BusinessDay 27 Jan 201

BDSUNDAY BUSINESS DAY

Why party forum wants APC back on the ballot or no elections in Rivers p. 15

Sunday 27 January 2019 www.businessday.ng Market & Commodities Monitor Brent Oil

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inside

Anticipating peaceful elections, ?? investors bet on equities as 38 stocks gain

Ezekwesili and ACPN: A union gone awry

p 39.

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Vol 1, No. 249 N300

Ex-generals in final push to unseat Buhari Innocent Odoh, Abuja

I

n what appears a public outcry over some steps being taken by government as the country nears the 2019 general election, some retired generals of the Nigerian army and their civilian collaborators

are said to be planning a political ‘blitzkrieg’ in their final push to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari during the Presidential election.

The political bloc of the retired generals, a source told BDSUNDAY, gave this indication through the recent outburst of former President Olusegun Obasanjo,

who again sent a damning message last Sunday to President Buhari in which he derided the president for his incompetence, plots to rig elections and a massive attempt to cause electoral violence to perpetrate himself in power.

Obasanjo had alleged that the president and his party are

recruiting collation officers who are already awarding election results, stressing that “it is the sole reason he has blatantly refused to sign the revised electoral bill into law. His henchmen are working round the clock in cahoots with security and election officials to perfect their plan

P.2

Will economy be boosted if Nigeria adopts privatisation of major sectors that immensely contribute to GDP?

p. 13

L-R: Yemi Osinbajo, vice president; President Muhammadu Buhari; Abiola Ajimobi, Oyo State governor; Akinwumi Ambode, Lagos State governor and Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential re-election campaign at Mapo Hall, Ibadan yesterday.

p. 21

Will APC expel Okorocha? p. 30

How Nigeria’s academic system pushes students out of labour force employers peg job entry age at 24 Micheal Ani

N264m Diezani bribe: Court convicts INEC staff p. 44

E

meka Odili was 17 years of age when he finished his secondary education and obtained his Senior Secondary Certificate (SSCE).

But he stayed extra five years at

unending strikes elongate courses beyond normal

home struggling to gain admission into a tertiary institution.

It was in no way his fault, but due entirely to the chaotic and competitive educational system where many Nigerians jostle for the limited space into its federal and state universities.

In 2011, Emeka at age 22,

finally entered the University of Benin to study Economics and Statistics, which originally ought to have been a 4-year course.

However, with the two strikes by the university teachers during his stay, one three months, and the other six months, Emeka finally graduated and completed the

compulsory one-year national service at age 28.

On getting into the labour market, Emeka became frustrated despite coming out with the sought-after second-class upper (2.1) degree, as many of

p. 3

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Sunday 27 January 2019

News Ex-generals in final push to ...

Continued from page 1 by computing results right from the ward to local government, state and national levels to allot him what will look like a landslide victory irrespective of the true situation for a candidate who might have carried out by proxy presidential debate and campaigns.”

He said the current plan is to dress the pre-determined results with credibility and also unleash massive violence in high voting population areas across the country to precipitate re-run elections.

“We are monitoring them and we call on all democrats across the world to keep an eye on the unfolding anti-democratic agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is the time for preventive measures to be taken otherwise Nigeria may be presented with a fait accompli with impunity and total disregard of all pleas,” Obasanjo warned.

Obasanjo also called on the international community to impose travel bans and other repercussions on any person or group of persons found to have rigged the election and caused violence.

Days later, former Minister of Defence and former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, fired his own warning shots in Taraba alleging plots by the security agencies to cause mayhem in the state in order to rig the elections in the state.

The source said that the retired generals and their civilian counterparts’ particularly in the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have also mapped out elaborate strategies to counter the alleged plots of Buhari.

“This political bloc of the retired generals has put in place an anti-rigging mechanism in place. Remember that they are very influential and wealthy, and they have their men in almost all institutions of government who furnish them with security information on the plots of

Obasanjo

Babangida

Abubakar

Danjuma

the presidency and the ruling party. They also have international connections,” the source said.

On why the generals are so determined to oust Buhari, the source said that the generals are statesmen who do not want Nigeria to descend into chaos and want to avoid the risk of having Buhari for another four years, which they insist will be a threat to the unity of the country judging by Buhari’s alleged incompetence, clannishness and divisiveness.

On Thursday, the United Kingdom and United states appeared to have heeded Obasanjo’s call, when the two countries announced travel restrictions and other repercussions on any person or group found to have perpetrated violence during the 2019 elections.

Obasanjo, Danjuma, former military President Ibrahim Babangida all of them retired generals have remained critical of the Buhari administration and are said to be implacably opposed to the second term ambition of President Buhari.

Recall that in January 2018, Obasanjo had written a letter to Buhari, exposing his alleged failures and advised him to quit the stage. Barely a month later Babangida wrote his own letter to Buhari also urging him to quit. Then Danjuma in an inexplicable fit of anger directed at the Buhari government following the herdsmen/farmers clashes, accused the security agencies of colluding with the herdsmen to kill indigenous

Nigerians to appropriate their land forcefully. He also advised the people not to depend on the security agencies but to defend themselves.

The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) have also threatened a total showdown with President Buhari if he tries to rig the election.

The PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus during a recent campaign rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, threatened that if the APC and the Buhari government rig the 2019 election, “there will be war”.

Reacting to the allegation against Buhari, public affairs analyst, Majeed Dahiru said: “The allegation raised about the plot by the current administration to rig itself back to power is an open secret because this is a government that has failed woefully to deliver even minimally on its three key campaign promises of fixing the economy, fighting corruption and tackling insecurity. If this election is going to be a referendum on its performance it does not stand a chance of being returned by a popular vote.

“With this palpable fear of imminent defeat, agents of the government clearly have resorted to outright rigging of the election just to return to power because they have nothing tangible to show in almost four years of governance or mis-governance.

And you only need to interact with the APC governors and close associates of the president to know that they do not rely on another thing to win

this election than rigging.”

Majeed said that the current travail of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen is directly related to the issue of election rigging, adding that the APC and the Presidency do not trust him because he has proven to be independentminded, and proven not to be willing to compromise the independence of the judiciary as well as his impartiality on the altar of regime’s partisan interests.

“So Obasanjo was absolutely right in pointing out and sounding the alarm bell that there is a grand plot to rig the election in favour of the incumbent APC government,” he said.

