of the fatal accidents, kidnapping, and armed robbery

operations that have often claimed lives and property on the route. FAAN, operators of the international airport, had threatened to close the road to public use and cut off the airport communities because of threats posed in the usage by the public. According to the outgoing Regional Manager at the airport, Ojo Afolabi, who addressed journalists on this, the inhabitants and the terminal buildings were being endangered by the activities of hoodlums along the road. The threat to close the airport road, however, was visited with several protests from the other users especially the airport communities. Sources disclosed that the communities were bitter and complained of being short-changed in payment of their land; and that their people were not considered in jobs as in other places where there are airports. “All we do here is cleaner and security jobs because every other job recruitment is done in Lagos and we are excluded from the numerous contracts despite the noise pollution and it’s after effect that we suffer”. The airport communities dared the FAAN and Federal Ministry of Aviation

to close the road and cut them off. “They should push us to the wall and see our reaction. This is the only thing most of us enjoy or benefited for this massive land we have donated for this airport,” they protested. As at the time of filing this report, it is not known if the Federal Government or any of its agencies had at any time, since the commencement of the operations at the airport, re-awarded the road for reconstruction. The road, according to our sources, was designed to be a dual-carriage one but had ended up as a one-lane road and had remained so to date. Insinuations are heavy that the road was awarded and maybe the funds diverted but a source close to the FAAN’s Public Affairs Department in Port Harcourt denied any knowledge of such. The main road to the International Airport became a new issue recently, following the commissioning of the international terminal building and the reconstructed local terminal buildings. Several persons that spoke to our correspondent at the airport deplored the condition of the road, more so, when it is completely dark at night because of the absence of street lights at night. Most of them described it as a new wine in an old bottle. However, the recent promise by the Rivers State Governor to dualise the road and install the needed street lights had become a welcomed development. Governor Wike, early this month, while receiving the new Airport Manager/Regional General Manager in the airport, Akinbinu Felix, at the Government House, promised to rebuild the road and the Rivers State Government Lounge at the airport, promising to bring them to standards befitting an International Airport. Governor Wike did not, however, give the time frame for the projects and the inhabitants, the airport users and the communities were still groaning in darkness and a dangerous road. He only hinted that he had offered to rebuild the domestic wing but that due to political bad blood, the FG turned the offer down.

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BDSUNDAY 19

PROLOGUE

The return of MMM: All that glitters not gold

igeria glorifies wealth with little or no consideration for virtues and values of hardwork. Expectedly, the country harbours citizens with strong desire for get-rich-quick. And with the desire to getrich-quick comes unbridled greed, soaring

and inordinate ambition, all of which provide fertile ground for the flowering of schemes such as MMM. The more they invest, the more they go deeper into the abyss of entanglement and become easy prey for the operators whose ultimate aim is to steal, to kill and to destroy for their own selfish ends.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Sunday Magazine

The return of MMM: All CHUKA UROKO, OBINNA EMELIKE & AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

p p a r e n t l y, Po n z i scheme looks new in Nigeria, but it is not. Nigerians have seen variants of Ponzi schemes that differed only in degrees of persuasions and deceit. Money doubling and the Wonder Banks of the early 90s are a few examples that targeted and actually ravished the over-ambitious, greedy and weak-minded Nigerians. Ponzi schemes are named after Charles Ponzi, who duped investors in the 1920s with a postage stamp speculation scheme. Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox (MMM) which was launched in 2011 by Mavrodi, an ex-convict, is the latest and more widespread in operation. The controversial scheme enjoyed warm acceptance and large following in Nigeria until it crashed in December 2016, living in its trail misery, frustration, broken hearts, strained relationships, family dislocations and, in extreme cases, death as some people, whose losses were too dire to bear, committed suicide. Given the socio-economic milieu in which Nigerians live, it is not difficult to understand why there were huge acceptance and large following for MMM as a fraudulent scheme. Besides poverty which is said to have its headquarters in Nigeria, the country represents a society with warped value system. Nigeria glorifies wealth with little or no consideration for virtues and values of hard-work. Expectedly, the country harbours citizens with strong desire for get-richquick. And with the desire to getrich-quick comes unbridled greed, soaring and inordinate ambition, all of which provide fertile ground for the flowering of schemes such as MMM. Against the normal run of business in which returns on investment are directly proportional to risk, Ponzi scheme offers fantastic and abnormal returns without any risk at all. Unfortunately, the greedy and weak-minded enter into it with only their hearts and not with their heads, ignoring the Biblical injunction which says, “The road is wide and the way (means) is easy, that leads to destruction; but the road is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life.” Operators of Ponzi schemes like Mavrodi are generally smart Alecs who seem to understand the human mind better than those that own them. Their strategy is almost foolproof. Though subscribers to the scheme are told that their money is invested to generate high returns with little or no risk, what actually happens is that the scheme pays existing investors with funds

collected from new investors. The operators plan the scheme in such a way that the investors do not see the need to cash out because constantly the operators are working on their greed by increasing their returns. This is why, with little or no legitimate earnings, the scheme gets a constant flow of new money with which it survives. But, like any thing in life, there is always a beginning and an end. In the case of these fraudulent schemes, when it becomes hard to recruit new investors, or when large numbers of existing investors cash out, the schemes tend to collapse. Perhaps, this was why MMM crashed in many countries including Nigeria in December 2016. When this happened, the hope and dreams of an estimated three million Nigerians were dashed. Though there was an extremely few people who took a walk away from the scheme after some moderate returns, a large chunk of the investors had their fingers burnt. Many took bank loans to invest in the scheme. For such people, it is a life in perpetual bondage of debt servicing and repayment. Some families sold property such as cars, houses, jewelries, etc in order to reap bountifully, but had their money trapped, leaving them

in misery and woes. There are cases of marriages that collapsed as a result of these hasty, ill-advised and uninformed actions. There were also cases of intending couples who invested the money meant for their marriage in MMM, hoping to raise more money from the scheme and stage a society wedding. Some of those planned marriages either ended in the middle of nowhere or had their planned dates cancelled or deferred. Many other unprintable incidents happened following the collapse of the MMM scheme and it is hard to believe that in spite of it all, Nigerians have embraced the scheme once again in its second coming with all the deceptive appeal it is making to more greedy and gullible minds in the country. The scheme, which staged a come-back on January 22, 2019, is now labeled MMM Cooperation. This time, the scheme is promising up to 50 percent return on any amount invested in it, which is about 20 percent more than what the previous version offered. But like the previous version, the ‘new’ MMM requires participants to register, invest a particular amount in the form of ‘providing help’ and ‘getting help’ with their investments and interest back after 30

days. With the negative impact the collapse of MMM had on the Nigerian citizens, it is surprising that some people are still embracing the scheme. Over and above that, it is thought-provoking that government allows the scheme which is not registered to continue to operate and defraud unsuspecting citizens. Some Nigerians still vulnerable to the deceits If you go by the popular saying in Pidgin English that ‘Warri no dey carry last’, which literarily means that an average person in Warri, Delta State, is very sharp and hardly falls for deceits, you then wonder what happened at the heyday of Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox, nicknamed (MMM), where over three million Nigerians, including those from Warri, fell for the deceitful ponzi scheme. Instead of MMM for short, Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox should have been rightly tagged 419 because of the high level deceit, which many unsuspecting Nigerians fell for, though they were warned by the Central Bank, and the anti-graft commission. From its inception in Nigeria, the deceit was obvious. First, the MMM scheme launched its website in Nigeria in November 2015,

when the recession began to bite harder in the country. So, the scheme took advantage of the vulnerability of Nigerians in the face of the economic hardship to grow its subscribers. Moreover, a promise of 30 percent return on the initial capital within 30 days was suspicious and unrealistic in the normal financial system. Yet, the scheme went further to promise other perks such as bonuses from referrals. But the deceit sets in when most people made profit from their initial investments, and are now lure to invest more. About 90 percent of the people who invested more lost both their capital and profit as the scheme was suspended on account of the death of one of the founders in March 2018 and eventual shutdown in April same year. As Odeyemi Apampa, a psychologist with the University of Lagos, observes, the MMM scheme would not have had up to one million subscribers if it had been introduced before the recession. “There are other get-rich-quick schemes such as Ultimate Cycler, Crowd Rising Paradise, and Helping Hands, but they did not have as much subscribers as MMM. Imagine the magic of getting over three million subscribers between November 2015 and the last quarter of 2016, it was all because of the hardship in the land,” Apampa says. A testimony of the popularity and number of victims deceived were

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BDSUNDAY 21

Sunday Magazine

that glitters not gold tracked by Alexa.com, web traffic data and analytics, which showed that the MMM website was rated the 12th most visited website in Nigeria and 3,330 globally. Worried on how MMM caught on like wildfire in Nigeria, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Communications and public affairs manager for Anglophone West Africa, Google, said in 2017 that MMM was a major trending topic in Nigeria’s cyberspace. But while the shutdown in 2018 was sudden, it was also deceitful because it froze and trapped millions of investments and leaving the Nigerian investors in bad shape, poorer and some even died due to the inability to paying back loan they invest in the scheme. Of course, the deceit did not stop at the shutdown. A day after freezing the accounts of its subscribers in Nigeria, the MMM scheme launched its website in Kenya, promising 40 percent return on investment in 30 days, 10 percent higher than what it gave its Nigerian subscribers. Many thought that the scheme should not have opened anywhere in Africa until it paid back all the money it owed its Nigerian investors. So, the Kenya launch confirmed the fraud. But Kenyans were wiser, they did not fall like Nigerians, credit to their stable economy and the cyber crime laws. The Nigerian case, the operators of the scheme (in their usual style) struck at a time when the investors put in their all, and expecting a huge harvest. It was a huge betrayal. But as much as that was a huge betrayal and deceit, the notorious MMM scheme, which dashed the hope of over three million Nigerians in 2018, is back, and some Nigerians are falling for it, yet again. Hypocritically, the new version now known as MMM Cooperation, promises as much as 50 percent return on any amount invested in it; representing 20 percent more than what the extinct version offered. Just like the previous version, participants are to register, invest a particular amount in the form of “providing help” and “get help” with their investment and interest back after 30 days. At the shutdown last year, a message on MMM Nigeria website had read, “After much deliberation, we have made the conclusion that continuing the system operation, without our leader and ideological inspirer, is impossible and makes no sense”. The deceit again is that the present operators who saw no the sense operating the scheme without their leader last year, on January 2019, countered their views, saying in the website that they are re-launching globally “to make Mavrodi’s legacy worthwhile.” The website even claimed to have recorded six million participants from across the world all in a space of four months from January 22, 2019. The return is not a surprise to Em-

manuel Ajeh, an economist and public analyst. He explains that in spite of burning their fingers in the first coming of the MMM scheme, many will still subscribe to the ponzi scheme because the economic situation in the country now, is not different from the era of recession. “Many people who were poor during recession are even poorer now. So, there is still poverty in the land and nothing significant has happened since then to better people’s lives. Many will still fall for the new MMM and more to come to take a chance to better their lives”, he says. The deceit, according to Ajeh, is obvious, but many are overlooking the loss and focusing on those who gained while the scheme lasted. “It is like staking a bet at any of the betting platforms. What spurs people are friends and people who have won big money and are enjoying. Those who lose hardly come to mind. So, the people falling for the scheme will promise to exit before it crashes again, but they cannot as the hope of getting more money keeps luring them back”, Ajeh says. Princewill Amanowei, a lawyer, is asking the Nigerian lawmakers to enact laws against ponzi schemes or the CBN to ban it from entering into Nigeria again. “The warnings by the regulatory agencies, especially the EFCC do not make sense when a simple law can ban the scheme from operating in Nigeria and save the citizens the headache of later regret. Again, government should fulfill the election campaign promises such as job creation and youth empowerment

to curb unemployment, lift families from poverty and reduce crime in the society”, the lawyer says. While you read this article, more people are subscribing and will keep subscribing until the government and regulatory authorities do something to save them from the imminent deceit lying in wait as obtainable in all ponzi schemes. The many faces of Ponzi scheme In March 2017, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC) said Nigerians lost N18 billion to the MMM in 2016, which had over 3 million participants before it suspended payment to investors. Before MMM was eventually

suspended for about a month in December 2016, the scheme was so popular that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), also had to caution Nigerians. “We have heard about the activities of MMM. But I want to warn you against it because they are wonder banks that are not regulated. Desist from their activities because they are fraudulent,” said Kadija Kassim, head of the consumer protection department of the CBN. After the first one month, it re-opened in 2017, adding crypto currency twist to the investment package, but it had already lost momentum in Nigeria. BDSUNDAY understands that MMM eventual collapsed in 2017

with millions of funds belonging to many Nigerians trapped in it. At that time, it was reported that the Ponzi scheme associated its collapse to the death of its founder, late Sergei Mavrodi, and this caused serious frustration for many Nigerian investors. Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. It promises high rate of return with little risk to investors. The name ‘Ponzi’ was derived from its inventor, Charles Ponzi, who made an elaborate scam in the 1920’s. It is a pyramid scheme that operates like multi-level marketing. Most recently, Nigerians have fallen victims to one or multiple of such schemes. Though different types of wonder banks have come and gone but the volume at which Ponzi schemes enter Nigerian market has increased. This was attributable to the rising economic hardship in Nigeria, which has been taking tolls on families since Nigerian economy slipped into recession in 2016 after recording 2.06 percent contraction in growth. At that time, Nigeria, one of the world’s largest exporters of crude oil, suffered cash crunch in 2016, after the international prices of crude oil fell from highs of about $112 per barrel in 2014, to below $50 in 2016. With crude oil sale accounting for 70 percent of government revenue, the value of Nigerian currency, the naira, was highly affected, resulting to devaluation of the currency, which also resulted in naira exchanging for as high as N500/$ from N200/$ but this later dropped to N306/$ after the economy exited recession in 2017. This had serious negative impact on both businesses and the economy in general to the extent that many companies had to lay off staff and cut salaries to manage raising cost of production. Given the situation, family responsibilities, which cut across feeding, house rent, school fees and others, continued to pile up on the shoulders of both the man and woman of the house amid the shrinking income. This was in the face salary cut, high inflation rates, low consumer speeding and low purchasing power as well as other macroeconomic indices that impacted on standard of living in our society today. With scarcity of resources and need to surmount this pilling economic pressure on people’s minds, individuals in both self and paid employment started seeking for multiple streams of income while maintaining their paid jobs. BDSUNDAY understands that about 20.9 million Nigerians are Continues on page 22

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Sunday Magazine Continued from page 21

currently unemployed while 18.2 million are underemployed. This brings the total of unemployed and underemployed Nigerians to 39.1 million out of a total labour force of 90.4 million. As a result, many people started seeking for an alternative means of surviving in the midst of economic hardship. This led to the return of MMM Cooperation, which promised as much as 50 percent return on investment, which is 20 percent more than the defunct MMM. Just like the old version, investors in MMM Cooperation are to register, invest a particular amount in the form of “providing and getting help” and their investment and interest would be returned after 30 days. Ironically, after many Nigerians lost their monies to MMM, many are today falling for the baits offered by these so called Ponzi schemes. Report has it that MMM Cooperation re-launched in 22nd of January 2019 and today, is in over 170 countries of the world with 6 million investors within a space of four months. They come in different dresses Apart from MMM, there are other Ponzi schemes that Nigerians at some point had either participated in or are still participating in, even against government disapprovals. They include: Loom Despite the agony experienced from MMM, Nigerians are embracing another pyramid scheme called ‘LOOM’ and they are making gains and investing massively. Loom is similar to MMM Ponzi scheme and is making wave among many Nigerians on social media as many Nigerians are already taking chances with the new scheme. Reports have it that Nigerians market Loom on the internet, especially WhatsApp in search of more participants in the scheme which was first reported as a scam in the UK. Here, investors would be asked to join a WhatsApp group chat by a friend or relative after which the person would be asked to invest N1,000, N2,000 or N13,000 with a promise to get eight times return on investment, once the person is able get new entrants. For instance, when one person invests N1,000, the person will get N8,000; N2,000, will get N16,000 while N13,000 will get N104,000. After investing in Loom, which has four layers including Purple, Blue, Orange and Red, the person would be asked to invite at least one person to join the group. It was also said that each time eight persons joined loom; the person in the centre (Red) will get the target amount and leave the group. Then, it will split into two groups such that the top half and the bottom half become the new looms and everyone moves into the next level (Purple Level - Blue Level - to Orange Level) and the cycle begins again. Claritta Claritta is a member-to-member donation and referral platform. Here, when a member donates N1,500 to another Claritta member, within seven days, the person will be matched with four new members who will donate N1,500 each to the

Ponzi scheme... thriving on greed person making it N6,000. Interested participants would have to register on claritta website to become a member and the person will automatically be matched with another existing claritta member. “If you donate N1500 to a claritta member, you will be matched with another person after the receiver of your donation, confirms your payment. You will be activated instantly and also given your referral link in other for you to refer people through your referral link. On the other hand, claritta will match you with four members in a week time that will then pay you 1,500 naira each making N6,000. Twinkas TwinkasisanotherPonzischeme that started in 2016 after the exit of MMM. It allows participants to donate to other participants that need help and in turn the donor will also get donations with a compensation plan ranging from 40 percent – 50 percent reward based on the system on-demand (OD). The donations are paid directly to member account. At a point, subsequentinvestorsstartedcomplaining of not getting donations even when they have donated. However, it was said that the Twinkas has rebranded and re-launched twice in Nigeria. Ultimate Cyclers Ultimate Cyclers was reported to have been owned by an American and it has changed names severally. To participate, interested investors would be required to register with example N12,500 and after a stipulated number of days, the system would join the person with four other members, who would be asked to pay the person N12,500 each, bringing the return

to N50,000. Get help Worldwide Get help Worldwide is a crowd funding scheme which promises investors 30 – 50 percent returns monthly. The 30 percent is for those who want payment in local currency while the 50 percent is payment with Bitcoin. It has similar operational patterns with MMM except with the exclusion of guiders and inclusion of a limit to the amount you can invest. SwissGolden SwissGolden is a networking business which claims to deal with investment in gold. The company says it has over 481,164 users, four marketing programs and partners with 196 countries. Here, participants are required to pay for the ordered bars within 24 hours and send a copy of their payments by e-mail or to attach to a message on our web site. If payment confirmation is not received within 24 hours, buyer’s order would be cancelled. Recently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), recovered over N200 million from SwissGolden Investment and arrested a Russian and two Nigerians in connection with the SwissGolden’s fraudulent act. This took place after the Commission received petition from thousands of complainants, who alleged that they invested in SwissGolden Investment without receiving the profits or recovering their capital. Dantata Success and Profitable Company Dantata Success and Profitable Company, was incepted in 2008 and it was based in Kano. Managed by Basira Ibrahim Dantata, the

company allows people to invest capital for a period of six months, and to receive 40 percent return on investment, which is paid monthly for six months. For instance, someone who invested N300,000 will receive N120,000 monthly for a period of six months, meaning that the person will gain N720,000 in all. But if the person opt for one-off payment after six months, he or she will receive N900,000. Also, if one invests capital for a period of one year, the person will be receiving 25 percent of the investment on monthly basis. For example, a person that invested N300,000, will receive N75,000 monthly for a period of 12 months. This means that the person will receive N900,000 in total if one adds up both the capital and profit while one-off payment, at the end of one year, will receive N1,200,000. Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), has started verifying claims of 4,160 unpaid investors of the alleged illegal investment scheme organised by Dantata Success and Profitable Company. Appeal to government/advice to investors Federal and state securities laws require investment professionals and firms to be licensed or registered. It beats the imagination therefore, that most Ponzi schemes are operated by unlicensed individuals or unregistered firms. This explains why the victims of the first coming of MMM were helpless because there was no law that protected their investment. Government should not be seen to be condoningafraudulentschemethat

has caused more harm than good in the country. Government should do well and register the scheme. This is important because it provides investors with access to information about the company’s management, products, services, and finances. If all these were in place, perhaps, the number of victims would not have ballooned to three million. On their part, subscribers to this scheme should always bear in mind that any business in which there is high returns with little or no risk is risky, deceptive and fraudulent because every investment carries some degree of risk, and investments yielding higher returns typically involve more risk. Therefore, the investors should be highly suspicious of any ‘guaranteed’ investment opportunity. The investors should also be skeptical about an investment that regularly generates positive returns regardless of overall market conditions. This is because investments tend to go up and down over time. Again, they should be suspicious when there is difficulty in receiving payments. Similarly, having difficulty in cashing out is enough ground to be suspicious. Typically, Ponzi scheme promoters sometimes try to prevent participants from cashing out by offering even higher returns for staying put. These are tough paths to take but after what happened earlier with the same MMM and even with the slow and predicted death of the new Loom Ponzi, Nigerians with saner and discerning minds had thought that their compatriots had learned some lessons. But, alas, they are still falling for it.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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Arts Wole Soyinka: Celebrating African literary giant at 85 OBINNA EMELIKE

ast year, I was enthralled watching a stage performance of ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ at Cinema Hall 2, National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos. I was so engrossed in the excitement of stage play directed by Mike Anyanwu and performed by the National Troupe of Nigeria that I almost missed out on the lessons to take home. It was at the exit of the cinema hall that a friend reminded me that ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ was written by Professor Wole Soyinka in 1976. The intrigue is that after over 40 years of its release, ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ still mirrors the society, reflects on topical issues and most importantly, entertains the audience wherever it is staged. As well, if you read ‘Telephone Conversation’, a poem by Wole Soyinka, you will marvel at the creative ingenuity of Soyinka; the poet, who was a student in London then. The issues Soyinka raised in the poem, which was written over 50 years ago, are still topical today. Again, the intrigue for me in ‘Telephone Conversation’ was how Soyinka hilariously tackled the issue of racism, which many African students encountered with their hosts in the 1950s London. The depth, beautiful writing, excitement, issue-based, hilarious spices, spotlight on African cultural heritage, ability to pry into the future, among other qualities, stood out his writings. From poems, drama, novel, essay, and other forms of creative and critical writings, Soyinka proved himself as a master of his craft.

