Businessday 22 apr 2018

BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY

?? Lagos moves to make

Loans decline by 17% as Zenith, GTB, Stanbic IBTC make N115 bn PAT in Q1

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tourism count, eyes ‘smart destination’

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Sunday 22 April 2018 Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

5yr Bond

$73.77

0.00 12.57%

Gold

10yr Bond

US 1,339.50

0.02 12.92%

Cocoa

US 2,729.00

20yr Bond

-0.18 12.81%

inside

Vol 1, No. 214 N300

Controversy over Tinubu’s stand on Buhari

…Ajomale, Ogunleye disagree Iniobong Iwok

Sonaiya, toughened by conviction

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hile it is believed in certain quarters that the question of whether or not Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid is already settled in the affirmative, BDSUNDAY has gathered that the matter is still generating controversy even among Tinubu’s close allies.

Tinubu still sees Buhari as the best candidate who can get the country to that dream

This is as two top shots of the APC in Lagos, in separate interactions with our correspondent, expressed divergent views on the national leader’s stand on Buhari’s second term bid.

Abiodun Ogunleye, an APC chieftain and a close ally of Tinubu, in an exclusive interview with BDSUNDAY, said Tinubu was yet to make a categorical statement about whether or not he is supporting Buhari’s re-election bid.

“Tinubu has not told us, the leaders of the party here, that he is supporting Buhari’s second term bid, and until he says that it remains a rumour. The president has not

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Between ‘clamour’ for Buhari’s reelection and Nigeria’s reality p. 26

‘There should be no limitation to what we can be as believers’

L-R: Ben Murray Bruce (PDP, Bayelsa), representing Olusola Saraki, senate president; Kingsley Moghalu, former deputy governor, CBN/guest speaker, and Anya O. Anya, guest of honour, at the 4th anniversary lecture of The Niche, with the theme ‘Development Reporting and Hysteria Journalism in Nigeria’, on Friday.

Pic by Pius Okeosisi

Patients in danger of death as JOHESU strike enters day 5 JOSHUA BASSEY

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atients trying to access medical care services in federal health institutions across Nigeria are facing the risk of death due to lack of adequate care as the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) cripples medical services.

The strike, which enters its fifth day to-

day, is already taking its toll as BDSUNDAY during a visit to major health institutions in Lagos, including Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Meta, saw many patients waiting endlessly with no one ready to attend to them.

Although some of the health workers turned up at work, they did not attend to patients in the different wards visited.

However, some resident doctors and consultants were seen in some wards where patients wore long faces.

John Obiora, a patient at FMC EbuteMeta, lamented the impact of the strike on patients, saying it has left patients without adequate care, thereby exposing those in critical conditions to the risk of avoidable

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Sunday 22 April 2018

IssueOfTheWeek Buhari: A sad history of de-marketing Nigeria abroad CHUKA UROKO

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he Nigerian Presidency was on Thursday put under a firefighting mode to once again issue a statement to clarify yet another unsavoury, nevershould-have-been-made comment by President Muhammadu Buhari about a section of Nigerians in faraway London.

Buhari, who since his assumption of office in 2015 has been known on several occasions to run Nigeria and Nigerians down before the international community while claiming to be wooing investors, was once again caught in the act of making what many have tagged “unguarded utterance”.

Last Wednesday at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London, Buhari said Nigerian youths were ill-educated, lazy, and just want to sit and do nothing but look for freebies, relying on the notion that Nigeria is an oil-rich nation. The topic of discussion was “Making Business Easier Between Commonwealth Countries”.

“We have a very young population; our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare, education free,” Buhari had said.

For a president who once admitted that Nigeria has an image problem abroad and claimed “we are on our way to salvage that”, many Nigerians say such an utterance coming from Buhari was most unfortunate.

Just last July, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO), an umbrella body of over 17 million Nigerians resident abroad, lamented that the image of Nigeria as a corrupt country was affecting their investments and image abroad.

“We can’t paint white black just for some people to be happy. Is there corruption in Nigeria? Absolutely. One leader once said that we have corruption in Nigeria but Nigeria is not corruption and you cannot say that every Nigerian or Nigeria as a nation is corrupt,” Kenneth Gbandi, continental chairman, NIDO Europe, said at a press conference in Abuja as part of the activities marking the 2017 NIDO week.

But this reality seems to elude Buhari each time he has to make a statement about Nigeria/Nigerians abroad as he often ends up worsening the country’s battered image that he ought to be working hard to redeem.

BDSUNDAY recalls that barely four months after he was sworn in as president, Buhari muddied the image of ministers in Nigeria when he called them “noisemakers just like politicians”.

“The ministers are there, I think, to make a lot of noise ... But the work is being done by the technocrats. They are there; they have to provide the continuity, dig into the records and then guide us, [those of us] who are just coming in,” Buhari told French television station, France 24, on September 16, 2015 to justify his nonappointment of ministers.

“So, I think this question of ministers is

Buhari

political. People from different constituencies want to see their people directly in government, and see what they can get out of it,” he said.

Also, in a wide-ranging interview with the Telegraph during a three-day trip to London in February 2016, where he was among world leaders attending the international conference on the Syrian crisis and the war on terror, Buhari said Nigerians’ reputation for criminality had made it hard for them to be “accepted” abroad.

“Some Nigerians claim is that life is too difficult back home, but they have also made it difficult for Europeans and Americans to accept them because of the number of Nigerians in prisons all over the world accused of drug trafficking or human trafficking,” he told the Telegraph in response to a question as to whether

I don’t think Nigerians have anybody to blame.

They can remain at home, where their services are required to rebuild the country

Nigerians were justified to seek asylum due to Boko Haram activities.

“I don’t think Nigerians have anybody to blame. They can remain at home, where their services are required to rebuild the country,” he said.

On May 11, 2016, Buhari admitted to Sky News’ Diplomatic Editor Dominic Waghorn in London that Nigeria was “fantastically corrupt”, thereby corroborating the then British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Cameron had, in a conversation with Queen Elizabeth II ahead of the anti-corruption summit in London, said, “We’ve got some leaders of some fantastically corrupt countries coming to Britain…

Nigeria and Afghanistan, possibly the two most corrupt countries in the world.”

Shortly after delivering his keynote address at the summit in London tagged “Tackling corruption together: A conference for civil society, business and government leaders”, Buhari was making his way out of the venue alongside some dignitaries when Waghorn accosted him with a number of questions. When asked, “Is Nigeria fantastically corrupt?”, Buhari had said, “Yes”.

He had also said he would not like an apology from Cameron and that he was not embarrassed by what the Prime Minister said.

On August 12, 2016, Buhari told officials of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the then UN Under-Secretary-General Babatunde Osotimehin who visited him in Abuja that Nigeria was broke and going through hard financial times due to falling oil prices.

He was earlier quoted to have made a similar remark at a press conference after the Third India-Africa Summit (IAFS-III), which took place in New Delhi October 26-30, 2015. This was at a time and in a forum where the president claimed he was wooing foreign investors to come

invest in Nigeria.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, had on May 19, 2016, in an attempt to justify the decision of the Federal Government to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N86 to N145 per litre, told journalists in Abuja that the country was broke.

“The current problem is not really about subsidy removal. It is about (the fact) that Nigeria is broke, pure and simple!” Mohammed said, justifying why Nigerians had to pay higher for fuel.

In an effort to defend the recent gaffe, which is still generating angry reactions among Nigerian youths, Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said Buhari, as father of the nation, could never pass a vote of no confidence on all youths.

“Typical of their stock in trade, manipulators and twisters of statements of Mr President, who lie in wait to make mischief, interpreted the comment to mean that President Buhari had taken all Nigerian youths to the cleaners.

“But elementary English recognizes a wide gulf between ‘a lot of” and the word ‘all’. How can ‘a lot of them’ suddenly transmogrify to mean ‘all of them’? Mischievous and unconscionable!” Adesina said in the statement.

He added that Buhari had always applauded and celebrated Nigerian youths who excel in different areas of endeavour – sports, academia, and so on – and will continue to do so “because he values the youths, and knows that they are the fulcrum on which the future of the country rests”.

Many citizens, however, say the only way to stop Buhari from committing these gaffes, and so make the job easier for Adesina and co, is to never let him speak in public without having a written script before him.

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NEWS

We will retire myopic leaders by 2019 – Moghalu Iheanyi Nwachukwu

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riven by his desire to see a new Nigerian economy that thrives, Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and presidential aspirant, said he “will send our leaders who have small views into a well-deserved retirement by 2019”.

Moghalu, who was the guest speaker at the fourth anniversary lecture of The Niche Newspaper, said the greatest countries of this world like USA and China are led by leaders with world views, adding that the complex of absolute power is part of what Nigerians want to change as a people.

“In the absence world views, small views

Moghalu

reign. We are led by politicians who do not have a world view. Small views come from my church, my mosque, my tribe, and so on.

My vision for the Nigerian media is to ensure that Nigeria fulfills its mission. A certain type of leadership can make Nigeria rise again.

Electing the right type of leadership is very important. Nigeria needs leadership with world view,” the professor told the teeming audience that graced the lecture.

“There is no reason by Nigeria cannot be a great nation again as a nation. We need a new kind of Nigeria elite who will use the media to advance a strategic national interest,” he said at the lecture with the theme “Development Reporting and Hysteria Journalism in Nigeria”.

Remi Sonaiya, chairperson of the event who is a professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics at Obafemi Awolowo University and former Presidential Candidate emphasised the role of the media in developing the economy. The media is important in development of this nation and their roles in contributing to nation building cannot be underestimated, she said.

Discussants of the theme of the lecture included Funke Egbemode, president, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Managing Director/Editor In Chief of New Telegraph Newspaper; Obinna Nwosu, former deputy managing director, Access Bank Plc; Fred Aja Agwu, senior research fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs; and Joe Igbokwe, APC publicity secretary, Lagos State.

Senator Ben Bruce, who represented the Senate President Bukola Saraki, noted that the media has changed the way people talk and react to nation’s problems. “The media defends democracy”. On the recent missing Mace at the Senate, Bruce said media played important roles to stop recent the non-sense. “There would be no regime change at the senate. We must preserve our democracy at all cost”, he added. For the media, he urged them to continually change their style of communication.

Buhari

Tinubu

Controversy over Tinubu’s stand on Buhari Continued from Page 1 even been given the ticket of the party and the guidelines are not yet out,” Ogunleye said.

Ogunleye, who served as deputy governor of Lagos State under the Tinubu administration, said there had not been any meeting where it was decided that “we would support Buhari’s second term bid”, even though the two men met in London and talked.

“Until we sit down with Tinubu and ask him that question. For now, that question does not arise. And if he takes the decision to support Buhari, we would all support him. He would speak with the leaders,” he said.

He, however, said he would personally support Buhari’s ambition, saying “this is the first time we have a leader who is going after people who siphoned the wealth of the country”.

But Henry Ajomale, a former com-

missioner for special duties and now chairman of the APC in Lagos State, told BDSUNDAY on Friday that Tinubu’s support for Buhari’s second term was a done deal.

“Tinubu’s support for Buhari is not for personal benefit that he is going to get.

The issue is: how can the country be great?

How can Nigeria get out its problems?

How can the common man get the benefit of democracy?” Ajomale said.

“Tinubu still sees Buhari as the best candidate who can get the country to that dream; if he is given second chance, he would consolidate on his achievements and his plans can come to fruition; he would have enough time to carry out and deliver on his mission and vision for the Nigerian public.

“Tinubu is not after his personal ambition. If he was after his personal ambition, he would have contested against Buhari.

He sees Buhari as the best candidate for the job,” he said.

Patients in danger of death ...

Continued from Page 1

death.

“Government must act fast before the patients start going home – or dying,” he said.

Adebola Adetunji, another patient, called on the Federal Government to look into the situation as soon as possible and ensure that JOHESU’s demands were met.

“Health workers going on strike in this age calls for concern. I think that the government should please respond to them before this will get out of hand. How can these doctors cope with this situation?”

Adetunji said.

The Federal Government on Thursday

threatened to invoke provisions of the relevant labour laws, especially Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap.T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, against the striking workers.

In a statement through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the government said it had met almost all the demands of these unions on issues such as the payment of promotion arrears, salary shortfalls among others as per the agreement reached on September 30, 2017.

“The Federal Government therefore wishes to appeal to JOHESU to reconsider its position in view of the immeasurable consequences of its action on sick patients in hospitals across the nation,” it said.

But the workers who are demanding

improved salary package seem unperturbed by the threat as they vowed to continue with the strike until their demand is met.

Johnson Shaba, chairman of JOHESU, LUTH Chapter, said efforts made through several committees to get the Federal Government to implement agreements reached with them had yielded not result.

Shaba said that in spite of the 30-working day ultimatum given to the Federal Government, it had yet to satisfactorily address the pending issues.

“We are also not happy about the strike but we are fighting for our rights and demand of service. Other health professionals went on strike and they were attended to within two weeks. I believe

there should not be any partial or biased mind in the health sector because we all should be treated as one,” Shaba said.

“So, we plead with Nigerians to bear with us as we were left with no other option than to take our destiny in our hands,” he said.

Olufemi Fasanmade, chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) at LUTH, said that the management of the hospital was aware that members of JOHESU were on strike, and therefore was making use of available manpower to help out patients.

“There are many patients still in the wards and we are managing to care for them with the limited staff we have. We regret any inconveniences the strike will have on our esteemed patients,” he said.

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News Cannabis, Tramadol top drugs seized by NDLEA in 2017 …Edo ranks highest among states with 45,338kg of drugs seized KELVIN UMWENI & MICHEAL ANI

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he number of illicit drugs seized by the National Drug La w En f o r c e m e n t Ag e n c y (NDLEA) stood at a whopping 309,713kg in 2017 with cannabis and Tramadol accounting for over 90 percent, a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on drug seizures and arrest statistics shows.

Cannabis, popularly known as Indian hemp, had a larger chunk of the total drugs seized by the NDLEA to the tune of 191,353kg, representing about 61.8 percent of the total drugs seized.

This compares to the more than 4 tonnes (4,000kg) cannabis herb seized in 2016, according to the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB), a United Nations body for the execution of international drug control conventions.Next was tramadol accounting for 31 percent (96,136kg) of the total drugs seized.

Other drugs which collectively accounted for 7.3 percent of the total drugs

seized in the period under review included cough syrup with codeine (9,772.6kg), cocaine (92.4kg), heroin (85.44kg), benzodiazepine (1,783.4kg), methamphetamine (782.5kg), ephed (168.9kg), opiods (221.4kg), opiates (1.36kg), barbiturate (1.34kg), and others (9,313.46kg).

The NDLEA, according to INCB’s report released earlier in 2018, noted that between November 2016 and November 2017, the total number of methamphetamine seized was 40kg.

Edo State (45,338kg) recorded the highest number of drugs seized. This was closely followed by Ondo, Kano and Plateau States which had 32,729kg, 18,654.5kg and 17,674.7kg of drugs seizure,

respectively.

Zamfara (87.2kg), Ebonyi (196kg) and Bayelsa States (253kg) had the lowest drugs seizure in the period under review.

A total of 10,290 persons were arrested in an attempt to rid the country of perpetrators of the illicit drugs.

“10,290 arrests were made in 2017. 9,626 were male while 664 were female.

1,605,” the report revealed.

While Katsina (732 persons), Jigawa (646 persons) and Kano States (635 persons) had the highest number of arrests, Nasarawa (58 persons), Ekiti (84 persons), Gombe (94 persons) and Imo States (94 persons) had the lowest number of arrests.

A breakdown of the number of drugs seized at

the different entry points into the country indicates that Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos recorded the highest total drug seizure of 1,266.4kg.

Others are Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja (32.3kg), Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (36.3kg), Port Harcourt International Airport, PortHarcourt (3.6kg), and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu (60.7kg).

Total drugs seizure at the Seme-Lagos border was 17,015kg, while Idiroko-Ogun border recorded 361.7kg.

Seizure at the Tincan Port, Lagos amounted to 4.50kg, Apapa Port, 0.40kg and Port-Harcourt Port recorded 0.32kg.

EEDC alleges installations vandalism, stealing of electricity by consumers GODFREY OFURUM, Aba

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he Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) has appealed to electricity consumers in the SouthEast region of Nigeria to support its efforts at providing efficient service in the area.

This is as Emeka Eze, public relations manager of the DISCO, decried the level of vandalism on its installations, which he said was affecting its services in most parts of the region.

Eze in a telephone interview with BDSUNDAY, alleged that people are sabotaging their efforts at providing efficient service to consumers.

According to him, “They are vandalising our installations, bypassing meters and stealing energy and this is posing a whole lot of challenges to us and also taking us back.”

He however, stated that the firm has so far committed N10 billion in its pre-paid metering project, stressing that EEDC is committed to ensuring that all of its consumers get meters.

Af f i r m i n g t h e h u g e metering gap in the region, Eze noted that EEDC

We will develop an industry to generate three million jobs - Emeje KELECHI EWUZIE

Sex-for-mark scandal: Reactions trail OAU’s decision CHINWE AGBEZE

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eactions have continued to trail the suspension at the weekend of a professor with the Obafemi AwolowoUniversity,(OAU), Ile-Ife, Richard Akindele of the Department of Management and Accounting over his alleged involvement in sex-for-marks scandal.

Eyitope Ogunbodede, vice chancellor of OAU, had in a statement on Thursday directed that Professor Akindele proceed on an indefinite suspension after the university said it found the professor guilty of serious misconduct.

The panel set up by the university to investigate the scandal had submitted its report on Wednesday.

“We will like to reiterate that OAU will continue to do everything legally and morally acceptable in pursuance of its avowed commitment to zero tolerance for sexual harassment, intimidation

and, or coercion,” Ogunbodede said in a statement.

Reacting to the statement from the office of the vice chancellor, OAU ASUU chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, expressed satisfaction with the prompt action taken by the university on the scandal.

“ASUU commends the administration for the step taken towards ensuring sanity in the system,” Egbedokun said.

“ASUU OAU reiterates its commitment to defending the integrity of the code of conduct of the university and to upholding its ethical standards,” he said.

The union admonished its members to always adhere strictly to the “code of con-

duct guiding their appointment in the university as they carry out their lawful duties”.

Reacting to the suspension, a cleric, Thomson Dilli, a cleric, commended the university’s decision, saying however that there was need for conclusive investigation into the matter.

Dilli deplored the level of moral decadence in society, urging parents to play their roles as role models to their children.

“What pained me so much in all these is that they said that the professor concerned was a pastor in his church. A lot of things are happening in society. Every facet of the Nigerian system is seriously corrupted.

If a pastor, who should guide and guard the children under him begins to descend so low, where is the hope for this country? These things go on all over the place. Politicians invade our campuses for small girls and all that. My advice is to parents that they should be more responsible for the training of their children. What we are seeing in society is a reflection of the home. Many homes lack morals, so you don’t give what you don’t have. So, I commend the university authority,” he said.

The university had set up an investigative panel to examine the recorded phone conversation between Akindele and a female student identified by the panel to be Monica Osagie, in which the former was demanding sex to alter the student’s grade.

Akindele was found culpable of serious misconduct by the investigative panel and recommended for indefinite suspension pending further action at the conclusion of the investigation.

inherited over 700,000 unmetered customers, based on the data they gathered at the time they took over from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

He explained that the firm was currently carrying out enumeration exercise of its network to get the actual figure of their customers and the installations that are serving them, an exercise he noted would help the firm to be more efficient and serve its customers better.

He appealed to electricity consumers in Aba, who have applied for pre-paid meters and are yet to get, to be patient, as the installation team is working hard to deploy meters to every house in the region.

“It is not only Aba that is lacking pre-paid meters.

Metering a customer takes a process and that is one thing that I will want customers to understand.

“There is no way everybody can get meter at the same time. Everybody is crying, Aba is saying they don’t have pre-paid meters, Enugu residents are saying they need meters, likewise Anambra residents, but people are being metered in Aba, Enugu and Anambra States.

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s part of its strategic plan to support the Federal Government on job creation, Courier and Logistics Management Institute (CLMI) is partnering Netherlands and indigenous higher institutions of learning to offer Diploma/Degree Certifications in Courier, Logistics, Transport and Management.

Simeon Emeje, chairman of the Institute, said that the Logistics industry in Nigeria is worth trillions of Naira but still struggling to harness its potentials. He however, expressed the optimism that the Institute would live up to its billings in no distant time.

“This is a very serious industry worth trillions of Naira and not up to twenty of it has been tapped. And we as an Institute want to make it happen and this will further trigger investors to come. “ Th e I n s t i t u t e i s targeting at least one million entrepreneurs in the next two years. What this means is that, if the Institute trains one million entrepreneurs they would have capacity to employ at least three persons who will be involved

in Logistics, Courier, or Transport,” he said.

While speaking on activities to boost human capacity, Emeje said aside the Diploma Certification (ND & HND) that would be awarded by the Polytechnics; the partnering Universities will offer Bachelor of Science and Masters Degree Certifications in Courier, Logistics & Management, and Courier & Transport respectively, after a five-year period.

“It appears that no foreign or indigenous Diploma/ Degree awarding institution offers a Quadruple course (Logistics, Courier, Transport and Management) in a single programme, a feat which has been described as by many as unique”, he said.

Emeje said the Institute has launched a unique product that has four dimensions; Logistics, Courier, Transport and Management, explaining that the four dimensions govern all aspects of human life; hence each dimension is undoubtedly connected to human activity “Some people might be questioning the rationale behind fusing the four courses. I tell you, Courier, Logistics, Transport and Management are key to national development.

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News ‘Why youths must be positively engaged’ SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

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he Kwara State Government has been encouraged to do more to create adequate empowerment for the youth in the state to curtail youth restiveness.

Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim, founder of Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim (MAI) Foundation, who made the plea, however, stressed the need to allow total local government autonomy.

Ibrahim, while fielding questions from journalists at the 4th Kwara Youth Stakeholders Conference, said that it was high time government focused more on youth empowerment as they are the major stakeholders in society.

The conference sponsored by MAI Foundation was meant to develop the youth, enlighten them of their roles in the society and what they can do to help the state and the country at large.

He said: “The youth is the only option to develop the state and Nigeria as whole.

As part of my foundation’s program, the key objective is youth empowerment. We have to do more and I want to urge the government to create enough empowerment for the youths.”

Africa needs increase in cassava production to feed itself by 2050 - Experts …300 researchers, policy makers to attend cassava conference in Cotonou

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Ngozi Okpalakunne

he need to increase cassava production in Africa has been said to be urgent as it is a vital step towards preventing a major food crisis by 2050.

Claude Fauquet, director for the Global Cassava Partnership for the 21st Century (GCP21), said this at a world press conference in Lagos heralding the forth-coming International Cassava Conference scheduled to hold in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, from June 11 to 15, 2018.

Fauquet explained that the low root yields of cassava in Africa was deplorable and called on member nations to adequately invest in the crop to change the current yield per hectare.

Though accounting for 55 percent of global cassava root production, Africa’s yield per hectare is the lowest in the world with about 10 tons per ha as opposed to Asia where average yield is 21 tons per hectare or double

Ibadan Chamber of Commerce set for diplomatic ties with foreign embassies Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan.

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he Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) is set to build stronger diplomatic relationships with the foreign embassies in the country in order to be acquainted with their trade activities and stimulate business linkages with foreign investors.

Olatunde Alapa,the new President said this would help the Chamber to generate more income while members will also derive enormous benefits from it.

In an address at his installation as the 19th President of the Chamber, swearing in of other members of the executive council and annual general meeting of the Chamber said with the state government operating as a friend of the private sector, the Chamber is more than prepared to key into the programmes of the government that will impact positively on the business community.

He assured of further strengthening relationship with the Oyo State government towards getting more benefits to members of the

Chamber.

According to him, the Oyo State government has continued to maintain good relationship with the organized private sector most especially the Chamber of Commerce as the arrowhead. Our administration will further strengthen the existing relationship with a view to facilitate more benefits to the Chamber members.

“Without any gain saying or political interest the executive governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi is a friend of the private sector and we shall explore all available means to key into the programmes and activities of the government that will impact positively on the business community. “ On membership development drive, the ICCI President said the new administration under his leadership will pay visits to new companies now emerging along LagosIbadan expressway and in other areas in Ibadan environment to bring them to join the Chamber, stating that the Chamber will sustain their membership by meeting their expectation through improved benefits.

the yield in Africa.

He maintained that if nothing is done urgently to boost cassava production it would hurt the continent as it would have to contend with more people to feed, and changes in climate that would become more unpredictable.

According to him, to reverse the current trajectory would demand deliberate steps including greater investment in research and innovations, provisions of a favourable policy frame-

work, accessibility of loans to farmers at single digit rates, and mechanisation across the value chain.

He further said that Africa needed to scale out proven technologies including the recommendations on weed control being developed by the Cassava Weed Management Project, improved cassava varieties, and best-bet agronomic practices such as appropriate fertilizer application.

“If we do these, then to

double cassava yield will not be a dream but a possibility,” he said.

Fauquet said while technologies existed to transform cassava, not many policy makers were aware of such technologies, adding that the forthcoming Global Conference on Cassava with the theme ‘Cassava Transformation in Africa’ was a unique opportunity that would create an environment for exchange of technical, scientific, agricultural, industrial

and economic information about cassava among strategic stakeholders like scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies.

300 participants including policymakers, scientists, farmers, processors, end-users, researchers, the private sector, and donor agencies would be participating in the conference.

Malachy Akoroda, a professor and director designate of GCP21, said that the conference would provide an opportunity for African countries to tap the best current, and most innovative technologies that would transform cassava value chain across Africa.

“This Conference is a shining opportunity for Africa. It will also fill gaps in cassava research and development towards unlocking the potential of cassava for food security and wealth creation for farmers, processors, transporters, marketers, and packaging enterprises,” he added.

S’East, S’South professionals call for development plan David Ibemere

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outh-East SouthSouth Professionals of Nigeria (SESSPN) says it is on a mission to help stimulate socioeconomic development for indigenes of the 11 states under the two sister geopolitical zones.

The group announced this after a business and professional roundtable meeting in Lagos, stressing the need for development plan that would among other things identify key areas of collaboration among the states as well as areas of comparative advantage.

“As a group we are particular about development and we are ready to identify opportunities for improvement in the two regions to move the zones to another higher level,” Denzil Kentabe, president of the association, told BDSUNDAY, lamenting that the level of development in the area is

not commensurate with the regions’ contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

“Members are made up of people who have success stories; people who are competent in all sectors of the economy; so it is all about regional integration that will be driven by competent personalities,” he noted.

Okey Nwuke, chairman, organizing committee of the event, dismissed insinuations that the group is not politically motivated.

“We are interested in politics but as an advisory, we will serve as a watchdog for constructive engagement with governments at all levels that

will help drive national and regional dialogue that will shape policy and economic development on the development of our region,” he said.

“We will leverage our collective intellectual capital and networks to champion and navigate development to our region,” he said.

L-R: Wole Soyinka, African Drum Festival Consultant; Suraj Adekunbi, speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly; Lai Muhammed, Minister of Information and Culture and Governor Ibikunle Amosun at a Conference held on Olumo Rock in Abeokuta on Friday as part of African Drum Festival2018 hosted by Ogun State. Pic by Razaq Ayinla

Sunday 22 April 2018

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BDSUNDAY 11

News

Stop politising Armed Forces, security issues – DHQ warns politicians, others STELLA ENENCHE, Abuja

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he Nigerian military has called on politicians and other leaders in the country to stop playing politics with the Armed forces and other security issues while admitting that the service is overstretched.

The Director Defence Information (DDI), John Agim, a brigadier-general, who spoke during a media event organised to intimate the public on the activities of the Nigerian armed forces across the country at the Defence headquarters in Abuja, said the operations were too many.

“We are going into elections and our politicians don’t have limits to what they can do or what they would do to win election. We have a situation right now that even the military is over-stretched.

We are complaining about the military, yet we don’t put things in the correct perspective. A lot of us come from villages that are so difficult or in fact you never have military barracks established there but suddenly today when

Agim

there are issues in one hinterland, somebody will come up and say where is the military, why did that thing happen in that place as if the military has become omnipresent. There are places were the military is stationed .it is only when based on intelligence that they are deployed to some places,” Agim said.

According to him, “We have a country of over 180 million people. The land mass is so large. We don’t

have the military that can cover the whole place so we need information and intelligence from the people.

The military is not happy that almost all the internal security or operations in the country we find ourselves in doing that and we have been advocating for the police to be provided with all they need so that they can take responsibility. I don’t think the police will say we are taking care of

their responsibility because evidently, the criminals have more powers than what the police can contain and I don’t think there is a disagreement among us.”

Agim said that it was not the responsibility of the military to prosecute criminals.

He also solicited support for security agencies, stating that when they are undermined, it dampens their morale.

“If you want to undermine the security agent is to say they don’t do their job and that will endanger the morale of those people who are sent to do their work. The Nigerian military cannot prosecute anybody so in any internal security operation we do it in tandem with other security operatives. For example, the police, whenever we arrest we handover to them; so we don’t have doubt about that and we should avoid undermining any security agent whenever they are called to do any assignment. If that is done, it will dampen their morale that is why we seek corporation,” he said.

The Brigadier-General disclosed that operation “cat race” has so far arrested 183 criminals from Benue and Taraba and Kaduna states.

Youths urged to seek financial independence through skills acquisition Ngozi Okpalakunne

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aneesh Garg, group managing director of NAGODE Industries, has stressed the need for more Nigerians to be trained on skills acquisition as it will help ease the high rate of unemployment in the country.

Speaking at the induction and grants awards ceremony of 21 young adults organised

by NAGODE in collaboration with Fields of Skills & Dreams Vocational & Entrepreneurship Technical Institute Lagos, Garg said when people were trained on skills, they would be able to earn a living and contribute meaningfully to their families.

He therefore advised young people to acquire skills in the areas of shoe making; fashion designing; catering and a host of others.

On the collaboration, he said it was part of the industry’s Corporate Social Responsibility which, according to him, include supporting Small and Medium Scale (SMS) industries; assisting children living with cancer as well as training young adults on skills.

Founder of Fields of Skills & Dreams Vocational & En-

trepreneurship Technical Institute Lagos, Omowale Ogunrinde, who also spoke at the event said for change to take place in society there was need to invest on people by teaching them professional skills that will make them economically independent.

Ogunrinde also appealed to other corporate organisations in the country to partner with them so that the lives of unemployed young men and women roaming on the streets will be transformed through skills acquisition.

“Corporate social responsibility should be measurable; we do not need only foreigners to collaborate with us in the training; Nigerians who have the capability should help. It is just few young women that will want to walk on the streets as prostitutes. If they had a choice, they will not sell themselves because of money. I am not giving credence to prostitution.

“But, we need to think hard and deep, some people are working where they receive N I5.000 monthly, and l begin to wonder what they can do with such little amount of money, but when they are trained on skills, they can become employer of others or a highly valued skilled employee,” she added.

Don advocates removal of middlemen in marketing agro materials

Allied Thrust set to commission funplex event centre

…Urges FG to legislate against free range to prevent herdsmen/farmers’ clashes

Josephine Okojie

Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan

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igeria will be food and nutritionally secured, if government can guarantee market to farmers by removing the activities of middlemen in marketing of agro-materials and food crops, the Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Eyitope Ogunbodele has said.

He also advised that efforts must be put in place to reduce effects of climate change by supporting activities that are capable f militating against climate change for food security, industrial growth and survival of the nation’s economy.

In his address at the opening of 2018 annual in-house review exercise of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moore Plantation, Ibadan, themed, “Agricultural Research and Sustainable Food and Raw Materials Promotion: The Challenges of Climate Change” said, “we should all go extra mile to support activities and programmes that are capable

of mitigating climate change for enhanced food security desirable industrial growth and survival of the national economy”.

“Government should discourage all activities that lead to deforestation and promote afforestation. We cannot flog the issue of inadequacy in animals budgetary allocation to agriculture which has never enjoyed the 10percent international recommendation. Government should provide more funds to National Research institutes.

He informed further that education on effect of climate must also form an integral

Ogunbodele

part of school curriculum as a way to create more awareness about climate change.

Ogunbodede said: “Education on the effect of climate change should form an integral part of school curriculum to be taught at all levels of agricultural science. Subsidy on agriculture by governments should target farming activities that can stern he effect of global warming and climate change. This subsidy should focus more on those farming activities that can address water, energy and chemical changes of production.

He however, said that the only solution to the frequent clashes between crop and livestock farmers across the country is for the Federal Government to with immediate effect; legislate against free range of domestic animals like cattle.

The OAU VC who lamented that domestic animals like cattle are often willfully destroy farms and causing clashes between crop and livestock farmers also advised the government to discourage all activities that lead to deforestation and promote afforestation.

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llied Thrust and System Nigeria Limited is set to commission a multi- billion naira state of the art event centreFunplex Event with a 2,000 seats capacity.

The event centre is located in a serene environment along CMD road, Magodo, Shangisha area of Lagos is set to be unveiled on Friday,

27th April.

The opening is expected to attract the crème d’ la crème of the society spanning dignitaries from both the public and private sectors.

According Emeka Nwasike, managing director, Allied Thrust And Systems Nigeria Limited the facility will be one of the biggest and most spacious in Lagos state.

Nwasike added that the event centre has a big-

enough parking space with modern equipment that will host different kinds of events including wedding parties, burial ceremonies, movie premiers, corporate events, religious activities, shows, award ceremonies, seminars etc.

Apart from the main hall, the event complex also boasts of other halls, meeting rooms, 500 sitting capacity cinema halls, bush bar, gym etc. that can be used for varied functions

Boston Consulting Group names Glo driver of African integration

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lobal management consulting firm, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has named Nigeria telecommunicationcompany,Globacom,as one of the African companies pioneering economic integration on the continent.

In a report entitled, ‘Pioneering One Africa: African Corporations Trail-blazing across the Continent’, BCG listed Globacom as one of the six companies driving economic activities in Africa alongside Guaranty Trust Bank, Dangote Group, Jumia, Nigerian Breweries and United Bank for Africa.

A total of 150 trail- blazing

companies consisting of 75 Africa-based and 75 multinational firms that have established impressive track records in Africa and are contributing to further integration of the continent were identified by BCG. They include multinational companies from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, China, India, Indonesia, Qatar, and the UAE while the African pioneers comprise 18 countries including South Africa, Morocco; Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Tunisia.

According to BCG, Africa’s economic consolidation is steadily on course, with the

support of Globacom and the other listed companies, despite the continent’s issue of fragmentation.

The report also listed eight factors that clearly explained how the continent is benefitting from these companies.

BCG stated: “The active expansion of their footprint across several African countries; building strong African brands, using local innovation to adapt to the African consumer; investment in local talent and developing people advantage; building local ecosystemsandconnectingAfrica by facilitating the movement of people, goods, data, and information”.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Feature

Drug addiction re-echoes at Entrepreneurial Women event in Port Harcourt

Christie Bature Ogbeifun, said to be Nigeria’s only polygrapher, who lost all five sisters to the menace of drug addiction, warns that Nigeria’s youth section may soon be wiped off.

