BusinessDay 24 May 2020 by BusinessDay

Edo: Obaseki and the epic battle ahead

How coronavirus deals a deadly blow on night life, others in Akwa Ibom

COVID-19: Nigeria must look inwards to find solution to her problems - Rev. Fr. Adodo 15

Reduced sales, high finance cost send Eterna into loss in 2019

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Vol 1, No. 314

N300

Nigeria’s school feeding programme in lockdown It’s fraudulent - opposition, others It is unreaslistic - NUT No, we mean well - FG

See page 2

Emergencies over ‘state of emergency’ alarm in Rivers

Phyno, Flavour thrill at Life Lager re-launch

Nigerian seafarers trapped onboard vessels over lockdown, airport closure 30

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo(r) presiding over the first virtual meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), comprising all the 36 state governors, FCT Minister, Central Bank Governor and other top government officials, where firm decisions were taken to take the Federal Government and states collaboration on the COVID-19 pandemic including its economic dimensions to the next level. Pix State House

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Nigeria’s school feeding programme in lockdown CHUKA UROKO, OBINNA EMELIKE, INIOBONG IWOK (Lagos) and JAMES KWEN (Abuja)

arly in the life of this government, Nigerians were told of a home grown school feeding programme which now appears to be riddled with “truths, half-truths and outright lies.” To the extent that it was created to empower local farmers and food vendors, the programme is a good idea. But, so far, its implementation has been controversial. The idea of continuing with the programme at a time when coronavirus, a global health emergency, has forced all schools to close down and households to shut their doors, is an act that not only offends people’s sensibilities, but also bruises their collective psyche. “By implementing that programme at a time like this when pupils are all at home with their parents means there’s more to that programme than we know. This is the only country in the world where you hear and see unimaginable things happen,” Henry Ozioma, an accountant with a logistics company, said. Ozioma does not understand what the government wants to achieve by insisting on feeding school children who are at home. “How are they going to do it? Will they be going to their individual homes or ask the children to report to their school when the same government is preaching social and physical distancing?” he wondered. “I want to believe that the aim of all these pretence is to sustain the contract on the programme which, of course, is awarded to their cronies. Otherwise, this is a needless effort. The money being used on this programme now could be used on repairing the schools. Many of them don’t have chairs; others have leaking roofs and cracked walls. This is a good time to address all that,” Ozioma advised. Though he sees some sense in the school feeding programme as a means of ramping up school enrollment, especially in the educationally backward states in the country, Josephat Aigbe, a retired school administrator, is not comfortable with the present style of implementation. “I think somebody is out to play a fast one; what it means is that both the children and the parents have to be fed for it to make any meaning. Honestly, I don’t envy any section of the country that claims poverty as if it is a birth right. They have always depended on government and that is why they have remained poor despite all the privileges they enjoy,” Aigbe noted, stressing that the programme should have been put on hold now for other urgent needs. In more ways than one, the Federal Government has demonstrated disdain for the feelings of the people. Like many other Nigerians, Ozioma is pained that the government always says what it does not mean or means what it does not say. This same government that

could not provide palliatives during the lockdown for even the people that are really vulnerable in the country is now claiming to have spent a huge sum of money on a programme that should not be part of its priorities at the moment. This is the most loathsome outing by the government which is why Fafiolu Samuel, a Public Affairs analyst, says the programme is absurd, bizarre, vague and definitely full of dark spots, adding, “Most assuredly, a few people will get these relief packages and that’s why I feel it should have been called something else.” For Oyedokun Ibukun, an entrepreneur, the billions budgeted for this project should rather be diverted to fixing infrastructural deficits or loan servicing, advising the government to desist from wasteful spending and focus on productive things, because the country has more pressing needs than school feeding, especially during lockdown. Dara Ogunaike, a chartered accountant, queried the source of the proposed N697million to be spent daily, amounting to N13.5billion a monthly on the programme. “With N13.5 billion, government can setup cottage industries and small scale enterprises for the parents, who will feed their children from their profit and add to our gross domestic product”, Ogunaike said. But Raphael Ikpe, a forensic expert, described the decision by the federal government to continue with the feeding initiative during lockdown as not only reckless spending, but also misplaced priority. “There is no money anywhere, we are already borrowing and purchasing power is going to decline with the economic downturn anticipated after coronavirus is curtailed. So, it is unwise to waste money on things parents can handle if empowered”, Ikpe said. So far, government claims that the NHGSFP initiative has engaged 107,862 cooks who are serving over 9.9 million pupils in 54,952 schools across the country.

But the figures, according to Ogunaike, are mere hype and not verifiable. “For the minister to involve DSS, EFCC, ICPC, Code of Conduct Bureau and a host of NGOs and CSOs to provide an extra layer of monitoring, it means there is a possibility that huge fraud is going on that needs to be checked. How can you spend N13.5 billion on feeding children when we are running to International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loan? It is a scam because the children do not need the half-cooked rice without meat”, Ogunaike lamented. Expressing his doubt over the authenticity of the initiative, Jude Odia, a university don, said the federal government has been making efforts at selling the initiative to Nigerians without success because it is the parents that need empowerment to take care of their children. Speaking further, Odia explained that to make the initiative sail through during lockdown, it was rebranded as Take-Home Rations (THR) to the households of the children on the programme channels of school feeding. “The truth is that the minister and even staff of NHGSFP will not allow their children to eat the socalled food being given to pupils because it is contract and poor in nutrition”, Odia observed. It would be recalled that at the launch of the modified scheme, the minister said, “Beginning today in Abuja, this programme will target parents and guardians of children in primary 1 to 3 in public schools participating in the programme. “A total of 3.1 million households are targeted for this intervention. Lagos and Ogun states are next ports of call before the programme moves to other states.” Many argue how government or the ministry arrived at the 3.1 million households and doubt if they could reach 500,000 before leaving Abuja. “How can someone think of lifting people by feeding them? The right thing is to empower parents

of these vulnerable children and leave them to care of the children”, Hassan Abu, civil servant, said. He noted that nobody will take such food to private schools in Abuja or Lagos because the students and pupils are children of affluent people, and that government should desist from feeding children, rather empower their parents. But while many are protesting against the feeding initiative and some argue in its favour, a few people, particularly food vendors, contractors and civil servants are smiling to the bank. The Parents-Teacher Association (PTA) said recently, that the union was in support of the programme, but want government to carry the union along in its implementation. The union, however, wondered how the government intends feeding the school children since schools are shut across the country. The National Publicity Secretary of the Association, Ademola Ekundayo, said the school feeding programme would not achieve its purpose if the Federal Government continues with it during the lockdown. “As a parent body, we are in support of the school feeding programme, we are as well looking for ways to augment whatever the Federal Government is offering. We want the Federal Government to allow the PTA to be part of the implementation so that we can know the types of meal they are giving to our children. There is need to carry us along in whatever they are giving to our children. “However, we must say that we don’t know how the Federal Government intends to implement the policy during the lockdown period. I don’t think they can reach any of the pupils now, because the schools are lockdown. Maybe we have to wait to see how government intends to implement this. We are not aware of this plan and we don’t know how they want to realise this,” he said. Also speaking recently, a chief-

tain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Olabode George said it was obvious that the programme was a fraud, wondering where the government got data of residence of the school children from. He said it was through the unity of purpose and collective efforts of all citizens that the coronavirus pandemic could be defeated, adding that the pandemic had thrown up serious issues in the economy, leading to hunger in the land with its attending problems. “Pumping money into school feeding programme while the schools are not open is a little absurd. It is a redundant, unworkable palliative. In a nation where there is no standard numbering of houses, how do you get the food to the beneficiaries? This is more than laughable. It is tragic,” George said Also speaking in an interview with BDSUNDAY, Wale Ogunade, lawyer and national president of Voters Awareness Initiative, said the government should explain and show Nigerians the beneficiaries of the programme, otherwise it would be giving credence to wave of suspicion currently trailing it. According to him “Government should come clean on this programme, like they said they were giving palliatives to Nigerians, but we did not see anyone that benefitted from it. Now they are talking about feeding programme how would the logistics be worked out? They should come out, except there is something fishy about it. Let see the children, which states is it been implemented? “Let them come out clean, it is easy to say they have done this and that and. We have not seen anything in that regard,” Ogunade said. We mean well – FG However, despite the criticisms rocking the programme, the Federal Government has defended it, saying it was borne out of its commitment and determination to cushion the hardship vulnerable school children were facing at home because of the Covid-19 lockdown. Sadiya Umar-Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, who defended the government action at the official launch of the modified scheme in Abuja, said hunger was a by-product of the pandemic which necessitated government’s decision. “Hunger is a serious by-product of this pandemic, which is why from the onset the ministry has been evolving strategies to facilitate humanitarian interventions,” she said. According to her, “The Ministry in consultation and collaboration with state governments identified the distribution of Take-Home Rations (THR) to the households of the children on the programme as a feasible method of achieving this directive after exploring several options.“This is a globally accepted means of supporting children to continue to have access to nutrient-rich foods despite disruptions to the traditional channels of Continues on Page 3

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News COVID-19: Experts emphasises use of TeleICU, Telemedicine to manage critical cases Josephine Okojie

s the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread in the country, critical care experts are emphasising the use of telemedicine and tele-ICU in the management of serious virus cases. The experts stated this during a recent webinar on thetheme‘TheRoleofCritical Care and its Challenges in the Management of Covid-19 in Nigeria’ organised by Mindray - a Chinese medical devices company. Babaseyi Oyesola, CEC, Anesthesia Critical Care Consultant (A3C) said that the virus outbreak has shown that telemedicine, mobile ICU, and tele-ICU is efficient in the management of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Oyesola said that knowledge sharing and patient management amongst intensivists and critical care nurses via TeleICU had proven to be helpful during the pandemic. He said that Tele-ICU is an off-site internet-based audio-

visual technology deployed in A3C centers in the country in which intensivists and critical care nurses are connected with the patient remote care in a remote ICU centre, to exchange health information through realtime audiovisual platform. “Optimum management of patients in the ICU is required as such patients require constant medical attention, observation, and support,” he said. “ Th e p a t i e n t m a y be unable to breathe independently and have the threat of organ failure, therefore, specialised medical equipment is often needed to take the place of these functions while the patient recovers,” Oyesola

added. The pre-eminent critical care consultant also said that the challenge of providing intensive care was not unique to Nigeria alone because intensive care was very expensive. Oyesola highlighted some of the challenges Nigeria was facing in terms of funding, technical support, education and training, drugs, consumables, admission criteria, Blood Gas Analysis, laboratory and imaging support as well as the fear of the disease affecting patients and health workers among others. Ac c o r d i n g t o h i m , medical equipment was in short supply as the country currently has only an

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) equipment used in pumping and oxygenate patients’ blood outside the body. CurrentdataonMedpagea worldwide registry, records 370 patients with confirmed COVID-19 on ECMO across the globe, including 254 in North America. In a subset of 58 COVID-19 patients who received the treatment, 21 have been discharged alive. Also speaking at the session was Chun Pan, chief physician of the Department of Intensive Medicine, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, China, where the virus outbreak was first recorded, said that the pandemic Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ARDS) was different from other ARDS. Pan said that there was no antiviral drug for the disease currently, and advised that antibiotics usage must depend on the clinical sign and bacterial infection. He suggested that Ioriginal disease control is important for COVID-19 induced ARDS with characteristics of low lung recruitability, low respiratory compliance, no airway occlusive pressure, and intrinsic PEEP.

Delta indigenous firm doles out COVID-19 palliatives to vulnerable indigenes

…Urges community to ‘stay at home’ Mercy Enoch, Asaba

idwestern Oi l a n d Ga s Company Li m i t e d a n d its Joint Venture Partner – SunTrust Oil Company Nigeria Limited has advised its host community to “stay at home and save yourselves from contracting coronavirus.” The advice was given to 15 families of Ogbeani, Umusam and Umusagede Clans in Kwale, the oil-rich city in Ndokwa West Local Government of Delta State, by the oil company operating in their area, after donating some palliatives to enable them cushion the effects of lockdown caused by COVID-19 in the state. The families numbering 15, all got their portions of the foodstuffs and medical items from the firm. Th e i t e m s d o n a t e d included four bags of 100kg

bag of beans, fifty-five 50kg bags of rice, 140 cartons of noodles (Hungryman-size), 20 gallons of palm oil, 280 of 1kg bags of salt, 2,900 gloves, 2900 face masks and 3,000 informative flyers titled ‘Midwestern COVID-19 Safety tips.” The benefiting families were Umuegwor, Umuachi Ossai, Umunze Ogbe and

Umuazaka Anie in Ogbeani Community. The rest were Umuadabam, Umuagbor, Ukuokole and Umuoluem in Umusam Community. Others were Umuebo, Umueleke, Umuachi, Umuakala, Umualama Ossai, Umunze and Umubeneku in Umusadege Community. The company’s Managing Director, Charles

Anselem Nzete (right), public relations officer (PRO), Umusadege Community Accredited Contactmen Committee (CACC),with members of Umubeneku family of Umusadege, during the presentation of foodstuff at the Head of Family’s residence.

Odita , an engineer, told newsmen that the gesture was synonymous with the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in the societies where they operate. “This is the usual way that the company reciprocates the cordial relationship that it enjoys from the community. We hope that by this effort, the citizens are encouraged to abide by the orders of the state government, especially the stay-at-home order,” he said. Odita further said that the event afforded the company an ample opportunity to preach the essence of social distancing, washing of hands and other best approach of staying away from the pandemic to their hosts. The beneficiaries could not hold back their joy after receiving the gifts, hence they commended the company and Delta State Government for their efforts in containing the spread of the pandemic in the state.

COVID-19: Swift Networks distributes food items to poor, vulnerable

s part of its contribution to the society, Swifts Networks Limited has distributed food items, hand sanitizers and face masks to members of the public within the environs of its Victoria Island and Ogba, Ikeja offices. Well over 10,000 persons benefited from the exercise which many saw as a welcome palliative. A statement from the company said. Commenting on the gesture, Charles Anudu, managing director, Swift Networks Limited, said that the company had to be its brother’s keeper, particularly during difficult times like this. “Considering that more than 80percent of Nigerians struggle daily to be able to put food on the table, a lot of such were further challenged and severely constrained by the lock-down. As such, we felt it was also our responsibility to extend a helping hand to the most vulnerable in our society,” Anudu said. The release signed by Ini Daniel Udoh, senior

marketing manager, said: “The COVID-19 global pandemic has continued to threaten human life, with the attendant lockdown further threatening the economic livelihood of many in society, particularly the less-privileged.” It further said that the distribution was supervised by personnel from relevant security and health agencies, with recipients also educated on the need to regularly observe safety measures like washing of hands, using hand sanitizers, use of face masks, personal hygiene, social distancing and hospital visit if they feel unwell. Swift Networks Limited is a facilities-based telecommunications services provider. The company was founded in 2002 when it bided and obtained a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) License from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to provide multi-service broadband connectivity services to businesses and residential subscribers.

School feeding ... Continued from Page 2 school feeding”. Umar-Farouq further said: “A total of 3.1 million households are targeted for this intervention. Lagos and Ogun States are next ports of call before the programme moves to other states of the Federation. “As noted earlier, we are working with the World Food Programme who are providing technical support while other agencies of government have been invited to provide an extra layer of monitoring. “The ministry is using the opportunity of this modified program to collect and verify data with the support of CSOs and NGOs such as ActionAid, BudgIT, Tracka, and CMDA”. Speaking with BDSUNDAY, Salihu Hum, spokesperson to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, said the Ministry has adopted a new model which is in line with global best practices, especially as Covid-19 has forced the closure of schools all over the world. “The current one is being undertaken in conjunction with the World Food Programme (WFP) which has deployed a similar model in the United Kingdom and the United States

of America”. Some documents made available to BDSUNDAY explained that through the Take-Home Rations (THR) which was designed with the cooperation of the WFP, a voucher is issued to the parent of a participating child, who must be from a household registered in the National Social Register. “The parent takes the voucher for verification by NYSC members at the school where the pupil is fed. After confirmation of all the relevant facts, the parent is issued the packaged food ration for their child or children. The parents go home with the raw foodstuff to cook for the child, which should last for four weeks. “That is how the modified school feeding is. The FGN funds it, deliver the food items to the States, the states implement it, but with monitors from PTAs, CSOs, EFCC, ICPC, Police and community leaders, including clerics and the teachers of the pupils”. Efforts to get the real figures spent by government were futile at the time of this report as the Schedule/ Contact Officer could not respond to questions sent to him

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Workers’ salary: Kogi NLC rejects 60% COVID-19: Resist non-evidence-based therapy, NAPPSA urges NAFDAC, FG

Victoria Nnakaike, Lokoja

ogi State organised labour has rejected the proposed 60 percent salary for the state workers and pensioners. The rejection came after a meeting between government and labour that was deadlocked as labour rejected outright the 60 percent for workers, saying it was inhuman. Governor Yahaya Bello had promised that workers would celebrate Salah with their salary which the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Idris Asiru equally confirmed.

But the state government said it had a short fall as witnessed in the April statutory allocation, a situation that sent fears down the spines of workers over another anticipated slash in their salaries. Last month, state workers’ salaries and pensions was 80 percent while local government workers and teach-

ers received 35 percent. And this month the state said it had recorded 30 percent short fall in the allocation which has also signaled another fear of slash in salaries, despite the Federal Government’s order stopping Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from loan deductions from states.

Olusola, Mckinney, Storey to host ‘The Uncommon Mindset - your pass to success’ Modestus Anaesoronye

ue to the Covid-19 pandemic, many people have become hostages to anxiety, fear and worry, which studies have confirmed is more dangerous than the virus itself. The invisible enemy (the coronavirus) like any other virus is slowly invading our most powerful tool – Our Minds, and affecting our productivity, performance and profitability. To help people deal with the ultimate effects of this virus, Lanre Olusola, Michelle McKinneyHammondandTim Storey – 3 of the world’s most prominent names in coaching, human development and empowerment - have merged their extraordinary intellect to

create this timely program - A life transforming masterclass series, The Power of the Uncommon Mind Series. There will be 3 of these masterclasses in 2020, the first of which will hold on Saturday the 6th of June with the 2nd and 3rd editions billed for August and October 2020 respectively. Themed ‘The Uncommon Mindset–Your VVIP Pass to Success’, the June masterclass is designed to equip you for life, relationship, career, financial success and more. It aims to help you break free from the paralytic effect of the current uncertain times so that you can transition from a mindset of survival to success and ultimately significance. At the masterclass, Michelle McKinney Hammond,

Lanre Olusola and Tim Storey will be helping you develop the Authentic, Transformational and Miraculous (ATM) MINDSET. The ATM MINDSET is your VVIP ticket out of pain to pleasure; lack to prosperity; fear to courage; anxiety to peace; uncertainty to certainty and so much more! Michelle McKinney Hammond will be talking about the authentic mindset, Lanre Olusola about the transformational mindset and Tim Storey about the miraculous mindset. Special guests: entrepreneur extraordinaire and CEO of EbonyLife TV Mo Abudu will be sharing practical insights on the winning & audacious mindset; while award-winning Ghanaian Actor Majid Michel will be talking about the leadership mindset.

he Nigerian Association of Pharmacists and Pharmaceutical Scientists in the Americas (NAPPSA) has called on the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Government to insist on scientific-based process in the quest for therapeutic solution to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The call was contained in the association’s latest updates on the global efforts to curtail the pandemic released by its President, Anthony Ikeme, and the Secretary, Aloysius Ibe. According to NAPPSA, it is imperative that NAFDAC, as the regulatory agency, be fully involved in the development and use of any drug to treat or prevent COVID-19 in Nigeria to ensure drug safety. NAPPSA also called on the Federal Government to support research and development efforts for COVID-19 as well as to tread cautiously before throwing its weight behind any therapeutic claim for the disease. “We strongly recommend that drugs to treat or prevent COVID-19 be evaluated in randomised clinical trials (RCT). Since clinical trials for therapeutics are regulated by NAFDAC, the agency should issue guidance on the development of drugs with direct antiviral activity, immunomodulatory activity or other mechanisms of action. The Federal Government should also be fully committed to supporting R&D efforts for COVID-19,” NAPPSA said. The association said the call became necessary in

Michelle Mckinney

Tim Storey

Nigerian Navy offers palliatives to Tongeji Island Iniobong Iwok

s part of Nigerian Navy’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji on behalf of the Chief of the Naval Staff has presented 50 bags of 50 kg bags of rice and 20 cartons of vegetable oil to Tongeji Community in Ogun State. The items are palliatives

view of the unfettered promotion by Nigerians and other African nations of purported COVID-19 therapeutic drugs and treatments that are not scientifically proven. NAPPSA said of particular interest are the promotions of Artemisia-based COVIDOrganics (CVO) from Madagascar and COV-herbal Cough Mixture from the Office of TCAM in Nigeria, among other products. “We strongly advise against using scientifically untested or unproven remedies for COVID-19. Nigerians deserve to use medicines tested to the same standards as people in the rest of the world. Even if therapies are derived from traditional practice and natural sources, establishing their efficacy and safety through rigorous clinical trials is critical,” NAPPSA said. The association explained that it felt obligated to raise these concerns over these drugs due to the dangers posed by untested and unproven therapies, including safety issues and credibility questions. Failure to enforce due clinical trial process “encourages the proliferation

Amaechi urges new NIMASA Board to complete Deep Blue Project AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

Lanre oLusola

Anthony Ikeme, NAPPSA president

of wild untested therapeutic claims which is a breeding ground for unsafe use of therapeutic agents with huge implications for public health.” The pharmaceutical body reiterated that it was mindful that the COVID-19 pandemic demands scientists with expertise and know-how, including Nigerian scientists, to expedite the search and discovery of new therapeutic remedies for the coronavirus disease and to save lives. “But this effort should not be at the expense of quality and scientific rigor.” Madagascar’s CVO is made from the artemisia plant which is a source of artemisinin, a significant component of modern antimalarials. This has led some other commentators to warn of the collateral effect that could result from the development of artemisinin resistance, if it is used at a very large scale against coronavirus. It has been pointed out that as horrible as COVID-19 is, it is not good public health policy to trade solution for one public health issue with another one. While almost five million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded around the world, causing more than 300,000 deaths as of May 15, there are over 200 million cases of malaria around the world and half a million deaths in children under five. NAPPSA again reiterated its commitment to given regular updates on the global fight against COVID-19 to ensure its homeland defeat the disease quickly and emerge stronger with a quality healthcare system.

presented by the Navy to its host community occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown across states in the country. In a statement to the media at the weekend, signed by the Western Command Information Officer, Thomas Osuji, he said that the gesture is part of an effort to support the well-being of the indigenes of Tongeji Island. Osuji disclosed that the items were received on behalf of the community by the Akoko of Tongeji Island,

Biolorunkosi Okiki Sule 1. Speaking after receiving the items, the elated traditional ruler, thanked the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas for the gesture extended to the community at this trying period. According to him, “The only way to appreciate the Navy is to pray for the Service and its men for God’s blessings. May the Almighty God richly bless the Nigerian Navy, its leadership and men for being there at this difficult period, it will greatly help us,” he said.

hibuike Rotimi Am a e c h i , t h e Minister of Transportation, has inaugurated the Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Thursday in Abuja, with a task to speed up the completion of the Deep Blue Project. Deep Blue Project is a maritime security project, also known as the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, which aims to comprehensively tackle insecurity on Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, up to the Gulf of Guinea.

According to a statement signed by Philip Kyanet, head, Corporate Communications of NIMASA, Amaechi told the new board members that the Deep Blue Project was critical to maritime security in Nigeria and the entire West and Central Africa region. He stated that about 60 percent of the project’s cost had been paid by the Federal Government, stressing that the success of NIMASA is, to a great extent, dependent on completion of the project. Asita O. Asita, chairman of the Board, who thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the honour, pledged to work harmoniously with the NIMASA Management to deliver the Agency’s mandate. “If we must trade as a

country, we need the waterways to be safe. This is why the security of the maritime domain was of utmost importance to the country, and NIMASA cannot afford to play with the issues of safety and security,” he added. Other members of the 10-member Board are Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA; Victor Ochei, executive director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services; Chudi Offodile, executive director, Finance and Administration; and Shehu Ahmed, executive director, Operations. Also on the Board are Adekola Adefemi, Mohammed Abubakar, Hassan Rasaq Mahmud, Eyewumi Daniel Neburagho, and Rear Admiral Ibikunle Taiwo Olaiya.

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News

Uzodimma decries state of IMSUTH, nonaccreditation of College of Medicine

SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

ope Uzodimma, governor of Imo State, has decried the deplorable state of all the units and departments of the Imo State University Teaching Hospital (IMSUTH), Orlu and the entire health sector of the state. The governor was moved to tears after listening to the damning report of the Visitation Panel on Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, which was submitted to him on at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Council Chambers, saying that “IMSUTH is sick”. Receiving the report from the Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Frank Ak-

Uzodimma

puaka, a professor, Governor Uzodimma thanked the members for a job well done, noting that the recommendation would help in improving

the stomach-turning condition of the Imo State health sector. “If IMSUTH is sick, then the entire Health system of

Coalition Against COVID-19 boosts fight against pandemic with free medical equipment to Borno Obinna Emelike

n addition to its sustained efforts in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic across the country, Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (PSCA) has donated medical equipment worth hundreds of millions of naira to the Borno State. At the presentation in Maiduguri recently, Fatimeh Jarma, representative of CA COVID-19 in the state, said the coalition was instituted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on behalf of the Bankers’ Committee and in partnership with the private sector to raise funds needed to fight the pandemic across the country. Fatimeh, who is the business development

manager of First Bank Borno/ Yobe states, said the coalition is aimed pooling resources together to fight and defeat coronavirus pandemic in Nigeria. “We are here on behalf of Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 to donate the following medical equipment to Borno State in the fight against the COVID-19’, she said. She noted that the items included five patients m o n i t o r, f i v e i n f u s i o n pumps, electric suction machine 7A-23D, 5 oxygen concentrator,13,000 face masks,10,000 face shield and 500 Personal Protective Equipment. Fatimeh said the impact of COVID-19 on social lives and businesses across the world is tremendous, as she assured

Borno government that the private sector would continue the donation towards the course. “The coalition raised funds to procure equipment and materials needed to combat the menace of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. “ Th e r e w i l l b e m o r e donations and intervention, we will continue the intervention especially food items aspects of this intervention,” she said. She disclosed that to ensure the continuity of businesses and economic activities with minimal effect from the pandemic, banks have ensured that everyone visiting any of its branches takes a temperature test, makes use of hand sanitisers and maintains social distance.