Wole Soyinka

No wonder he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, and setting record as the first African laureate. The organisers described him as one “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence”. As much as Soyinka is notable for his great literary works, he is also revered for his activism and courage to challenge poor leadership, military juntas, injustice, corruption by the political class in Nigeria and across Africa, and welfare of the masses. It would be recalled that in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech,

which he entitled, “This Past Must Address Its Present”, he devoted it to Nelson Mandela, late South African freedom-fighter, who later became president. The speech was an outspoken criticism of apartheid and the politics of racial segregation imposed on the majority by the Nationalist South African government. Apart from the Nobel Prize, Soyinka has over 20 literary honours from across the word including the Agip Prize for Literature, which he received in 1986. With 28 drama books, two novels, three short stories, five memoirs, eight poetry collections,

Onitsha set for Ofala Festival

o ensure an exciting outing this year, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, has approved the Committees of Experts to manage the 2019 edition of the annual Ofala Festival. The festival, which is the celebration of the annual emergence of the monarch from seclusion, as well marks the homecoming of Onitsha indigenes, will hold from October 11 to 12, 2019. The Committees will focus on finance, marketing strategy and communications, culture and tourism matters and government relations. Others areas of focus are protocol, logistics, and security. The committees have been established to place the festival on a higher pedestal. According to the royal majesty, ‘’Despite the grandeur and spec-

The Obi of Onitsha at last year’s Ofala festival

13 essays, three movies and three translations, Professor Wole Soyinka has achieved feats, which many contemporary literary giants strive to attempt. The literary icon is worth celebrating even now he turned 85 years, yet still contributing to the literary space and society. This year, many friends, students and associates of the Nobel Laureate, rolled out colourful drums to celebrate the octogenarian. One of such groups was the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE), which organised series of literary activities to celebrate their literary

icon, who turned 85 years on July 13, 2019. The 3-day event started from July 12-15, 2019 and continued simultaneously in Lagos, Abeokuta and Akure with literary discourse and theater performances. One of the exciting activities of the event was an advocacy session that explored Soyinka’s body of work to reflect on the concepts of rights, honours, respect, patriotism, tolerance and humanism. There was also a photography exhibition held at Kongis’s Harvest Art Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos that displayed photographs, journals and printed materials. But the intrigue at the event was the silence of the literary giant and activist. Reacting to the development, Jahman Oladejo, member of the WSICE organising team, said perhaps, the Nobel Laureate felt he has in all his youthful life said all that needed to be said, to correct anomalies in the society. Well, the 85th birthday celebration continues as July is regarded as the Wole Soyinka Month by lots of his students, fans, friends and associates across the world. The ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’, one his foremost plays, is staging across venues in Lagos to mark Soyinka’s birthday. It staged at the Freedom Park, Lagos on July 14th, at the Lagos State Council of Arts and Culture, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Ikeja on July 19 and 20, 2019, and will also stage at Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos today July 21, 2019 by 6pm. The play is free to attend at all the venues. So, go and watch the sheer creativity of Soyinka being performed on stage, especially if you have not read the drama piece.

tacle of the Ofala, there is a need to build upon this and ensure that the Ofala continues to grow and remains relevant. “This is imperative particularly within the context of moving Onitsha Ado N’Idu forward. The 21st century is a millennium of rapid change, driven by digital technology that is transforming the world into a global village’’. The Ofala popularity has grown in terms of its social glamour, attracting national and international attention, in addition to enjoying the benefit of partnerships with major corporate bodies, which have helped enormously in projecting Onitsha to the entire world. The festival also feature a fantastic lineup of events, including an international art exhibition, a youths’ carnival and a marathon endorsed by the relevant national and international athletics bodies.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Arts ART X LAGOS returns for a fourth year …hosts 26 galleries

RT X Lagos, West Africa’s premier international art fair, is set to return for its fourth annual showcase from November 1-3, 2019. Launched in 2016, the illustrious event has since become a cornerstone of the Lagos art calendar, drawing in local patrons and a host of international collectors, curators, and critics each year. Last year’s edition of ART X Lagos, saw a number of highlights, most notably the showcase of Ben Enwonwu’s masterpiece, ‘Tutu’ (1974), the highest valued work of Nigerian modern art at auction, which sold earlier in 2018 for £1.2 million - facilitated by Access Bank. Equally, globally acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, the 2018 keynote artist, was celebrated with a special exhibition at ART X Lagos exploring his career highlights, while East African artists were included for the first time. Noteworthy guests at the 2018 edition included the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who was the fair’s guest of honour, who was joined by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe. The 2019 edition of ART X Lagos will undergo several major changes, in order to fulfill its commitment to providing a truly unique cultural and lifestyle experience for the wide variety of audiences that attend the fair. The first major change is that the fair will be moving from the Civic Centre, to a new, larger venue which will be revealed in September. In addition to its exciting program of specially curated projects, interactive proj-

Guests at the SMO Contemporary Booth at the 2018 edition of ART X Lagos

ects, talks, and live events, the 2019 edition of ART X Lagos will also see a number of other changes. 2019 will see the inclusion of ART X Modern, a section of the fair dedicated to the pioneers of African modern art in the 20th Century; a Performance Art section; and an increase from 18 exhibiting galleries to 26 galleries. Founder, Tokini Peterside says, “2019 marks a dynamic and exciting year of growth for ART X Lagos. Our change in venue will enable us to diversify our programming, expand our audience, and offer a totally unique and fresh experience to our broad audiences that attend the fair. Each year we strive to make ART X Lagos better than the last, and we continue to devote ourselves to displaying a powerful overview of the

creative output across Africa, providing a global platform for a wide cross section of galleries and artists to engage with international and local audiences. ART X Lagos in 2019 is set to be bigger, better, and totally different from what people have experienced over the past three years, providing a truly memorable experience for all of our guests.” ART X Lagos will officially kick off on November 1st with a VIP Preview event, and will open to the public on November 2nd and 3rd from 10am to 8pm on both days. There will be many well known exhibitors in attendance, both from Nigeria and internationally. Amongst the 2019 lineup includes SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), Art House The Space (Nigeria), Goodman Gallery (South Africa),

SMAC Gallery (South Africa), Tiwani Contemporary (United Kingdom), Tafeta (United Kingdom), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Ivory Coast), Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Out of Africa Gallery (Spain), as well as other noteworthy international and regional galleries. Artists such as Peju Alatise (Nigeria), Abe Odedina (UK), Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze (Nigeria/USA), Sam Nhlengethwa (South Africa), and Kainebi Osahenye (Nigeria) will also display at the fair. ART X Talks curated by Tayo Ogunbiyi, will also hold on public days of the fair, November 2nd and 3rd, from 3:00pm to 7:15pm each day. During these talks, key stakeholders in Africa’s art economy will discuss important themes pertinent to the state and evolution of contempo-

rary art in Africa. ART X Live!, the one-nightonly interactive live art and music show, bringing together some of Africa’s most innovative and emerging talent, will also return, taking place on Saturday 2 nd November at 10pm for invited guests. Previous performers include, Teni “the entertainer”, Odunsi “the engine”, Simi, and BOJ, and visual artists, Chukwuka Nwobi, Tunde Alara, and Williams Chechet. Access Bank ART X Prize In 2016, ART X Lagos launched the ART X Prize, a platform designed to support emerging artists, sponsored by Access Bank. The Prize has since evolved significantly over the past three years, undergoing several changes. The Prize returns for 2019, renamed as the Access Bank ART X Prize, which is now open for applications until Friday 16th August. The Prize exists to bolster the efforts of emerging artists who have demonstrated a commitment to careers as professional visual artists, and to contribute to the burgeoning contemporary art sector in Nigeria. The selected winner will receive, a 3 month residency at Gasworks, London; 1.5 Million towards an ongoing project; a solo presentation of said project at ART X Lagos; and mentoring from industry professionals, and networking support to realize, promote, and contextualize the project. The Prize will be judged by a jury of internationally acclaimed artists and practitioners, with several years of prestigious industry experience. The jury will include artists Emeka Ogboh, Zina SaroWiwa, Ibrahim Mahama, and Wura Natasha Ogunji, as well as Alessio Antoniolli, Director of Gasworks.

New book, ‘The Power of Your Choice’ launches in Lagos

he motivational literature genre in Nigeria has welcomed a new entrant, ‘The Power of Your Choice’, written by Evangelist Olamilekan Adefolarin of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, (MFM) Lagos. During the official presentation of the book, which held in Lagos, last week, Adefolarin, the author explained: “Through the help of God, I made the right choice in my academic pursuits, because throughout my programme, God was with me and I experienced divine favours; and God made me pass out with

a very good grade in my department. My experiences

gave me insight to write ‘The Power of Your Choice’.

I started the project since 2010 but by the help of God through my father in the Lord, Dr. D.K Olukoya the book was published this year, 2019. This book will help and guide many people from all walks of life: children, teenagers, youths and parents of our present generation to make the best profitable choices in areas like- academics, career path, business, marriage, acquiring wealth, living and parenting. The sole aim is to transform lives and the society at the long run”. T h e P o w e r o f Yo u r Choice’, a product of five years of research, accu-

mulated from theological studies laced with personal and second-hand experiences, has chapters such as: ‘The Power of Choice’, ‘The Origin of Wrong Choices’, ‘Biblical Examples of People Who Made Wrong Choices’, ‘Why People Make Wrong Choices’ to ‘Dangers of Wrong Choices’ among others, and had the author elucidating the need to adopt life-changing principles in order to attain one’s dreams in life. ‘ Th e Po w e r o f Yo u r Choice’, according to Adefolarin, is one in the series of motivational books that will be coming from him.

DStv, GOtv offer more excitement this holiday Season

ith kids being out of school and spending over a month at home, parents can only imagine the stress they will have to go through having to monitor the children and the house. Most kids will spend their days seated in front of the TV screen to catch up on all the interesting kiddies content they missed out on during the school year. Now is their time to take over TV, however this is going to affect Mum’s telenovelas or Dad’s sporting events. No need to worry, just download the DStv Now App and you are good to go. DStv and GOtv have so much kids holiday fun that are both educational and entertaining. Here are some unmissable children shows: Sofia the first (Disney Junior on DStv 309/GOtv 60 ) - the show tells the story of an ordinary girl who becomes a princess overnight when her mum married the king. This show teaches little girls that desire to become princesses, and you too can be a princess. Sofia also portrays leadership qualities and she promotes equity, friendship, team work and more. Teen Titans Go! (Cartoon Network on DStv 301) - This follow-up to the popular “Teen Titans” series takes a more comedic look at the superheroes, showing what life is like for the teens when their capes come off. Although comedic when one pays attention to what the characters are talking about but, you learn about history, economics, business and life advice/lessons. From Disney channel, Nickelodeon, Boomerang to mention a few there is a big selection of kids shows to feed their imagination for learning and fun. Worried about what your children are watching when you are not around? Simply block high rated content on your decoder by using the Parental Control option on your DStv or GOtv remote. There is telenovelas, local drama and other lifestyle shows for other members of the family. Catch a brand new show ‘Betty in New York’ on Telemundo (DStv 118 / GOtv 14) weekdays and follow the life of a young woman who takes a job far below her qualifications and now she must face the greatest challenge of her life after being rejected for multiple jobs. It is also on StarLife The family could also gather round to watch a family based telenovela such as ‘Family Affairs’ on StarLife (DStv 167 or GOtv 23). Follow the Shrivastavs and their grandmother who controls the family with her iron fist. Her authority is however challenged when a new daughter-in-law enters the house. Stay connected to Nigeria’s leading entertainment destination for more unmissable shows this summer holiday season.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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Life&Living 2019 summer fashion trends for ladies

Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

t’s summer time, schools out and there are all sorts of events happening in your city; from weddings to concerts, beach hangouts, bbq parties, dinner parties and house parties. This is the time when you want to look your best and on trend, but at the same time, you don’t want to look overdressed or out of place at events you’re invited to. The good news is that 2019 summer comes with very interesting dress trends defining the season, but you need to know which ones you should try and the ones to steer clear off. Bright neon colours: Want to pop? This trend is for you. The spring/summer 2019 catwalks

saw a lot of neon colours, from bright orange, to lime green, blinding yellow and neon pink. Designers have even put a sophisticated high fashion spin on neon shades in order to make them eveningappropriate. Rochas, Emilia Wickstead, Gucci and Versace served up elegant evening gowns in vivid colours - a sure way to stand out from the classic little black dress (LBD). Animal print: Fashion this summer is sure taking us back to the time of Cheetah girls and Lion King. This season, street style stars let their animal instincts take over with bold and wild prints. In particular, loud leopard print was a favourite amongst the fashionistas and appeared on a variety of garments, including pants, coats, dresses,

suits, and more. To follow the lead of these chic ladies and unleash your own inner jungle cat, choose strong and striking designs with bold and bright colours. Alternatively, consider an all-over leopard print look with matching separates or a dress/jumpsuit. You can even add a leopard print bag or shoes if you’re feeling playful. Puffy shoulders/sleeves: Proving once and for all that the minimal trend is over, this show season saw attendees embrace lashings of fabric. While this meant bold ruffles and oversized silhouettes, it also resulted in statement puff shoul-

ders on both dresses and blouses. Simultaneously striking and stylish, these puff sleeves added a fun 80s twist to modern outfits. Try the look yourself if you’re after a powerful and fashionable daytime style. Just be sure to keep the rest of your look subdued, so you don’t appear over-the-top. Boiler suits: Utilitarian designs appeared in all the major fashion cities throughout this fashion month. Of course, one particular style stood out from the pack. Originally designed as a one-piece protective garment for manual labour, boiler suits are now as fashionable as they

are functional. To rock the look for yourself, just pick the cut and colour that suits you best. These longsleeved jumpsuits are available in a variety of fantastic styles. So, you won’t be short on choices. Blazers: A nice, bright coloured blazer is the perfect ad-on to any outfit for that corporate-chic look. With a blazer, you’ll feel even more confident in your crop top. Asymmetric/ mono strap: Yes! They’ve made a come back. Slanted necklines, hemlines and one shoulder tops are here to stay. The good thing is they’re very easy to dress up or down.

cal Missions supported by Zenith Bank, aimed at taking holistic cancer prevention and health promotion to various communities across the country using Mobile Cancer Centres (MCC) nicknamed Pink Cruises, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria. Scheduled to hold in August, these Fitness Walks and Cancer Screening exercises will hold in five cities across Nigeria – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Onitsha. Interested individuals are invited to register their participation by visiting the Zenith Bank website atwww. zenithbank.com/style. Aside the fitness walks across the country, there are a lot of activities such as conferences, online engagements, and a special event for models that builds on the masterclass held last year, not forgetting the special play arcade and activities designed for children at the fair. The variety of events and activities lined up also come with free medical check-ups like free eye, dental and cancer tests, amongst other special promotions both online and at the events leading to the final crescendo which is the 3-Day Lifestyle Fair.

With initiatives such as these and many more to come, “Style by Zenith 2.0” promises to offer an allencompassing experience touching on key aspects of the lifestyle of Zenith customers and the public. The “Style by Zenith 2.0” platform is also a testament to the priority given to SMEs and the retail segment of the market by the bank. Together with her various partners, Zenith Bank will be laying the foundation for a future where individuals and SMEs can live up to their full potentials. Fashion One, the leading global fashion and lifestyle channel will once again be working with Zenith Bank on the “Style by Zenith 2.0” initiative. Established in 1990, Zenith Bank Plc is a leading multinational bank providing corporate, business, retail and personal banking services through its network of over 500 branches and business offices, serving millions of customers. The brand is verifiably a leader in the deployment of various channels of banking technology and has become synonymous with the deployment of stateof-the-art technologies in banking.

Style by Zenith 2.0: The life you desire IFEOMA OKEKE

ifestyle, they say is all-encompassing. It is expressed in both work and leisure behaviour patterns and on an individual basis. No doubt, it is the way of living of individuals, families and societies, which they manifest in coping with their physical, psychological, social and economic on a day to day basis. There can therefore be no better way for companies to touch every aspect of the lives of their customers than an appeal to their lifestyles. This means they must be involved in customers’ day-to-day living. No doubt some of the components of lifestyle that easily come to mind include fashion, food, health, entertainment, beauty, amongst others. This is therefore what Zenith bank, for the second time will achieve through its ‘Style by Zenith’, event, a unique platform through which it connects with and creates value for its numerous customers by focusing on various aspects of their lifestyle.

Themed, “Style, the Life you Desire” is the second edition in conjunction with Fashion One, an international lifestyle and entertainment company, Style by Zenith is an all-inclusive flagship lifestyle, beauty, fashion, health, accessories, food and entertainment show that engages and entertains both the young and old. First launched in 2018, the “Style by Zenith” initiative was created with the objective of supporting and creating value for customers by focusing on various aspects of their lifestyle. This year, “Style by Zenith 2.0” takes things up a notch aimed at encouraging Nigerians to live their best lives and be extraordinary. The platform seeks to inspire people to be authentic, while showing them that with ordinary talent and extraordinary effort they can thrive and make a real change in this world. Speaking on the rationale behind “Style by Zenith 2.0”, Temitope Fasoranti, the Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc, said that, “Banking, for Zenith Bank means going that extra mile to be present in the lives of our customers. Driven by a

culture of excellence and providing cutting edge solutions, the bank is championing this cause to enable individuals and businesses to grow wealth.” He added that “Beyond providing financial solutions, Zenith Bank Plc seeks to be a reliable partner to her customers, ensuring that they excel on every front. With “Style by Zenith 2.0”, the bank continues in her commitment to empowering individuals and entrepreneurs by celebrating real talents. We will be helping people do what they know how to do best and repositioning them for greater levels of success in their various endeavours.” This year’s program includes an interesting line up of activities all culminating in the 3-day Lifestyle Fair taking place at the end of 2019. Kicking off the array of activities is the “Style by Zenith 2.0” Fitness Walks being held in conjunction with Mass Medical Missions, a non-profit organization, and Venus Medicare Ltd, a leading Health Management Organisation in the country. The Fitness Walk will serve as a platform to promote Mission Pink Cruise – a project of Mass Medi-

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Travel Why you need to visit Osun Scared Groove this summer OBINNA EMELIKE

f you are a culture enthusiast, and in need of a destination to express your passion this summer, the ancient town of Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, is beckoning on you this August. From rich cultural heritage, enthralling nature, and hospitable people, the ancient town awaits your visit, especially this August when it hosts the world in the annual Osun Osogbo festival. There are many reasons to visit. In the outskirt of Osogbo lies one of the last remnants of primary forest in southern Nigeria. The forest is so dense, rich in biodiversity, as well as, host of the Osun Sacred Grove, the second World Heritage Site in Nigeria. The sacred groove is regarded as the abode of Osun, the goddess of fertility, and one of the pantheons of Yoruba gods. The landscape of the grove and its meandering river are dotted with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and art works in honour of Osun and other deities. The sacred grove, which is now seen as a symbol of identity for all Yoruba people, is probably the last in Yoruba heritage. It testifies to the once widespread practice of establishing sacred groves outside all settlements. Set within the forest sanctuary are 40 shrines, sculptures and art works erected in honour of Osun and other Yoruba deities, many

Procession to the groove during the festival created in the past 40 years, two palaces, five sacred places and nine worship points strung along the river banks with designated priests and priestesses. The new art installed in the grove has also differentiated it from other groves. Osogbo is now unique in having a large component of 20th century sculpture created to reinforce the links between people and the Yoruba pantheon, and the way in which Yoruba towns linked their establishment and growth to the spirits of the forest. The restoration of the grove by artists has given the grove a new importance: it has become a sacred place for the whole of Yorubaland and a symbol of identity for the wider Yoruba Diaspora. Also, the grove is an active religious site where daily, weekly and monthly worships take place. In addition, an annual processional festival to re-establish the mystic

bonds between the goddess and the people of the town occurs every year over twelve days in July and August and thus sustains the living cultural traditions of the Yoruba people. The grove is also a natural herbal pharmacy containing over 400 species of plants, some endemic, of which more than 200 species are known for their medicinal uses. This August, the groove will be hosting thousands of guests including indigenes, other Nigerians, African diasporas, especially from Brazil, Haiti and the US to the one month long Osun Osogbo festival. Already, the pre-festival events commenced since June 16 until August 9, 2019. But the grand procession to the scared Osun Grove will hold on August 16, 2019. Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, the Ataoja of Osogboland, and the entire Osogbo people are waiting to host you.