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IGNATIUS CHUKWU

rug and other addictions are believed to have forged a force to consume the youth segment of the Nigerian populace, especially the women, and this is said to be marching menacingly in Northern Nigeria.

Port Harcourt-based but Kaduna-born Christie Bature-Ogbeifun, who is left to cater for the children of her sisters, lost all her five sisters to addiction. Her siblings, the only children her mother had along with her, may have joined an emerging army of females attempting to escape a discriminative anti-female culture through drugs and other addictions.

For decades, most young females have found that their fathers think it is better to train a dog than train a female in school because she was only good at being wives or following other men in the name of marriage. New jihadists have emerged that maltreat females who went to schools as in Chibok and Dapchi mass abductions of female students in recent times.

Now, most such girls resort to drugs to reduce the pain of life without a future in the 21st century.

Women in purdah are said to have found drugs as the only companion in a life full of frustrations over expectations. Yet, drugs and other addictions are widespread across Nigeria, an indication that it is not only a northern menace but a cankerworm that has come to devour a critical segment of the emerging youth populace.

These are some of the echoes at the inauguration of the newly elected executive committee of the NECA Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at their Trans-Amadi regional headquarters.

Bature-Ogbeifun,areverendand motivationalspeakerwhomayhave devoted her life and career to saving those downing in addiction, was guest speaker at the NNEW event where she spoke on mental health in women to motivate the hall full of business and career women.

In an exclusive interview after the event, Bature-Ogbeifun told BDSUNDAY that she was involved in some studies for the FG and the UN on youths and drugs addiction in Nigeria and could only conclude that there is danger. “Some of the statistics are bad. About 10 percent of the population is actively in addiction right now. The result is scary. In every state, drugs are being taken. It’s an epidemic waiting to explode, but people are not paying enough attention. It is terrible to see the size of the Nigerian youths that have been swallowed up by drugs. We are grossly under-

Christie Bature Ogbeifun

prepared for a country of almost 200million with 10 percent or 20m as addicts.”

The problem is the authorities still regard mental health as psychiatric case and thus send those needing rehabilitation to psychiatric hospitals where she said their cases get worse. On whether it was true that the north has bigger drugs case, the Electrical Engineer turned health expert said; “The highest is Kano and Jigawa. I do not know why. It could be the almajiri syndrome. Being left alone to fend for oneself is much trauma. Many go into drugs to contain it. Most of the women in purdah that are not allowed to go out seem to resort to drugs. It is frustration for not finding expression. We have the highest incidence of housewife-addicts in

Kano/Jigawa axis. The appeal is to all the states. In 10 years, if nothing is done about the rate of drugs addiction in Nigeria, we would lose an entire generation and leave behind children and old people.”

On what she wanted as takeaway at the NNEW event in Port Harcourt, she said: “I want women to know they have huge capacity but that mental health is the problem that may limit them. Mental health is not about psychosis, madness, depression, etc. It is about maintaining your mind in such a way that you are in control of your faculties; to maintain your state of mind in such a way that things thrown at you will not cripple you.

It’s to have the can-do spirit, to be healthy enough to take life as it comes; to learn how to fight back

when life throws things at you.”

The expert had picked a particular hormone, cortisone (or cortisol) as very dangerous in the body due its acidic nature. On what could be done, she said: “Yes, at any time, the human body has an acceptable level of cortisone. It is only when bad things happen that it can go beyond the calibrated level. When it happens, it is good to confront the negative event to the point that you can contain. Next, find outlets: sun, exercise, laughter, shapes, skip, so that your body can relax. Some do medication, yoga, etc. Restore the body to homo-statis, the place of balance.’

On the contribution of the economytomentalhealthissues,BatureOgbeifun agreed, saying money is one factor to make life easy and that a tough economy would affect one’s mental health. To combat it, we must practice contentment; that if we do not like where we are, we could learn to enjoy it.

In the event proper, many important resources persons tried to motivate the NNEW women and the women they brought together including the Divine Widows from the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in Rivers State. An 83-yearold widow, Christiana Nwogu, caught the eyes of the officials at the event due to her hunger for entrepreneurship and her healthy looks.

Turning negative to positive; Bature-Ogbeifun I am glad that God made me a woman. I am glad am that I am the one that will go to the man at the end of the month and open my palm and say, honey, money?

Sometimes the man howls; won’t you allow the month to end well?

This is second of the month oh, I would remind him, my hand still stretched.

I am glad I am not the one to take all that pressure; so a woman has less pressure, she is creative to manage little things and to turn dour environment around with colours and bright moods, and be able to take pressure. But, most times, the woman forgets to care

L-R: Temitato Ojesanmi, Chris birionwu (chair of occasion) and Chrstie Bature-Ogbefun.

about her pressure.

Women lead a life of stretching themselves to make others happy. When born, her ear lobes are pierced to create holes for earrings, and this brings pain. Soon, the chest begins to stretch to sprout breasts; the hips stretch to give her female shapes. Soon, she is ready to stretch her stomach to carry another personforninemonths.Sometimesher stomach would protrude far ahead of her with her buttocks stretching far backwards, all about pains. She goes to the labour room to stretch the more for the baby to come out.

Shesoonstretchestocarrythebaby on the back, load on the head, and stirs soup with one hand; yet she is still coordinating others. The lesson here is about a women’s capacity to take pressure and stretch all the time. Men are made to focus on one thing but the woman is multitasking. It is however important for today’s woman to know that the body can just jam.

Hormones: See how it works.

The body discharges hormones in good or bad moments; in good or bad. Certain kinds of hormone are discharged into the body. But Cortisol (Cortisone) is a terrible hormone that affects all parts of the body badly. Agonising or worrying is one of the ways the body discharges cortisone into the body; waiting too much under the sun or under stress or sleepless night discharges cortisone into the body, too. Other instances are menace of bad children, failed businesses, or emergencies. Crying is a way to create balance in the body by freeing cortisone from the body.

Stressisamajorculprit;cortisone is acidic. You cannot stop cortisone frombeingdischargedintothebody.

The danger is if one is brooding or worrying; that is when cortisone is most discharged into the body.

Solution: “You must look for ways to reduce or eliminate cortisone in your body. Create time to cry or to worry; then move on, put the injury behind you. Do not surround yourself with ‘chief mourners’, those who think they are helping you by provoking the injured feeling. Look beyond your problem; if you bring your finger very close to your eye, you see nothing else except the finger because it is magnified. If you keep it far, you will see it but still see other others. That is how putting your injury very close to your heart blocks all other things in life,” she said.

Insight into her life: “I am from Northern Nigeria, Kaduna. There is a northern mentality about training girls in school. The belief there is that it is better to train a dog than train a girl child. They say, after training her, she would walk away with (marry) another man.

“This created a sense of loss of Continues on page 13

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Feature Deeper Life new building: Beyond the edifice

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ZEBULON AGOMUO

ver a decade ago, a church project was initiated at Gbagada, Lagos, Nigeria.

The site used to seat a massive ramshackle structure that served as the headquarters of the Deeper Life Bible Church.

The new project which is being commissioned this week is worlds apart from the worship centre that gave way for the new building. The leadership of the Church said that the new structure is “for glory and for beauty.”

So, on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, all roads will lead to Gbagada for the inauguration of the ultra-modern new headquarters of the Church.

On that date, the commissioning of the 35,000- capacity church building constructed by Cappa and D’Alberto Plc will be witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, state governors, captains of industry and other important dignitaries within and outside the country. The edifice is said to have cost the church some trillions of Naira.

For the leadership of the church led by Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, the cost of the building and its splendor are immaterial. What is important is the need to send out the undiluted word of God from

that point to all corners of the world.

Pastor Kumuyi himself, a man noted for his unwavering commitment to heavenly vision, will seize the opportunity to preach to the gathering. He never misses such an opportunity!

Here is a man who, after seeing the corpse of his first wife, ‘Biodun, who had just passed on at the time when the church was having its Easter Retreat at its conference centre on Kilometer 42, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in 2009, still rushed back to the camp to preach his evening message. That evening, he sang his

heart out as he led the congregation in a hymn composed by Isaiah G. Martin, “The Eastern Gate” (I will meet you in the morning).

As the crowd gather on Tuesday, the cleric will not likely allow the opportunity to slip, but will remind his guests that the edifice is indeed nothing in comparison to the mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for his people.

Although some people may be looking at the financial worth of the building and the elaborate commissioning as unnecessary, the church believes that no amount of money

Drug addiction re-echoes at Entrepreneurial...

Continued from page 12 value in most northern girls of our time. My case was worse because my mother gave birth to only girls, six of us. My father rejected my mother on this account; that she did not know how to give birth to male children. So, we lived a miserable life, life of self-pity and rejection; inferiority feeling. The belief was that a woman was no good for anything, only to give birth to children; or just to be a wife so as to help a man fulfill his destiny. In this case, a woman was not entitled to her own destiny.

“No! I say to you, you are more than somebody’s wife. My case was worse because I was not only a girl-child, I had a big voice which was frowned at. People always turned to ask, who own that voice.

That it was the voice of a girl made the scolding worse.

“I say to you, find positive in negative environment. That is what I did. The problem is that most women keep competing with men; and they may die competing. I say, develop yourself and don’t compete with the man.”

Bature-Ogbeifun further said: “I studied Electrical Engineering, but that was to please my father. After that, I came to Port Harcourt and started looking for my own identity in life, to ask myself some questions and seek answers to them. I had handed the Degree certificate to my father who actually is the owner.

I began to look for my own qualification, my own knowledge and own relevance.IstarteddesigninganddoingGreetingCards.Iwasshoppingat Oil Mill Market (that was what my levelcouldaffordthen).Mysistersall diedofaddiction(drugsandalcohol).

New president of NNEW, Temitayo Ojesanmi.

Theycouldnottaketherejectionlike I did. They sought solutions in those habits and died in the process.

“Those things affected me but I turned them to energy for solutions. I got close to people so I could solve their problems. Today, I run the only Rehabilitation Centre in the South-South. Next, I realised that rehabilitated drug addicts lie a lot to cover their tracks. They usually go back to their habits and would lie to cover up. I began to look for how to bust them and know the truth. That brought me to the idea of a machine that dictates lies. I invested very much in the study and instrumentation. Today, I am the only Polygrapher in Nigeria and the only woman for that matter. The centre is in Port Harcourt.”

So, I say, don’t lock up your dream.

DSS official The DSS in Rivers State under-

stands that the fight against crime and violent conduct in the society can better start at the family level. It is correct to say that if mothers are supported to bring up their children well, those children will grow to be less troublesome to the society. If a mothercoordinatesthechildrenwell, they will turn out better members of the society, and there would be less crime. It is with this in mind that the State Director floated the Divine WidowsSchemetocaterforwivesof deceasedofficersandfemaleofficers that lost their husbands. He expects thebeneficiariestomakegooduseof the funds and trainings so as to allow others to benefit.

Chairman of occasion: Chris Birionwu The chairman is also the geogroup chief inaugurated the new executives. He said despite economic downtime in the country affecting businesses, the NNEW group waxed stronger due to their resourcefulness and quality of its leadership. His advice is that they new executives should continue to promote team spirit to weather the storm. He said NECA was fully supportive of the work they are doing.

Chairperson: Temitayo Ojesanmi My team is strong. NNEW has been in existence in PH for five years but there are things that need to be reviewed right now especially in terms of the hunger for business to put PH NNEW on a stronger map in Nigeria. That would be our new focus. I have no doubt that this exco would do the national body proud in the Port Harcourt zone.

NNEW is working on a widow’s empowerment scheme funded

spent to win souls that will equate the worth of a soul.

Kumuyi said this much in a statement in the media, announcing the commissioning.

“We in Deeper Life Bible Church believe in preaching the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and we hope that the new building will attract people who ordinarily may not think of coming to hear the word of God. And the Bible tells us that one soul is greater in value than all the riches of the world put together.

So then, if by putting up the building a soul is saved from the fury of hell fire, we would have achieved God’s goal,” he said.

A member of the church who spoke with BDSUNDAY on condition of anonymity said Deeper Life knows the real meaning of church beyond the physical meaning and doesnotintendtocompromisethat.

“We must get one thing clear; we are not elevating the structure above the souls of men. Never. The scriptures tell us that our bodies are the temple of God, not the physical building. The building we see is an avenue to reach out to people.

When we became ‘born again’ we did not care about the structure of the church building. What matteredtousthenwasthewordofGod and how to please God. But you find out that over the years a lot of things have changed that to win souls you

have to take some practical steps so far such steps are not sinful. Today, people like to worship in well laid cathedrals and not tents. And when you consider the worth of a soul, there is nothing you spend that will be too much to win one soul; that’s whyyouseeourcommitmentinthis regard,” the member said.

According to him, “the problem we see in some places is the excessive glorification of church building than souls, and that is very unfortunate. When a church has no budget for reaching out to lost souls but continuously raises money to build and rebuild; that church is in trouble.”

Kumuyiexplainedthat“theproject is not in any way an advertisement of self or riches. It is served to accelerate the earnest fulfillment of the Great Commission. There are no riches to advertise anyway because the resources came from all strata of membership of the church. Everyone contributed his or her mite. It was a determination to give God the very best.”

“When you read through the scriptures you find that tabernacles were huge edifices that evoked the aura of the Almighty. When you read about the nature of the building that King Solomon built for God, it was magnificent and befitting of worship of the Owner of the whole universe,” he said.

by the State Director of DSS in the state. It is his initiative for retired officers who are widows or wives of officers that died either in service or after retirement. The idea is to help these women do meaningful things. He wants them to be professional in their businesses.

In some cultures, the widow is deprived of everything the husband had. So the director started this scheme to support them with reasonable raised from supporters of the ideal. This is to minimise the numberofyouthsthatmaybecome restive in future. It is about dealing with insecurity at the long run.

The Director thus invited NNEW to work with him on this project, to help them set up, train them, mentor them to ensure they are running successful businesses.

It will be for one full year of mentoring and guiding.

Also, we are on an advocacy project funded by the USAID on multiple taxesandhasslesfacedbywomenentrepreneursespeciallyinthemarkets in Port Harcourt and the oil region.

We are asking for policies to stop or reducetheseproblemsonwomenso they can run meaningful businesses.

The little they make should not be takenfromthemespeciallybypeople youdonotknow.Thewomenshould be made to know what to pay, when to pay and where to pay it. We go round and we see how women are beaten up, their kerosene poured on them,theirgoodsstrewnallover.We say no to this kind of thing.

We have training also for business women to teach them how to write their own business plans.

We got one of our IOCs to back the programme. We have other trainings for our youths from nine different sectors. They would have their own specialized trainings.

Wearealsogoingtorunabusiness

clinic for different businesses. Those harassed would know where to go.

That is the journey we have been on and we would continue to be on.

Jossy Nkwocha (Indorama) Nkwocha said Indorama-Eleme FertilizerCompanyLimited(owned byIndorama-ElemePetrochemicals Limited) has embarked on a campaign with series of trainings with NNEWmembersonthecorrectapplication of fertilizers. He also talked about numerous opportunities in the fertilizer chain as well as in other chains created by the company.

He said: “Women are bringing huge impact on the society worldwide. Men seem to take the back seat. Nobody seems to talk for the men. Management of Indorama feels proud of the NNEW. Remember that the FG put aside N2billion as fund to lend to female SMEs alone. The woman is no longer restricted in the kitchen. Indorama was there to support the last exco; we will be there for the incoming exco to help them improve on what was achieved. IndoramaEleme as a company recognises that not many people use fertilizers in Rivers State to increase farm yield. Let your members get close to the fertilizer chain and plastics to see areas of participation as entrepreneurs.

Euegnia Marcus of Fresh View (widow, founder of Fresh View to help women) The issue with widowhood is, when do the tears stop? Sometimes I break down and weep but good people around me urge me on. I will say, set up and move on.

Keep on with your small business and soon, the heavy heart would clear up. Women, get close to places such as NNEW so you can network and get better.

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Comment Frank Aigbogun EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Prof. Onwuchekwa Jemie

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Offa robbery and the audacity of criminality

PUBLISHER/CEO

EDITOR Zebulon Agomuo

Sunday 22 April 2018

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

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he recent armed robbery operation that threw the ancient town of Offa, Kwara State, into pandemonium for hours was executed in a most daring commando fashion.

According to reports, dare-devil armed robbers who stormed the town in audacious fashion divided themselves into two teams upon arrival, with the first team demobilizing the police station while the rest unleashed unhindered horror on bank premises and residents. In the process, five bank branches were allegedly raided while about 32 people, including police officers, reportedly lost their lives in the dastardly operation that lasted two hours.

The robbers purportedly made away with large amount of cash from the branches of Zenith Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, Union Bank, First Bank and Ecobank in the town. The blatant nature of the occurrence has fuelled new concerns about the state of security in the country. Meanwhile, the police have reportedly arrested some suspects in connection with the armed

robbery incidence. According to reports, after the attack, the police team engaged in raids of identified criminal spots, stop and search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which led to the arrest of the suspects. In the process, some of the suspects reportedly engaged the police in fierce gun duels from their various hideouts.

Now that the dust gathered by the sad event is gradually settling down, it is imperative to properly scrutinize some of its far-reaching fallouts. First, it is instructive to stress that the police offered little or no resistance to the robbers throughout the operation. The robbers held sway for as long as they wanted with such irritating audacity. This only goes to actually confirm what have been the fears of many Nigerians concerning the preparedness level of men and officers and men of the Nigerian police to deal with such brazen attacks.

It smacks of unbelievable effrontery for robbers to daringly hold the second largest town in Kwara State hostage for as long as they did. The puzzle herein is that if banks, public institutions and residents are not really assured of their safety in a place as big as Offa, what then is the lot of those who are located in places where there are little or no police presence of any sort? Your guess is as good as mine. This is a rather

disturbing trend that the Police authorities and the leadership of the various security agencies have to properly look into. In as much as one understands the various challenges of the police in particular, it doesn’t speak well of us as a nation that a gang of robbers could hold a whole town hostage for hours without any resistance whatsoever from security operatives. If this odd pattern is not frontally addressed, it portends a great danger for us as a people.

The Offa robbery episode also calls attention to the deplorable situation of youth in the country. It is pathetic that the youth who should normally be in the vanguard of nation building are taking to destructive social vices. This, if not quickly checked, signifies a bleak future for our dear nation. Usually, if the prevailing condition in a given society does not offer the youth the needed platform to channel their bursting energy into positive use, they readily embrace rebellious predisposition. It is a well known fact that nature abhors vacuum.

Sadly, the high unemployment situation in the country coupled with other socio-political factors naturally make the youth vulnerable to several anti-social temptations. Recent statistics show that 60 percent of the country’s population is youth while youth unemployment rate is estimated to be over 50 percent. Sim-

ilarly, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that an average of 1.8 million youths find themselves in the labour market annually, out of which 250,000 to 300,000 are graduates. Hence, faith-based organisations, key sociocultural bodies, related government agencies and other youth-based stakeholders should continue to invest in the development and empowerment of the youth. This is, perhaps, the best way to preserve public security in the country.

Equally, all stakeholders in security must not relent in their efforts in the onerous task of checkmating robbers and criminals in the country. With the issue of insufficient manpower in the Nigeria Police in particular, it is quite obvious that the police alone cannot sufficiently protect the people. Latest data shows that the entire Nigeria Police does not have up to 450,000 personnel in its fold and out of this a significant proportion is assigned to secure a few highly-placed individuals. It is yet to be seen how a police force with such inadequate personnel could effectively secure a nation of estimated 180 million people.

This, indeed, is an indication that security apparatus in the country needs to be considerably overhauled.

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

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CHUKS OLUIGBO

chuks.oluigbo@businessdayonline.com (08116759816)

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he hottest topic in Imo State, South-East Nigeria today is probably how a certain Rochas Ethelbert Anayo Okorocha, an inconsequential factor in Imo politics prior to 2011, is scheming to perpetuate himself in power by proxy. The man whom the masses of Imo State in 2011 contributed their widow’s mite to prosecute his campaign and chose ahead of the then incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim, now thinks himself a god. Having undergone some sort of self-apotheosis, this handmade god now believes he knows better and has more powers than all the Imo people put together.

Okorocha’s only selling point in 2011 was that he had given many indigent children a chance to go to school through his Rochas Foundation Colleges. That may well be so. But there is a longstanding question I have raised that I am yet to get a convincing answer to: how was/is Rochas Foundation funded? The conventional practice is that a successful business precedes a foundation. In other words, a successful businessper-

son looks back at the way he/she has come and decides, “Oh, the society has given me so much, it is time to give back.” For example, there was Microsoft before Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, there was Dangote Group before Dangote Foundation, there was United Bank for Africa before Tony Elumelu Foundation, and so on ad infinitum. So, can someone tell me the successful business empire that preceded Rochas Foundation?

Or is the Foundation the business itself?

Okorocha’s predecessor Ikedi Ohakim, though swallowed up by personal greed, fell victim to Christendom’s vindictiveness. He was never forgiven of allegations that he beat up a Catholic priest.

Okorocha was a direct beneficiary of that vindictiveness, but before he bowed out, Ohakim did tell Imo people that they would regret that choice. Now the chickens have come home to roost and, like the frogs in Aesop’s Fables, Imo people have suddenly realised that they were better off with King Log than they are now with King Stork – or, more appropriately, that they merely exchanged a dog for a

The Okorocha joke in Imo monkey. Like the frogs, in mournful croaks the masses of Imo State are now begging Jupiter to take away the cruel tyrant before they are all destroyed, but the tyrant-king himself says, “No, not yet. I’ll leave, but not before planting my beloved son-in-law in my stead.”

If you are a keen follower of recent political developments in Imo State, then you must have heard of the phrase “incestuous democracy”. If you haven’t, well, that’s the exact phrase His Grace, Anthony J. V. Obinna, Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, used to describe the plot by Governor Okorocha to foist his son-inlaw, Uche Nwosu, on Imo people as his successor in 2019.

Before now we used to hear of ‘familocracy’. Orji Uzo Kalu, twotime governor of Abia State, one of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) modern-day saints and self-appointed spokesperson of the Muhammadu Buhari government in the South-East, was the arrowhead of that system of government. I think Ohakim borrowed a leaf from that system when he appointed Emma Ohakim, his younger brother, as chief of staff.

But being more devious, Okorocha has taken it several notches higher.

Why does Okorocha want his son-in-law to succeed him? We can hazard a guess. Uche Nwosu is no ordinary son-in-law. He is a most-loyal son-in-law who owes everything to his amiable father-inlaw. Every of this son-in-law’s work

experience seems to have been under this father-in-law. Nwosu, who graduated from Imo State University, Owerri in 2000, was personal assistant to Okorocha as president of Rochas Foundation; personal assistant to Okorocha when as special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on inter-party relations; director of finance, and later national secretary, of Action Alliance, Okorocha’s personal political party; personal assistant to Okorocha as president of the Nigerian Red Cross Society; and later, deputy chief of staff to Okorocha as founder, Rochas Foundation.

Then Imo State Government House happened in 2011 and Nwosu, expectedly, became Okorocha’s Man Friday. He has since then moved from deputy chief of staff (operations) to commissioner for lands, to supervisory commissioner for special duties, to chief of staff, to son-in-law by virtue of marrying Okorocha’s first daughter Uloma, and now to his father-in-law’s anointed successor.

So, when Imo people say no to Okorocha’s brazen moves, it is easy to align with their fears. It is only a blind fellow that will not see how electing Uche Nwosu, or any candidate endorsed by Okorocha, as governor in 2019 would simply amount to a third term for Okorocha.

But promoters of this absurdity say Nwosu is the best qualified for the job - that in itself is a big insult

to the Imo populace - because at below the age of 50, he is “young and has age on his side so he can inspect projects without getting arthritis”. Let them take a trip to Kogi and tell us what Yahaya Bello’s youthfulness has achieved for that state. Steve Asimobi, a remnant of the Ohakim tragedy who now works for Okorocha as special adviser on electoral matters, was even proudly telling Nigerians on Channels TV that “the governor has given quality reasons why he will not hand over power to anybody who is above 50 years of age”. So, it is now Okorocha’s constitutional mandate to decide whom he will hand over power to. Absolute power truly does corrupt absolutely. But my question to Asimobi is this: if Imo were his personal company, would he make Nwosu its CEO? Many Imo people I have interacted with recently think Okorocha is the biggest joker of the decade. They may well continue to enjoy the joke, but I do see a desperate man who has foreseen the eclipse of his political career and will stop at nothing to maintain his stranglehold. How, for instance, does one explain the new order for all “leviable adults” in the 637 autonomous communities in the state to pay a “development levy” of N3,000 each? Only a credible alternative and a determined Imo people can prove a potent antidote to the Okorocha poison.

Taming the doom side of 190 million people

CHIJIOKE MAMA Chijioke MAMA is the Founder of Meiracopp Nigeria Limited (MNL) and a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Port Harcourt (m.chijioke@meiracopp.com)

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f Nigeria fetched molten gold from South Deep gold mine in Witwatersrand Basin and literally walked home to Abuja with it; passing through Walvis Bay (Namibia), Yaoundé (Cameroun) and into Mubi in Adamawa; that will be utter folly. But it’s even a greater mark of folly to keep the treasures of a tortuous journey in brittle and fragile clay vessels, well poised to break and spill the fortune.

From mere 45 million people in 1960 (twice present day Ghana), Nigeria has reached a high of 190 million in 2018, which is an addition of 145 million people, in a challenging 58-year journey, which has left her unarguably worse off. We are on the verge of the phase where it will simply be herculean - even with an efficient government - to achieve minute development gains, due to an uncontrolled population growth. That reality is scary! Nigeria and Nigerians

have very limited opportunity to act, before getting into the futile cycle of trying to cater for a people whose population growth, chronically and geometrically outstrips even the fastest possible development efforts.

This nation must now compress time! Embrace the necessary sense of urgency in governance! And find internal & external economic vents for a viral population!

The new 190 million population figure is a fortune; whose real value will depend - like raw data - on how it’s scrubbed and structured. While the upside is immediately apparent (a large commercial market!), the doom side is less apparent and very worrisome. The seemingly unpreparedness for the ongoing “people boom” could make it the severest disaster/ phenomenon in the history of this nation, since the enormous task of development(inwhichthisnationhas already failed, by many available human development indices) is bound to multiply.

If a “Citizen-Desired Nation” is (for the sake of this analysis) hypothetically measured by very low unemployment rates, high levels of industrialisation and near-universal access to decent housing, food, healthcare and security. Then Nigeria’s transformational journey to that destinationhasbecomeeventougher.

Since population is growing without a concomitant increase in the pace and efficiencyofourdevelopmentefforts.

The unpleasant implication is that, the next few decades will naturally see

further strain on already insufficient healthcare systems, security systems, education and powersystems.

The dangerous result will be an increased and widespread citizen-impoverishment. And this can comfortably co-exist with good (even double digit) GDP growth and increasing Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

If the politico-economic status quo remained the same - as has beenin the last 30 years - Nigeria’s books may continue to look good while the now challenged middle class will shrink further and the Base of the Pyramid population greatly widened.

This will usher in the problematic non-inclusive economic growth that plagues many countries.

In spite of political rhetoric, those who have the data are well aware, thatif the will; the capital; and the technical capacity were all given, it will still take 10 to 15 years to stabilise Nigeria’s power sector, build a commendable national transport infrastructure or re-invent our national learning system. This classic infrastructure development time lag is the nightmare of poorly-governed economies with fast growing population. The time (efficient & inefficient) required for completing and delivering a quality community healthcare centre in Emohua, Rivers State or Ikpoba Hill in Edo State will naturally birth more Healthcare Users in the same communities - through population growth - which will render the facility insufficient on the day of commissioning.

The postulation is that, in the unlikely assumption, that the desired shape of governance/institutions (from Federal level to the local councils) becomes actualised today - April 2018 - in Nigeria, we will still need about 10 to 15 years to efficiently deliver the level of human, infrastructural and institutional development that will transform Nigeria into a hypothetical “Citizen Desired Nation”.

That is, given the right leadership; the envisaged followership and the needed strong institutions. Considering that Nigeria has (in summary terms) mostly stagnated rather than progressed as a nation in the last four decades, it might as well take double of that time (30 years) to become a “CitizenDesiredNation”.Thisisslightly more than half the life expectancy of an average Nigerian (53 years by WHO 2015 data) and essentially the tenure of just 3.5 presidents. (Assuming8 years per president) I have studied much of nation building and major successful political economies that emerged in the past four hundred years and the reality is that transforming a nation is a task that simply “takes time!”. In this required time, population growth cannot be paused and this is the single most important question for Nigeria. Why is this important? There is an abysmal underestimation of the enormity of our national challenge.

Which unfortunately, causes a hasty under-assessment of the time, effort and resource required to solve these problems. This is most evident in the

apparent beclouding of our personal and collective judgment within election cycle politics. If we realized that an average Nigerian will see only 6 presidents in a lifetime (Given 53 years life expectancy and average 8 years tenure), the common political question for the 190 million people will shift from “who is changing office”? To “what is changing in the office”?

Since we cannot export our people, nor support any form of physical mass migration, Nigeria must find a formidable way to start building (forthwith!) a “Citizen Desired Nation” for the 190 million who have already arrived and the 110 million others that will soon arrive by 2050.

This natural time lag required to build a nation is the nightmare for fast growing countries that are yet to find their coordinates. Nigeria must find its coordinates today. Failure to begin today means that the estimated 15 or 30 yeartransformation period will further stretch into the future, due to more population growth. Deductively, if we had solved our power sector problem or built a world class healthcare system that exceeded the required demand in 1970 or 1980, the scale of the problem today will certainly be less.

Since - for us - the pace of population growth is poised to exceed any sincere development effort, a rapidly growing but stumbling nation like Nigeria has limited chance of attaining its dreams- unless it re-governs itself next Tuesday!

We cherish readers’ reactions to stories and articles published in BusinessDay. All such reactions, which must not be more than 250 words, should be sent to bdsundayletter@businessdayonline.com with names and addresses of writers. The star letter every week will be rewarded.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

TheWorshippers

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Can you speak to the theme of this year’s conference? his year our theme is ‘No Bounds’. This is deep, broad, and subject to many interpretations.

But if we interpret it within the context of our profession and aspiration of the mission, we can conveniently say that ‘no bounds’ means no limit to what we can do, to what we can be, to what we can achieve and to professional excellence. The implication is that in your quest for personal and professional excellence, you must strive to overcome limitations, cross lines and boundaries.

Many of us don’t try to learn new ways or methods or even new fields of endeavour because it takes us out of our comfort zone.

We get so used to doing something the way we have been doing it that we don’t consider other ways. You should be prepared to leave the comfort zones of your job schedule/profession and embrace other fields of endeavour; to become versatile and a well-rounded professional. The key is that we should be able to adapt or be adaptable to many different functions or activities to experience no bound.

What does it mean to be bound as individuals?

Bounds could be defined as things that limit or restrain. For better understanding, we could describe bounds with the following synonyms: restrictions, restraints, constraints, suppressions, hindrances, barriers, deterrents, deficiencies, weaknesses, disabilities, and others.

What is the implication of this year’s theme on the participants and Christians in general?

In Philippians 4:13 the Bible said, “I can do all thing.” All, not some or many – all things through Christ which strengthens me.

The Bible is telling us that with Christ we should operate from the perspective of no limitation

‘There should be no limitation to what we can be as believers’ Pastor Joshua Obayemi, National Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), addressed church administrators at the recently concluded 2018 International Conference of RCCG Administrators on the theme ‘No Bounds’. SEYI JOHN SALAU was at the conference. Excerpts:

Pastor Joshua Obayemi

or boundaries. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do, by all means you have to keep moving forward.” Joseph was a slave and foreigner in Egypt but eventually became the No. 2 citizen; Daniel was in captivity in Babylon and

ended up as a prince; David started in the back side of the desert and finished on the throne as the king; Esther, a slave girl in another land, not only saved her people from annihilation but also became the queen of the land. All these were children of God like you. They broke barriers and set new standard. They were coura-

geous, bold, knowledgeable and strong.

How can an individual become an all-round administrator without bounds?

Last year we talked about reengineering the work process to be more efficient and effective.

The theme this year, ‘No Bounds’, is not about just becoming better at what we do, it is about being able to do something you have not been able to do before. It is about breaking new grounds and lines to add value to our work.

Overcoming bounds starts with a changed mindset and belief in oneself. How do I therefore cultivate a mindset of ‘No Boundaries’? First is by learning to think outside the box. By being adventurous and ingenious in your approach and being creative and imaginative in thinking.

Believers must develop a ‘can do spirit’ and believe in who you are. As a believer you must strive for excellence at all times, by being bold, confident and courageous. A believer that wants to experience ‘No Bound’ must leverage on the giant leap of ICT, and should see the world as your constituency and sphere of influence. Constantly upgrade and improve your knowledge base and capacity to deliver.

The believer must erase impossible from your dictionary and vocabulary. The believer must be innovative and seek out for new possibilities and opportunities, and master their trade by being the

best at what they do. The believer must also have a network of people whose progress and advancement in their chosen career will positively impact his or her life.

What is your admonition for church administrators?

In the past, organisations valued and rewarded people who would conform to their organizations’ cultures and stay within the strict boundaries that the organisations defined for them. That’s no longer the case – they now want people who think outside of the box, like entrepreneurs, who are multi-skilled, multifaceted and versatile. Leave your job description and comfort zone and do whatever is needed to maximize value creation. As a record-breaker and a line-crosser you don’t get the option to say, “Well, that’s not my job.” No – everything is your job. If there is nobody else to do it, then do it. Employers want people who will step up and make things happen, not sit back and wait for things to happen to them. With the spirit of God in your life you have everything it takes to create a new standard, set new records, and break barriers. The word of God encourages us in Mark 9:23 that all things are possible to him that believeth.

Finally, prepare yourself to be challenged, excited and inspired during this conference as you reinvent your life and profession in a creative way and develop a creative cutting edge.

Deeper Life commissions Gbagada headquarters April 24 SEYI JOHN SALAU

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he new headquarters of Deeper Life Bible Church at Gbagada, Lagos is finally set for commissioning by the church on Tuesday, April 24.

The 30,000-capacity church project constructed by Cappa and D’alberto was begun in 2003 and had been under construction for about 15 years.

The Gbagada project, as it is widely called by members of the church, is estimated to be valued over N5 billion (about $16 million) and is believed to be the fourthlargest church auditorium in the world.

However, the church has said it is not particular about making records with the size of the new worship centre or the amount spent, rather it is more concerned about turning men’s heart to God and reaching out to the younger generations with a befitting edifice that is appealing to all and capable

of winning souls for Christ.

William F. Kumuyi, General Superintendent (GS) of Deeper Life, who is noted for his unwavering stand on holiness and righteous living, sources in the church say, will be fulfilled having many young members of his congregation and admirers of his holiness message remain with the church rather than leave for things not related to the doctrine or spiritual standpoint of the church.