Imo State is sick”, he said. Uzodimma said that all critical sectors of the state were sick, ranging from the Civil Service, power sector and several other sectors, a situation he described as ‘bleeding’ but commended the Visitation Panel for identifying all the critical areas that government needed to look into and assured that the report would be used as a working document. He noted that IMSUTH is an institution that had been positioned to be self-sustaining and to provide effective healthcare services to the entire state and beyond, if properly managed, especially in the area of drug procurement for the people. He promised to change the ugly narrative in the financial statements of the

hospital by making sure that all financial leakages would be plugged by streamlining IMSUTH into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system already in operation by his administration. The governor also regretted the non-accreditation of the College of Medicine since inception which he attributed to negligence by the past school administrations and past governments, saying that it would no longer be business as usual for contractors and individuals who take advantage of the administrative lapses in the institution to set back the wheel of progress of the hospital. Presenting the report, the Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Akpuaka listed a litany of problems besieging the institution to include: poor

roads, poor funding, infrastructural decay, inability to retain staff, and loss of accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC), which has resulted in non-admission of medical students for the past four years. Others include low patronage of hospital services, maladministration, and deficiency in management where he alleged that the chief medical director (CMD) worked as a sole administrator, among others, The report also noted that the Nursing Unit was nothing to write home about, the works department leaves much to be desired, the surgical and laboratory units were in very bad shape as well as the intensive care units (ICTs).

INEC approves new policy for conducting elections amidst Covid-19 Iniobong Iwok

he Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) has approved a new policy framework known as ‘policy on conducting elections in the context of Covid-19 pandemic’. The commission, in a statement issued by Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner and chairman, information and Voter Education Committee, said the policy document would be released on May 25. Okoye said that the provisions would be applied to the conduct of governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states scheduled for September 19 and October 10, respectively, as well as other by-elections to be conducted soon in seven

states. He further disclosed that in view of the end of tenure governorship elections in Edo and Ondo, INEC would flag off robust engagements with its critical stakeholders to present the policy document by meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) on May 30. The INEC Commissioner stressed that the meeting would be followed by that of political parties on June 1, civil society groups on June 2, and the media on June 3. Okoye noted that in addition to the Edo and Ondo governorship elections, the commission had received the official declaration of vacancies for four senatorial districts and read reports of the passing of a senator and four members of some States

Houses of Assembly. According to the statement, “The general purpose of the policy is to enable officials and staff of the Commission to understand and respond adequately to the challenges of conducting elections in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. “It is also to provide a guide for engagement with stakeholders as they prepare for elections. “The clean copy of the policy document, which will be released on Monday, May 25, covers health and legal issues, election planning and operations, election day and post-election activities. “It also covers voter registration, political parties, election observation, electoral security and deployment of technology.”

Glo felicitates with Muslim faithful on Eid

Umar Usman Kadafur, deputy governor, Borno State, receiving the medical equipment from Fatimeh A. Jarma, business development manager (Borno), FirstBank on behalf of CACOVID-19 to the state government as support for the fight against the pandemic, in Maiduguri recently.

elecoms operator, Globacom, has felicitated with Muslim faithful in Nigeria on this year’s Eid-el-Fitri. In a goodwill message sent to them on Friday, Globacom congratulated Muslims in the country on the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan fast and urged them to utilise the lessons learnt during the period to improve their lives and their communities. “As Muslims savour the joy of Eid-el-Fitri, we pray that Almighty Allah will grant their prayers for peace, progress and development of the nation. We call on them to imbibe fully the tenets of Islam as taught by Prophet Mohammed,” Globacom said.

The telecommunications company called on Muslims in Nigeria to lend helping hands to the needy and the less privileged in the society in accordance with the tenets of Islam which preaches brotherly love. Globacom said it would continue to provide high quality products and services at affordable rates throughout the Sallah period and afterwards, adding that its network would continue to offer seamless communications experience to its teaming customers. The operator reminded its customers of its ongoing Stay Home Data plan which offers up to 20 percent more data for all categories of subscribers irrespective of the

data plan they purchase. Under the plan, Glo customers automatically enjoy up to 20percent more data when they subscribe to a plan or top up their data. The company said they could also use the Sunday Data plan to send felicitations to their family and friends during the Eid weekend. The plan gives subscribers 1.25 GB for just N200 worth of data on Sunday to chat, browse, stream and connect with loved ones, religious bodies, societies, clubs and organisations. Subscribers who wish to access the plans are requested to dial *777# for plan menu and select a plan of their choice or visit http:// hsi.glo.com.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

News Feature

How coronavirus deals a deadly blow on night life, others in Akwa Ibom

ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo fter the relaxation of the two-month old lockdown in Akwa Ibom State, the big question on the minds of many people is whether life will ever return to the pre-COVID-19 era. Akwa Ibom State, in the last few years, seems to have evolved into a major destination of choice for business and other socio-economic activities. It has developed into an enviable entity that can hardly be ignored in the comity of states of the federation. Thanks to the high premium on infrastructure upgrade that has seen Uyo, the state capital being transformed from a local government headquarters that it was many years ago to a bustling city with all the allure of a burgeoning metropolis. Most significantly, the arrival of Ibom Air, a wholly owned airline of the state government not only brought the state to the nation but it has also brought the nation to the state as it were. With its beautiful lawns and well-paved roads lined with trees, the flyovers and the topnotch stadium, Uyo, the state capital, is a city to behold with breathtaking imagination. Its night life from the numerous hotels that dot the landscape of the state capital to the mini shopping malls and restaurants known for their delectable cuisines, the green spots, its ever-busy transport sector, comprising mini buses, tricycles and taxis, the pull to the city is overwhelming. Enter its youthful and energetic population, the business community, students, workers and the numerous churches precoronavirus era evoked lasting and remarkable memories. Bu t t h e e a s y - g o i n g a n d peaceful lifestyle of the people appeared to have evaporated into thin air like a day without a sunshine following the coronavirus outbreak that has also hit the state. First, there was a moment of blame game between the state government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), but it did not take long before it dawned on the people that COVID-19 was real. One can hardly forget the disagreement between commissioner for health, Dominic Ukpong and the officials of the NCDC over the procedure in getting a confirmation for suspected cases. It was perhaps, the first of such disputes which has now become a common-

Governor Udom Emmanuel

place in many other states, and the redeployment of the former state epidemiologist, Aniekeme Uwah, which was a direct fallout of the crisis. This changed the psyche of the people and when the governor in a broadcast confirmed the index case and announced

a total lockdown of the state, it was like a tsunami that came unexpectedly. The night life has gone, the gates of hotels shut, and popular relaxation spots in the upscale Ewet Housing Ewet Estate have since been deserted. It was a clear case of things falling apart where the

centre can no longer hold. The town and the people are no longer at ease. It is obvious that coronavirus has hit Akwa Ibom State hard, affecting every aspect of human endeavour. The restriction of movement order which was later upgraded to a total lockdown was like throwing people into prison, an experience nobody had bargained for and in which many had never experienced. Th a t i t c a m e s o s u d d e n meant that many people were taken unawares and this brought anxiety, fear, apprehension and despair. Except for essential services like hospitals, markets and pharmacies, it has remained a terrible experience, according to residents. And the palliatives from the state government which came after much hue and cry from the populace only revealed the absence of reliable data on social investment programme and how the state could be made to spend for an unbudgeted scheme. At best, the palliatives were greeted with misgivings, disdain and anger as the shared food items were nothing to write home about. It was the view of many that a family of five could not satisfactorily have made a one-square meal from what was given as a palliative. At the peak of the lockdown in April, Emmanuel Ekuwem, secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government who had been holding fort for Governor Udom Emmanuel announced that the lockdown would not be lifted as it was being anticipated, thus heightening the anxiety and apprehension that had enveloped the state. “In view of the critical situation that we are in as a nation and as a state, it would have been desirable to call off the lockdown at this juncture but given that we must ensure continuous safety of our citizens, the most ideal thing for now is to continue with the lockdown until Monday, April 27, 2020 where we will provide an update on the lockdown, Ekuwem had said. However, after much ado, the relaxation came but with a curfew from 8p.m. to 6a.m. and the compulsory use of facemasks in all public places while schools and churches as well as other worship centres all remain shut. The state government has remained adamant over the agitation by groups and individuals for churches to be reopen. “There will be no church services for now. You know someone like me I love church services but at a critical time

like this, there is nothing we can do. We cannot allow church services because of the level of interaction after those services. Gather your family at home and join services online, the same God in the church will bless you at home,’’ the governor said. So the big question remains, will life ever return to what it used to be? Many have already argued that living with coronavirus would be the new normal, while concerted efforts are being made by members of the scientific community to find a vaccine for the virus. Similarly, others have explained that getting a vaccine would likely take some time since it has to pass through many processes before the final approval, but the curfew, the face masks, the used tyres that litter the streets which were used as instruments of road blocks, the harassment by security operatives during the lockdown and the high cost of food items are constant reminders of the negative effects of the disease. Also, the closure of land borders and ban on inter-state movements have worsened the already precarious food situation in the state. In Akwa Ibom State, most of the food items are brought in from neighbouring states like Cross River, Edo and Ondo, and the grains from the northern states, the economic impact of the lockdown seems to be enormous. For instance, the decision by the state government to shut down all livestock markets in the state has resulted in the scarcity of beef and meat products, because they usually come in from other parts of the country. In the same vein, there seems to be an indication that as long as the pandemic is here with us, people will have to find a way to live with it. In announcing the closure of the all the livestock markets, the state government did not say when they would be reopened and like the lockdown, there are fears that it might be extended indefinitely as long as COVID-19 is here. “The Governor, Udom Emmanuel had directed the immediate shutdown of all livestock markets in the state for the rest of May. By this announcement, no new consignment of livestock - goats, cows and rams is allowed into the state until further notice,” state government said in a statement. Though Akwa Ibom seems to have been spared a large scale onslaught from COVID-19, recording 18 confirmed cases, 12 discharged, two deaths as well as four active cases, “the incident curve is considered to be on the decline,” many believe the road ahead is still long and tortuous given the number of people tested so far. It is believe that the impact of COVID-19 will likely take a long while before life would return to the pre-pandemic era.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Feature

AfriTAL in save Nigeria’s oil and gas:

...NLNG model should be adopted for reviving refineries ...Labour drops opposition to privatization but... ...No going back to subsidy, remove price modulation, enact a law ...Urgent need to pass PIB especially the Host Community component

IGNATIUS CHUKWU

xperts in the oil and gas industry rose from a virtual seminar at the week to table a way forward for the sector, pointing to the NLNG model as answer to privatization efforts of the refineries. The webinar was at the instance of the African Initiative for Transparency, Accountability, and Responsible Leadership (AfriTAL) led by a seasoned oil gas technocrat and labour expert, Brown Louis Ogbeifun, backed by FOSTER. Key outcomes include recommendation of the NLNG model in privatizing the refineries and any other oil related enterprise. Other highlights include; that Labour is willing to drop opposition to privatization; there should be no going back to subsidy; and that price modulation should not be retained; a law must be enacted to strengthen government pronouncement on subsidy removal; and there is urgent need to pass PIB especially the Host Community component. On the NLNG model as the way for others, the participants said: “Stakeholders are expected to support and collaborate with the management of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on fixing the refineries using the NLNG model. This seems the only plausible way of urgently turning around the refineries for profitability and sustainability, which at the end, would make Nigeria exit importation of petroleum products.” The experts who include top industry unions said the unions were not averse to the deregulation of the downstream sector. However, the deregulation should not be based on dollar and import driven process. It was agreed that subsidy regimes in the petroleum sector have been abused and has become a major source of corruption, economic sabotage and the hemorrhaging effect is disastrous to the country. “Therefore, there would be no need to move from the regime of subsidy into another modulation mode. Price modulation and control would still breed corruption. To give the pronouncement on subsidy the teeth of law, Government needs to move from mere pronouncement to the realm of law, by amending section 6(1) of the Petroleum Act, which vests the power of intervening in petroleum product pricing on the Minister of Petroleum Resources.”

Instead, government should incentivize companies by providing tax holidays and over-laden incentives to investors, which would enable them invest in the refineries. After the tow-hour robust deliberation and presentations, more resolutions were reached. It was strongly recommended that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers Union (NUPENG) as well as the other critical stakeholders in the oil and gas industry should be engaged by the government and the National Assembly in birthing a new Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). “The new Bill, should promote good governance, allow for indigenous participation, revitalize the midstream and downstream operations, protect the environment, emplace fiscal regimes that will at the end attract investors and address community concerns etc. A situation where nobody knows where the PIB document is presently is worrisome. “Government should urgently create more opportunities for the country through a viable and efficient midstream processing, which would help to birth new local industries and also improve local refining capacity. “There is the need to create a very strong regulatory agency outside the control of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which shall be well funded, well-staffed and autonomous. Government should commit to a framework to deal strongly with environmental and community issues. The need to urgently pass the Host Community Bill cannot be over emphasized. Government should diversify the economy, as a way of mitigating the price fluctuation of hydrocarbons in the global market. “Civil Society Organizations should advocate for a constitutional review, which should encourage the culture of savings as done in other nations. This is principle behind the Sovereign Wealth Fund management system, which if well managed, would shield Nigeria from the challenges of world oil politics and fluctuations in the prices of crude oil.” The experts said with climate change, the world is gradually reducing the use of fossil fuels. “This has implications for the industry. COVID-19 has now come with its own deep dive complications and complexities. It has brought new challenges to the world of work, family lives and the ways

Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum resources

Mele Kyari, GMD-NNPC-2

Louis-Brown-Ogbeifun

industrial relations are managed. Therefore, workers must move with the changing times by thinking outside the box if they must move out of the deep.” It was made clear that companies and employees who would survive the post COVID-19 would require great deal of new social skills in negotiation and technology. “The degree to which companies would survive, shall be dependent on employees’ competence and managers’ empowering people to take decisions either from home or at work. No matter how much companies’ say they care, there are COVID 19 imposed financial and social dilemmas, which would bring about conflicts between unions and management. To successfully manage the conflicts, it will require that unions and management should collaborate, cooperate and hang together. “Stakeholders should emplace a think-tank, which must include unions, management and employers. Owners of enterprises, must be ready to have slim dividends while unions and company executives would also need to make sacrifices. “Management should not arbitrarily exercise its power of hire and fire at this time because oil and gas workers are also in the front line of COVID 19, working to sustain the nation’s economy. Anything done otherwise, would be counterproductive. PENGASSAN and NUPENG members have displayed empathy and maturity, in providing continuous support in the frontline of COVID 19, for the industry and by extension Nigeria. During the Pandemic, employers should ensure that PENGASSAN and NUPENG leaders are consulted, in all matters relating to employment contract relationships as contained in subsisting collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). This is key to the synergy needed for a strong oil and gas industry in the immediate post COVID 19 era. “Both union and management need collaboration and cooperation to survive challenging COVID-19 times. Emplace efficient, open, accountable and transparent licensing, leasing and acreage management systems, such that it will be impossible for companies to hold on to assets without developing them for a long period. This is important because, if Nigeria was not replacing reserves and growing oil and gas assets, there is no way the country would generate employment for her teeming unemployed youths.

“Fiscal regime should be properly crafted in line with best practices as a way instilling confidence in investors. PENGASSAN President, Nduka Ohaeri, in accepting to cooperate and collaborate with critical stakeholders, called on them to stand up to their responsibilities as he said; “Though the unions have the responsibilities of wearing both the national caps and looking at the business, we shall however, not be cowed or cajoled into taking actions or speaking for government or speaking for our employers, because they all have their responsibilities. But be rest assured that our responsibilities are not lost on us as a union. When necessary, we will wear the national cap. At other times, we shall wear the cap of labour unions in matters relating to the welfare of our members.” On his part, the NUPENG President said “Though everybody is saying that the unions should cooperate with the companies to survive, that survival should not be translated into redundancies all the time on the part of the Unions. Our members have been asked to stay at home. Companies are using the COVID 19 situation to close out contracts without recourse to the subsisting collective bargaining agreements. Worse still, the unions are not being consulted under the guise that they cannot be reached.” The underlying concern was that before January 2020, oil and gas workplaces generally had closely knitted traditional social and physical environments, in which workers worked in close proximities. With the advent of the COVID 19, most of these traditional interactive interdependencies, and the traditional world of work as we presently know it, have drastically changed. It was the view of the experts that; “The pandemic has also imposed excruciating new socio-economic outcomes on oil and gas companies and the country. Some of the harsh realities are oil glut, crash in crude oil price, lockdown of cities and cross-border closures. In order to meet up with its obligations, government had to urgently change some of its policies to reflect the current economic realities. Some of these policies include the management of forex, removal of subsidy on petroleum products, physical and social distancing protocols, change in the model of running the refineries etc. “On the other hand, with diminishing sales and plummeting crude oil prices, oil and gas companies are incurring extra budgetary expenditures, designing and reordering work programmes. All these pose huge challenges to workers, suppliers, family life, resetting of body clock for global companies, who must attend online conferences with their colleagues in the US and other parts of Europe with different time zones.

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Between COVID-19 and Boko Haram

Frank Aigbogun

editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

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

Bashir Ibrahim Hassan

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

Sunday 24 May 2020

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MANAGING DIRECTOR Dr. Ogho Okiti

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

hese, indeed, are unusual times for mankind. Like never before, natural disasters, poverty, hunger, international conflicts and many other strange occurrences are helplessly starring man in the face. There is, perhaps, no other time in history when the ability of man to dominate his environment has been so fiercely challenged than now. Today, the major news items that dominate the airwaves and other communication channels leave much to be desired. For some time, terrorism has posed a major danger to global peace. Perhaps, the most bizarre act of international terrorism in the history of mankind occurred on September 11, 2001, in a set of well-coordinated attacks on the United States of America, when in an uncommon display of evil genius, terrorists hijacked civilian airliners to attack the World Trade Center towers in New York and the Penta-

gon in Washington, DC. Before now, in Nigeria, terrorism is alien to our culture. But occurrence in recent years have since altered the equation. No thanks to the dastardly acts of the Boko Haram sect, Nigeria is, today, a focal point of global terrorism activities. Through a series of bloodletting operations, unrivalled in the annals of the country, the sect has become a recurring nuisance to the well-being of the country. To underline its wide acclaim as a globally recognised terrorist body, the sect was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a terrorist organisation in 2013. In the first half of 2014, Boko Haram killed more than 2000 hapless civilians, in about 95 attacks. A recent research claimed that Boko Haram attacks have left at least 12,000 people dead and 8,000 crippled in the last twelve years, while thousands have fled their homes for fear of the insurgents. Perhaps, the most audacious act of the evil the sect has perpetrated in the country was the abduction of over 260 secondary school girls from their school, Government College, Chibok, Borno State in 2015. It was an act that was widely condemned across the world. As the nation continue to grapple with the arduous task of containing the activities of Boko Haram in the country, out of the blue came yet another danger of a different dimension, but with an equally potent

capability to waste human lives. Take the back seat Boko Haram, enters COVID-19 pandemic. Since February 25th when the index case of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic was confirmed in Nigeria via an Italian, there has been a steady increase in the figure of infected people. As at 11:45pm, on Thursday, March 21, the country has 7,016 confirmed cases of the pandemic with 211 fatality. The rising profile of the pandemic in hour country is particularly dreadful, considering our huge population and weak medical system. Logically, this should give everyone a cause for worry. The need to put up a common front against the spread of deadly virus can, thus, not be over-emphasised. It is quite pathetic, however, that many still regard the evil virus a hoax, claiming it is not a black man’s ailment. Ignorantly, many have equally labelled it a rich man’s pandemic. In many parts of the country, people still conduct themselves without regard to social distancing and other preventive measures put in place to contain the spread of the pandemic. But the truth is that the virus is real. The way things stand, there seems to be a thin line between Boko Haram and the Coronavirus virus. Both are agents of death. Both delight in causing fear. Similarly, both have no respect for international borders. Boko Haram has spread its tentacle across African

nations such as Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan, Niger and Chad. In like manner, the deadly COVID-19 virus moves across nations without visa. Also, like Boko Haram, Coronavirus has little or no respect for social classification as they both kill the rich and the poor, the learned and unlearned, the beautiful and the ugly, the innocent and the guilty. Equally, they both regale in inflicting pains and sorrows on their victims. Think about many orphans and widows that the duo have unleashed on the society. Perhaps more fearful is the fact that, till date, they both seem to defy solutions and as such could not be effectively appeased. To successfully confront this evil duo, our nation and, indeed, the whole world need to unite and shun every divisive tendency. We need to put up a common front against the evil intentions of the twosome. Human life is precious and sacred. Nothing must be spared to preserve it. If we can stick together against the evil duo, with a common vision and goal, victory is surely in sight. Therefore, we must collectively unite to protect ourselves from these carriers of death. Now is the time to rise up in support of life. This is the time to frontally deal with every condition that poses serious threat to the peaceful co-existence of our world. This is the time to pursue peace and reject evil.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Imo Itsueli Mohammed Hayatudeen Afolabi Oladele Vincent Maduka Opeyemi Agbaje Amina Oyagbola Bolanle Onagoruwa Fola Laoye Chuka Mordi Mezuo Nwuneli Charles Anudu Tunji Adegbesan Eyo Ekpo Wiebe Boer Paul Arinze Boye Olusanya Ayo Gbeleyi Haruna Jalo-Waziri Clement Isong

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Rethinking philanthropy for effective social change: Can we all be philanthropists?

hen I think philanthropy and as the concept continues to grow popular amongst Africa’s elites, I find myself asking the question – “Why”? Not why philanthropy, but rather, why be philanthropic. In the most basic terms, philanthropy is the act of giving to help the less privileged and usually comes from a place of altruism where the “haves” are seen to give to the “have-nots”. For some reason, philanthropy seems to be ascribed to

only the wealthy people in society, which is perhaps based on ageneral belief that they have in excess and automatically should be saddled with the responsibility of providing help to the underprivileged. I believe however, that philanthropy is not only for the big and successful business leaders, it is open to all. Any individual willing to give to support a cause for positive change for an individual or a community as a whole is by my definition a philanthropist. Going back to my “Why”

question - the reason for giving should not be about the value of money but the change it seeks to achieve irrespective of the magnitude. As such, rethinking philanthropy as an act open to all and done in an intentional manner, will spark positive social change to my mind.According to Theo Spanos Dunfey, Executive Director of Global Citizens Circle - Sociologistsdefine social change as changes in human interactions occurring over time with profound and long-term consequences for society.

Being intentional helps us move away from giving with no impact, to giving that yields results and drives change. Similar to the concept of the World Bank’s Result-Based-Financing Framework for development projects, I think that individuals should start giving in a resultoriented manner.For instance, if people will consider these following questions when giving: •What is my objective? •Who are the beneficiaries of this objective? •Is there a service provider that you can work with to deliver the objective effectively? •On what condition will you give funds to beneficiaries or service providers? To put this in perspective, below are a couple of illustrations that can generally guideintentional giving: Illustration 1 •Objective/Problem Statement: Increase financial literacy skills amongst the underbanked youth •Target Beneficiary(ies):10 Secondary school students •Service Provider:Retail Bank with an inclusive value proposition and Financial Literacy tuition provider •Incentive/Condition for payment:Give some money for

attending the financial literacy lessons and some money to open a savings account. Illustration 2 •Objective/Problem Statement: Young female cleaner at work that is paying her way through school because her parents can’t afford to send her to the University. • Target Beneficiary(ies): One young female cleaner •Service Provider: None required •Incentive/Condition for Payment: Percentage contribution or reimbursement of fees paid at the end of every session. What this process of giving intentionally does effectively is, it allows one feel they’re making a difference and contributing meaningfully to the development of society. My summation therefore, is this, we can all be philanthropists giving intentionally in our little ways. On that note, I’ll leave you with this thought- Imagine a world where each person that gives, does so intentionally to drive positive behaviour and the ripple effect of such transformative behaviour coursing through our societies. Author: Chinasa Ken-Ugwuh E-mail Address: chinasacollins@ yahoo.co.uk LinkedIn: @Chinasa Ken-Ugwuh

Pageantry not all about being beautiful -Student beauty queen Iveren Tyolanga is the Queen, Community of Tiv Student (CTS) Taraba State chapter. In this interview with our Correspondent, Nathaniel Gbaoron in Jalingo, she spoke about her vision and mission. Excerpts:

e understand you a re t he Qu een , Community of Tiv Student (CTS) Taraba State Chapter and also the Kumaashe of Ukum Community; when and why did you develop interest in beauty pageant? Well, it began when I was in school. During my diploma days, I discovered that most of the things that the girls do in school were not appropriate and then, even the beauty Queens who were there showed no competence in directing girls rightly. Then I said to myself, if I was given the opportunity, I will be able to put one or two things in order to help the girl child and as well put them on the right paths. I then took the steps in 2017 to contest, and I won. Can you please tell us, is it just being beautiful that’s the criterion for contesting and being a queen or there are other things involved? For me, it’s not all about being beautiful; intelligence should also be a criterion. It is also important that what you portray and give out to the society should also speak about you if truly you are a beauty queen. Right now, the trend in beauty pageantry is that you should be able to manage the people around you and as well use the platform to impact positively, at least on your immediate community.

Iveren Tyolanga

What do you intend using your position as a beauty queen to achieve? I have a few things that I will love to achieve. My target is on the girl child, little on promotion of our cultural heritage and peace building. On the girl child, I intend

to launch a campaign on the need for girls to recognise their importance in society and the need for them to stay awake why they are in school in order to achieve good results at the end. I intend to also initiate programmes that will promote peace and unity among

the good people of Taraba State, this time around it will not be the women alone but a programme that will carry the men along as well. We understand that you are putting a programme together; what is the programme all about? The programme I have on ground now is all about culture promotion and peace building. If you look around, you’ll discover that the insecurity in the country and particularly in Taraba State is because there is no unity among the people. So, I’m set to preach peace and see to it that peace is actually restored at least in my community Taraba State through this initiative. I also want to see that through this programme, I will be able to touch lives, especially the vulnerable and orphans. Now, people might be wondering, where is she going to get all the funds to do all that? I want you to understand that this is a project for the community and everyone in the community is involved; I cannot do it alone and so I’m calling on individuals and organisations to key into this project so that at the end, the glory will be returned to God and the community. As a beauty queen, it’s possible you have role models; who are your role models? I want to say thank you to my mother, for she’s my role model.