Turkish Airlines adds Bali, Indonesia’s worldfamous holiday island, to its flight network Global carrier’s Istanbul-Bali direct flights will be operated as seven frequencies per week

The Turkish Airlines launch in Bali

lying to more countries and international destinations than any o th e r a i r l i n e i n t h e world, Turkish Airlines inaugurated its direct flights between its home base Istanbul and world-renowned tourist destination, Bali (Indonesia) on July 17, 2019. Having operated with the airlines’ first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, which joined to its ever-expanding

Malta Guinness boost tourism, shares love with Zaria Emirate at Durbar festival

fleet a few weeks ago, TK 066 coded first flight conducted with 84 percent load factor and carried 250 passengers. Commenting on newly commenced Istanbul-Bali flights, Kerem Sarp, Turkish Airlines senior vice president sales (2nd Region), said; “While our new generation aircrafts continuing to join our fleet, we feel highly encouraged to launch new direct flights to farther destinations in the world. By

inaugurating direct flights to Bali, our second destination in Indonesia, we keep strengthening our mission to reach all corners of the world.” Bali, Indonesia’s most popular holiday island, is flooded by tourists and explorers from all around the world every year. Welcoming its guests with its exotic nature, the city offers cultural richness with its historical temples and palaces. Volcanoes and tropical forests in the inner parts of the city are the source of unforgettable memories for travelers traveling to the city. The center of the island increases its charm with its cultural and exotic beauties as well as its beaches. Bali flight from July 17, 2019 are scheduled for Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday and every day of the week from August 7, 2019. I n t ro d u c t o r y f l i g h t f a re s are available from Istanbul to Bali starting at $USD748 (including taxes and fees).

Durbar Festival in Zaria

alta Guinness, Nigeria’s premium non-alcoholic Malt Drink, and official malt drink of the Zaria and Bauchi Durbar festivals, has celebrated with the Muslim faithfuls in the northern part of the country. The colourful culturerich ceremony, which held at the Emir’s palace in Zaria, was graced by government officials, traditional leaders, dignitaries, and thousands of visitors, and featured one of the most impressive displays of equestrian pageantry, glamour, and excellence in Africa. “In the spirit of greater giving, Malta Guinness; Nigeria’s premium nonalcoholic malt drink, is here to and to celebrate the Eid and Durbar festivals with the people of Zaria and Bauchi, as well as, share the goodness and vitality of its energygiving B-Vitamins.” said Ife Odedere, assistant brand Manager, Malta Guinness, while speaking at the event. The Dan Isan Zazzau and assistant secretary to the Emirate Council,

Prince Umar Shehu Idris, explained that the traditional Hawan Daushe festival has been around for more than hundred years and usually marked the end of Ramadan activities. “During the Durbar celebration, every District Head will come out with his people and armed men to demonstrate the art of war that took place during the olden days. The significance of the Hawan Daushe is to let the people know that their culture has been preserved for a very long time and that the emirate council is working to promote unity within the society,” he added. In addition to refreshing the guests of both emirates with chilled bottles of Malta Guinness, the Malta Guinness team added fun and excitement to the event with music performances, games and dance contests among others. The Durbar festivals at Zaria and Bauchi marked the conclusion of the Malta Guinness’s monthlong celebration with the Muslim faithful in the northern part of Nigeria.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 27

Travel LAAC Conference: Stakeholders chart path for growth of domestic airlines in Nigeria Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

s domestic airlines look to expand, acquire more aircraft and represent Nigeria in the international market, they have disclosed that there could be some major challenges that could hinder them from making this a reality. One of such challenges they have stressed is the multiple entries given to foreign carriers on the back of the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) Nigeria signed with several countries, which is gradually depleting the earnings of local airlines. This is why stakeholders at the just concluded 23rd Annual Conference and Award ceremony organized by the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) in Lagos, reiterated that it is high time the Federal Government reviewed its BASAs signed with foreign countries to make them reciprocal and support the growth of Nigerian airlines. They said government must wake up from its slumber and come up with sustainable policy frameworks to grow the aviation sector. Segun Koiki, chairman of LAAC who spoke at the occasion commended the senate for its resolution passed on Wednesday 10’“July, 2019 on the urgent need to protect Nigeria’s indigenous airline through the propose review of BASA to reflect the interest of local carriers. Koiki said in addition to this, the government also needs to implement policies regulating double taxation and minimise exorbitant cut-throat charges levied against Nigeria carriers on our various West

L-R: Nick Fadugba, president, African Business Aviation Association; Gbenga Olowo, president Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative; Muneer Bankole, managing director/CEO, Medview Airline; Rolan Iyayi,Captain, chief executie, Topbrass Aiation, and chairman, League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents [LAAC] during the 23rd edition of LAAC Annual Conference/Awards held at the Redisson Blu Hotel, ikeja.

African routes. “Nigeria local carriers have not been able to measure up to the expectation of maximizing the country’s potential despite over 200 million population to our advantage, which other foreign carriers are feasting on to the detriment of domestic airlines. “The gestation period of extinction of domestic carriers from the business which is within the average of 5-10 years should be worrisome to the industry’s stakeholders as the myriads of causes have been seen as scarcity and high cost of aviation fuel; poor facility at our airports, obsolete infrastructures; multiple taxations; shortage of forex for airline operators; multiple designation for the foreign carriers and absence of Maintenance Repair

and Overhaul (MRO) facility,” the LAAC chairman explained. Muneer Bankole, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Med-View Airline, said the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the minister of aviation and other relevant regulatory agencies should reflect on the National Aviation Policy in conjunction with various stakeholders holistically. According to Bankole, BASA agreements with other major European and some Asian countries need to be urgently reviewed to reflect the interest of local carriers. Also Allen Onyema, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, said rather than seek the assistance of any foreign airline to establish a new national carrier for

Arik Air offers incentive to Affinity Wings members

rik Air, one of Nigeria’s leading airlines is offering members of its frequent flyer program, Arik Affinity Wings, an opportunity to retain their accrued miles beyond its initial validity period. A new scheme put in place by the airline has now made it easier for Arik Affinity Wings members to extend their miles due for expiration for another 12 months thereby allowing more time to redeem miles which should have expired.

Miles are valid for a period of three years during which time members are expected to use such on any of the benefits including complimentary flight tickets for self or nominee. Other membership benefits are: additional baggage allowance, lounge access (domestic & international flights), complimentary upgrades, check- in & baggage priority and bonus miles 10 percent more on domestic and regional routes. This development which is one

of the raft of innovations being put in place to give Arik Affinity Wings members value for money has been communicated to members via email. Ar i k Af f i n i t y W i n g s w a s launched on 1st October 2014 and there are currently over 100,000 members earning and spending miles on the platform. There are four membership levels in the program and these are; Pearl, Bronze, Silver & Gold. Attaining and progressing through the membership levels are made easy due to Affinity Points and can be earned only in a period of 12 months which are auto evaluated daily to allow members to progress to the next level by achieving the required Affinity points’ threshold. Members enjoy good value promotions that are periodically launched by Affinity Wings such as discounts on tickets, double miles and promotions in conjunction with partners.

the country, the Federal Government should empower domestic carriers. Onyema said Nigerian airlines were very strong, adding that it was insulting for another African airline to propose to help the government to set up a national carrier. He said, “The government must trust our airlines because as I speak, other African countries are coming to Air Peace for assistance to set up their own national carriers which we have agreed to assist them in a win-win situation. “We must begin to resist such moves to belittle Nigerian carriers in order to continuously exploit the country.” Gabriel Olowo, President of Aviation Roundtable and Safety Initiative, said Nigeria needs a stable

legal and regulatory frameworks to grow the industry. Olowo decried the multiple entry points for foreign airlines, describing it as “disastrous and deliberate annihilation of the domestic market.” He said a situation where some airlines fly to multiple airports in Nigeria without any Nigerian airline reciprocating is “a negative balance of trade.” “The essence of regulation is not only about safety. We have failed with economic regulations. This is a major weakness,” he said. Also speaking at the occasion, Nick Fadugba, Aviation expert and Chairman, African Business Aviation Association, stated that going by certain indices in the industry, by 2030, the Federal Government would have adopted the business models of Singapore and United Arab Emirates by seriously embracing aviation as a strategic tool for economic and social development. He said this would help the government to review Bilateral Air Service Agreements with non-African countries on the basis of reciprocity, as access to the Nigerian market had huge an economic value. He said, “By 2030, Nigeria will have two airlines operating regular scheduled services on intercontinental, regional and domestic routes. One will have a minority government stake and the other will be totally private sector-driven. Each airline will have a fleet of 25 to 40 modern aircraft. One will be a member of a global airlines alliance. “Four or five smaller carriers, each with five to 10 aircraft, will provide niche services, such as domestic routes, regional routes or cargo operations. One will become Africa’s established leading Hajj operator.”

1860 Travels, Bravo International Tour Service partner on ‘Tours2China’ initiative

igerian-based travel Agency, 1860 Travels has partnered Bravo International Tour Service to offer Nigerians opportunity to travel to China for business, tour and leisure purposes. The new product, ‘Tours2China’ which was launched in Lagos last week, offers a group of five Nigerians who are willing to travel together at the same time, an easy to get group visa which affords them opportunity to tour various cities in China and do business in China at the same time. Speaking during the launch of the product in Lagos, David Yang, director at Bravo International Tour Service, said the product was introduced to promote more culture and tourism in China. “We have written letters for almost one year to see the possibility of bringing Nigerian people into China and finally in June 2019, we got a confirmation to bring groups of five people to go to China using a group visa. This is because we want to increase cultural communication,”

Yang said. He explained that the product avails travellers three different itineraries to China to shop, trade, travel to cities, tour, shop at cheaper rates and do several other things in China. Also speaking at the occasion, Daniel Yang, CEO, Bravo International Tour Service said the Chinese embassy will only give the visa to nothing less than a group of five people and if one person in the group decides not to go, the whole group will not be allowed to travel. Yang stressed that the product must not be abused and if people who go, decide to elope in China, the product will be shut down by the Chinese government. Olusina Francis Daodu, MD, 1860 Travels LTD, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) licenced indigenous agency said the agency has put in place measures to ensure that those who are selected to apply for this product are those who really qualify for it, to avoid abuse of the product.

28 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Kiddies ngnwaogu@yahoo.co.uk

Caleb British International School marks arts education week in style NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE

he importance of arts education among students and teachers was a major topic discussed at this year’s International Arts Education Week held recently at Caleb British International School (CBIS), Lagos. The event which was part of the school’s activities to mark the 2019 Arts Education Week was also an opportunity for the school to promote creative educational environments as an essential element of education itself. An award winning Art teacher of CBIS, Prince Olusegun Adeniyi who spoke at the event observed that creative instincts are present in all human beings, adding that for one to excel in art, the creative instinct has to be cultivated, nourished and exercised so that it can be stimulated in others. This, Adeniyi explained debunks the impression that art is only

meant for the gifted. Quoting Pablo Picasso, he said: “every child as an artist, the problem is how to remain an artist once such child grows up”. Given a brief background of International Arts Education Week, he said it was an initiative of the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) which aimed at increasing the international community’s awareness on the importance of arts education and at reinforcing its cooperation by promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion. “At the beginning of the 21st century, UNESCO began to acknowledge the crucial role of arts education as the very foundation to promote creative educational environments and as an essential element of education itself. “To this end, as the first step to form a consensus with the international community, UNESCO proclaimed the “International Appeal

Students of CIBS with Angela Saldanha at the 2019 International Art Education Week held recently in Lagos.

L-R: Head of Art Department CBIS, Magnus, Angela Saldanha, Prince Olusegun Adeniyi and David Edosa with some students at the event.

for the Promotion of Arts Education and Creativity at School” at its 30th GeneralConferencesessionin1999. “In 2010, a decade following this appeal for increased awareness on the importance of arts education, the Second World Conference on ArtsEducationwasheldinSeoul,the RepublicofKorea.Followingthesuccessofthe2ndWorldConferenceon ArtsEducation,the4thweekofMay ofeveryyearhasbeenproclaimedas International Arts Education Week by UNESCO’s General Conference at its 36th session. “The most notable outcome of this conference was the “Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education,” which was agreed upon through in-depth discussions of international experts, regarding the significance of arts education in and out of schools. “The Seoul Agenda serves to enlarge the roles and scope of arts education and to encourage its social contribution efforts, while enhancing the overall quality of arts education and acting as a guiding direction for the education system”, Adeniyi added. The guest artist at the event was

DUFIL awards scholarships to pupils in Rivers

n other to contribute to the educational needs of pupils in its host communities, Dufil Prima Foods, makers of Indomie instant noodles presented a total of 4million naira scholarships to 40 Junior Secondary students and Primary School pupils of Choba community, in Rivers state. The scholarship support of N100, 000 was presented to 10 pupils each from the four public schools in the community - two Junior Secondary Schools and two Primary schools based on their academic standing in the last session. The beneficiary schools include, Community Junior Secondary School, Olobo Premier College, Universal Primary Education (UPE) and State Primary School, all in Choba community, Rivers state. The Group Public Relations and Events Manager, Dufil Prima Foods, Temitope Ashiwaju, handed over the cheques to the beneficiaries during a ceremony organised by the company in Port Harcourt.

Making the presentation to the pupils, Ashiwaju said the gesture was borne out of the need to reward academic excellence and also to spur the pupils to do more. According to Ashiwaju, it was also a way of adding value to the lives of residents of the community hosting one of its major factories. In addition, he described education as one of the pillars of Dufil’s corporate social investments and added that the company has over the years continually invested in education as part of its commitment to the development of the country’s future potential. He further noted that they would stop at nothing to ensure every child is supported to become the best they can be. “Dufil Prima Foods is passionate about education and we will continue to support education in Nigeria through scholarships and other social investment initiatives.” “Education is the bedrock

for the growth and meaningful development of any nation. It is also a process of developing the child’s moral, physical, emotional and intellectual wellbeing. Dufil believes strongly in this assertion and will continue to play its part,” he affirmed. Also speaking at the event, the Desk Officer, Debate, Quiz and Competition, Rivers State Universal Education Board, Susan Ejiohuo commended Dufil for the scholarships and urged other companies and organisations to emulate the gesture in complementing the efforts of the government. She enjoined the parents to ensure that the funds disbursed to their children is well utilised to enhance their education. She further advised the pupils not to relent in their academic efforts in order to continue being the best. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Lebura Favour of UPE Primary school, Choba lauded Dufil on behalf of the others and promised to make the best use of the support given to them.

Olumide Morenikeji. He talked about Open Art Studio which offered the CBIS community, students, teachers and parents the opportunity to explore, express and create art without inhibition. Another teacher of CBIS, David Edosa, created the background for the “Why Art is important to me” display and also put up a magnificent display of student’s works. On her part, Angela Saldanha from Portugal taught the Life drawing class at Caleb British International School. Angela who was part of the 2019 UNESCO International Arts Education Week celebration at Caleb British International School was also involved in the Media Club activities. The first week of the Media Club, she shared her world travel experience in Photography with the students. The students were fascinated by the photographs and were inspired by her passion and adventurous trips around the world. The second week, she spoke briefly on the topic Art as a form of communication. The students were later engaged in practical

artistic activities as a form of communication. It is interesting to note that Saldanha is the vice-president of the Association of Teachers of Expression and Visual Communication (APECV) and member of the European Council of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA). Also, she has undergone Postdoctoral degrees in Digital Media Art, Open University, Lisbon: PhD in Arts Education, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto, with “On the way home” thesis, approved unanimously, with distinction and honors. At the closing of the 2019 UNESCO International Arts Education Week, Angela and Adeniyi were presented “Award of Stewardship” for their contribution to Art Education in Nigeria during the 2019 UNESCO International Arts Education Week at the Greensprings School, Anthony Campus, Lagos. Some of the students who spoke during the programme expressed gratitude to the management and staff of CBIS for partnering with UNESCO to organise the International Arts Education Week.

Poem Sick “I cannot go to school today,” Said little Peggy Ann McKay. “I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps. My mouth is wet, my throat is dry, I’m going blind in my right eye. My tonsils are as big as rocks, I’ve counted sixteen chicken pox And there’s one more--that’s seventeen, And don’t you think my face looks green? My leg is cut--my eyes are blue-It might be instamatic flu. I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke, I’m sure that my left leg is broke-My hip hurts when I move my chin, My belly button’s caving in, My back is wrenched, my

ankle’s sprained, My ‘pendix pains each time it rains. My nose is cold, my toes are numb. I have a sliver in my thumb. My neck is stiff, my voice is weak, I hardly whisper when I speak. My tongue is filling up my mouth, I think my hair is falling out. My elbow’s bent, my spine ain’t straight, My temperature is one-oeight. My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear, There is a hole inside my ear. I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what? What’s that? What’s that you say? You say today is. . .Saturday? Good bye, I’m going out to play. •By Shel Silverstein

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 29

Tribute

Eulogies as Olagoke, director of education Lagos, pens-down

ZEBULON AGOMUO

halk and blackboard are the symbols of teaching as a profession in Nigeria. When a man must have taught for 33 unbroken years, it means he has seen too many blackboards and also emptied uncountable number of chalk packs. That’s the experience of Hassan Adebayo Olagoke, who just retired as director of Education, Lagos State Ministry of Education. Olagoke, who was at the time of his retirement, the principal of Gbaja Boys Senior High School, Surulere, Lagos, officially dropped chalk last Thursday, after 33 years of meritorious service to Lagos State. At a moderate event to celebrate him, employers and colleagues eulogised him to no end. They spoke glowingly of a man who distinguished himself in his chosen field. In their separate tributes to Olagoke, a principal of Zumratul Islamiyyah Senior High School, Surulere, Lawal I., said: “It has been a pleasant and privileged experience since our paths crossed fortuitously way back in 2013 at Gbaja Boys Senior High School, Surulere. As the boss, you were such a header, a personal motivator and a team player who never ceased to solicit feedback from subordinates. “Baba Science as you are fondly called is not just a nickname but a very suitable one as you are such a knowledgeable teacher who was always at the forefront of efforts to develop the cognitive skills of our students by leading the early morning extra lessons (morning clinic). You are such a well-mannered and polite personality who treats subordinates with respect. You are highly considerate and God-fearing.” On his part, Michael A.T., vice principal administration, Gbaja Boys’ Senior High School, said: “It is my privilege and honour to write a testimonial of Olagoke as he disengages from the service of Lagos State after more than three decades of meritorious service to God and humanity. I cherish this opportunity to share with the world what I know of him and occasion of his statutory retirement and glorious

Adebayo Olagoke

pen-down. “There are people you meet in life and on your first encounter; it would be as if you have been together for ages. Such was the chemistry and bond I experienced when I was posted to Gbaja Boys’ Senior High School in January 2017. I walked into the school to be embraced and loved by a compassionate leader and brother. “Many will agree with me that he is an amiable person endowed with beauty and brains. He wears a reassuring disposition that warms people’s heart. He is of pleasant personality and this attracts people to him. One thing an observant person won’t miss is his passion and commitment to work.” According to Michael, “He will always be remembered for his Godly exemplary

character of practical Christianity; a life that bears the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5v22). “Career wise, Olagoke is a qualified teacher, administrator, mentor and a leader to the core. His professional prowess earned him the Baba Science.” Speaking with BDSUNDAY on the sidelines of the “pen-down” event, he recounted some challenges, his highest point during his service, and his thought for the education sector in the country, among other issues. “My highest point was the day I was awarded the best principal from District IV. Also, the day I reached the pinnacle of my chosen profession as a director. It was not all rosy however, as there were some challenges that I confronted. They are numerous to mention. But I thank

God that each time we got to a river; we were able to cross it. We were also able to scale all the hurdles. But I must mention students’ nonchalant attitude to reading; some parents not cooperating with the school in the sense that they would not buy the necessary text books for the children and when the children come back from school, they would not even care to ask the children what they were taught in school. These were also challenges we faced,” he said. According to Olagoke, “A major challenge I encountered in the course of my career was when I lost my soul mate (wife), which really, really hit me below the belt. She had been very, very supportive and what I am today, she immensely contributed to it. But I thank God, she has gone to rest in the Lord, one of these days, we shall meet with her.” Asked what reforms he would have loved to bring to the sector if he were the minister of education, the director said: “I would make computer literacy compulsory in all Nigerian schools so that students would be computer literate. This is because the world is changing; we are in digital age; therefore, all the students of this age must comply. I will transform the schools technologically.” On the allegations of high level of examination malpractice among students in the country, Olagoke said: “It really exists and it is one of the challenges that we are facing in the profession. I have said it before that students these days are not ready to read; they are nonchalant. They are not ready to sit down and study. They are being distracted by too many time-killers. They spend their time playing games, watching football and always pressing phone. These do not give them the chance to do meaningful things like revising what they have been taught in class.” The thanksgiving service featured choir renditions, hymns (such as Great is Thy faithfulness; I’m pressing on the upward way, and Praise my soul the King of heaven). There was also short exhortation by the celebrant’s pastor, Amos Oni. It also featured special prayer session for Olagoke and his family. This was handled by Uduma Kalu, a pastor.