With the newly-built auditorium, church faithful who are passionate about their eternal and spiritual welfare can now worship with unlimited access to life-transforming, systematic and expository teachings of the man of God, congregating weekly in an environment that the church is noted for away from the make-shift approach the church adopted for its weekly services while the project lasted, the sources say.

Meanwhile, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) to its host community and in response to public outcry and concerns raised by residents on the traffic impact of the new auditorium, Deeper Christian Life Ministry constructed a multi-million naira flyover bridge in Gbagada.

While the church provided the funding for the project, the Lagos State government helped with the technical support and traffic management while the project lasted.

The flyover was constructed alongside a four-level motor park for worshippers coming into the cathedral to park their vehicles without interrupting the flow of traffic within the community.

After the inauguration of the new bridge, traffic light and multilayered car park to ease the traffic situation of commuters in Gbagada, a cross-section of the residents lauded the initiative of the church for being proactive to the plights of the host community, and its

environs.

Deji Adegbite, a community leader in the area, said the bridge would make life easier for the residents, and expressed optimism that it would positively impact on the economy of the host community. Remilekun Bamgboye, a trader in the community, said with Deeper Life’s infrastructural intervention within the Gbagada area, doing business would be a bit easier as a result of the improved traffic situation.

At a stakeholders’ meeting held earlier to sensitise members of the community before the commencement of the flyover, Olukayode Onasanya, a Community Development Association (CDA) chairman in Aroromi/Sawmill, Gbagada, lauded the project but lamented the poor state of inner routes in the community. However, his fears and concerned were taken into consideration by the church and its project developer, Julius Berger Construction Company, with the newly commissioned bridge.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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BDSUNDAY 17

Inspirations Grow through, don’t go through DEBO ATIBA

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www.spiritonomics.org

ur disposition towards every challenge we face in life matters a whole lot. It is only an immature, uninitiated person that will think challenges or unfavorable circumstances are not common. It is common knowledge that as long as you exist in this world there would always be challenges.

Many times we think challenges have come to kill us or make our lives miserable. We assume the worst of challenges and adverse circumstances because we have been taught to reason that way. What we have always known to be true is not always true..

We have been led on this singular thought pattern and have had no cause to challenge it. Once our belief system is wrong, our interpretation will be wrong and the outcome of our lives will be wrong.

There have always been challenges, obstacles, HINDRANCES right before we were born. One of our early challenges was learning how to walk. Today we walk around so easily without thinking, but as babies our mothers had to put in a lot of efforts to get us started. It was probably the most herculean task at that point in our lives. The crawling stage was preceded by learn-

before that promotion comes. Likewise in life too, for every form of progress to manifest, it requires resistances that are commensurate to the level of promotion that we aspire. Challenges of life have not come to kill us, they have come to build us up to attain our next level of promotion. Challenges can only kill us when our level of understanding is warped as touching its purpose.

Jesus knew what He was saying when He admonished us that each time we face challenges or encounter any form of resistance, he told us to lift up our hands and begin to sing and to dance because our promotion has come (paraphrased).

You can never pray challenges away; What was the purpose of the chal- you will fail if you dare to avoid obstacles against what you have set out to lenges we faced? do. They are there for a purpose, and The TRUTH is that without those the purpose must be understood and challenges you and I will not be walk- surmounted before any meaningful ing today let alone jumping and run- promotion or success. Jesus said in this ning. Those supposed obstacles were world we would face TRIBULATION, necessary to strengthen our muscles, but we should be of good cheer... those falls made it possible for us to (John 16:33). This does not sound gain and master our balance. Every of normal! It is an uncommon sight for those challenges became the impetus us to be faced with challenges and that we needed to make us become we are laughing and smiling, but Jesus whom God has called us to be. Without meant it.

Below are the synonyms of tribulathem we would be imbeciles crawling around the house as babes not knowing tion (we are to see them and burst out laughing): our right from our left.

Trouble, worry, anxiety, burden, affliction, ordeal, trial, adversity, hardSo what do we gain here? ship, tragedy, trauma, reverse, setEvery process of growth requires back, blow, difficulty, problem, issue, resistances for strengthening. In class misfortune, mishap, misadventure. every level of promotion requires tests Wow! Tell me who amongst us has ing to move on our chest, the walking stage also was preceded by crawling, the most difficult part was that of walking. Casting our minds back, there were fallings, staggering and flailing just in a bid to walk. If we were old enough to talk as children learning to walk, we would have asked our parents what is this much ado about walking. But the innate ability imbued in us by the Almighty will not allow us to stop in spite of the challenges and oppositions that we faced. In fact our parents also knew that despite the injuries we sustained while trying, they could not afford to give up. They knew we had the innate ability to overcome that process.

never experienced or encountered one or two of these in their raw state?

Because we are living in a natural, fallen world, these are natural occurrences that do not make life look normal if they are not present. If these are not the order of the day we must already be living in heaven. So what should our attitude be? GO through it or GROW through it? If the purpose of challenges is not known, we would GO through it, but if we come to the realisation of the purpose of challenges, we would embrace it and we would GROW through it.

Our enemy the devil is doing his worst to make sure that no day goes by without one problem or the other. We have to learn to turn the table against the onslaught of the enemy by changing our mindset as touching every challenge we are faced with. Every successful individual, every successful business, every happy person are practitioner of this truth. They have had to GROW through a lot of learning in their lives. Because we lack the purpose of what a challenge, we have come to a point of thinking that God has favorites.

NO! The favorites of God are the ones that have GROWN through their various challenges and have come out looking successful in the eye of the world.

Those challenges and obstacles that you are faced with have not come to kill you, rather they have come to GROW you up so you can attain your God – given position.

So GROW up as you GROW through. Remain blessed.

The meaning and power of loyalty IRUOFAGHA JAMES

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oyalty is the foundation of every relationship, whether our relationship with God, our parents, our spouses, children, siblings, friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc. Or whether it is even the relationship between political leaders and their subjects. Loyalty to the common good; loyalty to the well being of the majority and loyalty to the core values and actions that affirm the sanctity of every life and the dignity every human possesses by virtue of just being a part of humankind, ought to define the social contract between leaders and the led.

It is a very important cord holding all these relationships together.

Let us explore the subject further by finding out what loyalty really is?

1. It is the quality of being faithful or staying true to someone, something or a

group. (Matt. 6:24).

2. It is faithfulness to an oath, an obligation, a commitment or a vow (Psalm 15:4).

3. It is a strong feeling of allegiance or support to a leader, a cause or a person deserving fidelity (2 Samuel 16:17).

It is almost impossible for us to be loyal and faithful to two people in equal measure.

A loyal person is a true friend and a faithful defender. (Prov. 17:17) You’ll notice that the word loyal(ty) doesn’t appear at all in the KJV of the Bible, words like “kindness” or “mercy” are used instead. Contemporary translations use the word “Loyalty” as it ties better to the modern meanings & usage.

Kindness (Hebrew translation – Chesed) is pity, kindness, grace and compassion Mercy – kindness you extend to someone based on an existing relationship. It also means unfailing love Prov. 17:17 – shows us that the quality of consistency must be present in one’s loyalty for it to be complete.

What is the origin of loyalty?

It’s divine; it’s a trait of God. He’s always faithful, true & dependable. (2Tim. 2:11); Jer. 9:23 The attribute of God’s love shown here is that He has “loyal” love for us. It implies that He can’t stop loving us even if He wants to.

God wants to build His character of loyalty in us, and He does this through these 2 mins: 1. Your consistent obedience to His Word. You show your loyalty by obeying God’s Word. (2 Chron. 16:9) 2. He teaches us covenant faithfulness in relationships.

God values covenants so much that He honours covenants between ALL people, whether Christian or not (Mal. 2:10-16) Two of the major problems we have in Christianity today are: 1. We classify and categorize sin 2. We amplify our goodness & reduce our negatives while we minimize the goodness of others and amplify their negatives.

What’s the Value of Loyalty? How much value does God place on loyalty?

1. Loyalty is the basis of our entry into

His presence (Psalm 15:1 & 4).

2. It’s so important to God that He values, honours & defends it • Value – We see this with Jephtah (Judges 11:35).

• Honour – We see this with Mordecai (Esther 2:21; Prov. 21:21) • Defend – We see this in the case of Uriah (2Sam. 11:11, Matt. 1:6) God continued to refer to Bathsheba as Uriah’s wife and not David’s Even when the person to whom you’re loyal fails to recognise it, God does recognise it and will honour you for your loyalty.

James 4:4 – God hates disloyalty/treachery in any form. He’s against you betraying the trust of someone you’re meant to be loyal to.

Loyalty is part of God’s character, which He’s infusing into us & it’s meant to be part of every Christian’s DNA. Dr. Iruofagha James is the founding pastor, Glory Christian Ministries, Odo-Olowo Street, Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, Ijeshatedo, Lagos. www.isjames.org Tel: 08060599144

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Interview

‘Our vision is for NSML to be change agent in Nigeria’s shipping industry’ Temilola Okesanjo is the managing director of NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML). In this interview with AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE, he shares his vision for NSML, which he believes will influence the growth of Nigeria’s shipping business. He also spoke on the need for Nigeria to develop an action plan that would ensure that Nigeria and her ship owners get value from crude oil shipping.

Tell us your experience from being a cadet to becoming a master mariner.

What should be done to address the manpower supply gap in Nigeria’s maritime industry? here is a manpower supply gap in Nigeria’s maritime sector. I always say that “Things just don’t happen; people make things happen”. If you do not deliberately make things to happen, they will never happen. There was a time in this country when the Nigerian government, under the auspices of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) believed that the maritime industry was very important and it was a good destination for foreign investments.

At the time, government decided it was going to involve itself in the training and development of maritime manpower.

That was how a lot of Nigerian cadets and mariners were developed. Subsequently, the government established a nautical college in Oron- now the Nigerian Maritime Academy (MAN) Oron, to train cadets; and this was as far back as 1982.

Afterwards, government directed NNSL and other shipping companies to train cadets and the first set of cadets were recruited by the Federal Ministry of Transport, to show example to the shipping companies that they were serious in helping to develop the maritime sector.

Having seen that government was serious about the policy, these shipping companies agreed and sent cadets they recruited to the college to complete their training. This was how myself and several others, who were recruited, were trained by NNSL. We were given solid relevant training for three years. The school at the time was managed by United Nations under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and they had foreign lecturers.

Then, it was considered best to study in Nigerian universities while others who couldn’t secure admission go abroad.

When NNSL, with the help of the Federal Government, bought an additional 14 to 15 vessels, they were able to man those ships without having to employ foreigners.

The NNSL was one of the biggest shipping lines in the world at that time with almost 24 ships but unfortunately things went south after the military coup. A military administrator was then appointed as the managing director of NNSL, a clear contrast to predecessors who were seasoned maritime professionals.

T

Can you tell us about Maritime Centre of Excellence and how it can complement manpower development in Nigeria?

Maritime Center of Excellence (MCOE) is something that captures everything we do at the moment, in the context of bringing value to Nigeria and NLNG. By the time the fortunes of NNSL started to ebb, some of us who were mid career had to go abroad to look for job while some of us had to take up more trainings through self-sponsorship. I came back and joined Texaco Overseas Limited (TOPCON) and later moved to Mobil Producing Limited before joining Lamnalco Overseas to manage the Pilotage & Marine SBM activities for Shell Forcados Terminal in Nigeria and

Temilola Okesanjo

Shell Mina Al Fahal Terminal in OMAN. Thereafter, I came back to join Nigeria LNG Ltd (NLNG) as Head of Shipping Operations in April, 1999.

I joined NLNG when activities were being put in place to commence shipping of LNG and NGL cargoes/commencement of operations. I looked at what the founding fathers of NLNG had done within the context of shipping capacity requirements.

They had bought four ships from shipyards that had them built for another project that never worked out. They borrowed money to buy them as far back as 1990 which was almost nine years before the actual project took off. This meant that NLNG had foresight; a dream to completely have

This means that we produced the LNG and delivered it to buyers using our ships on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) in order to get the shipping value and be in complete control

full control over the entire value chain of the project.

This means that we produced the LNG and delivered it to buyers using our ships on Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) in order to get the shipping value and be in complete control. Imagine, if the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which since 1960 has been shipping 2 million barrels of oil every day, was using NNPC owned ships. Imagine how many Nigerians would have been employed?

How much would have accrued as revenue because as we speak, Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) has brought dollar benefits to NLNG from its shipping business.

So, with this foresight, I started to pursue this vision of the founding fathers because I believed that the essence of being in NLNG was to add positive value to what already exists. To that effect, I started by re-activating the process of Nigerianisation of the fleet because I believed that Nigerians could man and manage those ships successfully.

The Nigerianisation project started in 1992 after the purchase of the ships and certain number of cadets was recruited.

Today, we have developed captains, superintendent and managers to succeed us. They are manning positions not only in BGT but in a subsidiary, NSML, that was set up to look after the activities of manning and managing ships & marine terminals.

During Nigerianisation, we developed our people to take over those core technical aspects of managing ships, which foreigners were hitherto doing for us.

When, I joined the company, Shell was doing those things for us. The first thing was to take over the commercial activities and later the technical activities with the support of Shell. We had agreement with Shell and developed the first ship management knowledge transfer agreement (SMKTA), but we couldn’t take off until we developed our people to become captains and superintendents (operations and technical superintendents). Thereafter, we later got the licence to manage ships- the Document of Compliance (DOC).

How many ships do you have in your fleet?

Nigeria LNG Limited charters ships, meaning that we go to ship owners to secure shipping capacity on a long-term basis.

What NLNG has also done is to own a shipping company called Bonny Gas Transport (BGT) which we manage.

Today, BGT has 13 LNG carriers. We started with four carriers and later, another two were brought in and chartered to NLNG. As we went into the construction of Train 3 to expand NLNG’s production capacity, we built three new LNG carriers.

With Trains 4 and 5, we required eight LNG carriers to carry the products to buyers. At that time, the decision was to charter half of that shipping capacity required from BGT and the other half from a third party shipping company. That was how BW Gas was able to supply four brand new LNG carriers to NLNG while BGT supplied four additional LNG carriers.

As we went into Train 6, six additional

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Interview

Development reporting and hysteria journalism Continued from back page the report. That is one of the reasons 234Next is no longer with us today. Business models that do not rely on the patronage networks of a corrupt political and business class are best for publications that want to do good work in this area.

LNG carriers, including four from BW Gas and two from NYK, were also chartered.

So, we had three major companies chartering LNG carriers to NLNG, that is 13 LNG Carriers from BGT, eight LNG Carriers from BW Gas and two LNG carriers from NYK, making a total of 23 LNG carriers.

Not long ago, we decided to replace six old BGT LNG carriers (BGT Plus Project), which we started with at the commencement of operation of Trains 1 & 2 in 1999.

These six old LNG Carriers were about 125,000 cubic metres capacities each.

We replaced them with 178,000 cubic metres capacity LNG Carriers of Dual Fuel Diesel Electric engine- latest technology.

Today, NLNG has 23 LNG carriers, which includes six brand new DFDE LNG carriers.

One of the things that we did during the construction of the carriers, hitherto done by foreigners, was to develop capacity inhouse. At the end, the supervision of the construction of the six new LNG carriers was done and completed by Nigerian site engineers, which also grew our capacity.

On the financial part of things, we also evolved. Formerly, when BGT wanted to borrow money to buy carriers, it had to rely on NLNG’s collateral. But BGT, on its own and based on its asset, was able to collateralise the investment to the tune of $1.6 billion for the purchase of purchasing the six brand new LNG carriers.

The next thing after BGT was to have a company that will provide all the shipping support to BGT & NLNG respectively. We have progressed that and BGT ships and NLNG Marine Terminal in Bonny are now fully managed by NLNG Ship Management Limited (NSML).

As the newly appointed managing director of NSML, what plans and visions do you have for the company going forward?

The good thing about NSML is the fact that it has become a very important pillar in Nigeria’s shipping industry. Today, it is the only outfit that manages ships in Nigeria; I mean highly technical ships like LNG carriers. NSML manages all the marine terminal activities of NLNG and it is also the only outfit that manages a terminal in the country. Our vision is to make NSML an engine for positive revolution in Nigeria’s shipping industry, positively influencing the growth of shipping industry.

NSML manages the Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCOE), which I refer to as the first maritime research institute in Nigeria.

MCOE is one of the many positive outcomes of building the six new LNG carriers under the BGT Plus Project. One of the outcomes was exporting paints from Nigeria to South Korea by two Nigerian companies for all the painting works on the ships, a first in the history of these companies. Electric cables were also produced in Nigeria and shipped to South Korea for the purpose of constructing those ships. Others include the export of furniture, anodes and about training of about 600 Nigerians in various

aspects of ship construction activities.

One of the Nigerian content benefits in that project was the supply of simulators for training & upgrading of Maritime Manpower.. They were worth about four million United States Dollars. This was how MCOE came into being. The centre can support the design and construction of ships. It can simulate port and channel development and has all the facilities for vessel traffic monitoring system. We don’t just have simulators, we have trained people who operate and manage the simulators.

We support the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and even NIMASA and we are thinking of helping to complete professional development of some cadets that NIMASA is training in order to ensure that they are fully skilled. We want to give them the opportunity to become exactly what they dreamt of becoming. So, if you look at MCOE as an engine of revolution, NSML will be the outfit upon which MCOE will take up this position in Nigeria’s shipping industry. That’s our vision.

You talked about NLNG trading its LNG products on CIF while the NNPC is still trading Nigerian crude on Free on Board (FoB) basis. This has created a situation where the involvement of Nigerian ship owners in crude oil lifting remains low. Is the country actually occupying its pride of place in terms of Nigerian ship owners participating actively in the industry?

In NLNG, our business model was to create value along the chain and we believed that we can also get value by owning the means of delivering the cargo we produced- the NLNG chartered carriers.

This gives NLNG the opportunity to control the ships’ entire value chain and thus derive more value.

For this purpose, NLNG set up its shipping company and trained people to manage ships belonging to BGT. The value derived from owning a shipping company is different from the value derived from using chartered ships. Apart from earning money from charter of the ships to NLNG, owning ships enable you to make use of your own people, thereby creating jobs for Nigerian seafarers. That was why I told myself that the decision of our founding fathers to own ships would not die under my watch.

It was also why I took it upon myself to convince the shareholders to replace the six old ships.

Therefore, as a nation, we must ask ourselves if we have plans to get value for selling crude oil. If you go to other oil nations like Iran, Kuwait and so on, they have ships for lifting their crude oil. These nations know exactly what they want to derive from the business of selling crude oil. It is never too late for us. The good thing about Nigeria is that we are not short of capable hands. We just need to deliberately seek for and efficiently deploy these capable hands, such as to be able to unleash their full potential to the advantage of Nigeria.

Entertainment or real news?

There is another aspect to this. And that is the prevalence of news as entertainment that is sweeping the globe. It would seem as if people are more interested in Big Brother Nigeria, the English Premier League or following the lives of their favorite celebrities. So, there is this tension: can the serious, in-depth reporting necessary for good developmental journalism break through our increasingly cluttered digital lives? Even reputable media outlets abroad seem to move more and more toward tabloid-ism, in response to the tastes of their audience.

It is important to note here that the digital space is significantly different from the written word, and news outlets hoping to make an impact will have to deliver their information in ways that are effective. We have seen media outlets move toward the use of short videos and infographics in recent times, to get their message across.

Hysteria journalism Closely linked to the entertainment quotient ofjournalismwehavetoday,ishysteriajournalismwhichseekstoplayonthelatentprejudices ofreaders.Thishastheeffectofreducingpublic discourse to a shouting match and leaving the public less informed. Let us be clear: hysteria journalism is a reflection of our country and the magnified fault lines that exist in it today. The destructive tone and divisive rhetoric of Nigeria’s political class is what is largely responsible for hysteria journalism in Nigeria today.

One of the most common examples in these parts is the recent controversy over a socalled “looters list” of allegedly corrupt past government officials and party functionaries of the past PDP-led government and the response of the PDP. This is one example of how, instead of doing the serious institutional and procedural reforms necessary to reduce corruption, our politicians play political football with corruption and feed the hysteria mode of journalism that dominates our society today.

There exists a loud and constant cacophony of divisive and bellicose threats, counter-threats and allegations that create much heat in the societal fabric but very little light.

The discussion on the removal of subsidies in 2012 was a seminal moment. While it is true that the communication around the removal was less than perfect, the narrative that keeping subsidies was a good idea was always wrong. The discussion should have centered on how to repurpose the funds to subsidize production instead. Years later, the oil price crash has exposed the folly of this position.

In the West, hysteria against immigrants is drivenbyright-wingmedia.Accordingtothem, theimmigrantstaketheirjobsandareouttoreplace them, when all available evidence shows that they contribute significantly to the economies of their new countries. The narrow win by the pro-Brexit campaign in the UK was driven in part by this, as well as a marked tightening of immigrationopportunitiesintheUnitedStates.

Theworldweliveinisverycomplex,withmany variables. Good developmental journalism cannot afford to be ignorant of this.

Investing in journalists I cannot talk about developmental journalism without talking about the journalists themselves. Before journalists can carry out their role as watchdogs effectively, they need to have capacity. Typically, Nigerian journalists used to be highly regarded in society. People like the late, great Dele Giwa of Newswatch made the profession appealing to many. That is hardly the case today. Journalism in Nigeria

has become a profession where you are not guaranteed the basics. The working conditions of many journalists in Nigeria are appalling. They are not given the support they need.

In many outlets, journalists go for months without pay, while their bosses live large. The result is that the media becomes real estate to be bought by the highest bidder, because people have to feed their families. The truth is that much, though certainly not all, of what appears in news media in Nigeria today is paid for. In this state of affairs, journalism does not perform a public good, and it cannot serve developmental ends.

Before journalists can even educate others, they must also be educated. What is the financial literacy level of journalists who cover finance and economic topics? What’s the science and technology literacy of the journalists who cover those topics? If most media houses find it difficult to pay their staff, how would they be able to invest in their staff to upgrade their knowledge of their respective beats?

Every day, new information is being created, and it is so easy to get left behind. It would now fall on a highly motivated journalist to educate himself or herself.

The result of this current landscape is the inability of the Nigerian journalist to inform the public, be at the forefront of social transformation, and hold the powerful accountable. Everyone loses. The Nigerian journalist exists within the Nigerian state, and unfortunately cannot rise above the average level of his or her environment. It would be unfair to demand this.

My vision for the Nigerian media That is why we need a new elite led by a worldview that is focused on ensuring that Nigeria can fulfill its potential. Nigeria needs to become a worldview state. Only then can journalism in Nigeria play a developmental role, in line with that worldview.

Without an overarching worldview, what happens is what we have at present: several smaller views holding sway in various parts of the country. These narrow worldviews are driven by ethnic and religious considerations, and most importantly, corruption and a lust for power.

My vision for the Nigerian media is as a creator and promoter of a national philosophical worldview that permeates all aspects of our national life. This will reduce and even eliminate the various ethnic instabilities in our society. For a period of time in the 1970s, Nigeria appeared driven by a worldview: that of being a bellwether country for Sub-Saharan Africa, and actively supporting the fight against apartheid as well as other liberation movements in Southern Africa. However, this assured posture in the foreign policy arena masked a lack of economic strength that was quickly exposed by the decline of oil prices in the early 80s.

All the greatest countries in the world are driven by their worldviews, which are actively promoted by their media. The US, China, Russia, and others all have well-funded and highly sophisticated media outlets that promote national unity at home, and project soft power abroad.

There is no reason at all why Nigeria cannot do the same. The NTA used to be the home of great programs, and many of the first wave of Nollywood actors were trained by the NTA. Its decline is a prime example of how rudderless our elite have become. We aim to play a leadership role on the continent and even globally, while the government owned media, like many other things owned by government, is basically moribund.

It is my hope that in the coming years, the lot of the Nigerian journalist will improve due to the type of people who will finance media outlets; a new kind of Nigerian elite who understand the realities of our time and are prepared to use their resources to create and promote strategic national goals.

Thank you very much.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Interview ‘Our products are changing the face of aviation industry’

ABDULMUMEEN ABDULKAREEM is the rector and chief executive of International Aviation College, Ilorin, Kwara State. In this interview with SIKIRAT SHEHU, he speaks on how the college is waxing strong in spite of challenges confronting it and advocates for a student loan scheme and massive investment in the aviation sector.

G

ive us an overview of the International Aviation College, Ilorin.

The International Aviation College (IAC) was established in 2012 by the government to train aviation professionals.

With the support of the board and of course the current governor, Abdulfattah Ahmed, and Bukola Saraki, and the support of people like Razaq Atunwa, the school continues to prosper. We have as our students men of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, and the joint ventures. The college is the only school in Africa that has all the three armed forces of one country doing one training or the other with it or having a joint venture. We have graduated over 100 students in different categories as pilots, from Private Pilot Licence (PPL), Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), and Multi Engine Licence (MEL).

Apart from the armed forces, we have global companies willing to collaborate with us to tap into the West African market. IAC is the only training institution in the West African sub- region that is a one-stop training organisation.

We have both helicopter training and the fixed wing. We also have other supporting services, fly dispatchers, technician courses as well as maintenance courses. We have come a long way and we still have a long way to go. So, IAC is waxing stronger and it is an icon for Kwara. The school has gone beyond imagination; we only pray that the support we have been getting from regulating authorities, particularly the Nigerian Civil

tion Authority, you will notice they are competent. They just finished audits – UN audit, FA audit – and they are passing all of them. So, if you have key professionals that believe in the continuation of safety awareness and promotion in crucial areas, that should be the result, you do not expect anything less. But if you just put people that are not up to the task, you cannot expect sanity in the industry. Although nobody is perfect, we will continue to do better as we grow.

How can government assist aviation training institutes?

Aviation Authority, continues. They have been giving us tremendous support; otherwise, we will not be able to survive. I will also commend Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, who has always been there for IAC. Does that mean there are no challenges confronting your college?

Yes, we have our problems. We are managing, but we do not rely 100 percent on government funds.

Whenever we are in difficulty, government supports us and there is a return on investment. Our challenge is always funding like you have in any other business in Nigeria. It is just like going to a river full of crocodiles and finally coming out of it. What you will be concerned with is to continue your journey without remembering what you encountered. We all have challenges; we often try to surmount them because aviation business is not cheap. It is capital-

intensive and the profit margin is not like a bag of rice. It is less than 3 percent, but by the time it comes in, the return is good.

Is siting of the college in Kwara State capital a blessing?

Kwara State has created an enabling environment for the institution to thrive. The college is blossoming. Again, Kwara State University is collaborating with us. The university offers Eurospace Engineering. The graduate will come out with Maintenance Engine Licence issued by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Multinational companies want to base. There is some base training they will be doing and we should be doing too. We are saving Nigeria foreign exchange by positioning the school here. So, they will pay in naira and it will remain in this country and you save money from sending people overseas. All what we are looking for are investors.

Since I came in as chief executive and with the support of my chairman, we have increased the assets value from what the government initially put in place. Earlier, government had put four aircraft on ground, two multi engines, and two single engines. After that, through revenue generated and support of the government, we have been able to add three more aircraft without resorting to public funds. You will see the building that government fixed initially. And more is coming.

There is another hanger there that we built for helicopter through a joint venture between us and Nigerian Navy. Even if government decides to divest today, the capital and assets that are there

now are more than what was put in before, both in monetary value and non-monetary value.

What does it take to train and become a pilot?

The individual must be at least 16 years of age, but before you can get a licence, you must be 17 years. The course is for about 18 months for full commercial licence. Monetarily, it is expensive but affordable to some people.

Our products are in Arik Air, Medview and other airlines that are active now. As part of my training as an instructor, I do post-training evaluation after certain years. I go to the field and let them know that the people there are my products. I ask about their performance to understand if it is good enough or needs to be upgraded.

If banks give loans to students like it is done anywhere in the world, people will be able to obtain the level of education they want. I see no reason why I should pay N10 million, even if I have it, for my education. It would have been better to get a grant or student loan and pay by instalment. By the time you finish, you will have been paying while working. One thing with aviation is that if you finish the course as a pilot, I guarantee you in two years you will pay whatever loan you have taken.

In your view, is Nigerian aviation on course?

It is on course, especially with the current government. Look at the minister now; he is hardworking and a professional. If you look at the people he put as heads of parastatals, particularly in the Civil Avia-

More of our products are being employed as pilots than any other in this country. The issue now is investment in the business environment. See how many airlines that were there; see how many airlines that have shut down. So, it depends on how many airlines available.

People are now going outside the East. China is open and you may not know how many Nigerians that are working there. You don’t know how many people work in Dubai as pilots. The industry needs massive investment. Governor Abdulfatah always says that the government is not in the business of doing business, which is true. The government is in the business of creating an enabling environment for its citizens and investors in a fair-play ground.

What are your plans for future?

Our plan for future is to produce high-skilled professionals and in the next two years, you will see the face of IAC changing. This place is hope for West Africa and probably the world. I told you global companies want to partner with us because the West African market is underutilised. How many pilots do you have in Ghana, all the way to Senegal? So which one is easier and cheaper for you? We have the ECOWAS coming to join us. The Air Force just trained two Liberians and they graduated some days back. You can see the impact of the collaboration. I want to thank the chiefs of naval staff, army staff and all the service chiefs as they believe in Nigeria. Of course, our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, made it happen. He is a visionary man, and his vision is what they are implementing. Buy Nigeria, do Nigeria by investing in us, and collaborate with us. We are making things happen.

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Politics Mace theft: I mistook invaders for terrorists, herdsmen, militants - Akpabio OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja

T

he last is yet to be heard about last week’s theft of Sena t e m a c e by armed thugs suspected to be loyalists of the suspended senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege.

Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has disclosed that he mistook the invaders for members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Th e d e v e l o p m e n t comes as a lawmaker has revealed why they were mostly clad in Babaringa (flowing gown) to plenary on Thursday, a day after the incident.

Speaking in Abuja at the just-concluded Emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State described the incident as a failed coup.

In a daring move on Wednesday last week, thugs suspected to be loyalists of the suspended All Progressives Congress (APC) senator had invaded the hallowed chambers of the Senate, disrupted plenary and stole the mace in broad daylight.

The thugs barged their way through the door of the chamber, overpowered the security agents including sergeant-atarms, carted away the mace, ran into three waiting vehicles and zoomed off.

Akpabio, who commended the heroism displayed by PDP senators, told party members that something untoward could have happened had lawmakers not exhausted everything on the Order Paper for that day.

According to him, the master-stroke was insistence of lawmakers to continue plenary and emergence of spare mace to salvage the situation.

He said: “If we (ProSaraki lawmakers) had walked out of the Senate without sitting, I don’t know what would have

Godswill Akpabio

happened because the entirety of the whole thing looked like a coup. It is possible that the mace could have dropped from the roof after we left. And there could have been another sitting because the reality is that we had already formed a quorum and we had not yet adjourned and so everybody decided that there was no need to leave. We all sat down there until the former Deputy Senate President’s second mace, Senator (Ibrahim) Mantu, was brought.

“And that was classic because I was taken aback by the statesmanship. I did not know that in every situation, there is always redundancy and a game plan. It was fantastic.

“If you notice, I am still suffering from the trauma. I have not yet recovered because the way they came, we don’t know if they were Boko Haram, militants from Niger Delta looking for me or herdsmen. The situation was very frightful and it was unfortunate that it was captured live.

So the entire world was watching”.

A source at the National Assembly revealed that the invasion was meant to cow Pro-Saraki sena-

tors to run away, for the eventual impeachment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and election of new Presiding Officers.

Saraki was attending the Spring Meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, United States of America when the incident occurred.

The source in Saraki’s office who did not want his mentioned because he was not authorised to do so, said the plot to disrupt Senate proceedings had been on for some time.

“The Pro-Buhari senators actually planned to execute their plan last

month when the Senate President was on his way to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Geneva, Switzerland from Lagos. Pro-Saraki senators immediate discovered that there was a plan to arrest Ekweremadu on trumped up charges. And ensure the election of their own Presiding Officers.

“The flight was already on its way from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos when they communicated with the aircraft to land in Abuja and the trip was eventually aborted,” the source told BDSUNDAY. Also speaking on the

If we (Pro-Saraki lawmakers) had walked out of the Senate without sitting, I don’t know what would have happened because the entirety of the whole thing looked like a coup. It is possible that the mace could have dropped from the roof after we left

development, a lawmaker who witnessed the invasion told our correspondent that most of them wore Babaringa (flowing gown) to plenary on Thursday, a day after the incident, concealing arms.

This, he said, was for self-defence in the light of the daring attack and the embattled lawmaker’s insistence to force his way to the Senate chamber.

“We came prepared on Thursday. We hid our a r m s i n Ba b a r i n g a t o match the thugs fire-forfire. We didn’t want to be taken unawares,” the South-South PDP senator who was clad in a flowing gown and spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent.

In an exclusive interview with BDSUNDAY, Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf ( A P C , Ta r a b a S t a t e) called for proper investigation into the matter.

He said: “I am embarrassed. It is an abuse of democracy and democracy is based on rule of law. So, my suggestion is that the leadership of the Senate should sit down, have a meeting and come out with resolutions that they can put to us at the Senate. But my personal opinion is that it shouldn’t have happened at all. I suggest we do a thorough

investigation on why it happened and then take a decision”.

On his part, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary when the incident occurred, regretted that the development could have serious impact on foreign direct investments into the country.

According to him, the attack on the Senate on Wednesday was another lesson on the need to rethink the nation’s security structure.

Ekweremadu spoke when he received the leadership of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) which paid a solidarity visit to the Senate.

He said: “It is an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community for someone to drive all the way into the National Assembly Complex, enter the hallowed chamber, and cart away its symbol of authority.

“It shows a breakdown of security and it is a setback to Nigeria’s drive for foreign investment because no one would be ready to invest money in such a system. So, it is a lesson that we cannot keep doing the same thing with our security system and expect a different result.

“It is also an irony that the people involved would organise armed bandits to rob the Senate of its mace since they understand the implication of what they have done.

“As a parliament, we will ensure that this does not happen again and insist that all the actors behind the drama are brought to book”.

He enjoined the Association to help the nation to rethink its governance and security structures in line with other federal systems.

As the 2019 general elections draw near, political analysts hope that the National Assembly Management and security men guarding the institution would draw from the lessons of the attack and prevent a repeat.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Politics How we have elevated governance in Mkpat Enin LG, by Akwa Ibom Council Boss Ekanem Brown is the chairman, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and has recently completed the first 100 days in office. In this interview with ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, he speaks on various issues, including his major achievements and how he intends to transform the economic landscape of the area. Excerpts: You recently celebrated your first 100 days in office; why was it so significant; was there any of your campaign promises you were able to fulfill within the period? efore coming in, I made promises; I know the problem of my people. Number one was that I needed to grow their economy.