While growing up with her, I saw her relationship with the people around her and I discovered she was always trying to positively impact on anyone that comes around her, especially ladies. No matter what, she always tries to assist, thus she wasn’t into any pageantry. In the modeling field, the India Aishwarya Rai, the 1994 Miss World who was crown for her humanitarian works always come to my mind, and that’s all. The rest have actually not been in my order, but I hope that the present Miss Nigeria who I see as part of me will come up with projects that will actually impact at least on our immediate community, if not Nigeria as a whole. What do you have to say to ladies who are also aspiring to pick a career in beauty pageantry? Let me tell you something, in the pageantry industries, modeling is a competition but however, should not be a do-or-die affair. Most of the models, especially the upcoming ones, in order to get the crown, go extra miles and indulge in habits that tell ugly things about them. The 1994 Miss World like I earlier said was crown as a result of her humanitarian services and not the other way round. In short, for these already models, and these aspiring to be, I want them to know that their humanitarian services should not include giving out themselves. Hard work, dedication and confidence pays more in the career than the short cut they seek which often results to nothing.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Politics Edo: Obaseki and the epic battle ahead …Will the Ambode pill also demobilise Edo governor? ZEBULON AGOMUO

ith the insistence by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the timetable for the off-season gubernatorial election in Edo slated for September 19, 2020 remains sacrosanct, stakeholders have increased the quantum of consultation. Alignment and realignment of forces are on a very high scale. The Edo gubernatorial election promises to be interesting and at the same time tense given the crisis that has rocked the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), for close to a year now. The battle is expected to be joined by outside influence based on utterances and body language in some quarters. For a very long time now, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his political godfather and predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, have not been the best of friends. Their differences seem to be irreconcilable as several peace parleys initiated by important personalities within and outside the state felled on their faces. Obaseki is a first term governor seeking re-election. Oshiomhole on the other hand is the National chairman of the ruling party. Recall that the state chapter of the broom party had split into two factions, each loyal to either of the two power blocs. On the merit of re-election, Obaseki is said to have acquitted himself well in terms of living up to his campaign promises. This much has been said by Anselm Ojezua, who chairs the mainstream faction of the party in the state. The other day, Ojezua said that the governor’s remarkable achievements in the past three years in office, will guarantee him victory in the forthcoming election. “I think he has introduced innovation in governance and he has introduced reforms to a point where we are producing human capacity development which is the biggest reform any entity can have,” he said. According to the state APC chairman, “I will score him excellent in his first term and, certainly, his achievements so far will earn him the second term.” Speaking in tandem, John OdigieOyegun, a former national chairman of the party, in a full page advertorial published in national newspaper on Thursday, May 21, 2020, said: “He (Obaseki) has not offended against any aspect of the APC’s constitution nor has he, in any way, brought the party to disrepute.” Among other reasons he pushes for the governor’s re-election, Odigie-Oyegun said: “He has performed in an exemplary manner. In his time, there has been peace and freedom for the ordinary Edo man and woman from harassment by official thugs. In addition to improving all aspects of infrastructure in the more rural areas of the state, he has significantly impacted on job creation by opening up opportunities for our youths

Godwin Obaseki

in the rapidly expanding high-tech industry. Also, since the crisis, the governor’s popularity has grown tremendously, for obvious reasons, and across party lines.” According to the chieftain of the party, “Through him (Obaseki), Edo State must prove that our democracy can only survive if we do not create a situation where an individual or a small group can make or unmake our governors or other elected officials at will.” Alleged sins of Obaseki It was gathered that the major plank for the impasse between Oshiomhole and Obaseki has to do with the latter’s decision to block avenues of revenue leakages which the former allegedly allowed during his own dispensation. There was the allegation that there used to be wrong pricing in procurements and even in the award of contracts in the old order, resulting in loss of huge revenues. Obaseki believes that was so much inefficiency in the system, which made the state to suffer huge financial losses. Moreover, there was also the issue of “stepping on toes”. “Some people who felt they were owners of the state empowered some boys who were going about collecting all manner of levies. They made life very difficult for market women and indigenes doing small businesses to eke out a living. Even in Government Reserved Areas (GRAs), they were very powerful; wielding so much power, extorting people all over the state. Some of them were said to have their counting machines in their homes. They impoverished the state by their activities,” a politician from the state said, craving anonymity. The politician also said that the state had drastically cut the cost of building roads. “We can build three roads now with even less cost than they used to build one road in the past. If there is no economic growth, we get stuck. Oil has run out. We must do things that could help us create wealth. As you cannot make an omelet without breaking an egg, there is no way we can build a new Edo without dismantling those negative things that hampered the progress of the state in the past. There are entrenched interests that are being dislodged and they are fighting back.

Adams Oshiomhole

Don’t forget that our governor is a private sector person, he cannot help but see that Edo is run and run very well,” an official of the state government, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. “There was this thinking in some quarters that those boys were the backbone of government, and Governor Obaseki said no; it is not possible. He told them that they have created non-state actors and that they have become a threat to democracy. So, he decided to dismantle such illegal structures and the masters began to cry out. I must tell you that the well being of our people were threatened by the activities of these boys. If you want to change an old, negative order, you have to fight. To get peace, you have to go to war. That is the story of Nigeria today and that is what is playing out in Edo today,” the official further said. Concern mounts over primary Odigie-Oyegun is concerned about the quality and transparency of the primary election that will produce the candidate. He pointed out that “transparency must start with the guidelines as to how the primary elections will be conducted. This is yet to be issued, even though dates have been announced. The nature of the primary election in Edo State will determine the shape and survival of APC as a political party. It will show Nigerians and, indeed, the world whether APC is a party of truth, change and progress, driven by the principles of fairness, social justice and equity, or if it has become a party that believes and promotes business as usual!” The immediate past National Chairman of APC also made a passionate request he believes could give legitimacy to the outcome of the primary. “He said: “Given the widelyknown peculiarities of Edo State, if a consensus cannot be built behind the incumbent, everything must be done to ensure that the persons in leadership of the party at the centre who are part of the contrived crisis in Edo State must not even remotely be allowed to plan, participate or supervise the primary be seen even by the blind man, to be free and fair, otherwise, there would be political consequences. Allowing any member(s) of the national

leadership who have been involved in the contrived crisis in Edo State would equate making such person or persons a judge or judges in their own case. This is contrary to the principle of natural justice and will be naturally resisted.” In another advertorial by Concerned Edo State APC Stakeholders, titled, ‘Oshiomhole’s unforced losses and fate of APC in Edo 2020 gubernatorial election,’ the group called the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to “the endless, unprovoked battles Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has continued to wage against the Edo State chapter of the APC.” The group alleged that the party’s losses in Taraba, Zamfara, Rivers and Bayelsa States were orchestrated by Oshiomhole as a result of his leadership style. They said that there was a similarity in the pattern that led to the party’s poor outing in the above-listed states, urging the President to intervene in Edo’s case before APC loses it to the opposition. Ten members of the said group penned their signature on the full-page advert. The observations came on the day Senator Lawal Shuaibu, deputy national chairman, North, alleged that the party was increasingly resorting to “illegalities” by Oshiomhole. Shuaibu described the party at the moment as a nest of lawlessness. He raised the alarm that the national chairman’s behavior may cost the party the gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States if the situation is not immediately addressed. Factional group replies OdigieOyegun But in a swift response to OdigieOyegun’s observations and propositions, a faction of the party in the state sympathetic to Oshiomhole, said that nobody promised Governor Obaseki an automatic ticket as part of reconciliation in the state chapter of the party. Publicity Secretary of the faction, Chris Azebamwan, said, “we are constrained to respond to statements credited to Chief John Odigie-Oyegun at page 8 of The Nation newspaper of today, 21st May, 2020 and his full-page advert on the same subject at page 10. “It is not in our character, upbringing or culture to take an elder

to task. Especially an elder with the towering stature and credentials of Pa John Odigie-Oyegun who retired as a Federal Super-Permanent Secretary, has been a State Governor and served as National Chairman of a major political party. He celebrated his 80th birthday recently, and we wish him many more years of service to the nation. “Against this background, one is at loss to understand why Chief Odigie-Oyegun would make utterances that portray him as a mouthpiece or hireling of Godwin Obaseki. That the forthcoming primaries in Edo State would be credible is not in doubt.” According to Azebamwan, “the more worrisome part of Pa OdigieOyegun’s outburst is his claim that as part of the reconciliation process, an automatic ticket was promised to Godwin Obaseki. To the best of my knowledge, Chief Odigie-Oyegun was not at the meeting where reconciliation was discussed. He is no longer a principal officer of the APC, and is in no position, therefore, to lay claims to the inner workings of the party.” Ambode’s pill for Obaseki? Political watchers are saying that the powers that be in the party at the national level may be plotting to administer the same pill that demobilised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode during the primaries in Lagos State last year. Obaseki and his supporters are said to be unaware of the alleged plot. It was alleged that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, national leader of the party, is interested in Edo State and had pointedly told Obaseki that he (the governor) would not come back. “I must tell you that Governor Obaseki is in for an epic battle. Don’t forget that the judiciary has been compromised that once a result is announced, that becomes the end of the primary. The best bet for Obaseki is to begin now to make sufficient noise and ensure that direct method of voting at the primary that promotes eye service is not approved,” Thompson Adams, a political affairs commentator, said. According to Adams, “Obaseki should capitalise on the crack among members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to get some of them on his side, so that they could resist any untoward decision aimed at shoving aside the governor. I am not also sure Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State, will also get fairness when it comes to the primary. Both of them must work very hard to return.” Another analyst, who spoke on condition of anonymity said that this is not the time to seek reconciliation with Oshiomhole, as whatever is done now would be seen from the prism of just wanting to win election. “It is past the time for reconciliation. The battle must be eyeball to eyeball. No pretense. We all saw what happened to Ambode. He tried everything to please Jagaban, even to the point of ridiculing himself in public. But they had already made up their mind on him. The primary for me is war. Obaseki must not shy away from it,” the pundit said.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Politics How the Almajirai infiltrate the South with all the security, interstate lockdown beats me - Ajomale Henry Ajomale, a former Lagos State chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in this interview with journalists assesses the state of the nation. He gives advice on what should be done to curtail the entry of Almajirai into the Southwest, among other issues. INIOBONG IWOK brings the excerpts: Leader of Yoruba World Congress (YWC) has said that with membership of Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), Yoruba nation has got a stronger voice through international support, to protect its territory. What is your view about that? igeria is a member of the United Nations. Which nation is being talked about? How do they intend to enforce it? Are they going to invite the United Nations? Nigeria is an independent nation. We should not deceive the people to believe that it is possible. We are a part of a nation and no United Nation member can interfere in the internal affairs of an independent state. You have to fight your battle within the state. They established Amotekun and the government has given them approval for that. I saw Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State inspecting a trailer to ensure the trailers carrying food were not carrying smuggled passengers under the food they were supposed to deliver. He inspected the vehicles personally in the North, because he was afraid of Almajiris coming into his state, since a lot of the Almajiris are already inflicted by the virus. So, if they are coming into the South and they can get in from Kogi, Ilorin, Ogbomoso, Ondo area and then to Lagos, and they were not stopped, then something is wrong somewhere. There must be an organised gang that is smuggling these Almajiris to the South; this group is what should be dismantled. Those arrested in Ibadan few days ago said that they were coming from Zamfara State, and they got caught in Ibadan. If we are all on the alert, they would not get to the South before we catch them. The implementation of Amotekun by all the South West states is creating problem. Once members of House of Assembly have passed the law, implementation should be swift. Only Ekiti State has established the board, the rest probably have concentrated more on the Covid-19 than the security of their states. I think both of them should be going ‘pari passu’, containing the pandemic and taking care of security at the same time. The curve in Lagos may become difficult to control. I don’t pray it would get to epidemic, like in America where thousands of people are dying; I bet it would be worse in Nigeria. This is what government should let the people know. It is not only on radio, television and newspapers, we should carry the message to people at the grassroots, and that is where local government officials are important. We should carry the fight to them; it is not only food they should have, because even when you provide food, they would still complain.

Are you saying the Southwest governors are not doing enough to check the alleged influx of Amajirai into their states? The most important thing is that every-

Henry Ajomale

body should try to guide his borders. If you go to the main point of entry to Lagos, people come in and go out of Lagos at will. There is supposed to be security there. The governor should not leave all that he is doing, and man the borders. People that should do it are not there. If someone can leave Kano, pass all the borders and got opportunity of entering Lagos, then something is wrong somewhere. I pray that someday all of us would not die of Covid-19. Amidst rising cases of Covid-19, what do you think should be done to flatten the curve, especially in the midst of allegation that some security officers who should enforce lockdown have continued to compromise? The law enforcement agencies are part of the people causing problems for government, though not all of them. People who are not supposed to be on the road by virtue of the law and guideline by government, are allowed by security officials, after collecting money from them, thereby sabotaging the efforts of government. There is nothing wrong in the guideline issued by government, even outside Africa, the restriction is tougher. In South Africa, the enforcement is not done by police but by military, over 80,000 Army are sent out to enforce it. They involved the military when they discovered the people were not obeying the police. Influential people that should understand Nigeria’s problem seem to be promoting lawlessness. When you talk about Human Rights, there are certain places the human rights start from and end. You cannot say because you have a right, then you go against a law, you don’t respect the law because you feel you have a right as a free citizen. I think that government should tighten enforcement of the guideline. Only few people respect the guideline, of face mask in public, social and physical distancing. Some people reason like illiterates and yet they are educated. While some others believe COVID-19 does not exist.

What do you expect government to do specifically? The local government chairmen should be involved in the fight against the pandemic. They should get vehicles with loud speakers and sensitise the people in local languages. They should go to the grassroots and sensitise the people in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo and all other local languages. They should continue to announce the guideline every day, emphasising government’s expectation from the people. They should let them understand that the pandemic is real. America has lost over 80,000 citizens; Britain lost more than 30.000 and over 28,000 in France and in Spain over 24,000 of its citizens died. We just hope there would be no epidemic. We hope that government would rise up to the challenges. I love my governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the way he is going about it, but he must be a little tougher. Majority of Lagosians are not respecting the guidelines. Sanwo-Olu goes out every day to hold a conference, updating Lagosians about what is going on. What else can he do? I believe it is time for him to leave the enforcement to those who are supposed to do it.

Government should consider drafting out the military, not just the Army, but the Navy, the Air Force, should be moved out to enforce total lockdown of the country for one week, then the influx of people moving from one state to another

Don’t you think it would be good if government begins to arrest defaulters, especially those people who don’t wear the face masks, or fail to wear them properly? If you arrest them and fine them, they would still do the same. The most important thing is to influence them. If they see those who should know, obey the guidelines, they too would join. It is for this reason that I said earlier that government should involve local government; they should go out to sensitise the people in their localities. After they have done that they should use the military, and also do a total lockdown for one week, across the states of the federation. I am sure that within the one week, they would be able to identify people with symptoms. The problem with the partial lockdown is that some people who were tested and result returned positive would relocate from their original addresses, switch of their telephone numbers. When they go to their new places, they would infect people there. Many people are accusing Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State of being a bully, but he is achieving result. If everybody would be like Wike, I don’t think we would be experiencing the high rate of new infections. I pray it does not explode to where we would not be able to cope with it. America that is supposed to have the best medical system failed; Britain, Spain and Italy lost, these are countries that are supposed to have the best medical system in the world, not to talk about Nigeria which perhaps, allocation to health sector is less than eight percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in our annual budget. Don’t you think mass testing will solve the problem? There is no resources to do mass testing. The machines and other equipment are not there, so before it gets to that level, we must ensure this pandemic does not explode because if it does, no state government can control it. Look at what is going on in the North. When it was happening in Lagos, they did not behave as if it would get to them. If it can get to America, Japan, Spain, then it would get anywhere. We did not prepare for it and I don’t know if we have the resources to confront this pandemic. Our attitude in this country when people die is unbecoming, when we are not involved, we don’t care. Government should consider drafting out the military, not just the Army, but the Navy, the Air Force, should be moved out to enforce total lockdown of the country for one week, then the influx of people moving from one state to another. The military is not like the police which live among civilians, so they would be able to enforce it. Give Nigerians two days to stock food and then lock down totally for one week. You must use real force to get result.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Politics Emergencies over ‘state of emergency’ alarm in Rivers

Ignatius Chukwu

ivers State has moved from tensions arising from striving with federal agencies to alarms of a pending ‘state of emergency’. The government which has for months accused federal authorities of sabotaging its COVID-19 battles has now called the people to alert, saying a plot thickens to declare a state of emergency in the state. Governor Nyesom Wike who has always said he relies on the power of the ordinary people of the state to protect his mandate has once again called them to action, but his call seems to rouse his opponents also to action. The plot, a plot? The Rivers State Government said it uncovered plans by some indigenes of the state who reside in Abuja to cause a breakdown of law and order in order to declare a State of Emergency. The government through a statement by the Commissioner of Information and Communications, Paulinus Msirim, said: “These persons whose attempts to declare State of Emergency in the state since 2015 have never succeeded because of God’s intervention. “They did everything within their powers to ensure that the 2019 Governorship Election results were not announced but also failed. As the build up for the 2023 elections and jostle for Presidential and Vice-Presidential tickets is gathering momentum, they want to use COVID-19 to create a crisis as if the State is at war with the Federal Government. “They have decided to create unnecessary tension as if indigenes of Ahoada, Eleme and Port Harcourt are fighting with Northerners not to carry out their legitimate businesses. Bandits have been killing innocent people in Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna States and indigenes of these states no matter their political differences are working together to protect their states. “But here in Rivers State, instead of supporting our efforts, these Abuja politicians are busy looking for a State of Emergency because they want to acquire power. We are alarmed at these hideous plots against our State. Rivers State has never fought a war with strangers or neighbours. “We are aware that some shameless politicians are playing politics with COVID-19. No wonder one of the respected chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had to expose their plan to use COVID-19 to launch into the politics of the State. This is what we see in the lives of ungodly, dangerous and power hungry people who claim to love the state. “After their clandestine meetings they have voted huge sums of money to entice and recruit gullible persons to carry out their plan. “All patriotic Rivers State indigenes are hereby placed on alert to resist the devilish plans of these unpatriotic elements who connive with enemies of the State to cause confusion. As a state, we have always defeated these sadists and with God on our side, we shall overcome them.” APC strikes back A spokesman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Chris Finebone, sent in a straight reaction, wiping off the accusation. He said: “The incompetence of the Gov. Wike administration is simply assuming a dangerous dimension. What is this cock and bull story

Nyesom Wike

about uncovering a plan to declare State of Emergency in the state? “Which Rivers person or resident is excited and interested in that kind of story? If the government understands statecraft, they should be speaking to the people who are confused as to whether the lockdown is subsisting or not. The governor has not been seen since Sunday only for the government to come out with a watery press release alleging some plot. “The people are not interested in such obsolete and anachronistic style of politics. The people desire governance as they struggle to survive under a visionless lockdown. Let’s move away from panic measures and become more strategic and clear-headed with the fight against coronavirus.” Labour Party adds some confusion The Labour Party in the state reacted quickly but many still did not make a step forward in whether a plot existed or not. In a statement issued by a chief, Isaac Worwu, the gubernatorial candidate in the last governorship election in the state said the party; “We condemned such baseless actions, considering such people behind it as enemy of the state.” The party left the issue of emergency to make calls for better governance: “We call on Gov Wike to review the lockdown in the state and appoint a thick-tank committee that will marshal a developmental plan for the state and to look inward on post-Covid’19 pandemic with a view of sustaining the economy of Rivers State. We equally appeal to the governor to show some diplomacy in working with the federal government.” The party said it rather was advocating for state of emergency on Agriculture development to promote food security in the state. Wike’s men in National Assembly blow hot Groups loyal to the governor have lined up fast behind the alarm. The National Assembly caucus from the state thinks that the setting up of a task force by the Inspector General of Police is a call for an invitation to anarchy. Speaking at a joint media briefing, leaders of the caucus, George Sekibo and House of Representatives member, Kingsley Chinda, said the police action was unacceptable. “It is essentially, antithetical to and a reversal of the aims and purposes of the COVID-19 inter-state lockdown and measures to curb the pandemic. It is in this regard that we join the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers to request the IGP to reconsider the action. According to them, “The development is

Muhammed Adamu, Inspector-General of Police

sour and highly confrontational, not only to the authorities of the Rivers State Government, but also to the people and residents. “We run a Federal system of government and cannot afford to have two chief executives in Rivers State at the same time. That will be a clear invitation to anarchy.” The lawmakers said their position was informed by the fact that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP), Joseph Mukan, acting under the IGP’s instructions, set up a parallel Task Force in the guise of a Technical Committee to ensure movement of agricultural products and other essential items in the state; a committee charged with the determination of who comes into Rivers State during the lockdown period. They said in the last 48 hours, the police action has been trending, adding, “We had expected the IGP to deny the report, but since he has not, it is well to hold that the action was actually his effort and hence this media briefing.” They called on President Buhari to reverse the trend, while also appealing to the President to call the IGP and the Rivers CP to order, by restraining them from establishing a parallel government in Rivers State. Indigenes react: Indigenes of the state have reacted sharply, none trying to find out any further truth but certain of what they believe. Ijuye Telescopic, kick-starting a debate on his facebook wall said that the publication ‘Rivers State Government uncovers plan to declare state of emergency’ is nothing but an expression of griping fear by a supposedly fearless administration. “It is a preemptive strike to avert possible exploitation by political opponents, of the antagonistic acts and pronouncements against the Federal Government by the Rivers State Governor.” He got a counter from George Finton who said: “It is indeed a sad commentary that in an attempt to maintain our political persuasions, we have forgotten to be Rivers enough. Governor Wike like any other human is not perfect; however, we should not allow entrenched bias to becloud our peculiarities as a people. Covid-19 is global challenge and should be addressed assiduously. The directive by the IGP is obviously selective with glaring ulterior motive, if the current distribution of almajirai and trained militia to the south and eastern parts of the country is not enough to arouse suspicion I wonder what will.” Ijuye countered him saying; “George Finton, You are a more experienced politician and should see through this facade. What is the issue? Rivers State governor says that he does not trust federal security agencies in the fight against Covid-19. He accuses

federal security agencies of sabotaging the state, importing infected persons and terrorists into the state. “Note that Wike is not the only governor doing this. Most South-South and SouthEast governors are into this singsong of invasion of the south by Almajiris, hidden in lorries among cows and food and aided by federal security agencies. Interestingly, these governors still depend on federal security agencies for their personal protection. So, why the so-called suspicion?” He went on: “These shrewd politicians know that in a period of national crisis (Covid-19), the people (masses) are helpless and are more willing to forgo their liberties and their rights for their security, health and safety. The masses are willing to abdicate their freedom to anybody that can guarantee their safety. “Wike has been masquerading since 2013 as the sole protector and defender of Rivers State, for the sole purpose of gaining and retaining political benefits accruing from the abdication of rights to a strongman by Rivers people. It is therefore, politically suicidal to allow an opponent (federal government controlled by another party) to be seen as the one securing the safety of Rivers people during this pandemic, else the people abdicate their rights and freedom in times like this to the federal government, including political allegiance; hence the confrontation.” One more citizen, Dumo Tamieye, joined issues: “There are no external enemies of Rivers State. The government of the state has postured itself as the enemy of the people of the state. They should therefore, be prepared to succeed in their genocide against the people or harvest the consequences of self-destruction.” Conclusion: It seems thus that the signs and plots the Rivers State government saw is the IGP task force in the state on movement of essential commodities. It is believed that this has removed power to another authority. The thinking, according to insiders, is that the IGP and Commissioner of Police would attempt to take over control of command in the state and the civilian task members may challenge them. In the process, there could be chaos, thus openly warranting a declaration of state of emergency. Should this happen, the situation could orchestrate a government in the state that would be pro-APC in the run-in to the 2023 elections. The best reaction would be to use the pre-2019 method of raising alarm ahead to head off any suspected plots. It seemed to work in 2019, will it work again?