Apapa gridlock as metaphor... Continued from back page at Onne since Port Harcourt could not be upgraded. A skeptical Lagos accepted my proposal before sending divers to Onne, which turned out exactly as the great Commander Diete-Spiff said. That was how the Onne Port Complex, sitting on 2,538.115 hectares, was conceived and built. Marine and vehicular traffics were evenly distributed between Onne and Port Harcourt, saving the Garden City avoidable gridlock; all because a visionary leader was awake to his responsibilities. Privatisation for privatisation sake makes no sense. There must be demographic, cultural and

economic content to it. Imposing a First World economic model on a Third World mindset is to ask for trouble. China privatised and boomed but the Soviet Union did the same and crashed. Deng Xiaoping thoroughly explained to Chinese tanker drivers and port workers what to expect ahead of port concession. He changed the Chinese mindset and his people behaved differently to his utmost satisfaction. But Mikhail Gorbachev privatised under “Glasnost and Perestroika” without first educating his people and lost his country. Port concession is desirable, as long as we do not limit our definition of “new operators” to the concessionaires. The navy, local communities, tanker driv-

ers, DSS, EFFC and FRSC must be carried along. Secondly, the concessionaires can only develop and operate those ports wrongly written off as unviable and not take over our best ports. The concession programme is a big failure as it only robbed Nigerians what they built over the decades while doing nothing to bring new ports into existence. Before now, our experts warned the Federal Government that the maritime sector was dying. To bring it back to life four committees of the 2014 National Conference, namely, the (1) Economy, Trade and Investment Committee (2) Public Finance and Revenue Committee (3) Environmental Committee, and (4) Transpor-

tation Committee proffered far-reaching solution. Their recommendations would have reformed our ports, opened many interstate trunk roads to the hinterland; in addition to repositioning the sector for massive investment. Over-concentration of maritime operations in Apapa and Tincan is the sickness. Gridlock, corruption, inefficiency, foreign cabals, etc, are the symptoms. Under such enforced condition, ease of doing business becomes an uphill task. Solution is decentralisation so that the boundless opportunities locked up in Gelegele, Burutu, Warri, Age, etc, can also be unlocked. There is something called wealth of the sea this country is not pay-

ing attention to. For instance, as recent as 1964, a Nigerian travelling to London boarded an Elder Dempster boat at Port Harcourt or Apapa. Why can’t we be creative in defining our maritime? A serious observer, therefore, cannot escape the conclusion that the unwin situation Apapa finds itself today is a true reflection of the larger dysfunctional Nigeria. Political power is so concentrated in Abuja that the constituent units wallow in neglect, underdevelopment and violence. If the Nigerian state wastes time in devolving power, administration and finance through restructuring, the Apapa gridlock could become a national experience.

30BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 21 July 2019

StateOfTheNation Fiddling while Nigeria burns

The struggling husband in Lagos had to run from pillar to post to raise N3million out of the N10million ransom initially requested. By the time the captives were released a week after, the lady had been repeatedly raped and the brother was spotting bruises and machete cuts all over his body. No government official or political practitioner paid a visit to that family. That young family has remained traumatised thereafter. Just last Tuesday, suspected herdsmen ambushed an inter-state bus from Akwa Ibom State to Lagos somewhere in Edo State. In the course of herding the victims (about eight in number) into the bush, one Felix Akanbi, a Naval warrant officer, was shot dead as he was allegedly not moving at the pace their abductors expected him to move. Since that day, it has not been heard that government officials traced his

to be treated with respect. But it has since been established that there are two laws in operation in the country- one “for them”, and the other “for us”. The one for them is not even activated let alone operational when it comes to the rights such citizens should enjoy; whereas the one “for us” (those in government and their cronies) is working 24/7 in their favour. What a country! People are dying out of poverty. Many are dying out of treatable diseases. Many are dying by the sheer neglect of government; many are dying in the most bestial ways ever heard of – people are today being slaughtered like goats; kidnappers and ritualists make a mince meat of their victims. It is misery, agony and tears across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Government appears to have lost control. The security agencies appear to have been divided and there is no longer synergy in the fight against the common enemy. What is happening to our beloved fatherland? The killing of Fasoranti’s daughter has further exposed the underbelly of politicians. Some genuinely went to commiserate with the mourning nonagenarian; but some others could best be described as miserable mourners. They went to further their political dreams and ambition, using the opportunity of the woman’s brutal murder to do so. Their utterances have shown their real colour. And the question is; is there still hope for a country whose leaders behave in this man-

family to commiserate with them. But he was a Naval officer, but of a lower rank. Those who are daily robbed, kidnapped, raped or killed on Nigeria’s highways these days, bear their grief alone. Those in power must realise that no Nigerian is more Nigerian than the other. What confers the Nigerianness on anybody is being born by bonafide parents of Nigeria origin. It means therefore, that every freeborn of this country deserves

ner? Like King Nero who fiddled while Rome was burning, Nigerian leaders seem to be fiddling, too, while the country burns. In the Cambridge English Dictionary, to fiddle is to act dishonestly in order to get something for oneself, or to change something dishonestly, especially to one’s own advantage. Going by what we see now, Eldorado for Nigeria is still decades ahead. But hope is real and it will never disappoint those who have and hold on to it. Nigerians do.

ZEBULON AGOMUO

f death comes naturally, it becomes a thing of joy. After all, the Holy Book tells us that there is a season for everything under the sun- a time to be born and a time to die. But that is not the case in Nigeria today. Most deaths occurring in Nigeria these days are unnatural, hasty and brutal. Tears of sorrow are flowing ceaselessly everywhere. As if that is not heart-numbing enough, the government appears insensitive to the on-going carnage. Politicians seem to dance on the grave of people who die needless and avoidable death. Nigeria is presently at a crossroads, very much unsure whether to turn the corner or to take a retreat. Nothing could be sadder and more confusing than a time when a government that, constitutionally, is supposed to protect lives and property of citizens looks so detached and unperturbed in the face of widespread killings. Fear and frustration have taken over the land. In his book, Beyond Pardon, Bertha Mclay says, “there are many sorrows—the anguish of death, the pain of betrayal, the misery of long suffering, etc—but none is as heart-rending as the treachery of

the one we love, trust and cherish.” Like Lady Lionel in the epic English novel, never in the history of Nigeria have the citizens, for inexplicable reasons, been so traumatized and abandoned by their government as Sir Lionel did his loving wife. The question that has refused to leave every lip today is ‘how did Nigeria and its people get to this sorry state? Another is ‘at what point or why did they get it so wrong as to deserve this slavish sojourn in their own land like the Israelites in the land of Egypt where life was brutish and short? Like the song writer says, in Nigeria today, many “homes are cold and bare; and the lambs for whom the shepherd died, are straying from the fold”. To make matters worse, the powers that be have become increasingly ambivalent, rubbing it in the minds of the people, especially the helpless and hapless poor, that only the death of the rich matters to

them. That may have accounted for the reason Abuja so busied itself last week with the matters surrounding the brutal killing of Funke Olakunri. Politicians of all persuasions in the country went to Akure last week to show their faces to the grieving Fasoranti, father of the murdered Funke, but no one spared a thought about the trauma of those families whose relatives were brutally murdered in Katsina, about the same time the death of Fasoranti’s daughter was trending. It is even alleged that the where-about of Funke’s driver is not yet known but nobody is talking about him be-

cause the poor driver has no ‘name’. We have seen state actors hit hard at real and perceived opponents rather than put on their thinking cap on how to rid the country of this leprous stigma. Something is dreadfully wrong with a country that attaches no importance to life. No wonder a report that bandits kill 20, 30, or 40 people in a single swoop in parts of the country does not move anybody. Life, anywhere

else in the world, is sacred, precious and valuable because it epitomizes the human person. The human person represents a country’s human capital or resource which is highly treasured because of its capacity to translate and transform the country’s latent and material resource into wealth and growth. Nigeria doesn’t seem to see life this way and therefore, can afford to waste it wantonly. The leaders of the country at any level you find them are after themselves and their families. Of course, however, there is nothing wrong with somebody thinking about himself first. But there is everything wrong and bad with someone who thinks about himself first, himself next and himself last! That, exactly, is the story of the Nigeria leader. Apparently, Abuja is only jolted to life if someone close to power or if a ‘big man’ is involved; it is that moment that all the security architecture will be let loose and rallied to swing into action. Last month, when Dayo Adewole, son of the immediate past minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, was kidnapped in his farm in Oyo State, hell was let loose. Within hours, the young man was rescued, hale and hearty, and those allegedly behind the abduction were rounded up. Since Dayo’s rescue, a huge number of other Nigerians have been kidnapped, raped and ransom paid also without government or security agents’ intervention. Last month, a young lady and her brother were travelling home (East) in preparation for their mother’s burial. Somewhere in Ore, the commercial vehicle they were travelling in developed a fault. While all the passengers alighted from the bus, waiting for the fault to be fixed, kidnappers swooped on them. The lady and her brother were among those that were taken away.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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Analysis

BDSUNDAY 31

Insecurity: Nigerian economy in doldrums as OBJ exposes descent into anarchy

INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

he Nigerian economy is already suffering a backlash from the incessant and multifarious layers of insecurity scourging the nation. The nation which has projected a GDP growth rate of about 3percent per annum in the last four years, has hardly reached above 2percent and the challenge of insecurity has opened a negative floodgate of de-investment, low industrial capacity, poor Foreign Direct Investment, poor capital in-flows and high inflation (11.22percent) for a country which population is growing at 3.4percent per annum. This catalogue of woes has been dangerously characterised by a very lingering security threat of kidnapping, armed robbery and murder of genocidal proportions allegedly perpetrated by foreign Fulani herdsmen in their quest to allegedly invade and capture land belonging to indigenous farmers in Nigeria for settlement and expansion, without the government of President Muhammadu Buhari showing ability to stop them. There is also the Boko Haram terrorism that has refused to go away after ten years. Th i s p e r h a p s p r o m p t e d former President Olusegun Obasanjo to issue a stern warning to the Buhari Government to rein in the terrorists following the latest in the stream of killing by suspected Fulani militia of the daughter of Afenifere leader, Ruben Fasoranti, Funke Olakunrin. Obasanjo on Monday, July 15, wrote yet another damning letter to Buhari demanding the president to rise up to the occasion and address the Fulani menace warning that if the situation is not handled carefully, the nation may degenerate into a situation where other Nigerians will resort to aggravated violence in reprisal against the Fulani for their alleged atrocities. Senior lecturer with Baze University, Abuja, Sam Amadi has warned that the country is in dire economic straits and the situation could worsen in the coming days if the government does not show enough resolve to address the matter and win public trust. He told BDSUNDAY in an interview that there is no country that can grow at a reasonable rate with massive violent conflict, with war, with threats of insecurity at the level that is ravaging Nigeria, adding that the crisis is about to diminish the modest economic growth Nigeria has recorded. “The crisis will affect food supply, it will affect the mobility of

President Buhari

goods and people, it will affect investment, and it will even affect domestic productivity in terms of industrial capability and not just growth. It will also slow or stagnate or even worsen growth prospects in the future. We are not just going to have rough time now, but rough time in the future. Part of what will determine that future is the investment in human capital. “But we are dealing with cattle and dealing with kidnapping and being rancorous. Even the brain power meant to develop the economy is diverted to dealing with these elementary conflicts, so it is a bad time for the country and it will even be worse if we don’t put these matters on the front burner and deal with them decisively,” he said. Obasanjo in his letter had warned Buhari of the unimaginable consequences of his alleged nonchalant attitude to the Fulani herdsmen crisis, a situation that put President Buhari in awkward position being a Fulani himself. “The issue I am addressing here is very serious; it is the issue of life and death for all of us and for our dear country, Nigeria. This issue can no longer be ignored, treated with nonchalance, swept under the carpet or treated with cuddling glove. The issue is hitting at the foundation of our existence as Nigerians and fast eroding the root of our Nigerian community. “I am very much worried and afraid that we are on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay. Without being immodest, as a Nigerian who still bears the scar

Olusegun Obasanjo

of the Nigerian civil war on my body and with a son who bears the scar of fighting Boko Haram on his body, you can understand, I hope, why I am so concerned. “When people are desperate and feel that they cannot have confidence in the ability of government to provide security for their lives and properties, they will take recourse to anything and everything that can guarantee their security individually and collectively,” Obasanjo said. Obasanjo said further that the government has failed to deal with the Boko Haram menace despite all the spurious claims of defeating the insurgents as they have continued to wreck havoc on the Nigerians in the last four years. “Say what you will, Boko Haram is still a daily issue of insecurity for those who are victimised, killed, maimed, kidnapped, raped, sold into slavery and forced into marriage and for children forcibly recruited into carrying bombs on them to detonate among crowds of people to cause maximum destructions and damage. “Herdsmen/farmers crises and menace started with government treating the issue with cuddling glove instead of hammer. It has festered and spread. Today, it has developed into banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and killings all over the country. The unfortunate situation is that the criminality is being perceived as a ‘Fulani’ menace unleashed by Fulani elite in the different parts of the country for a number of reasons but even more unfortunately, many Nigerians and non-Nigerians who are friends of Nigeria attach vicarious respon-

sibility to you as a Fulani elite and the current captain of the Nigeria ship,” he told Buhari. He said further that perception may be as potent as reality at times adding that whatever may be the grievances of Fulanis, if any, they need to be put out in the open and their grievances, if legitimate, be addressed; and if other ethnic groups have grievances, let them also be brought out in the open and addressed through debate and dialogue. Obasanjo accused Buhari of poor management or mismanagement of diversity which, on the other hand, is one of Nigeria’s greatest and most important assets. He said that as a result, “very onerous cloud is gathering. And rain of destruction, violence, disaster and disunity can only be the outcome. Nothing should be taken for granted; the clock is ticking with the cacophony of dissatisfaction and disaffection everywhere in and outside the country. The Presidency and the Congress in the US have signalled to us to put our house in order. The House of Lords in the UK had debated the Nigerian security situation. We must understand and appreciate the significance, implication and likely consequences of such concerns and deliberations. “No one can stop hate speech, violent agitation and smouldering violent agitation if he fans the embers of hatred, disaffection and violence. It will continue to snowball until it is out of control. A stitch in time saves nine, goes the old wise saying. “To be explicit and without equivocation, Mr. President and General, I am deeply worried

about four avoidable calamities; abandoning Nigeria into the hands of criminals who are all being suspected, rightly or wrongly, as Fulanis and terrorists of Boko Haram type; spontaneous or planned reprisal attacks against Fulanis which may inadvertently or advertently mushroom into pogrom or Rwanda-type genocide that we did not believe could happen and yet it happened. “Similar attacks against any other tribe or ethnic group anywhere in the country initiated by rumours, fears, intimidation and revenge capable of leading to pogrom and violent uprising beginning from one section of the country and spreading quickly to other areas and leading to dismemberment of the country. “It happened to Yugoslavia not too long ago. If we do not act now, one or all of these scenarios may happen. We must pray and take effective actions at the same time. The initiative is in the hands of the President of the nation, but he cannot do it alone. “Like in the issue of security, government should open up discussion, debate and dialogue as part of consultation at different levels and the outcome of such deliberations should be collated to form inputs into a national conference to come up with the solution that will effectively deal with the issues and lead to rapid development, growth and progress which will give us a wholesome society and enhanced living standard and livelihood in an inclusive and shared society. “The President must be seen to be addressing this issue with utmost seriousness and with maximum dispatch and getting all hands on deck to help. If there is failure, the principal responsibility will be that of the President and no one else. We need cohesion and concentration,” Obasanjo had told Buhari. Sam Amadi concurred with Obasanjo saying “we need to take Obasanjo’s warning seriously, I don’t think it is political, the letter is policy oriented. Genocide, state disintegration, civil wars and are not scripted like a movies, it happened to be an accumulation of happenstance and wrong decisions that create the momentum and then create the hysteria and create a fait accompli and then people are engulfed with crisis. “Therefore, there is the need for deliberate de-escalation and that starts with leadership. The leadership should change the mindset and the mindset should be that of recovering the state from the avalanche of conflicts and disintegration and it is easy to start with some Continues on page 3

32 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 21 July 2019

TheWorshippers ‘How the church should respond to BokoHaram, Ruga and Insecurity in Nigeria’ .Believers’ weapon of warfare is prayer –Etukudo .The church must not embrace sensuous wisdom –Thompson .The church must get involved and avoid retaliation –Idowu SEYI JOHN SALAU

he incessant stories on insecurity in Nigeria, especially the northern part of the country is a case of a people faced with tyranny, banditry and insurgency. The people have continually cried for a leader who will stand and speak their mind in defense of peace, truth and justice. In response to the growing herders/farmers conflict across the country, the Federal Government proposed the rural grazing area (Ruga) as a one-cap-fit-all solution. However, the response that greeted the proposed solution rendered it dead on arrival. The southern part of the country, especially the middle belt region vehemently opposed the Ruga settlement plan, which to a larger extent portrays lack of trust between the government and the citizenry. Nigeria , particularly the north-eastern region, has been the target of a sustained Islamist terrorist onslaught for many years, leading to massive human casualties, loss of properties running into billions of Naira, and destabilisation of socioeconomic, cultural and religious activities. Since the hostilities started, a major target of these attacks has been Christians and churches. However, it can be argued that Boko-Haram activities in the northeast in the recent past know no religious boundary; as both Christians and Moslems have been on the receiving end of the terrorist group. In response to the level of insecurity up north, the church in Nigeria has designed several plans aimed at curtailing the attacks on Christians. In diagnosing the remote and immediate causes of the attack on the church, many have suggested that the church and by extension, Christians, stand-up in defense of their faith while others highlight the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation in the restoration of peace and healing of affected communities. Some analysts and social commentators have also argued for a broad-based and multipronged response including political and legal options and vigorous advocacy at reaching a lasting solution to maintain the peace in Nigeria. But, what should be the response of the church at the growing rate of killings in the north looking at the ethno-religious nature of northern Nigeria. How-

Rev. Ladi Thompson

ever, in finding a more practicable solution, the convener of Macedonia Initiative and General Overseer of Living Water Unlimited, Reverend Ladi Thompson in a new book titled, ‘The Kingdom Gospel’s solution to Boko Haram War’, examines both the scriptural and circular/ legal approaches the church can take in response to insurgency in Nigeria. Thompson, while presenting the book at the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Lagos State directorate of social security outreach/inter-governmental relations (SSO/IGR) programme tagged, ‘National Unity and Development: The Role of the Church’ with special focus on the kingdom solution to Boko Haram war, held at the Vineyard Christian Centre, Lagos, noted that at the initial stage, many Nigerians did not consider the group as a terrorist organisation. “At that time, Nigeria had not yet fully understood what the Boko Haram stood for and many well recognised Nigerian Moslems were rooting for the terrorists publicly. Sitting at the hearing, I could not recognise the Nigeria that witnesses like Ambassador Johnny Carson and Professor Darren Kew were describing as they appealed passionately on behalf of the terrorist group,” Thompson wrote in the book. However, in responding to what the church response to insecurity and Boko Haram insurgency should be, Bishop Anietie Etukudo of Livingproof Bible Church Ogba, Lagos, said the church must not fail to call the attention of the government whenever it notices any misgivings in

Rev. Sola Idowu

the society. According to him, the church is well represented by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as a representative body of all churches in Nigeria; hence CAN’s position on insecurity stands. Speaking with BDSUNDAY, Bishop Etukudo opined that since the believers’ weapon of warfare is the prayer, the church must not cease in praying for the nation and its leadership and should not in any way support violence, as it is also expected of the church to always speak out and hold the government accountable for the citizenry. Sola Idowu, a Baptist pastor with the Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Church, Lagos shares his opinion, stating that it is important that the Church, the Body of Christ, in Nigeria rise to the occasion by responding appropriately to the ever-growing monster of insecurity in the country. According to Idowu, it is unfortunate that Nigeria is today basically defined by insecurity occasioned by the activities of the insurgents; Boko Haram, bandits; farmers/herders face-off and kidnappings. “The initial proposed solution of the Presidency to the farmers/herders faceoff, called RUGA, also heightened the tension of insecurity. Thank God, the Federal Government listened to common sense by suspending the programme,” he said to BDSUNDAY. Thompson in the 138-page book asked the church to redesign its body language in responding to the war of terror. According to him the new war of terror in Nigeria is hydra-headed and should not be confused as a religious war. Thompson howev-

Bishop Anietie Etukudo

er opined that it would be wrong to view the terror war as an extension of the Uthman Dan Fodio jihad. “What Satanic intelligence has done is to mix theology with virulent philosophies to create a hybrid that is deadlier than any crusade or jihad would ever be,” said Thompson. According to Thompson, the church cannot afford to respond physically since the weapons of the believers’ warfare are not carnal. “There is a wisdom that is better than the weapon of war. This level of wisdom requires faith. This has become a problem because of the encroachment of sense knowledge. “The church must not embrace sensuous wisdom. It must not rejoice over the death of sinners, it must not reject divine standard of love and must not permit a religious war,” Thompson stated warning the church against getting involved in retaliating to terror, killings and must not neglect faith in God. In the same vein, Reverend Idowu told BDSUNDAY that when there is a case of serious insecurity in the land, almost every facet of the society is adversely affected. He listed five ways that he strongly believes the church can respond to insecurity and other violent attack on Christians. According to Idowu, the church must get informed, educate members on the issues, avoid retaliation, engage the government, and then look unto God, urging Christians to pray for divine intervention to keep and deliver the church from dangers. “Get Informed: The Church will be best positioned to respond to these cases of inse-

curity only if she thoroughly understands the details of the matter at hand. Members Education: The Church will do well to educate her members on all of these cases so that they do not fall victim; Avoid Retaliation: Part of the education must be that Christians are encouraged not to retaliate especially in cases of religious intolerance in some Northern parts of the country. One calls to mind the case of the immediate past acting chief justice of Kebbi State whose rights were denied because she is a Christian. It must however be said that Christians should also be educated on how to protect and defend themselves without violence.” “Engage the government: The Church, with one voice must engage the Government at all levels as well as all agencies of the government, particularly the law enforcement agencies. Such encouragement must be proactive not just an ill-informed criticism that will make the church look or sound political. Again, such encouragement should not necessarily make the Church enemy of the State. Rather, such encouragement should help proffer solutions. “Look unto God: We must remember that ultimately the Church is in battle against the kingdom of darkness. This therefore, demands that we always remember to look unto God through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in prayers. The Church should pray more and complain less. We must make use of our knees more than any other thing. Remember that all power belongs to God,” Idowu said.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 33

TheWorshippers Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

@rev.yomikasali

he recent protests by some people at the RCCG headquarters against one of the most if not the most revered man of God in this Nigeria got so

Liberties without limitations many responses and triggered some reflections on the subject of Liberties. It is quite disturbing to realize that people can ‘march to a church’ to protest on issues that are not doctrinal or moral in nature. The social media is the engine of Liberties in this new age, anyone can say anything and anyone can do anything. Our newly found Liberties know no limitations and has caused some to post nude pictures on social media, talk trash, Abuse Elders, curse political leaders, insult pastors and church leaders, scam people, hunt for people to kill and do all sorts of things in the name of Liberties. This has got me increasingly concerned about the path we are towing in this nation in expressing our views. Hence, I persuade believers today not to be swayed by the trends but by

The African Praise Experience 2019 promises to attract world best winning artistes Modestus Anaesoronye

he most-anticipated African music Concert of the summer, The African Praise Experience (TAPE) has been announced, and it is set to deliver a night of explosive performances, collaborations, hope and humour. For the last four years consecutively, The African Praise Experience (TAPE) has been the goto concert of the summer for thousands of music lovers; an uplifting time with soul-stirring songs of praise from seasoned psalmists. Undoubtedly, the 2019 edition of TAPE will be no different as it promises to be a night of spirited praise and the unfettered celebration of the person and the power of God Almighty. TAPE 2019, holding on Friday, 26th July 2019 at The Rock Cathedral, Lekki, Lagos from 8pm till dawn, will feature stacked and exclusive performances by indigenous and award-winning gospel Artistes from within Nigeria and beyond namely Frank Edwards, Sammie Okposo, Eben, Ada Ehi, Mike

Aremu, Bukola Bekes, Preye Odede, Mercy Chinwo, BeeJay Sax, Mike Abdul, Kikelomo Mudiaga, Soluchy, Fortune Ebel, the Lagos Metropolitan Gospel Choir, and more to be announced. The event is hosted by Paul Adefarasin, senior pastor of House On The Rock Churches. He is also the convener of The Experience, an annual interdenominational Gospel concert, well-known for featuring some of the best globally known musical talents and arguably the largest Gospel concert the world over. Plans are well underway to transform the renowned Rock Cathedral sanctuary into a world-class Concert theatre hall, ready to receive diverse people sure to throng the venue from all over, irrespective of tribe, denomination, nationality, faith, status or race for this dusk-till dawn summer praise-fest. No music enthusiast of authentic African rhythms and beats, either at home or abroad, will want to miss this amazing experience. In addition, the event promises to be a great hang-out with friends and family.

the scriptures to do what is right ONLY and not what is trending on social media. Let me inspire you on what the Paul said about Tamed Liberties without caging our Freedom For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. (Gal. 5 v 13) We can Use or Abuse our Liberties and Freedoms as

a People to serve the flesh. I will like to inspire you today so that we can know where to draw the line with respect to our moral freedoms and civil liberties. 3 Expressions of liberties 1. Caged liberty: This is what Prisoners go through in civilized nations; they are locked up in large premises and allowed to roam ‘freely’ within specified areas but their freedoms are ‘caged.’