On the threat by the international community to impose sanctions on electoral offenders, Majeed said the world today is a global village of brother nations and Nigeria is a signatory to lots of international treaties on human rights, good governance and democracy. He added that Nigeria must at all times abide by the terms of those treaties.

“Any attempt to compromise the election is a violation of those treaties. Therefore, Obasanjo was right to call on the international community to come to the aid of Nigeria by applying the necessary sanctions against the agents of the regime who may be involved in any act overtly or covertly to compromise the forth-coming election with the aim of undermining the

popular wishes of the Nigerian people,” he said.

Also reacting to the accusation and counter-accusation by the APC and the opposition of plots to recruit terrorists and thugs to disrupt the election, Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Muhammad, posited that both sides of the political argument, the so-called opposition and the so-called government essentially are playing the same game but unfortunately with the destiny of this country. He blamed the desperation of the political class and warned that “it is an imminent threat to the corporate existence of the country”.

He added that the supposed intervention of Obasanjo and TY Danjuma does not necessarily connote any national interest but their parochial interests.

“What Obasanjo and Danjuma said are their own perceptions about the state of the nation and we have to be very careful because what they are doing is not necessarily in the interest of the nation. They are pursuing their own economic and sometimes personal interest. It is not entirely in the service of national interest,” he said.

However, the Media Aide to President Buhari, Lauretta Onochie, dispelled any fears about the allegation of rigging leveled against the President.

In a text message she sent to BDSUNDAY on Friday, Onochie said: “Those who have held power and used it

to their personal advantage and the advantage of a few elite in our military, polity, religious and corporate circles are bound to throw a fit, seeing that power is now in the hands of the ordinary people of Nigeria.

“The same people they abandoned for years now have a leader who has given them a voice and they will speak, loud and clear on the 16th of February 2019.”

According to her, “By 1pm on that day, the world would have seen and read the handwriting on the wall. It will be, ‘The People of Nigeria have spoken’.

“They are not listening to Obasanjo; except what he said between 2003 and early 2018.”

Some perceived govt’s indiscretions The suspension of the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen, against an order from the Court of Appeal, clearly stating that the CCT lacked the powers to prosecute him.

President Muhammadu Buhari refused to sign the amended Electoral Act into law even when the document had been presented to him for the third time, and after nominating some officials to be involved in the final drafting of the bill to remove some perceived “no-go-areas”.

The appointment of Amina Zakari, as the head of INEC coalition centre, she is believed to be a blood relation of President Muhammadu Buhari. However, in spite of public outcry, she is still in office.

The anti-graft war of the current administration is perceived to be one-sided, tailored to destabilise the opposition and prosecute some key officials of opposition party, the PDP ahead of the general elections.

The perception of the EFCC and ICPC as instruments to witch-hunt members of the opposition. Account details of key opposition politicians are being monitored and are at risk of being frozen by the anti-graft agencies.

The trader-moni is being adjudged by the opposition and foreign institutions as an instrument of vote-buying.

Lagos/Ibadan rail, road to be completed this year, says Buhari Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan.

P

resident Muhammad Buhari yesterday said that the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan rail project and the reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway would be completed before the end of this year.

Speaking at the All Pro-

gressives Congress (APC), Presidential campaign in Oyo State held at the ancient Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the state capital, the President who assured the people of South West Nigeria said that was why the ministers for Transportation and his Works and Housing counterpart were working hard to ensure that the two projects were completed before the end of this year.

Buhari

“The second thing is that I have told your governors that, we are going to do the rail project and the road projects, but we need your support,” he further said.

Buhari urged the people of the zone to vote for the party candidates in the elections so as to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy.

Earlier, Yemi Osinbajo, urged the people of the region to vote for candidates of

the party in the forthcoming elections.

“The market women, are they here, they are the owners of government. The NPower, the food vendors, great Nigerian youths; we must not go back to the old days. February 16th, vote for Buhari, March 2nd, vote for Penkele. Bayo Adelabu.

“All of us in Ibadan, we should show them that we are the owners of the votes,”

he said.

In his remarks, Bola Tinubu, national leader of the APC, also urged the people of the zone to guard their PVCs jealously.

“On the day of election, vote and don’t just vote and sit down. I will not mention their names; if they are interested in politics, let them go and prostrate. You will not be put to shame. Your PVCs will not get lost.

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News

BDSUNDAY 3

Onnoghen: Niger Delta rages, cries blue murder …PDP suspends campaign

BY OUR REPORTERS

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he suspension Friday of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen by President Muhammadu Buhari, has continued to attract condemnation from across the country, particularly South-South geo-political zone where the CJN hails from. Buhari immediately appointed Tanko Mohammed from Bauchi State, as acting CJN after sacking Onnoghen.

The President had said that he suspended Onnoghen, following an order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), asking him to wield the big stick.

Reacting to the development, youths under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), described the Onnoghen’s suspension as an abuse of constitution and practice of dictatorship by President Buhari.

The group in a statement signed by its National President, Pereotubo Roland Oweilaemi said Buhari has no right under a democratic government to unilaterally suspend CJN without the impute of the National Assembly, especially the Senate.

“The suspension of the Chief Justice of the Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen is an abuse of office taken too far. President Buhari has suspended the Constitution thereby applying fascist rule. He has no power what-

Onnoghen

soever under our democracy to unilaterally suspend CJN without the input of the National Assembly, especially the Senate,” the youths said.

“As for us in the Niger Delta, this is a direct assault on our collective aspirations to live in a united Nigeria. We shall resist this discriminatory action of the present government even with the last drop of our blood. Nigeria belongs to all of us therefore, we will no longer allow ourselves to be treated as second fiddle human beings,” the group said.

Apprehension is high that some militant groups not comfortable with the removal of the CJN may vent their spleen on oil installations in the Niger Delta, which may also negatively impact an economy that has consis-

tently been in an ailing state.

Mike Ozekhome, a constitutional lawyer, describing the President’s action as a rape on democracy and abuse of the nation’s constitution, said that it was dictatorial.

Ozekhome stressed that the country was now back to the military era. He urged Nigerians to rise and protest against the action of the Buhari administration.

“The desperate act of a sittight president constitutes a direct suspension of the Nigerian Constitution and the entire democratic process.