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Politics The Covid-19 controversy in C/River, Kogi For some businessmen, Covid-19 is about more reagents, more money - Ayade ZEBULON AGOMUO

overnor Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State uses every opportunity that comes his way to say that his state is free for the coronavirus pandemic, despite some views that it could be as a result of insufficient testing. Ayade was at it again last Thursday, May 21,2020 when he appeared on a television programme. He did not only make a boast of the actions his administration is taking to ensure that the state maintains its zerocoronavirus status, but thatthe pandemic has become a full-scale business for some people. He also alleged that the world was using it to exploit Africa and Nigeria in particular. Speaking on why his state has not conducted random testing as observed in many other states in the country, the governor argued that the test currently being conducted to diagnose the viral disease in the country ‘’lacks reproducibility and reliability’’. Ayade, a Ph.D holder in Environmental Microbiology and a former university lecturer, alsosaid that the COVID-19 pandemic had turned into a full-scale business for some people. He said a Chinese friend of his residing in Switzerland recently told him that he had made so much money importing reagents out of the Philippines. ‘’Out there in the Western world, there is a businessman fanning all of this, making sure they sell reagents. Indeed, my friend out of Switzerland, a Chinese, says he has made so much money importing reagents out of Philippines and shipping to the world. “So, it has turned into a full-scale business. Why will I be testing somebody who has not come in contact with somebody who has caught the virus? I will only test you when I have reasons to, when I have seen symptom,” the governor said. According to him, “If NCDC continues to lower the criteria just to get more people tested, I begin to wonder because we have to exhaust the entire accounts of this country to be able to support the testing regime. “I think I cannot follow blindly. I must lead from the front because I am exposed, I am smart and I know what I need.I can tell you, this testing for coronavirus has gone Ecopolitical. In the US for example, it is about the November elections and for some businessmen, it is about more reagents, more money. But for me, it is science, it is reality and because a wrong mentality will give you a wrong reality, I will hold the right mentality. Only contact tracing can help you identify those to be tested. I am a scientist, please’’ He believes that Nigeria is being exploited through the pandemic. When asked to air his view on that, he repeatedly said: “Of course, no doubt about that. No doubt about that at all.” According to him, “You don’t have to be a scientist to see the loopholes and business elements. Why can’t Nigeria

Ben Ayade

Yahaya Bello

produce her test kits? Why can’t we have our own vaccination plants to produce our vaccines? Nigerians are endowed; very intelligent people by nature.’’ Speaking as though he was in a science class, the governor said: ‘’Malaria and coronavirus share so much in common that for us in Malaria endemic world, we are naturally almost immune to the coronavirus. Even our own temperature here is such that when you sneeze, the virus escapes and it is escaping into hell fire because it can’t stand an atmospheric temperature of 32 centigrade. Sometimes in Nigeria, we do go up to 42 degrees. “I just sympathise with this our followthe-west syndrome and I think the time has come for us to change that completely. We are really being exploited as a continent. Nigerians are being exploited, Africans are being exploited. We must shut our doors.” The governor said that Cross River was saved from the scourge of the pandemic by his prompt action. He said that as soon as the coronavirus became real in Nigeria, he ordered complete lockout of the state from others. According to him, all interstate movements were halted and that all entry points to the state, including those that are as insignificant as bush parts, are being manned by designated officials of the state. He also said that all air ways were quickly closed to ensure no flight got into the state. Ayade further spoke about the compulsory facemask-wearing regime he brought into effect, which according to him has continued to produce positive effects. He recalled that officials of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), who visited the state, commended the high level of compliance on “No face mask, no movement” order.

and destroying our lives. Enough of this #Covid-19 nonsense. 386 new cases? We have played fool enough!” “And you have discharged 679… What did you give to these ones you discharged? #Covid-19 is a war, and in times of war you get everyone prepared. Tell Nigerians what these ones discharged took and let everyone take it and be safe. Is coronavirus deadlier than Tuberculosis, Sars, Pneumonia, AIDS? Early detection saves the life; tell people how to boost their immune system and stop creating merchants out of Corona. People are dying every day for more serious ailments because they can’t access hospitals. People have diabetes, kidney issues, liver issues, heart diseases, cancer, BP, labour complications, HIV, Brain issues, Lung disease, etc, some need to go to other states to access hospital services… They are dying in numbers and no one is counting them because you are counting Corona,” he said. “We were told the symptoms of Corona are cough, catarrh, difficulty in breathing, and the mortality rate is very minimal which we have seen in the results NCDC has been releasing. “These symptoms are things people have been suffering from and we have been managing them well in hospitals here in Nigeria, we have seen people with difficulties in breathing and they were treated. Why are we marketing Corona in Nigeria? Why are we harming ourselves intentionally? Creating fears, hardship and tension on innocent citizens,” he further said. According to him, “You promised 40,000 testing in one month, and this is almost two months (at the time the statement was made) and you haven’t tested 20,000. “3000+ active cases and 679 discharged, which confirms mortality is less than 6percent. Why then do you want to kill the entire country with fears? Do you know how people struggle to survive in this country? Do you know the more hardship you are forcing on people by marketing Corona? Now we will be forced to open our borders for importation of rice, can foods and all sorts of junks again because we will be

Enough of this politics with our lives Bello The social media is awash with the comments made by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, saying that the way it was being handled in the country smacks of politics. He dismissed; “Enough of this nonsense, NCDC is marketing #Coronavirus

running out of food soon, at a time we were almost food sufficient. Enough of this politics that NCDC is playing with our Lives.” Bello insisted that he did not believe in everything that is being said about the pandemic. His disposition toward the pandemic has brought him at loggerheads with officials of the NCDC. He said his administration would not bow to pressure to report a case of the contagious respiratory ailment. Speaking through his Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna Audu, the governor said that his administration was under immense pressure to announce novel coronavirus cases. Bello was said to have become enraged when the NCDC insisted that there must be Covid-19 cases in the state, saying that it was lack of testing that may have given the governor false hope. Fearing that the state may not be safe with such an insinuation, Bello was reported to have chased away staff of the Centre who had visited Kogi to assess the state’s preparedness, facilities and medical procedures. Bello was reported to have ordered the medical professionals to be isolated for 14 days--the period it takes for COVID-19 to incubate in most patients before symptoms become visible. In a statement Audu said: “Our Isolation Centres are open for inspection from appropriate quarters and the insinuation by the said report needs not be given any attention. “The lame notion that all the states surrounding Kogi already have COVID-19 will not cause us to bat eyelids, but rather increase us in conviction that if some other states gave in to pressure, we wouldn’t. We will continue to take samples from appropriate patients and members of the public in line with the laid down principles.” The commissioner added that Kogiwas prepared to deal with COVID-19 just like it dealt with Lassa fever by promptly reporting cases to the relevant authorities. “Kogi State had activated a rapid response team since 2017 long before any epidemic was suspected to occur. Our success in investigating and curtailing alleged strange deaths in Okoloke Yagba West L.G.A in Kogi State in 2017 was well commended and applauded by national and international stakeholders. “The so-called strange disease which was later confirmed to be Yellow Fever was appropriately annihilated with collaboration from our ever-dependable health development partners. “So much fake news has been peddled about Kogi state and we are no strangers to it. Recently, it was said that 7billion Naira was expended in setting up a marquee isolation center, an amount that is greater than the state’s monthly allocation. How ridiculous! “Kogi State will not give in to pressure to announce fictitious cases of COVID-19. We will only announce a real case of confirmed COVID-19 when it exists, and we advise our people to strictly follow the state government’s guidelines in the prevention of the disease, for as it stands, Kogi State is officially COVID-19 free!”

14 Inside Lagos

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Transit terminals underway to check incessant tanker accidents in Lagos JOSHUA BASSEY

i s t u r b e d by recurring petroleum tankers accidents with their associated fires, destruction of properties and loss of lives, the Lagos government is considering the creation of transit parks and terminals to hold articulated trucks in the state. The transit parks and terminals, according to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would be equipped with necessary apparatus for the convenience of the drivers and operators. The parks would leverage technology via an integrated terminal management system where tickets would be issued to tanker drivers prior to loading. The terminals, when fully operational, would bring sanity to Lagos, Sanwo-Olu explained during a visual meeting involving representatives of the downstream energy sector operating in the state. At the meeting held on

Tanker accident in Lagos

Tuesday, May 19, the governor said the state would introduce and enforce an annual certification for tanker drivers and trucks that ply the Lagos roads. Commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Olalere Odusote, who chaired the meeting on behalf of Sanwo-Olu, said the purpose was to deepen

BRT operators face hard times, services threatened

rimero Transport Se r v i c e s Lt d . , operator of the Lagos Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) may withdraw its services on May 25 (tomorrow), due to logistics problems and other issues, an authoritative source disclosed on Friday. The source said that the company might likely run out of diesel and other supplies that would likely disrupt BRT operations. “Primero is planning to withdraw all its buses from the road from May 25. The company is running out of diesel. “Suppliers have not been supplying diesel fully because the firm is owing them. The company is currently running at a loss. “Primero will run out of supply of diesel and other supplies by Monday. So it is not likely the buses will run,” the source re-stated. Efforts to talk with the managing director of the company, Fola Tinubu, on the development were not successful.

On May 15, there was shortage of BRT buses across various routes leading to long queues and extended waiting time at BRT stations in Lagos. BRT users have been complaining over the shortage of buses since the easing of the current lockdown on May 4. On Ma y 1 5 , Ti n u b u said: “the way we are operating now is as if we are just running a social service for the people. “Twenty passengers in the bus on the same old fare is not sustainable. We are piling up losses that we need to address urgently. “Creditors are calling us. We need to address that urgently. The way it is now is not sustainable. “ Th a t w a s w h y w e have limited buses on the roads. Every bus that is going up and down now is incurring losses.” The Lagos State government had directed the 70-capacity buses to carry only 21 passengers as part of measures to check the spread of COVID-19. NAN

safety awareness among the operators given the frequency of fatal fire incidents involving petroleum tankers in the state. Odusote said the government would work closely with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to monitor loading of petroleum tankers at the various loading bays in the state.

He stressed the need for the stakeholders to come up with an effective solution to the incessant tankers accidents in Lagos. Odusote said: “The governor is keen to see that the downstream sector continues to flourish and thrive in the state, but for more harmonious relationship and better progress in the

sector, all stakeholders must work within the framework of safety as provided for by the regulators and the laws of the state.” He pledged that his ministry would continue to engage the stakeholders and ensure that optimal framework “is fully implemented to curb the tanker accidents and their attendant menace, while also informing that “already, a schedule is being drawn up the ministry to visit all of the relevant facilities in the coming weeks and months.” Commissioner for transportation, Fredrick Abimbola Oladeinde, assured the stakeholders that all the relevant state infrastructure in support of safety measures, including vehicle testing facilities, would be made available at jointly designated locations to support the downstream transportation sector. Sailimon Oladiti, president of Petroleum Tankers’ Drivers (PTD), said: “Lagos State government is always leading positive change, but to ensure the solutions are sustainable, similar actions must also be taken nation-

wide”. Contributing, Afolabi Olufemi, the general secretary of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), thanked the state government for bringing together the stakeholders to seek a solution to all issues raised. While lamenting the death of their members in various incidents, he called for “compliance with set regulations and the nationalisation of the standards being set by Lagos State.” Participants at the meeting agreed that indiscriminate parking of petroleum tankers along the roads in the state must be eradicated, and that prevention of overloading of oil products and enforcement of the road worthiness of trucks used to convey petroleum products must be diligently pursued. They expressed their commitment to abide by the recommendations and further agreed to maintain regular dialogue with the state to ensure alignment with the vision of the Sanwo-Olu’s administration to transform Lagos into a 21st century economy.

Lagos moves to reactivate tourism industry post COVID-19 JOSHUA BASSEY

he Lagos State government has set up a post COVID-19 review committee, aimed at reactivating entertainment, tourism, arts and culture sector. Inaugurating the committee, Uzamat AkinbileYusuf, the commissioner for tourism, arts and culture lamented that the creative industry had remained dormant, following the Coronavirus pandemic. Akinbile-Yusuf said that the six-member committee, chaired by Joke Silva, was expected to draw out suggestions and recommendations on ways to re-activate the industry. She added that members were expected to make recommendations

to the state government on ways to rejuvenate its economy, particularly the tourism and entertainment industry. “The situation in the world today was not pre-determined. This is where we are and this is what we have seen happening to us. The tourism sector is one of the worst-hit sectors by this pandemic because, on a daily basis, Lagos records new cases and we must not shy away from the fact that COVID-19 is still with us. She said the government was keen in finding a way to sustain the economy and the industry amid the pandemic and how best to improve the creative sector. She said that some of the terms of reference for the committee include conducting a holistic assessment of the im-

pact of COVID-19 pandemic on the industry and would be expected to submit its reports in two weeks. According to her, the committee is to come up with recommendations on the short and long term palliatives with respect to soft loans and grants to assuage the negative impact of the scourge on the industry. She said that the committee was also expected to refocus attention toward the development of domestic tourism as an immediate measure to revitalise the industry. Akinbile-Yusuf said that the expectations of government include advice on strategic measures that would ensure post-COVID-19 sustainability of the industry. She assured that the state government would not abandon the industry in such a pre-

carious situation, but provide support and encouragement to sustain tourism and ensure it thrived beyond COVID-19. The special adviser to the state governor on arts and culture, Solomon Bonu, said that those in the committee were knowledgeable about the industry. Bonu said that the state was looking at revitalising the tourism business, hence, the need for the committee. He, therefore, implored the committee members to bring their professionalism and expertise to bear on boosting the state’s tourism sector beyond the COVID-19 era. Chairman of the committee, Silva, thanked the state government for the opportunity given to come up with recommendations to reposition the creative and tourism industry in the state.

COVID-19: Ooni urges corporate bodies to disinfect offices JOSHUA BASSEY

oni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has called on corporate organisations to undertake regular disinfection of their offices so as to reduce the rate of transmission of COVID-19. The Ogunwusi made the

call while recently handing over two locally fabricated motorised modular fumigators to Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) in Lagos. According to the monarch, corporate organisation especially those that attract large gatherings- banks, eateries, malls among others must play an active role in reducing the

spread of the highly contagious virus. He explained that only those who are alive and healthy can patronise services offered by such orrganisations. The Ooni said the donation was part of his contributions towards stamping out the disease and saving lives. He added that the materials used in the fabrication of the

fumigators were sourced locally, and assembled within his palace in Ife. Ogunwusi charged PECAN to ensure that the motorised modular fumigators were put into best use. The fumigators were received on behalf of PECAN by its president, Kunle Williams alongside other executives of the association.

Sunday 24 May, 2020

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BDSUNDAY 15

TheWorshipper COVID-19: Nigeria must look inwards to find solution to her problems - Rev. Fr. Adodo Since the Madagascar experience with the COVID-19 Organic cure, many Nigerians have started to pay keen attention to alternative medicine, urging government to seek local solutions to the pandemic. Rev. Fr. Anselm Adodo of the Pax Herbal and Research Laboratories owned by the Benedictine Monks, Ewu, Edo State, speaks on the Catholic Centre’s clinical herbal drug. Excerpts by SEYI JOHN SALAU: The world is currently suffering from the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and many have said the virus had no cure. How true is this? hose who specialise in the study of viruses are virologists. It is a special field of study. Viruses have always been with us. Because they easily mutate and self-replicate, they are difficult to target for extermination. Regarding the issue of cure, at the end of the day, the body’s immune system is the real doctor. HIV is one of the most prominent viruses known to man. Does it have any known herbal cure? We have been managing people who have HIV, Hepatitis B and tuberculosis for over 25 years. We have kept accurate records of the people treated. As you know, HIV has the problem of stigmatisation, so it is a sensitive topic to discuss. I can count at least 150 people with very high viral load who came to us for treatment 20 years ago and who are still alive, well and active, and I know they are not using any western drug. Just like some persons have made claim to discovering a cure for COVID-19; your laboratory recently made similar announcement; how factual is that claim? What we said was that we have formulated an herbal medicine with a potential to treat COVID-19. People will then ask if you have treated anyone with it and how did you know it cures. There are procedures for drug formulation and application. You can easily test the efficacy of a drug first in animals to ascertain safety and also to develop the therapeutic dosage. We have done all of that, which is why we work with virologists, immunologists, parasitologists, clinical pharmacologist, pharmacognosists and many others. Coronavirus is not new to us. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is also a coronavirus. Recently, we had the EBOLA outbreak. COVID-19 is a less severe kind of coronavirus. Why it is shaking the world this way is strange indeed. Many people are claiming to have found a treatment, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol does not support such claim. Why is the WHO not supportive? My opinion is that every country should look inwards to find solution to their problems. They do not need WHO’s validation. I still find it difficult to understand why African countries are always looking to international agencies to validate everything they do; in economics, agriculture, politics and health. Have you ever seen the EU or USA wait to get validation from African coun-

Anselm Adodo

tries on any topic? That is why I like what is happening in Madagascar. They said they have discovered a cure, based on their own knowledge and validation system. And they are making use of what they have discovered. Maybe. it’s not a perfect cure. But why do they need WHO to validate their contextual solution? Rather than blame WHO, I prefer to blame our brainwashed local leaders. Would you like to partner WHO and other foreign agencies on your findings? Our focus is Nigeria and Africa. This is our home. If WHO wants to come here we will welcome them. In order to be global, one must first be local. WHO protocol on COVID-19 seems to be supportive of a vaccine to combat the virus. What is your position on vaccine?

In Nigeria, it is easier and cheaper to be an importer and seller than to be a manufacturer. The challenges are part of the Nigerian system: weak infrastructure, poor road network and lack of electricity

Well, that sounds more like a dogmatic statement rather than a scientific statement. If WHO said that then they need to open a theological unit in their headquarters. If some people in certain parts of the world want synthetic vaccine, they should have it. If some other people in other parts of the world prefer to have an oral vaccine, they should be allowed to have it. If they prefer phytomedicine instead of vaccine, so be it. From what I hear and see, majority of Africans prefer the latter. I hope WHO will respect their wish. There are fears in some quarters that using vaccines to contain the virus might have some sinister religious and scientific implications. What is your take? The mess in which humanity finds itself today was caused by a wrong understanding of knowledge and its role in human development. Firstly, we were led astray by the myth that with enough knowledge and technology (computers, digital machines, satellites, buttons, etc), we can rule the earth and control it. But the complexity of the earth and its life systems can never be safely managed. We can never master the complex functioning of atoms, protons, eons, viruses and electricity. I hope that our scientists, politicians and the world in general will learn from this experience of COVID-19. As Pope Francis warns us in his encyclical, GAUDATO SI, we should ask ourselves if this is the kind of world we want to bequeath to our children; a world of crass individualism and limitless greed. My take is that COVID-19 is not just a health issue. It also has a spiritual

message for us. Speaking on the spiritual message of COVID-19 to the world; as a Catholic Centre, what is the level of support you get from the CBCN and fellow clergymen? A good thing will sell itself. I think the Paxherbal brand is very good and well trusted, and this has promoted trust among the people. The CBCN and the clergy will continue to support us so long as we make the Church proud. Some experts have warned that the virus will always be with us; how true is this? As I said, viruses have always been with us. They always remind us not to take our immune system for granted. We cannot talk about drugs in Nigeria without the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); since your drugs are mostly herbal in nature, how do you subject them to scientific appraisal of the regulatory agency? Once the drug gets the approval of NAFDAC, we will make it available to the public. But we will proceed with further research to isolate the active compounds and enclose them in soft gels. This will increase the efficacy. However, NAFDAC does not certify whether herbal product is efficacious or not. All they do is to screen your product and subject it to safety tests, after which they will give you a listing number. The listing number simply means that the product is safe for human consumption and can be sold to the public. That is why all NAFDAC approved herbal products bear a disclaimer, to notify the user that the claims in the product have not been verified by them. Verification requires clinical trials which takes many years and very expansive. You have spoken about Pax Herbal; can you let our readers into what you do? Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories is a Catholic Centre for scientific identification, cultivation, development and promotion of African Herbal Medicine. It is not my personal project. It is a project of the Benedictine Monks of Ewu, Edo State. The monastery was founded in 1979. It is however, true that I initiated it, along with Fr. Vincent Mordi of blessed memory and Br. Michael, who is currently the overall manager. There are more than 15 other monks working hard to keep things going here. I often make jest of them that they are doing the work while I am getting the credit. We have over 100 full-time workers, comprising Microbiologists, Biochemists, Natural Plants Chemists, Pharmacognosists and Plant Biotechnologists. Over 50 science students from eight universities undergo industrial

training in our centre yearly. Let me tell you the truth: the standard and level of research here in our Centre is far more than people even know. When an American Ambassador visited the Pax Centre some years ago, she was surprised that such a place exists in Nigeria and wondered the Nigeria press has not been talking about it. So, as you can see, it is not just about my vision. It is the spirit of St Benedict urging us on. If you initiated the Herbal Research Centre as a Rev. Fr.; are you trained medically or what is your connection with the centre? Formally, I am trained as a philosopher and theologian. I also studied Ethnobotany, Ethnography and Anthropology. My Doctoral degrees are in Management of Technology and Innovation and Medical Sociology. Informally, I am a farmer, drummer, poet, and a wrestler. Operating in this environment is tough; so, what operational challenges are confronting your centre and how do you cope staying in business? In Nigeria, it is easier and cheaper to be an importer and seller than to be a manufacturer. The challenges are part of the Nigerian system: weak infrastructure, poor road network and lack of electricity. Electricity is an excessively big issue for us, because we have laboratories where interrupted electricity is vital. For instance, we bought an incubator from China some years ago. Each time it developed a fault, we were required to order for the faulty parts from China. So, we decided to dismantle the incubator and see what was inside. We were surprised that it was just ceiling fan and some elements to generate heat, and a temperature controller. Since then, we have been constructing most of our machines. We construct plant driers, conveyors, heaters and incubators. Most challenges are, for us, opportunities for growth. But there are other challenges that require external support, like the issue of further expansions to increase production capacity. Should you get the green light from FG to commence mass production, how would you go about it? It is not a matter of if, it is when, which should not be beyond June. To go into mass production, we will need bigger workshops, capsulation machines and full automation of our production process. We will do only what we can do and hope for the best until help comes. How readily available are your herbal drugs across the country? We have our sales outlets in many Catholic parishes across Nigeria, especially in Lagos. We encourage catholic parishes to open outlets in their parishes. It is an important service for the people.

16 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 24 May, 2020

TheWorshipper Inspiration With Rev. Yomi Kasali

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hat is my prayer point as I pen down my thoughts for my readers on today’s article. There are different names for these people in life and ministry, some call them ‘Destiny Helpers’, others call them ‘Bridges’, those in the corporate world prefer the use of the word, ‘ladders to the next level’ or ‘shoulders to carry me’. Whatever they are called, I prefer the old biblical term Midwives. The passage that In-

Be a midwife! spired my prayers is found in Exodus 1 v 15-16, “and the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah, and he said, when you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, then you shall KILL him but if it be a daughter, then shall she live”. Midwives are persons trained to assist women in childbirth or people that help in birthing new things. I knelt in prayers and cried to God to give me Midwives to help me birth the babies I’ve got on the inside of me. There are many people out there reading this article today who are also pregnant with dreams, ideas, businesses, ministries, initiatives etc, but only need midwives to help birth those babies within them. We underestimate the power of midwives, but the King in Egypt knew very well, he asked them to KILL the babies if they were boys and keep the babies alive if they were girls. So, those who stand in between you and your destinies can KILL your dreams, businesses, ministries, and ideas, while good midwives who fear God will help birth your

birthing the crown to David. Be a Jonathan and prefer your brother to yourself.

dreams. So many of the great Bible characters had Midwives in their lives, people who helped them emerge to produce the heroes we know them to be today. It’s not only the Holy Spirit that produced these great men in the Bible, God also used other people to bring the best out of those we celebrate today. I pray God will also make me a Midwife to someone’s dream and help birth other people’s ideas, not steal them as they do in the world. 5 Great bible destiny helpers (midwives) Mordecai produced esther: Let me start with one of the greatest Bible Heroines of all times. Queen Esther that was used mightily by God to deliver Israel from the ‘would have been holocaust’ of their

Cleric urges government to support Nigerians with palliatives SEYI JOHN SALAU

he Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Al f r e d Ad e w a l e Martins has urged government to support more Nigerians with palliatives as they continue to struggle with the harsh economic realities on the back of the lockdown occasioned by the novel coronavirus(COVID-19)and owing to the fact that people are not earning as much now as they used to earn before the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Martins made the appeal in commemoration of the 54th World Communications Day, urging government to do everything necessary for the people to continue to receive palliatives at this critical period. According to Martins, the words of Pope Francis were very important and relevant to the current happening across the world. Quoting Pope Francis, Martins said there was need to tell stories that build up, not tear down; stories that help us rediscover our roots and the strength needed to move forward together. “Amid the cacophony of

voices and messages that surround us, we need a human story that can speak of ourselves and of the beauty all around us. “A narrative that can regard our world and its happenings with a tender gaze. A narrative that can tell us that we are part of a living and interconnected tapestry. A narrative that can reveal the interweaving of the threads which connect us to one another,” said Martins while quoting Pope Francis. T h e W o r l d Communications Day was established by Pope Paul VI in 1967 as an annual celebration that encourages us to reflect on the opportunities and challenges that the modern means of social communication (the

Alfred Adewale Martins

press, motions pictures, radio, television and the internet) afford the Church to communicate the gospel message and is celebrated on the Sunday before Pentecost. On the current ravaging COVID-19, Martins pleaded with government to give credence to herbal drugs, stating that traditional herbal medicines have their own healing effects and should be considered for the treatment of COVID-19. “Herbal medicine has its healing effect and I think it is important that government gives local practitioners and researchers opportunities to research into the use of our local herbal roots and come up with remedies from them for this Coronavirus pandemic,” he said. According to Martins, local remedies from herbs have been effective in curing different types of diseases before, and it is only appropriate that they are given a chance to prove their efficacy at this point in time. “We understand that there is the need for test and validation of local herbs. Madagascar has developed its own and was embraced by the Federal Government.

age. Let me inspire you with the real Hero of the story, a man called Mordecai, who mentored and coached this First Lady to become bold, fearless and courageous in delivering her people. Mordecai was the Midwife who birthed Esther....be a Mordecai today and produce an Esther. No david without jonathan: The biological brothers of the greatest king of Israel taunted him jealously and hated him intensely, but God gave David a brother from another woman’s womb, who was willing to defy the king’s order and worked hard to ensure David emerged as the king of Israel. Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne of Israel but discerned the finger of God on the life of David. He thereafter denied himself of the pleasure of the throne and helped in

The butler connected joseph to the king: There would be no Joseph in the palace without the Butler, he would have rotten in jail but for the Butler who played the role of the midwife well and connected him to the palace. I pray someone will remember your name today and connect you to the palace where your gifts will be celebrated not in jail. Barnabas raised paul: The most impactful Apostle in the New Testament was Paul, yet many of the older apostles doubted his sincerity after salvation. There was so much scepticisms and fear, they weren’t sure if it was a ploy of the enemy to ravage the church, but one man of God stood out of the crowd, decided to take his chances and mentored Paul, his name was Barnabas. He was the fellow responsible for raising Paul and others embraced him afterwards. John baptized jesus: Even our Lord and Saviour needed a human Midwife for His ministry to be launched successfully, the

great bold preacher called John the Baptist may have baptized many people but ONLY one baptism mattered before heaven and earth, the one conducted for our Lord Jesus. It was shortly after the baptism that the heavens opened, and a dove descended on Jesus. I pray you will have your own John release you to your Destiny. I hope you have been Inspired to pray to God to send a Midwife your way, but more importantly, pray to become a Midwife for someone. Help birth another person’s dreams. Drop me a note of acknowledgment and encouragement and also follow me on my Social media handles below: Instagram: @yomi_ kasali Twitter: @yomi_kasali Facebook: www.facebook.com/revyomikasali Youtube: www.youtube.com/revyomikasali Be Inspired! Rev Yomi Kasali is Senior Pastor, Foundation of Truth Assembly (FOTA), Surulere, Lagos.