I believe we should understand that this is done by external forces (Law Enforcement Officers) and for the benefits of those people also. Paul said, ‘I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord...’ (Eph. 4 v 1), so the Holy Spirit has restrained or caged many of us as prisoners to obey Him for our own good. 2. Tamed liberty: Adam and Eve were told to walk freely in the garden and expected to eat of every fruit ‘freely’ but not to touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2 v 1617). The only way that was possible was to ‘Tame’ their Liberties so they would not offend the Lord. Paul said the same when he admonished is to ‘put our bodies under subjection lest after we have preached to others, we become cast away...’ (1 Cor. 9 v 27). I advise many young people to tame their liberties and not express

them all. 3. Lame liberty: this is the Liberty that one does not really have and cannot fully express themselves. This occurs in political settings where a benevolent dictator leads the people. They are given some liberties but are really lame in nature and not full. This is not from the Lord but Satan also uses this to deceive the naive and gullible. Peter mentioned it this way, ‘while they promise them Liberty, they themselves are servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought to bondage’ (2 Pet. 2 v 19). Please be careful how you express liberties today and make sure you do not use the same to undermine the work of God and bring shame to the name of Christ. I hope you have been lifted and Inspired.

NEWS

Civic society groups holds workshop on advocacy Iniobong Iwok

civil society group, Civil Society Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CSSUNN), has last week trained her Lagos State chapter on advocacy skills and strategies using the CSSUNN Advocacy and Leadership Manual. The five-day workshop was supported by the partnership for Improving Nigerian Nutrition Systems (PINNS).

The sessions boosted capacities of participants to see nutrition differently as the heart of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthened their passion to serve and willingness to take action starting with their communities. The workshop sessions covered areas such as Policy Advocacy, Budget Advocacy, Leadership, Team Building, Change Agency, Conflict Management, and Resource Mobilisation. Participants also engaged in audio-visual learning, role

plays, discussions, group works, brainstorming sessions, experience sharing,

presentations, debates, questions, answers and practicum.

Nigerian varsity don laments his ordeal in Ghana Innocent Odoh Abuja

mbattled Professor Augustine Nwagbara on Thursday narrated the ordeal he went through in the hands of Ghanaian authorities through the University he served as well as the hostile media and harassment of its security agencies. Nwagbara stated this when he paid a courtesy visit on Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) in Abuja, a statement issued on Friday by Head of Media Unit of NIDCOM Abdulrahman Balogun, said. Nwagbara said the video

of him that went viral on the social media where he was said to be inciting Nigerians against Ghana was doctored and painted in such a way to blackmail him. According to him, he went through a serious ordeal from the University authorities in Ghana as he was subjected to series of interrogations by the University of Education, Winniba, Ghana. “They said I was sacked, then dismissed, which was another wrong word to use, as you cannot dismiss some body on sabbatical in your country. “As I speak with you, I have not received any letter of sack or dismissal whereas various factions of the letters are already in circulation in

Ghana and on social media. He, however, commended the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana, Olufemi Abikoye for the wonderful role he played in the whole saga, especially with respect to his security in Ghana and prompt intervention, saying “but for him, I probably would have been a dead man”. Nwagbara, a Professor of English, was in Ghana on a one-year sabbatical in December 2018 and a purported video of him addressing an informal meeting of Nigerians living in Ghana where he was quoted to have insulted Ghanaians, went viral. Nwagbara said the doctored video was allegedly said to have been released

by a Journalist working with a Ghanaian Private TV Station. Receiving the Professor in her office, Abike DabiriErewa said “We are proud of you as one of our best brains. You are an asset to your country. Not surprisingly, you’ve received offers from other Universities to complete your sabbatical before returning to the University of Lagos.” She said that over 1000 Nigerians had been deported in controversial circumstances by Ghanaian authorities in the last two years. “Between January and June 2019, 509 Nigerians were forcefully deported while 527 Nigerians got deported in 2018”

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Sunday 21 July 2019

Perspective Harnessing Nigeria’s marine biodiversity and NIMASA’s commitment use of marine and coastal resources in Africa will significantly enhance food security, ensure constant economic growth and improve the quality of lives of the people in the coastal communities.

Thompson Onwukwe

n Thursday, July 25, 2019, Dakuku Peterside, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), will lead other important personalities, experts and stakeholders in the maritime industry to Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island for the 2019 edition of the ‘African Day of Seas and Oceans’ event. Over the years, the event has occupied an important place in the calendar of NIMASA, given the importance the agency attaches to it. The Director-General looks up to the event with great expectation. This year’s edition which has as theme, ‘Harnessing Nigeria’s Marine Biodiversity’, promises to be unique following the high level of sensitisation and NIMASA’s conscious efforts at enhancing the profitability of the sector for the good of not only the government, but also operators in the industry. NIMASA is said to be showing serious interest in anything that concerns “seas and oceans” in the country because Nigeria has more than 12. 5 million hectares of freshwater with robust diversity that needs to be harnessed, plus the fact that 50-80 percent of life on earth is found under the ocean surface. By definition, Biodiversity “is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.” An analyst recently said: “The concerted efforts by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to champion effective use of the African ocean and seas for diversification will, no doubt, lead to the continent’s economic emancipation and development”. To ensure that Nigeria takes the lead in the growing effort to make effective use of the oceans and seas resources, NIMASA has since 2017 put plans in place to work with stakeholders in the maritime sector to make the blue economy Nigeria’s economic mainstay. To this end, the agency created massive awareness to stakeholders and the Nigerian public on the concept of blue economy by taking measures: first is supporting the Women In Maritime Africa (WIMA), the Nigerian Chapter to organise road shows aimed at sensitising the general public on how to live in harmony with seas and oceans to avoid maritime disasters such as floods. Secondly, by commemorating 2017 African Day of the Seas and Oceans in grand style by hosting stakeholders’ Conference. Recall that Peterside, while addressing participants at the 2017 edition said: “The desire of the government is to ensure cleaner oceans and to eliminate sea piracy, armed robbery and all forms of illegalities within Nigeria’s maritime space which is in line with the 2050 African Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS)”. He further observed that our Seas and Oceans are our heritage and we must do all we can to protect it; pointing out that NIMASA will continue to work together with all relevant government agencies to ensure that our maritime sector is safe, clean and secured in order to continue to attract both local and foreign investors. The DG had also said that the decade of Africa’s Seas and Oceans declared by the African Union (AU) from 2015-2025 should be perceived as a shift in perspective that recognises the fact that our oceans and seas are economic infrastructure, necessitating the need for stakeholders in the sector to work together to realise the opportunities embedded in the sector. Addressing the theme for that year, ‘Harnessing African Maritime potentials for sustainable

development’, he said: “It is a well-known fact that Africa’s seas and oceans are usually overlooked when it comes to issues of sustainable development in Africa, to the extent that Africa is considered to be sea blind because there is low level awareness of the potentials for wealth creation which abounds in the seas and oceans. This event therefore, tends to show that our eyes are gradually being opened to the reality that our seas and oceans possess huge source of economic resources that can take the continent to the next level.” In the 2018 edition which was held in the form of panel discussion with the theme, ‘Partnership Key to Sustainable Blue World’, Peterside, while speaking with journalists at the event had explained that the agency was addressing the issue of maritime security using the popular NIMASA total spectrum maritime strategy. “We are addressing the issue of maritime security using the popular NIMASA total spectrum maritime strategy. We are looking at that and of course you know we have gotten approval to acquire a number of assets, we are investing in intelligence, we are looking at the laws, we are reforming the laws, we are also looking at enacting new laws to address the issue of maritime insecurity,” he said. The African Union (AU) during its 22nd summit January has set a period from 2015 - 2025 as the ‘Decade of African Seas and Oceans’ and the date 25 July as the African Day of Seas and Oceans. The celebration of Africa Day of Seas and Oceans is one of the recommendations of the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS). The 2050 AIM Strategy provides a broad framework for the protection and sustainable exploitation of Seas and Oceans of Africa. Protecting the ocean is everyone business – and so the responsibility of every African. Over 80percent of today’s international goods are transported in vessels and over 90percent of Africa’s imports and exports are conducted by sea. Over the past four decades, the volume of global sea-borne trade has more than quadrupled. Ninety percent of world trade and two-thirds of energy supplies are carried by sea. The world’s oceans and seas are interlinked, and action in one sea or one policy area with a direct or indirect impact on the sea may have positive or negative effects on other seas and policy areas. Whilst over 46percent of Africans live in absolute poverty- a figure that is still rising- fish makes a vital contribution to the food and nutritional security of over 200 million Africans and provides income for over 10 million. The coastal and marine ecosystems play a

Dakuku Peterside significant role in mitigating the impacts of climate change as they could serve as carbon sinks. The paradox is that the marine and coastal areas in Africa are among the most vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change in the world, mainly attributed to the low adaptive capacity in the continent. These negative effects have also been compounded human carelessness and pollution as shown by the un-understandable pollution of our waters by human wastefulness as shown by the dumping of plastic in our water ways these have devastating consequences on marine life. Maritime security is also one of the most significant dimensions of global and human security in general. It poses multidimensional threats to global security, and in turn has major effects on such essential issues as food, energy and economic security. For the last decade, Africa has been the epicentre of international maritime insecurity. Piracy and armed robbery at sea has re-emerged in the modern era off the east and west coasts of Africa alike, this has caused enormous human and financial damage. But we have also seen other breaches of maritime security on the rise in Africa’s seas: illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, toxic waste dumping, and human, weapons and narcotics trafficking. Thus for Africa, the sustainable management of coastal and marine environments and resources is of utmost priority. The promotion of sustainable

2050 AIM-Strategy and its objectives After years of struggling with these geostrategic challenges and opportunities, in 2012 at ministerial level, the African Union (AU) adopted the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy which we intentionally call 2050 “AIM”-Strategy to highlight the fact that this strategy is Result-oriented. The overarching vision of the 2050 AIM-Strategy is to “foster increased wealth creation from Africa’s oceans and seas by developing the blue economy in a secure and environmentally sustainable manner. Our plans around the decade are therefore informed by the 2050 AIM-Strategy, which is dedicated to the memory of those Africans who died at sea trying to earn a better quality life. The strategy provides an opportunity for: A comprehensive understanding of existing and potential challenges, including allocation of resources to identified priorities over a pre-determined timeframe, and a comprehensive, concerted, coherent and coordinated approach that improves maritime conditions with respect to environmental and socio-economic development as well as the capacity to generate wealth from sustainable governance of Africa’s seas and oceans. The implementation of the strategy will also assist with, establishing a Combined Exclusive Maritime Zone for Africa (CEMZA); enhancing wealth creation through building our countries’ maritime-centric capacity and capability; ensuring security and safety in the African Maritime Domain; minimising environmental damage, and preventing hostile and criminal acts at sea, and prosecute offenders if necessary; Protecting the populations, Africa’s Maritime Domain (AMD) heritage and infrastructure in the African Maritime Domain; promoting and protecting the interests of African shippers; enhancing Africa’s competitiveness in international trade; improving and facilitating intra-African trade as well as transit transport in landly connected countries. You would recall that as affirmed in the 2050 AIMStrategy, there is no more “landlocked country” in Africa, but all AU member states are “landly connected” to the seas and oceans. Days to the celebration, stakeholders have taken their twitter handles to sensitise the public on the importance of the event. Below are some of such messages: “Africa is the market yet to be unveiled, the maritime sector of Africa deserves its rightful place because if you look at the cargo generated from the continent and the cargo that heads to Africa you will know that the African maritime sector has come of age.” @PetersideDakuku “Could you believe that it is barely six days for #NIMASA to celebrate the #AFRICANDAYSOFSEASANDOCEANS2019? Come, let’s talk about #Africa, the #seas and the #oceans as it affects us, keep a date with us”. #TeamNIMASA “Our count down to the #AFRICANDAYOFSEASANDOCEANS2019 is still on-going, keep a date with us”. #NIMASAADSO2019 “Hadiza Usman Bala encourages the younger generation to look into the #BlueEconomy because it is static and striving, find out more as count down to the #AFRICANDAYOFSEASANDOCEANS2019 celebration continues”. #NIMASA #NIMASAADSO2019 “Find out what we do with the oceans and the many resources that Nigeria is blessed with at the 2019 #ADSO keep a date with us” “We have to take care of our environment because what we burn out there is what we take in -Mrs Margaret Orakwusi speaking during an interview session in respect of the #AFRICANDAYOFSEASANOCEANS.” #TeamNIMASA “However the entire #GulfofGuinea which we are also part of remains a challenge and we are working assiduously with our regional neighbors to ensure #security in the region. The fight against piracy is work in progress.”#TeamNIMASA .Onwukwe, a Maritime analyst, writes from Lagos

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 35

SundayBusiness Mortgage market and the growth challenge

hen mortgage industry operators disclosed to a large gathering of professionals and sundry stakeholders at a real estate event in Abuja that the size of the mortgage market has, in the past six years, grown about 48 percent to N518.76 billion, up from N284 billion in 2010, the immediate reaction was that of doubt. It was hard to believe and ever since that time the revelation has become a matter of debate. Nigerians are still stuck with challenges of clarity, accessibility and affordability which have conspired to create a wall between them and mortgage facility which they can use to either build or buy homes. Because of these difficulties, which are real, owning a home remains a big dream for many Nigerians despite the growth claimed. Nigeria is one country where things that cannot be measured by any verifiable means are often said to have improved or grown. Mortgage, as an aspect of the financial system, is a ‘huge’ market, but one in search of growth having remained a fledgling despite its potential which could engender growth. Though it could be argued that growth can happen without development, it is difficult, in the case of the mortgage market in Nigeria,

that there is any form of growth not to talk of development. It requires great effort and extraordinary reasoning to convince anybody that there has `really been a shift from point A to point B in the mortgage market operations in the country given the frustration among those who have dared to seek mortgage facility to build or buy homes. For Nigeria’s 170 million people, there are only 13.7million housing units and 11.5 million units out of this number are rented while only 5 percent of the entire stock is currently financed with a mortgage, meaning that 95 percent of this stock is self-built. Following the central bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) revised operational guidelines, the primary mortgage banks (PMBs) were recapitalized, raising their capital base from the statutory N100 million to N2.5 billion for those operating regionally and N5 billion for those licensed to operate nationally. This apparently created relative liquidity in the industry. But, in spite of this, many home seekers that applied for home finance through the National Housing Fund (NHF) are not getting loans. The Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) which supervises the operations of the fund explained recently that it has in its books a loan repayment default

Procurement and Supply Chain

with Gob-Agundu Uche Branch chair (CIPS), Nigeria (CIPS position on practice) Definition ean’ and ‘agile’ are two separate approaches to management, including Procurement, which can be used to achieve the most effective outcomes by organizations. For an organization to be ‘lean’ it must have had all non-essential resourcesremoved(ie.anythingthat does not add value). This is efficient and cost effective, in that the value/ supply chain can theoretically do exactly what is needed of it and no more, but requires sound forecasting and planning of demand and supply. It is most suitable for industries with stable product specifications, long lead times and few impulse purchases. Organizations which are ‘agile’ react as quickly as is practicable to provide a cost effective response to customer demand. This is based on flexibility in design, supply, production and distribution. It is most appropriate for products such as fast fashion and foodstuffs which must be on display and available when wanted by the customer.

‘

Background The ‘lean revolution’ began in the 1960s with the introduction of the just-in-time (JIT) technique. This way of working is generally associated with the Japanese motor company, Toyota, as it was initially known as the “Toyota Production System”. JIT is a lean production system that was devised by Taiichi Ohno based on the elimination of waste via two new production principles, namely: • just-in-time - items only move through the production system as and when they are needed • intelligent automation (autonomation) - automating the production system so as to include inspection - human intervention only being needed when a defect is automatically detected whereupon the system will stop and not proceed until the problem has been solved These and similar techniques from Japan (e.g. Kanban, a scheduling system that helps determine what to produce, when to produce it, and how much to produce) were utilized mainly in the automotive industry. Du r i n g t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s , benchmarking encouraged the

on NHF and Estate Development Loan (EDL) taken by PMBs and real estate developers. The loan, it disclosed, comprises unremitted equity contributions collected by the PMBs from the housing loan seekers who applied for NHF, and also loans granted to estate developers through its estate development loan scheme. The management of the apex mortgage bank once disclosed that some PMBs which obtained funds for mortgage finances, for on-lending to qualified NHF contributors, failed to disburse the funds to the applicants Some of the PMBs are having serious challenges such that at a time, it was reported that some of them were unable to pay their premium. This is also part of the challenges that has made it very difficult to understand where the growth in the size of the market has really taken place. The inability of some PMBs to pay their premium is critical as each depositor in a mortgage bank is only insured to the tune of N500,000, meaning that in the event of collapse of the sector, customers would be in trouble. According to the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), its capacity to sustain efforts at ensuring that insured institutions are put on the part of sustainable growth and devel-

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

opment depends largely on the premium contribution, which is an amount paid periodically by the mortgage banks for covering their risk. The housing market has seen a contraction in access following a 31.8 percent decline in loans and advances from the PMBs. The loans and advances extended by these PMBs declined significantly by 31.87 percent to N168.96 billion while unpaid premium from nine of these banks amounted to N238.30 million the same year. Though operators have attributed these developments to the economic downturn which has, in the past 18-24 months, been the bane of most businesses and the economy at large, it does not change the fact that mortgage as an easy road to homeownership is

still a fledgling in this country. Some of the operators have, painfully though, explained what they call the true position of the NHF and EDL loan default, saying, “some of the loans to PMBs were given some five to six years ago when membership of the mortgage banking association (MBAN) was over 80 PMBs. Now we are less than 40 as many that could not scale the capitalization huddle either merged, were acquired or changed operations. “It is possible that much of the debt we are talking about resides with mortgage banks that are no longer mortgage banks in the real sense of the word; and you cannot, because of that, say the genuine ones that are doing their legitimate business are defaulting in loans they never took”, they added.