It has finally removed the remaining veneer of pretension to democratic credentials by Buhari and his all-conquering cabal. Welcome, Nigerians, to full blown dictatorship, absolutism, authoritarianism and

fascism Buhari has behaved worse than what he was as a military tyrant. Military juntas always only suspended parts of the Constitution they did not like.

“But, by torpedoing the entire judiciary, rule of law and due process , including four valid High Court/Federal High Court rulings and yesterday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal, all of them staying proceedings of the phony and funny charges levelled against Onnoghen before the CCT, Nigerians now know that we have now become an endangered species,” he said.

According to him, “It means that the next election is nothing more than a ritualistic outing to illegally confer life presidency (not just 4 years) on Buhari.

“Nigerians should brace up, come out enmasse, to protest against this illegality. We are back to full Abacha era, as OBJ rightly noted three days ago in his patriotic letter to Nigerians. Nigerian lawyers and the NBA should shut down all courts in Nigeria until the CJN is returned to his seat”.

“This recent act is a big scandalous shame on the Buhari government, assuming it still knows anything called shame.

“It has tainted it with the paint brush of odium, obloquy and international derision.

The international community should weigh in immediately to prevent Nigeria from burning” In their reaction, Southern and Middle Belt leaders flatly

condemned the President’s action.

In a joint statement signed by the leaders, Edwin Clark, Ayo Adebanjo, John Nwodo and Pogu Bitrus, titled ‘Constitutional crisis as Buhari illegally suspends CJN’, the group said the President’s action as unprecedented and alien to Nigeria’s constitution, and clearly shows that the country was now under a dictatorial rule. “ We h a v e c h e c k e d through the constitution and the President has no power to unilaterally suspend the CJN. Section 292 of the amended 1999 Constitution is clear that the President can only remove the CJN with 2/3 of Senate resolution,” the group noted.

“To us what has been done is resort to self-help after the Court of Appeal issued an order stopping the trial of the CJN by the CCT presided over by a man answering charges in court over corruption allegations but still in office.

“The latest action is a clear suspension of the constitution and enthronement of full blown dictatorship. We reject the illegal suspension and demand its immediate reversal.

The suspension is null and void and of no effect whatever. An emergency meeting of the Forum holds shortly on this total aberration.”

In its rejection of the suspension, the PDP petitioned the National Assembly, United Kingdom and United States to sanction the ruling

APC. The PDP, in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said it firmly holds that such impunity cannot stand, as Nigeria is a nation governed by law and not by the whims and caprices of a dictatorial leader. “President Buhari wants to ruin our country and we will never allow him” it stressed.

In demonstration of its level of rage, the PDP, through its National Chairman and CoChairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Uche Secondus, announced the suspension of its campaign activities for 72 hours in the first instance to protest against what it called, “assault against our democratic order”.

Describing President Buhari’s action as a “dangerous and brazen assault on the constitution”, the Campaign Council said there is no point in campaigning to contest in an election, whose very basis has been so flagrantly undermined.

“The action of President Buhari represents a constitutional breach and a direct attack on our democracy.

This must never be allowed to stand, as there is no way by which democracy can survive under these autocratic tendencies.

“We call on all well meaning Nigerians to rise in defence of democracy and save our nation from this imminent slide into tyranny,” Secondus stated.

before they can be confident enough in enlisting them as full time staff.

Another notable trend witnessed in recent times on the recruitment processes by private and multinational companies is their high preference for students who schooled abroad as they believe these must have been through the right skills, so as to cut down huge operational expenses involved in training staff.

Consequently, Nigerians have resorted to using the exit door to study in the country’s West African neighbor, Ghana, as the few tertiary institutions in the country cannot meet up with standards that can equip their graduates to be employable globally.

One of ASUU’s major demands is the implementation of past agreements and the spending of $2.7bn in total to revamp universities.

On the average, government currently allocates

about $1.8bn (N648 billion) to the education sector overall, which accounts for 7 percent of Federal Government spending, according to data compiled from the Budget Office of the federation. Federal universities get about $750m of that.

A 7-percent allocation to the health sector is far below the United Nations standard of 26 percent. This is despite warnings from the World Bank and the founder of Microsoft Corp. Bill Gates, that Nigeria needs to invest in human capital development, particularly education and health.

Data from the national bureau of statistics have put the rate at 23.1 percent as at Q3 2018 from 18.8 percent the same time the previous year.

This excludes the number of underemployed Nigerians that currently stand at 20.1 percent In nominal terms, a total of about 3.1 million people

have entered into the unemployment trap in less than a year, pushing the number of unemployed Nigerians to 20.9 million from 17.8 million in Q4 2017.

With the country’s population growing at an average of 2.6 percent, the government needs to open the economy to attract investments which in turn will create more jobs for the teeming population.

With a presidential election less than a month away, both candidates of the major parties (the APC and the PDP) have talked about their commitments to education, promising to increase funding.

Can this year mark the beginning of a new era? Can Nigerians, especially the younger generation, look forward to the emergence of a government that will give them hope and a foundation on which to face the competitive future? They demand an answer.

How Nigeria’s academic system pushes ...

Continued from page 1 the job offerings coming his way were pegged at a maximum age limit of 24 years.

This frustration pushed 28-year-old Emeka into moving with cliques of internet fraudsters since his entire family now looks on him as a source of hope for living. The frustration got so intense that Emeka even moved up to the level of “Yahoo plus,” by using “ladies pant,” taking laws into his hands to increase his chances of getting more clientele online by way of rituals.

This is how the Nigerian academic system is turning students into what neither they nor their parents bargained for. By not fixing and paying enough attention to its failing educational system, the Nigerian system leaves its youthful population unprepared to meet the global trends in employment standards.

For over three months,

the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike, vowing not to go back to the classrooms until the government meets their demands. The union has accused the government of failing to honour past agreements over the redevelopment of tertiary education as contained in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of 2017 and also conclude the renegotiation of the 2009 agreements it had reached with the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

The government on the other hand has been nonchalant about the issue as several meetings between both parties ended in deadlock.

“It is very unfortunate that Nigerian students spend an average of six years in school for a course that should originally take just four years, due to the disagreement between the Federal Government and the academic staff of universities,” said Timothy Olawale, DG, Nige-

ria’s Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

“On the other hand, I do not think either the private or the multinational companies should be blamed for the laxity of the government as every company hopes to employ staff that it will derive value from for a very long period of time,” Olawale said in a phone response to BDSUNDAY. Both private and multinational companies have beaten down their maximum age recruitment limits as a way of eliminating the millions of Nigerian students who have “green horns” rushing into the labour market.