Pentecostal shepherds and empty cathedrals Continued from back page (and mosques) have also stopped because the ‘feeders’ are also struggling to survive and saving the little left to feed. During this time, very few Churches and Mosques have risen to support their members, while other ‘ministers’ still plead with their members enduring salary cuts, disengagement, rightsizing and downsizing to send money to ‘nurture the work of God’. There is no need for the Bishop to compare food market opening with banned Church gathering. Market people are not suffering Spiritual famine — they start their day with individual and group prayers while market evangelists take the world of God to them to indicate that the church is not the physical structures. How orderly and safe will it be to be inside church singing and dancing with face masks on? If shepherds feel the congregation are denied spiritual foods, he can end spiritual famine by leveraging on social media and online broadcast channels to feed the sheep. Methinks the physical structures of the Oyedepo and Oyakhilome’s massive

cathedrals can be likened to the isolation centres where those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being treated. The Statistics of the fatalities and recoveries from the isolation centres tell the story. Just like people attend churches for different purposes, not all people get their problems solved spiritually. For those in isolation centres too, their families pray for their recoveries but prayers of people with better immunity get answered while those with underlying morbidity illnesses and low immunity gave up the ghost. What this tells us is that prayer is an ongoing activity and it is not on lockdown. The leaders of the Church (and Mosques) should become functional and innovative during this period to retain their relevance in a postCOVID-19 Nigeria. It is logical to say that no one is standing against the Church because the church of God is not emplaced in the territories of individual pastors like Bishop Oyedepo and Pastor Oyakhilome. What has happened is a rational reaction on the part of the followers to choose between staying

safe at home or risking being arrested or infected in the ‘House of God’. Who orchestrated the plan that the Christians will end their 40 days fasting with the coming of coronavirus and that the Muslims will observe Ramadan fasting without the normal rituals? I think God is using the pandemic to tell all of us that not a pastor or Imam can save whom he has not saved. This perhaps, explains why people are looking up to God, not man as the author and finisher of their faith. The Church is a risky space for COVID-19 spread. For instance, COVID-19 transmission in South Korea was fuelled by the Shincheonji Church whose 5,080 members tested positive for COVID-19 as at March 25 when the country’s confirmed cases was 9,137! If it is to pray, let the heads of Churches and Mosques pray for normalcy to return in order to have huge thanksgiving services. Until then, the ban on religious activities is meaningful and functionally oriented towards preventing religious centres from becoming centres of COVID-19 dispersal.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Passion

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Titilola Adeniyi Vivour: A public servant with a heart for the weak O

ADIO AYODELE ADIO

n December 1, 2014, Babatunde Fashola, then executive governor of Lagos state, signed an executive bill to officially open a sex offender register in the state. It was the first of its kind in the country and the move was widely applauded by various stakeholders in Lagos State. In the room with the governor that day was Ade Ipaye, the AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, and several staff from the Ministry of Justice who had spent the last two months working on the sex offender register. One of them was a young, smart and passionate public servant, Titilola Adeniyi Vivour. Titilola remains nostalgic of that event. “I was elated,” she recalled with a grin. “Now, if you dare rape anyone, your name will be condemned to the sex offenders register for life.” For the most of her career, Titilola has always been a fierce advocate for justice in favour of victims of rape and domestic violence. Explaining her drive and passion to seek justice for women, she said: “I feel everyone has dignity and when that dignity is trampled upon, it stirs up a rebellion in me.” It was this sense of duty and commitment to the service of humanity that inspired her return to Nigeria in 2007 after the completion of her studies in France to participate in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a fresh lawyer. She would also turn down various offers to work with top private companies for a place in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice where she would eventually build an inspiring career in public service. A ministry staff who spoke

anonymously when interviewed for this story described Adeniyi as a “brilliant lawyer with a heart for the weak.” They had both worked together in 2011 as part of a committee set up to amend the criminal code. He told me that “She worked long hours on her brief which was to look into the laws concerning rape.” Titilayo, then an assistant in the secretariat recalled how exciting it was looking at the laws around rape. In her attempt to put forward sensible recommendations, she reviewed several rape laws around the world to come up with what could be regarded as best practice while reflecting local peculiarities. Some

of her recommendations were to expunge the time frame in which rape could be reported and ensuring that the age of consent was pegged at 18. Making an argument for her recommendation with regards to the age of consent, she said “if someone who is below 18 cannot vote, why should she be able to give consent to sex?” In 2014, the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Justice put together a special response team to attend to cases of rape, domestic violence and abuse. Titilola Vivour Adeniyi was appointed to head and coordinate that response team known as the Lagos State Domestic and

Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT). Since 2014, the team has secured about 70 convictions ranging from life imprisonment to 25 years jail term. They have also populated the sex offenders list with about 200 names till date. More importantly, that has encouraged a lot more women to report cases of abuse, violence and rape. They now receive as much as 300 new cases monthly. While the achievements of the DSVRT has been more than modest so far, Titilola hopes to see some of the reforms she and her team have led institutionalised. “We would like to see the provision of sexual assault manage-

Titilola remains nostalgic of that event. “I was elated,” she recalled with a grin. “Now, if you dare rape anyone, your name will be condemned to the sex offenders register for life

ment services across primary health care centers in Lagos,” she says. “We also need to ensure that we continue to empower select police officers by establishing family support desk so that such officers can effectively deal with cases of rape and domestic violence,” she went on to say. So far, DSVRT has set up Family Support Divisions in 12 police stations across Lagos state and are hoping to expand soon. Born in the mid-1980s, Titilola Vivour is the fourth of five children. Her father, Olawale Rhodes Vivour is a lawyer from Lagos state and her mother, Nkechi Rhodes Vivour, is also a lawyer and a bilingual secretary from Abia state. Titilola attended Chrisland primary school in Lagos where she was appointed the library prefect in her final years. Her family would then move out of the country where she would get her secondary education in France and tertiary school education in England. Asked if her passion for service and her drive to fight for abused women comes from the influence of western culture where she lived in her formative years, she smiled and responded “my history tells me women led wars. Women were merchants and they determined commodity prices. So, where did our culture of subservience come from? It is more western and religious.” Adeniyi Vivour has served with three administrations in Lagos State and makes the point that “Lagos has been fortunate to have amazing governors who care about the rights and dignity of women.” According to her, the sad part of her job is when women who suffer domestic violence go into depression after series of abuse but are unwilling to walk out of such abusive relationship. Her core passion and weakness are for children. “I have a weak spot for children; children who suffer violence and abuse. I want to protect them all.”

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Arts At home with Chidi Kwubiri, the master painter

OBINNA EMELIKE 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 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, Goethe-Institut, 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 cre-

ative ingenuity”, he explains. Aside from getting inspiration, his constant visits to Nigeria from his base in Germany is 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. A visit to his studio in Cologne reveals how much he loves space, while the serenading Nigerian music and African-themed 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 self-confessed space freak enjoys doing big formats without any challenge because it enhances his dripping techniques. 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.

Sotheby opens bidding for first-ever online day sales of contemporary, impressionist and modern art

otheby’s, Londonbased international art auction house, has opened bidding on its first-ever Online Day Sales of Contemporary Art and Impressionist & Modern Art. The auctions close on May 14 and 18 May, respectively. Together offering 250+ lots that are estimated to achieve more than $20 million, the sales represent Sotheby’s most ambitious online auctions to-date. With 60+ works estimated

at $100,000 and above, they are poised to accelerate the strong momentum behind Sotheby’s successful online sales program – during a major moment in the traditional global auction calendar. Sotheby’s has raised $70+ million across 40+ online sales to-date in 2020, setting numerous benchmark results across both fine art and luxury goods. The sale offers a strong selection of blue-chip PostWar and Contemporary Art

across a range of price points. Presenting examples by some of the most renowned and sought-after artists of the period, the auction features a rare Brice Marden from his Basel Cathedral Window series, alongside works by Christopher Wool, Willem de Kooning, Keith Haring, Yoshitomo Nara, Richard Prince, KAWS, Damien Hirst and Julie Curtiss. Amy Cappellazzo, chairman of Sotheby’s Fine Art Division, commented:

“Throughout this unprecedented moment, collectors worldwide have enthusiastically participated in our online sales, demonstrating the continued appetite of the global art market. Through these Online Day Sales, we are meeting our clients’ needs by presenting unique opportunities to both buy and sell, during what would traditionally be a major moment in the international auction calendar. We are excited to present digitally the same exceptional

selection of artists and works that the market has come to expect from our Day Sale program.” The Online Day Sales benefit from the debut of our new, immersive digital catalogue experience. The ‘digital-first’ design of these enhanced catalogues emphasizes visual storytelling through video, interactive media, and other rich content formats in a way that moves beyond print media. By presenting the objects featured

in our sales in a wholly modern way, the digital catalogue encourages deeper engagement with each sale across all collecting categories. Also, Sotheby’s live evening and day auctions of Contemporary Art and Impressionist & Modern Art, previously scheduled for May, will be held in New York the week of 29 June, pending the lifting of certain restrictions and confirmation from the relevant authorities that we can proceed.

Sunday 24 May, 2020

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BDSUNDAY 19

Travel

How not to make a slow recovery for airlines more difficult with quarantine measures Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

he International Air Transport Association (IATA) released new analysis showing that the damage to air travel from COVID-19 extends into the medium-term, with long-haul / international travel being the most severely impacted. Quarantine measures on arrival would further damage confidence in air travel. A risk-based layered approach of globally harmonized biosecurity measures is critical for the restart. Air travel scenarios IATA and Tourism Economics modeled two air travel scenarios. Baseline Scenario This is contingent on domestic markets opening in Q3, with a much slower phased opening of international markets. This would limit the air travel recovery, despite most forecasts pointing toward a strong economic rebound late this year and during 2021. In 2021 we expect global passenger demand (measured in revenue passenger kilometers, RPKs) to be 24 percent below 2019 levels and 32 percent lower than IATA’s October 2019 Air Passenger forecast for 2021. As international markets open and economies recover, there will be further growth in air travel from the 2020 low point. But even by 2025 we would expect global RPKs to be 10 percent lower than the previous forecast. Pessimistic Scenario This is based on a slower open-

ing of economies and relaxation of travel restrictions, with lockdowns extending into Q3, possibly due to a second wave of the virus. This would further delay the recovery of air travel. In this case, global RPKs in 2021 could be 34 percent lower than 2019 levels and 41 percent below our previous forecast for 2021. “Major stimulus from governments combined with liquidity injections by central banks will boost the economic recovery once the pandemic is under control. But rebuilding passenger confidence will take longer. And even then, individual and corporate travelers are likely to carefully manage travel spend and stay closer to home,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO said. Whentherecoverybegins,itisex-

pected to be led by domestic travel. An IATA survey of recent air travelers conducted in April 2020 found that 58 percent are somewhat or very likely to restrict their initial travel to domestic journeys. Domestic Revenue Passenger Kilometers (RPKs) will only recover to 2019 levels by 2022. International RPKs are only expected to return to 2019 levels in 2024. “The impacts of the crisis on long-haul travel will be much more severe and of a longer duration than what is expected in domestic markets. This makes globally agreed and implemented biosecurity standards for the travel process all the more critical. We have a small window to avoid the consequences of uncoordinated unilateral measures that marked the post-9.11 period. We must act fast,” de Juniac said.

Avoid quarantine measures IATA strongly urges governments to find alternatives to maintaining or introducing arrival quarantine measures as part of postpandemic travel restrictions. IATA’s April survey of recent air travellers showed that 86 percent of travelers were somewhat or very concerned about being quarantined while traveling, and 69 percent of recent travellers would not consider travelling if it involved a 14-day quarantine period. “Even in the best of circumstances this crisis will cost many jobs and rob the economy of years of aviation-stimulated growth. To protect aviation’s ability to be a catalyst for the economic recovery, we must not make that prognosis worse by making travel impracticable with quarantine measures.

We need a solution for safe travel that addresses two challenges. It must give passengers confidence to travel safely and without undue hassle. And it must give governments confidence that they are protected from importing the virus. Our proposal is for a layering of temporary non-quarantine measures until we have a vaccine, immunity passports or nearly instant COVID-19 testing available at scale,” de Juniac said. IATA’s proposal for a temporary risk-based layered approach to provide governments with the confidence to open their border without quarantining arrivals includes: Preventing travel by those who are symptomatic with temperature screening and other measures and addressing the risks of asymptomatic travelers with governments managing a robust system of health declarations and vigorous contact tracing. The mutual recognition of agreed measures is critical for the resumption of international travel. This is a key deliverable of the COVID-19 Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). “CART has a very big job to do with little time to waste. It must find an agreement among states on the measures needed to control COVID-19 as aviation re-starts. And it must build confidence among governments that borders can be opened to travelers because a layered approach of measures has been properly implemented globally. IATA and the whole industry support this critical work,” de Juniac said.

Medview MD asks FG reel out intervention plans for domestic carriers help sustain safety

he Federal Government has been told to come out early with its intervention plans for the airline subsector in the country in order to sustain the safety, which has been achieved in the industry in the past few years. The government was also advised to invest in Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in a bid to save foreign exchange for airline operators. Muneer Bankole, the managing director, Med-View Airline stated this on Tuesday in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos. Bankole said government’s palliatives for operating airlines was necessary following the negative impact the Covid-19 virus pandemic has had on the country’s aviation industry especially the airline sub-sector. Bankole regretted that aviation industry was the worst hit by the pandemic, which had hammered the global economies and noted that for success to continue to be

recorded in the sector, government needed to give operators palliatives to mitigate the effect of the losses on operations of the airlines. He explained that most operators found it difficult to render welfare obligations to their staff, stressing that most are struggling to ensure regular payment of salaries to their workers. Bankole further called on the government to reopen the airspace for flight operations in the next few weeks, starting with domestic flights. He bemoaned that the grounding of aircraft in almost two months would have led to Airworthiness Directives (ADs) on them, while corrosions would have increased due to lack of use. He said: “When you fly 200 hours, there are certain checks you do, when you increase that to 400 hours, there are certain checks you need to do again. Also, when you don’t fly again, you still need to carry out some checks on your aircraft because corrosion will set

in and some of the pilots’ licenses would have expired by now. “Aviation industry in general demands for a window. You can see the effect the current pandemic has had on aviation industry globally. The virus, which started from China, spread to the world and disrupted activities within a few months. This will not have

Muneer Bankole, the managing director, Med-View Airline

happened if not through the air. The airport environment too has changed, while social distancing directive must be complied with. Safety of the frontline workers is very important. “Aviation needs palliatives to bring life back to it. 90 per cent of workers are at home now. The government should think very critically about the issues of palliatives to the sector. The industry is dying. The sincerity of what we are saying is that the government should see its palliative as a means of life saving lives, fastest means of bringing back economy to live and improve the lives of everybody.” Bankole further advocated for more investments in MRO to safe cost for the operators in the country, just as he urged the government to encourage private maintenance companies in the country like Aero Contractors. He lamented that the recent fall of naira against major currencies especially the dollar would have adverse effect on operators, but

said with the intervention of the government, such effect may be minimised. “In the light of all these, we have been shouting of basic thing like provision of MRO. Local MRO companies like Aero should now be encouraged with a little investment. This will save operators a lot of embarrassment. Instead of carrying out our aircraft to outside the country for maintenance and doing it in dollars, we can easily do such here in Nigeria.” On the 2020 annual hajj exercise to Saudi Arabia, Bankole said Med-View would be willing to participate in the event, but agreed that a lot of work still needed to be done to ensure a safe clime for participants. “It is very important for us to pray and ask for God’s guidance. We should also pray for the Nigerian government. We still have a few weeks to go. Officially, we are to commence hajj operations in Nigeria on June 22, 2020, we still have over a month to go,” he said.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Travel Why Lagos is seeking soft-landing for tourism industry amid pandemic Obinna Emelike

ith the easing of the lockdown and travel restrictions in many countries, governments, corporate organisations and businesses are beginning to discuss recovery and post coronavirus business outlook. Though the number of people who test positive to the virus is rising in Nigeria, government is now battling to curtail the spread, as well as, discuss measures that will aid quick recovery of the economy after the virus is curtailed. Lagos State, which is the commercial hub of the country, is also beginning to engage tourism stakeholders in the state to map out strategies for the recovery of the sector. The engagement with the stakeholdersisbecausethestaterecognized the importance of tourism and has seen its contribution to the economy. In 2018, and for the second year in a row, trends and reports monitored by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture over four weeks in December, especially during Christmas and New Year festivities, captured an estimated spending well above N50 billion in cash transactions, a record slightly higher than that of December 2017, which also recorded a good run in travel, entertainment and leisurerelated spending. Though the ministry did not disclose the record for 2019, it is most likely higher than the 2018 record. Moreover, the prevailing December trends showed an unprecedented footfall influx of more than three million people entering Lagos in December alone, Steve Ayorinde, the then Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, explained. If you sum the earnings from tourism in the state over a year, the revenue is impressive enough to encourage more investments in tourism in the state.

So, tourism has presented itself as the veritable platform for economy diversification in the state going by the huge revenue it earns daily and annually. The impressive earnings and need to save jobs are top among the reasons Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, has been engaging tourism stakeholders in the state to discuss ways to help cushion the impact of lockdown occasioned by coronavirus pandemic. At a recent meeting with executive members of tourism associations in the state, the commissioner promised to inaugurate Covid-19 review committee as a measure to aid the recovery of the industry. The six-man review committee is to draw out suggestions and recommendations on how to reactivate the state tourism industry, which has remained dormant as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world. At the inauguration in her office at Alausa, Lagos, the commissioner explained that the committee would advise the state government on what to do to rejuvenate the state economy, particularly the tourism ecosystem. Members of the committee include; Joke Silva as chairman of the committee, Patrick Donald Lee, Adun Okupe, Oyenike Okundaye, Gbenga Sunmonu and Atunyota Akpobome. According to her, tourism sector is one of the worst hit by the pandemic because on a daily basis, Lagos records new cases and we must not shy away from the fact that Covid-19 is still with us. “Everywhere is shut down. The airline operators are not operating, there is nothing like art exhibitions, ospitality businesses are on hold. So, we want to find a way to sustain our economy and the tourism industry, even with the pandemic and see how best we can continue to improve on the industry”, she said.

Freedom Park Lagos The committee is not for jamboree as the commissioner gave them tough terms of reference and tow weeks to submit their report. The terms of reference for the committee include; conducting a holistic assessment of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the industry and come up with a recommendation on the short and long term palliative with respect to soft loan and grants to assuage the negative impact of the pandemic on the industry. It is also expected to refocus attention towards the development of the domestic tourism as immediate measure to revitalize the industry in thestateandtorecommendotherstrategic measures that will ensure post Covid-19 sustainability of the industry. She also assured the stakeholders that the state is doing the needful to ensure that they get adequate value and support they need to recover fast and thrive once after

the pandemic. Bonu Saanu, special adviser to the Governor on Art and Culture, remarked at the inauguration that the state is looking at how to get back to the business of tourism and that those in the committee have the experience to bear on how to address post Covid-19 era in the state tourism sector. While the review is a huge task, Joke Silva, chairman of the committee, said that the responsibility she was saddled with is a path towards repositioning the creative and tourism industry in the state, stressing that the members appointed to work with her would do the needful to achieve results. “I have been very lucky with the members of the committee, because they are men and women who are very knowledgeable about the industry. Working together, they will be able to give suggestions

on what could be done. The creative industry has been ‘devastatingly’ affected and we will get through it”, she said, while calling for suggestions from the stakeholders on how to move the industry forward. However, the commissioner used the meeting platform to clear air over the lockdown of tourism outfits and activities, saying that the decision of the government to suspend all tourism-related activities, for now, was a painful one but also an indispensable move needed to control the spread of the virus. “As a government, we realised that it is only when your businesses thrive that the economy of the State can be more vibrant which, would in turn, positively affect the IGR of the government. As a result of this, be assured that we would not take decisions that have negative impacts on your existence without due diligence”, she explained.

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

s tourism faces up to the COVID-19 challenge, public health is paramount due to the fundamental people-topeople nature of the sector. A cross-cutting economic activity unlike any other, and an integral part of the Sustainable Development agenda, tourism will play a key role in future recovery efforts, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). Therefore, the UNWTO is calling on governments, international organisations and donor agencies to include tourism as a priority in recovery plans and actions. The World Health Organization continues to advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks. In an update on the sector’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the UNWTO offers a first assessment pointing to a decrease in international arrivals and receipts in 2020. Public health

Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general, UNWTO measures need to be implemented in ways that minimize any unnecessary disruption to travel and trade. Since the start of the outbreak, UNWTO has been working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to

ensure this is the case. As well, the UNWTO has revised its 2020 prospects for international tourist arrivals to a negative growth of 1% to 3%, translating into an estimated loss of US$ 30 to 50 billion in interna-

tional tourism receipts. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, UNWTO predicted a positive growth of 3% to 4% for this year. This first assessment expects that Asia and the Pacific will be the worst affected region, with an anticipated fall in arrivals of 9% to 12%. Estimates for other world regions are currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation; the UNWTO said while underscoring that any estimate must be treated with caution and is likely to be updated. As global economies prepare for recovery, the UNWTO is also calling for financial and political support for recovery measures aimed at tourism, and to include support for the sector in the wider recovery plans and actions of affected economies. The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak will be felt across the whole tourism value chain. Speaking on the rationale for including tourism in the global economy recovery plan, Zurab Pololik, secretary-general, UNWTO, stresses

that small and medium sized enterprises make up around 80% of the tourism sector and are particularly exposed with millions of livelihoods across the world, including within vulnerable communities, relying on tourism. Political and financial commitments are key to ensure that tourism can lead wider economic and social recovery, as proven in past disruptions on the back of the highly resilient nature of the sector and its ability to bounce back strongly. In recent decades, tourism has come of age, and is now firmly established as an important contributor to sustainable development, economic growth, employment and international understanding. As the UN agency responsible for tourism and sustainable development, UNWTO stands ready to provide guidance and support for recovery measures of its members, the private and public tourism sector, including organizers of tourism events and fairs.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Interview Nigeria needs regulation on how to manage its Excess Crude Account - Haske Abdullahi Haske is the founder and chief executive officer of AA&R Investments, an indigenous oil exploration major, credited with finding oil in Bauchi State. He is also involved in marine services, aviation, engineering and agriculture investments. In this exclusive interview with DIPO OLADEHINDE, he addresses a multitude of concerns: lower excess crude account, impact of lower oil price, looming food crisis, slump in the aviation sector and the biggest of them all, how gas will transform Nigeria. Excerpts:

bleak future without petrodollars is something Nigeria has been warned about for years, yet the day of reckoning has caught the government unprepared. Oil prices have fallen below the budget benchmark. What will be your short and long term advice to the government? In all honesty, any person who understands the international oil market trends for the past few years ought to have known that we were heading down this road. Policymakers have not been able to come up with the right policies to curb the situation. Now to answer your question – in the short term the government must apply effective austerity measures and do away with the excessive and unnecessary recurrent expenditures to reduce the impact of the economic downturn which is inevitable, but with public confidence low, accepting any form of austerity will be difficult but then again it’s the only way out. For the long term, the government has no choice but to take the issue of diversifying the economy away from oil very seriously by generating revenue from non-oil related sectors of the economy. While doing that, the government should also work on how to become energy independent, adequate food security by investing in the entire agriculture value chain, and building critical infrastructure. Similarly, boost regional and continental trade agreement by exporting minerals and agricultural products. In essence, the govern ment has to spend more on critical infrastructure but even more importantly is developing and building human capacity, through education and providing an enabling environment for local businesses to thrive. Nigeria’s Excess Crude Account is currently at $71.81million. What went wrong and how can we boost this account to save for the rainy day? It was a result of poor management of the excess crude account and lack of planning by policymakers not thinking of saving for rainy days. Now to boost the account we need regulation on how to manage the account, the National Assembly must pass a regulation on how to manage the account and how it is funded. Because the government just deeps its hand at will into excess crude without any checks and balances. Nigeria is vulnerable to a prolonged period of low oil prices – but some stakeholders have said the country

for crude because there are no government terms or policies on how to invest in gas. After defining the terms of operations the next step is to make it (gas) the centre of every government project, basically to allow the utilisation or use of gas in all projects - power projects, agriculture infrastructure such as fertilizer production, road construction, manufacturing e.t.c. This will boost the economy and provide a means of generating foreign revenue through LNG, LPG etc.

Haske should take the opportunity to deregulate downstream and allow the free market to determine the price of petrol. What’s your take? I t h i n k t h e g ov e r n m e n t should take its hands off the downstream sector to a very large extent and allow market forces to determine the prices. However, they must play the role of consumer protection through quality control to prevent price exploitation by industry players who might take advantage of the free market policy and hike prices of products which the government cannot afford because it will lead to a cyclical ripple effect where you have prices of food, transport and other basic necessities shooting up. Therefore government must play a critical role of ‘big brother’ but should also allow the market to move freely. What can Nigeria do to attract more investment to its idle oil fields scattered around Nigeria? Government needs to provide clear cut policies; for example, today we talk of the Petroleum Industry Bill, but we are not sure what will come out from the bill and when it will eventually be passed. Secondly, the government needs to be transparent concerning taxes and royalties, when is it due, who is paying or who is not paying because now there isn’t transparency with regards to this. We also need to be transparent with regards to knowing our actual daily productions which will go a long way in boosting investor confidence. Most oil-dependent coun-

tries are preparing for life beyond crude oil; some are looking at renewable energy. Where do you see the future for Nigeria? In my opinion, I see the future in gas, as a matter of fact; I strongly believe that Nigeria is more of a gas nation than an oil nation. Gas can 100percent replace oil and its uses for this country from the automotive industry to manufacturing industries to power generation, Petro-chemicals and even fertilizer production. Just look at Qatar that left the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to go and focus on developing its gas sector. You can see that they are doing well as the largest exporter of LNG and it has one of the highest GDP per capita. Nigeria is believed to have more potential in gas than in oil, especially if diversity in global energy consumption is considered. The nation’s gas reserves estimated as the largest on the African continent have been assessed at three times the value of her crude oil reserves. How can we transfer this to economic growth? First, the product and sector must be given a priority by the government by ensuring that they provide a favourable commercial term which clearly spells out terms of engagement to develop the gas sector. This will encourage producers (IOCs) and other investors to go into the sector and develop it. I will give you an example: an International Oil Company working on a field today will come across gas and will not look at it. Instead, they will go to look

Nigeria’s huge gas finds is at an estimated value of $462.5billion which has been left trapped and unproductive for decades, on account of lethargy by a government that is unable to create the policy environment to turn this huge resource into a prosperity dividend for the country and its people. What are your recommendations to the government? The first recommendation as stated earlier is to make it a priority by establishing favourable gas policies for investors and the government, which should serve as a front burner for every government national project. Nigeria struggles to meet its electricity needs despite having the reputation as owner of the ninth-largest proven gas reserves in the world. How can Nigeria solve its power challenges using gas? The major challenge in power today is transmission and distribution. Now we have an installed capacity of over 12,000 megawatts. That notwithstanding we have gas power plants but are idle because they don’t get supply of gas to feed these plants largely due to the lack of infrastructure such as pipelines that will connect to the gas plants. Also, because gas production is mainly in one region of the country (Niger-Delta) how do you get the transmission and distribution to other regions of the country? Therefore, the government needs to open the distribution part of the sector to allow for investments in this area. Government also needs to look for additional gas fields in other regions around the Benue trough and other troughs to allow for development of gas facilities in those areas. The rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the northern parts of the country could trigger scarcity of food in Nigeria, what proactive measures can the government take to mitigate the severity of a looming food crisis? The first and most important is to ensure they try as much

possible to contain the spread of the disease. The second is to ensure they give support to the health care sector and those in the frontline by providing the necessary resources to fight the pandemic. The third is to support the producers (farmers) to increase their production through technical and financial support. This is also the time for the government to invest in other value chains of food production such as storage systems to minimise wastage and effective transportation or distribution channels. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released an updated analysis showing that the COVID-19 crisis will see airline passenger revenues drop by $314 billion in 2020, a 55 percent decline compared to 2019. What can the government do to save the aviation sector from total collapse? This pandemic is a global crisis, and if it persists, the aviation sector will remain aground. The only thing that can be done is to wait and see the end of the pandemic and how they will pick up from there. To this end, the government should consider waiving taxes, removing some charges on them and because most airlines are financially exposed and highly geared. Also, the government should look at how they can help restructure their debt services because it a big sector which is critical to the economy not just because it connects people and businesses but it employs thousands of people who are at risk of losing their jobs should the industry collapse. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in the last 10 years as a businessman? You know we live in a very tough and challenging business environment, that will test your ability to endure these challenges and honestly, I was ready for anything challenge that would come my way because it is hard establishing a business especially in the oil and gas sector but even much harder is sustaining the business. So for me, the biggest challenge was convincing business partners and my employees to share in my vision and believe in it. Most people think we are being too ambitious and never believed that we would achieve what we have today, but I knew that if I kept trying and knocking, one the day the doors will open. You see, you get turned down or fail a million times in this business, but the one million and one times might be the turning point.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

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Interview

Why Covid-19 will not continue its onslaught, by Varsity don Sebastine Uremadu, a professor of Banking and Finance, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, in this chance interview with UDOKA AGWU in Umuahia spoke on the coronavirus and expressed the optimism that the pandemic would soon be contained. Excerpts:

hat in your opinion is the likely cause of COVID-19 pandemic and do you envisage any solution in sight? You see China, where this pandemic is originated is an ungodly country, hence they have been easily disposed to allow themselves to be used to cause emergence of this deadly COVID-19, just as Satan stood up to provoke King David to number Israel in the ancient world and thereby sparked the wrath of God that led to an outbreak of a pestilence, plague or pandemic which killed 70,000 men in one day before God halted it by instructing the angel of death to stay the plague, when David became remorseful and fell before God for deliverance, according. In the current case it is only God that would stop its spread and for sure, it has to be stopped soon because it is unacceptable to God and man in the sense that it has attempted to alter the course of nature like social distancing whereby children of God cannot again congregate to praise and worship the Almighty God. G o d s m e l l s a n d eat s t h e aroma or incense of men’s or saint’s praises to Him, this very important thing to God, the devil has ended up stopping for many months now, throughout the world since the lockdown practice began in Wuhan, China

intervene in this situation and I have made prayers of faith and decreed a stop to its spread and it must gradually stop or halt because God will definitely answer us. I am very optimistic about it.