Like I said, I came from a private sector, I know what I mean, I know what capital flight is; you bring one million naira to the council then, the whole money is taken out. So I decided that we would make do with what we have. They had started a shoe factory, but it was never completed by two administrations. I went there, opened it, completed the building, installed more machines, did the wirings, engaged the consultants, they came in, and as I speak today, we have the most equipped shoe factory in the entire Niger Delta. The shoe I am wearing now was produced by the factory- Cortina fashion, military boots; shoes, etc. all kinds of shoes. We are planning to launch back Cortina so, the most conspicuous products in our factory will be, the military boot and Cortina fashion shoes, not that we could not do other shoes, but being a new factory, we need to go into products that has market in the terms of volume. We have recruited up to thirty people. I just came back from Jos the other day where I went to see the manager of Naraguta leather works. They are to supply us with quality leather. I was so excited when I heard that the governor was about to start a ranch either in Uruan, Akwa Ibom State, where they will produce milk, beef and skin, we would need that. When they start, we will be the off takers that would need the skin to produce fine quality leather. So we hope to bring back Cortina; very soon you would see shoes made in Akwa Ibom.

are acquiring these experiences that they would use, and this is not something you can quantify. So please investors should come into Mkpat Enin, and you can be sure that you will have high returns on investments.

B

Mkpat Enin Local Government is blessed with an arable land, do you see any economic potential to harness through this?

Agriculturally, Mkpat Enin is located in an area where almost everything grows. Arable soil, I had done the research before coming in. Anything grows; tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, cassava, lettuce, coconut, palm trees etc. So I decided that when I come into power, I would set up factories, production lines for red oil. I have currently discussed with bank of industries on that. The production line for coconut oil to support what the governor is doing in my Local Government, and also production line for packaged plantation meal, we want to start packaging plantain for sale. So, we are currently cultivating seven hectares of land, we are planting in a section; cucumber, another tomatoes and pepper. Why? It will create jobs for the youth.

Currently, I have employed 27 people. It will be additional source of revenue for the council; everybody goes home happily. We have acquired 150 hectares of land that will be used to cultivate ginger, plantain and cocoa. So I am here, to key into the governor’s industrialisation drive, to see that his five point agenda to the state is followed to the letter, to see that we put the people first, that is paramount, and that is my slogan.

Whatever decision I take in the council, it is

Ekanem Brown

to see that the people’s interest is paramount come what may. So I’m here to let you know that this is what we have achieved so far, the future is so bright. In the future, we will be making millions of naira. As I am speaking to you, people are coming in for the cucumber.

In the next 3-weeks, we will make close to 12-million naira, can you imagine that from just about 7 hectares, we will make such a huge revenue income. So the future is bright, we have plans to organise economic summits, to bring in investors, that is why I’m here. People in Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, West will know that we are doing these things.

People who will come and invest in Mkpat Enin should know that they have a chairman that will accommodate them, who is willing to protect them at least within my tenure and more. Recently, we sent in an execution bill to the legislature - The Public Private Partnership bill.

What does the PPP bill seek to achieve?

My being the executive chairman of the council is tenured after three years, and it will be over, but these investments need to be protected, they live beyond my tenure, so I have decided to send in this bill to the legislature, which will be passed soon. The oil mill, the plantain meal factory, the shoe factory, all of these investments need to be protected that is why I’m sending the bill. So I’m encouraging those who would want to farm, we have farm lands, very, very arable, they should come and farm. We are talking to the youth, they are seeing need not to be violent, they are beginning to see that they have alternatives, that if I can plant plantain, that if I plant 1000 suckers of plantain, in 9 months time, I should be making millions of naira. The youth are the ones involved in the farms. As I speak, some of them are already planting cucumbers in their own farms. So apart from having money and creating employments, we are also giving experience, they

On the cultivation of ginger and cucumber, have you done the feasibility study; how long will it take to harvest them?

All these crops I intend to cultivate are things I have planted or cultivated. We talked about cucumber; cucumber is 45-days. In fact, we want to have 100,000 suckers or plantain stands. There is a factory and there are people that are willing to set up four different factories to process the plantain, then extract the fluid and put it in drums and sell.

There are companies that buy these fluids as raw material for their companies. The body is used as POP. And then the inner parts when it is dry, is used to produce cartons.

So, we have companies that will produce carton, use the fluids and then those that will use the plantain, so I’m well informed about all these things and it is promising. That also answers your question on processing and packaging; yes in the long run we hope to bring in factories that will process our ginger, our ginger cannot be sold without processing. They have to be dried, milled and packaged, so yes we are planning to process all that we cultivate here in Mkpat Enin. On funding, the Local Government has allocation, apart from that, we do source for partnership.

Can your allocation accommodate all these lofty plans?

I think that is the advantage I have. I have been doing these things in the private sector, I have integrity, what you need physical cash to get, I only need words of mouth to get it, all I do is to ask, can you do this for me? You would ask when will you pay? I will mention.

It matters, you know integrity matters in business, that’s why some people get goods, come, sell and return the money, while others will go looking for money to go and buy and sell. So it’s a strategic partnership, apart from allocation its strategic partnership. I know the problem of Mkpat Enin, so I was ready, I hit the ground, I started working on zero and that’s why we have been succeeding. The only thing I tell them is that I have the support

I said when I get into the office I would ensure that everybody does their work so that we can take Mkpat Enin to the next level, it was easy talking from the outside, but when I came in, I realised that it went beyond what I thought

of my governor; how? By creating enabling environment, that is paramount.

The common scenario in local government councils across the country is the issue of decaying infrastructure; how does your council fare in this respect?

With the cooperation I enjoy from the team members; the legislature and the members of the executive, we worked tirelessly to ensure that I fulfil my campaign promises, as soon as we were sworn into office, we took steps to ensure that we have a good working environment. We hadn’t electricity for the past six or seven years in the council.

I was angry before I came to power; I was asking why people were not going to work?

Why was productivity so low? I said when I get into the office I would ensure that everybody does their work so that we can take Mkpat Enin to the next level. It was easy talking from the outside, but when I came in, I realised that it went beyond what I thought.

The staff needed to sit; I realised that there were no seats in the offices; offices were not furnished, the tables were not there, some places were leaking, no electricity.

Coming from the private sector, I was sick; I felt so bad that humans could work under such work environment; I wasn’t happy about it. Do you know that the council had no computer, they were using manual typewriters, and this is an ICT consultant, before coming to office, I was building software, I have more than four universities running and then the office I was coming into hadn’t one functional computer. It was so sad. So I thought it wise to first of all make the working environment healthy. I had to discuss with PHEDCO (Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company); they came and told us we were owing them millions of naira. Meanwhile, Governor Udom Emmanuel is building a sub-station in Mkpat Enin. Very soon Mkpat Enin Local Government and its neighbouring Local Government Areas will have 24-hour power supply, I wouldn’t want my council to be in the dark. As I speak with you, we have power in Mkpat Enin Local Government council and the neighbouring villages resulting from that discussion. I came into the office and there was no water in the council at all and this is a council that harbours a health centre, so how are they functioning without water?

Incidentally, there were boreholes sunk already in the council, though not functioning.

So it was just a matter of reactivating them.

So I bought the pumping machine, pipes, hosts, tanks and behold three-boreholes were reactivated. Another question was; in the absence of Electricity supply what do we do? There were generators but they were already dilapidated and vandalised. I wanted to buy a new one, but as at that time we did not have the means to do that, so we came back and fix it, though it wasn’t a good choice, today we have a 40KVA generator working; not just that, we also have a 165KVA plant, I had to fix that because of a shoe factory we were proposing then. The 165KVA plant had not been in use for 12years, you know what that means, not just that, I had to also fix the transmission line back to where we have the shoe factory.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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Politics

2019 governorship race and Nsima Ekere’s dilemma ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo

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he Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere has had everything working for him almost throughout his entire life. He was the deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State and has served on the board of blue chip companies in Akwa Ibom and outside the state.

He was deputy governor when Godswill Akpabio, now senate minority leader, was governor.

Though his tenure ended abruptly when he threw in the towel citing personal reasons, he has since moved on with his life, defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) when he could not secure the nomination of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.

Luckily for him, he got rewarded by the Federal Government as he was appointed the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Some people assume that by that position he is the ‘governor of nine states’ that make up the Niger Delta catchment area and sitting on an annual budget of over N400 billion.

Ekere, who was recently conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), is known to be nursing a governorship ambition in 2019 and his close admirers say that this appears to be the golden moment he has been waiting for, but he faces a huge dilemma.

According to them, he has the war chest and the support from the centre, which could mean that he might be enjoying the protection of the federal might.

The fear being nursed by many of his supporters is that in the event he loses his bid, even though he is yet to make a formal declaration, the possibility of going back to his post at the NDDC. Some analysts believe that the opportunity to develop the entire region far outweighs that of being a governor of one state of the region. But his supporters think otherwise.

The odds are against him Ekere is from Akwa Ibom South senatorial district where Governor Udom Emmanuel comes from. He is from Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State which is not far from Onna Local Government where Udom hails from.

According to the political arrangement entered into by the key stakeholders in the state, each senatorial district of the state has to take a shot at the governorship position for two-terms. They argue that if

Nsima-Ekere

Ekere were to contest and wins, his victory would distort the arrangement, thus denying Akwa Ibom north east the opportunity to take over the governorship of the state in 2023 when the two term tenure of Udom would have expired. Protagonists of this argument say that since former Governor Akpabio who hails from Akwa Ibom north west senatorial district had completed his two terms, it should be fair and justified for Udom who is from Akwa Ibom south senatorial district to also complete his second term, adding that bringing another candidate would deny Akwa Ibom north east the opportunity to produce the next governor having not held such a post for more than 16 years.

Based on this argument, Ekere’s political base is restricted to a few groups in some local government areas of the state.

For the people of Akwa Ibom North West, should Ekere win, it might throw the political arrangement into the dustbin of history thus denying them the opportunity to ever produce the governor of the state in future.

This may have been the import of the recent defection of a high profile APC chieftain, Sunny Udom to the PDP. Udom was the director-general of the governorship campaign

organisation of Umanah Okon Umanah, the APC governorship candidate in the 2015 election, and his defection to the PDP is seen as a blow to the APC in that senatorial district.

Sunny Udom hails from Akwa Ibom north east and it is the thinking of many in that senatorial districts that it would

If Akwa Ibom north east and Akwa Ibom north west senatorial districts have pledged to support the incumbent governor for a second term, and the governor comes from Akwa Ibom south senatorial district, the question then is “where would Ekere garner his votes to win the governorship election in 2019?”

be proper to return Governor Udom for a second term by giving him a block vote in 2019.

When the Senate minority leader raised issues about his senatorial district not being fairly treated by the present administration and the contentious issues were later resolved, they promised that the entire vote of the district would be for Governor Udom Emmanuel. If Akwa Ibom north east and Akwa Ibom north west senatorial districts have pledged to support the incumbent governor for a second term, and the governor comes from Akwa Ibom south senatorial district, the question then is “where would Ekere garner his votes to win the governorship election in 2019?”

This is second dilemma. If he decides to contest next year, that would have been the third time he is eyeing the Hilltop Mansion, the official residence of the governor of Akwa Ibom Sate.

To the credit of Governor Udom Emmanuel, he is widely perceived to have brought wide experience in the private sector to the management of the resources available in Akwa Ibom State. This is seen in the prompt payment of salary to workers and the settlement of pensions to retirees. The governor has also been able to attract many industries to the state including the Syringe Factory and Metering Solution Company

which were inaugurated by vice president last year.

Besides, much attention is paid to road infrastructure across the three senatorial districts as well as many internal roads within Uyo metropolis. With all the major stakeholders endorsing the governor including religious leaders, Ekere might be facing an uphill task in his gubernatorial ambition.

Born in 1965, he attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from where he graduated with a B.Sc. Honours Degree in Estate Management in 1986 after his secondary education at Regina Coeli College, Essene, Ikot Abasi, and completing same at Mary Knoll College Ogoja, Cross River State. He had a brief stint at The Polytechnic, Calabar, between 1981 and 1982.

He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (FNIVS); Registered Member, Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria, ESVRBN; Senior Certified Valuer, International Real Estate Institute, IREI, Minnesota, His political career began in December 1997 when he contested and won election into the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly during the Abacha Transition on the platform of the Grassroots’ Democratic Movement (GDM).

But he could not be inaugurated before Abacha died in June 1998 and that transition was aborted.

At the start of the Abubakar transition, he joined the PDP and played a part in the politics of the state till he emerged as the deputy governor on May 29, 2011. He resigned on personal grounds on October 31, 2012.

Prior to joining the public sector, Ekere was the Principal Partner of Ekere and Associates, a firm of estate valuers and real estate development consultants with offices in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja and Uyo, which he started in 1993.

In 1989, he set up Gassons Nigeria Limited, an indigenous anti-corrosion, environmental, fabrication/maintenance engineering company.

In March 2008, Ekere joined the public service for the first time when he was appointed Executive Chairman of Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, the investments and industrial promotions’ arm of the Akwa Ibom State Government.

He also served simultaneously as Chairman of Ibom Power Company, the independent power generating company owned by Akwa Ibom State.

Before his emergence as deputy governor, Ekere represented government’s interest on the board of many companies, including Universal Energy Resources Limited, Anchor Insurance and was also on the board of the Voice of Nigeria (VON).

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Sunday 22 April 2018

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BDSUNDAY 25

Politics

Politics

Tinubu undecided about Buhari’s second term bid – Ogunleye ABIODUN OGUNLEYE served briefly as deputy governor of Lagos State under the Bola Tinubu administration.

In this interview with INIOBONG IWOK, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and close ally of Tinubu, assesses the state of the nation, the Buhari administration, among other issues.

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igerians are of the view that the APC/Buhari administration has failed to fulfil its campaign promises so far. How do you react?

The damage started in 1960 when we got independence.

Do you think someone can correct the problems in four years?

The people who took over the country did not know what they wanted to do with Nigeria.

Personally, I could not get higher education, so I left for the United Kingdom and came back in 1974.

At that time Nigeria, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia were at the same GDP; they are above us now because of leadership problem. Our leaders then, instead of bringing the country together, were preaching religious sentiments, tribal politics; things were not as bad as this but over the years, these countries have gone far beyond us.

Buhari has not failed. He came at a time the Niger Delta people were damaging the pipelines; the economy was in bad shape.

You want to blame him for that?

The economy was bad when he came; even if he was a magician there is no way he can change

things overnight. Some people would say the youths should take over leadership. These governors facing EFCC cases, were they not young when they were in power?

I was young when I came back from England, I stated working and was the head of my department; we did not ask our leaders to leave for us, we did our own. I don’t know what they are talking about; when you are 35 years old, you are at the middle age.

Security, fight against corruption, and the economy have been this administration’s priority. If you take corruption, if you take the economy; when he took over the Niger-Delta started damaging pipelines, those given the contract were damaging the pipelines because they were the ones protecting it. The former president was there as the vice and later as president, what did he do with the oil money? When Buhari came, the oil price was down and with the destruction of pipelines, it was not easy; you don’t expect miracle immediately with the population that we have, the income of the government reduced drastically.

Nigerians should sit down and think properly. Nigeria depends only on oil, the incomes reduced

by more than 50 percent. They say he promised change, but we would make changes with money. The priority was the economy and to shore up the naira. We have changes and it was needed and that is what the government has done; the government has done enough with the resources at its disposal.

bok girls were not taken during Buhari’s administration. I want to quote Wole Soyinka. When Buhari came in and was fighting corruption, he said, “Corruption would fight back”. The mature countries have told us that we should strengthen our institutions that fight corruption so that they could be independent, but what we have been doing is if you appoint someone there, you control the person. The government is working. Look, I heard this morning that Kwankwaso and Wamako are facing corruption charges.

Are you saying Buhari deserves a second term?

He has performed, and we believe he can do it. I would support him. We have not talked of corruption; this is the first time that top politicians are being probed in Nigeria. For a long time you could not hold leaders accountable for their actions for embezzlement. Before we develop the country, we have to hold our leaders accountable.

Are they not perceived enemies of Buhari?

It is not true that it is because they are not in good terms with the president. Buhari has said he has nothing to do with their cases.

How do you react to the incident in the Senate last week?

I watched the scenario. If you compare the APC in the federal, that is the federal lawmakers and what we have here in Lagos State, it is a different ball game.

Here there is good working relationship between the cabinet and the lawmakers. When these people were joining the party, if we knew we would have kept them back in their party.

But they helped APC and Buhari to win the 2015 election?

Buhari had always captured the north all the time he had contested in the past. If they had not joined us, he would still have won the election. As at the time he was contesting and with the situation, we did not see anyone else.

Even Nuhu Ribadu, when he left EFCC and went to the National Assembly, he said the people there were the people who had been with him in the police.

and he also said the cases were still in court. I spoke with someone close to the presidency and he said it was not wise to publish that earlier, and since they had been talking, we decided to do that.

Do you think the list of alleged looters released by the Federal Government is fair enough?

I am comfortable with the list.

If the opposition has objection, let them bring out the fact and publish it in the press. When the information minister was talking, he mentioned the names of the people and how much they took

But some individuals in the APC should have been in the list?

I don’t know the details about Rotimi Amaechi. Musliu Obanikoro came back to the APC and by law, you cannot stop people from joining parties; that is why we should be taking precaution.

You can see that Buhari is not moving so fast because of the rivalry between the lawmakers

and the executive and it is bad.

Look at what is happening in Lagos State between the governor and the lawmakers. The national budget was submitted last year and up till now nothing has been done; they are after their personal interest and saying until this person is removed as the head of this agency or board, nothing would be done. What happened shows our situation in Nigeria. When I was the chairman of AD, I said the security situation of the country could not be left in the hand of the police alone; I said there should be state police, while the federal police complement their effort. Lagos State is an example. What happened at the National Assembly is a replica of what has been happening in the country; Boko

Haram just walked in and took the Chibok girls. Look at the Dapchi girls; that is the security situation of the country.

Senators are now saying they should remove all the service chiefs. We need state police. Look at what is happening in the north; there is no education and that is the reason they can be easily indoctrinated and used for bombing.

But this cannot happen here, because our people are educated. If they come here we would say, ‘Go and use your own children; our people here are more informed’.

But Nigerians are of the view that the president has not done enough to curtail the insecurity in the country.

If that is your interpretation, the Chi-

Can you say the president has done enough for the SouthWest and would get their votes?

The South-West would vote for Buhari if he is nominated by the party. For me, in Lagos there are certain things he has done. The road from Ikorodu to Shagamu has been awarded and they almost started, but they had little hitches, and he has handed over the federal house in Marina to Lagos State and so many other things he has done. We believe that without stamping out corruption in the country we can’t move forward. Also, power has improved. We used to operate generator in my house but it has changed. Fashola said the megawatts have increased to 7,000 now, things would improve.

Rome was not built in a day.

Does it not bother the Tinubu camp that he may be used and dumped again?

Let me tell you what I know: Tinubu is our leader, he was one of the people who persuaded us to be with Buhari. We had our opinion before, especially the cancelling of the metro-line railway project when Buhari ruled as a military man; now it is economically suicidal to embark on that project. The commissioner for works then stood up and

challenged Buhari when we met with him then and Buhari said that he acted on advice. That’s the problem when people take public office and use religion and tribalism to work.

I leave you to decide if Buhari has done well for us, but we have Fashola whom he has given three ministries; Fayemi, and even Abike Dabiri are there. I can’t say we have had enough, but there are other parts of the country. People have criticised him for concentrating power in the north, but he has a right to choose those who can work closely with him. The SouthWest has got large part of appointments but some are saying that there are still PDP people in the government. Of course, if their tenure has not expired, you can’t chase them out.

So, are you sure of Tinubu’s support for Buhari’s second term bid?

Until we sit down with Tinubu and ask him that question. For now that question does not arise. And if he takes the decision to support Buhari, we would all support him; he would speak with the leaders. Do you think Tinubu is a fool? He gave us the reasons why he did not support Jonathan; he asked him to do something for Lagos which he did not do. When he is around, the issue would be decided. Bisi Akande said that the SouthWest has always been in the opposition; that it was going into an alliance with the federal for the first time and that it could also pull out if the alliance was no more favourable.

And the same Akande said some months back that there was no automatic ticket for Buhari?

Yes, that is it. Tinubu has not told us the leaders of the party here that he is supporting Buhari’s second term bid, and until he says that. The president has not even been given the ticket of the party and the guidelines are not yet out. People have been coming here to say they want to contest for Assembly, etc, and I tell them to wait for the party guidelines to be out. In the

past when the likes of Awolowo were in power, the party had to tell you to come out, but it is a different case now.

You mean with the renewed friendship between Tinubu and Buhari, he has not decided to support him?

There has not been any meeting where it was decided that we would support Buhari’s second term bid. Of course, Tinubu met him in London and they talked. But personally, I would support Buhari’s ambition. This is the first time we have a leader who is going after people who siphoned the wealth of the country. Kwankwaso and Wamako would face EFCC soon and these people are in APC.

What is your view about former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ‘Third Force’?

Obasanjo has his own opinion, but I don’t agree with him. What I read is that the third force is not a political party, but if they now want to use it to contest election, they would realise that it is a different ball game. He has criticised PDP, he was also part of them; he said if the third force seeks to contest election he would quit. If he is doing that now, let him come back to active politics. If he has third force and he is going to support the SDP, it means he is not being sincere with the country; let him come back to active politics and we know he is back. People have criticised his comment. They say it is about the pot calling kettle black, he is not being taking seriously.

But other army Generals like Babangida and Danjuma have also criticised this government.

Would that not affect Buhari’s chances?

If Buhari does not find it easy and he loses the election, that is the beauty of democracy, but Babangida and co are part of the problem of Nigeria. Look at how Babangida annulled Abiola’s election when it was adjudged one of the best in the history of the country. He said he would not publish his autobiography because nobody would read it; it tells so much about him. They keep criticizing. We don’t need to form another party. Go to Britain, they have Labour Party, Conservative and Liberal Party.

These parties have been existing for decades and they are still strong.

What is your view about the agitations for restructuring?

This is where I disagree with the president. If we don’t restructure the country, we would not move forward. When I was the chairman of AD, I said at that time that the present structure would not take us anywhere and several years after, we are still on the same issue. So that people would not go to Abuja and because of the juice money they start to misbehave. If you are in your state you can monitor what comes. Look at the judiciary, we don’t need state high courts, it is duplication. We just need a federal court of appeal that would be there for the whole country.

The Federal Government has unnecessarily too much powers and anyone who doesn’t believe in God can misuse it.

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Politics

Between ‘clamour’ for Buhari’s re-election and Nigeria’s reality NATHANIEL AKHIGBE

A

lthough several supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 general elections have renounced him ahead of 2019 due largely to what they described as his “incompetent and inept leadership”, the clamour for his second coming seems quite high among mainly his diehard fans and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who are not sure of electoral victory without Buhari’s picture on the ballot papers.

Declaring his intention to seek re-election in 2019, Buhari claimed it was in response to the call from people asking him to declare.

The reality on the ground, however, shows the contrary.

The reactions of many Nigerians, both online and offline, show a high level of disappointment with Buhari, just as the tone of discussions and debates on the electronic media is miles apart from the president’s claim.

“President Buhari has a fundamental right to seek re-election, as far as I am concerned.

But unfortunately, the president is talking re-election based on the sentiments being whipped up by his supporters, not on his achievements. This is the same Buhari who told us that he will only govern for one term, fix Nigeria’s problems and then leave office,” Dotun Hassan, president, Yoruba Youth Council Worldwide (YYCW), said in an interview with BDSUNDAY. “When he became president in 2015, he told Nigerians in South Africa that age is not on his side. He has not done what he promised but aggravated the problems he met on ground.

Under Buhari, $1 was N520,” he said.

As the political clock ticks towards 2019 and more drama unfolds, what is clear already is that despite the sentimental clamour for Buhari’s re-election, his name as a brand is no longer as it was in 2015. But what is not so clear is how opposition parties in the country will leverage on the incumbent’s identified loopholes to score vital campaign goals against him, like he too did against his predecessor in 2015.

Buhari’s three cardinal promises During the electioneering campaign that brought them to power in 2015, Buhari and his party had promised, among others, to end Boko Haram insurgency in three months, pay N5,000 monthly to 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens through a Social Welfare Programme, give one free meal (to include fruits) daily to public

primary school pupils, build an airport in Ekiti State, and revive Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State.

Barely one year into the life of the Buhari government, however, some Nigerians reviewed the administration’s promises visà-vis the reality on ground and concluded that the journey was more of promises not kept, leading to the labelling of the ruling APC as All Promises Cancelled.

The economy Despite Buhari’s juicy promises to revitalise the economy, several lower and middle-class Nigerians are today still bitter about their worsened economic situation occasioned by a debilitating recession that hit the country in 2016.

As the Buhari administration battled to lay the blame of Nigeria’s economic woes on the Goodluck Jonathan government, Charles Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), sometime last year rebuked Buhari for worsening the economy since 2015.

“Nigeria is not just in recession but in a massive economic compression; it will be a miracle for the present APC administration to return this country to the dollar size it met on May 29, 2015, if it stays for eight years, that is, till 2023.

“It is business as usual; propaganda, lies, double-speak.

Current government is fighting corruption, insecurity, but we say to them, enough of the blame game. They inherited a bad situation but they have made it several times worse,” Soludo said.

While the government has since announced the country exit from recession, many market women are still waiting to experience the reality of it all.

“There is nothing like Nigeria has left recession because things are still too costly. If there is another word more than recession, I think we should call where we are that and stop talking about being out of recession,” said a mother of five children who is a trader in Ajah axis of Lagos.

Jimoh Razaq, 55-year-old father of four, who was in the market to buy foodstuff, said the Nigerian masses are suffering now more than ever in the history of the country, adding that he went to bed the previous day with an empty stomach.

“No rice of N50 again, everything has gone up, from N100 and N200 and above. The government is only saying that Nigeria is out of recession for formality, but in reality people are hungry and some are dying out of hunger.

“Go to Agege now, many people cook soup without even crayfish inside the soup. Things are very bad under this government like no other. The govern-

Buhari

ment can tell the rich that there is no recession because it may not be really getting to them like it is getting to us. But the government cannot tell the poor of this country that there is no recession,” he told BDSUNDAY. War on corruption Several of Buhari’s supporters who had expressed belief in him to rid Nigeria of corruption are now either campaigning or contesting against him ahead of 2019 poll.

Fela Durotoye, a leading human capacity developer, and Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, an online news medium, are examples of such previous supporters who are now desperately plotting Buhari’s exit from office.

Sowore has particularly vowed to use his media influence which contributed to Buhari’s success during the 2015 presidential election to send the president packing from Aso Rock come 2019, saying that the current occupier’s incompetence and selective anti-graft war were no longer acceptable.

In a recent radio interview where he was co-guest with Adebayo Shittu, minister of communication, Sowore demanded for answers why the names of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who defected to the APC after his travail with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff, were missing from the looters’ list released by Lai Mohammed, information minister, on behalf of the Federal Government.

“We published the evidence of how Buratai bought two houses in Dubai worth N120 million; we published evidence on how Obanikoro carried N5 million to Ekiti State to rig the governorship

election in favour of PDP, and yet, these names are not on the APC’s looters’ list; even those who are in court for corruption cases are not on the list, as far as they are members of APC,” Sowore said.

“This is not fight against corruption but fight against opposition. This is not the government we supported. We will ensure that this government does not come back in 2019,” he boasted.

Although it attracted less media attention, the February 2018 reinstatement of the hitherto suspended Usman Yusuf, executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for official misconduct was a political jab on the jaws of defenders of the Buhari government.

Yusuf was suspended by Isaac Adewole, minister of health, in July 2017 following allegations of gross misconduct. A panel commissioned by the minister subsequently found Yusuf culpable of infractions that ranged from nepotism to theft of public funds.

But the Buhari government that lays claim to fighting corruption violated the civil service rules, which empower the minister to take disciplinary action against erring officials under his ministry, to reinstate the NHIS chief without due consideration to the ministerial panel which indicted him.

Yusuf’s suspension came weeks after the Senate launched investigations into his activities as the NHIS chief. The Senate had accused Yusuf of “corrupt expenditure of N292 million” which he allegedly spent on healthcare training “without recourse to any appropriate approving authority”.

The Babachir Lawal N200 million grass-cutting scandal, the Ibe Kachikwu/Maikanti Baru saga, and the reinstatement and promotion of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Presi-

dential Pension Task Team who is wanted by the EFCC and foreign security agents for alleged graft are among the several cases that portray the current corruption war as being selective.

Just in late February, Transparency International’s (TI) latest corruption perception index (CPI) concluded that corruption was getting worse in Nigeria, with data showing that Nigeria which scored 27/100 and was ranked 136th in 2016, now scores 28/100 but is ranked 148th out of 180 countries surveyed, a significant 12 places below where it was the year before.

Security While it could be argued in Buhari’s favour that his government has largely reduced the capacity of the dreaded Boko Haram, claiming that the insurgents have been “technically defeated”, the terrorists are still on rampage, only recently abducting and later returning over 100 schools girls in Dapchi, Yobe State, unchallenged, while the police and army traded blames.

A recent report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says the Boko Haram group has abducted more than 1,000 children in the northeast since 2013.

Meanwhile, other criminal activities, especially the menace of killer herdsmen, have largely gone unchecked under Buhari’s stewardship, leading to thousands of needless deaths.

“The Nigerian authorities’ response to communal violence is totally inadequate, too slow and ineffective, and in some cases unlawful. Clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Ondo and Kaduna have resulted in 168 deaths in January 2018 alone,” Osai Ojigho, Amnesty International country director, said earlier this year.

“Hundreds of people lost their lives last year, and the government is still not doing enough to protect communities from these violent clashes. Worse, the killers are getting away with murder. In 2017, 549 deaths were recorded across 14 states, while thousands were displaced,” Ojigho said.

According to him, the FG’s frequent deployment of soldiers has resulted in many cases of excessive use of force, unlawful killings and extrajudicial executions throughout the country.

“The Nigerian military is currently performing security operations in 30 out of Nigeria’s 36 states and the federal capital territory, often taking over routine policing duties.

“The government’s reliance on the military for help in handling what should be public order situations has also seriously undermined the role of the Nigerian police,” he said.

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27 Inside Lagos

Apapa chaos: Can Lagos sustain enforcement of traffic law?

JOSHUA BASSEY

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n response to pleads by traumatised residents to restore sanity to the chaotic environment, the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences, is stepping in to rid the roads in Apapa of the menace of commercial motorcycle operators also known as Okada.

Operatives of the task force, comprising regular and mobile policemen, armed with guns, were seen on Friday, raiding motorcycles in Apapa. Commercial motorcycle operations had been banned on expressways, major roads and bridges in Lagos since 2012.

The task force’s operation began four days after Governor Akinwunmi Ambode made his second visit to Apapa in about three years, and was greeted with basketful of complaints by business owners and residents who raised an alarm over the invasion of Apapa GRA by swarm of commercial motorcycle operators most of which have no registration plates.

The state government had been seen over the years to have failed to enforce its own legislation- Lagos Road Traffic Law, 2012, which outlaws

Operatives of the Lagos State Task Force, raiding motorcycles park in Apapa on Friday.

the operations of commercial motorcycles on over 300 roads and bridges within the metropolis and some semi-urban areas of the state.

The road traffic law was enacted under the administration of Babatunde Fashola.

The legislation was borne out of an urgent need to check the high rate of criminality that

was associated with the activities of motorcycle operators.

Prior to the law, hardly had a day passed without cases of robbery with motorcycles in different parts of the state.

There was also the high incidence of motorcycle accidents and resultant loss of limbs and lives.

Reports from various pub-

lic health institutions in the state in 2012 had shown an alarming rate of accidents involving motorcycles. For example, in February 2012, about 696 motorcycle accidents were recorded while in August, same year, about 646 cases were reported.

Statistics from the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, however, showed a reduction in the number of motorcycle accident victims received at the emergency section of the hospital. According to the statistics, there was a drop in the number of victims received at the hospital, from 183 between June and August, to 130 between September and November, 2012.

Obianyor Ocee, an orthopedic surgeon at the time, attributed the development to the enforcement of the road traffic law. According to Ocee, “the enforcement of the ban takes a lot of them off the roads, thereby resulting in less accidents occurring.”

“In terms of economic factors, the amount of money invested or spent in treating the patients could be saved and channelled towards other needs, Ocee had said.

These gains were, however, short-lived, as the state government soon relaxed the enforcement in late 2013 into 2014 in the build-up to the

2015 general elections. The relaxation of the enforcement was such that the Fashola administration, at the peak of the 2015 electioneering campaigns, was distributing helmets to motorcycle operators, a development that was seen as playing to the gallery thereby encouraging disobedience to the traffic law.

Many had accused the government of placing politics over and above long-term gains of saving lives and sanitising the roads as obtained in other climes.

The 11th quarterly town hall meeting hosted by Governor Ambode, at the Apapa Amusement, on Tuesday, April 17, thus provided an avenue for the upset residents of Apapa GRA to again ventilate their anger over the uncontrolled invasion of their ‘homes’ by motorcycles. According to them, Apapa is susceptible to attacks, as all manners of persons are brought in by motorcycle operators without any form of restraint.

Igho Dafinone, a resident of the Apapa GRA, who spoke at the meeting, appealed for the governor’s intervention.

He was corroborated by Oye Ayinde, another resident, who called for an immediate action to restore sanity to Apapa.

In response to the yearn-

ings of the residents, Governor had directed the security agencies especially the Lagos police command, to step up the enforcement of the road traffic law.

BD Sunday gathered that the deployment of the task force which raided the commercial motorcycles on Friday was in connection with the governor’s directive during the town hall meeting.

A member of the task force, who did not want his name in print, told BD Sunday, at Marine Bridge, where several motorcycles were seized and loaded into two trucks, that their operation was a directive from Alausa.

“There is a law that prohibits the operations of Okada in certain areas of Lagos State.

We have the directive to enforce it and that is exactly what we’re doing.

Speaking further, he said “the law does not ban people who want to go into Okada business, but there’re areas they can’t operate. We expect them to obey the law,” said a member of the task force.

It is, however, to be seen whether the state government would this time sustain the enforcement it has started in Apapa or play around it like the previous administration, as the 2019 general elections approach.

Waste: How Lagos residents can help themselves out - Expert

Ajegunle community groans under the weight of ‘crazy’ billing by EKEDC

n environmentalist, Lawal Rasheed says Lagos residents need to take responsibility for effective waste management in their communities, ahead of the rainy season to avert an epidemic.

Rasheed, a climate change advocate and co-chairperson of the Advocate for Clean Climate and Environment, said the residents of the state must also rise to the challenge of desilting their drains, to forestall flooding and calamitous consequences as the rains come.

“The immediate effect of poor waste management takes its toll on residents in the communities and not the government.

“Hence, efficient waste management is hinged on the shoulders of residents.

Drains that are clogged should be cleared and evacuated.

Trash removed from such drains should not be left on the side-walks as they are usually washed back by the rains,” he said.