In 2010, BusinessDay checks showed that the maximum age limit of recruitment in private companies was 28. This was reduced by 7 percent to 26 years in 2014. However, the age limit fell to 24 years with many of these companies training graduates for an average period of 2 years

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Sunday 27 January 2019

News

Women group drums support for 2019: ACOMORAN warns members Atiku/Obi, accuses APC of misrule against being used for election violence Innocent Odoh, Abuja tration is determined to run Felix Omohomhion, Abuja

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he Amalgamated CommercialTricycle & Motorcycle Owners Riders & Repairers Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN) has warned its members across the country not to allow themselves to be used as cannon folder by unscrupulous politicians in the forthcoming elections.

The association advised its members that all they needed to do was to come out en masse on election days to vote for candidates of their choice, noting that the association has not taken position on a candidate to support in the presidential election on February 16.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Banangida Shehu Maihula, national president, encouraged members to go back to their various states and local governments to collect their PVCs for the election.

He used the opportunity to warn some unscrupulous

elements in the association not to engage in anti-union activities by declaring support for any particular candidate, noting that the national executive of the union would soon meet to decide on who to support.

He said the elections offered opportunity for the 12-million strength association “to vote the right persons come 16th February and 2nd March as this is the right time for the association to use its 12 million votes to vote in right persons into elective positions.”

He said when the amalgamated association decides to support any candidate, it would be that person who is concerned about welfare of members of the association and that politician who is prepared to grant soft loan to enable members own their cycles rather than buying with huge interest loan.

Maihula said: “I also want to use this opportunity to sound a note of warning to every member of the association that wants to be used

by unscrupulous elements, as no one is bigger than the association. Anybody found wanting, playing politics with the organisation or any of organisation activities must be punished accordingly. I have got reports of some persons who have been looking for avenues to sell the association out, and have also indulged themselves in some corrupt practices within the association, enriching themselves for selfish purposes and gaining cheap popularity.

“There are those we have asked to step aside pending the outcome of investigations and decision of the committee of the association into their activities.

“This is a new era; we as an association are all trying to put in our efforts and hard work to redefine ACOMORAN, and not to allow ourselves to be used by corrupt individuals that have made up their minds to pull down every success in ACOMORAN.” He said the association remains one and indivisible entity.

A

women group, the Grassroots Women for Atiku and Obi (GW4AO), has drummed support for the political aspiration of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming elections.

The group, which spoke in Abuja in a communiqué signed by its National Coordinator, Amina Jambo, said during its national conference that only the emergence of Atiku and his running mate, Peter Obi could salvage Nigeria from myriads of its current socioeconomic problems.

It blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the spate of insecurity, unemployment, economic hardship as experienced by citizens of the country.

“We all are familiar with the current state of affairs of our nation and the many challenges the leadership and citizens are grappling with on a day-to-day basis.

“It is beginning to appear to us that the APC-led adminis-

this nation aground and place its citizen under persistent hardship.

“Our debt profile has risen to unprecedented heights in a way never seen before, borrowing and spending bazaar witnessed by any administration in Nigeria history.”

According to the group, “The APC-led administration has so far borrowed in 4 years surplus of what the PDP borrowed in 16 years with most, if not all of what they borrowed, not accounted for.

“Unemployment has not only worsened under this APC government; most Nigerians wonder where the next meal will come from.

“The government is busy compromising institutions of state, from security agencies and anti-corruption bodies to INEC. They have been turned into tools in the hands of the APC for intimidation and persecution of the opposition,’’ it said.

The group identified women, youths and children as the worst hit category of the Nigerian masses under the present government, calling on the electorate to

Atiku

vote massively for the PDP candidate.

“In all of this, it is the women, youth and children who are worst hit by the effects of APC’s poor governance.

“The sheer numbers of women registered in the IDP camps spread across the country as a result of violence, terrorism and insecurity only goes to show thee callous negligence of their responsibility to protect life and property.

“We the Grassroots women and youth of the country have thus decided to make our voices heard in the fight to kick out hunger, killings and violence; the hallmarks of the abysmal APC’s administration.

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BDSUNDAY 5

News 2019 poll: We must stop Buhari from being re-elected - Falae YOMI AYELESO, Akure

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he National Ch a i r m a n o f the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olu Falae, has said Nigeria is in dire need of a good leader.

He said all hands must be on deck to stop President Muhammadu Buhari from being re-elected in the February 16 presidential election.

Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, spoke when the wife of the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Titi Abubakar, visited leaders of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere, at the residence of Reuben Fasoranti in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

According to him, “This government must not come back, for the sake of all of us; and even for the sake of the man (Buhari) himself.

Falae

“He does not have a clue of what is going on again. I don’t think he is well. He should just go home and rest. Some characters are hiding behind him to do evil.

“I wish Atiku well. We are on the same page, we are aiming at the same result. No one wants this government to come back because the government has failed.”

“Things that have not been happening before are now happening in the country; herdsmen now kidnap people as the eagle picks chicken,” he said.

“We must cooperate so that we get the right result.

I want to assure you that we are on the same page; we want the same result for this country. The reign of terror in this land must end,” he added.

In his rem arks, Fasoranti reiterated that the Afenifere would support any candidate that would restructure Nigeria.

“Our position in Afenifere is to support any candidate that will restructure Nigeria, because things are not moving in the country and we want the country to move forward,” he said.

Abubakar sought the Yoruba elders’ support for her husband.

“I want to assure you that my husband will not disappoint the Yoruba people and the country in general,” she said.

Ex-Senate president explains why Benue South will reject APC BENJAMIN AGESAN, Makurdi

F

ormer Senate president and Senator representing Benue South Senatorial district, David Mark, has stated that the people of Benue South Senatorial district will never vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in any election.

Senator Mark, who stated this on Friday in Otukpo at the end of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) campaign tour of local government areas in the zone, gave three reasons to justify his statement.

He stated that shortly after assumption of office in 2015, the APC-led Federal Government scrapped the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, students of which he noted would have been in 300 level by now, adding that the epileptic nature with which work was progressing on the Iweto bridge was also another reason the people of his district would reject the APC at the polls.