Lean and Agile Thinking in Procurement emulation and proliferation of such techniques so that by the late 1990s the lean approach was focused on supply chains. Since then, leanness has often been linked with costcutting. Agile supply chains have generally arisen in areas with very short product life cycles or very erratic demand, such as fashion. They have become more prevalent in recent years as companies in competitive markets have seen the value and competitive advantage in being responsive to customers’ needs. Lean and agile approaches can work together, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish which approach is being applied. For example, the removal of wastes usually results in shorter production lead times which are also desirable for agile responsiveness to customer demands. The key difference, not always well understood, is that lean approaches derive from the goal of maximizing profitability based on a belief that the market sets acceptable prices and lead times. Therefore a key priority is to reduce the unit cost of production and supply (where unit price is fixed by market forces, Unit price – Unit costs = Profit). Meanwhile, agile is based on the belief that profitable sales maximization is the critical success factor as sales will be maximized by making product available when the customer wants it. This requires exceptional management of uncertainty (Total

Sales – Total Costs = profit) which is composed of both opportunity (positive) and risk (negative). This is not to suggest that lean organizations do not try to affect market share through pricing; they do, but agile companies expect to command premium prices by being in emerging and expanding markets earlier than competitors (in the context of longer term capacity planning). Explanation In practice, successful organizations must employ a judicious mixture of leanness and agility. A vital factor is the degree of uncertainty in demand and supply across the value chain. Success requires agility to respond to opportunities and mitigate risks, while leanness is important for profitability. Influencing corporate behavior The Procurement and Supply Management strategy and its supporting policies and procedures must always further the organizational objectives and corporate strategy. For the Procurement unction to identify a need for either lean or agile thinking in these objectives, and then implement it, is a major opportunity for the promotion of professional Procurement as it provides demonstrable business benefits when done correctly. CIPS believes that Procurement professionals should work closely with their internal clients to identify ways of effectively implementing lean or agile principles, as appropriate.

Lean Nowadays, lean thinking is commonly applied, in varying degrees, to all aspects of business. There are five key principles to lean thinking: • Specify what creates added value as seen from the customer’s perspectives • Identify all key links and activities across the value chain • Implement those actions that create and enhance value • Only make what is pulled by the customer just in time • Strive for perfection by continually removing successive layers of waste All activities undertaken by an organisation can be placed in one of the following categories: • Value Adding – activities that contribute directly to the satisfaction of customers and therefore generate revenue and profit • Non-Value Adding - activities that do not directly contribute to either the satisfaction of customers or to profitability • Necessary Non-Value Adding

CIPSPOSITIONONPRACTICE represents the opinion of the Institute on respective professional practices in the business of Procurement and Supply Chain. Its objective is to further the growth of the industry and provide useful tools for individuals and organizations alike for the establishment of sound professional practices …… to be continued

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Sunday 21 July 2019

SundayBusiness Natural disasters and food security: The role Food & of technology management Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

Willie Siyanbola

echnology significantly affects human ability to control and adapt to their natural environments and has affected society and its surroundings in several ways. While we cannot totally prevent the consequences of climate change, scientific knowledge and technical knowhow can be applied to adapt to its impacts. Climate change impacts have the potential to transform the pattern of crop productivity, livestock and fishery systems, and reconfigure food distribution, markets and access in Nigeria. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the technology management options to address climate change and food security challenges in Nigeria. Understanding climate change A. Natural causes

Many studies have ascribed natural, human activities or both as causative factors of climate change. For instance, naturally the climate goes through different cycles of variable duration, alternating between cold and hot periods. The earth has gone through several phases of warming and cooling over the last 700,000 years, at an average frequency of 100,000 years per cycle (Denhez, 2007). The warm period undoubtedly affected the development of agriculture and animal husbandry. Nevertheless, the consensus among many scientists in the last few years ascribed the cause of major global warming to human interference with the climate system. B. Human causes It is how widely agreed that the main cause of the present climate change is the emission of green house gases mostly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide in large quantities by human activities. These activities include agricultural production, industrialisation, burning of fuels and deforestation, wetland degradation, among others (Stern 2007). These gases react with the ozone layer which protects the earth from the sun radiation. Reports showed that agriculture contributes 10percent and deforestation accounts for almost 20percent of green house gas emissions to climate change. These green house gas emissions are sequestrated in oceans, forest and wetlands, soils NO3 which serve as carbon sinks (IPCC 2007). C. Socio-economic consequences of climate change African countries are generally perceived to be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

This situation is due to their low capabilities to adapt to the impacts. In Nigeria, for example, agriculture is one of the major sectors of the economy likely to be impacted by climate change. A preliminary integratedassessmentmodelwhich assumes minimum adaptation for Nigeria predicts that climate change could cause a loss in GDP of between 6percent and 30percent or N15million and N69 trillion, respectively by 2050. It is projected that between 2percent and 11percent of Nigeria’s GDP could be lost by 2020, if no adaptation strategy is implemented. The model predicts losses of 8-30percent for the northern for the northern part of Nigeria, 5-25percent for South East and South South, and 7-34percent for the South West (Ikpi, 2010). Furthermore, the Nation’s quest to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) could be hampered by climate change. Specifically, the attainment of Goals 1 & 7 (OECD, 2009), which have to do with hunger and poverty and environmental sustainability, respectively could be greatly affected. Food security Food security is attained when all people at all times have physical or economic access to sufficiently safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (Tollens 2000). In addition, FAO identified it as a world without hunger where social safety nets ensure that those who lack resources still get enough to eat (FAO 2007). This implied that food security critically depends more on socio-economic conditions that on agro-climatic conditions, and

on access to food rather than the production or physical availability of food. Challenges to food security in Nigeria Attaining food security in its entirely poses a huge challenge in a country like Nigeria as a result of a wide spectrum of problems. More than 90percent of agricultural production in Nigeria is rain-fed with about 79 million hectares of arable land, of which 32 million hectares are cultivated (nwajiuba, 2012). Both crop and livestock production remains below potentials. Despite a 7percent growth rate in agricultural production (2006) 2008), the growing population is dependent on imported staple food (e.g rice, beans) exemplified by increase in food import bill. First and foremost, the primary cause of food insecurity in developing countries is the inability of people to gain access to food due to widespread poverty and unemployment which also inhibits purchasing power and prevents assured access to food supplies. Secondly, global food prices have risen dramatically in the last few years and are forecast to rise further or become more volatile (IAASTD, 2009: Nelson et al 2011). Food price volatility has exerted considerable pressure on global food security and many Nigerians depend on market for their food supply and vulnerable to high food prices. Related to high food prices is high costs of input which limit yield and production levels that many times lead to sub-optimal input utilization. For instance, fertilizer consumption in Nigeria is one of the lowest in sub-Sahara Africa at 7kg per hectare (Abu. 2012).

Th i r d l y, t h e i n h e r e n t characteristics of climate that manifest themselves as changes of climate over a period time affect food security significantly in unpredictable ways as a result of their detrimental effect on pests, crops diseases, crop production, animal husbandry, and humans. Changing climatic conditions affect both the physical and the economic availability of certain preferred food items. Their impacts on income-earning opportunities can affect; the ability to buy food, the availability of certain food products and price. Changes in the demand for seasonal agricultural labour consequent upon changes in production practices will in turn affect income-generating capacity. Fourth, farmers in Nigeria also have limited access to credit, and less than 10 percent of irrigable land is being irrigated. Fifth, the global economy is knowledge driven and food system efficiency is dependent heavily and directly on agricultural technological innovations and innovations in relevant sectors. Nigeria’s adult literacy level is 54.5percent (NBS, 2009). However the rural poor who are the active stakeholders in food availability account for 33.4percent and are mainly involved in subsistence farming. Finally, the apparent inconsistency in government’s targeted policy intervention and implementation strategies further compounds the problem of food security.

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

Nokia 2.2 offers latest advances in AI and AndroidTM TEMITAYO AYETOTO

MD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has announced the new Nokia 2.2, delivering sophisticated AI-powered low light imaging and Google Assistant at the press of a button, all at a truly astonishing price. Nokia 2.2 is the first 2 series Nokia smartphone to be part of the Android One programme, delivering the latest full Android experience on a modern 5.7” screen with a discreet selfienotch. Shipping with Android 9 Pie, Nokia 2.2 is Android Q ready and will receive two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates, ensuring access to all the latest innovations from Android. “We believe that the latest and greatest innovations in the industry should be available for everyone. With the Nokia 2.2, we’ve brought the pinnacle of AI experiences to more people than ever before. And including features like biometric face unlock with liveliness detection adding extra security to your phone, AI imaging, Google Lens and Google Assistant at the press of a button, we aim to revolutionise the way our fans interact with the phone,” said Joseph Umunakwe,

general manager, West, East & Central Africa, HMD Global. “Nokia 2.2 joins our Android One family, and like all Nokia smartphones, offers an experience that stays fresh longer. With two years of OS updates and three years of monthly security updates guaranteed, Nokia 2.2 is Android Q ready and will just keep getting better,” he said. AI-powered low light imaging, and tech that lets you get ahead in life Bringing sophisticated AI powered low-light image fusion at this price point, Nokia 2.2 can take detailed photos even in trickier low light conditions. The camera snaps multiple images simultaneously and through advanced algorithms creates a single image with more light, greater detail and less noise. HDR photography captures vivid colours with greater dynamic range in every shot. Make your photos stand out with Google Photos AI-powered features like Colour Pop, to draw attention to your subject, Colourise, which enables monochrome pictures to be turned into full colour, and Beautify, which enhances natural features for the ultimate selfie. In addition, fans get access to the latest tech trends with “face unlock” and Google Lens. Nokia

2.2 is one of the first phones in its category to come with a biometric face-unlock feature, enabling you to unlock your phone effortlessly. And unlike other handsets at this price point, the advanced AI driven face-unlock uses deep learning algorithms and liveliness detection for an accurate and spoof-proof experience. Google Lens lets you search what you see so when you see a product you like, simply point the camera lens at it to know how you can buy it or point the lens at an album artwork to discover new music and stream via music services such as Spotify. Nokia 2.2 also offers the latest trends in screen design, featuring an

edge-to-edge display with a modern discreet selfie-notch, maximising screen surface while maintaining a pocketable form factor. The 5.71” HD+ edge-to-edge display offers a large screen, while still ensuring the Nokia 2.2 is compact for single-handed use. The display, with 400nits brightness, allows for a more vivid viewing experience. All this comes powered by the quad core MediaTek A22 CPU chipset, which is designed to deliver battery optimisation, so your phone charge lasts you up to an entire day. The Nokia 2.2 gives fans the chance to express themselves, bringing back personalised smartphone style with exchangeable Nokia Xpress-on covers. The covers use the same nano-texture coating technology to offer you a premium glossy look in a range of vibrant colours. The Nokia Xpress-on covers can be easily interchanged in a matter of seconds and will be available in Pink Sand, Ice Blue and Forest Green. Fast access to the Google Assistant with dedicated button Nokia 2.2 brings the best of Google Assistant with a dedicated Google Assistant button at our lowest price point yet. Ask your Google Assistant questions, get directions, make calls, and tell it to do things faster than ever before. One press

gives you instant access to Google Assistant and a long press lets you do in-depth requests and multiple tasks. Nokia phones keep getting better Nokia 2.2 is the first 2 series Nokia smartphone to be a part of the Android One family. With a proven track record of offering the latest Android and Google experience across the Nokia smartphone portfolio, Nokia 2.2 is Android Q ready. Running Android 9 Pie out of the box, Nokia 2.2 offers access to new digital wellbeing tools including a dashboard, app timer, Wind Down mode and the improved Do Not Disturb. The smartphone helps you monitor device usage and turn off all visual interruptions letting you disconnect when you want to. Other features like Slices and App Actions anticipate your next move, delivering app integration and shortcuts that help you accomplish your next task faster and easier than ever before. Furthermore, Adaptive Battery limits battery usage from apps you don’t use often. The Nokia 2.2 joins the comprehensive line-up of Nokia smartphones in the Android One family, which means it delivers the latest version of Android innovations and software experiences.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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SundayBusiness Delta empowers youths with modern method of fish processing for export Mercy Enoch, Asaba

n Delta State, the old technique used in drying or smoking fish by fish farmers, producers and processors, is gradually giving way for the modern method as more and more people continue to embrace the use of modern smoking kilns that are contamination-free and of international standards. Some lucky Delta youths are now trained and empowered to thrive beyond fish production to fish processing using smoking kilns. The training and empowerment is to enable them not just put food on their tables but for them to also contribute to the economic development of their state and that of the nation. Not just the youths, the state government passes through various groups and associations to empower members with kilns so they could either set up business in fish production or support an existing one.

These are done through the various intervention programmes that are run in the state. Pe n u l t i m a t e w e e k , twelve lucky youths across the three senatorial zones of the state were trained and empowered with the modern process of fish smoking. Each of the twelve youths were given two fish smoking kilns as their starter packs, they also got a cash of N100,000, one night accommodation and transport fare and other technical support to enable them start up their enterprises in modern fish smoking. They are beneficiaries of the 2018/2019 cycle of the Brown Youth Agriculture Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP) under the job and wealth creation programme of the Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration. The training and empowerment package seemed to be what they needed to boost to their businesses. Their participation in the YAGEP for a few months offered them the opportunity

to be selected for the practical training and empowerment exercise. Speaking during the exercise organised by the state government and held in Asaba, the Resource Person and Agricultural Engineer from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Emeka Chinwieze, a doctor, said the training was aimed at impacting practical knowledge on modern techniques in fish processing to the YAGEPreneurs using

modern fish smoking kiln fuelled with charcoal or gas. The smoking kilns, he said, is made with a stainless steel that would ensure fish is processed hygienically. Throwing more light on the features of the kiln, he explained that it has a chimney, a thermometer and have the capacity to dry a 100kg quantity of fish within 36 to 76 hours. This is a deviation from the past where fish are smoked and processed on rough

wires with harsh smoke having its negative impact even on the health of the person smoking or drying the fish. It is also seen as hygienic method as against the traditional method whereby fish are smoked in smoking houses built with mud where they are seen to be often contaminated. Chinwieze said that the training would acquaint the beneficiaries with engineering concept of using standard, contamination-free processes and machine built with stainless steel to dry fish so as to meet international standard. In his comment, an Economist from FUTO, Jude Illechi, a professor, pointed out that the trainees could thrive in Fish Processing without engaging in fish production, stressing that the training was to help them add value and make fish more marketable locally and internationally. He enjoined the trainees to take the training seriously in order to train other youths interested in setting up businesses in Fish Processing.

On her part, the Communication Officer in the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer, Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh, explained that the twelve trainees were selected from Brown YAGEPreneurs engaged by the state government in the 2018/2019 Programme Cycle. She confirmed the content of the starter packs meant for each beneficiary and said it was to support them succeed in their enterprises. Two of the beneficiaries, Ruth Ologe (Ughelli North) and Ofure Edema (Warri South) commended the state government for the opportunity to be trained in Fish Processing, They pledged to put the knowledge gained and their smoking kilns into good use. It was learnt that as the state government continues to extend its gesture, more Deltans would become processors of quality smoked fish that would be exported beyond the shores of the country.

US opens channel for bilateral trade with Nigeria Xirea Apparels set to launch ultramodern garment manufacturing facility …as initiative expands trade, investment relationships to boost businesses Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

he United States, through its ‘Prosper Africa’ initiative is determined to foster two-way trade between the United States of America and Nigeria in order to help grow small businesses and improve Nigeria’s economy despite business challenges. During a one-day dialogue in Lagos with private sector business owners, US representatives opened discussions on ways to increase access to finance for Nigerian farms and firms, how to make the African Growth and Opportunity Act work for Nigerian businesses and efforts to scale up and out. Speaking with select journalists after the event, Earl Gast, executive vice president for programs, Creative Associates Initiative, an international development organisation, said; The idea of the new initiative ‘Prosper Africa’ is that with Africa’s prosperity should come the US prosperity; and how can we have private sectors of both Nigeria and the US partner in ways where US capital, know-how and exports can lead to greater economic growth in Nigeria and benefit Nigerians.” “The thinking is that US resources and exports might help grow Nigerian compa-

nies so that they are able to export more than they are doing now, and so AGOA allows Nigerians to take advantage of the US market,” Gast said. Today, the Nigerian economy is bolstered by a thriving small to medium enterprise (SME) community. The country owes 54 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to small and medium businesses; hence, it is a matter of fact that the country will benefit a great deal if businesses are allowed to thrive regionally and globally. “Today was an opportunity for us to listen to Nigerian companies, and it was a great opportunity to exchange information and make connections because ultimately, that’s how business is done. To scale, one needs to work through associations and we had the Nigerian-American chamber of commerce here, representing a lot of companies,” Gast told BusinessDay. According to Florie Liser, president and CEO, Corporate Council on Africa, the point of Prosper Africa is that instead of 14-15 different US governments and ministries all doing their own thing, they can have a ones stop approachtoco-ordinatesupport for US businesses that want to come to Africa, invest and do business on the continent and African businesses that want to trade in the US. “US companies are already trading in Africa and

a lot more are interested in coming to Nigeria to do business because the return on investment is one of the highest in Africa and because of the vast opportunities in sectors like agriculture, construction, health and information technology,” she said. Nigeria has become attractive for foreign investment and double way trade in the last year, as it went up 16 places in the World Bank ease of doing business ranking. Liser added that; “already, one of the things that the US have tried to do over the years is the regional trade and investment hub in Accra Ghana that was put there to support African businesses that wanted to export to US markets under AGOA (AfricanGrowthandOpportunity Act) and to help them to be more competitive and understand the US market because the market is huge, complex and it’s not very easy if you’re trying to export into the US market but AGOA is a big incentive because there is no taxes or duties on those products. There are over 6,500 products that can come in.” Through the initiative, Nigerian companies will be helped with product packaging, processing of raw materials into value added products, improving productivity and will be supported when they approach the US for trade terms.

...showcases Buphalo Safety brand IFEOMA OKEKE

irea Apparels, a new company in the garment industry, is set to unveil its stateof-the-art manufacturing facility located at Trans-Amadi, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, on July 23, 2019. Obinna Frederick Eneh, founder and CEO of XIREA Apparels, will be joined at the ground-breaking occasion by an August dignitaries that include top government functionaries, captains of industry and stakeholders, such as Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, as special guest, and Walter Peviani, Managing Director, Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited.

The launch will also formally showcase the Buphalo Safety products, the first brand to roll out of the Xirea ultra-modern factory, in a move that signals the company’s readiness and capabilities for contract manufacturing for the garment spectrum. Xirea Apparels, created to serve independent apparel brands, is position to handle sourcing and garment production requirements of large organisations including the armed force, oil and gas companies, uniforms and ecommerce retailers. It is a one-step manufacturing company for diverse types of wears: fashion, sports, military or corporate wear Buphalo Safety, its first client provides cutting edge head-to-toe Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) made

from the finest materials in accordance with the strictest safety standards and exclusively crafted to ensure all-round protection. It’s range of products encompasses safety work wear, hearing protection, hand protection, eye and face protection, respiratory and fall protection solutions. Theframeworkforthedevelopment of Buphalo,West Africa’s first safety brand certified to global standards, was provided by Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited through its contracting process headed by Federica Placidi. With Technology at the heart of its operations, Xirea Apparels currently employs over 400 Nigerians, 95 percent of whom are female. The company, which has trained over 300 women in apparel design and production since 2017, is working towards the objective of training and employing 50,000 Nigerians by 2030. One of the dignitaries expected at the event is Francis Anyakwo, founder and CEO, Prime Sources Limited, an engineering, procurement, installation, commissioning and maintenance company that awarded the second largest order of safety products to Buphalo Safety, which was handled by Serial Apparel.