Rasheed called for the support of the Community

lectricity consumers in Cardoso AwodiOra area of Ajegunle, in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area, of Lagos, have cried out over what they called epileptic power supply, outrageous billing and dilapidated equipment in their community.

According to the residents who supplied by Eko Electricity Distribution Company, the company has consistently ignored their pleas to reverse the poor treatment meted to them every month.

Joseph Emmanuel, a resident of the area said the ‘crazy’ bills were coming despite having poor electricity supply.

“How can EKED C be bringing between N27,000 and N30,000 to a three-bedroom flat in a month when the supply is just about six hours daily?

“The supply is between 10:30 in the morning to 1:pm, then 11p.m to 3a.m daily, and at the end of the month

A

Development Associations (CDA), to encourage residents to evolve new procedures to improve upon the failed sanitation process in the state.

“These exercises should be encouraged by the CDAs of different communities as the sanitation process has been cancelled in Lagos State. There is also the need for the residents to desist from dumping refuse into the drains.

“The menace of flooding, stench from indiscriminate waste disposal and possible epidemics will not affect the government but rather residents in the communities.

So I maintain that the CDAs should be responsible for the clearing of such drainages,” he said.

Rasheed reiterated the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of refuse as he called for the services of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) personnel, to monitor indiscriminate waste disposals.

“The implication of indiscriminate dumping of waste includes the rise in epidemic diseases, and degradation of

the environment.

“Flooding also results in blocked drainages, traffic gridlock due to sections of the road blocked by refuse and the evolution of slums and shanties in the middle of the city.

Communities should engage the activities of the LNSC to monitor indiscriminate waste disposal in their neighbourhoods,” he said.

He advised VisionScape, the municipal waste manager engaged by the state government to collect domestic wastes, to ensure that their waste bins are situated away from residences.

According to Rasheed, the bins should be at a distance where any indiscriminate use can be effectively monitored.

“Communities with such resources could also provide extra waste bins to accommodate more waste per time. The contact details of the waste managers should be pasted on the walls close to the bins or directly on the bins.

“That way, anyone can notify the waste managers that the bins are full and ready to be evacuated,” Rasheed said.

…we don’t bill arbitrarily, says firm

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one will be given outrageous bills.

“If I am using prepaid meter, I can’t finish N5,000 recharge in a month. We are being forced to pay for electricity we never consumed; this is extortion, we demand for transparency in the billing system,” he said.

Babalola James, a landlord in the area, said all the electric poles, cables and other electricity facilities situated along Ojo Road that supplied the community were due for replacement.

“Virtually all the transformers are dilapidated and can no longer continue to cope with the load on them.

“From our feasibility study, more than 89 houses use one transformer, which is grossly inadequate,” he said.

Funmilayo Adeoye, another resident of the community, urged EKEDC management to install prepaid meters in all houses in the area.

However, Godwin Idemudia, the general manager,

Corporate Communications, EKEDC, denied that the company bills its customers arbitrarily.

“We bill according to the energy delivered. It is surprising to hear some of our customers complain about supply brought for few hours on daily basis for few days.

“The truth is that the level of consumption for the few hours that supply is available mean a lot of energy could have been consumed within those hours. Due to lack of trust from some of our customers not knowing when supply would come again, they carry out a lot of activities within a short period.

“They use iron, pumping machine and electric stove all at the same time, so one cannot use availability of supply to determine their bills,” he said.

Idemudia urged electricity consumers in the area to report cases of dilapidated equipment at EKEDC customer care offices nearest to them.

2019 Watch 28

Sonaiya, toughened by conviction 29 C002D5556

Sunday 22 April 2018

Towards a peaceful 2019 general election LANATU JOY SHELTON

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moyele Sowore, founder of SaharaReporters, has declared his intention to run for the office of the president of Nigeria. Last week he was in Kano to pay a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); the emir advised him to stick to the rules of the game and he encouraged more youths to come out and contest for positions.

Campaign and election in almost every country raise a lot of interest and a mixture of feelings among people and Nigeria is not an exception. Usually, a year before a general election, politicians intensify their campaign for different political positions.

During this period, lection year politicians come out with all manner of promises.

What really does campaign mean? A political campaign is an organised effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group.

In democracies, political campaign often refers to electoral campaign by which representatives are chosen or referendums are decided. In modern politics, the most high-profile political campaign is focused on general election and candidates for head of state or head of government.

It is very important that campaigns in every part of the country should be conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner.

People’s excesses and those of the politicians should be

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State with Bassey Bassey Nkanang, newly sworn in Judge of the state High Court.

checked in order to ensure a very peaceful campaign.

These days, you get to see lot of commotion during campaign period, especially during the election year, which posses fear and intimidation not only in the minds of the politicians but also to innocent members of society.

Keen watchers of the Nigerian politics have begun to express fears over the likelihood of a tension-soaked and crisis-ridden campaign ahead of the 2019 gen-

eral election.

These fears are direct offshoot of the high level of intolerance in the polity and the equally unfortunate level of hate in society.

For some time now, prominent Nigerians have said that the country was more divided now than at any other period in the history of Nigeria. They believe that even during the civil war, the country was not as divided.

Today, the polity is being poisoned as citizens are divided

along ethnic and religious lines.

Today, campaigns are done and votes solicited, not on the basis of people’s capabilities and competences, but on the basis of religious affiliations or ethnic leaning.

When Sowore got to Kano State, they were allegedly resisted by an army of youths that attacked them.

People campaigning for positions should be able to come out and do so without blockage or

any form of hindrance.

Politicians that are sponsoring thugs and all manner of people to intimidate their opponents or politicians contesting the same positions with them should be identified and necessary sanctions meted out to them.

One surprising aspect of the actions of the youth in the Kano episode is that it was allegedly sponsored by the President of Kano State Youth Council, Kabiru Lakwaya, and the question is why would the president of a youth council be sponsoring a protest against a politician? Are there no other positive activities he should be engaging himself into rather than sponsoring a protest against a politician and causing a breach of public peace?

As we all know, leaders have an influence on the people they are leading. It is important therefore that they show them the right way; it is important that leaders should have a positive influence on the people. It is very wrong for a youth leader to allow his people to protest openly against a person who has come on a visit to his people. At this point in time lots of political activities are taking place in different parts of the country, it is important that various political parties must get themselves ready towards the 2019 election in a manner that is devoid of rancour and unnecessary bitterness.

The youths must not lend themselves to be used as canon fodders which has always been the case. And politicians must learn to play by the rules. This is the way to go before, during and after the elections in 2019, all in the interest of the country.

We are determined to `change the change` says PDP chieftain SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin

K

unle Sulayman, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Kwara State has said the party is determined to change the change for better, as he appealed to Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters Card to enable them exercise their civic responsibility in the 2019 general election.

The chieftain equally clarified that the apology made by Uche Secondus, PDP National Chairman, was impunity in the party and not lack of performance.

Sulayman, in an interview

with BDSUNDAY in Ilorin, assured that, “We are determined to `Change the Change` particularly in Kwara and we are appealing to Nigerians to join the train to change the change for better”.

Sp e a k i ng o n t h e ap o l o g y made by Secondus, he said that Secondus was neither talking about service, nor performance.

“He was talking about the impunity in PDP that was responsible for our loss; impunity in the sense that the party imposed candidates on members. For instance, Jonathan was imposed on Nigerians. He completed the tenure of Yar`Adua for two years and he then had four years.

“He wanted to have another four years that will make it 10 years, but constitution says no president should be sworn in more than twice which he had done and that was when Nigerians protested,” he explained.

According to him, internal dynamics of the party which was manipulated to impose certain candidates on people was what he apologised for.

“PDP realised that we only needed to re-strategise and appeal to those who got annoyed, call them back and then rebuild our party to be able to win by 2019, that was what informed actions by party leaders,” he said.

Sulayman expressed the optimism that more defectors would s oon join PDP, saying; “w e have solidified and no longer in crisis.”

“APC has been campaigning for PDP by their lack of performance and inability to take care of the masses; so, Nigerians have seen the difference between PDP government and the APC government. This is the time for them to change the change, I appeal to the people to collect their PVC because is their rights,” he added.

In his reaction to the $1billion security fund to procure weapons, Sulayman said when

election is approaching, they will try to create avenue to make money to run the election.

“Which war are we fighting when they told us they have technically defeated Boko Haram and we are not fighting herdsmen?

“Which war are we anticipating that we need to acquire weapons? There is no more war, they have defeated Boko Haram unless they are telling Nigerians again that we have not defeated the terrorists and let us hear them say so. If President Buhari is signing anything, he is signing money to be diverted for 2019 election,” he said

Sunday 22 April 2018

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2019 Watch

Presidency

Sonaiya, toughened by conviction

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ZEBULON AGOMUO

ver the years, aspiration to the post of the president of Nigeria has always, largely been males’ affair; females have sparingly shown interest. From what is already playing out ahead of 2019, it does not appear there will be a significant change this time around.

Remi Sonaiya, a professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, is not new on that turf.

In 2015, she braced the odds, knowing too well that it is a maledominated territory, but she went ahead to contest on the platform of KOWA Party.

At the time Sonaiya came up for the race, KOWA, though registered since July 16, 2009, by a group of Nigerian Civil Society activists, professionals and technocrats had been unknown.

The reason is not far-fetched. Perhaps, there was no money for elaborate campaign and advertisement.

The professor is not happy with the way money has been elevated to dictate the pace of everything in Nigeria, including elections.

Sh e b e l i e v e s t h a t p a r t i e s l i k e KOWA may not find it easy to square up with established ones, particularly, the incumbent that deploys the resources that belong to everyone, to prosecute their ambition.

But she is not deterred. She believes that it will only take sufficient sensitisation of the voting populace to make the desired change, hence her decision to once again throw her hat into the ring this time around.

Remi Sonaiya

Speaking in Lagos Friday at the 4th Anniversary Lecture of The Niche in her capacity as the chairperson of the event, she emphasised the need to de-emphasise money in elections in Nigeria.

Sonaiya urged the media as stakeholders to begin to question the

The politician, Sonaiya

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luremi Comfort Sonaiya was born March 2, 1955; a politician, educationalist and writer. She was the only female presidential candidate in the 2015 general election on the platform of the KOWA Party.

Early life and education Sonaiya was born in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, where she completed her primary and secondary school education at St. Luke’s Demonstration School, Ibadan and St. Anne’s School, Ibadan. In 1977, she graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where she studied French.

She later obtained a Master of Arts degree in French Literature from Cornell University in the United States, and another master’s degree in Linguistics from a university in Nigeria in 1984. She returned to Cornell in 1988 to pursue a PhD programme in Linguistics.

Career In 1982, she was employed as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages, Obafemi Awolowo University before she rose to the position of Professor of French Language and Applied Linguistics in 2004. She is a fellow of the Alexander von

Humboldt Foundation where she went on to be appointed the body’s Ambassador Scientist from 2008 to 2014.

In 2010, she retired from her position at Obafemi Awolowo University and became politically active, joining the KOWA Party where she was voted its National Public Relations Officer, and went on to be the party’s candidate for the 2015 Presidential election. At the election, Sonaiya received 13,076 votes and finished in 12th place.

Publications Sonaiya is a columnist for The Niche, a Nigerian online newspaper, Sonaiya has published several books including: Culture and Identity on Stage: Socialpolitical Concerns and Enactments in Contemporary African Performing Arts (2001); Language Matters: Exploring the Dimensions of Multilingualism (2007); A Trust to Earn – Reflections on Life and Leadership in Nigeria (2010); Igniting Consciousness – Nigeria and Other Riddles (2013) and Daybreak Nigeria – This Nation Must Rise! (2014).

Personal life She is married to Babafunso Sonaiya, a professor of animal science, and they have one son, one daughter and grandchildren.

involvement of too much money in election. She said that the media must let Nigerians know that “they have options; credible ones.”

She is not satisfied with the performance of the Muhammadu Buhari administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC), hence, her decision to contest again. She did not think that it is right for the present administration to be offering excuses for failure, particularly of economic front.

Sonaiya said, had she won in 2015, she would have taken serious steps to scale down the cost of governance.

“There were expectations when President Buhari stepped in that were not met. I would have probably pleaded with Nigerians that, should we start with the appointment of 6-8 ministers at the most? Leaders have to know how to communicate with their people. When people see a leader that means well, who they can trust – I think they will follow. So this whole business as usual attitude, I don’t think there is time for that,” she said.

On what should be her ideal economic model taking into consideration Nigeria’s peculiarities, the professor said: “There is far too much government in Nigeria – government managing too many areas of our lives not just economy. I see government role as not being in every area. That is why I prefer a truly federal system. I believe that they should divest power to the states and local governments.

In fact what I will like to see is Mayors for each town. This is so that they can get a handle on development in their

localities.

“I believe that the role of the central government is to create an enabling environment that is propitious for prosperity, development and to manage the security of the state. Federal government has a role in managing interaction with the rest of the world.

Leave the state to handle developments in their various states. I don’t believe that there is a one-size-fit all for every state in the federation. Let each state determine what approach it will take to develop. Let every state exploit what they have on their land.

For those who do not have mineral resources they can create intellectual resources. The whole essence is to create wealth, bring money. The rest of us will contribute to the centre to run.”

Although she has not yet publicly declared her ambition for 2019, the professor told BDSUNDAY in a recent interview that she would do it again this time around. But her concern is about this issue of too much emphasis on money in today’s politics.

“Yes, I am one of the aspirants on the platform of my party. I will run again,” she said flatly.

“This money you are talking about is not spent reasonably during elections; a lot of it is wasted bribing people and making all kinds of uniform and this is so because of the kind of country we are in. Politicians bribe the electorate; give them handouts to cast their votes for them. But this money being wasted should be channelled into education, provision of good health care, infrastructure that could make life more meaningful for every citizen. We can’t be throwing money away in the guise of contesting elections; we have to rethink our priorities.

“It is not only now; it has been the case in every election in this country.

When I contested the last time, people continued asking me for money.

But I said I had no money to give, but good governance if I am voted in. I tried to make them understand that if they collect money from politicians, they are mortgaging their future and the future of their children. KOWA does not believe in buying votes, we believe in offering quality governance that will benefit everybody in the end,” she said.

On how she hopes to win the support of voters without money, she said: “Well, definitely I will try and get my message across more to Nigerians. You know it was my first time in 2015. My first outing really opened my eyes to many things. This time I will be getting my message across and have more access to people. I am a little bit known now than was the case in 2015. I will have more support.

I did not have wide reach, but it is different now. Again, this time around, I hope more money will be at my disposal to do some of the legitimate things that should be done. I am hopeful of a better outing his time around.”

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Sunday 22 April 2018

AssemblyWatch From the Red Chamber With

OWEDE AGBAJILEKE

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haotic, dramatic, shambolic are some of the words that best describe what transpired at the Senate last week when armed political thugs invaded the hallowed chambers, disrupted plenary and snatched the symbol of authority - mace.

I was at the Senate Press Centre watching plenary from the television screen when I suddenly noticed some unidentified persons forcing their way down the aisle, as senators scampered for safety.

With journalistic instinct, I immediately came out of the lobby, only to find people running helterskelter. Not deterred, I hastened up to the entrance of the hallowed chamber to catch a glimpse of what was going on and what I saw was ineffable; thugs believed to be loyalists to the suspended lawmaker representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege, came out of the chamber in commando style and went away with the mace.

Although I have read stories of mace snatching at local government legislative houses and state

Mace theft: The day senators ran for dear lives houses of assembly, never had I witnessed such a blockbuster movie in real life.

Incidentally, this is the second invasion I have witnessed since I was posted to the National Assembly in 2014; the first being in November of the same year when heavily armed policemen invaded the Complex, tear-gassed and tried to prevent members of the House of Representatives, including the then Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, from entering the complex.

During last week’s invasion when one of the hoodlums carrying the mace made his way from the chamber to the lobby, he was challenged by only one sergeantat-arm who was overpowered by other thugs.

The invasion was well-planned and executed, and this says a lot about how porous the security at the National Assembly is. It is shocking that such a daring attack would be executed in broad daylight on live television in an institution with heavy presence of armed policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) as well as sergeant-atarms. It beats my imagination that there are over 300 security men guarding the National Assembly and five security checkpoints, not to mention the security men attached to each of the lawmakers.

If the intention of the invaders was to terminate the lives of everyone at the chamber on that fateful day, they would have done so successfully.

If security men attached to various entry points that have a penchant for harassing National Assembly Correspondents, from gaining entry into the National Assembly Complex to carry out their constitutional duties, could be bribed by unaccredited persons with roasted meat (suya), N1,000 or a plate of food, then we need not be security experts to know that our lives are no longer safe at the Complex. I was one of their numerous victims last year.

Professional, amateur beggars and other individuals who have no business in National Assembly, throng the Complex and lurk around the lobby and Automated Teller Machine (ATM) points to solicit money. I have also been embarrassed countless times by strangers at ATM points at the Complex.

If the security agents were alive to their responsibilities, they ought to have gathered intelligence of the attack and prevented it. If they were not complicit, they should have realised that the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, forbids any suspended lawmaker from entering the premises of the Complex while the suspension subsists.

Section 22 of the Act states that: “A member of a Legislative House who has been suspended from the service of that House shall not enter or remain within the Chamber or precincts of the House while such suspension remains in force, and, if any such member is found within the Chamber or precincts of the House in contravention of this sec-

tion, he may be forcibly removed therefrom by any officer of the House and no proceedings shall lie in any court against such officer in respect of such removal”.

Sadly, this section was not complied with, as the embattled lawmaker not only entered the chamber but sat and took part in plenary and executive session.

The ugly development is a sad reminder of how some professionals who venture into the murky waters of Nigerian politics get their hands soiled, just to be ‘politically correct’.

As it stands, Omo-Agege is now a subject of ridicule in many quarters. He has earned the tag ‘Mace Runner’ on social media. A message was sent to me on WhatsApp and it read thus: “In 1986, (Late) Justice James Omo-Agege of Bendel State Armed Robbery and Firearm Tribunal sentenced Lawrence Anini (one of Nigeria’s most notorious armed robbers) and his gang to death for armed robbery. Thirty-two years later, his son, Ovie Omo-Agege, with his gang, in a daylight operation stormed the hallow chamber of the Senate and stole the Mace.

What an irony”!

Growing up in Warri, I knew the Omo-Ageges as a household name of legal practitioners of impeccable characters. As a lawyer, the embattled lawmaker served as Executive Assistant to former Delta State Governor, James Ibori from 2003 to 2005, Commissioner for Special Duties from 2005 to 2007 and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in 2007.

Election sequence: A respite at last!

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he hullaballoo over the reordering of the sequence and time-table on the forthcoming general election has finally been rested by the two chambers of the National Assembly, on Wednesday, 18th April, 2018.

Till now, nobody could explain what prompted the resolution of the initially agitated federal lawmakers from embarking on a fruitless venture owing to the fact that they cannot mop-up sufficient support of two-third of the 360 members (240 members) and 109 senators (36 senators) as required by the Constitution, which serves as the grand norm guiding the affairs of Nigeria.

Firstly, the House resolved to step down the consideration of ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the provisions of the Electoral Act, No. 6, 2010 to further Improve the Electoral Process and for Related Matters, which was sponsored

by Aishatu Jibril Dukku and seven others slated for second reading. This was due to the absence of the sponsor of the bill, while Edward Pwajok (APCPlateau) who was the lead sponsor of the main controversial ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the provisions of the Electoral Act, No. 6, 2010 to make Provision for sequence of Elections in Nigeria; and for Related Matters’, publicly informed the House of his resolve to step down the bill, after due and wide consultation! Though never mentioned who and who were consulted. It however dawn on me and all those watching the trend of the drama playing out on the masquerade(s) behind the bill(s), Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Leader and APC

chieftain from Lagos, stood up for the sake of posterity by requesting to clear his name among those listed to have sponsored the controversial bill. Gbajabiamila who argued that he knew nothing about the bill, asked the House Committee on Rules and Business/Secretariat to strike out his name. That submission alone busted the bubbles. The probing question is, who pays the piper, who played the tune of vetoing or overriding the President Muhammadu Buhari? That should be a food of thought for those who haven’t come to term with Nigerian politics, especially when it comes to games of number.

The fact is the North will always have its way, while the South will always have a say in the affairs of governance. To really get it right, there is a need to revisit the issue of restructuring and lopsidedness in the governance structure especially at the federal level!

The Constitution provides that, if, after 30 days, the President refuses to sign the bill into law, the National Assembly may differ with the President’s position, hence empowers the two Chambers to recall the controversial bill and re-pass it.

If the bill is passed in the form it was sent to the President by twothird majority vote in both Chambers, the bill automatically becomes a law even without the signature of the President, as in the case of the Niger Delta Development Commission Bill which was passed under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. Unfortunately, the

eight Assembly midway rescinded its earlier position, despite the good intent of the bill which I highlighted elaborately in my last column.

The new development, of course, poses a damning question on the intent of the federal lawmakers. As postulated by some political analysts, it was self-serving and obvious attempt to cage the President from funding and doing the biddings of the federal lawmakers during general elections. But my utmost concern was about the pronouncement of the INEC, scrapping the use of electronic voting, which to my thinking simply means, forget credible elections! Whatever the case may be, Nigerians can challenge the process and the Commission for taking such a costly decision and the democracy.

Meanwhile, the just concluded legislative week was herculean for members of both Senate and House of Representatives as a result of the stolen mace in the course of Wednesday plenary on the floor of the Senate.

Of course, all the lawmakers across party lines condemned the act, which they described as an affront to democracy and National Assembly as an Institution. The most worrisome issue was that the ugly incident happened in the presence of visiting Ghanaian parliamentarians who were in Nigeria to understudy legislative activities at the federal level.

Similarly the House passed a resolution on the motion which

seeks to stop illegal mining activities that polluted Uke–Karshi River in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, which was sponsored

by Rt. Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (APC-Nasarawa). According to the soft-spoken lawmaker, all citizenry within the vicinity suffered pollution of all kinds which were prohibited under the law establishing National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

“Due to mining activities around Uke-Kashi River, the river that hitherto served as a source of drinking water, irrigation and contained aquatic life has become polluted by the waste from the illegal mining activities. The House is further worried that the pollution has led to the death of all aquatic life in the river which if not checked could have an effect on the eco system as well as people in the area who suffer from acute shortage of drinking water and can no longer have access to the river as an alternative source,” Gbewfi told the House. He lamented that the illegal mining activities has caused more harm than can be mentioned in the environment especially around the Uke-Kashi River.

The crude method with which the illegal miners use constitutes a health hazard to the human and aquatic population of the area. He called on the House as the hope of the people to ensure the sanity, healthcare and wellbeing of the people is guaranteed. In passing its resolution, the House mandated the Committee

I recall the wild celebration that greeted his victory in Effurun in December 2015 when the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City, Edo State, nullified the election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ighoyota Amori and declared the then Labour Party (LP) standard bearer, Ovie Omo-Agege as winner of the March 28, 2015 election. What happened to this fine gentleman?

Why should a respected lawyer who should know better take laws into his hands for a ‘pot of porridge’?

On a lighter note, three senators caught my attention during the invasion. They include: Adeola Olamilekan who on approaching the chamber and heard of the crisis, immediately ran outside and jumped into a waiting vehicle, not knowing it belonged to the hoodlums. The second legislator was Joshua Lidani who was captured in a viral picture, sitting motionless while the thugs took away the mace.

The last was James Manager who despite bragging on the floor, 24 hours before the invasion, that as an ‘Izon man’, he would retaliate and repel any attack, sought cover in the tea room when the invaders stormed the Senate. One of the cameramen said when he asked him why he was running, Manager, who represents Warri and other council areas in the National Assembly, retorted in Pidgin English, “If na you nko, you no go run”?

I can understand the senator’s concerns. Why should a person die in the line of duty when he quietly pockets N13.5 million monthly as running cost?

From the Green House With

KEHINDE AKINTOLA on Environment and Habitat to liaise with NESREA, in line with the statutory duties of NESREA, to end the pollution of the Uke-Karshi River.

Similarly, the House also mandated the Committee on Solid Minerals to liaise with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to verify the status of the miners and if found to be mining illegally, they should be apprehended and the necessary punitive action be taken against them, and report back to the house within eight weeks for further legislative action.

Also at plenary, the House upheld the suspension of Munir Gwarzo, Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, as contained in the report of the Committee on Capital Market and Institutions which was adopted at the Committee of the Whole.

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SundayBusiness The push for new initiatives in mortgage market

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here exists what could be described as a contradiction in the Nigerian mortgage market because this is one aspect of the country’s financial system that has continued to suffer slow growth despite efforts at making it grow and develop.

When the government established the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) as a secondary mortgage institution that would function as the Fanne Mae in the United States of America, it did not stop there. The National Housing Fund (NHF) followed almost immediately after.

There has also been the recapitalization and consolidation of the primary mortgage banks (PMBs) coupled with a revision of their operational guidelines which confined them to their core business of providing mortgage services including housing loans for homeownership.

The establishment of the NigerianMortgageRefinanceCompany (NMRC) is the latest attempt by the government to, not only grow the market by increasing liquidity in the mortgage system, but also facilitate homeownership through affordable housing delivery.

So far, the best is yet to come out all these efforts, thus creating inequality by lack of affordable

housing. This inequality has placed moral obligation on all housing stakeholders to use every tool at their disposal to find solution to providing access to sustainable and affordable housing finance.

However, the coming of NMRC has raised some hope. As a secondary mortgage institution that is private sector-driven with the public purpose of developing the primary and secondary mortgage markets by raising long‐term funds from the domestic capital market as well as foreign markets for providing accessible and affordable housing in Nigeria, the company is addressing this problem.

The last couple of years have seen spirited efforts by the new refinance company to, not only reposition the country’s mortgage sector, but also to break down barriers to home ownership by providing liquidity, affordability, accessibility and stability to the housing market.

The company has the vision to be the dominant housing partner in Nigeria by providing liquidity and access to affordable housing finance and, in line with that, it has come out with ambitious and innovative initiatives aimed to improve mortgage market transactions and also fast-track affordable housing delivery.

When the company was es-

tablished, the mandate given to it was to promote wider spread of home ownership, accessibility and affordability which explains the setting up of what the company calls ‘Housing/Mortgage Market Information Portal (MMIP)’ aimed to enable it to gather data for intelligence and profiling of federal, states civil servants and informal sectors (off-takers) for affordable housing.

This is an effective policy and decision making tool on land allocation, infrastructure and concessions and, according to sources close to the company, MMIP enables decision on creating polycentric cities in order to decongest major urban centres. The pilot implementation of this initiative is already taking place in some cities including Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Bauchi, Enugu, Port Harcourt.

Another initiative the company has come up with is the NMRC Mortgage Market System (MMS) which is a transformational change that integrates the entire housing market, covering construction finance, primary and secondary mortgage.

The system which is available to all players in the housing industry has the benefit of removing duplications of efforts in gathering data and documents; improving the turnaround time, reducing

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) the cycle time of transactions and helping in making homes more affordable.

Described as a world class system that aims to bring all players in the mortgage and housing market into a centralised technology ecosystem, MMS allows a systematic market to operate and concentration of activities to take place.

What the system seeks to achieve, besides bringing credibility and attracting investors to the mortgage market, is also to let players and sundry individuals know what is going on in the market. People often ask about the mortgage market but they cannot get verifiable and dependable information, but this system creates a marketplace where there is information flow and people can see what is going on.

The system is a national market that is not only about mortgage but also the entire housing finance and so it allows the company to see the pipeline projects and know who is bringing what to the market. As refinancers, it also allows the company to time and determine when to go to the market to raise bonds.

MMS also allows market operators to track all the activities within the construction industry.

With it they can see which developer is doing what and in which location. It also allows them to begin to compare prices and know which property is being sold and in which location. This way, the developers will begin to be more competitive in the way they do their developments.

For the mortgage banks, the new system allows them to begin to manage their own systems by themselves, using the uniform underwriting standards which NMRC has produced and, with that, they can evaluate their applications based on the underwriting standard.

It is hoped that the use of these systems, especially the MMIP, for federal and state governments’ mortgage asset registry, will reduce cost of homeownership; eliminate breaks in the chain of title; improve hard naira savings on each loan for homeowners and lenders, and reveal identity of servicer and investor available to homeowners via phone or internet.

TellCo EuropeNigeria rolls out higher off-grid solar power system …to bridge energy gap, improve businesses

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n its effort to ensure a clean, efficient, affordable and reliable energy for businesses and households in Nigeria, TellCo EuropeNigeria has announced its plan to introduce into the Nigerian market, TellCoSolOff-Grid Solar Power System, a Swiss technology that aims to electrify the country without stress.

TellCoEurope Nigeria is a renewable and clean energy Solutions Company incorporated in Nigeria under the Companies and Allied Matters ACT. The company was established as a vehicle to providing Off-Grid Solar Power Business Solutions to MSMES in Nigeria, Solar Homes Systems to households, and Solar Electricity Generation for a greener and sustainable urban future in Nigeria and Africa.

A statement signed by Olawale Akinwumi, Executive Vice Chairman, on behalf of the company, said that the move was to bridge the energy gap in the country and to ensure that miseries associated with lack of access to electricity were mitigated.

“Energy is at the heart of most

land had given its commitment to work with TellCo Europe Nigeria to succeed quickly.

On the level of preparation for the take-off, the release said that “finance partners, investors and third-party companies (including Catch Energy UK, international banks and development partners) have been invited to come to Nigeria in the first week of May 2018,” and that “Showroom had been designed for TellCo Europe Nigeria, among other background activities.”

Omole

critical economic, environmental and developmental issues facing Nigeria today. Clean, efficient, affordable and reliable energy services are indispensable for Nigeria’s prosperity. So, ending energy poverty in Nigeria, and indeed, in Sub-Saharan Africa, is a Green Movement!” Akinwumi said.

He explained that the parent company, TellCo Europe Switzer-

The statement also added that TellCo Europe Switzerland was already arranging funding support for 1,000,000 Units of Off-Grid Solar Business Solution for Barbers in Nigeria. The barbers are the initial project off-takers. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed with the National Association of Barbers and Salon Employers in Abuja, in 2016.

On the features of the TellCoSol system, Akinwumi said: “We are the only TellCofranchise in Africa for now. This system is Swiss tech-

nology, a 1200WSolar power system.It may interest you to know that some of the unique features of the Solar System include Radio with MP3/MP5player; Light up to 5 rooms and more at the same time; charge 2 mobile phones at the same time; complete with solar module, gel battery, and cables (plug and play); three years warranty; and available in three colours - black/grey, white/grey, red/grey.

“The system has some fixed options: AC standing fans; AC TV(32 inch) and AC refrigerator (70 litres).

Its daily use is from 18 to 24 hours. It is insured for two years - which has never happened in Africa and its installation attracts no extra cost.”

According to Akinwumi, the media launch of the product has been scheduled for May 7, 2018, while its unveiling for the public will take place the following day in Lagos on May 8, 2018.

TellCo Europe is led in Nigeria by its Chairman, Professor Wale Omole, former Vice Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University and Chairman of Editorial Board, The Guardian Newspapers.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

SundayBusiness Property Logic With Akhigbe Dominic

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he responsibility to set a convenient business space is that of government. Government may not have business in business though this should not create alibi for government to abdicate its responsibilities in regulating the business environment. The enabling environment allows the small and big players to co-exist.

The coexistence leads to very healthy competition which in turn leads to a better consumer marketer. Unfortunately, this government has practically politicised

Affordable housing and the runaway cost of building material; a convenient paradox (2) every aspect of our lives. The will to take decisions that benefit the majority of Nigerians is totally absent. To buttress this postulation, I have decided to share this emperical historical evidence with my teaming readers with credit to the Society for Business and Management Dynamics“…1999 An ambitious housing policy was launched by the then military government in 1991 with a slogan “Housing for All by the Year 2000A.D’’. The goal was for all Nigerians to have access to decent housing at affordable cost before the end of year 2000 A.D. The housing needs in the country as at that the lunch of the policy stand at about 8million units including projection in meeting the policy target in both rural and urban centers in response to united nations advocacy which calls for housing for all by the year 2000A.D (Ogunrayewa and Madaki, 1999).This is through adequate involvement of the private sector in

infrastructural provision and to serve as the main vehicle for organization and delivery of housing Business Management Dynamics Vol.3, No.2 Aug 201, pp.60 -68 Society for Business and Management Dynamics products and services (Yakubu, 2004; Aribigbola, 2008).The policy estimated that 700,000 housing units are to be built each year if housing deficit is to be cancelled of which about 60percent of the houses are to be built in urban centers. The policy restructured the financial routing of accessing housing loans by way of creating a two tier financial structure, which is the federal mortgage bank of Nigeria as the apex and supervisory institution and primary mortgage institutions as primary lenders. However, in 2007 the FMBN conceded supervisory functions to CBN (Yakubu, 2004; Aribigbola, 2008).The FMBN nevertheless was empowered through decree no. 82 of 1993 to collects, manage and administer contributions to the

National Housing Fund (NHF) from registered individuals and companies. The National Housing Fund is the product of the 1992 Housing Policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

According to The Nigerian Economist (1992) Decree No. 3 of 1992which was packaged against the background of the National Housing, Policy (NHP), is a legal instrument for mandating individuals and government to pool resources into the National Housing Fund (NHF). The NHF can be seen as the ultimate culmination of the previous efforts of governments in Nigeria at housing provisioning. The policy establishing the NHF emanated from recognition of the severe housing problems in most of Nigeria’s urban areas (Anugwom and Anugwom, 1999). Therefore, the policy took cognizance of both the qualitative (existence of substandard housing,) and quantitative (severe housing shortages) nature of the problem.

The 1992 Decree more or less pursued the original objectives outlined in the National Housing

Policy: (1980); the main objectives of which were: a. To ensure that the provision of housing units are based on realistic standards which the house owners can afford; b. To give priority to housing programmes designed to benefit the low income group; and c. To encourage every household to own its own house through the provision of more credit or fund (this specific objective more or less crystallised into the NHF). Apart from these previous objectives, the 1992 policy aimed at keeping in line with the enabling objective of the United Nations Commission on Human Settlements.

Thus, it was geared towards mobilizing resources for effective house ownership by workers while at the same time deemphasising the intrusiveness of government in the housing sector.

The NHF was initially meant to facilitate the now discarded vision of housing for all by the year 2000A.D which was long being over taken by events…” …To be continued

Institute decries poor compliance level to Public Procurement Act ...Lists benefits of adherence to nation’s economy

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he need for organisationsprivate and public- to abide by the letters of the Public Procurement Act was reemphasised Tuesday in Lagos during the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, Nigerian branch.

The conference with the theme, ‘The Strategic Role of Procurement and Supply Chain in the Nigerian Economy’ mirrored the level of compliance by different organisations in the country and the implication of such adherence for Nigeria.

Many experts who spoke at the event, sharing from their own experiences in their individual organisations said compliance level has improved from what used to be the case, even though they were still struggling for excellence in that regard.