According to Mark, the APC also stopped work on the Otobi Dam for no justifiable reason, stressing that people of the area have been denied the many benefits of the dam including all-year-round farming.

Mark

He said that within one week of Atiku’s assumption of office as President, the Federal University of Health Sciences Otukpo would be revived and aggressive work would resume on the other two projects.

The legislator also stated that Governor Ortom had taken the bullet for his people and as such deserves their support for a second term.

He noted that Benue South would replicate what it had been known for since 1999 by voting for the PDP en masse, adding that the zone would only ensure that the margin of victory this time is wider.

Governor Samuel Ortom said he was impressed by the turnout of people of the zone throughout the PDP campaign tour, stressing that a vote for PDP was a liberation of the country from poverty, insecurity and impunity, among others.

State Chairman of the PDP, John Ngbede; state Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu and the Benue South Senatorial candidate of the PDP, Abba Moro, among other speakers said the tour of the zone had proven that the PDP has 100 percent support from the area.

My administration will create conducive environment for industrialisation - Ihedioha SABY ELEMBA, Owerri

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meka Ihedioha, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State, says that he will create enabling environment for businesses in the state, if he wins the gubernatorial election.

Ihedioha promised to work with the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA), the apex leader of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) in the state and revamp the abandoned industrial estate which has taken a toll on businesses and livelihoods in the state.

He said his government would create 135 manufacturing industries, emphasising that each of the 27 local government areas in the state would have five dif-

ferent factories built into it to reduce the growing youth unemployment. This, according to him, would help to curtail crimes and other social vices in the state.

To create more jobs, 15 youths from each of the 305 wards would be empowered every year, by training them in specific skills acquisition which would amount to raising up to 4,575 youth entrepreneurs each year, said Ihedioha. He said that he had already visited to the United States, US, particularly, North Carolina and South Carolina to parley with Imo indigenes to sell his candidacy.

He lamented the economic situation in Imo State, saying that the past seven years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been characterised by maladministration and flagrant disregard to the principles of rule of law and that good governance has been neglected.

Adelabu promises to establish consultative forum to interface between government and students Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan

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he Oyo state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebayo Adelabu has promised to establish student’s consultative forum which will serve as an interface between his government and students in the state when elected.

Adelabu, a former deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made the promise at a parley with the leadership of Oyo State students in tertiary institutions in Ibadan, the state capital.

The APC gubernatorial candidate in a statement in Ibadan by Bayo Busari, Spokesperson for Friends of Bayo Adelabu Independent Campaign Group, (FOBA ICG), said that the students were led by NANS JCC Chairman in Oyo State, Moronkola Teslim and Federation of Oyo State Students (FOSSU) Senate President, Wasiu Oke. The students used the medium to throw their support behind the candidature of Adelabu.

The students leaders while assuring Adelabu of their votes, declared their utmost confidence in his ability to lead the state to a greater height.

Busari further said that Adelabu also met with Professional Videographers Association of Nigeria (PVAN).

He noted that members of PVAN during the meeting adopted Adelabu as their gubernatorial candidate.

Busari noted that the adoption took place during a meeting between members

of PVAN and Friends of Adebayo Adelabu Independent Campaign Group.

PVAN Governor, Niyi Olanrewaju said that the association was ready to mobilise its more than 22,000 members to work tirelessly for the success of Adelabu at the polls.

Olanrewaju noted with delight the effort of Adelabu to bring about the peaceful atmosphere that pervades the length and breadth of Oyo State through his leadership of the Oyo State Security Trust Fund.

He said, “The people of Oyo State have enjoyed relative peace through the effort of the security trust fund that you head. Not only this, your uncommon contribution to the establishment of the Technical University has not gone unnoticed.

“It is our belief that if you could do all this, aside your various philanthropic activities, you best suited to be the number one man in Oyo State, come May 29, 2019,” Olanrewaju declared.

“We’re proud to be associated with his ambition and we’re ready to throw our weight behind the realisation of his ambition to govern Oyo State come May 29, 2019,” he declared.

Olanrewaju appealed to members of FOBA ICG to impress it on Chief Adelabu to run an all-inclusive government when he is eventually sworn in as the governor of the state.

FOBA ICG Chairman, Remi Babalola who received the leadership of PVAN thanked the association for endorsing the candidacy of Adelabu for the gubernatorial election.

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In Vienna, Magu calls for more international collaboration against corruption Innocent Odoh, Abuja

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cting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has stressed the importance of having an effective international collaboration between law enforcement agencies as part of efforts to combat corruption in Nigeria.

Magu, who was speaking at the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), in Vienna, Austria, January 24, 2019 noted that the cost of corruption was enormous and needed a broader approach to be tackled, a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Spokesman of the commission, Tony Orilade said.

“Corruption is acknowledged to have been an impediment to sustainable development in Africa, and the cost is so enormous that there is an urgent need for international collaboration for success to be achieved,” Magu said.

According to him, though the international community has created legal and institutional framework for the prevention and recovery of proceeds of corruption, recovery of stolen assets stashed away in foreign lands still remained a major issue to

Ibrahim Magu in middle, surrounded by H.E. Vivian N. R. Okeke, Nigerian Ambassador to Vienna and another participant during the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, IAACA, in Vienna, Austria.

be tackled.

While calling for more synergy in repatriation of stolen wealth, Magu noted that in spite of the challenges, there were success stories to celebrate.

He said: “Successes recorded in recovery of stolen assets have been achieved through Memoranda of Understanding, MoU signed between Nigeria and several countries including Switzerland, the United Kingdom, UK, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and the United States, US, in line with Article 57 paragraph 5 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, UNCAC. “The UK government re-

turned stolen funds to Nigeria in the cases of Dariye and Alamieyeseigha, with over 5 million pounds recovered from the former Bayelsa State governor in 2012.

“In the case of Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State in Nigeria, the British government also returned £48,000 to Nigeria in fulfilment of the UK’s commitments “under Chapter V of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

“In 1999, the Swiss authorities pursuant to a request for mutual legal assistance, returned about $723m to Nigeria,” he said.

He further revealed thata

Otti meets with Aba business community, pledges to rebuild city UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA

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lex Otti, the Abia State governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has vowed to completely transform Aba, the commercial nerve centre of South-East to the envy of others if elected the governor come March this year.