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Sunday 21 July 2019

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

States hold key to Nigeria’s development as FG is constrained …They need push, encouragement Daniel Obi

hat many states in Nigeria are not viable is not arguable. That the prospects of many of the states have moved from bad to worse is also not in question. What is in question therefore, is why some political actors in those states have refused to take bold steps to positively impact the states and strive to leave such states better than they met them. For years, the Federal Government has remained the “Big Brother”, dishing out largesse to states. The practice of going cap-in-hand to Abuja every month-end has continued because of what many analysts have termed, “unwillingness of state governments to grow up”. Truth is that the Federal Government cannot continue to attend to all the needs of the states and create equal development for its 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Over the years, annual budgets of the Federal Government have always tilted, heavily, towards recurrent expenditure and debt servicing, leaving little for capital expenditure. For instance, out of the N9.1 trillion budgeted in 2018, debt servicing took N2.2 trillion, recurrent expenditure N3.5 trillion and capital expenditure got N2.9 trillion. This scenario, as in other previous budgets is not different. In the current (2019 Budget), for instance, out of the N8.9 trillion, capital expenditure got N2.094 trillion, recurrent expenditure N4.055 trillion, Statutory

Transfers N502 billion, Fiscal Deficit N1.908 trillion, Special Intervention N500 billion. Often times, capital projects littered all over the country have suffered on account of either lack of enough money to execute them or probably that government dips hands into the capital budget’s purse to attend to emergencies, such as waging the war against insurgency and general insecurity. Only a few states, Lagos leading the pack, have realised that the meagre resources flowing from the centre can no longer cater to the increasing needs of their people, hence, their conscious efforts to look inwards to prepare for independence. Sadly, most others are still deep in their slumbering. They do not seem to read the hand writing on the wall that the Father Christmas, which Abuja has remained over the years, is merely struggling now to meet its ever-increasing obligations, yet at a huge cost for tomorrow. The future is being mortgaged. Abuja, the feeding bottle, is not only drying up, it has more mouths to feed now with receding resources. As at today, many states have not seen the pitiable picture and are still not interested in creating opportunities and openings such as tourism, investor-friendly prospects to increase their internally generated revenue (IGR) as they rely up to 98 percent on FAAC allocation monthly for survival. As it stands, with all the vagaries, the states that are serious hold the key to their development, which will in the long run rub off on the

country. Presently, national development, as generally perceived from the centre is not feasible due to insufficient resources, political interest, lopsided attention, corruption, among many other factors. “Unfortunately, the practicality of Federal Government to drive economic development is quite constraint whether people admit it or not. For instance, the security challenge is eating deep into budgets and they come as emergency. If government budgets for a road construction and a city is under attack from Boko Haram, or from other insurgents, the money will be used for arms first. “What this means is that future trajectory of Nigeria’s economic development would depend a lot on the initiative of state governments and local governments”, Henry Okolo, chartered accountant and chief executive officer of Dorman Long Engineering Limited, told BDSUNDAY recently in Lagos. Okolo, who is a member of Nigerian Economic Sum-

mit Group, NESG and former managing director of First Aluminium, believed that for states to drive development there must be adequate Constitutional amendment or administrative arrangement to empower the states to be more involved in economic development whether it has to do with power, other infrastructure and security. “The way it is, it is only states that can drive Nigeria’s economic development. Waiting for development from the centre will be a mirage”, he said. States can be empowered to generate their own electricity, police their states and some roads can be ceded to states with more funds from Ministry of works allocated to the states. Today, citizens hold Federal Government accountable for everything even when states and Local governments should take some responsibilities. It is in this spirit that the Federal Government recently ordered that federal allocations to LGAs be disbursed directly to their respective bank accounts starting from

June 2019. This, the Federal Government believes, will ensure transparency and grassroots development. This directive has since received commendation from those who understand that such move will positively impact on LGs if the funds are well applied. In a report, Bola Taiwo, state chairman of NULGE in Ondo State, said the move was laudable because local government autonomy had been a priority of the union for long. “We are happy because this is a dream come true. We have been yearning and agitating for this because autonomy to local government areas has been our priority,” he said. According to him, the new guidelines serve as a mechanism that will safeguard, protect and allow for transparency in the local government joint account management. If LGs utilise their funds judiciously, impact of gradual development will be felt quickly. In a lecture three years ago at Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), a former president of the Institute of Directors, (IoD), Chike Nwanze estimated that total expenditures of various arms of government in the last 17 years were put at N55.4 trillion, but regrettably without much achievement. He believed any effort towards economic development cannot be achieved without giving attention to states, local governments or regions of the country. Nwanze said it was difficult to believe that such colossal amount of money had been spent within that period with continued poor state of infrastructure, services and

quality of life in Nigeria as about 100 million Nigerians still live without electricity. Ladipo Adamolegun, a management specialist formerly of the World Bank, in a lecture re-echoed the challenge of Nigeria’s overcentralisation of federal system, saying that it is a major contributory factor in the country’s poor development performance. Linking over-centralised federal system to Nigeria’s poor development performance, Adamolegun said at a Nigerian Institute of Management 2017 lecture, that from military era to the present, Nigeria had witnessed economic growth without development, decline in the performance of public services, weak judiciary and institutionalised corruption. According to him, “There has also been an increase in poverty level, estimated at about 65percent by 1998 and close to 80percent today.” Today, Nigeria with 87 million poor citizens has overtaken India as a country with highest number of poor people. As Federal Government becomes more constrained to execute certain responsibilities such as guaranteeing security, food on the table due to limited resources, it should shift focus to states and LGs which actually hold the key to development in the present circumstance. Federal Government should continue in that path of allocating funds directly to LGs by giving them more responsibilities so that development can start from the grassroots. For years, expectation of development from the centre has become a mirage.

Hero Lager presents Echefula, Never Forget Your Identity

ero lager, a foremost quality beer brand from the stable of International Breweries Plc, a part of the AB InBev family, has kicked off a unique campaign tagged Echefula-“Never Forget Your Identity” in Igbo dialect. The campaign seeks to connect the brand at an even deeper level with the people that have welcomed and accept-

ed it as part of their culture while also reminding consumers to take pride in their heritage, identity, celebrate their culture and embrace their traditions. This campaign will explore the uniqueness and beauty of diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria, while encouraging Hero loyalists to be proud about their heritage, way of life, beliefs and tradition. “This

campaign was initiated out of a strong desire to underline our identity as a people and to reawaken the spirit of who we are, our values, our history, the great exploits of our generation past and more importantly as a call to action to Never Forget our identity as HEROes irrespective of wherever in the world we may be,” said Marketing Director, International

Breweries, Tolu Adedeji in a statement. Culture is one of the main pillars of development and sustenance of communities and no society can progress in its absence. It is regarded as the identity where common values, attitudes, preferences, knowledge are attributed to the behavior of a people. Identity expressed through culture is

a necessity for all human development. It creates the fundamental building blocks in our personality and in the ties that link us to communities and nations. As a result of western encroachment, ideas and influence, the younger generation are fast forgetting those peculiar traits that define us as Africans, Nigerians and as a people.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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EquityMarket

Cadbury posts 11% growth in revenue on higher domestic sales Stories by TELIAT SULE

adbury Nigeria Plc last Friday joined the early filers on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) with the release of its unaudited financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2019. With 11 percent increase in revenue at half year, Cadbury is set for a good outing at the end of the year. Gross revenue mainly from domestic sales rose from N17.55 billion in June 2018 to N19.45 billion this year’s June. Domestic sales accounted for 89 percent or N17.35 billion of the revenue made in the first six months of this year, while export sales contributed 11 percent or N2.10 billion. Traditionally, Cadbury’s revenue comes from three sources which are refreshment beverages, confectionary and intermediate cocoa products. In the period that just ended, refreshment beverages fetched the company N12.32 billion only in Nigeria with no sales overseas, representing 63 percent of the overall half year sales. Confectionary products generated N5.09 billion or 26 percent of the total sales during the reference period. But what cannot be glossed over is the fact that 98 percent of this revenue was made within Nigeria, while the remaining 2 percent which amounted to N120,531 was from exports.

Further, cocoa products accounted for N2.04 billion or 11 percent of the half year revenue. It is equally

important to know that 97 percent or N1.98 billion was from export sales while the remaining 3 percent

United Capital sees prospects as PAT declines to N1.7bn

n what seems to be a glimpse of the effect of the prolonged bearish capital market on investment banks in the country, United Capital Plc at the weekend announced a 17 percent decline in revenue in the first quarter of 2019. The Nigerian capital market defiled all the projections about the much anticipated post election rally with the highly capitalised stocks shedding significant amounts from their market capitalisation. The All Share Index of the NSE ended last week at 27,919.50 points representing -11.17 percent year to date decline in the overall market activities. Save for the admission of the shares of MTN Nigeria and Airtel, the bond market capitalisation would have outstripped that of the equity market capitalisation, thus indicating the extent of beating equities have received year to date. United Capital’s gross earnings fell to N3.24 billion at half year 2019 as against N3.88 billion in corresponding period in 2018. Investment income, fee and commission income as well as the trading income

were all affected. Investment income, generated mainly from fixed deposits and investment securities fell by 5 percent to N1.69 billion at half year 2019 compared with N1.77 billion in corresponding period in 2018. Fees and commission income realised from advisory services and other charges fell by 17 percent to N772.32 million in contrast to N930.34 million in similar period in 2018. The company realised just N52 million as net trading income compared with N121.2 million same period last year. Other income declined by 45 percent to N419.9 million down from N758.5 million in similar period in 2018. Meanwhile, there is much hope on the horizon. This is because the decline seen in United Capital’s top and bottom lines happened mainly in the first quarter of this year, when the election risks made many investors and firms to scale down operations. Strategic initiatives introduced by the company’s management led to improvement across board in the second quarter

of 2019. “We did deliver on our promise to improve performance in Q2 2019 and as can be gleaned from our numbers, we had a good outing in the quarter under review as Q2 profit before tax grew by 27% year on year on the back of reduction in operating expense which was the result of the various strategic initiatives that we embarked on in the last quarter, which was to reduce and increase our top line as a way of furthering our efficiency drive. Unarguably, the global economy is still recovering from the lingering contagion effect of the US-China trade war and the Brexit saga”, Peter Ashade, group CEO said. “We are going into the second half of 2019 stronger and with an improved strategy aimed at preserving and increasing shareholders’ wealth as evident from the 3% increase in the latter during the period under review. We would like to inform shareholders that we are poised and resolute on our promise to deliver an even improved result come Q3 2019”, Ashade added.

was generated within Nigeria. This compares with N14.86 billion the company realised from do-

mestic sales as at June 2018 when revenue from Nigeria accounted for 85 percent while export sales contributed 15 percent or N2.7 billion. In effect, while domestic sales rose by 19 percent, export sales declined by 22 percent at half year. The management of Cadbury was able to reduce the cost of goods sold relative to revenue as the cost of sales recorded just a marginal increase of 4 percent from N14.74 billion in June 2018 to N15.31 billion in June 2019. With that, it cost the first 79 kobo in the first half of 2019 to earn 100 kobo revenue as against 84 kobo to 100 kobo in corresponding period in 2018. Operating profit leapt to N888.78 million by June 2019 in contrast to operating loss of N105.63 million in corresponding period in 2018. An inflow of N63.28 million through finance income ensured the profit before income tax rose to N957.06 million in June 2019 compared with a loss before income tax of N423.77 million same period last year. Profit after tax was N669.94 million as at June 2019 representing a significant improvement over a loss after tax of N423.77 million in corresponding period in 2018. Cadbury Nigeria’s share price closed last week Friday on the Nigerian bourse at N10.80 per share and that amounted to 8 percent increase year to date. Its 52-week low and high are N9 and N12.40 per share respectively.

Fidson Healthcare strengthens market leadership with Japanese firm

idson Healthcare is not resting on it oars as it announced a strategic partnership with Ohara Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a leading Japanese healthcare company. Following this relationship, Ohara has increased its shareholding in Fidson Healthcare to 21.57 percent. This was done through its recently concluded Rights issue which recorded 78.18 percent success. Consequently, on July 1, 2019, the authorities of the Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE) admitted 586,360,250 ordinary shares of Fidson Healthcare which implies that the total shares outstanding of the company now stand at 2,086,360,250 as against 1.5 billion shares before the exercise. “The strategic alliance is aimed at supporting Fidson in fulfilling its commitment to provide the Nigerian market with the latest health-

care products and services. Ohara, being a major player in the Asian pharmaceutical market, will bring cutting edge technology and innovation through technology transfer , expertise and knowledge sharing to enhance Fidson’s excellence and ascendancy in the Nigerian pharma space”, Fidson said in a note to stakeholders over last week. Ohara Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a company focusing on the businesses of orphans drugs and generic drugs. Its midterm 3-year business oplan started in FY2018 under the catchphrase “Challenge 2020”, with the key objectives of addressing unmet medical needs, to advance management innovations and make the next leap forward. Ohara has as its plans to expand these businesses into emerging countries primarily in the Asian and African regions, the release further stated.

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LifestyleHomes&Suites

Paul Ojenagbon pauloje2000@yahoo.com

Haven homes earned the trust

t is amazing how Haven Homes does it in the midst of such rife competition. In a lean economic dispensation when many property developers are stuck with arrays of completed projects beckoning for patronage that

take a while to come, lifestyle developers and promoters, Haven Homes literally has dozens of signed –on clients queued up for them to take delivery of their homes that they paid for off plan. But before anyone would imagine that it all comes

on a platter of gold, they would need to be reminded of the words of the Holy Book that there is a time to sow and a time to reap. Haven Homes is reaping gains of a solid reputation built painstakingly over the years. Haven Homes took time to reminisce on all this as well as its performance through the years as it successfully completed and delivered Richmond Gate Estate Phase 2 which is now the abode of scores of the country’s celebrities. And whilst it was trending in the news recently that ex-beauty queen and beauty entrepreneur, Dabota Lawson, acquired a multimillion naira home with the help of the luxury home developer, Haven Homes announced that the bonanza has opened for other prospective investors to make impressive returns on the same project. According to the company, investors who subscribed early enough into the project at inception are smiling all the way to the bank with as much increase as 50 percent gains realized from the original purchase price and the final selling price after the project completion. The managing director/ chief executive officer, Mr Tayo Sonuga disclosed this in a statement issued recently by the company. Sonuga revealed that discerning investors were able to tap quickly into the off plan investment window offered by the company. Off Plan purchases, he explained was an arrangement whereby prospective home owners pay early to secure their stakes in the company’s upcoming project. “Because of our pedigree, a lot of our clients over time have reposed their trust

in us and in our ability to deliver as promised. Even before we move to site to commence the new project, they pay upfront. As the values of the project and the houses still under construction appreciate and we raise prices following demand swells, their stakes in the project appreciate wildly in value.” A perfect illustration, Sonuga continued is “where investors who subscribed to our 2-Bedroom at the initial price of N30million are now selling at N45 million even without paying the price in full. Some buyers only made an initial deposit of just N6milion and have made a fantastic capital gain of N15million within record time. This speaks much for the immense appeal of our brand which is made possible by the reputation we have built up over the years” Haven Homes is also known as the ‘celebrity developer,’ having helped complete beautiful homes for the likes of AY, Kizz Daniel, Tiwa Savage, Banky W and many more. It would be recalled that back in 2012, Tuface Idibia, Haven Homes’ brand ambassador also acquired two choice homes from the property company. The developer had earlier completed Richmond Gate Estate Phase 1 which is now seen as the Beverly Hills of Africa by many, by virtue of the number of A- list celebrities who have found the estate comfortable and safe enough to be its proud residents. Equally, VIPs, expatriates, executives in multi-nationals and other influential members of the society now live peacefully with their neighbours in Richmond Gate Estate’s serene atmosphere where electricity supply is available 24/7. Now with the completion of Richmond Gate Estate Phase 2 in which Dabota Lawson and other celebrities have already bought their homes, there is no doubt that this peaceful lifestyle has been extended further to many more. With amazing and beautifully crafted homes, Haven Homes is the ready developer for creative designs, quality and durable housing that stand the test of time and for Dabota, working with Haven Homes has been fulfilling. Haven Homes brings refreshing creativity into the designs of their homes that they review from year to year to better their own standards and to meet the expectations of their teeming customers. The company has won several awards in real estate over the years including most innovative design and most affordable luxury brand among others.

Sunday 21 July 2019

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BDSUNDAY 41

Health&Science

Worrying ignorance of hepatitis symptoms in Nigeria ... 60 per cent more prone to contact Hepatitis B

M ANTHONIA OBOKOH

edical experts have warned people in Nigerians need to level-headed up about hepatitis and take the disease more seriously saying the prevalence of infection is high and lack of awareness about the of chronic viral infection in the country links to high number of death. Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease. At least there are about five viruses that can cause hepatitis. The three most common are hepatitis viruses A, B and C. “An average Nigerian is 60 per cent more likely to contact Hepatitis B Virus, a national prevalence of about 15 per cent; the virus has infected about 27 million Nigerians and less than five percent know they are infected,” said Tasiu Ibrahim, a medical doctor and a fellow of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellows (KIF) on Monday at the roll-out of a five-day sensitisation cam-

paign against Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), as part of the fellowship Community Service Week (CSW) in Kaduna. According to Ibrahim, the disease is three times more infectious than HIV/AIDS because it leads to liver failure, cancer and ultimately death in infected persons. “The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness on HBV, provide free voluntary screening and counselling and engage stakeholders to advocate for policy change regarding the virus.

“Hepatitis B infection, caused by the HBV is commonly transmitted via body fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal secretions,” he said. The World Health Organisation says viral hepatitis B and C are major health challenges, affecting 325 million people globally. They are root causes of liver cancer, leading to 1.34 million deaths every year. “Hepatitis B and C are chronic infections that may not show symptoms for a long period, sometimes years or decades. At least 60 per cent of liver cancer

cases are due to late testing and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C. Low coverage of testing and treatment is the most important gap to be addressed in order to achieve the global elimination goals by 2030,” say the agency. Findings shows that the virus could have mild or no symptoms however experts prompts the government to highlight the need for education about its symptoms, which include the disease progresses, chronic hepatitis can lead to progressive liver failure, swelling of the lower extremities, confusion, and blood in the faeces or vomit, dark urine, itchy skin, yellow skin, whites of the eyes, and tongue. Larne Yusuf, a medical practitioner based in Lagos said that efforts should be made to enhance public education about improving sanitation, hygiene practices and food safety. “Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which if left untreated can be life threatening. It can be prevented and controlled, though recovery might take a

little time. But it is also advisable that people get vaccinated against the virus,” says Yusuf. Yusuf said Hepatitis C is a contagious, it is the most common blood-borne disease and most people with hepatitis C do not realise that they have it. “In Nigeria the prevalence of hepatitis virus infection is high and is worsened by lack of awareness, late diagnosis and treatment leading to increasing incidences of liver problems and deaths,” he added. The following precautions could prevent likely infection of the disease which may include general hygiene, washing hands with soap after using the toilet. Eat fruit and raw vegetables if you are sure they have been properly washed, Practice safe sex using condoms and avoid multiple sex partners and also get a vaccine for hepatitis before travelling to places where may be endemic. However, Hepatitis A and C are curable, but hepatitis B is only preventable by vaccine. A cure is still under development, according to study.

Oyo to turn around fortunes Got Acne (Pimples)? Tips, tricks for achieving clear skin naturally of Adeoyo hospital REMI FEYISIPO,Ibadan

overnor Seyi Makinde said that his administration will turn around the fortunes of Adeoyo State Hospital and and other health centres across the state to world class health centres that would be conducive for patients with a view to receiving quality treatment. According to him, our aspiration is to ensure that people receive world class treatment here. We don’t want everybody to be going to University College Hospital. The Governor, who stated this during a visit to Adeoyo State Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan for on the spot assessment, said that his government would make the hospital meet the standards of University College Hospital UCH. “We will make this hospital become very high standard that will be close to UCH standard.” He added: “Health is one of the major pillars that my administration will rest on and will ensure that quality healthcare is available to the people.” Speaking further with the management of the health care centre, Makinde expressed con-

cern over its poor state but maintained that “ He rated the hospital’s facilities at 30 per cent, but vowed that “we want to get pass mark in the health sector.” The inspection was to ensure that the Governor has first-hand information about the state of the hospital and find means of transforming it to high standard health facility. Accompanied by the state’s Head of Service, Amidat Agboola, on inspection,the governor, also, requested for the shopping list of the Management on the facilities that would make all the units in the hospital function effectively. While speaking inside the Conference room of the hospital, Governor Makinde promised to improve on the welfare of the workers and make their working conditions conducive. He said: “For staff, we will do our best to motivate you and when we are doing that, to whom much is given, much is also expected.” Earlier, the hospital Chief Consultant, Soji Adeyanju,a medical doctor thanked the governor for the visit and promised to support the state government in its bid to take Oyo State health sector to greater height.

cne is caused by a buildup of oil (sebum), dead skin and bacteria due to overactive oil glands in the skin. This leads to inflammation in the pores and can occur on the face, neck, back and shoulders. Acne may appear as whiteheads or blackheads. White heads are the white dots which are skin follicles are clogged with oil and are right underneath the skin. Blackheads are similar to whiteheads but are also filled with dead skin and have been exposed to oxygen giving it a dark center. Pustules are small bumps on the skin that are inflamed. Papules are pustules filled with pus and can be inflamed. There is also something called cystic acne; deep pus-filled pimples that may also be painful to and hard. Almost all people develop pimples at a point in their teenage years with some people having pimples well into their 30s beyond. Pimples do not pose any risk to overall health however it can cause permanent scars, disfigurement and lower self-esteem. Some people who are ignorant associate pimples with being dirty, unkempt or unattractive and this can be emotionally traumatizing for someonewhoisbattlingwithsevere acne as it is totally not the case. What Causes Acne? The exact cause of acne isn’t known but hormones definitely play a part. Certain hormones that turn boys into men and girls into women become

increased during puberty. These hormones also make your skin oil glands grow larger and produce more sebum. The increase in the production of sebum then makes it easier for the oil glands to get blocked thereby leading to the formation of acne. Genetics may also be responsible. If your parents or close relatives had acne, chances are you might develop acne as well. Also, using makeup and oily cosmetics may actually block the pores, causing acne to occur. There are some things that done cause acne but can make acne to become worse. This includes harsh scrubbing of the skin, pressing out or poppingthepimples,touchingyourface, pressure from wearing backpacks or tight collars and a change in hormone levels in females’ right before the start of their menstrual period. How Do You Treat Acne? The first step in treating acne is to establish a good skincare routine and be consistent. Your skincare routine should consist of a cleanser, a toner, a treatment cream or serum and a moisturizer. Additional treatments can include masks and exfoliators but exercise caution as you don’t want to be too aggressive with your skin. A good cleanser to use is black soap. You can use the local soft black soap, or the one that comes in a hard bar. Black soap is quite gentle on the skin, yet contains honey and other ingredients that can help fight acne and fade scars.

The next step is to balance out the pH of your skin using a toner. A simple toner make is to mix equal parts of witch hazel with distilled water and use a cotton pad to apply the mixture to your face after cleansing with soap. Witch hazel has antibacterial properties which help kill the acne causing bacteria on your skin. A treatment serum, oil or cream can be used at this point that is targeted to kill bacteria, reduce sebum production, fade acne scars and reduce inflammation. The treatment medications of choice are salicylic acid and benzyl peroxide. These ingredients work to reduce acne causing bacteria, reduce inflammation and help to prevent scarring. A natural treatment mask can include mixing honey, yoghurt and fresh squeezed lemon juice together and apply onto the face. Leave it on for about 5 minutes and wash off. Do this every other day. The lactic acid in the yoghurt and the vitamin c in the lemon juice help remove dead skin cells, shrink the poresandreducetheappearanceof acne. Honeyisandantibacterialand has anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, it is important to look at your diet and lifestyle. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can improve the quality of your skin and thus help clear acne. Aim for fruits that are high in vitamin C such as oranges and pineapple as vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that helps to get rid of acne.