The general consensus was that the private sector appears to be doing well, while the private sector is lagging behind as it was noted that most states of the federation were not even thinking about it let alone planning for implementation, the reason “contracts are being awarded by state governors on the streets” without going through the necessary process.

It was also noted that even in the states where some level of compliance is being observed, “things are still being done haphazardly.

Observations were made on the danger of the alleged lacka-

daisical attitude of most states to the Act as such could adversely affect the country, and according to them, “We must all do something because if Nigeria goes down today, all the companies will go down. There is the need to monitor compliance.”

And the question that bothered the experts at the event was how to bring the public sector to speed on the need for compliance to the Procurement Act. They also deplored the attitude of leaders, whether in the private or public sector, who only think about today and care less about tomorrow; leaders who want to have the best of everything today and nothing for tomorrow.

They noted that it was this spirit that was responsible for request and supply of sub-standard products and material instead of going for the durable ones, just to cut corners. It is also the same spirit responsible for abandoned projects all over the place and also responsible for the habit that does not believe in training people who will take over from them. They operate on the mentality that those coming behind should take care of themselves, a dangerous reason why no provision is made and today’s problems are not solved today, but are being carried forward for the next generation- a case of kicking the can down the

street without picking it up and throwing it into the trash can.

“If you don’t leave anything behind for your children, that generation becomes a wasted one. The tragic thing is that we do not leave things behind. We believe in today.

That’s why you see governors abandoning projects initiated by their predecessors to begin fresh ones that will be abandoned too. It is very tragic,” a member of CIPS said.

A participant compared Nigeria with Rwanda, a tiny nation that nearly got destroyed by genocide some years back, but has risen from the ashes of that misfortune to build itself into reckoning.

“When I look at what is happening in Rwanda, I become ashamed of myself as a Nigerian. We all know the story of that country. It has today built itself up to first or second world. They decided to develop themselves.

They made a conscious effort to do so. Today, they have become a country to emulate. We must make effort to change our system.

We must take time to see how this Public Procurement Act can be implemented by the public sector.

And there is the need to monitor the compliance level of public organisations,” an expert at the event said.

Onafowote Idowu, general manager, Lagos State Public Pro-

curement Agency, told the gathering that Lagos is a pioneer state as far as the issue of procurement is concerned, adding that the state is really setting the pace for others.

In a keynote paper presented on behalf of Olukayode Pitan, MD/CEO, Bank of Industry (BoI), on ‘The Strategic Role of Finance in Supply Chain in the Nigerian Economy’, he said among other things that “The primary driver of BoI’s business strategy is achieving developmental impact in core sectors of the Nigerian economy in a bid to realise sustainable industrialisation.”

According to him, critical issues to consider are “The supply chain ecosystem is a complex one which considers the total of all activities and processes that are applied to the product/service from the supplier (raw materials/input) up to the customer.

“The health of a supply chain is not measured only by revenue and profit but how efficiently capital flows between buyers and suppliers “Working capital is critical to every business, but its importance is underscored in an environment that is more susceptible to global and regional shifts, industry volatility and many other factors.”

According to him, “A clear understanding of supply chain processes is important in aiding firms increase working capital and reduce supply chain risks.”

Olubusola Ogunbanwo, general manager, supply chain management (SCM), Seplat, who spoke on ‘The impact of post–contract evaluation/appraisal on the Nigerian economy’ emphasized the need for organisations to ensure that their objectives are achieved within financial constraints.

He also noted that the fact that public and private sectors are sometimes unable to achieve the contract objectives has been a major concern to stakeholders.

He deplored the rising cases of failed projects in the country, citing some data published in the national dailies.

Arinze M. Oduah, senior procurement manager, Wells and Projects, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd, who spoke on ‘Improving value for money (VFM) in Nigeria’s capital expenditure projects’, explained among other things that value for money in capital expenditure encompasses the right scope, delivering on time, and at competitive cost, and that the potential costsaving relative to budget is in the range of 15-25percent, making this the largest readily accessible opportunity for speedily addressing government’s capacity to finance the huge infrastructure deficit.

He noted that a sound ethics and compliance culture was essential otherwise the value gained can be so easily squandered.

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SundayBusiness The evil of adulterated drinks Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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he saddening reports of adulterated food items, especially drinks being manufactured here in Nigeria keep coming in at alarming rate. For instance, in November , 2015 one Chukwudi Obikem was arrested by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP, Suleiman Dogo at Oke Arin Market , Lagos Island for the manufacture of adulterated Remi Martins, Jack Daniels, Hennessey and Red Label drinks.

Subsequently, on April 8,2017the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) raided the Ogbaru relief market, near Onitsha and arrested eight persons over their alleged involvement in the

production of fake alcoholic drinks.

One of the suspects was found to be a nursing mother! The agency also sealed three shops in the market, confiscating adulterated drinks and production materials worth millions of Naira.

Some registered drinks, being adulterated in the market included J&W, Baron Romero, Lord’s dry gin, Seaman Schnapps, Carlo Rossi, Red Label, Hennessy, McDowell’s and Remy Martins.Addressing newsmen after the raid, Waheed Agboola, Assistant Director, Enforcement and Investigation Directorate of NAFDAC in Lagos, expressed displeasure over the unhygienic production sites.

“Factories are not supposed to be cited in markets; the factories are in unhygienic environment and we even saw maggots and cockroaches.These fake products are sold within the market and it is difficult to differentiate between the original and fake products,’’ Agboola said.

Even after arrests were made, the criminal issue has persisted. The recent instance took place on April 3, 2018 asthe Lagos State Police Command uncovered an illegal wine factory operated by a 55-yearold man at Mushin area of the state.

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, told newsmen in Lagos that the illegal wine factory was discovered based on credible intelligence report.

“Following the information, some policemen stormed Ojuwoye Market on March 30, with a

Search Warrant and arrested the suspect.We discovered various brands of wines and hot drinks suspected to be adulterated,’’ he said.

He said that empty wine bottles and labelled bottle corks of different types of wine and hot drinks were also recovered. The prime suspect however, claimed that, “I have my own brand which I produce when I had my factory in Nnewi, Anambra State”. But that excuse is not tenable.

The production and sale of adulterated food items are in gross violation of Sections 409 and 158(a) of the criminal code of Lagos State, 2011. According to Agboola, fake products are largely responsible for the increase in people having liver and kidney problems.“The unwholesome practice must have been taking place for years because we saw receipts, dated as far back as 2006, and nobody reported until recently.’’ he lamented.

We should be worried not just because of the many yet to be discovered manufacturers of adulterated drinks but their harmful effects on human health. According to an Indian consultant colorectal surgeon at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. Dr Venkatesh Munikrishnan, “food adulteration is the addition or removal of any substances to or from food, so that the natural composition and quality is affected.

Adulterated food is impure, unsafe and not wholesome. Food can be adulterated intentionally and accidentally. Unintentional adulteration is a result of ignorance

Oyo rehabilitates Eleyele dam to end frightening flooding in Ibadan, enhance water supply – Ajimobi Akinremi Feysipo,Ibadan

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he proposed rehabilitation of the Eleyele Dam, in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, will substantially enhance residents’ access to potable water, as well as save the city from frightening flood incidents.

TheGovernorofthestate, Abiola Ajimobi, stated this at a ceremony to flag off the rehabilitation project, held at the premises of the dam, in Eleyele, Ido Local Government Area, Ibadan, on Friday.

Ajimobi,whowasrepresentedby the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Isaac Isola, said the rehabilitation project was one of the befitting legacies he wished to be remembered for.

He said that the contractor handling the overhaul of the dam, Messrs CGC-CHWE Joint Venture, and other partners, had been

Eleyele dam

given a maximum of 24 months to complete the project.

The governor explained that the devastating effect of an August 26, 2011 flooding spurred the government into embarking on comprehensive flood control measures across the city, including dredging of river channels and construction of bridges.

Ajimobi said, “One of the major challenges that first confronted this administration upon our assumption of office in 2011 was the devastating flood of August 26, 2011; an unfortunate incident that ravaged many parts of Ibadan.

“This Eleyele Dam, which was approaching its 70th anniversary then, was badly hit, leading to an overflow of the dam and degradation of the appurtenant structures.

“The implication of this was that one of the two fictional values

of the Eleyele Dam, which was to help flood control during high flow periods through its reservoir holding capacity, had been compromised!

“Unlike the piecemeal and largely reactive responses of past administrations in the state, we decided to take the bull by the horns in our determined efforts to change the narratives of perennial flooding in Ibadan. The ceremony we are holding today is one of such efforts.

“On completion, the dam will have improved capacity to contain flooding in and around Ibadan. Yet another derivable benefit is that the capacity of the dam to supply treated water to the city of Ibadan and would be greatly boosted.”

Inhisaddress,theCommissioner for Finance, Planning and Budget, Abimbola Adekanmbi, said the contractors and supervising consultants for the project were selected through World Bank standard competitive bidding process.

He explained that the project scope included raising of the dam embankment crest from its existing height of 183.6m to 185.4m ask, erection of 1.0m high concrete parapet wall and increase on the discharge capacity of the spillway from 368.9m3/s to 1269m3/s.

Adekanmbi added that there would also be an increase in the width of the spillway channel to enhance its discharge capacity, rehabilitation of the intake tower in order to fully restore its capacity to supply raw water from the reservoir to the treatment plant, among others.

or the lack of facilities to maintain food quality. This may be caused by spillover effect from pesticides and fertilisers. Inappropriate food handling and packaging methods can also result in adulteration”.

It does not take rocket science to know that intentional food adulteration is usually done for financial gain. The most common form of intentional adulteration is colour adulteration. Some examples of intentional adulteration are addition of water to liquid milk, extraneous matter to ground spices, or the removal or substitution of milk solids from the natural product.

On the other hand, natural adulteration occurs due to the presence of certain chemicals, organic compounds or radicals naturally occurring in foods which are injurious to health and are not added to the foods intentionally or unintentionally. Some of the examples are toxic varieties of pulses, mushrooms, green and other vegetables, fish and seafoods. There claims that about 5,000 species of marine fish are known to be poisonous and many of these are among edible varieties.

The increasing worry over the proliferation of adulterated food items is on their hazards to human health. For instance, when mineral oil is added to edible oil and fats it can cause cancers. Lead chromate added to turmeric powder and spices can cause anaemia, paralysis, brain damage and abortions.

Lead added to water, natural and processed food can lead to lead poisoning. Lead poisoning causes

foot drop, insomnia, constipation, anaemia, and mental retardation.

On its part, cobalt added to water and liquors can cause cardiac damage. Copper, tin and zinc can cause colic, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Mercury in mercury fungicidetreated grains or mercury contaminated fish can cause brain damage, paralysis and death.

On the issue of colours, nonpermitted colour or permitted food colour like metanil yellow, beyond the safe limit in coloured food can cause allergies, hyperactivity, liver damage, infertility, anaemia, cancer and birth defects.

As experts have explained the best way to avoid these health problems is through prevention.

We can begin by taking interest in the place from where we buy our food ingredients.

We also need to check if the premises are kept clean with no infestations and if the packaging is intact, as also the expiry date and the source of the product. It is also necessary to talk regularly to the local community to check if people are falling sick after eating in a particular restaurant or food ingredients bought from a particular retailer.

According to Munikrishnan, we need to remember that contamination could happen in very small amounts over a period of time and it might be impossible to detect or too late to intervene.

Baje is Nigerian first Food Technologist in the media

NIRSAL advocates for single digit interest loan for agribusiness SEYI JOHN SALAU

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he Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Ag r i c u l t u r a l Le n d i n g (NIRSAL) is advocating for a single digit break-even interest rate to borrowers in the agricultural and agribusiness sector of the economy, as ways of increasing funding to the sector to improve agribusiness value chain.

The Nigerian agribusiness risk manager want the current lending rate of 14 percent reduced to between seven to ten percent interest rate, while NIRSAL will derisk the loans granted to the sector by guaranteeing bankable projects.

Aliyu Abdulhameed, MD/CEO, NIRSAL Plc, Guest Speaker at the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria, April 2018 Members’ Evening held recently in Lagos said NIRSAL has guaranteed 454 projects in the agricultural value chain worth N61.16bn since inception in 2013.

According to Abdulhameed, NIRSAL is a $500 million Public Private Corporation by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) designed to define, price and share agribusiness related credit risk. It is an initiative of the CBN, the Bankers Committee and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Abdulhameed stated that NIRSAL has been able to mobilise financing for Nigerian agribusiness by using credit guarantees to address the risk of default, which

is a flexible financing tool designed to change the behaviour of financial institutions towards agribusiness.

“Our mandate is to enhance the flow of affordable financing to all players along the entire Agricultural Value Chains, fix broken Agricultural Value Chains and build the capacity of banks and value chain actors.

NIRSAL facility covers all crops and livestock activity in Nigeria while driving improved investment outcomes and job creation,” said Abdulhameed.

Ahmed Rufai Mohammed, President/Chairman of Council, IoD Nigeria, said the institute provides platforms that promote the entrenchment of business ethics and policies that encourage business growth and development.

According to him, Members’ Evening is one of such platforms of the IoD in providing opportunities for its members to make meaningful inputs and suggest policy options that could enhance government decision making process on issues bordering on provision of an enabling environment for businesses across sectors.

Mohammed opined that despite the high income from oil export, agriculture remains the largest sector in the Nigerian economy, accounting for 22 percent of the GDP and about 70 percent of employment opportunities. “The picture is a microcosm of the African economy where the agriculture sector accounts for up to 60% of all jobs and contributes well over 50% of many of the nations’ GDP.

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Equity Market Loans decline by 17% as Zenith, GTB, Stanbic IBTC make N115 bn PAT in Q1

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Stories by TELIAT SULE he investing public has started to have a glimpse of the performance of the listedcompaniesontheNigerian Stock Exchange in the first quarter of 2018 following the release of the first quarter unaudited interim financial statements by listed companies. Nine companies have so far released their interim unaudited financialstatementsfortheperiodand theyareZenithBank,GTBandStanbic IBTC Holdings.

Others are Guinea Insurance, United Capital, Unilever, African Prudential, Transcorp Hotels and Forte Oil. The combined profit after tax (PAT) of the nine companies amounted to N122.99 billion and Zenith, GTB and Stanbic IBTC, with a combined N114.8 billion accounted for 93 percent of the first quarter profit after tax so far announced.

Zenith Bank announced gross earnings to the tune of N169.19 billion for the period, representing 15 percent increase over N147.74 billion made same period in 2017. Net interest incomewasupby36percenttoN95.9 billion up from N70.6 billion same period in 2017. At N47.08 billion, its PAT for the period rose by 26 percent toN37.5billionasattheendofthefirst quarter of 2017.

On the contrary, GTB’s net interest income fell by 10 percent to N59.7 billion as at the end of the first quarter 2018 compared with N66.1 billion realised as at the end of March 2017.

This had an effect on its profit after tax which rose marginally by 8 percent to N44.7 billion as against N41.5 billion made in March 2017.

Stanbic IBTC Holdings made N57.4 billion as gross earnings in the first quarter of 2018, representing 22 percent increase over N47.02 billion made in same period in 2017. Profit after tax for the period rose by 44 percent from N16.1 billion in March 2017 to N23.1 billion in March 2018.

However, the three banks recorded a decrease in loans and advances to the customers within the period.

Zenith Bank’s loans and advances declined the most by 25 percent from N2.35 trillion in Q1 2017 to N1.76 trillion in Q1 2018. That was not the

casein2017whenthebank’sloansand advances rose by 22 percent to N2.35 trillion at the end of the first quarter of 2017 as against N1.93 trillion as at the end of the first quarter of 2016.

GTB and Stanbic IBTC Holdings’ loans and advances fell by 7 percent each. At the end the period, GTB granted N1.35 billion loans and advances compared with N1.45 trillion lent to customers in similar period in 2017. Similarly, at N354.7 billion Stanbic IBTC Holdings’ loans and advances were lower by 7 percent when comparedwithN381.7billiongranted to different calibres of their customers in Q1 2017. This comes to a decrease of17percentinloansandadvancesfor the three banks in Q1 2018 compared with Q1 2017.

On why the loans and advances of banks fell amidst rising profitability, SaheedBashir,senioranalystatMeristem Securitiesattributedthedevelopment to the sluggish first quarter disease, improving loans quality and high nonperforming loans in 2017.

“The first quarter of the year is al-

ways sluggish as most economic activities would not have picked up.

Again, the rising crude oil prices at the international market have made banks to reclassify some of the loans regarded as bad last year. In that situation,youdon’texpectbankstogiveout alotofloanstocustomers”,Bashirsaid.

“Only three banks have released their Q1 results, we have to wait for more banks to make their results available before we can analyse the trends in their results”, Rasak Abiola, head, investors’ relations at the United Bank for Africa, said.

Unileverpostedstellarperformance in revenue and profit after tax growth.

First quarter revenue rose by 16.4 percent to N25.8 billion from N22.2 billion same period in 2017. Profit after taxfortheperiodincreasedbyarecord 81 percent from N1.6 billion in March 2017 to N2.9 billion as at the end of March2018.Thisisattributedtostable FX regime, rising aggregate demand, among others.

“Manufacturing companies have easy access to foreign exchange now

when compared with the situation in the first quarter of 2017. Aggregate demand is improving and prices of manufactured products have remained relatively stable, and all these are responsible for the increasing revenues of the manufacturers in the country”, Abiola added.

Forte Oil realised N39.8 billion as gross earnings which translated to an increase of 20.6 percent over N33 billion made in similar period in 2017.

Profit after tax was up by 57 percent from N1.9 billion same period last year to N2.96 billion as at the end of March 2018.

“The rising oil prices at the international market will impact positively on the financials of oil and gas firms in 2018”, Bashir added.

African Prudential gross earnings were up by 49.3 percent from N641.5 million as at the end of the first quarter last year to N957.8 million in March 2018. Profit after tax rose by 22 percent to N460.9 million from N377.7 million by March 2017.

Transcorp Hotels saw it gross earn-

ings rise by 27.7 percent to N3.82 billion up from N2.99 billion in same period in 2017. Profit after tax rose by 53 percent to N593.6 million from N388.4 million same period last year.

United Capital made N2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2018 as gross revenue representing 4.2 percent over N2.11 billion in the first quarter of 2017. Profit after tax rose by just 7 percentfromN1.17billionmadeatthe end of the first quarter 2017 to N1.25 billionrealisedinsimilarperiodin2018.

Guinea Insurance’s gross premium written for the first quarter of 2018 rose to N281.6 million from N270.9 million in same period in 2017. It made a profit after tax of N1.29 million as against a loss after tax of N46 million in Q1 2017.

When trading ended last week Friday, Zenith Bank’s share price has appreciated to the tune of 5.3 percent year to date. GTB share price has also recorded appreciation by 10.1 percent year to date; Stanbic IBTC, 18.1 percent; Unilever, 29.3 percent; among others.

Seplat Board approves interim dividend

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ollowing the board meeting held last week, the Board of Directors of Seplat Petroleum Development Company has approved the company’s first quarter unaudited results for the period ended March 31, 2018. Decisions

were also made in relation to the payment of interim dividend to shareholders.

“In line with Section 1.1 of the Rules Relating to Board Meetings and General Meetings of issuers, here is an obligation on the Issuer to notify the Exchange

within twenty-four hours after the relevant Board meeting of the key decisions taken by the Board.

“It is hereby stated that the Company held its 51st Board meeting on Thursday, 19th April 2018 at the SEPLAT Head Office, 25a Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos

to review and approve its Q1 2018 Financial Results for the period ended 31st March 2018 and to make a decision on the declaration of interim dividend for its shareholders. The results were duly considered and approved by the Board of Directors and will be

filed with the Exchange on 30th April 2018 while a decision was made in relation to the declaration of interim dividend payment to the shareholders”, the company announced through a note the Nigerian Stock Exchange(NSE) last week.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

APC heading for deep trouble without immediate brand manager Actions and inactions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government seem to be deepening disconnect between it and the people. Imagine the weak responses to various killings in the country, release of looters’ list which invariably convicts them, locking down Lagos for Buhari’s visit, the blame game, the recent statement credited to Mines’ Minister that APC will use its powers to ensure that Ayo Fayose goes to jail and the many complicated comments of the President each time he goes abroad. DANIEL OBI writes that the party cannot continue this way as it simply needs brand manager to guide and manage its affairs for credibility.

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n average Nigerian electorate or consumer is aspirational and highly ambitious. With abundant natural resources in the belly of the country, he wonders why he is not living a normal life of 24 hours of electricity supply, potable water, functional medical care, good security, affordable housing and education. In reality, Internet and cable news have assisted to reveal that he is living in an environment described by Bill Gates as one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth and the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world.

Entrepreneurial Nigerians are therefore searching for leaders who will give them right environment to operate. Other businesses and individuals, especially workers want low inflationary economy, almost free education, easy transport system, security and available jobs.

Demand for these amenities has therefore, resulted in retaining administrators or changing them for those the electorate think will provide them with such good life available in other climes. Uprising and protests all point to this direction.

This has been the case in Nigeria’s history. It is either the military takes over by force with self-imposed determination and will to provide the amenities and move the nation forward or the people bring in new government by ballot because they think the old government, no matter the party, is incompetent.

Until recently, Nigerians appear to be shifting from regional and ethnic partisanship to those they think have good promises and have the resolve to deliver the economic dividends to Nigerians. In 2015, APC with Muhammadu Buhari as presidential candidate came with promising value proposition to Nigerians to turn the economy around. With power of the media that conveyed the APC propositions, a lot of Nigerians bought into the ‘Change’ mantra and voted accordingly.

During his presidential campaign, President Buhari made a lot of promises to Nigerians which include paying 23 million of unemployed N5,000 monthly; free education; reduction of fuel price from N87 to N45 per litre; one free meal daily for public primary school pupils; revive all refineries and build more to produce more petrol for domestic consumption, crush Boko Haram in 3 months in office; provide 3 million jobs; stabilise the Naira and stop importation of refined products; ban all government officials from seeking medical care abroad; taming corruption; reviving Ajaokuta steel company; generation, transmission

Nigerians trek long distances as Lagos was locked down during President Buhari visit to Lagos recently.

and distribution of at least 20,000 MW of electricity within four years and increasing to 50,000 MW with a view to achieving 24/7 uninterrupted power supply within 10 years; recruitment and training of at least 100,000 officers into the Nigerian police force and establish a Federal Anti-terrorism Agency; Eradication of state of origin, replacing that with state of residence to ensure Nigerians are Nigerians first before anything else and many more promises.

Many Nigerians who were full of expectation and desirous of good life were optimistic about the promises. They believed the messiah had come. Others were doubtful. The value proposition to Nigerians raised the credibility and brand profile of the party.

When the government was inaugurated, it used the entire three years of its four years to blame the previous administration for the rot in the system. Initially, Nigerians agreed with the government. Subsequently, the government was expected to swing into action to fulfil its promises to Nigerians.

But the blame game continued. Recently, the presidency even vowed that it would continue to blame Jonathan’s administration. Frustration started setting in among the people.

Already, many Nigerians who are tired of the blame game in the face of low achievement by the government against its promises are making thumb down signs.

In addition to the blame game and low achievement in the estimation of Nigerians,

the party brand is not helped by other horrid and unpleasant comments and events.

For instance, the party, which is steadily losing image, immobilised Lagosians who trekked long distances to their destination when President Buhari visited the city on March 29, 2018.

The President and his party kept the electorate away during the visit conceivably because the initial deep connection and bond between the people and the government has waned due to unfulfilled promises.

Again, the government has not been able to tame Boko Haram as promised, instead another sister deadly group, the Fulani herdsmen, became daring killing people recklessly. Annoyingly, the government style of responses to the massacre of people around the country especially Benue indigenes by Fulani herdsmen is appalling. “Insecurity is on the rise. Every day you wake up you hear of people killed in different places and the president says nothing…so far the president behaves as if Nigerians don’t matter”, says Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of National Human Rights Commission, in a media interview.

Killing one or two persons in other climes such as US will attract immediate attention of their government. Again, the way Buhari government handled some issues especially the Maina saga and the Ikoyigate was not satisfactory to some Nigerians.

The government also ended up appointing leading public officers in the secu-

rity sector from one section of the country against public outcry. According to Odinkalu, the problem with that is that there will be lack of balanced judgment in addressing security challenges and that is why sledge hammer was used on Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) but issue of Fulani herdsmen was brushed over.

Today, the country appears more divided and this is due to the actions and body language of the present administration.

APC ran on the promise of change but it appears nothing has changed as the people have not felt anything. Odinkalu capped the views of Nigerians when he said in the published interview in the Daily SUN that the “President ran on the mantra of change but nothing has changed, not even the thinnest drop on his performance.”

Though the government has not fulfilled its promises it does not mean that the government has not done anything at all, but the people are seeing more of negative actions or inactions and hearing more of propaganda and blames. Instead of focusing on its performance, the government is focused on blames as if it is overwhelmed by the challenges it earlier resolved to solve.

This is like a husband who could not fix his new apartment but kept on complaining to his wife, for more than two years, about the old tenant.

The party needs to refocus now by employing effective brand managers to redirect the actions and communication patterns of the government. Effective brand, marketing and management experts would not advise for the release of looters’ list. The release indicated total conviction already.

Also, the kind of statement credited to Minister of Mines and steel development, Kayode Fayemi that “we will ensure that Ayo Fayose, the current governor of Ekiti State ends up in jail” is premeditated and in bad taste. That APC will use all powers to achieve this. This sounds undemocratic, authoritarian, vicious, display of power and can make more people feel bad about the party.

While the government intensifies action on tackling Boko Haram and the menace of Fulani herdsmen, it should know that some statements coming from APC members are in bad taste and attracting more hatred for the party.

Though it is difficult to re-brand or manage a perceived bad product, but when a bad product changes its character and formulation through the advice of a brand manager and this is adequately seen and communicated, it is saleable as it will gradually gain consumer interest. APC needs such route, now.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Arts

Chidi Kwubiri; the artist across borders also in recognition of the fact that Nigeria is an important art market for him coupled with a growing number of collectors of his works across the country and West Africa.

One thing he does not fail to do anytime he visits is to engage established and upcoming artists as his contribution to the evolving art scene. “Don’t look at me with probing eyes; I am very active here despite my sojourn abroad. This is my root”, he says.

OBINNA EMELIKE

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t five years, he had started drawing and painting in his hometown in Umuahia , Abia State. Then, his father did not see anything wrong with the ‘childish act’ until a few years later when he started school and devoted his time and energy to learning the basic principles of perspective, still life and figurative drawings.

It was then the ‘concerned’ father who wanted him to be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer tried to make him change his choice of career, but he did not compromise his passion for art.

Today, Chidi Kwubiri, a Nigerian German-based visual artist, has no regret for going after his passion. He enjoys a wonderful career with several exhibitions, a barrage of local and foreign collectors after his works and many awards in recognition of his creative ingenuity as well.

You do not need a visit to his studio, a converted historic steel-mill in Cologne, Germany to see his works; his creative ingenuity is obvious with his many works in the hands of rich collectors, reputable organisations and museums across the world.

However, his journey to greatness is intriguing. Recalling when he started painting at age five, the artist who was born and raised in the village, says art was inborn in him as he had no role model growing up, even had to face the wrath of his father, yet he followed his dream against all odds.

Unlike others who would be carried away by their little success, Kwubiri saw the need to attend a formal art school to further hone his craft despite being a successful young artist with many commissioned works and portraits for a lot of dignitaries

Mother Tongue by the artist

A visit to his studio in Cologne reveals how much he loves space, while the serenading Nigerian music and Africanthemed decorations tell visitors more about his root.

The spacious studio has also allowed him to do large format paintings, which is a further boost to his creativity. The selfconfessed space freak enjoys doing big formats without any challenge because it enhances his dripping techniques.

Chidi Kwubiri in his studio in Cologne, Germany

in Nigeria to his credit.

In his quest to get new impulses about art and creativity,

he traveled to Germany to study Fine Arts (Painting) at the Art Academy Dusseldorf with Prof.

Michael Buthe and Prof. A.R. Penck (Master of Fine Arts [Meisterschüler]).

Since that very bold move that broadened his worldview and hone his creativity, Kwubiri has had multiple solo exhibitions in Nigeria, USA, Germany, South Africa , France and the Netherlands. Over the years his works have been shown at the Casablanca Biennale, Morocco, the “Palm Beach Contemporary”, Florida, USA, the UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, GoetheInstitut, Dusseldorf, Germany, OPERA Gallery, Paris and at the 50th Anniversary of the Nigerian

Independence at the Nigerian Embassy and Deutsche Bank, Berlin, among others.

The master painter believes that an artist is a naturally born adventurer. But while his adventure has taken him to Germany, the artist does not see himself as a foreigner, he is always home to his root in Nigeria to enjoy his village setting and festivals, which are great sources of inspiration for his work.

“My culture and tradition remain my basic source of inspiration because they keep me strong and boost my creative ingenuity”, he explains.

Aside from getting inspiration, his constant visits to Nigeria from his base in Germany is

The artist, who is a recipient of several art sponsorship awards in 1996, 1997, and 2007, has many exhibitions and creative works to his credit. Some of them include; Mother Tongue, a body of work that has three distinct layers: his celebrated dripping paint technique on large canvases with bald headed figures engulfed in a sea of paint dots. The second visual layer is his paper and wood based “writings on the wall” which are abstract pieces that have carefully concealed mask like faces.

The final layer of Mother Tongue showcases Kwubiri’s politically charged conceptual sculptures that are seemingly comical and intriguing, and on closer scrutiny, deliver a provocative expose of society.

Another outstanding exhibition is ‘Wanderlust’, which was about the importance of education and at the same time, its fragility, especially for young girls and women in Africa. For him, “Wanderlust” literarily means the “lust” to wander and education is one of the most reasons why we all “wandered”.

However, with the rate at which medical, law, engineering and other students are abandoning their studies and switching to arts, which was unthinkable few years ago, Kwubiri concludes that the creative wave has hit Nigeria and many are ready to ride along with as the world’s next greatest artist is going to be a Nigerian.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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Arts ONGAcious to showcase Nigeria’s rich culture, tourism OBINNA EMELIKE

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NGAcious’, a new weekly magazine family TV show that is aimed at promoting Nigeria’s culture, tourism and healthy living, has started showing on selected television channels across the country.

ONGAcious is sponsored by Onga , a brand from the stable of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, which also manufactures Cowbell Milk, Loya Milk, Top Tea and other quality products.

Th e e d u c a t i v e p r o gramme, which premiered on Saturday, April 7, 2018, airs every weekend on select TV stations in Nigeria including: TVC Lagos, African Magic Family (DSTv and GOtv), OSRC TV Akure, STV Jos, ABS Awka, NTA Kano, NTA Ilorin, NTA Kaduna, NTA Aba, NTA Port Harcourt, NTA Minna, Rima TV Sokoto and Nigbati TV

L-R: Brand Manager (Onga), Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Sophiat Bello; Marketing Manager, Promasidor Nigeria, Mr. Abiodun Ayodeji; and Assistant Brand Manager (Onga), Promasidor Nigeria, Justina Alih, at the media preview of ONGACious TV Show, a family weekly programme sponsored by Onga, held in Lagos.

(StarTimes channel 137), with more channels expected to be added to the list.

Speaking at a media interactive session in Lagos, Abiodun Ayodeji, market-

ing manager, Promasidor Nigeria, said the company has chosen to sponsor ONGAcious because its thrust aligns with the brand essence of Onga , which

revolves on trust, family, responsibility and caring.

Ayodeji said that the show has a strong appeal to families and would offer Nigerian families a rare oppor-

tunity to jointly watch an educative, informative and entertaining programme for six months.

According to him, the show would expose the audience to the country’s rich cultural diversity and tourist attractions. He added that the series would help to preserve Nigeria’s cultural heritage as it would reconnect viewers with their ancestral roots.

“We have a very rich culture, which many people do not appreciate. The show is saying, ‘let us talk about Nigeria; let us celebrate our culture; let us talk about our local delicacies and their health benefits’. This is the only way the younger generation can appreciate the country’s culture.

“Each episode exposes viewers to the unique history, traditions and culture of a specific city or town.

Apart from the documentary, an individual who is grounded in the culture of the place takes the audi-

ence through its history in an engaging manner. The show also shows the audience the array of local foods they can prepare and highlights the health benefits of such delicacies”, he said.

Also speaking on the new TV show, Sophiat Bello, brand manager (Onga), added that the TV stations were selected from different parts of the country to reflect the national appeal of the Onga brand. ONGAcious, according to her, is a pan-Nigerian programme both young and old would find valuable.

Brand Onga was introduced into the Nigerian market in 2004, pioneering the powder segment of the seasoning market. 10 years later, in 2014, the brand extended its offering into the cube sub-category. Onga powder is available in Stew, Classic, Chicken and Ginger, Onion and Garlic variants while Onga cubes is available in Classic and Chicken variants.

Exciting times for poetry as made in Nigeria heads to Jos ANTHONIA OBOKOH

A Chelsea London Dry Gin excites patrons at beach fiesta

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legushi beach was agog over the weekend as Chelsea London Dry Gin excited its numerous patrons with a beach fiesta tagged ‘Turn Up with DJ Neptune’.

Th e e v e n t w a s j a m packed from noon till late in the night with lots of activities like blind penalty, rap battle, bounce to the beat, treasure hunt, upcoming artiste performance and attendees went home with lots of prizes and gifts.

The beach fiesta hosted

by Dotun and DJ Neptunes had the beach on lockdown with all genres of music from old school to new

school music. Attendees had the opportunity to have a feel of the repackaged gin with lots of cocktails, mocktails and finger foods to add to the musical entertainment.

Afolabi Kasomo, brand manager, Chelsea London Dry Gin, enthused about the massive turn out at the event saying, “Being the category leader in the gin market, we need to consistently find ways to engage and excite our esteemed customers across all platforms”. He revealed that the brand has other events lined up and would move from one region to the other.

fter two stops in Maiduguri on February 24, 2018 and Yola on April 7, 2018, Simply Poetry Ltd is slated to perform its staged poetry and theatre production headlined

by Dike Chukwumerije again before a Jos audience in Plateau State on April 28, 2018.

The Made In Nigeria show is a poetry for stage production that tells 102 years of Nigeria’s journey from amalgamation to present day using poetry, song, dance and drama.

The show has so far been to seven cities across Nigeria reaching close to 10,000 people with a message of empathy, love and tolerance on the journey to nationhood and the recent sponsored stop overs at Maiduguri and Yola were part of a larger effort to encourage peace-building through developing alternative non-violent channels for the venting of grievances.

The underlying message of the show in the words of its creator, Dike Chukwumerije, is: “Though tribe and tongue may differ, there is indeed a shared brotherhood, and sisterhood, rooted in the years we have shared as Nigerians, and the many points of convergence this has given us”.

To a nation plagued by violence born out of ethnic and

religious intolerance, these messages, told artistically, cannot have been better timed.

These are certainly exciting times for poetry in Nigeria as the art form - exploring new formats - begins to play an active role in Nigeria’s peace and reconciliation journey.