Otti, who made the vow in Aba at the Manifesto Presentation Programme of Abia Governorship and Senatorial of all Political Parties organised by the Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), said that he would renew Aba Urban by cleaning it up, greening it up and lighting it up.

“I will create enabling environment for new and existing businesses by providing adequate infrastructure,

security, tax breaks, activate geometric and create new residential and commercial zones,” he promised.

Otti noted that Aba people, renowned for their ingenuity, have been receiving accolades from different strata of the society but what the people need most is power, infrastructure and enabling environment to operate.

He disclosed that most of the people making Lagos thick in terms of internallygenerated revenue left from Aba and vowed to lure them back so that Abia would be better than Lagos.

“Lagos is working because the leadership is working. I am going to ensure that I completely transform Aba. I will support businesses going on in Aba so that we will be better than Lagos.

The APGA governorship candidate pointed out that Aba is the biggest trading

post in sub-Saharan Africa.

“If you fix Aba you have fixed the whole state. One of the reasons I left my job to contest is Aba. By the time I finish the transformation, no place can compare with Aba in Africa. When you invest in people that are creative they will invest in the state,” he said.

He appealed to Aba people to vote massively for him and other APGA candidates to realise their mission and vision, promising that this time around nobody would steal their mandate as every measure has been put in place to checkmate manipulations.

Andy Uba Obasi, president of ACCIMA, earlier in his address said that the Chamber brought together all political candidates and the business community to brainstorm as a way of preparing for the forthcoming elections.

tripartite MoU between the Swiss government, the World Bank and Nigerian government, also led to the return of additional $320 million Abacha loot.

Other classes of recoveries made by the EFCC, according to Magu, included, whistle blowers cash recoveries, subsidy payment cash recoveries, third party cash recovery for NNPC, FIRS, NPA, AMCON and Banks, he added.

“In 2017, EFCC made a total recovery of N473, 065,195,977.50, $142,504,121.12, and most of the recoveries, were nonconviction based asset recovery,” he said.

US envoy advises Nigerians on need for free, transparent polls ANIEFIOK UDONQUAk, Uyo

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he United States ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington has advised Nigerians to uphold democratic norms of fairness and transparency in the forthcoming elections.

Symington said that every citizen should be free to choose leaders of their own choice in a free and transparent poll and reminded the political class of the sacrifices of the past leaders to keep the unity of the country as a sovereign state whereby the fundamental rights of the citizens were respected.

Speaking when he visited Governor Udom. Emmanuel at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital, he appealed to Nigerians to eschew acts that could truncate the elections.

He described election as one of the processes that enable citizens to choose their Leaders and called on all the candidates from the various political parties to see their aspiration as a call to service not intimidation and rancour.

According to him, every citizen should be free to choose leaders of their own choice in a free and transparent poll and reminded the political class of the sacrifices of the past leaders to keep the unity of the country as a sovereign state whereby the fundamental rights of the citizens were respected.

The American Envoy said that the world is interested in Nigeria’s political development in view of its key role in Africa being one of the largest country with abundant economic potential.

He said the “global community is conscious of the fact that only the citizens of the country can determine their destiny and not political parties” and urged the political gladiators to place the interest of the people above self rather than attempt to compromise the electoral body and the security services to their advantage.

Symington said that every Nigerian should ponder on how to salvage the economic and security challenges and not further polarize the country on regional, religious or ethnic considerations.

In his remarks, Governor Emmanuel appealed to the global community and international agencies to take a cursory look at the use of the country’s security agents for actions that could threaten the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.

He said the use of the police by the opposition to intimidate key supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP with spurious and cooked up charges, among other issues, could lead to a breach of peace in the state.

He noted that America has its largest investments in Nigeria, located in Akwa Ibom state and traced the successes of the companies to the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.

Firm hosts novelty match to encourage youth participation in elections Odinaka Anudu

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o motivate the country’s youths to actively participate in this year’s elections, Tap iNitiative has organised novelty match tagged #PVCFootball to be played by the Super Eagles’ 1994 and 2013 AFCON winners at National Stadium Surulere, Lagos, on the 9th of February 2019.

Mbasekei Martin Obono, executive director of Tap iNitiative, acknowledged the 1994 and 2013 AFCON players as, the greatest football team ever produced by Nigeria.

He said that bringing the two teams together would inspire a cross-generational bridge between the Millennials and the Generation X as well as unlock the memories and youthful passion of both demographics, encouraging those with the most potent memories of the AFCON and

their favourite Nigerian football idols to go to the nearest PVC collections and get their voters card.

This comes after INEC released a report indicating that 51.1 percent of registered voters are between the ages of 18 and 35.

To this end, TAP iNitiative has kicked off its football viewing center campaign in Gombe, Lagos, Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, and Abuja ahead of the #PVCFootball awareness match to dialogue, encourage and educate young people on the need to vote.

Though the #PVCFootball match is free, spectators will be required to show their PVCs to gain entrance into the stadium.

One of the players, Victor Ikpeba, who played as a forward for the Super Eagles and now one of the ambassadors for Tap iNitiative PVC Novelty Match, commended the firm for their confidence in the former Nigerian team and

the opportunity to be a part of a national cause to get the right leaders elected.

“I am happy that Tap is nonpartisan,” Ikpeba said.

“If this country needs a change, I am ready to create awareness through all my onlineplatformstoencourage people to vote. We support what Tap iNitiative is doing and I commend their effort.”

Olufemi Joshua, director of PTCIJ, thanked the 1994 AFCON winners for choosing to play for the national awareness of PVC collection and voting and urged them to also play for their demised teammates from the 1994 AFCON specifically Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Uche Okafor, Sunny Ozogula, Jossy Lad and Thompson Oliha Nduka Ugbade and Taribo West, Super Eagles defenders of the 1994 AFCON team, bothexpressedtheirreliefand gratitude to Tap iNitiative and Osiwa for putting together thePVCFootballprogramme.

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News SDP candidate for Abia House of Assembly urges electorate to vote for credible persons, not parties

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because they are not Fathers Christmas.

“No politician is a Father Christmas. Even Father Christmas offers gifts based on proceeds from gate. You should bear in mind that the politician when voted into office will first of all recover what he has spent in buying votes. Anybody giving you money is not ready to serve.”