Jason Pau

Uremadu

in December, 2019, where the pandemic originated to spread to other nations of the world. God can never be happy as His creatures, mankind cannot now move freely to worship Him in a congregational manner,

hence God will definitely hear our prayers to Him to stop this mess! It cannot just continue indefinitely, it will soon stop as we, children of God all over the world have been offering prayers and fasting for God to

How pained are you over the pandemic? Many things have gone wrong in our lives and economies of nations including Nigeria and United States, so God will hearken and answer prayers of men and women on earth and halt this plague; and recover economies of nations. You see, academic calendar of our children have been disrupted by this lockdown and businesses and government work have been stopped. We cannot continue like this. No church or jumat worship or gathering, no schools at all levels, no work both at governmental and private sector levels and you use social distancing in relationships among men. For how long! It is abnormal to nature or God and it cannot continue. Both God and man abhors this kind of orientation, therefore God must hear us and stop it because there is a serious need for Him to do so and that is the reason I am not wavering or shaking in my faith that God will or has answered our prayers and very soon its spread will stop and social life among people will normalise in the course of time. You see that when the fig

tree was cursed by our Lord Jesus Christ as contained in Mathew 21:17-22, its leaves remained shinning and waving to the winds and sunshine throughout the day as if it has not died. But on the following day, His disciples discovered that it had withered, hence its life has been spiritually cursed or destroyed and not long it was evident that it was so, to the glory of God. In the same manner, I therefore, bind COVID-19 pandemic and curse its roots to die in Jesus name, amen. Let God prove Himself to be God once more so that citizens of the whole earth shall bow to shout The Lord He is God! as Israel did at Mount Carmel when He answered by fire to consume prophet Elijah’s offering in order to prove the true God against Baal as it is written in 2 Kings 18:36-39. My Lord, my God will also cause that the vaccines to treat and cure this coronavirus disease be discovered and be clinically tested soon. Prayers will continue to rise to heaven until everything is restored to normal and UN through WHO and America have to prevail in China to tell the whole world how and what caused or originated COVID-19. For by so doing, the anger of God will be assuaged and then hasten a total and final halt to its spread. There is hope for man, God will answer and deliver us soon from COVID-19 in Jesus name amen.

Analysts fear ‘arbitrage forex regime’ as FG lingers on pricing template for ‘no subsidy regime’ HARRISON EDEH, Abuja

nalysts in Nigeria ‘s oil and gas sector have expressed fears that without proper template from the Petroleum products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA in the ‘no more subsidy regime’, Nigeria may be heading to an arbitrage forex regime which could see the nation return to the ugly period of fuel cues across the country. This concern is further worsened by the lingering delays in the discussion between the PPPRA and the Central Bank of Nigeria, which is meant to have create a forex window for major oil marketers as the regulatory agency has lifted ban for their importation of the fuel. Analysts say without a proper template that shows the landing costs, and the FX rate for the

importers, the federal government may shoot itself in the leg through an arbitrage forex regime that could create chaos in the market without uniform pricing template. “As it stands now, the government should have left everyone to see the template they have if truly they have deregulated,” Henry Ademola Adigun, an oil sector governance expert told BDSUNDAY. “The lead questions for the government is what is the landing cost for petrol, kerosene if truly they have deregulated .The deregulation should ensure marketers get their forex from the market. Is it N360 to dollar in the template or N425. “These are issues the government needs to clear for the marketers to really move in properly not just the PPPRA saying we have cleared the marketers to

import he said. Adeola Adenikinju, a professor of Energy Economics at the University of Ibadan told BDSUNDAY that the government needs to go on full deregulation of the downstream sector and the liberalisation of the downstream petroleum sector. “Deregulation means you reduce government involvement and allow market to allocate resources. In this case NNPC would have to compete with others on a same level ground. In this case, there should be no preferential treatment that might create opportunistic arbitrage that possibly hijacks the market,” he notes. “Government should not subsidise foreign exchange for domestic consumption of petroleum and let the market be fully deregulated he emphasised. “What I said is that it is im-

portant for the government to implement full deregulation of the sector and we need to put the infra structural and institutional framework that would ensure that the downstream sector is deregulated and liberalised and removed unnecessary barrier in the sector. “When it is liberalised you don’t need to issue licences to people, you just need to ensure quality control of what comes in into the sector. Billy Gilis-Harry, president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria told BDSUNDAY that the owners of all the retail outlets in the country which constitute the last mile of the supply chain in the downstream sector won’t allow any possible hijack of the sector. He noted that the association is in full support of the deregula-

tion of the downstream sector, noting also that as a stabilising factor in the downstream sector, they won’t allow any possible hijack of the sector. It would be noted that major oil marketers have harped on the need for the federal government to back downstream deregulation with law, expressing concern that without requisite legislation to back the policy, the sector cannot be said to be fully deregulated. The government had said it had deregulated the petroleum downstream sector, since March to allow oil markets resume importation, analysts are however worried that without a template that oil marketers could key in, there could be possibility of arbitrage forex regime which could possibly favour select few and lay foundation for possible sector hijack and chaos.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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Interview ‘Constitutional timelines for hearing, delivery of judgment in election petitions should vary’ Sebastine Hon, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and private legal practitioner, in this interview with BENJAMIN AGESAN in Makurdi, Benue State, speaks on the impact of Covid-19 on the dispensation of justice in the country, among other issues. Excerpts:

ith rising infection rate of Co v id-19 an d fatalities across the states, what is the impact of the plague on the dispensation of justice? Well, the National Judicial Council has just released rules regulating hearing of causes and matters during this period. That is the best the Council can do under the circumstances; because the virtual hearing ordered by some states and some courts was not effective enough. Loss of network during such hearings, interruption of calls and a whole gamut of other challenges could not permit that effort to take root. The rules rolled out by the NJC seem much more realistic; but I can assure you that things shall not be that easy. If medical personnel treating Covid-19 patients are being easily infected, then I wonder what Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) any person concerned with the dispensation of justice – the Judges, lawyers, court officials, etc – will put on to ward off the deadly virus. We, honestly, have a marauding and menacing enemy on the prowl. No one wants to take avoidable risks. To directly answer your question, everyone knows that all aspects of our community and national life have been adversely affected by the outbreak of the virus, and the legal profession cannot be an exception. Justice delivery has suffered remarkably as a result of the scourge – in terms of delay, defeat of some causes that ought to have been determined within specified times, loss of revenue for the government, dilapidation of structures and other challenges that cannot be easily explained. It will take not less than 5 years or even more – depending on how prolonged the virus stays with us – for the administration of justice to get retooled and to take back its pride of place as the general ombudsman for the common man. What will happen to cases that are time bound? Here again, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice I.T. Muhammad, the Acting President of the Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Hon. Justice John Tsoho, and other heads of courts commendably took proactive steps to save timebound matters. Through these judicial leaders, pre-election and other time-bound matters were and continue to be disposed of. I must also commend the judicial officers who risked their lives and

Felix Sebastine Hon

conducted proceedings during this very difficult time. Such sacrificial conduct must be commended by all and sundry. I personally hail them, including the court staff that worked and continue to work during court sittings. The lawyers who participated in the proceedings are also not left out; they are all heroes of our time. Apart from election-related matters, there are other suits that are subject to time limitation. Indeed, all matters, apart from criminal matters, suffer from time limitation. Such matters, in my humble opinion, cannot suffer effluxion of time; because the circumstances and consequences of the plague have created what we call force majeure or uncontrollable circumstances. In law, force majeure exterminates or at least suspends all legal obligations, hence during the lockdown occasioned by Covid-19, time ought to, and must, stop running. Time will not, therefore, continue to run during this time, hence time limitation will not affect causes of action. The recent judgments of the Supreme Court in Imo and Bayelsa generated so much fuss, leading to variegated legal opinions from senior members of the Bar.

Could that be due to lapses in our electoral laws or what; and if yes, what aspects of our electoral acts should be amended to improve on Nigeria’s electoral processes? In spite of the hoopla that followed those two judgments, I would not want to offer any deep comment thereon. The Supreme Court has spoken; and it is not in the best tradition of our professional calling to criticise them openly, even if one disagrees with the learned Justices. I don’t even have any reason to criticise those judgments, because I have not taken time to read them. Even if I have such adverse opinions to make, the best channels are either through academic journals or text books – as I always do – or by personal memos written to the Justices, urging them to do a rethink in their subsequent judgments. With respect to the second segment of your question, I will readily say that there is no electoral system that is one hundred percent full proof. In particular, our electoral laws, albeit amended severally, need further panel-beating. The starting point, of course, is our Constitution itself. In my opinion, the Constitution should be amended to ensure that retired Justices and Judges of our courts are recalled to

head Election Tribunals. I have made this position in several interviews over the years. The reason is plain enough: such retired Justices and Judges are, presumably, old enough and fairly more independent than sitting Judges and Justices, hence will deliver more even-handed justice. This is by no means running down the Judiciary; but it is an honest suggestion aimed at improving on the system. Secondly, the Constitution should further be amended in such a way that presidential, governorship and legislative election petitions will be determined within different time frames. The current situation whereby all petitions are by force of law to be concluded within 180 days spews injustice to many petitioners whose areas of coverage are very wide. For instance, a State Constituency is far smaller than the whole of Nigeria in all ramifications, particularly when it comes to proving electoral malfeasances. How and why would a petitioner in a State Constituency election petition, who has a far smaller area of complaint, enjoy the luxury of having his petition determined within 180 days, the same number of days a petitioner in a governorship or presidential petition has? Similar concerns arise with respect to the 14 days allocated to all manners of petitioners to prove their petitions. How would, for instance, a petitioner in a presidential election be able to call thousands of witnesses within just 14 days – when the Justices do manual recording of proceedings? The other aspect that needs to be amended is the area of tendering documentary evidence. The rule now is that only makers of such documents should tender them. The same difficulty of one calling thousands of makers of such INEC and other documents is faced by litigants in election petitions. I hereby strongly suggest that either the Evidence Act, 2011 or the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended should be amended to enable petitioners or witnesses called by them tender certified INEC documents in evidence during hearings, to be able to secure sound electoral justice. After all, the Evidence Act provides that there is a presumption of regularity and genuineness in favour of certified public documents. In any case, INEC is always made a party to all such election petitions, making it extremely impossible for any petitioner to smuggle unknown results or other INEC documents into the proceedings. Finally, the Electoral Act should be amended to specifically provide for use of the Smart Card Reader for

accreditation. This will eliminate fraud at the all-important accreditation stage, thereby ensuring a more credible electoral process in our dear country. You successfully defended the election of His Excellency Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, in the law courts for two consecutive times. What would you say is the biggest challenge in handling election petitions? I have analysed some of the challenges above. The biggest challenge is the time frame for presenting the parties’ cases at the Tribunal and before the appellate courts. For the avoidance of any doubt, I have handled similar petitions in several states like Akwa Ibom, Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa, Katsina, Taraba, Plateau, Ogun, Yobe. I have also handled the Presidential election petition; and I must tell you that time is the biggest challenge. In some of the sittings, we close around 2am and have to reconvene 9am for another round of straight sitting. That is why I am suggesting that the constitutional timelines for hearing and delivery of judgment in election petitions should not be the same for all elections. For instance, the Presidential should have 240 days; the Governorship 200 days; the National Assembly 180 days and State Assembly 150 days. Also, the timelines for presentation and defence of petitions should be extended; for it is unrealistic for a petitioner to call hundreds or thousands of witnesses within 14 days. It is also unrealistic for a sitting elected and inaugurated person to defend his mandate within 10 days. You are a celebrated author, whose law textbooks are read widely within and outside Nigeria. You still practise law at the highest level. How do you combine the two? As a Christian, I always announce that the Holy Spirit of the Sovereign God of the universe is my Source. As it is written in the Holy Bible, the joy of the Lord is my strength. All glory and honour to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I say no more. Finally, do you have any advice to younger lawyers? Yes, first of all, I strongly charge them to be God-fearing. Then, they should be hardworking, honest and focused. You cannot be dishonest and expect good success. You cannot be lazy or unfocused on what you are doing and expect good success. Above all, you cannot leave God by the side and expect to have a smooth sail in life.

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Sunday 24 May, 2020

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BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

Nigeria: Is doublespeak diplomacy? Of recent, there have been incongruous statements from high ranking government officials that are capable of affecting Nigeria’s reputation index globally. One of them was the recent denial of the knowledge by some government officials of the whereabouts of Chinese medical team that came into Nigeria last month. Daniel Obi looks at the negative implications of such statements on brand Nigeria.

igeria appears to be a theatre of s o r t s . Th e citizens and foreigners often watch on the stage with jumbled feelings. Some of the actors sometimes really don’t care about the global reputation of the stage on which they are playing. In a non-fictional, responsible and serious world, some of the actions and inactions of the actors are taken seriously and they are held accountable by the government and the people, especially in a democratic setting. But in Nigeria, like acting podium, disreputable and seedy actions, statements of the actors are either glossed over or the authorities take it as common with the country. During elections in Nigeria, delightfully-packaged promises are made by political actors and when elected, they are hardly held accountable for their un-fulfilled promises. They come back again and are either voted for or rigged themselves into positions. Questions are not asked. Top actors on the stage sometimes dish out claims on non-existent projects executed to create positive tractions to their offices with understanding that many Nigerians are docile who will not ask questions. The enlightened Nigerians will be shouted down when they dare ask questions. All this can only happen in a country with high illiteracy level of about 40percent where thoughtless and imprudent statements that impact on the reputation of the country are dished out without regard for the people and domestic and international image of the country.

Two occurrences of similar magnitude happened recently. One was the denial by Lagos State government on the whereabouts of the late Abba Kyari in Lagos. The Federal Government had insisted that Kyari died in a Lagos hospital. This was confusing to Nigerians and the international community. The second occurrence was the denial by Minister of Health on the whereabouts of 15 Chinese medical personnel. Recently, the media reported that Nigerian government through the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire said it does not know the whereabouts of the 15 Chinese doctors and technicians who came into the country to offer assistance to Nigeria in the fight against the coronavirus. The Nigerian media was however, quick to describe the statement as “shocking”. Ehanire was said to be speaking at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the containment of the Covid -19 in Abuja one month after the arrival of the Chinese medical team. When asked specifically the whereabouts of the Chinese medical team at the daily briefing, Ehanire said: “I want to explain first of all

that I think not all of them were doctors and I heard that some of them are technicians, but they are staff of CCECC, the Ministry of health is not their host, so we can’t always explain what happened to them or where they are”. Such statement of denial by high ranking government official of the whereabouts of the Chinese visitors in Nigeria has lots of international implications on Nigeria’s reputation. It was perhaps said innocently without thinking through its weight but such denial must have immediately caused apprehensions in China. It may not be totally correct for any government official to say that the Chinese who obtained Nigerian visas to enter the country were not the guests of Nigerian government even though they entered at the instance of a private company. The minister was reportedly saying that “There seems to be a lot of interests in these doctors but they are the staff of a company and I think they are on the company visa. So I will be very happy if you don’t ask me about where they are because they are not really our guests in that

sense”. It would have been diplomatically significant if the Minister had responded that he would come back with the details on the 15 Chinese medical team members instead of saying that the medical personnel “are not guests of the

Managing Nigeria’s affairs requires faithfulness, honesty and truth. Nigerians and nonNigerians must be treated with dignity and high regard when statements are to be dished out by actors in the nation’s theatre

Federal Government but CCECC, a construction company”. However, it was cheering that government through the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola corrected itself, when he said recently at the daily press briefing of the Presidential Task Force that the Chinese medical experts though came on the bill of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) said they were still in the country due to the restriction on travel by the government to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. The arrival of the Chinese doctors and technicians had at the time generated controversy. Some Nigerians, including members and leadership of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA)) had kicked against the decision to bring them on the excuse that the country has enough doctors and nurses who are able to tackle the pandemic. But the Federal Government had maintained that their presence in the country was to help in the Covid-19 fight and their assistance is welcomed. It was also reported that the 15-member Chinese medical team made up of doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on April 8, 2020, with medical equipment worth about $1.5 million, and went in for two week quarantine period according to Covid-19 protocols. On Abba Kyari issue, Lagos State had earlier denied the whereabouts of the former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari in Lagos. This was at the peak of rumours that

Kyari was flown abroad for treatment when international flights were banned. The State Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi had said he did not know his whereabouts in the state. Addressing reporters in Lagos in April, the commissioner was quoted as saying: “I’m not aware of the Chief of Staff’s itinerary.” When the CoS died on April 17, 2020 of complications from Covid-19, Lagos State confirmed that the demise actually took place at First Cardiology Consultants in Ikoyi. The question is why deny his whereabouts and later accept that he died in Lagos? “Mallam Abba Kyari died from complications of Coronavirus infection at First Cardiology Consultants in Lagos,” the state government said. Sincerely, managing Nigeria’s affairs requires faithfulness, honesty and truth. Nigerians and nonNigerians must be treated with dignity and high regard when statements are to be dished out by actors in the nation’s theatre. When a state government denies knowledge of whereabouts of a top-ranking government official in the state and later accepts that he died in the state or when government denies knowledge of whereabouts of foreigners in the country, it gives impression of theatrical performance. And this is not symbol of a serious nation. Building reputation capital of Nigeria is not only by running campaigns in media houses, it includes actions and inactions of everybody but largely government officials through their statements and actions. The earlier they knew this the better for Nigeria.

Sunday 24 May, 2020

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BDSUNDAY 25

SundayBusiness Food security: Organic farming to the rescue Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

s Nigeria strives for food security with the multiplicity of challenges including poor funding , low mechanisation level, lack of involvement of the stakeholders in policy formulations and the unwillingness of banks to offer long-term loans, especially to rural farmers, organic farming is seen as significant means of increasing food production. It provides people with healthier food choices. It is considered a sustainable agricultural practice since it does not use harmful pesticides that deplete the nutritional value of foods and have deleterious effects on the environment. One of the persisting challenges however, is that many Nigerian farmers are not familiar with

organic farming methods. Most still grow fruits and vegetables with the use of chemical fertilizers and still apply pesticide that may be harmful to the consumers. According to agric experts commercially produced foods, especially those treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides that leave our foods with toxins which could lead to life-threatening diseases. The Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. government claims that some of the most common pesticides and fertilizers have been linked to cancer and other diseases. In fact, 60per cent of all herbicides, 90 per cent of fungicides, and 30 per cent of insecticides are considered carcinogenic. From the environmental perspective, those pesticides and chemicals find their way into our drinking water and deplete the land of nutrients. In addition, the fruits and vegetables grown through organic farming can be carried domestically with virtually all family members taking part. This inadvertently imbibes the culture of healthy farming and eating methods.. In addition, it is economically wise since the amount of money spent on fuel to get the produce from the farmlands to the home is drastically minimized. When also considered from the organoleptic platform such foods are fresher, more appealing and have better tastes. On the nutritional content, The Journal of American Nutrition says studies

have shown that organic foods have between 10 to 250 times the nutritional value compared to the non-organic varieties. Even though the size of fruits may be smaller for organic fruits, it was discovered in 2001 that the nutritional content of such fruits grown in the US had 30 per cent more nutrients especially vitamin C than the non-organic types. According to Oluwatomi Olatoye of the Tribune, many approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. It prevents any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us. The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources. This type of agric practice agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas. The farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimising agriculture’s impact on the environment. Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way. Don’t forget, the

best way to get fresh, organic fruits and vegetables is by growing them in your own garden. The Indian Experience Globally, India is recognised as one of the leading lights in organic farming. According to Nishika Patel, budding interest in organic food offers farmers soaring incomes and higher yields, but critics say it’s not the answer to India’s fast-rising food demands India’s struggling farmers are starting to profit from a budding interest in organic living. Not only are the incomes of organic farmers soaring – by 30% to 200%, according to organic experts – but their yields are rising as the pesticide-poisoned land is repaired through natural farming methods. Organic farming only took off in the country about seven years ago. Farmers are turning back to traditional farming methods for a number of reasons.First, there’s a 10% to 20% premium to be earned by selling organic products abroad and in India’s increasingly affluent cities, a move towards healthy living and growing concern over toxic foods and adulteration plaguing the food market. Second, the cost of pesticides and fertilisers has shot up and the loans farmers need to buy expensive, modified seed varieties are pushing many into a spiral of debt. Crippling debt and the burden of loans are trriggering farmer suicides across the country, particularly in the Vidarabha region of Maharashtra. Organic farming slashes cultivation and input costs

by up to 70% due to the use of cheaper, natural products like manure instead of chemicals and fertilisers. Third, farmers are suffering from the damaging effects of India’s green revolution, which ushered in the rampant use of pesticides and fertilisers from the 1960s to ensure bumper yields and curb famine and food shortages. Over the decades, the chemicals have taken a toll on the land and yields are plunging. “Western, modern farming has spoiled agriculture in the country. An overuse of chemicals has made land acidic and hard, which means it needs even more water to produce, which is costly,” says Narendra Singh of Organic India. “Chemicals have killed the biggest civilisation in agriculture – earthworms, which produce the best soil for growth.” Umesh Vishwanath Chaudhari, 35, a farmer in the Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, switched to organic farming seven years ago after experiencing diminishing yields from his 8-hectare (20-acre) plot. He came across a book on organic farming techniques using ancient Vedic science. Additional Information from Poverty Matters Blog with support from Bill and Belinda Gates Foundation

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

How is Nigeria positioned for the negative economic impact of COVID-19? Olusola Bello

oracountrylikeNigeriathat is heavily dependent on crude oil for her economy to run. The gains in the price of crude oil could be a huge benefit as it would increase her foreign reserve earnings. But the negative economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in Nigeria and other African countries, remains a big challenge. The slowdown in the global economy and lockdown in most countries as a result of COVID-19 has also taken its toll on the global demand for oil. The current rise in the prices of crude oil is because the inventories are going down in some key industrialised countries like the United States of America and China just as the lockdown in most countries are being eased so that the transportation and industrial sectors that are heavy users of crude oil in those economies can begin to be active again. Also crude oil production cuts by OPEC+ members that is seeing to the gradual withdrawal of almost 20 million barrels of crude out of the market, this coupled with an end to the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia with America’s acceptance to also make some cuts, all of these have contributed in no small measure to the positive signals being witnessed as regards the

prices of crude oil. Refinery runs rose by 229,000 barrels per day, the API said, indicating plants are trying to produce more fuel as the United States eases its lockdowns. “Oil markets have worried about high crude inventories but this week the WTI June contract expired and rolled over to July smoothly as concerns over crude stocks ease and demand has improved in the short-term,” said Kim Kwang-rae, commodity analyst at Samsung Securities in Seoul. A good price for crude oil is what Nigeria needs so badly to get revenue to run her economy. Brent crude futures for July delivery were up 10 cents, or 0.3percent, at $34.75 per barrel at 0626 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate

(WTI) crude futures for July were down 2 cents at $31.94 a barrel after closing up 1percent in the previous session. The June contract expired on Tuesday at $32.50 a barrel, up 2.1percent, as the WTI futures market avoided the chaos of last month’s May expiry, when prices sank below zero. Oil prices have mainly risen during the past three weeks, with both benchmarks climbing above $30 for the first time in more than a month on Monday. But the lingering concerns about the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, especially in Nigeria and other African countries remains a big challenge. Sector-specific implications and impacts could vary. For example, the impacts on the aviation and

tourism sectors are a result of the implications of the pandemic on global travel. As discretionary spending by consumers continues to decline, cruise companies, hotels, and hospitality are facing declining demand and patronage. Also, the pandemic is placing up to 8 million jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector at risk, with travel crashes and cancellations expected to continue. The emergence of COVID-19 and its increasing incidence in Nigeria has called for drastic review and changes in the earlier revenue expectations and fiscal projections. Compared to events that led to recession in 2016, the current state of the global economy poses more difficulties ahead as the oil price is currently fluctuates between US34-$30. Unfortunately, the nation has grossly underachieved in setting aside sufficient buffers for rainy days such as it faces in the coming days. In addressing these daunting economic challenges, the government has decided to revise the budget downward and pegged its budgetary benchmark at $20 per barrel. The economic and growth recovery programme which has the aim of increasing social inclusion by creating jobs and providing support for the poorest and most vulnerable members of society through investments in social programmes and providing social amenities will no doubt suffer some setbacks. Besides, the downward review of the budget and contractions in public

spending would be devastating on poverty and unemployment. The last unemployment report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) ranked Nigeria 21st among 181 countries with an unemployment rate of about 23.1%. The country has also been rated as the poverty capital of the world with an estimated 87 million people living on less than $2 a day threshold. The U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres warned last Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic threatens Africa’s progress and could push millions into extreme poverty. He also stated that to help address the devastating economic and social consequences of the pandemic, Africa needs more than $200 billion and an acrossthe-board debt standstill for African countries unable to service their debt, followed by targeted debt relief and a comprehensive approach to structural issues in the international debt architecture to prevent defaults. Guterres further said that in recent years, economic growth in Africa has been strong, the digital revolution has taken hold and agreement has been reached on a free trade area. The U.N. chief said in a video message launching a policy report on “The Impact of COVID-19 in Africa” that countries on the continent have responded swiftly to the crisis, and as of now reported cases are lower than feared with more than 2,500 deaths.