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Sports

Algeria beat Senegal to win second AFCON in 29 years Stories by ANTHONY NLEBEM

lgeria beat Senegal to claim their second Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) trophy, 19 years after winning the

first. Baghdad Bounedjah’s first minute deflected effort handed Algeria their second Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after a 29-year wait with a 1-0 victory over Senegal in a highly charged final at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday night. Senegal, who have never won the competition, were awarded a penalty for handball in the second half but it was overturned after a VAR review. Algeria closed out the rest of the game to win their first title since 1990. Algeria who were playing only their second final since 2010 held on to the slim advantage for the rest of the 90 minutes while Senegal’s wait for a maiden AFCON title still lingers on. It is another case of so near yet so far away, the Lions of Teranga having lost another final in 2002 in Mali. Within the opening minute, Algeria was one goal up. Bounedjah picked the ball after Chekou Kouyate had missed his attempted tackle

Ighalo wins AFCON 2019 top scorer Award

uper Eagles forward Odion Ighalo has emerged the top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt which ended on Friday night, July 19th with Algeria emerging champions following a 1-0 victoy over Senegal in the final. Ighalo who announced his retirement from international football on Thursday finished as top scorer with five goals. He was also the highest goal scorer in the qualifiers for AFCON 2019 with seven goals. Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Morocco forward, Adam Ounas, Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez and Cederic Bakambu of Congo Democratic Republic all scored three goals each. Nigeria won the Bronze medal following a 1-0 win against Tunisia on Wednesday with Ighalo scoring the winning goal in the third minute.

on the left, drifted in and struck a shot that came off Salif Sane, the man coming in for the suspended Koulubaly. The ball took a punishing dip beyond the keeper into the net with one half of the stadium stunned into silence while the other half in green and white of Les Fennecs roared in deafening crescendo. Algeria’s tact of starting off quick and playing the ball in Senegal’s half worked perfectly until halfway through when the Teranga

Lions started roaring slowly into the game. In the 26th minute, Henry Saivet attempted to catch keeper Adi-Rais Mbohli off his guard with a freekick from range, but the hawk-eyed shot stopper adjusted quickly to gather. Mbaye Niang had a brilliant effort later with a superbly struck volley from range. The burly forward chested the ball down from 20 yards out and took a sweet volley on the half turn, his stinging effort going just over.

At the stroke of halftime, Sane almost made amends in exact same fashion he had conceded in the first minute, but this time is strike from range off a corner was deflected over the bar. The second half started in as much pace as the first had ended and Senegal thought they had been given a lifeline on the hour mark when Djamel Benlamri seemed to have handled the ball inside the box off a Sarr cross. However, after consulting the

VAR, the referee overturned his earlier decision of a penalty and gave possession back to the Algerians. Senegal kept their push on and came close again in the 65th minute when Sarr beautifully picked up a long ball from Lamine Gassama before striding into the box, gliding past the keeper but his eventual shot came off the side netting. Youssef Sabaly was next to line up an effort when he picked the ball on the left from Sadio Mane before moving into good shooting range, but his rocket of a shot was smothered behind for a corner by Mbohli. On the other end, Algeria who were pushed on the wall by Senegal managed to conjure a chance at goal off a set piece, but Youcef Bellaili’s curling effort was deflected for another corner that was well defended. With the clock ticking and a goal urgently needed, Senegal boss Aliou Cisse made changes, Saivet coming off for Mbaye Diagne, Niang came off for Keita Balde while earlier, Krepin Diatta had come on for Papa Ndiaye. Djamel Belmadi responded by making a defensive change, Sofiane Feghouli paving way for Mehdi Jean. Algeria managed to hold on to the score-line and secured the Cup of Nations crown with an unbeaten run.

Nigeria get easy draw for 2021 AFCON qualifiers

he Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawnwithBenin, Sierra Leone and Lesotho Group L of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers holding in Cameroon. Africa’s number one on FIFA rankings, Senegal, is in Group I alongside DR Congo, Guinea Bissau, and eSwatini. 2019 AFCON host nation, Egypt will face Kenya, Togo, and Comoros in Group G. At the end of the preliminary competitions, 24 teams will qualify for the 2021 AFCON, while five represent the continent at the FIFA World Cup. Preliminary Rounds: Liberia vs Chad- Group A4 South Sudan vs Seychelles- Group

B4 Mauritius Vs São Tomé – Group C4 Djibouti Vs Gambia – Group B4

Group Pairings: Group A: Mali, Guinea, Namibia, Group B: Burkina Faso, Uganda,

Malawi Group C: Ghana, South Africa, Sudan Group D: Congo, Gabon, Angola, Group E: Morocco, Mauritania, Central Republic, Burundi Group F: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Rwanda Group G: Egypt, Kenya, Togo, Comoros Gr o u p H : Al g e r i a , Za m b i a , Zimbabwe, Botswana Group I: Senegal, DR Congo, Guinea-Bissau, eSwatini Group J: Tunisia, Libya, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea Group K: Cote D’Ivoire, Niger, Madagascar, Ethiopia Group L: Nigeria, Benin, Sierra Leone, Lesotho

CampsBay media, The Guardian to host Africa Digital Sports Conference

ampsBay Media, a specialist sports communication and media company and The Guardian, owners and publishers of Guardian newspaper, are collaborating to host the inaugural Africa Digital Sports Conference in Lagos from 19th – 20th September. The Africa Digital Sports Conference (ADSCon) is an initiative of CampsBay Media created uniquely to help develop and enhance the fortunes of African sport businesses through digital media technology. The event with theme, ‘Monetising Sports in a Digital Era,’ will bring together over 300 African sports, technology and media leaders to network and discover

new opportunities in the changing digital technology space and its beneﬁts for the evolving sports industry. Lolade Adewuyi, Chief Strategist at CampsBay Media and convener of the Africa Digital Sports Conference said: “Sport businesses in developed climes are already mining the opportunities that abound in using digital platforms to reach their fans directly while increasing revenue. At CampsBay Media, we believe African businesses can do the same. The Africa Digital Sports Conference will help sports businesses and organisations understand how to take advantage of available digital opportunities for growth.”

The two-day event will feature panel discussions, masterclasses, interviews and exhibitions. Discussions will range from trends such as new digital sports tech companies competing for sports rights with traditional broadcasters, the growth of over-thetop (OTT) technologies helping sports rights owners reach their fans directly and the growth of digital technologies creating a multi-billion dollar media and entertainment industry. Speaking on the involvement of The Guardian, Lolade Nwanze, Head of Operations at Guardian Digital said: “To not recognize the power and possibilities available with digital media is to deny one’s self

of a place in the future. At The Guardian, we are championing this transformation throughout Africa and continue to support vehicles like the ADSCon, which can bring tangible change to the whole sports economy of the continent.” Expected participants at the conference include; sports federations, brands and organisations actively involved in sports sponsorship and development, sports media professionals, rights owners, content creators, media executives, telecommunication executives, app developers and internet service providers. And registration has commenced on the Africa Digital Sports Conference website, www.africadigitalsports. com/register.

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BDSUNDAY 43

Sports Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico shoot LaLiga’s transfer spending to record $1.2bn … As spending up by 24% from last year

Stories by ANTHONY NLEBEM he Spanish summer transfer window is not over yet, but Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid have set a new record for transfer spending in this year’s summer window with $340million, $263million, and $222million on players respectively - more than two/thirds of LaLiga total. Based on an analysis of information from TransferMarkt.com and FIFA’s TMS system, LaLiga teams have spent $1.209billion on new players this summer, up 24% from a year ago, which was also a record. In the last eight years, LaLiga teams have increased spending by over $822millionfrom$386.7million in the summer of 2011. It is quite possible that by the time the summer transfer window closes byn September 2, LaLiga clubs will beat the $1.462billion spent by Premier League teams in the summer of 2018. Neymar from PSG to Barcelona alone would get LaLiga within touching distance of the 2018 Premier League mark. The Premier League is lagging in transfer spending this summer.

To date, transfer spending by Premier League teams is a little under $850million and the biggest spender so far is newly promoted Aston Villa at $106million. Premier League teams also have

less time to buy new players as their transfer window closes on August 8, less than four weeks away. The most money ever spent by Premier League teams in a summer transfer window was 2017

FG praises Super Eagles for AFCON outing

he Federal Government on Friday lauded the bronze medal –winning effort of the Super Eagles, as a team led by the Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha received the Nigeria delegation to the finals in Egypt, on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. A chartered Air Peace aircraft that flew the delegation from Egypt landed in Abuja at about 10.40am, led by the NFF First Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, and also including the 2nd Vice President Shehu Dikko, General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, Members of the Executive Committee, and players and officials of the Eagles. Nigeria edged Tunisia 1-0 at the Al Salam Stadium, Cairo to win her eighth bronze medal title at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Scorer Odion Jude Ighalo, who finished as top scorer in the entire qualifying series for the championship, is primed to be tournament top scorer with five goals. In his remarks while receiving the team on arrival, Mustapha said the Government of Nigeria was appreciative of their efforts in finishing third in a 24 –team Africa Cup of Nations, the biggest in the history of the championship. “We commend you for finishing third best in the whole of the African continent. We all wanted the first position but this is football where things sometimes do not go as you

- $1.465billion. In the summer of 2011, the Premier League spent less than LaLiga - $334million to $386million. As well as spending more, LaLiga teams are also pocketing more from

HiFL 2019: 16 teams qualify for knock out stage

U plan. The Government of Nigeria is quite happy with your level of discipline and professionalism and how you comported yourselves creditably as Nigerian ambassadors. “The fighting spirit and resilience you demonstrated in Egypt is a reflection of the never-say-die spirit of the Nigerian. We want you to keep it up. I congratulate the technical crew led by Coach Gernot Rohr, the players and the staff of the team. I also wish to congratulate the captain of the team, Mikel Obi that we heard has now retired from international football. We wish him well and thank him immensely for his many years of excellent, patriotic service to the nation.” On behalf of the team, Ahmed Musa thanked President Muhamma-

du Buhari (GCFR) and the Federal Government for the support given to the team before, during and after the AFCON 2019, promising that the Super Eagles will endeavour to do better at the next championship. The SGF, Boss Mustapha led a delegation that included the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and Nigeria’s IOC Member, Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Olusade Adesola; directors in the Ministry led by Hauwa Kulu-Akinyemi and; Management Staff of the NFF that included Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and the Director of Competitions, Bola Oyeyode who coordinated the reception arrangement.

selling players. To date, LaLiga has pocketed $865million from transfers the previous high was $795million in the summer of 2017. The present net transfer spend is also a record for LaLiga - a negative balance of $344million. The previous high was $240million set a year ago. Real Madrid leads all of Europe having spent $210million ($340million spent less $130million) more than it has received. There are, however, strong indications that Real Madrid has some more business left to do and more players will arrive and leave. Barcelona is running a summer transfer deficit of $143million while Sevilla makes it into the top ten with a negative balance of $71million. Atlético Madrid bucks the LaLiga trend and are one of only three Spanish top flight teams so far to have taken in more than they have spent this summer. Atlético have a positive balance of $166million; SD Eibar $9million; Villarreal $46million. Atlético have already sold Lucas Hernandez to Bayern Munich for $90million - the most expensive export from LaLiga this summer; Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona for $136million; Rodri to Manchester City for $80million.

AM Tillers, BUK Stallions, ESUT Explorers and RSU Dolphins have all advanced to the round of 16 in the ongoing 2019 Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) 2019 season on Thursday, 18th July. UAM Tillers emerged as Group H winners after qualifying automatically due to their outstanding performance as winner of the 2018 season, while BUK Stallions go through as runners up after securing a tough 3:3 draw against BSU Weavers in the final game of the group. BSU Weavers’s Silas Aondover’s stellar performance certainly pleased the cheering crowd but was not enough to see the Makurdi Side qualify despite his hat trick, as BUK stallions leveraged on a tight final day draw to clinch 4 points after an opening game win against NSUK Miners. UAM Tillers are paired in Group H, with BSU Weavers, BUK

Stallions and NSUK Miners. In Umudike, ESUT Explorers topped Group D by securing 7 points to qualify for the round of 16, after outclassing their opponents to outline their intentions as contenders for the trophy. The other qualification spot in the group however went down to the wire as RSU Dolphins emerged after garnering 5 points from the group. The 16 teams that have all qualified from the knock out stages, include Super Four teams from the 2018 season, UAM Tillers, UNILORIN Warriors, UNICAL Malabites and OAU Giants, others are UI Pioneers, LASU Blazers, FUTA Tigers, UNIBEN Royals, BUK Stallions, ESUT Explorers, RSU Dolphins, UNIUYO Tuskites, FUOYE Dazzlers, FUTMINNA Transformers, KUST Pyramids and ABU Nobles. Round of 16 games kick off on the 24th of July, with OAU Giants renewing their rivalry with UI Pioneers in a battle for the ages in Ile-Ife. The league is organised by PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) and is proudly sponsored by Stanbic IBTC, Premier Cool and Indomie Nigeria. The top 32 Universities from NUGA-member institutions will play over a period of 21 weeks, with the final four billed for the Agege Stadium, Lagos.

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Apapa gridlock as metaphor

Delayed Response to Change hris Olakpe, chief executive officer of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), declared in May that his agency would commence the forceful removal of heavy-duty vehicles blocking Apapa roads. This exercise, known as ‘Operation Totality Enforcement,’ was in response to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s on-the-spot inspection of the harrowing Apapa gridlock in April. The inspection, in turn, followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that trucks blocking Apapa roads should vacate within 72 hours. Through a combination of persuasion and coercion, Olakpe’s patriotic efforts only compounded a hellish situation. The dispersed tanker drivers soon returned to the only place they knew-the same Apapa roads leading into the critical Apapa seaport. We must admit with the best of intentions that Olakpe, Osinbajo and Buhari are treating the symptom while leaving the real sickness intact. Did not the Federal Government years back send in the navy to clear the same Apapa? “Operation Gbale” was even harsher as it was implemented with kobokos, naval helicopter, gunboat and armed troops, all in the vain bid to scare notorious tanker drivers into taking away their unwanted vehicles. But no sooner than Rear Admiral Ilesanmi Alale, flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, withdrew his men having done a good job than those he expelled returned with their sixteen-wheelers to the very spot he expelled them from. Sociologists would call the reaction of the tanker drivers “Return of the Repressed.” The questions begging for answers include, where were the LASTMA and navy when the gridlock started building up? The lockdown was not spontaneous. It started in the Apapa and Tincan ports before spilling into the streets. Didn’t the regulatory agencies detect that a major crisis was ahead and take pre-emptive measures to avert it? Tunde Olaosun of Hermonfield Limited is the expert to attempt the questions. He explains how the port concession policy backfired, “The ports at inception was designed as a multi-purpose port intended

to be run by one operator, but ever since the concessioning, Apapa now plays host to five terminal operators all of who are sharing one gate.”The gridlock, according to him, was created as empty containers were returned to the ports. Some corrupt concessionaires exploited importers before an unconcerned Federal Government that licensed them. The Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, responded to the embarrassing situation by hastily putting in place a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on Port Truck Clearance that incorporates temporary Manual Call-Up system. But the SOP is obsolete, ineffective and lacking in global best practices. It should have been in place at the point of concession and not after. Equally so, the LASTMA, navy, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, should have jointly midwifed port concession with the Federal Government. They were only brought in after the harm was done. Apapa roads are unusable today because a fundamental change in port operations was badly and belatedly managed. Cost implications Babatunde Ruwase, president of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI), said Nigeria was losing N7 trillion yearly to the Apapa gridlock. The loss emanated from demurrage associated with imports, exports, customs duties, maintenance cost of the vehicles and drivers. What about the human cost? The media report that tanker drivers and their assistants eat, bathe and defecate in the open by the roadsides, even in broad daylight. Could such untenable and hazardous environment harm the mental health of Apapa residents and port workers? In ‘The Never-Ending Congestion at Nigeria’s Largest Port is Starting to Get Very Expensive,’ Yomi Kazeen forensically analyses how bureaucracy and corruption combined to kill the Apapa port. Quoting the Dutch maritime intelligence and consulting firm, Dynamar, he claims, “Indeed, it is often far easier to pay middlemen (sometimes in cahoots with customs officials) to clear goods at the port than to go through official processes. The slow-moving nature of the ports’ operations have resulted in perpetual congestion but the inefficiency

is coming at a significant price as container traffic to the port has dipped nearly 30percent in the past five years, according to Dynamar.” Kazeem concluded that Nigeria’s loss was Togo’s gain as the latter reformed its seaport into becoming the West African transit hub. Container traffic to Togo grew three-fold since 2013, the same period that saw Apapa and Tincan portsin decline. The sleaze going on in the NPA and Nigerian Customs was possible because of the antiquated way Nigeria managed it seaports. One instance of corruption: Chris Osunkwo, managing director of Teams Shipping Company Limited, recently alerted Buhari that Lebanese and Indian middlemen were blocking Nigerians from directly exporting agricultural products. These foreigners formed cabal at the same Apapa and Tincan ports to monopolise exports with the active collaboration of some influential Nigerians. Any Nigerian who exported without passing through them risked incalculable loss, as the cabal would petition the destination country that what was exported was substandard. Since Osunkwo spoke out we have waited to hear that theEFCC, and Department of State Services, DSS, have apprehended these foreigners, to no avail. What about other ports? The whole truth is that apart from Apapa and Tincan we have other ports along the coast. They include Gelegele (Edo), Warri and Burutu (Delta), Twon Brass, Akasa and Age (Bayelsa), Port Harcourt, Onne and Bonny (Rivers), Ebughu Fishing Terminal and Ibom Deep Seaport, IDSP, (Akwa Ibom) and Calabar (Cross River). We are seeing an unhealthy business practice where foreign vessels are made to queue for weeks at Apapa and Tincan than be discharged elsewhere. There is no merit in the claims of Hadiza Bala-Usman, Managing Director of NPA, that ourother ports were not viable. If they suffered “draft limitation” as she said, dredging would give them the right draft depth. If insecurity was their challenge, naval escort would

LAWRENCE BARAEBIBAI EKPEBU

solve that. The charge that communities scared away merchant vessels with levies pales compared with what the same vessels pay to local communities in Casablanca and Bristol. In the name of making Lagos the hub for West African shipping and mercantilism, other ports are deliberately starved of business. Every conceivable excuse is advanced why the Calabar port cannot be dredged even though an inland port is being built in the north. Buhari is talking about building brand new seaports in Lekki and Badagry to ease the overcrowded Apapa and Tincan, to believe Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. That is counterproductive considering that Burutu, Age, Gelegele, etc, are grossly underdeveloped and underutilised. Metaphor for larger Nigeria Forty-five years to ‘Operation Totality Enforcement,’ Rivers State governor, Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff, sent me to Lagos to negotiate the modernization of his state’s maritime sector. The sector was captured in the post-war Rivers Fiveyear Development Plan, aligned with the national Five-year Development Plan. As Commander Diete-Spiff’s commissioner for Finance (1969-1974) and joint Commissioner for Economic Development and Reconstruction, and Information (19741975), I implemented the plan. When Lagos said that the Port Harcourt port could not be expanded even by one berth, I unfolded a map of the Onne deep water that Commander Diete-Spiff gave me. As a trained diver, he knew the configurations of every single seaport on the West African coast. I told Lagos to build seaports

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff

Will the national carrier ever fly?

his time last year, precisely June 18, 2018, the federal government unveiled a new national carrier for Nigeria called Nigeria Air, and finally dashing hope for the possible resuscitation of the defunct Nigerian Airways. While many were happy over the development, most aviation stakeholders said the airline was dead-on-arrival for many reasons. The swiftness with which the airline was launched made the whole thing to sound like a joke to them because such a huge project takes over two years to plan and execute. In many consultations are required, availability of aircraft fleet and qualified manpower on ground, several certifications and air agreements signed, among others. For the aviation experts, considering the time Hadi Sirika, former minister of state for Aviation, disclosed the intention of the Federal Government to float an airline and to the time it was actually launched, the time was so short to achieve a good result. Aside that, many public analysts queried the rationale for designing the logo in Bah-

Continues on page 29

rain, actual launching in the United Kingdom and celebration in Nigeria amid millions of dollars spent. Though some argued that the Farnborough International Airshow in London was a good platform to create awareness of the airline, others ask if the platform had helped to keep the airline beyond the London launch extravaganza. During the unveiling, the former minister said that the Nigerian Government would not own more than 5% (maximum) of the new national carrier and would not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. “This will be a National Carrier that is private sector-led. It is a business, not a social service. Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this”, the former minister said. Sadly, on September 19, 2018, barely two months after the launch, the Federal Government suspended its widely publicised national carrier on the grounds that the Economic Management Team (EMT) did not approve it,

recommending that Nigeria cannot set up and airline with public funds. But Nigerians were told earlier that it would be private sector-led. It was a hard blow for the aviation minister, who described the suspension as a tough decision by the government. The suspension justified the fears of critics of the project, who had said that Nigeria could not afford the airline at that time. Last month, Ethiopian Airlines expressed readiness to assist Nigeria in setting up its national carrier. It is tempting, going by the success of the airline over the years. But Ethiopian Airlines is looking at doubling its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the present five percent to 10 percent by the year 2025, and running the show for Nigeria will boost that target. Well, many believe that the airline project is not dead; it only needs a man who dines at Aso Rock to resuscitate it. Who knows, maybe the next minister of aviation!

N435.62 bn

That is the amount budgeted for defence in the 2019 National Budget, which has been submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to a joint session of the National Assembly earlier in the year.

On a serious note “We can no longer think we are friends with that type of play; it’s too dangerous. So let them call their people to order and ensure that they remove the enmity they have created around an average Fulani person.” Samson Ayokunle, president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), speaking on the alleged attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen across the country.

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