At the most recent stop at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, an audience made up of mostly young undergraduates witnessed the show. Before the show began, the general attitude was one of indifference or curiosity, but by the middle of the show the young audience were sitting transfixed, as they listened to stories most of them had never heard.

For many members of the AUN audience the music, stories and dance they witnessed during the Show were completely new. This was very different from the experience of previous audiences, typically older, where majority listened with nostalgia, some-

times singing along to popular classics. A lot of the history performed during the production was also unknown to the largely youthful audience in Yola. Despite this generational gap, however, the audience sighed, laughed and was able to connect deeply with what they witnessed on stage.

This was evidenced by the enthusiasm with which many of them signed up for the workshop Simply Poetry Ltd held afterwards, in an effort to support creative writing and expression in Yola. Drew, an attendee at the show, said ‘Amazing is a terrible understatement for what that show really was’. Prudence called it ‘the start of a revolution’, and Hamza proclaimed, ‘there is hope for Nigeria’.

Without pausing to catch their breaths, the 18-member cast and crew of the Made In Nigeria show are already back on the road, preparing to take the show to the Plateau State capital where it is billed to

hold at Mees Palace Rayfield Jos by 5pm.

Simply Poetry Ltd, producers of the Made In Nigeria Show, is a live performance poetry production company that fuses poetry with other art forms to deliver unforgettable experiences. The show was first unveiled at the Merit House Maitama Abuja on September 30, 2016.

The success of the Made In Nigeria Poetry Show so far, and its groundbreaking road tour around the country - the first ever undertaken by a Performance Poetry act in Nigeria - is made all the more remarkable by the lack of sponsorship. Powered by the passion and determination of its producer, the show had already been to cities like Lagos, Benin, Enugu, Ile-Ife and Abuja before catching the eye of a donor who sponsored the staging of the show at the University of Maiduguri on February 24, 2018 and again in Yola the Adamawa State Capital on April 7, 2018.

Jos is a known hub of creativity and deep thinking, and will certainly be a tough audience to please. But having never failed to make its mark wherever it has gone – North, South, East or West – the Made In Nigeria Show looks set to do the same again in Jos. Tickets to the show are selling for N1000 and are available at the show’s website www. simplypoetry.com.ng .

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Entertainment Exciting lineup of nominees for 2018 NET Honours

Goldberg Ariya Repete talent hunt heats up ...as 40 artistes, 12 traditional drummers qualify for quarter-finals CHUKS OLUIGBO

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t was no easy feat, and yes, the battle is still on as 52 winners emerge in the Ariya Repete Traditional Music and Drums Talent Hunt after intense auditions.

Sponsored by Goldberg Lager Beer for Nigerian Breweries, the talent hunt, which is aimed at developing drumming skills as well as encouraging Juju and Fuji music genres, also rewards potential acts in the music industry.

The audition and selection stage held in eight cities, including Sango Ota, Ado Ekiti, Akure, Lagos, Ilesha, Ilorin, Ibadan and Oyo, and had in attendance several contestants who slugged it out to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The successful contestants are expected in the Ariya Repete Academy

where they will undergo mentorship and grooming from experienced musicians and managers.

Juju musicians Wale Th o m p s o n o f “ La l a l e Friday” fame, Adebayo Faleke, an ace radio broadcaster, Alhaji Sikiru Kolotiti Agboola, Alhaji Kabir Kehinde Akanni popularly known as Baby Barrister, Dele Bravo and Babatope Temidayo, popularly known as “Puffy-Tee”, were part of the panel of judges who screened the qualifiers in Ota. Emmanuel Agu, portfolio manager, mainstream lager and stout brands, NBPlc, said participants at this year’s edition of Ariya Repete are competing for a higher cash prize compared to previous editions, with the winner in each category getting N2 million.

He reaffirmed Nigerian Breweries’ commitment to discovering new talents in the two indigenous Yor-

uba music genres as well as in drumming, which is also a vital part of the music. “ Go l d b e r g ’s Ar i y a Repete creates an avenue for Fuji, Juju musicians and traditional drummers to showcase their talents as a means of promoting Yoruba language and rich heritage. Nigerian Breweries is committed to discovering new talents in the two indigenous Yoruba music genres,” he said.

The Juju artistes selected in Sango Ota, Ogun State, are Prince Ade Michael who came 1st, and Bukola Ahmed who came 2nd.

Also, Oriade Calypso came 1st, closely followed by Sulaimon Ajao in the 2nd position and Mohammed Adewale came 3rd in the Fuji category. In the drummers’ category, Igba-Iwase Group came 1st while the Eniafe Group came 2nd.

In Ado Ekiti, Ayodele Olatunji came 1st in the Juju category, closely fol-

lowed by Adeyemi Ase who came 2nd. In the Fuji category, Gbenga Adeyeye came 1st, Saheed Aremu 2nd, and Olayemi Kehinde came 3rd. In the drummers’ category, the Ayangbayi Group came 1st and the Alofuge Group came 2nd.

In Oyo, Sadeeq Ishola won the Fuji category, followed closely by Taiwo Suleiman, while Luqman Ishola came 3rd. In the Juju category, Femi Ayeni and Sunny Adura booked their places in the quarter-finals.

In Akure, Dauda Muritala won the Fuji category while Oladele Damilola and Osoba Adeshina came 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

In Juju, Amao Babatunde came 1st, followed by Adebayo Adetayo. In the traditional drum category, Sekere Group came 1st with Sakuba Group coming 2nd. All of them booked a space in the quarter-finals.

Teddy A, BamBam make legendary return home …as BBNaija winner emerges today

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A

L-R: Emmanuel Agu, portfolio manager, mainstream, lager and stout brands, NBPlc; former BBNaija housemates Oluwabamike Olawumi (Bam Bam) and Tope Teddy Adenibuyan (Teddy A), and Oluseun Lawal, brand manager, “33” Export & Stout, NBPlc, during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Breweries headquarters courtesy of Legend Extra Stout.

said she was raised by a calm mother in a serene environment where there were neither noise nor incessant quarrels of any sort.

“My mum is a dove.

When I got to the university and saw something different, the calmness in me made a way because I am not used to such dramatic and lousy life,” she said.

Speaking on what fans should expect from the BamTeddy relationship, Teddy A said fans should simply “watch out”.

He, however, expressed gratitude to the brand for coming through every Saturday night in the Big Brother Naija house as he jokingly asked for a year’s supply of the real stout.

The duo concluded their

visit by saying they were ready to leverage the fame they had got from BBNaija to go fully into their individual careers and also take advantage of opportunities available to them.

They later took a tour of the building to meet with the staff members as well as some top officials, including Kufre Ekanem, corporate affairs adviser.

panel of judges who select winners. Instead, it relies on the choice of fans who read, watch and follow NETng across the world on its various online and social media platforms.

“By giving the power to the audience, we believe that we can have a totally unbiased crop of winners as we only use the data to select winners,” he said.

Previous recipients include pop stars Wizkid and Tiwa Savage, actress Funke Akindele, comedian Basketmouth, and media personality Toke Makinwa.

This year’s winners will be revealed at the Nigerian Entertainment Conference (NEC) holding on Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at Landmark Centre, Lagos.

“Popularly known as NEC Live, the event is the largest gathering of Nigerian entertainment industry insiders – musicians, producers, artiste managers, show promoters, media professionals, brand managers, label owners, corporate executives – and we believe that honouring our recipients at this elite conference avails them the privilege of being celebrated in the midst of their peers and fans,” Taiwo said.

Glenfiddich partners Play Networks to present ‘The Circle of Mavericks’ IFEOMA OKEKE

ANTHONIA OBOKOH fter their shocking eviction from the Big Brother Naija house, former housemates BamBam and Teddy A paid a courtesy visit to Nigerian Breweries headquarters early in April.

The two former housemates, who have progressed from being strategic partners to romantic partners, were evicted a day apart after being up for eviction alongside Cee C and Nina.

The two received an exclusive reception where they also shared their experiences in the house, especially the energetic and fun-filled Saturday night party which is sponsored

by Legend Extra Stout.

This is as the reality TV show which began on January 26 comes to an end today, with fans tipping either Miracle or Tobi to go home with the highly-coveted prize valued at a total of N45 million (inclusive of N25 million cash prize).

Speaking on how she was able to maintain calm and stability in the house, the soft-spoken Bam Bam

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midst high expectations, Nigeria Entertainment Today (NET), now in its second year, released list of nominees for its NET Honours People’s Choice Awards on Friday, April 20.

The annual event is fast becoming an award to be reckoned with as NET Honours recognises entertainers, actors, musicians, media practitioners and many others who have done remarkably well in the past year, using data harvested from the company’s 2017 reports.

Spread across 16 categories, NET Honours PCAs was introduced in 2017 and accorded top Nigerian entertainers with the accolades they earned by being the most important individuals in their craft in the year under review.

The categories are Most Searched male and female musician, actress and actor, media personality; Most Popular male and female musician, actress, and actor, comedian, media personality, global celebrity, African celebrity, couple, event and individual.

Jide Taiwo, executive editor/COO, says NET Honours does not have a

lenfiddich, the Marverick Whisky Makers of Dufftown, has partnered with Play Networks to present ‘The Circle of Mavericks’.

This year’s maverick campaign coined ‘The Circle of Mavericks’ kicked off with an invite-only event in Abuja on April 5th and in Lagos on April 7th. The event was a celebration of mavericks in different industries with John Boyega as the special guest.

True to the term maverick, Glenfiddich set a trend for fine dining, drinking and entertainment at the intimate affair. A rapid transportation into the world of Jazz, exceptional whisky and cigars, the event was like no other.

Guests in Abuja enjoyed a three-course dinner of caviar, beetroot salmon, slow cooked lamb, Glenfiddich infused chicken breasts and other special delicacies with talented Saxophonist Abbey Sax playing in the background to ensure the perfect mood all night long. Fusing the elegance of the 1800’s with the upbeat tempo of this century, the black-tie event saw guests showing up

dressed to the nines. The affair saw celebrities and influencers networking, dancing and having a great time The Abuja event was well attended with guests including Charles Okpaleke of Play Network, GM of Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Etienne Gailliez and his wife, Aderemi Ajidahun of Zakaa Luxury, George Okoro, Ogwa Iweze and many more. And in Lagos – Victor Ehikamenor, Tola Odunsi, Mai Atafo, Ladi Balogun, Obi Asika, Eku Edewor, Adebola Williams, Peace Hyde, Eunice Omole amongst others.

In Lagos, entertainment for the night was a performance by singer song-writer Brymo.guestsweregiventhe gift of an out of the ordinary short acoustic performance and witnessed the Brymo experience. The artist acoustic performance of the artist’s favourite songs from his various body of work was positively received by guests.

As the “World’s #1 Most Awarded Single Malt Whisky” Glenfiddich endeavours to bring together the Maverick spirit of Purpose, Ingenuity, Charisma & Mastery. The brand is committed to celebrating individuals who boldly take risks and are unafraid to create their own path.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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Kiddies Children speak on new term resolution repeat that mistake, because this is third term and l wouldn’t want to fail in the exam in order not to repeat SSS 2 ,’’ she said.

Rachael Momoh, 8, a pupil of Itire Nursery and Primary School, said her resolution was to try her best in the aspect of choosing friends, avoiding bad company and getting close to intelligent pupils that will enhance her academic performance.

“Last term, l associated myself with bad friends, this hindered me from doing my home work on time and this really affected my result. Normally, l used to be number one in my class, but due to bad friends l kept, l came fifth, but this term, l will make friends with brilliant pupils,’’ she said.

Rose Kalu, 15 , a student of Command Day Secondary School, Oshodi, said copying

Stories by NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE

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ost schools across the country have fully resumed for the third term. Pupils and students are determined to wisely make use of their time this section, making sure that the past mistakes are not repeated due to ignorance or outright carelessness.

Modina Akinloye, 15, a student of Esteem College, said going to school early will be her number one priority so as to avoid the mistakes that greatly affected her academic performance last section.

According to her, “last section, l was in the habit of going late to school. This brought about punishment and my inability to submit my assignments on time which would have helped me boost my marks. But this section l won’t

hs - Free Word Search Puzzle

Pupils dresses in doctors and nurses attire.

notes and attending class regularly and promptly will be her priority this third term so as to enable her make straight ‘A’s in all her subjects.

She said: “l have realised now that a student that copies notes in class tends to come out in flying colours because such student will have something to read for the exams. But a student who doesn’t will defi-

Some of the pupils at the event.

nitely have nothing to read and this was the mistake l made last term. l will try my best to copy notes always in class and also attend classes regularly.’’

Raphael David, 10, a pupil of Baruwa Nursery and Primary School, Surulere, said he would endeavour not to skip school for any reason.

“When a pupil skips school, he loses all that the teachers

taught that day and it will be very difficult for such a student to understand those topics even if his or her classmates try to help out by explaining and putting him or her through, it would not be exactly the way a teacher would do it. That was the mistake l made last term. I have decided to be punctual this term,” he said.

https://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch/kids_days_months.html

Free Printable Word Search Puzzles

Days & Months Find and circle all of the Days and Months that are hidden in the grid.

The words may be hidden in any direction.

King Emmanuel School guides pupils on career choice

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n order to guide its pupils on the importance of choosing the right career, King Emmanuel Nursery and Primary School Ayobo, Lagos recently held a forum tagged, ‘Career Day’.

The event, which was the third in its series, was worthwhile as it enlightened the participants and their parents on MONDAY JANUARY JULY TUESDAY FEBRUARY AUGUST the real meaning of career and WEDNESDAY MARCH SEPTEMBER how the children can rightfully THURSDAY APRIL OCTOBER FRIDAY MAY NOVEMBER select the best profession that SATURDAY JUNE DECEMBER will profit them and society SUNDAY in life.

Did you enjoy this puzzle? Visit: https://www.puzzles.ca/word-search Ruth Baiyewu, proprietress Copyright © 2018 Puzzles.ca of the school, who spoke at the rd Search Puzzle https://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch/kids_toys.html event, stated that the annual event was necessary as it will

serve as a guide for the children Toys so that they will not choose a wrong profession.

“There is a saying that ‘the 4/19/18, 2:23 PM secret of success is doing common things uncommonly well’.

I have come to observe that most schools organise events that do not add value to the lives of the children. They are quick to say school is fun, yes, but it should not be turned into a playground. These schools organise cultural day, but in our school we feel the children are BARBIE NERF BALLS SUPER SOAKER exposed to culture on a daily BATTLESHIP PLAY-DOH TINKERTOYS basis in the community. They CARE BEARS PLAYSTATION TONKA TRUCKS G.I. JOE SILLY PUTTY TRANSFORMERS watch it on the television, they GAME BOY SLINKY TWISTER HOT WHEELS SPIROGRAPH YO-YO communicate with people.

LEGO “So, here we organise programmes that add value to the life of the child and that is what Free Printable Word Search Puzzles

Find and circle all of the toys that are hidden in the grid.

The words may be hidden in any direction.

Did you enjoy this puzzle? Visit: https://www.puzzles.ca/word-search Copyright © 2018 Puzzles.ca

gave birth to this initiative,’’ she said.

Baiyewu further said that the event since its inception had positively affected the lives of the pupils.

The proprietress said: “I can tell you this Career Day is an eye opener; it wakes up the giant in those children. It opens their eyes to a lot of facts they did not know before about professions.

“Their parents are also enlightened because some of them try to enforce a career on their children without studying their antecedents, but now they know better.

“It has been a successful programme as some of our children who had relocated to America, Britain and so on, had smooth transition when they got to their new schools over there because of the exposure they had received from our school, especially in diction.

Some of them are winning laurels for good academic performance and their parents are appreciating the school for this.”

On the dangers of parents forcing careers on their children, the proprietress observed that when a child is forced to study a course by the parents, such a child will not be fulfilled in life.

“Take for instance, the case of a young man whose parents

forced to read medicine when he actually had flair for mass communication. He spent ten years in the university and when he discovered that he was not making any head way, he decided to take the bull by the horns. He went to the University of Lagos to read Mass Communication and started all over. Now he is fulfilled and is a successful motivational speaker.

“There are other cases, like the lady who fainted on seeing a corpse for the first time.

While another screamed and became uproarious at the sight of blood. So one wonders how these ones will cope if eventually they become doctors.

“So, parents should not force careers on their children, rather they should allow them study the course of their choice which they have flair for so that they may excel,” she counseled.

Highlighting what it takes to be a successful medical practitioner, a retired matron, Mary Lewis described the field as a noble profession and added that for anybody to become a doctor or nurse, such an individual must have interest and dedication for the job and compassion for people.

For her, doctors and nurses do not just care for the sick alone, but also for others who need their services.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Life&Living

The difference between butter and margarine JUMOKE AKIYODE-LAWANSON

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elieve it or not, a lot of Nigerians do not know the difference between butter and margarine. In fact, in a typical Nigerian home, any type of spread is known as butter.

Growing up in Nigeria, there was a very popular spread called ‘blue band’, this spread was used widely as a spread and for baking and many confused it to be butter.

This is not surprising because if you unwrap a tub of butter and a tub of margarine, you might not be able to tell the difference between the two.

They are similar in color and texture, and are even used in the same ways, but these two fats are completely different.

Butter is a dairy product, made from milk or cream. When the liquid is churned, the butterfat separates from the buttermilk, making a solid yet spreadable light yellow substance. But butter isn’t purely fat; it is about 20 percent water and also contains milk proteins (solids).

“Light” butter contains more water, for less fat and calories.

Margarine is an oil-based product. It is typically made of 80 percent vegetable oil and water and flavored to taste like butter. (Most margarines contain trace amounts of dairy.

If you’re looking for a completely

non-dairy product, choose “vegan margarine”.) You can buy margarine in sticks or tubs. Butter-flavored spreads are sold in tubs and usually contain less oil and more water, for a softer consistency.

So is it a myth that Margarine is healthier than butter?

Health-wise, many nutrition experts say that plant-based margarine

is better for you because it does not contain the cholesterol and saturated fats found in butter. For heart health, the Mayo Clinic recommends “a spread that doesn’t have trans fats and has the least amount of saturated fat.”

Typically, plant fat is always a better option to animal fat, but not all margarines are created equal —

some margarines contain trans fat.

In general, the more solid the margarine, the more trans fat it contains. So stick margarines usually have more trans fat than tub margarines do.

Look for a spread that doesn’t have trans fats and has the least amount of saturated fat. When comparing spreads, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts panel and check

the grams of saturated fat and trans fat. Limit the amount you use to limit the calories.

If you have high cholesterol, check with your doctor about using spreads that are fortified with plant stanols and sterols, such as Benecol and Promise Activ, which may help reduce cholesterol levels, says Katherine Zeratsky from Mayo Clinic.

Easy Beauty Guide for the Summer

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IFEOMA OKEKE

repare for summer with all the beauty essentials needed for the season.

Here is an easy guide to get you ready.

Brighten Your Skin The power of Vitamin C in these environmental shield products brightens the skin, improving tone and clarity. The 3-step skin care range takes care of impurities, restores moisture and protects from future damage leaving the skin bright and radiant.

So if you want to treat dark spots and wrinkles caused by UV rays, pollution and other environmental toxins, these skin care products are your best bet.

Clear Your Skin The Murad Acne Range is a definite essential with a maximum strength regimen that delivers rapid results without dryness or irritation. Tailored to those with problematic skin, the Murad acne range gives clearer skin in 72hours! These products are both effective and gentle because they are formulated with pharmaceutical-grade ingredients enriched with hydrators, anti- inflammatories and antioxidants.

Lipstick that Stays Put Lip stains are the ultimate finishing touch to any makeup look. Available in 9 shades, BlackUp No Transfer Matte Liquid Lip colors gives a dramatic look with an ultra-matte finish that lasts the whole day.

Simply apply a dark shade on the lip contour, a lighter shade in the heart of the lips, blend it all to achieve a sublime ombre lips and you are ready to go.

Yves Rocher 3-in-1 Cream Lotion for Very dry Body Skin

Murad Acne Range

Murad Vitamin C Range

while eliminating sensations of tightness. Daily usage ensures your skin regains its extreme softness and all its suppleness. What’s more, 94% of its ingredients are from natural origin! It’s even free of mineral oil, colorants and paraben.

Soft, Smooth and Moisturised skin Treat yourself to this silky and generous cream formula rich in Oat extracts to nourish dry skin. Oat extract is recognized for its softening properties leaving your skin lastingly smoothed, soothed and nourished

Goodbye Cellulite & Stretchmarks The botanical triple action power in this Bums & Tums shaping gel is amazing. It helps to achieve a flat stomach and firmer buttocks while re-sculpting your tums area. With a fresh gel texture, it penetrates immediately with non-sticky effect.

Yves Rocher Tums and Bum

Blackup no transfer Matte Lip colour

Eyes that Glow Functional eye shadow is a beauty must-have for any occasion, whether it’s a job interview, a night out or a family gathering. If you have a palette with multiple colors, you can create various looks depending on what you’re going for.

Available in 3 variants, these eye shadow palettes by blacklUp offer an infinite range of possibilities to bring out the Make-up Artist inside of you in brush stroke! It is the ultimate tool to give free rein to the imagination of artistic make-up fans!

Flash Color Palette

Get the Right Fragrance Your choice of fragrance says a lot about you. This fragrance has a contemporary flavour: fresh and young, romantic and sensual. It’s cheerful and lively, characterized by the bracing touch of marine notes and Sicilian Mandarin, the gentle, voluptuous and intensely feminine Neroli and Rose of Grasse. Bourbon Vanilla and Amber create an atmosphere of seduction, while romantic and passionate Patchouly and Musk add a touch of sensuality.

Elise by Rance 1795

Ladies, you must own one of these.

Concentrate on your pulse pointswrists, neck, behind the knees, behind the ears, and even in your décolletage for long-lasting results.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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Women’sWorld EPI set to empower women, youths on profitable ventures …as women share life-changing experiences Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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n line with its resolve to nurture and promote entrepreneurship among women and youths, the Entrepreneurship Platform Initiative (EPI) on Thursday held its first Lagos seminar, where women were taught how to build and sustain businesses and at the same time ensure the home front does not suffer.

Yetunde Onanuga, deputy governor of Ogun State, was represented at the event by Abiodun Oyedele, senior special adviser, who read an inspirational keynote address on behalf of the deputy governor.

She encouraged women to take advantage of their God-given skill and soar beyond their set goals.

“Women do so much for our men to achieve all they want by assuring that the home front remains stable as the stabilisers and managers of our home, just in line with the saying that behind every successful man, there is a strong woman.

“My joy is full having realised that this programme also features youths who are the future of this nation.

This is not unconnected to the fact that women in most cases are the ones that take care of the children at home.

“Once the society gets it right with the women and the youths, the world will be a better place. It is therefore imperative to say that this initiative is a very good approach to ensure national development and socio-economic development.

“I am not here in my position as the deputy governor of the state but I am here in my capacity as a woman, a mother and a mentor to rub minds with you. I believe that as much as you will learn from me, it is also an opportunity for me to learn from you as a potential entrepreneur,” Onanuga said.

She explained that from the experiences she had gathered over the years, she realised that women and youths have passion to be successful even in their personal and professional lives.

Onanuga, who noted that the path to success can be difficult to

L-R: Morenike Okupe, chief executive officer, Malas Catering; Toyin Adeniji, executive director, micro enterprise, Bank of Industry; Toke Shobowale Benson; Mercy Bello Abu, president, Entrepreneurs Platform Initiative (EPI); Abiodun Oyedele, senior special adviser and representative of Ogun State deputy governor, and Remi Oni, executive director, corporate banking, First Bank of Nigeria, at the EPI seminar for women in Lagos on Thursday.

navigate, reiterated that with proactivity in all facets of life, success will definitely be achieved.

She emphasised that for a woman to set herself on the path of success, it is important for her to have goals for the short, medium and long term, which will serve as easy way to remind her of her aspirations in life.

She said the features of a successful person are that they must have confidence in themselves and also believe they have the ability to succeed by cultivating and projecting confidence in themselves and others.

Other features she mentioned include having a very good education, being talented and acquiring diverse experiences.

“It is important to note that even if you are confident and successful in life, you must have it in mind that disappointment and failures are part of the equation and a vital component of success. The fact that you have a problem in your business does not mean it is the end of it; it is just a part of success.

“As you strive to meet your goals,

do not expect perfections from yourself or those around you, as this often hampers your ability to perform well. It is best to love yourself the way you are and work hard.

Expecting perfection from others can negatively affect your relationship with others,” she said.

She further noted that regardless of the numerous challenges inherent in the nation’s economy especially the ones militating against women in particular, there is an urgent need for all women to collectively support themselves in weathering the storm as well as rise to the top where they actually belong.

“Women are generally innovative and have the ability to relate to others, which make their position or viewpoint crucial in businesses. By having a well-rounded personality and set of experiences, it’s usually possible to relate to almost anyone.

“If the likes of Folorunso Alakija, Ibukun Awosika and my humble self among many other successful young women can excel and attain great heights, what tells you that you cannot also achieve same or better. I

tell you let no one tell you otherwise.

You can even do better if you set your mind to it,” she said.

The event also assembled the most sought-after entrepreneurs, technocrats and business success blueprints leaders and experts who took turns to mentor and inspire young women entrepreneurs on how to take their businesses and careers to new heights.

The panellists included Olaide Sasegbon, headmistress, Corona School, Victoria Island; Toke Shobowale Benson; Morenike Okupe, CEO, Malas Catering; Bola Onabolu, managing director, Bolis Clothing; Funlola Jolaoso, CEO, Mercian111 Designs; Ibukun Adebayo, chairman, Clean Ace Drycleaners; Maureen Onigbanjo Maufechi, among others.

Also speaking, Toyin Adeniji, executive director, micro enterprise, Bank of Industry, corrobirated the deputy governor.

“Women are the greatest business people with exceptional acumen waiting to be tapped. All they need is a little nudge and encourage-

ment and that is why what EPI is doing is very laudable. We need to collectively pull our weight behind this initiative to help businesses grow and that I assure you we would do.

“There are specialised desks which focus on the development of women entrepreneurs at BOI. Our doors are open and will ensure that all bankable ideas put forward are effectively supported,” Adeniji said.

Mercy Abu Bello, president of EPI, appreciated the deputy governor and all the panellists who did well to inspire and motivate budding entrepreneurs to aspire beyond their set targets. She also noted that one of the major reasons the programme was set up is to ensure women empowerment and likewise give their business the needed push to succeed.

“The overall benefits of this programme cannot be over-emphasized, as it will help revamp the entrepreneurial sector by injecting young minds and more women into it; in turn leading to self-reliance which will curb idleness and restiveness,” Bello said.

Funbi Akinyosoye, CEO, Dunamis Events, said her love for colours and creativity took her into the events industry.

Akinyosoye, who said she plays on people’s feelings to sell her services, disclosed that her mum raised her up to be multipurpose and independent.

“Today Dunamis has become a household name and has churned out over 200 trained personnel who are actively playing their roles at the events industry,” she said.

Toke Benson-Awoyinka, assistant legal adviser of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Nigeria needs to have more female inclusion in politics.

She noted that there are less the 3 percent women inclusion in politics and that women need to rise up to the challenge before them and get involved in the affairs of the country through full participation in politics.

She called on women to support their fellow women in politics as women are said to be more logical in decision making and have greater stake in the society.

Mildred Ehiguese: Miss Nigeria impacting lives of children, women

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orn to in Benin City, Edo State, Mildred Ehiguese who represented Adamawa State emerged Miss Nigeria 2017 making her the 41st queen and beating 36 other girls to earn the coveted crown.

A graduate of Psychology from the renowned Redeemers University, Mildred Ehiguese is by all standards a model for young girls and women who aspire to be relevant and leave footprints in the sands of time.

A young and passionate woman, she is not afraid to

carry on daunting projects and campaigns to better the lives of women and children in a country where Women and Children welfare are really considered. She is the first lady to emerge Queen from Adamawa state, a feat that has notbeen achieved before.

Coming from one of the youngest states in northern Nigeria, Mildred has plans to help the state rise up from the ashes of Insurgence, hunger, abuse against children and women.

She is currently in talks with Bindo Jibrilla, the state governor on how Women and Children can

be empowered and taught skills that would make life and living daily easier. She also plans to

Mildred Ehiguese, Miss Nigeria 2017

cater to the mentally challenged in the state with her pet project that would be sensitizing on Mental Illness.

Since her reign Mildred has taken on a number of projects and has lent her voice to numerous relevant campaigns including WAR (Walk against Rape).

She is currently championing the “Green Girl Project”. The Green Girl Project covers Environmental Sustainability: SHELL and Ecobank have partnered with the Green Girl project at different times.

Mildred would be taking on

other plans later in the year like “Campaigns Safe Schools”, book donations to select Orphanages amongst other projects. Mildred is not just a beauty with brains; she’s a beauty with sympathy, emotions and plans for the people she represents.

The Miss Nigeria Brand owned by the Daily Times is the organizer of the yearly beauty pageant that showcases positive attributes of Nigerian women.

The winner portrays exemplary qualities and serves as a role model for young women in the country.

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Sunday 22 April 2018

THINGS TO DO IN LAGOS The Lagos Party We came across this on Instagram; the Lagos party specializes in boat cruises, Yacht rentals and the likes.

So if you don’t feel like necessarily being on the beach, you can hop on a boat and enjoy the ride across Lagos waterways.

Turn Down The Cliché’s Each time the weekend approaches, thoughts of how to make the most of the time takes up a better part of the brain.

There are activities that have somehow blended with each day of the weekend which makes it seem like a norm and over the years it stuck somehow.

For example, Fridays are for clubbing. Saturdays?, Most likely the same. And then Sundays automatically mean beach-time!

You should try tweak things a bit; there are a couple of recreation centres or communities in Lagos that have a bunch of fun activities to participate in; which spices up the to-do list.

Upbeat Centre is one these many recreation places and it’s located in Lekki, Lagos. What’s so fun about Upbeat? It has a trampoline! This spot is suitable for not just kids but for fitness enthusiast and the random fun or adventure lover.

Lagos Jet Ski Club If you’ve had intentions of going Scuba Diving, Lagos jet ski club is your go-to spot.

Although, they require you get some amount of recommendations from already existing members before you are granted membership (for security or privacy purposes), it is not so difficult and worth the process. Try it out!

BONUS Eat Out !!

Weekends at public places can be very frustrating if you hate crowd (no matter how ‘’small’’) but a restaurant like Sabor is the right place to relax, eat that yummy meal and have that cocktail on the rocks.

Sabor is located in Victoria Island of Lagos state. It has a serene ambience and sort of vintage setting. One word for this place – Beautiful!

So make that reservation today; I can bet you will have an amazing experience.

EVENTS HAPPENING TODAY

Fela and the kalakuta queens Venue - Terrakulture arena, Victoria island Time – 3pm & 7pm

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Top 10 Luxury Hotels In Nigeria Hotels in Nigeria are not just beautiful and homely they are unique in style and offer outstanding services that make you feel like you are in heaven. We have a number of hotels that may not be 5star hotels, but are definitely worth the money and experience. So when next you need a break, you want time out with family or friends and somewhere to escape to, check out the list below and visit one of the 10 remarkable hotels in different Nigerian states. The fun begins back home.

Le Meridien Uyo Hotel and Golf Resort Intercontinental Lagos Sheraton Abuja Federal Palace Hotel Lagos Southern Sun Hotel Lagos Swiss International Mabisel Port Harcourt

Tinapa Lakeside Hotel Calabar Nike Lake Enugu Radisson Blu Lagos Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos

Daddy Freeze Lists 5 Reasons Pastor Adeboye Will Not Make Heaven COMEDY MASTERCLASS with Okey Bakassi Date - 22nd April 2018 Venue - Eko Hotels & Suites, VI Lagos.

Time - 6pm.

Sunday at the beach Date - April 22nd Venue – Club Amnesia, Elegushi beach Time -2pm

Sankara (Stage Play) Venue – MUSON Center, Onikan Lagos Time - 2.30pm & 6.30pm

Controversial media personality and leader of the to Christianity. #Freethesheeple Movement Daddy Freeze dur“Our promise with father Abraham started ing his YouTube teaching within the week, listed 5 in Genesis 17. In Genesis 16, Abraham had reasons the G.O of RCCG Pastor Adeboye, will not Ishmael. In Genesis 17, when he was 99, make heaven.

Abraham was promised of Issac and his 1. Leading children astray — name was changed from Abram to AbraFreeze uses Luke 17:1 -3 as his Biblical reason for ham. why the preacher will not make heaven. It says, “Je- “So, whatever Abraham did as Abram in sus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people Genesis 14, when he gave tithe to Melchizeto stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone dek is of no consequence to Christianity…” through whom they come. It would be better for 4. He is a teacher of the law them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied According to Freeze, Mathew 23:13 and around their neck than to cause one of these little verse 15 proves that anyone who teaches ones to stumble. So, watch yourselves.” He adds, the law is not going to heaven.

“Enoch watch yourself.”

5. He disobeys Jesus 2. Turning Stone to bread — In Freeze’s words, “He disobeys Jesus and This time, the controversial figure goes to Matour first pastors and he makes us obey Malathew 4:3 which says, The tempter came to him and chi. Malachi is not a Christian verse. how said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to dare you. become bread.”

In his words, “They read their Bible like textbooks but they say I’m the one that reads Bible like text… I read the Bible spiritually and I’ll explain to you.”

After reading the verse, Freeze says, “The stones he was talking about are human beings, not stones. Many times in the Bible stones were actually human beings.

He backs this with several verses adding, “Turning stones to bread is turning human beings to money. If you do this, you can not make Heaven.

Stop turning stones to bread.

Jesus rejected the temptation, why are Nigerian G. Os falling for this temptation of the devil.”

3. Subjecting people to the curse of the law Freeze says the third reason is that “he is subjecting people to the curse of the law by telling them to pay tithe. There is not space for tithing in the grace.”

He continues: “Some people will now come and tell you that tithing was before the law. Oh yes, it was before the law but it was also before the promise For more information, check out www.therealgist.com and everything before the promise is of no consequence

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Sunday 22 April 2018

Travel

Lagos moves to make tourism count, eyes ‘smart destination’ OBINNA EMELIKE

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hile past administrations in Lagos State made little efforts at growing internally generated revenue from tourism due to less regard for the sector, the present administration seems to be taking a comprehansive approach at tackling the challenges of tourism with the hope of making it one of the priorities in the state economic agenda.

First, the state, according to Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of Lagos State, is channelling a lot of resources into creating an enduring infrastructural for the business of tourism to thrive.

Again, it is developing the skilled manpower that will execute its tourism agenda starting with the redeployment of Steve Ayonrinde earlier in the year from the Ministry of Information to Tourism, Arts and Culture, where the commissioner has comparative advantage.

Since then, the ministry has been very active with events, collaborations and effort at executing some tourism actions. One of such events is the Lagos Tourism Summit, which held at Eko Hotels and Suite, Victoria Island, on Monday.