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Sunday 24 May, 2020

SundayBusiness Providing roadmap for housing finance in coronavirus era

t a time when the entire world is contending with health challenge with terrible economic impact on individuals, households and organizations, very little consideration is given to housing, especially housing finance and/or mortgage. With the lockdown and restriction of movement, economic activities, including construction, were put on hold, leading to a significant contraction and loss of income. Only recently, the minister of finance, budget and economic planning, Zainab Ahmed, expressed fear of Nigeria relapsing into recession,once again. That, from the nation’s micro and macroeconomic outlook, especially rising inflation, seems inevitable. It was against this backdrop that leading housing financing institutions in the country, who spoke at an online conference hosted by Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) in Abuja, were agreed on providing a clear roadmap for housing finance in the country during and post-Covid-19 era. These institutions were Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN); Family Home Funds (FHF); Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC); and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Mortgage Bankers Association of Nigeria (MBAN) which is an

umbrella association of mortgage banks in the country. These institutions, which were represented by their chief executives and president respectively, were of the view that rejuvenating housing construction activities would help in creating jobs, generating income, opening up businesses, and promoting economic growth and development. “The CBN is working on mortgage interest drawback programme to reduce interest rate to single digit for mortgages not exceeding N5million apart from other interventions,” revealed Ade Adesemoye, a Deputy Director at CBN, who also doubles as Director at FMBN. The apex bank has made interventions in the Nigerian housing sector, especially the launching of the Mortgage Guarantee programme which seeks to improve mortgage access by low income earners through a third party that serves as a guarantor to the mortgagor. Adesemoye affirmed that CBN was committed to creating an intervention fund for three critical areas of the housing sector, including the provision of construction finance for developers that can provide evidence of profiled off-takers with ability to repay. Others are the provision of mortgage finance to avail funding for mortgage originator; and working

with state land administration agencies to process and issue titles promptly. The bank also plans to implement friendly foreclosure laws and reduce cost of land documentation. “Considering the whole housing sector in itself, there is a lot of developmental approaches in terms of job creation, skill development and home ownership,” the deputy director noted. Determined to implement its mandate of producing 500,000 houses and creating 1.5 million jobs by 2023, Femi Adewole, Managing Director of FHF, said the Fund’s Rental Housing initiative was designed to enable people on the bottom of the housing ladder to enter a home of their choice and in the location of their choice with very minimal capital commitment. FHF has some innovative products that are also meant to ease access to homeownership. One of such products, Adewole revealed, is the Help-to-Own and installment payment plans. To realize full potential of these products, Adewole said the Fund has been working with agencies like the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and other major manufacturers of building materials like cement to look at what they could do to ensure that by 2021, at least, 35 percent of building inputs are locally manufactured.

FirstBank restrategises, reinforces business activities ahead of pandemic Obinna Emelike

s part of efforts at restrategising ahead of the novel coronavirus pandemic, as well as, to reinforce its business activities in line with the realities of the time, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial inclusion services provider, held virtual corporate customers’ webinar. The webinar, which held on May 21, 2020 via Zoom Meetings on the theme; ‘Navigating the Financial Impact of COVID 19 – Business Leaders’ Role in Finding a New Normal’, witnessed Adesola Adeduntan,CEO,FirstBank,leading other discussants to deliberate on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Nigeria financial sector. Explaining the rationale for the event, the bank noted that the virtual event was organised to deliberate ways through which corporate organisations can stay ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, while reinforcing their business activities with a view to sustaining their continued contribution to the national economy.

In his remarks at the event, Adeduntan, the bank’s chief executive officer, noted that the bank is looking beyond the challenges of Covid-19 to taking full advantage of the opportunities from the d i sru p t i o n s c a u s e d by t h e pandemic on the economy. While the pandemic has put significant pressure on revenue and profits of commercial banks, amid more stringent interest rates, higher foreign exchange funding cost and concerns on level of foreign reserves, Adeduntan assured that the bank would continue to leverage on the changes to reduce cost of doing business. One of the efforts at reducing cost, according to him, is strengthening the bank’s digital channels to grow from 80 percent transactions on alternative channels to 90 percent soon. “Most of the global economies have experienced several weeks of lockdowns, the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 pandemic is being felt globally in various ways. The financial sector is one of the sectors that was hard hit since the unsettlingly rapid global spread of COVID-19 sent financial markets

to tail spin”, the CEO said. Also speaking at the webinar on the topic, ‘Tax Advisory: Market Disruptions,’ Wole Obayomi, partner, KPMG, advised corporates to ensure payment of tax as and when due, to reduce tax bills in form of penalties. He said that corporates could engage tax authorities for payment extension if they foresee late payment due to the global pandemic. He also called on the Federal Government to suspend the new Value Added Tax increase to 7.5 percent till 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic. On his part, Ini Ebong, group executive, Treasury & Financial Institutions, FirstBank, said that at the wake of the pandemic, the foreign exchange market was under immense pressure due to exit of portfolio investors, hence the demand for dollars was heightened due to collapse of oil price and coronavirus pandemic. While the steps taken so far by the the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support the economy, according to him, would bring back liquidity, he assured that if there is a conducive environment, portfolio managers would still come back to our market.

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

This, he said, would not only support the economy but significantly create jobs and ensure that FHF delivers homes at significantly lower prices than it’s currently doing. “What we need now, going forward, is bold leadership which creates outcomes and bold results which in turn change lives. “Post-Coronavirus, we need to be doing a lot of changing of lives of the most vulnerable Nigerians and that requires bold leadership,” he assured. To deliver on housing in a complex society like Nigeria, collaborative efforts are needed which explains why FMBN is collaborating with other institutions like the NMRC and FHF on many areas of advocacy, for the adoption of Model Mortgage Foreclosure Law by states. Ahmed Dangiwa, FMBN’s managing director, said they were willing to provide NHF mortgages for houses delivered by FHF. “We are collaborating on real estate data collection management programme,” he said. Dangiwa disclosed that beneficiaries of the FMBN Home

Renovation Loans had increased from 2,579 in 2017 to over 25,000 by 2020, adding, “we as a bank, within the past three years, have increased the number of loan beneficiaries by over 300 percent from about 20,000 we met to over 66,600.” On its part, MBAN has also been working with the FMBN on Rent-to-Own, and the FHF on Rent-to-Buy. The Association’s president, Adeniyi Akinlusi, said they have also been working with other stakeholders in order to take care of people that are vulnerable or homeless. “If housing access is there, and access to affordable mortgages is also there, it will stimulate supply. If you have the right stimulation for the demand side, you realize that developers will develop houses that are affordable,” Akinlusi said. He said it was through the involvement of the association with CBN and NMRC that they linked the capital market with the mortgage sector, “which is a more sustainable source of funding for mortgaging.”

Sterling Bank launches OneBank App

terling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading digital bank has launched a new, unique but simple banking application that can be used for all banking and payment transactions by its customers. Chief Digital Officer of the bank, Olayinka Oni has said the new app is an affirmation of the bank’s position as the most innovative bank in Nigeria, adding that the app is also in line with the bank’s forward looking, customer-centric and excellenceoriented brand personality. Oni said the application has almost everything customers might want to get about 10 different applications for, noting that with OneBank, everything the customer wants and needs is placed on his or her palm. He noted that the application is an omnichannel solution that the bank had designed to serve its teeming customers better. According to him, the app offers easy banking and a wide range of convenient financial services. Some of the unique features of the OneBank App include selfregistration/onboarding, instant account opening, domestic and foreign transfers, credit card requests, virtual card application and use and cash pick up – withdraw money from ATM in branch without card. Others are airtime and immediate data top-up, bills payment for water, power, Pay TV, and member-

ship subscription of professional associations, among others. The new app is the single access point for all Sterling’s digital solutions. The bank’s digital chief noted that the OneBank app “allows customers to open savings and current accounts as well as apply for loans and open and maintain an investment asset.” He said OneBank was designed to promote a new lifestyle never seen before in the Nigerian banking space. The CDO added that the new app is an innovative approach to the business of finance that distinguishes between old ways of banking and convenience and seamless banking which Sterling Bank represents as an ever-evolving financial service provider. Sterling Bank recently won the Innovative Bank of the Year Award at the fourth edition of the Electronic Payment Incentive Scheme (EPIS) Efficiency Awards organised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS). The CBN EPIS Efficiency Awards is organised to celebrate financial institutions, merchants and other stakeholders at the forefront of driving electronic payment in Nigeria. The awards are based on objective analysis of all E-payments data collated by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) over a full calendar year.

Sunday 24 May, 2020

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SundayBusiness How LG is fostering work-life balance

t is becoming clearer every day that the way people are using technology to spend quality time with loved ones, engage with businesses and perform their jobs is fundamentally shifting. Loved ones who hadn’t seen each other in years are now seeing each other daily; people are getting creative with virtual happy hours and keeping up with their friends and family during house parties preplanned online. Everyone is in tune with the term “we are in this together”. Working from home, research has found, can boost employee p r o d u c t i v i t y, i m p r o v e work/life balance and foster better mental health (not to mention reduce pollution from commuters). Ac h i e v i n g a w o r k - l i f e balance has become a major discourse in the last few years and of course with today’s technological a d v a n c e m e n t – i t ’s a welcome development. Increasing adoption of smart devices, technology proliferation, development o f th e s e m i c o n du ct o r industry, and increasing penetration of internet of things (IoT) are centrifugal factors indicating the growth of the consumer electronic market. Technology will continue to enrich our lives. According to a report by the world’s largest research store, ResearchAndMarkets. com, the global consumer electronics industry is expected to register considerable growth over the forecast period 20192025. Surging demand for products such as televisions, smartphones, and wearable devicesareoneoftheprimary driving factors for the global consumer electronic market. One global brand whose products and services have enabled its customers to connect and entertain themselves while spending quality time at home is LG Electronics. Th e S o u t h Ko r e a n company’s 21st-century productsfromwaterpurifiers to air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, and TVs offer adaptable, efficient, and innovative ways worklife balance has been attained today. Discussion In the last two decades, LG has taken a lead in the a d o p t i o n o f Ar t i f i c i a l Intelligence, 8K technology; dived into gaming innovation, Nano Cell, OLED, projector, and introduced some of the best TVs with high-quality resolution. Its range of TVs has covered all the new innovations in OLED TVs, NanoCell TVs, ULTRA HD 4K TVs, Smart TVs, and LED

UNAIDS partners Reckitt Benckiser to support people living with HIV across Africa SEYI JOHN SALAU

I TVs. According to Hari Elluru, head, Corporate Marketing Division at LG Electronics West Africa, the company is committed to sustainable products through the a d o p t i o n o f Ar t i f i c i a l Intelligence. “Spendingsometimewith family or working from home can be fun with LG’s smart home appliances powered by AI”, he said. “One of our devices that can definitely make family time or work from home fun is the LG AI TVs. They are the first with the Google Assistant and Alexa technology. LG Styler is especially useful for its ability to eliminate germs from clothes and even toys, which are often the breeding ground for germs. In addition to keeping you looking your very best, Styler’sTrueSteam technology eliminates over 99.9 percent of germs and bacteria found on clothing”, he said. During this hot weather, LG Whissen ThinQ air conditioner blows 6.8 wind in average to provide instant cooling when it is turned on. Even the electric fans adjust the wind directions. It does not make sense an air conditioner is unable to adjust the wind directions. The only air conditioner in the country that provides custom cooling of directindirect winds with up down left right wind control. “With the well-being of our employees and customers foremost in mind, we are working around the clock with our partners to minimize any disruptions across the supply chain. We encourage all of our customers to purchase products online. You can get information on delivery methods from retailer sites when you visit for product purchases. “LG has a wide range of air solutions that fit every modern home, from advanced air purifiers that clean the air and eliminate allergens to energy-saving washing machines that thoroughly clean your

clothes without damaging even the most delicate fabrics”, he explained. LG TVs with AI ThinQ have the Google Assistant built-in, bringing higher intelligence to your living room. You can find the best entertainment, or ask the Assistant to change the light settings, adjust the room temperature, and more. The included remote control has an onboard microphone, so if you don’t have a compatible device, you can use the Google Assistant integrated into the AI ThinQ OS. However you choose to do so, you can tell the TV to play your favourite shows on Netflix, look up funny pet videos on YouTube, and more. LG’s Award-winning and revolutionary TwinWash washing machine comes with some interesting features including the ability to simultaneously wash two separate loads of laundry and of course the much talked about LG ThinQ technology. It is a dream comes true for those that may experience some anxiety around washing clothes and choosing the right settings. TWINWash will not only give you recommendations for which wash cycles to choose based on the clothes you’re cleaning, but also send you alerts when you’re running low on laundry detergent using their AI smarts. LG XBOOM AI ThinQ smart speaker responds to voice commands, and you can use the 8-inch touchscreen to watch videos, make video calls, check the steps of a recipe, and control your smart home. It also has a camera for making video calls, along with a physical shutter. It’s High-Resolution Audio at 24bit/96kHz is capable of reproducing High-Quality sound from the original recordings, including formats like ALAC, WAV, and FLAC. The future is AI-enabled and it’s up to us to figure out what that means for our daily lives.

n the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, UNAIDS and Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (RB) are joining forces together to help protect people living with HIV across Africa. The partnership hopes to work through the UNAIDS network to reach approximately 220,000 individuals across 22 countries in Africa including Nigeria, with a Hygiene pack that contains three-month supply of Dettol bar soap and JIK bleach with market value of over N800 million. Dayanand Sriram, Reckitt Benckiser, Nigeria general manager, Health, said the initiative to distribute the hygiene packs was part of its ‘Fight for Access Fund’, which aims to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. “Reckitt Benckiser’s purpose is to protect, heal

and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world,” Sriram said. According to Sriram, for years, RB, through its brand ‘Dettol’, has supported government’s effort in promoting a healthy lifestyle through its School Hygiene Programme that educates over 300,000 school children annually and the New Mums’ Programme that supports over 200,000 pregnant women annually to adopt healthy habits. “We want and need to play our part in stemming the effects of the pandemic and we can do this by providing access to our high-quality hygiene products – 180,000 bars of Dettol soap. By partnering with UNAIDS, we can reach specific groups of people who need them the most,” Sriram further said. “UNAIDS Nigeria commends Reckitt Benckiser (RB) for its donation and timely delivery of hygiene kits to help improve the personal

hygiene of members of Nigeria’s networks of people living with HIV at this turbulent time of COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate this demonstration of solidarity from RB, and we encourage other private sector entities and philanthropists to consider doing the same with all vulnerable populations,” Erasmus Morah, UNAIDS country director for Nigeria, said. Asif Hashimi, the country manager, Hygiene, for Reckitt Benckiser Nigeria, also said brands like JIK have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene in the fight against health pandemics in Africa, especially Nigeria. “JIK has strong heritage and roots in Africa for providing laundry and surface disinfection for years. In these pressing times by partnering with UNAIDS we will donate 60,000 units of JIK bleach bottles to ensure world class disinfection is accessible to the most vulnerable in society,” Hashimi said.

NEWS

Lagos finalises register-to-open guidelines, set to restart economy

agos State Government has set in motion the process of re-opening its economy, with the rollout of Register-to-Open guidelines. Governor Babajide SanwoOlu said the state government daily battles the reality of balancing reactivation of economic activities and the continuation of the state’s response to contain the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The governor said the battle to stop the ravaging virus in Lagos had subjected the state to a delicate situation of having to manage hunger resulting from weeks of slowdown in economic activities and also the movement of consumer goods to keep the economy afloat. He said the four-page Register-to-Open guidelines were the major part of the measures initiated to achieve phased re-opening of the State economy, adding that Government had offered incentives that will affect its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in order to prevent job loss in critical industries that

Sanwo-Olu

provide employment for a large number of labour. Sanwo-Olu disclosed this development while speaking at a webinar organised by First Securities Discount House (FSDH) Group, with the theme: “A Global Pandemic: Local Realities and Peculiarities – A View from the Frontlines”. The Governor was a panelist in the online discussion that also featured Governors of Kaduna and Edo states, Mallam Nasir el-Rufa’i and Godwin Obaseki. The webinar had about 1,200 people who participated from across the globe. Sanwo-Olu said the State Government remained committed to tackling COVID-19 and breaking the cycle of its transmission, but added that

there was need to address hunger and job loss that could arise from prolonged lockdown of the economy. He said: “We have been caught in a very delicate situation between managing COVID-19 on one hand and managing hunger and sustaining an economy that is not only depended on commercial activities in Lagos alone, but also other States across the federation. We have had weeks of engagement with players in fast-moving consumer goods sector and part of the measures we are taking is that, we are giving them additional clearance to work for longer hours. “Besides, we initiated what we called Register-toOpen, which is a thorough guideline to help the residents ahead of the full re-opening. Some of the things we will be seeing in the four-page guideline is, how we want to manage space at various places of business and what numbers of personnel and clients we expect at a given period, which must be based on the sizes of the facilities.

COVID-19: 16 inmates freed in Nasarawa on CJN directive Solomon Attah, Lafia

ixteen inmates standing trail for various offenses in Lafia custodian centre of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) have been discharged as part of commitment to decongest correctional facilities and to contain the spread of Novel Coronavirus pandemic in Nasarawa State.

The inmates regained their freedom at the instance of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed who directed all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to decongest the facilities by discharging inmates. The Chief Judge of Nasarawa State, Suleiman Dikko made this disclosure in Lafia during a special tour to decongest facilities as parts

of measures to contain the spread of novel coronavirus pandemic. The Chief Judge explained that they paid the fines of 16 released inmates who could not afford the payments to regain their freedom. “We were directed by the CJN to decongest the custodian centres as parts of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the facilities.

28 BDSUNDAY

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Bliss with Nonye Ben-Nwankwo

@Businessdayng

Sunday 24 May 2020

Email: chiwuagwu@yahoo.com Phone number (SMS only) 08057511893

I’m tired of this sickness, Leo Mezie cries out Phyno, Flavour thrill at

ctor, Leo Mezie has cried out to Bliss recently concerning his state of health. In a telephone chat with Bliss, the actor, who was diagnosed with kidney related issues, has said he is tired of the protracted illness he has had over the years. “I am tired of all this. I cannot be disturbing people for funds all the time. Things are hard for everybody. Everybody has one issue or the other so I should not burden people with my own. But the truth is that I am really tired.” It would be recalled that some funds were raised for the actor some years ago over his health, which he also used to travel to the UK to get treated. “But in the conversation with Bliss, Mezie said he actually went to the United Kingdom but no kidney transplant was done. “When we went to the UK that time, we were told there was no need for that alarm as at that time. We were placed on medications and checkups. After a couple of weeks, the funds were not there to continue all those checks and balances. I relapsed and it got more serious. I tried to

Life Lager re-launch

manage as much as I could.” And as he got back to Nigeria, Mezie said his health deteriorated as such, he had to go back on dialysis. “I am still on dialysis three times a week. All the while we have been doing fund raise, we have not been able to get enough funds. Any time funds were

raised, we couldn’t just cross our legs and wait, we would still be doing dialysis and before you know it, the funds would get depleted again.” “It has been so difficult for my family to ensure that I get dialysis done even if it is once a week. I am just hanging in there hoping that one day, one miracle will come,” he said.

op artistes, Flavour and Phyno, thrilled their fans and consumers of Life Continental Lager beer as the brand unveiled its new packaging design, and an all-new campaign to accompany the product’s new look. The unprecedented social media launch had thousands of viewers connected and the artistes who are Life beer Brand ambassadors alongside another Igbo music artiste WAGA-G, unveiled the exciting new bottle to consumers through an ingenious Instagram Live Launch during their weekly show, the Beer Parlour Conversations. During the interactive session, the Ambassadors gave their fans a personal review of the new packaging design features, symbolism with the brand’s Eastern roots and its progressive forward-looking people Reacting to the new-look Life, Phyno said, “This new packaging embodies everything that makes me a proud Igbo man, it is not every

day you find a beer that represents your roots and cheers you on to progress.” Speaking on the new look, Flavour stated, “I’m really proud to be a part of this, Life is more than a beer. It’s a symbol of the progressive nature of our people. I am glad to see the beer in this new look.” The launch of the new Life Continental Lager bottle and can was followed by the unveiling of a new campaign tagged ‘NDU KA’ which means ‘Life is more Important’. According to the brand, the campaign seeks to pass a strong and relevant message of hope, encouraging the consumers to be resilient, stay home, stand strong and prioritise the importance of self-preservation, especially in these uncertain times. The key message from the brand is Life is more Important, because only when there is life can there be progress, and every opportunity to embrace the journey of life is to be embraced.

I’m pleased getting recognitions – AiyuduAdesiyan, MTV SAF country manager

ust as a new feather was added to the cap of Anita Aiyudu-Adesiyan recently, the Country Manager of the MTV Staying Alive Foundation has said it feels so good to be honoured and recognised. Aiyudu-Adesiyan, who was among the 50 women the Leading Ladies Africa published in its annual list of leading ladies in corporate Nigeria, said she is inspired to work harder by this venture. “I’m very pleased to be recognised by Leading Ladies Africa. Seeing my name up there along with these other very inspiring women showing the world just how resilient and intelligent the woman is, has been quite humbling to say the least. I’m very thankful to my team at MTV SAF. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes but recognitions such as this one prove that we are definitely doing something right.” The list, according to the publication, serves two objectives: first, to make a case for gender diversity and inclusiveness within the corporate sector, and secondly to highlight the women who are leading successfully across different business sectors. According to Leading Ladies Africa, Aiyudu-Adesiyan “is a vibrant and result-oriented PR and Marketing professional, with a proven track record of wins in complex supervisory roles she has held. This has seen her responsible for securing strategic partnerships and overseeing campaigns geared towards behavioural change among young people.” Aiyudu-Adesiyan’s appoint-

Katy Perry, DJ Khaled, others ready for Coke Studio Sessions

ment as country lead for MTV Staying Alive Foundation was announced earlier this year, making it the first time the brand which is behind the award-winning youth-centric show, MTV Shuga would be anointing a lead for its operations in Nigeria. Before her appointment, Aiyudu-Adesiyan served as the Marketing and Partnerships Manager at MTV Shuga Nigeria. She had cut her teeth in marketing communications at top Nigerian PR and reputation management firm Black House Media (BHM) - a six years stint which saw her champion the publicity and communications for top brands and events including Nigerian Breweries Plc, ViacomCBS and Moet Hennessy among others.

usic lovers are all set to have some fun and thrill as BeApp, a new live music streaming platform, and Coca-Cola just announced the launch of Coke Studio Sessions, an exclusive collaboration featuring a diverse line-up of musical performances for fans to enjoy over 60 consecutive days. Live performances from more than 100 artistes across the globe, including Katy Perry, Anitta, DJ Khaled, Bebe Rexha, Miguel, Cast of Hamilton and Steve Aoki began streaming last Friday to refresh fans one virtual performance at a time and support the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Coke Studio Sessions marks the official debut of #BeApp, the social live music streaming platform from tech industry veterans Ray Smith and Ross Mason. #BeApp is an immersive, digital destination for fans to enjoy live music in a new way. Unlike other virtual concert platforms, #BeApp will offer a variety of interactive features, including In-App Sharing which will encourage fans to invite friends and family to join them during the livestream. Other features include Currency/Points, which involves interacting and sharing through the app and fans will earn in-app points and currency that can be redeemed for prizes, functionality

upgrades and more. And then again, according to the organisers, there would be Prizes and Upgrades where prizes include upgraded access to “front row seats,” artist shout-outs during the livestream and #BeApp swag. Also, fans will have the ability to make a donation to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to support Covid-19 relief efforts. According to Ray Smith, founder of #BeApp, “We’re thrilled to have Coca-Cola as our exclusive launch partner as we introduce #BeApp to fans around the world through unique new experiences.” In his own statement, Ricardo Fort, Vice President, Global Sports & Entertainment, The Coca-Cola Company said the sessions would go a long way to uplifting the human spirit and fostering connec-

tion especially during this global pandemic. “By providing 60 days of live, interactive music content that fans can share and enjoy with others, we hope that Coke Studio Sessions will provide small, daily moments of entertainment for those adjusting to their new normal,” he said. Throughout the 60-day program, fans will have the opportunity to contribute directly to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to support Covid-19 efforts. According to him, the CocaCola Foundation has donated over $14 million to individual Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world in response to Covid-19 and will additionally match up to a collective total of $3M in consumer donations made through this programme. “The American Red Cross is grateful for partners like The CocaCola Foundation for stepping up during this difficult and uncertain time,” said Koby Langley, Senior Vice President of International Services for the American Red Cross. “The Coca-Cola Foundation’s contribution supports the global Red Cross and Red Crescent network’s efforts to slow the spread of this disease and alleviate suffering that the pandemic will cause. We are deeply grateful for their generous support during this challenging time.”

Sunday 24 May 2020

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CapitalMarket Reduced sales, high finance cost send Eterna into loss in 2019

TELIAT SULE

terna Plc last week announced its audited financial statement for the year ended December 31, 2019 and indication showed the company must urgently reverse the trend to remain competitive within the downstream market. This is necessary because the analysis of its revenue sources showed mixed results in that the gains from lubricants, fuel and other market segments were cancelled out by losses in the trading segment. The overall sales fell by 9 percent from N251.9 billion in 2018 to N229.3 billion in 2019, no thanks to a 15 percent decline in trading revenue in 2019. Eterna has four revenue segments which are trading, fuel, lubricants, and others. Trading segment represents the bulk importation and sale of fuels to off-takers which include PMS, AGO, DPK, base oil, bitumen, and LPFO. It also involves the lifting and sales of crude oil. Trading revenue accounted for 77 percent of its total revenue in 2018 and 72 percent in 2019. Consequently, the company’s trading revenue fell to N164.1 billion in 2019 from N193.7 billion in 2018. The fuel segment recorded a 5 percent growth, and that was instrumental in this segment’s revenue accounting for 23 percent of the company’s total sales in 2019 compared with 20 percent in 2018. In naira terms, it rose to N53.6 billion last year up from N50.9 billion in 2018.