He warned that if Ndigbo do not put things in order this time around, they would get it wrong, adding that 10million voters allocated to SouthEast were far below the figure expected from the zone.

He argued that the prom-

ise by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration to hand over the Presidency to South-East was not feasible.

“If we buy into APC bargain, it may turn against us.

Yorubas who are currently serving as VP will not fold their hands and watch because they have been voicing it out publicly,” Ndimele warned.

He noted that the only party that could ensure easy cruise for South-East to the Presidency is PDP. “Those canvassing for APC are doing so out of their selfish interest,” he said.

Ngwa Social Club awards 70 scholarships to indigent students Kalu Ulu

Ulu said.

The SDP candidate said if elected into the State Assembly, he would bring new narratives in the hallowed chamber.

“I am going to stand on the path of the people. I want to be there and partner with

the executive so that we can look at our faces and tell the truth,” he assured.

He noted that Abia State government although did not accept Local Government autonomy, if elected, he would fight for the restoration.

Medical doctor, others receive prizes in GLOIN60SECONDS online contest ore winners in the GLOIN60SECONDS online talent competition have been rewarded with cash prizes at several Gloworld retail outlets in the country.

In Lagos, Doherty Leticia Moyosore, a 24-year-old medical doctor, and Ajayi Oluwadamilare, an up-andcoming comedian, collected their N50,000 cheques from the Gloworld in Surulere, while 21-year Adeuti Samuel Oluwatope, a singer, received his prize at the Ikorodu Gloworld outlet.

A fourth winner in Lagos, Ojeabuo Ohikhuem Favour, was unable to make it to the presentation and would now receive her prize from the Surulere shop at a later date.

Adepeju Ruqqayah Oyindamola, who won in the singing category received her cheque in Ibadan.

She is currently doing her National Youth Service in Enugu State. Another winner who smiled home with N50,000 was Chuke Chinemelum. The medical student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, received his cheque at the Kada Cinema Gloworld in Benin.

The six winners were those with the best entries out of the thousands of video uploads made by Globacom subscribers from

UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA

hinanu Ndimele, a political scientist, has advised the electorate to resist the attempt of some dubious politicians to lure them into vote buying as the trend has lots of negative consequences in good governance.

The political scientist, based in Umuahia, Abia State, noted that “when politicians pay you to vote for them, they have already compensated you and you should not expect much from them when they get into office,

UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHI-

alu Kalu Ulu, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate for Arochukwu State Constituency in the forthcoming elections, has advised the electorate to vote for credible and upright candidates and not for parties.

Ulu also enjoined fellow contestants to abide by the rules as politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair.

He said that his constituents pressured him to come out for the contest based on his good track records as a philanthropist.

“We need very enlightened and people with integrity to be in government.

We need people in the Abia House of Assembly who should not be appendages to the executive. We want people who will emerge in various positions on the choice of the people and not through fraudulent means,”

‘Vote-buying has lots of negative consequences’

various parts of the country in the third week of the competition.

GLOIN60SECONDS competition offers participants the opportunity to upload a one-minute video of themselves showcasing their talents on their social media accounts such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #GLOIN60SECONDS. The video could either be on music, dance, comedy, poetry or any other creative ability.

In addition, they are expected to follow Glo on any of the company’s social media pages @Globacomlimited on Instagram, @ Gloworld on Twitter and Gloworld on Facebook.

Seven lucky contestants with the highest video likes will win N50,000 each every week in the challenge which

runs between December 10, 2018 and February 3, 2019, making a total of 56 winners, while a grand prize of 1 million naira will be won by the overall winner at the grand finale. In addition, N200,000 consolation prizes will be presented to 5 runners-up.

Participants are allowed to upload as many videos as possible per week. The videos will be eligible for weekly prizes in the week uploaded.

Expressing delight with his prize, Adeuti Oluwatope could not stop thanking Globacom. “I can’t thank Glo enough for this recognition. Apart from the money, Glo has helped to boost my confidence in what I love to do. This will encourage me to work harder in my music career,” said Oluwatope, a student of Ondo State University of Technology.

According to him, the money will help his upkeep in school.

In the same vein, Doherty Leticia Moyosore commended Glo for introducing various initiatives to delight subscribers. “Ordinarily, I like to dance and have fun.

So, when I hear about the online talent competition, I decided to do a video of myself doing what I enjoy most. And here I am with N50,000 just like that. I am now aiming for the big prize of N1m. Thumbs up to Glo”, she said.

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eventy indigent students of Ngwa origin would be beneficiaries of the 2018/2019 Ngwa Social Club scholarships scheme, club President Uzoma Ogbonna has announced.

Cheques for the scholarships would be handed out on February 1 at Elder Emma Adaelu’s Office Complex in Osisioma.

“It’s the club’s contribution to assist the students in higher institutions,” Ogbonna said, adding, “We wish we could do more. There are thousands of these students

who need assistance to pay their fees and upkeep in school.”

Okezie Ikpeazu, Abia State governor, is expected to be the special guest of honour at the event.

On the criteria for the award, Ogbonna said the students must be indigent and intelligent. Their academic performance would be at least 3.5GPA. They were also to be in the first or final year of their studies. He explained that the criteria are based on discussions with managers of educational institutions.

“The first year is usually tough for this category of students. Some lose the admission, others manage under excruciating circumstances. In the final, the students harbour fears of losing what they struggled for, if they don’t get help.

These informed the choice of those years,” he said.

Each awardees would get N100,000. Ten awardees were selected from each of the seven Ngwa local government areas in Abia State. The 55-year-old Club began the scholarship scheme some years back.

Be wary of preregistered SIM cards, NCC warns telecoms consumers Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan

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heNigerianTelecommunications Commission (NCC) has warned Nigerians to be wary of preregistered SIM cards, saying the danger inherent in buying such SIM card is enormous.

The NCC’s Deputy Director of Consumer Affairs (Protection Advocacy Group), Bamiji Ojo, warned that anybody who used preregistered SIM which had been used to commit crime would pay dearly for it if caught.

Ojo, who gave the warning during the 102nd edition of Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) with the theme: ‘Mitigating Effects of Cybercrimes: Roles of Tele-

coms Consumers,’ urged all and prospective subscribers to register their SIM cards before using them.