The one-day summit, the first for tourism in the history of the state, was a gathering of tourism stakeholders across the country and beyond for exchanges on how to make tourism count in the state economy going by the many natural and manmade attraction that dot the state.

Governor Ambode who recognized that tourism has not been given enough support in the past to thrive is the state, assured that his administration has put tourism at the core of its growth strategy at this point in its development by laying a

Lagos Summit solid foundation for the continued prosperity of Lagos and Lagosians through sustained investment in enabling infrastructure.

Beyond the investment on infrastructure, the governor noted that the state has engaged reputable firm to deliver its Tourism Masterplan and that the summit was a testimony to its commitment to finding alternative platforms that can enrich and propel its prosperity continuously.

“It is evident that there is no other concentration of the black race that is larger than Nigeria, and especially Lagos. The Lagos Tourism Masterplan; which is the ultimate end product of this summit is premised in the context of this analogy”, he said.

The governor explained further that,“We are humble enough to draw inspiration from what Cities like Miami; São Paulo; Dubai, Singapore and Tokyo are doing with Tourism and we see how African cities like Cape Town, Cairo, Marrakech and Accra have drawn attention to themselves

as tourist havens of varying degrees.

Our reputation as the commercial and entertainment nerve-Centre of Africa is not in doubt. With our young and energetic population, coastal location and other natural resources, we are arguably the city best suited to promote the idea of an iconic super brand for the black race”.

He noted that in order to do this successfully, the state must first build a solid infrastructural that will endure, safe and secure; that must provide functional and diverse venues for the arts, culture, festivals, creative industry, recreation and wildlife; and must constantly and productively engage with its critical stakeholders.

“So when you see us reclaim 50 hectares of land at the Oworonshoki end of our lagoon; when you see us clear a whole stretch at the Badagry and Epe Marina; when we insist that our prime waterfront must not be taken over by shanties and slums; when you see us embark on some

ambitious road, flyover and modern bus terminal constructions; we are preparing the grounds for a major source of employment and prosperity.

When you see us continue to plead for the control of wasting federal assets like the National Arts Theatre, National Museum and National Stadium and possibly declare our intention to have the Muritala Mohammed International Airport concessionned to us; we are focused on our tourism sector”, he said.

For him, the masterplan is one of the legacies his administration is bequeathing to Lagosians.

He explained further that the Tourism Master Plan is focused on six key sectors including; Culture and Heritage, Film, Art and Entertainment, Business Tourism, Nature and Adventure, Medical and Wellness, Beach and Leisure.

“The tourism sector contributed about $2.2billion (N800billion) to the Lagos GDP in 2017 and with the infrastructure and resources we are deploying in this sector, we expect this figure to double or treble in the next five years. The enormous resources the state government has deployed in physical and social infrastructure will begin to crystallize by December into mega structures that will support tourism and market our state as a smart destination”.

Speaking at the summit, Steve Ayorinde, the Commissioner of Tourism Art and Culture, stated that the dynamics of progress and development are changing and strategies are being redrawn, forcing smart states and countries to be proactive and seek productive alternatives.

Ayorinde said Lagos saw the light in good time because an art-loving helmsman mounted the throne at a critical time and saw the need to show interest and invest in a sector that can rescue an entire nation and

absorb millions of its teeming youths that oil & gas; banking and other white collar jobs that have limited capacities could absorb.

The Commissioner stated that the summit is to take stock of a project that has identified matters of Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment and the arts plus sports to achieve excellence.

Ayorinde explained that: “In three years, our dear state is solid, smart and saturated with ideas to take Project T.H.E.S.E to another level.

In taking stock of where we are therefore, I am obliged to welcome you all to a platform that will provide us with an ideal roadmap through which we seek to double our pace, identify the low hanging fruits and begin to execute our early win strategies in our quest to make tourism our profitable creative economy and the new oil and gas.

This is why the theme of this summit: Destination Lagos: Towards a Tourism Driven Economy’ touches on the nucleus of what we desire to make Lagos State a destination of choice using tourism as an integral component of our growth strategy.

Today’s discourses, therefore, will signpost a new charge of development and a growth agenda that will rely on the talent, skills and exemplary resilience of our people that created iconic brands like Afrobeat, Nollwood and among the youths that constitute over 65percent of our population the lasgidi movement that simply suggests that everything Lagos is sound, smart and ready to announce itself as a cultural force to be reckoned with.”

He said the summit plans to create a path that would raise the bar of the state’s tourism platform and reposition its strength among other tourists destination in Africa and the world.

Upbeat Recreation Centre, the new address for fun, team bonding OBINNA EMELIKE

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here is a new address for wholistic recreation for all ages in Lagos.

On #11 Admiralty Road in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, sits the first-ever West African trampoline park and recreation centre. The recreation outfit offers visitors a range of exciting fun activities yet with fitness in mind.

As well, it offers in addition to its world class facilities the serene ambiance of the Lagos Lagoon, unpolluted air and closeness to nature.

From trampoline, foam pit, tumble track, fitness classes, outdoor aerobics, football pitch, biking, basketball court, crazy kart, skateboarding, Upbeat Recreation Centre simply heightens visitors’ fun, their fitness and ultimately their lives.

Also on offer at the centre are refreshing packages such as trampoline package, meeting & events, corporate/team bonding, schools packages, fitness classes, venue rentals among others.

However, Upbeat has become a hub for lots of corporate organisations, especially for team bonding.

Since it opened its doors to the public, Upbeat has witnessed a surge in corporate visitations, especially from

multinationals and blue chip companies that encourage team bonding among its staffers to relief work related stress, rejuvenate and sustain their productivity at work.

Beyond the team bonding package, Upbeat Centre also host other corporate outings, employee appreciation, customer appreciation, holiday parties among others all aimed at boosting staff and customers’ morale, productivity and patronage.

While on a typical team bonding outing, the visitors or team enjoy fun and active indoor and outdoor team bonding sessions, which cut across trampoline fitness, soccer, basketball, aerobics, food and drinks, photography sessions among others.

Beyond the fitness packages, the Upbeat Recreation Centre provides many meetings rooms for corporate organisations that just want to meet without engaging in any recreational activity. Therefore, Upbeat is ideal venue for corporate brainstorming sessions, unit meetings, breakout sessions and retreats. The recreation centre also has on offer world class facilities that will make memories of birthday and special celebrations wonderful for staff members, especially when supported by their companies and staff members.

Team bonding activity at Upbeat

Upbeat was born to fill a gap in the market, establishing a world class and fun sports and fitness recreation centre in Africa for the benefit of all in the community.

The foremost recreation is the brainchild of architect and visionary, Moyo Ogunseinde, executive director, Uraga Real Estate. Moyo is also the brain behind the Radisson Blu Anchor-

age Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

In the pursuit of providing alternative lifestyle spaces, Moyo, a keen gymnastics mother recognised a need in the community for a new and exciting recreation initiative, as well as, a quality sports and recreation facility, a contribution which could greatly impact the lives of not just the families, youth and communities of Nigeria but

of all West Africa.

“Upbeat Recreation Centre was conceived during the most recent recession period and since our opening in December we have began to take hold of the hearts and minds of our customers. Our customers both young and old are embracing Upbeat as a destination for both fun and fitness as envisioned and we are very excited to see it come to life as we aimed to provide alternative real estate offerings into the market that would impact the lives of not just the families, youth and communities of Nigeria but of all West Africa”, she explained.

She further stated that Upbeat was designed and created to fill a distinctive gap. “Statistically, Nigeria has a youth population of about 67 million, aged between 15 and 35 years. Therefore, a viable market opportunity existed to cater to the youth through Upbeat Recreation Centre which is truly a one-of-a-kind development in West Africa. The quality and design of the facility include sustainability and world class safety measures, as well as, the various activities which set it apart from any existing recreation facility in Nigeria and West Africa”, she further said.

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Travel

Global standards, more data use, key to managing future passengers’ demands Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

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he International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged aviation stakeholders to follow global standards and make greater use of operational data in order to safely accommodate an additional 3.8 billion air travelers by 2036.

Speaking at the Safety and Flight Operations Conference, Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO said, “Over the next 20 years, we expect to see a near doubling of passengers from the approximately 4 billion who traveled in 2017. Managing this growth, while making aviation even safer than it already is, will be a massive undertaking.”

De Juniac noted that 2017 was a very strong year for safety. There were no fatal accidents involving jet passenger aircraft and the fatal accident rate was 0.14 per million flights--the equivalent of one fatal accident for every 6.7 million flights--according, to IATA’s just released 2017 Safety Report.

“If we look at it another way-using fatality risk--on average, a person would have to travel by air every day for 6,033 years before experiencing an accident in which at least one passenger was killed.

Yet we still have accidents, so we know there is room for improvement. Each fatality is a tragedy. And that rededicates everyone in the aviation industry to our common goal of having every flight take-off and land safely,” de Juniac said.

Global standards and best practices are vital to sustaining safety improvements. This is demonstrated by the performance of airlines on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry.

“Now in its fifteenth year, IOSA is the recognized global standard for operational safety. Over the last five years, the accident rate for airlines on the IOSA registry has been nearly three times better than for non-IOSA airlines,” he added.

To ensure that IOSA delivers

even greater value in the future, it is undergoing a digital transformation. Introducing automated advanced business analytics to the IOSA process will enable better management of resources, the ability to measure the effectiveness of standards, and an enhanced level of quality assurance. Digital transformation also will enable more seamless interaction on industry safety initiatives, standards and operational practices, as well as benchmarking.

Greater use of operational data “As the number of accidents declines, future safety advances primarily will lie in achieving a better understanding of what happens in the more than 100,000 flights operating safely every day, through

analysis of flight information and other data resources.

“IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management initiative is a crucial part of this effort. The GADM program now includes information from over 470 different organizations. Over 90% of IATA members are contributing to at least one of the GADM databases,” de Juniac said.

In a related initiative, IATA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) recently signed a Memorandum of Collaboration to establish a Safety Predictive Analytics Research Center in Singapore (SPARC).

SPARC will leverage operational safety information from GADM to assess potential hazards and identify safety risks. End users across the aviation community can then work collaboratively at the system level to address and implement appropriate safety measures to mitigate the risks, or even to prevent the occurrences of safety hazards.

De Juniac also said that IATA is developing a global database of turbulence reports to provide airlines with an enhanced situational awareness tool. “When our innovative turbulence data repository is operational early next year we expect to see a significant decrease in turbulence-related injuries.”

Cheers in all cabin classes, as Emirates revamps its spirits offering

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mirates has refreshed its spirits offering across all classes with a range of premium brands. Spirits on board are served complimentary across all classes and routes and include a range of whiskeys, cognacs, gins, vodka and flavoured liqueurs amongst others.

Emirates’ new spirits menu is an extensive offering of over 30 new spirits and liqueurs served across all classes. The spirits complement Emirates’ world class offering of over 80 fine wines and champagnes served across its network daily.

The new selection was made by an in-house team of experts who spent two years working directly with suppliers to curate the brand new spirits offering. Emirates has invested in long term partnerships with some of the world’s best brands resulting in the finest spirits as well as exclusive selections available on board.

“We aim to deliver the best culinary experience on board and that goes for our menus, our wines and also our new spirits range. We’ve invested time in building relationships with the best spirits makers in the world, understanding global trends and achieving the perfect serve on board to showcase these beverages in the best possible way,” Joost Heymeijer, Senior Vice President, Inflight catering, Emirates, explained.

Etihad Airways enhances onboard food offering with Weqaya’ menu items

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tihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has collaborated with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, to introduce ‘Weqaya,’ a range of healthy food items, on-board its flights and in its lounges in Abu Dhabi.

Weqaya, meaning ‘prevention,’ is a programme established by the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi with the aim of encouraging people to eat a healthy and balanced diet to promote good health and

wellbeing.

Starting in April, Etihad Airways will begin to offer a number of Weqaya dishes on menus in First and Business Class long-haul and ultra-long haul outbound flights from Abu Dhabi, and First and Business Class lounges in Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial, Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad consistently engages with its guests to better understand their needs, and

then delivers products and services that exceeds their expectations.

The addition of Weqaya menu items further enhances our F&B offering, and is a testimony to our airline’s commitment to continue to provide premium products to our guests.”

Linda Celestino, Vice President Guest Experience & Delivery, added: “We are delighted to support the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi in this initiative. As the first airline in the region to achieve Weqaya status, we are both honoured and excited to promote health and wellness not just in Abu Dhabi, but also onboard our flights.”

Last year, Etihad introduced Weqaya food items to restaurants in its headquarters, further highlighting its commitment to the health and well-being of its employees.

Omniyat Al Hajeri, Director of Public Health Division, said: “We are working at the Department of Health to increase the availability of healthy food options and promote a culture that embraces healthy eating among all groups in the society across the Emirate.

Cooperation with Etihad Airways is a demonstration that following a healthy lifestyle is our ultimate goal and our efforts towards “a healthier Abu Dhabi knows no boundaries or distances.”

Dana Air begins Owerri-Abuja flights May 1

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s part of its strategic route expansion drive across Nigeria, Dana Air has announced plans to introduce Owerri- Abuja –Owerri flights on May 1. ‘’We are greatly delighted to introduce an additional flight on our Owerri route, connecting Owerri to Abuja and back, said Kingsley Ezenwa, Dana Air’s Media and Communications Manager. “This is part of our commitment towards providing dependable options for the good people of Imo state and ensuring seamless travel for business and leisure travelers.’’

Speaking further, Ezenwa said, the airline which currently operates over 27 daily flights from Lagos to Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo, and Owerri, will operate flights from the Sam Mbakwe International Airport, Owerri to Abuja and back on Mondays to Fridays and Sundays.

“From May 1, 2018, we will operate one flight from Owerri to Abuja on Mondays to Fridays at 12.33pm and Abuja to Owerri at 2.16pm. On Sundays, Owerri to Abuja flights will

be at 5.31pm and Abuja to Owerri at 12.06pm.’’ ​ He noted that the airline had to create a flight from Owerri to Abuja as a result of the overwhelming calls from its guests, who had enjoyed its uninterrupted schedule and on-time departures from Lagos to Owerri and assured guests of the airline’s commitment towards providing a reliable and affordable service across its route network.

He advised the airline’s customers to visit its website or any of its sales outlets at Imo Condorde Hotel in Owerri, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Silverbird Galleria in Lagos and all other airport sales desk for fares as low as 18,000 one way and 45,000 business class tickets.

Dana Air, after a thorough audit conducted by the Imo state government in 2017, was selected for an airline partnership as part of the Government’s commitment towards providing career and job opportunities for indigenes of the state, and affordable fares to boost leisure and business travel to and around the state. ​

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Sunday 22 April 2018

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Health&Science Autistic children may inherit DNA mutations from their fathers

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MATT WARREN

here is no one gene that, when mutated, causes autism. But over the past decade, researchers have identified hundreds of gene variations that seem to affect brain development in ways that increase the risk of autism. However, these scientists mainly searched for variants in the DNA that directly encodes the building blocks of proteins. Now, a new study probing so-called noncoding DNA has found that alterations in regions that regulate gene activity may also contribute to autism. And surprisingly, these variations tended to be inherited from fathers who aren’t autistic.

“This is a really good article— it’s somewhat provocative and it makes us think about [autism genetics in a] different way,” says Lucia Peixoto, a neuroscientist and computational biologist at Washington State University in Spokane, who was not involved in the research. “I think it’s a great contribution to the field.”

Research into the genetic risk for autism has mainly focused on how mutations that arise spontaneously in an individual’s genome rather than being inherited from a parent—disrupt protein-coding regions and lead to the condition.

That’s because these sporadic mutations have relatively large effects and studies have shown that such mutations, although individually rare, together contribute to about 25% to 30% of cases, says Jonathan Sebat, a geneticist at the University of California, San Diego. But only about 2% of the genome consists of proteincoding areas. Sebat says the large noncoding portion of our DNA often previously referred to as “junk DNA” has so far been ignored in autism research.

Sebat’s team was especially

interested in the parts of noncoding DNA that regulate gene expression. They looked at wholegenome sequences from 829 families that included autistic individuals, their nonautistic siblings, and their parents. Assessing the influence of individual DNA base changes is particularly difficult in noncoding regions, so they instead identified bigger alterations, so-called structural variants, in which large sequences of DNA are inverted, duplicated, or deleted.

Each individual has thousands of structural variants in their genome, so the researchers narrowed down their analysis to examine just a handful of regulatory regions where genetic variation seemed most likely to cause disruption. They chose these by finding regions where the general population has less variation than expected; suggesting that genetic changes there could be detrimental. These included sites involved in regulating gene activity during brain development

and initiating the transcription of genes.

The scientists then examined whether structural variants in these regions were associated with autism by examining the pattern of transmission from parents to their autistic and nonautistic children. Researchers have assumed that mothers are more likely to pass on autism-promoting gene variants. That’s because the rate of autism in women is much lower than that in men, and it is thought that women can carry the same genetic risk factors without having any signs of autism. But when a mother passes these genes to her sons, they are not protected in the same way and thus will be affected.

The team found that mothers passed only half of their structural variants on to their autistic children a frequency that would be expected by chance alone suggesting that variants inherited from mothers were not associated with autism. But surprisingly,

fathers did pass on substantially more than 50% of their variants.

This suggests that autistic children might have inherited risk variants in regulatory regions from their fathers but not their mothers, the researchers report today in Science.

To check that this result held up, Sebat’s team then tested a second, larger sample of 1771 families.

Once again, autistic children received more structural variants from their fathers but not mothers though the size of the effect wasn’t quite as large in this second sample.

“This is completely opposite to what we had previously assumed,” Sebat says. Peixoto finds the paternal bias surprising as well, although she already suspected that the inherited component of autism would be more apparent in noncoding regions. Compared with mutations in protein-coding regions, variants in regulatory regions usually have “smaller but additive effects. And when you

have a smaller effect, you are much more likely to pass [it] along from generation to generation.”

Based on these results, Sebat proposes a more complex model of how autism arises, in which mothers pass on mutations affecting coding regions, which have large effects that women are protected from, while fathers pass on variants affecting noncoding regions; their effects are much more moderate and may only cause symptoms when combined with risk variants from mothers.

Dalila Pinto, a molecular geneticist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, says the study provides “very insightful preliminary findings.”

She said she will be interested to see whether the results are replicated in even larger genome databases—and whether additional variants will be identified. Peixoto agrees: Although the research is still at an early stage, she says, it “open [s] a door in a different direction.”

PharmAccess, NHEA collaborate to celebrate innovative healthcare service providers ANTHONIA OBOKOH

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harmAccess Foundation Nigeria has partnered with the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA) to recognize and celebrate innovative healthcare service providers in the country to drive efficient health delivery.

“This is our third consecutive year of partnership with NHEA but our second year as the sponsor of the innovative healthcare service provider award category,” Njide Ndili, country director, PharmAccess Nigeria said in a

statement made available to BusinessDay. “Our motivation supports our core objectives, which is to promote innovation that improves access and efficiency in service delivery at scale, leveraging technology at an affordable cost without bias to your location, economic status or income level,” Ndili said.

Also commenting, Shola Alabi, project coordinator, NHEA said “NHEA is Nigeria’s leading healthcare platform that recognizes excellence and innovation in the sector.

We value our partnership with PharmAccess. Their desire for continuous improvement in the sector deserves special commendation.”

SaferMom, which empowers pregnant and new mothers in making informed health decisions using mobile technology, won the NHEA 2017 PharmAccess Innovative Healthcare Service Provider of the Year.

Nominations for the fifth edition of NHEA 2018 are currently ongoing and stakeholders can visit www.nigeriahealthawards. com.ng to either make their

nominations online or download the nomination form.

Winners of the various categories will be honoured on Friday, June 22nd, 2018 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos. Nominations will close on May 25, 2018 before the commencement of online voting to enable the award jury select the winners of the various categories.

23 awards and recognitions will be presented at the ceremony under four main categories; Special Awards, Healthcare Delivery Services, Biomedical Technology and Pharmaceuticals.

Sunday 22 April 2018

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BDSUNDAY 47

Sports ‘VAR a lifeline for beleaguered referees’

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Stories by ANTHONY NLEBEM

assimo Busacca still remembers the sleep-

less nights.

FIFA’s director of refereeing was himself a match official for 15 years and knows how much of the suffering and soulsearching that referees go through after a bad performance.

“To understand what a referee’s life is like, just try doing it once,” the Swiss told Reuters in an interview.

“Try it, just to see what it means to make a big mistake and be killed by the media the next day.

“I know how many hours I was looking up at the ceiling and I couldn’t sleep because of my mistake… and I know that only one decision can change your life.”

Busacca said that “a player can be very bad for 89 minutes and he scores a goal and suddenly he becomes a hero.

“A referee can be the best in the world for 89 minutes, but when he makes one mistake he is killed.”

For Busacca the video assistant referee technol-

ogy system (VAR), which will be used at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia to help referees, is a muchneeded safety net that could end their purgatory.

“Please let us have VAR for these moments,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of a training camp for the European and African referees who will officiate in Russia.

“Our careers and our lives have to change, they have to be fairer.”

Busacca remembered refereeing one “important” UEFA Champions Le a g u e m a t c h w h e r e there was a sending-off offence but he was not sure which player had committed the foul.

His career included two FIFA World Cups and a UEFA Champions League final.

He did not have VAR to turn to, so he did what he thought was the next best thing by asking the players involved.

“I said, `please tell me who committed the foul, because otherwise it could be my last game’,” he said. “The players were very fair… one owned up and I gave the red card.”

Bu s a c c a s a i d t h a t , without VAR, players would quickly find out what television replays

had shown while the referee remained in the dark.

“The players receive information from outside the pitch. Team staff are watching the match on an iPad, or the coach gets an SMS,” he said.

“So, the players tell you that you made a mistake, and how do you continue the game after that? What happens if there is another incident in the other penalty area?

“Do you compensate for the mistake?”

In the VAR system, a trained referee with access to a video monitor, and in constant communication with the main match official, checks decisions considered “match-changing”.

If an obvious mistake is spotted, the incident can be reviewed and changed.

The referee, who has access to a pitch-side monitor, can also initiate a review himself.

The system has been trialed in several leagues around the world this season, including Serie A, the Bundesliga and the Major League Soccer (MLS).

It was approved by football’s law-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in March.

But not everyone is

Lagos City Marathon unveils RevolutionPlus as new sponsors

happy.

One of the most frequent complaints is too many incidents are being reviewed.

Busacca, however, said the last thing a referee wanted to do was consult the VAR. “Like anyone else, referees don’t like to be told they have made a mistake.

So, the referee doesn’t like having an on-field review.

He doesn’t want to go the pitch-side monitor,” he said.

And he warned that a referee’s mistake would still be noted by FIFA even if the VAR helped make the right decision.

“Just because VAR has

corrected you, it doesn’t mean that you will easily be allocated another game,” he said, adding that one review per match — not including offsides — was too many.

“That would mean we are not working well with referees anymore,” he said.

An impassioned Busacca said he could not understand some of the criticism of VAR. “Why do I always see that phrase ‘controversial VAR’?” he said. “Because a player is celebrating and it is discovered that he is offside?

“Of course, we have to be better, we have to reduce the time it takes. But,

in the end, we need to get the decisions right.”

European football’s governing body UEFA has decided against using VAR in its Champions League next season, saying the system needs fine-tuning, but Busacca said it was ready for the World Cup. “We have worked an incredible number of hours on the pitch in the last two years in seminars and tournaments,” he said.

“I close my eyes and think of the World Cup final in Moscow on July 15 and imagine that the game ends 1-0 with a goal which is 20 centimetres offside, and that I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

First time player wins N7.7million on BetKing

… Signs N500m sponsorship deal with Lagos City Marathon

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rganisers of the Lagos City International Marathon, Nilayo Sports recently unveiled leading real estate player, RevolutionPlus as one of the sponsors of the annual sport event.

The deal is worth N500 million for five years.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos, Managing Director, Revolution Plus, Bamidele Onalaja, said the real estate and property development outfit was proud to be involved in a big project like the Lagos City Marathon as it reputation continues to soar each year.

RevolutionPlus promised to add more colours to the IAAF bronze-label event.

“We are proud to be a title sponsor of the Lagos City International Marathon for the next five years starting with the 2019 edition. Sport is very important to human life; if you are involved in sport-

ing activities, you tend to have a healthy and longer life,” he said, adding that one of the reasons it is getting involved is that the sponsorship is part of its corporate social responsibility Executive Director, Tolulope Onalaja , said though they were approached to be a community sponsor which is N20m yearly, they chose to get involved in a much bigger way as the expectation was surpassed with what was on offer at the

last edition held on February 10, 2018.

Lagos City International Marathon Consultant, Bukola Olopade, described the partnership as the most understanding and seamless sponsorship it has ever had stressing that the enthusiasm shown by RevolutionPlus was overwhelming.

General Manager, Lagos City Marathon, Yusuf Ali said they are happy to see RevolutionPlus coming on board for the marathon.

L-R: Morten Foght, Chief Financial Officer, Betking; Neil Bothma, Chief Opportunity Officer, BetKing; Byron Petzer, CEO, Betking; Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Brand Ambassador, BetKing and Adekunle Adeniji, Co-founder, Betking.

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punter who played for the first time on the fastest growing sports betting platform, BetKing recently won a huge sum of N7.7million using the platform.

The winner who goes by the name of Prince Chukwuemeka shared his excitement over the weekend as representatives in Anambra state contacted him. According to Kingmaker, Sam Eze who manages agent shops in the region, the win was a major milestone in the history of the brand. “This is only the beginning of the great things that will be achieved by BetKing

in Nigeria in time to come.”

He said.

Prince Chukwuemeka indicated that it was his first time playing on BetKing and he was glad that he played without any doubts. He narrated the story stating he was on his way to another betting shop when a BetKing agent (also known as a Kingmaker), engaged and convinced him to try BetKing. The decision proved to be fruitful as he ended up winning N7.7 million.

The winner attributes his success to his fearless prediction, which is a major distinguishing attribute of punters

on Betking. In his words, “My mind told me to play straight draw, and I never doubted”.

Sharing his joy, he further stated that he never thought he could win that much from betting and expressed his appreciation to BetKing for giving Nigerians the opportunity to win like true Kings. He believed the winning would help improve his life in numerous ways and stated his desire to continue to play on the platform.

“I have even started inviting my friends to BetKing,” he commented, when asked if he would readily recommend the platform to other punters.

BDSUNDAY Development reporting and hysteria journalism NEW YOU CAN TRUST

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entlemen of the press and distinguished guests As someone who appreciates the role of the media in shaping society, it is my pleasure to address you at this event. Today’s chairman, Professor Oluremi Sonaiya, has also been an important voice in our public discourse.

It is also my pleasure to be here because I am among former colleagues. I don’t know how many of you know this, but in my former life I worked in the media with Newswatch. That is why I am very much at home with journalists. I was at Newswatch in its glory days, when it was one of the most widely read news magazines in Nigeria, and one of the most trenchant and consistent voices against a military establishment that had long overstayed its welcome.

Under the leadership of that trio to end all trios– Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed - Newswatch was an example and an inspiration to many, a guiding light in those difficult times of the struggle against military rule. I recall the many battles fought against the military in court, through bans and harassment by security agents, with the obvious aim of silencing us.

My work in the media didn’t end with Newswatch. I also was a special correspondent for international publications like the Christian Science Monitor and Africa News Service, as it was known at that time, as well as a contributing columnist for The Guardian.

Media and technology Thirty years after I left it, the media landscape in Nigeria has changed significantly. Print consumption is in what looks like permanent decline, with online consumption holding sway. While the mode of consumption of news has changed, the role of the media to inform has not changed.

We exist in a time that is defined more and more by what some have called an information deluge.

In addition to traditional media like TV, radio, billboards and so on, we now have the constant barrage of notifications from our mobile phones, alerting us to all sorts of things, the majority of which could be described as trivial. And yet these trivialities have the capacity to take up all our time and leave us unable to focus on the things around us that truly matter.

Media these days is indistinguishable from technology. Where once the medium was separate from the message, they have become one and the same, fulfilling Marshall McLuhan’s prophecy.

Our choices at every level are influenced by our exposure to the Siamese twins of media and technology. In this day and age, it is easier than ever before to become a news outlet, and the revelations about the use of the Facebook platform by organizations

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SUNDAY 22 APRIL 2018

to harvest user data and use it to spread falsehood and influence the outcomes of elections and referendums, should give us all pause to reflect about the impact of news outlets on our psyche.

There are a number of schools of thought about the way media should interact with society, and development reporting stems from the development theory of media, which holds that media should be an agent of educating the masses in line with the development needs of a nation. It says that development communication is that which is employed for the purpose of social transformation.

Development reporting What do we mean by development journalism? It is a bit of a controversial term because its critics call it “government-say-so” journalism.But it broadly means that journalism in developing countries should contribute to social transformation by educating and informing citizens on activities that contribute to economic and social development, highlighting the importance of those issues and activities. In this understanding, there is a conscious bias by the media towards what is seen as a larger goal of the society, and less emphasis on other issues that may be newsworthy but are seen as “trivial” or just not advancing the desired consciousness that development journalism seeks to create.

We had a lot of development journalism when the role of the government was in the society and the economy was very strong in many countries including Nigeria, in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In some countries with socialist governments, there simply was nothing else. As from the 1980s with economic liberalisation, development journalism began to die a natural death as the media sought to survive in increasingly capitalist economies by being relevant to its consumers by giving more attention to new trends.

Today, development journalism is practiced only by specific, specialized media, much of it, ironically in the western world in the context of these countries’ roles in “international development”.

We have as examples Devex, an organization that publishes news and views on development issues around the world.

Investigative journalism and social transformation One of the major ways by which the media that play role of a catalyst in social transformation is through investigative journalism. By uncovering evidence of malfeasance and shedding light on social ills, journalists can influence public discourse in a major way. There is so much that is wrong with our country today, and a vibrant tradition of investigative reporting can help change this.

The tradition of investigative reporting in Ni-

KINGSLEY MOGHALU Former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),

Good investigative journalism is about resources, and the ability for editors and publishers to resist external pressure when reporters ask uncomfortable questions.

There is a general absence of both, and that is a key reason why there are so many important stories which remain untold

geria has been dying slowly as news has become more commercialised, that is why the work of outlets like Premium Times and the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism, for example, is crucial to keep those traditions alive. Speaking truth to power and going beyond press releases is never easy, but that is what must be done in order to truly make an impact.

Good investigative journalism is about resources, and the ability for editors and publishers to resist external pressure when reporters ask uncomfortable questions. There is a general absence of both, and that is a key reason why there are so many important stories which remain untold.

The ownership structure of the Nigerian press has always been centered around politicians, or those who aim to go into politics. Even back to preindependence days, Herbert Macaulay, NnamdiAzikiwe, ObafemiAwolowo and other leading political agitators all owned media outlets. After independence, some of thesemedia continued and were put in the service of one ethnic agenda or the other, leading to the civil war and later, the end of the Second Republic and return of military rule. All those events had at their core the use of media to advance an agenda that served narrow interests.

Nigeria’s press cannot play an effective developmental role because the elite who own these media have no worldview. Their only concern is access to political power, and unfortunately, these outlets are deployed in pursuit and maintenance of this access.

That is why when your newspaper runs on advertising money from some connected people in society, that revenue is at risk if they or their friends are the subjects of an investigative report. Often, the choice is between the advertising revenue and Continues on page 19

Being a keynote address by Professor Kingsley Moghalu, a former deputy governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and president, Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation, at The Niche 4th Anniversary Lecture, held at the weekend at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

Off the Cuff

Quick Takes

Blood on Nigeria’s hand!

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he killings in Nigeria have become consistent and widespread. Like the blood of Abel that cried out in the wilderness against his brother Cain, even so is the blood of Nigerians murdered in times of peace against the country.

The Almighty was so displeased with Cain that He turned his back against him, and he (Cain) became a vagabond all the days of his life. He amounted to nothing in life. Despite the fact that he slaughtered his brother in a most horrified manner, he added to his sin by a display of arrogance and defiance. When he was asked about his brother, Abel, he retorted in anger “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Nigerian situation is getting as bad as Cain’s as precious blood is being spilt in the country on a daily basis without conscious effort on the part of government to stem the ugly tide. They play politics with it.

In the last two years, gruesome murders have increased. It used to be the activity of Boko Haram, but the Fulani herdsmen’s involvement has made the situation more scary.

In Nigeria today, a band of herdsmen can enter into a community and begin to slaughter people. The method of such massacres is not just by shooting which is less painful, but the herdsmen as vampires

suck the blood of their victims, or how else can one describe a situation where the herdsmen use sharp knives to cut their victims into piece. In some cases, they rip open tummies of pregnant women, drag out the feotuses and cut such feotuses into pieces in fiendish manner.

They also use sharp objects to pin alive people’s heads to the ground. They gouge out the eyes of their victims, even those of innocent children, while they are yet alive. We are not in a war situation yet killings are taking place in bizarre manners as if it were a war situation.

This level of wickedness attracts direct divine punishment to any country that allows it. Little wonder then meaningful progress has continued to elude Nigeria.

In the last three years, everything about Nigeria is either dead outright or struggling. The economy completely died at a point, they called it recession, and they said it was resurrecting.

The Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emiefele, recently raised the alarm to a likelihood of the economy slipping back into recession.

Nigeria, a touted giant of Africa, may have become a vagabond! Whereas smaller countries, including Ghana, are breaking through in many areas, our beloved country is drifting about like a “silly dove without heart”.

Today, quality of life in Nigeria is zero as poverty walks the street. Educated citizens are roaming the streets in search of food; many have become beggars. There is fear everywhere. There is no safety. Insecurity has become the order of the day. Nigerians have since lost hope and confidence in the security agencies as cases of manslaughter by those who were supposed to protect lives, are rife.

So much blood on Nigeria’s hand! Every day brings sad news- 20 killed in Taraba; 38 slaughtered in Nasarawa; 49 killed in Benue; 30 killed in Plateau, and it goes on and on. We are talking about human beings created in God’s own image, not animals!

A country where these things are happening, must not expect God’s favour. No wonder the fortunes of Nigeria are consistently going down, down, down.

It does not appear there is a solution in sight as leaders do not see the magnitude of the problem and the impending “Armageddon”. For them, the coming election is the priority. For them, the killings can go on as it furthers their cause. But the scriptures cannot be broken- “Whosoever that breaks a hedge, the serpent will bite him.”

$462

This is the amount of money said to have been spent extrabudgetarily to purchase two American helicopters without Senate approval

They have come again!

Britain has not finished their agenda in Nigeria. The yoking together of all the diverse ethnic nationalities in the country by the British Colonialists has continued to retard Nigeria’s growth. Perhaps, if Nigeria had been three or four separate nations, rapid and meaningful progress would have been achieved. This time around, when we are still lamenting the evil done to us by the British colonialist, they have come again to suggest another evil. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, the other day told President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigeria should legalise same-sex marriage. Taboo! Aru! For now, it is within the realm of advice, but we must be courageous enough to say, NEVER AGAIN!

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