Revenue from lubricants surged by 55 percent to N8.96 billion in 2019 whereas from the same segment Eterna generated N5.79 billion in 2018. Its share of the total revenue went up to 4 percent as against 2 percent in the previous year. Earnings classified as ‘other revenue” witnessed the highest growth rate of 71 percent, moving from N1.5 billion in 2018 to N2.55 billion in 2019. Notwithstanding the increase from this revenue segment, it only accounted for just one percent of the company-wide sales. In effect, the operating profit fell by 44 percent to N1.56 billion last

year, which was a significant drop in profitability for a company that realised N2.78 billion as operating profit in 2018. This follows that it made a loss and the loss after tax was N144.3 million in 2019, in contrast to a profit after tax of N1 billion in 2018. BusinessDay Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU) further probed why Eterna made a loss after tax in 2019 through a deeper dive into its audited financial statement for last year. The loss could be pinned down to a number of factors based on our analysis. The firm has not been able to reduce its cost of sales sig-

nificantly. In 2018, Eterna incurred N247.2 billion as its cost of sales which translated to 98 percent when expressed as a percentage of the turnover. “We saw it coming. Eterna’s cost to sales is too high. It is not sustainable where you spend about 99 percent of your earnings to make sales. In addition, the trading revenue constitutes the bulk of its earnings, but the model adopted here wherein the company leases almost all the equipment through farm out arrangement for this segment operation is not helping the financial position of the firm”, an energy analyst who preferred

anonymity, said. “Save for the gradual improvement in the prices of crude oil, Covid 19 might have further crippled the firm’s operations”, the analyst added. Eterna spent N224.3 billion in 2019 as cost of sales, and looking at the nominal value, last year’s cost of sales amounted to a 9 percent reduction when compared with the previous year’s cost of sales. Intrinsically, nothing has changed because the 2019 cost of sales relative to that year’s revenue also amounted to 98 percent, which effectively means that Eterna Plc expended N98 to generate N100 revenue in both years. The general and administrative expenses recorded a 4 percent increase partly coming from increase in staff costs which were N885 million in 2019 as against N797 million in 2018; depreciation cost which rose to N593 million in 2019 from N387 million in 2018; rent, travelling and entertainment cost which was N323 million in 2019 compared with N138 million in 2018, as well as repairs and maintenance cost that rose to N337 million from N198 million in 2018. Another factor is finance cost. It surged by 92 percent during the period from N869 million in 2018 to N1.69 billion last year. Eterna Plc’s share price closed last week Friday at N2.67 per share representing a price depreciation to the tune of 25.8 percent year to date. With Covid 19 ravaging economies of the world, Eterna management needs to think outside the box for a turnaround.

Equities gain N690bn in five days as FG floats N150bn Sukuk … CIS prepares members for post Covid 19 TELIAT SULE

ortune smiled on investors and other participants in the nation’s capital market as the listed equities gained N694.9 billion in five days last week. This translated to a gain of N139 billion in equity values daily. This has seen the market capitalisation of quoted companies on the Nigerian bourse rise to N13.14 trillion last week Friday compared with N12.44 trillion in the previous week. The turnaround manifested across all the sub sectors with the stocks listed under the industrial index recording the highest weekly gain of 15.45 percent as it closed at 1,168.75 points last week Friday up from 1,012.32 points in the

previous week. Ten stocks are the components of the industrial index. These are Berger Paints, Beta Glass, CAP, Cutix, Meyer, Portland Paints, Dangote Cement, Bua Cement, Premier Paints and WAPCO. Dangote Cement, Nigeria’s most capitalised stock, closed lats Friday at N150 per share, translating to a year to date gain of 5.6 percent. Bua Cement, another highly capitalised stock within the index has had its share price rise to N39 per share, amounting to a year to date gain of 11.4 percent. Cutix has gained 22.6 percent year to date while Beta Glass and Berger Paints have gained 30.1 percent and 3.7 percent year to date respectively. Other sectoral indices with noticeable performances last week included NSE Pension Index which gained 9.11 percent week

to date; NSE Banking Index, 7.24 percent; NSE Lotus Islamic Index that gained 7.99 percent, among others. Year to date, about 35 equities have recorded different amounts in price appreciation. Meanwhile, the Federal Government of Nigeria has floated a N150 billion Sukuk which will be on offer between May 21, 2020 and June 2, 2020. The settlement date has been fixed for June 9, 2020. The 7-year Ijarah Sukuk has is issued by the FGN Roads Sukuk Company 1 Plc with the rental rate fixed at 11.2 percent per annum, payable semi-annually and is due June 2027. The sukuk has FBNQuest Merchant Bank and Lotus Financial Services Limited as the financial advisers. The receiving banks are

FBN, Stanbic IBTC, Jaiz Bank, Taj Bank, Sterling Bank, Zenith Bank and Unity Bank. “Proceeds will be used solely for the construction and rehabilitation of key roads in the six geopolitical zones across the country”, FGN says in the offer document. In another development, the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) is gearing up for the post Covid 19. In this regard, the stock broking regulatory body has concluded plans to organise a webinar on how its members could tap into the opportunities that will come up when the global economy begins to recover from the pandemic. Titled “Opportunities for Stockbrokers: Post Covid 19 Pandemic”, the zoom conference will hold on May 27, 2020 by 1pm West

African time. Distinguished speakers include Jude Chiemeka, divisional head, training business at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) who will speak on the general opportunities in the market; Akeem Oyewale, CEO, Stanbic IBTC Nominees Limited will be speaking on the other opportunities in the market; Akin Akeredolu-Ale, MD/CEO, Lagos commodity and Futures Exchange will be speaking on the opportunities available with special reference to the commodity market and alternative investments; and Tosin Osunkoya, CEO, Comercio Partners Asset Management will be speaking on the opportunities available with special reference to the fixed income. It will be moderated by Fiona Ahimie, MD, FBNQuest Securities Limited.

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Sunday 24 May 2020

Focus Nigerian seafarers trapped onboard vessels over lockdown, airport closure AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE

elvin Godspower (not real name) is a 38-year old seafarer, who works onboard a Nigerian owned vessel that trades within the nation’s territorial waters. Godspower, who hails from one of the states in the Niger-Delta region, left home early March 2020 over 50 days back, for a voyage that was originally scheduled to last for 35 days. Based on the initial plan in the contract he signed with the shipping company, Godspower was supposed to return to his pregnant wife by mid April, because his wife was due to put bed by end of April. Sadly, he was still at sea when his first child came into this world. “I was supposed to come ashore in mid April after 35 days at sea because my pregnant wife expected delivery date (EDD) was end of April 2020, but when the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, which started March 30th 2020, to contain the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, I knew that my days at sea would be extended, but I didn’t envisage that I would not be able to build a memory of the day my son was born,” Godspower told BDSUNDAY. According to him, this has been one of the painful aspects of the movement restrictions that come with the lockdown especially as a result of not being able to come ashore or travel from one state to another for seamen that disembark from a vessel. “My son is over three weeks old now but I have not been able to set my eyes on him. I only talk to my wife on phone once in a while because most times it becomes very difficult to communicate with one’s family while at sea,” he said. Godspower, who expressed fear that he may be forced to stay at sea for quite a long time, said that under normal circumstances, seafarers such as himself usually come home to their families after 21 or 30 days at sea, but currently it has become very difficult for ship owners to make crew change by bringing fresh seamen to take over from the ones onboard vessels. BDSUNDAY search shows that as these seamen render their unreserved patriotic services for the good of the nation’s economy, many of them have indirectly lost their right to normal or family life. This was due to the fact that many have been trapped onboard vessels and offshore oil platforms due to the difficulty in changing onboard crew as a result of the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Presently, seafarers cannot move freely within the shores of any country where they are trading due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. This prolonged stay of the seafarers’ onboard vessels has led to fatigue, increased frustration, as well as reported cases of violent behaviours. This was after the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) have called on government to make exemption for seamen at this period of Covid-19 especially those of them that want to go ashore to be able to leave the vessels and reunite with their families. For the case of Winifred Essien, a seafarer onboard an oil rig in one of oil

Seafarers fields in Rivers State, the story is not entirely different from what Godspower is experiencing because after being quarantined for 14 days in line with the laid down rule by Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), he still has not been able to come home to his family. “I came ashore in mid April after spending like 30 days at sea but I have not been able to go to Lagos to see my family. We were quarantined in Port Harcourt for 14 days after coming ashore but when I was discharged after testing negative for Covid-19, I have been spending money to pay for a hotel because of the interstate lockdown that prevent people from traveling,” said the father of two. Just like the frontline healthcare workers that are presently in hospitals across the globe fighting the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic head-on to save lives, there are also seamen onboard oceangoing vessels whose responsibilities are to ensure that the world trade remains uninterrupted despite the lockdown in states. Pundits believed that seafarers are the engine that propels the vehicle of international trade judging by their contributions to the world economy. These seamen ensure that countries on regular basis have the needed essential supplies such as medical equipment, personal protective equip-

Nigerian seaferes

ment (PPEs), and they also ensure that foods are moved from the countries of production to countries where they are needed. BDSUNDAY check reveals that countries of the world including Nigeria made the decision to allow uninterrupted international trade despite shutting down of economy to contain the spread of the virus. In Nigeria, for instance, Federal Government made a policy that ensured that the port remains open for business and this policy is being implemented by the agencies of government saddled with such responsibilities as well as the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 that also ensures that goods are circulated in-country amid the interstate lockdown. With the implementation of this policy, government has created an important supply chain for all the services and goods needed to fight the pandemic head-on. Given insight into the challenges faced by Nigerian seafarers especially at a time of COVID-19, Kunle Folarin, chairman, the National Seafarers Welfare Board (NSWB), pointed out that lack of crew changing and travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 lockdown, were the greatest problems facing seafarers. According to him, the closure of airports for close to two months now, have made it difficult for ship owners to

disembark seafarers, or for an intending seafarer to join a vessel in any Nigerian port particularly as commercial airlines are not in operation. Folarin, who spoke recently on a topic tagged, ‘Covid-19: Addressing the Challenges and Fears of Nigerian Seafarers,’ on Maritime Television show tagged Live Conversations, said this has become a source of concern for the Welfare Board. “We are working with some manning agents to help in this regard because when a seafarer disembarks from a vessel, he or she needs to be repatriated to join another vessel or go to his home state. To do this, a seafarer needs to come through an airport to join a vessel but the closure of land borders and airports have made exchange of crew very difficult at the moment,” Folarin stated. Explaining further, Folarin said that Port Health is the first government agency that boards a vessel at the port, but they work with Nigerian Immigration, which has also stopped issuing Shore Passes to seafarers, with the intention to protect the seamen from coming ashore to get infected by the virus or the other way round. On his part, Francis Bunu, a frontline seafarer and president of Seafarers Branch of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, who identified inability of seafarers to travel to their home states after coming ashore as the major prob-

lem facing seafarers at this period of Covid-19, said that the union has sent an appeal to the federal government to classify seafarers as essential duty workers, as stated by international bodies such as ILO and IMO. “If a seafarer is signing off in Lagos today and he is going to Warri, how would he get there? There is no way because the roads are blocked, they are even safer onboard vessels than we that are ashore,” Bunu stated. He however gave assurance that any moment from now, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), would release a Marine Notice to address the challenge. “The union has written letters to the presidency, NIMASA and other parastatals on effecting crew change for seafarers and to classify them as essential service providers. NIMASA said they are waiting for the President to give the approval to that effect,” he said. According to him, shipping companies have also started to quarantine seafarers at various hotels for possible crew change, adding that such can only be effective if the President gives approval that would allow seafarers to travel interstate after they come ashore. Bunu urged all seafarers onboard to remain calm, saying that they are even safer onboard than some of the crew already ashore. Meanwhile, Folarin further stated that “Whenever a seafarer wants to go ashore, the Nigerian Immigration Services and Port Health Services must be contacted for approval but with the situation, it became impossible to go ashore. Seafarers need regular communication with their families, manning agents, regulatory agencies and employers that is the ship owner as the case may be. Therefore, the board has been able to link-up ships and ensure that all the concerns of seamen are dealt with by the responsible authorities.” He said that the Welfare Board has also created offices in Apapa and TinCan Island where seafarers can get response to their immediate concern without going out of the port. “We have created help lines for seafarers’ onboard vessels that might need any assistance. The board has 24/7 social worker and psychologist that are dedicated to handling issues concerning seafarers and their mental health respectively, because it is not easy to be at sea for 45 days without going ashore.” On the families of these seamen, Folarin stated that the board is working with manning agents to ensure that some of the monies seafarers earn while at sea get to their families to cater for the home needs. Where employers attempt to shortchange seafarers, he urged victims of such ill treatment to log complaints with regulatory bodies that would ensure that such matters are dealt with decisively. He explained that seafarers have a right to escalate such issues even to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) when they are not handled properly, adding that a seafarer can file a complaint to local or international agencies in a situation where the employer fails to pay the seamen. He urged agencies like NIMASA to ensure that the protocols on Port State and Flag State Control are obeyed, adding that ambulances should be positioned in the port if there is any need to evacuate any seafarers to get medical help.

Sunday 24 May 2020

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BDSUNDAY 31

Sports

Man Utd say Coronavirus has cost the club over £28m

ANTHONY NLEBEM

nglish Premier League side, Ma n c h e s t e r United, say the Coronavirus pandemic has cost the club an initial £28m, and expect the final figure to rise. Manchester United revealed their third-quarter results to 31 March on Thursday. Manchester United, Chief financial officer, Cliff Baty said they are set to hand back £20m in TV revenue to broadcasters even if the Premier League season is completed. Manchester United lost an additional £8m over the final three weeks of March, when they had three matches postponed. A total of 11 Manchester United matches have been postponed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Speaking in a conference call after the latest financial results were released, Baty explained that Premier League television broadcasters would get £20m back from the club because of changes in dates and kick-off times resulting

San Siro stadium moves closer to demolition ANTHONY NLEBEM

M from the pandemic. With games called off - including matches in the Europa League and FA Cup - Baty said that sponsorship revenues had “contracted”, and that retail sales had been “impacted” with the club store at Old Trafford still closed. He added that matchday revenues were “significantly impacted”, with an acceptance games will be played behind closed doors for the foreseeable future. Postponement of Tottenham game ‘cost £4m’ Manchester United have refused to put a figure on what the anticipat-

ed overall financial cost of the Coronavirus pandemic will be ultimately - but executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said the major burden would fall in the current quarter, which runs to 30 June. “Our third-quarter results reflect a partial impact that the pandemic has had on the club but the greater impact will be in the current quarter and likely beyond,” said Woodward. Re v e n u e s f o r t h e quarter fell by 18.7% to £123.7m. The club’s debt rose by £124.4m to £429.1m. Baty said the postpone-

ment of the Premier League trip to Tottenham on 15 March cost United £4m alone. “These are unprecedented times and we must recognise that this crisis will not disappear overnight,” said Woodward. “However, our club is built on a solid foundation. We remain firmly optimistic about the long-term prospects for the club once we have worked our way through what is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary and testing periods in the 142-year history of Manchester United.”

ilan’s San Siro stadium is closer to being demolished after Italy’s heritage authority found that the iconic stadium cannot be protected for cultural or historic reasons. “The property named ‘Giuseppe Meazza Stadium (San Siro) has no cultural interest and as such is excluded from the protection provisions,” the Lombardy region of Italy’s cultural heritage ministry wrote in a report, according to the AGI news agency. AC Milan and Inter Milan, who share the stadium to the west of the city, have launched their bid to knock down the San Siro and build a new 60,000-capacity home on the same site. City authorities have been divided over the project and requested the opinion of Italy’s heritage authorities. The report found that as the San Siro has undergone continuous transformation since being built in 1926, with only a small part of the original stadium remaining, it would

not be subject to protection. Although approval from Italy’s heritage body is not the final decision, it could be an important step towards both teams’ hope of redeveloping the site. The clubs want to build a new ground adjacent to the current San Siro, while the old stadium would make way for an area “dedicated to sports, entertainment, and shopping”. The two clubs presented their projects last September and estimated that it would require an investment of 1.2 billion euros ($1.34 billion). Milan Mayor Guiseppe Sala insists he wants to renovate the existing stadium so that it could celebrate its centenary in 2026 by hosting the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics that year. Both clubs are former European giants with AC Milan having won the Champions League seven times while Inter were the last Italian team to win the European title, when they lifted the trophy for the third time in 2010. Neither have won the Serie A title since AC Milan triumphed in 2011.

Serie A sets new date for completion of season Kante miss Chelsea training amid coronavirus fears ANTHONY NLEBEM

ANTHONY NLEBEM

taly’s football federation (FIGC) has set a new date of 20 August for Serie A to finish with the possibility of playoffs in the case of another suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic. A meeting of FIGC’s Federal Council stressed Italian football’s desire for the top leagues to return to action but confirmed that all amateur competitions will be stopped. “The FIGC expressed its desire to restart and complete the national professional competitions by setting the last closing date of the Serie A, B and C competitions to August 20,” the FIGC said in a statement. Thestartofnextseason will be on 1 September. The Italian season has been on hold since 9 March amid the pandem-

ic which has killed more than 32,000 people in Italy. The end of the season had already been pushed back from 30 June to 2 August. Football clubs were on Tuesday given the all clear by the Italian government to resume group training, but competitions remain suspended until mid-June. Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said that a decision will be made on 28 May on whether the season can resume after a meeting with football bosses. On Wednesday, the FIGC said that they would decide before competi-

tion resumes the rules to apply in the case of a new suspension. The federation envisages “brief phases of playoff and playout in order to define the result of the competitions”. If the season were stopped a system would be devised “which will in all cases provide for relegation and promotions”. The FIGC, however, called time on its amateur leagues, including women’s competitions up to Serie B. A decision on the women’s Serie A will be taken “in the coming days”.

helsea will allow N’Golo Kante to stay away from training because of coronavirus fears - even if it means missing the rest of the season. The French midfielder, 29, returned to limited training at the club’s Cobham base. But he has since decided to train at home, a move supported by Chelsea. Kante caused concern among team-mates in 2018 when he fainted after a training session; his brother died of a heart attack the same year. Ac c o r d i n g t o t h e O f f i c e f o r Na t i o n a l Statistics, black men and women are nearly twice as likely die from coronavirus than white people in England and Wales. Kante’s decision follows a similar stance

taken by Watford captain Troy Deeney. On Tuesday, it was announced that there had been six positive tests across three Premier League clubs, including one from Watford defender Adrian Mariappa. Chelsea do not know when the World Cup winner plans to return to training, which began this week in small groups with social distancing measures in place.

But they recognise Kante has genuine concerns and while Cobham has been made as safe as possible, no pressure has been applied to the former Leicester player to reverse his decision. Phase one training began at Premier League clubs this week with hopes that the season, suspended on 13 March, can resume in mid-June. Chelsea have nine league games remaining and sit fourth in the table.

BDSUNDAY

NEW YOU CAN TRUST

SUNDAY 24 MAY 2020

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Imperatives of implementing Oronsaye Report

hile presenting the book titled, ‘Reforming the Unreformable: Lessons from Nigeria’ written by then Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyioku raised the alarm that the high recurrent expenditure in Nigeria was detrimental to the country’s economic growth. That was on November 1, 2012. That warning signal came on the heels of a similar one by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It had cautioned the country against expansionist fiscal policies. Even before these calls for the reduction in government’s recurrent expenditure, a Report submitted by the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies had recommended the scaling down of the burgeoning cost of governance. It specifically advised that functions that were duplicated by several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should be eliminated. That submission, popularly called the Oronsaye Report was submitted to the then President Goodluck Jonathan in April 2012 after its inauguration on August 18, 2011. The Committee was headed by Stephen Oronsaye, a former civil servant who rose to the post of Head of Service of the Federation before leaving office. Viewed against this backdrop, it is interesting to note that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved further deliberations on the Report and forwarded it to both the Head of Service and the Secretary to the Federal Government. That was done through the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.The government is being asked by concerned Nigerians to revalidate the recommendations which a March 2014 White Paper had invalidated. It could not have been otherwise. The compelling economic quagmire

visited on the world by the Coronavirus pandemic tagged COVID-19 which has exacerbated an already serious situation inform that. Oil prices are crashing on daily basis. The country itself is enmeshed in a debilitating debt trap. Manufacturing is at its lowest ebb. Inflation rate keeps spiralling upwards. As expected, the telling effects fall squarely on the hapless citizens, who unfortunately still remain in the world’s poverty capital. With a consumer nation such as we have in place, spending (or rather, wasting) huge sums on running the government machinery is economically unwise. Truth be told, the undue delay in taking a critical look at the Report and even implementing its recommendations, long before now leaves much to be desired. And it raises some salient questions. How can we have 50 out of the 541parastatals functioning without enabling laws? How have some of the MDAs been operating without the proper streamlining and supervision of their mandates? If the Jonathan administration could not provide credible answers to the afore-listed questions, what about the current Buhari-led administration? Why, for instance, was no implementation committee set up with regards to the White Paper before its invalidation? Why has there been no buy-in from the National Assembly? It must be noted that a form of legislation is required to consummate the harmonisation of all the inputs? The answers to these questions would go a long way towards ensuring that after all said and done, we are not taken back to square one. Or worse still, that the Report is not thrown into the dustbins of history. Perhaps, those that fingers have been pointing at, accused of complicity in the long-widening delay are in the best position to absolve themselves of any of such misdemeanour. For instance, some top-notch career civil servants who would be affected by the merging of MDAs are said to have constituted themselves into

cogs in the wheels of its implementation. So also are some power-seeking politicians who would want one juicy appointment or the other as heads of some parastatals. Not left out of course, are some lawmakers who would want to influence some appointments to key political positions, not necessarily in the national interest but to feather their own nests. It would be recalled that after a thorough thinking-through process, the Oronsaye Report recommended the scrapping and merging of 220 out of the 541federal government agencies. Worthy of note too was that the Federal Executive Council met to deliberate on the Report. Subsequently, the Adamu-Fika-led committee had a review of it. The aim was to ensure that the government did the needful. Unfortunately, it has not! But why? The reasons given for the deliberate foot-dragging on the Report are that the money to be saved from the exercise is infinitesimal and not worth all the efforts. The lack of legal backing to give teeth to the bite is another. Amongst Agencies to be affected by the rationalization, if implemented are the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPAEP), Utilities Charges Commission (UCC) and National Intelligence Committee. Others include Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), the ICPC, EFCC and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC). Although strong and salient reasons have been advanced for the independence of an agency such as FRSC by the respected Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka as others see the wisdom in merging the EFCC and ICPC, the fear of job losses should be mitigated by the federal government. The likely scenario is the movement

AYO OYOZE BAJE Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘Drumbeats of Democracy’

of civil servants from one parastatal to another but with greater efficiency in public service delivery. Looked at dispassionately, the discovery of some ghost staff numbering 23,000 in the federal civil service and duplication of functions by MDAs are not in tandem with the prevailing harsh, economic realities. The Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS) made the discovery of the ghost workers. For a government that claims to be fighting the monster of corruption headlong, this should be seen as a plus, to be capitalised on. So also are the Report’s recommendations on free and compulsory education for all school-aged children in the country up to the Junior Secondary School level. The current Almajiri conundrum vis-à-vis the poor implementation of UNESCO recommendations in Nigeria’s education landscape should be motivating forces for Oransaye Report’s adoption. It is therefore, disheartening that as at May 2020 the federal government is reported as having adopted only 10percent of the 268 recommendations and jettisoned the others! Why waste our scarce resources on setting up committees at the end of which the visionary, patriotic and development-engineering recommendations are laid to waste? The earlier our political leaders are driven by the national rather than selfserving and sectional interests, the better for us all.

Pentecostal shepherds and empty cathedrals OLUDAYO TADE .Dr. Tade, a sociologist, writes from Ibadan (dotad2003@yahoo.com)

n this piece, I analyse how some church leaders in Nigeria view the ban on religious gathering and through their utterances, project themselves as ‘protecting the Church’ against alleged plan by the devil to halt the growth of the ‘church’ in COVID-19 era. Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 era has been the age of redefinition of spaces, re-categorisation of what is important and what is not, demystification of over-rated persons, places and things as well as the battle of persons for relevance and significance in a rapidly redefining social situation. While COVID-19 is devilish to some, it has helped others to rediscover themselves in the management of their lifestyles, exposed the loopholes in our health system, made some people millionaires and ruined the livelihoods of others. In this era, only survival and living are the two most important pursuits to the rich and poor. As a contemporary cause of social

change, COVID-19 is altering cherished values, transforming cultures, rituals and social institutions. Institutions of the family, politics, education, media and religion have been hit below the belt and are battling to survive and stay relevant. Of these institutions, religious institution is vociferous in its acceptance of the reality of COVID-19, particularly the way the virus is altering and redefining religious spaces and practices. Some would even say that the pandemic is forcing followers to re-evaluate their religiosity. The two voices reverberating against the continued ban on religious gathering are Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith International (Winners Chapel) and Chris Oyakhilome of Love World Incorporated. Bishop Oyedepo smelled a rat that locking the Church and opening the market space was aimed at checking the growth of the Church of God. His comrade, Chris Oyakhilome was badly hit with the disappearance of performances which he was usually treated to and the reverence extended to him by the mammoth worshippers. Through their opinions, they unveiled the functional derivable of preaching in the physical space rather than the virtual sermonising that COVID-19 has imposed on them. Was the policy of lockdown designed to diminish the influence and growth

of the church as posited by Bishop Oyedepo? Church to Oyedepo is the physical and massive structures where worshippers gather to watch the performances of their pastors, smile, dance, pay tithes, make donations and offerings. But with empty cathedrals, the shepherds are missing their sheep who are avoiding risky spaces until the pandemic is over. However, since Bishop Oyedepo would not agree that only the living will serve and praise the Lord, the followers have reconstructed the spaces of worship to their homes and neighbourhoods. This is in line with Matthew 18:20 where God says where “two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. This verse nullifies Bishop Oyedepo’s construction of his build edifice as Church. In so far as the gathering is in the name of God, He is there. While the Mega Churches have their own broadcast channels and have been reaching followers online while holding large conventions before now, their complaints over COVID-19 ban show the importance of face-to-face communication and how this is seemingly irreplaceable by virtual preaching. It was Chris Oyakhilome who let this out while

complaining on why some Christian leaders agreed with government that the Church should be closed. He felt they had done a disservice to the House of God. Is Church not a place of healing? He asked. Later, he would betray his selfish pursuit by lamenting that “...they said there would be compensation for the period of the lockdown. What compensation can be enough to replace the praise and worship of the congregation? I hope you have enjoyed the time so far, only you in the cathedral did online transmission. Hope you enjoyed it so far? But thank you very much for what you did to the House of God.” Certainly, religious leaders are finding this time very strange but they have to adjust to it. Being alone in the cathedral is like a footballer playing alone in the Stadium without fans. It is boring...no viewers, no clapping for the right moves. But as good shepherds, the pastorate must ensure that the sheep follows the Biblical counsel in Isaiah 26:20 to be safe. We should also understand the political economy of our positions on the ban. Like other institutions, the partial or total lockdown is having impact on churches (and mosques) diminishing human presence, tithes, donations and offerings. Many ongoing projects within the church Continues on page 16

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