According to him, “Don’t use preregistered SIM. Don’t buy it. Someone must have used it to carry out crimes and return it. If you buy it and you’re caught you will be held responsible.

Go and register your SIM. Nobody can use your SIM because your face and fingerprint are not the same with others”.

The commission also allayed the fear that base stations and masts cause ailments and kill those staying closer to the facilities, adding that, “base stations don’t kill. Without it we can’t communicate. Today, there have been some negative public

perceptions and conceptions about telecoms consumers of electromagnetic radiation. It does not cause cancer.”

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Ismail Adedigba, said the commission understood the importance of critical stakeholders in the industry.

He therefore, said in line with the Commission’s mandate to continuously educate and enlighten the consumers on industry issues, the theme of the event was chosen in order to sensitise telecoms consumers on the rising wave of cybercrime in various forms; its dangers and the roles of the consumers in reducing impacts of cybercrimes.

Contributory pension scheme kicks off in Abia UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA

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n a bid to kick-start the contributory pension scheme in Abia State, the state government has conducted education and enlightenment campaign to educate all categories of workers in the state on how the scheme would be run.

Okechukwu Ihedioha, permanent secretary, Bureau

of Establishments and Pensions, office of the Head of Service, Abia State, disclosed that the scheme, which has officially kicked-off with effect from this month (January) with the backing of the Pension Law Number 4 of 2017 enacted in March and was also given credence by the decision of the state Executive Council.

Ihedioha noted that the issue had been a thorn in the

flesh of the state government, adding that government was poised to ensure that it would be a thing of the past. The PS hinted that a 13-man committee had been appointed which include leaders of organised labour to ensure a seamless process of the scheme.

“Before December last year, PENCOM officials visited us and we had a robust discussion,” he said.

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2019: Police commission vows to deal with officers found wanting Regis Anukwuoji, Enugu

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he Nigeria Police Service Commission has said it would deal decisively according to the law with any police officer found wanting during the coming 2019 general election.

A former President of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Nkemka Jombo-Ofor, a member of the police service commission representing the South-East and the organised private sector, disclosed this to journalists after a closeddoor meeting with members of the organised private sector at the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA).

Jumbo-Ofor said the action was part of the commission’s readiness to ensure a free and fair election in the coming general election in the country.

He said that to conduct free and fair election was to protect Nigerians’ future, pointing out that once there is instability arising from political manipulations it would negatively affect the private

sector.

“We will set up hot lines and make them available to you to report police misbehaviours during the election for us to take actions; that it is the mandate of the president that elections will be free and fair,” he said.

Responding to a question referring to Osun and Ekiti state elections where police and other security officers were allegedly used to intimidate opposition parties, if the movement of the police officer is not aimed at committing the same offence, he said that the election would be taking

place in the 36 states of the federation and that Nigeria does not have that number of police, pointing out that the situations in the two states mentioned were possible because it was for only two statesanditwaseasytomove police from other states.

“Every police officer on election duties must wear his or her name and number tags in a visible manner, for easy identification by voters, monitors, observers and other stakeholders. Any policeman or woman that does not obey these rules should be reported, or if pos-

sible snapped with phones,” he said.

On the guidelines for the conduct of police officers on electoral duty, he said they must avoid undue fraternisation with party members and agents of any political party in any way that could be interpreted as compromising their impartiality.

Every police officer on election duty would be expected to have a good working knowledge of electoral law, especially the section on electoral offences which he or she would be expected to enforce.

Collaboration will transform local oil firms into regional powerhouses - Nestoil Josephine Okojie

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r n e s t Az u d i a l u Ob i e j e s i , g r o u p managing director, Nestoil has said that collaboration among local oil operating firms will open up lots of opportunities that will transform them into regional powerhouses capable of developing the economies across the continent.

Azudialu-Obiejesi, disclosed this at the recently held West African International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (WAIPEC), during a panel discussion on the transformation of indigenous contractors into regional powerhouses.

According to AzudialuObiejesi, collaboration which can be through a ‘central hub model, multiple hub models or that of pure organic model’ when adopted will reduce rivalry among local firms and save cost, thereby, increasing expertise and shared values to the partners.

He highlighted the benefits that can be accruable to other oil companies through the firm’s 59-hectare base in

Abuloma, Rivers state, where lots of fabrication activities go on with dockyard availability.

He stated that other firms can come in to do their contracts using the facility therein and move the products when done instead of thinking to expend extra costs due to non-availability of the facility to them.

He said there is a huge opportunity inherent in the West African market yet to be tapped, adding that if there was no market there would be no opportunity, but the availability of market is why transformation is being touted.

Represented by Nnamdi Ihekweazu, head of business development, Nestoil, he said solutions to human capital development issues can be gotten from local expertise which has been their core message since inception as 95 percent of their workforce are Nigerians.

“Our belief in local capacity was why we were able to be the first firm to pioneer alternative evacuation system to stop oil theft permanently in the industry and we were able to achieve this due to the trust we placed on our workforce”, he asserted.

‘Diversifying economy through ABSU graduates 4,153 agriculture will not provide during 26TH convocation …As 18 graduands bag 1st class the desired benefits, if…’

UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA

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kwu J. Nnanna, deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN), has said that diversifying the economy through Agriculture will not provide the desired benefits if investment in the sector does not cover the agricultural value chain.

Nnanna stated this in Abia State University, Uturu, dur-

ing the 26th Pre-Convocation lecture which he delivered.

In his lecture entitled ‘Diversification of the Nigerian Economy through the Agricultural Sector’, Nnanna noted that the case for agricultural diversification was hinged on the intersectoral linkage effect, which was a prerequisite for balanced growth and development.

Nnanna, who is the deputy governor in-charge of Economic Policy in CBN, pointed out that there was every like-

lihood that if the economy becomes more competitive with well-diversified products, growth would become more inclusive.

He said that a diversified economy would assist in solving problem of high unemployment, uneven development, rising inflation, wide income inequality, high poverty level and high level of insecurity, adding that Nigeria’s vulnerability to the oil sector did not augur well for long-term economic stability and development.

The CBN Deputy Governor observed that good governance was the bedrock for unlocking the diversification process.

“In that regard, government policies must be backed with good judicial system, rule of law and strong institutions. Strong institutions, in particular ensure compliance with rules and regulations, minimise disruptions and delays due to public bureaucracy and ensures that the private sector thrives seamlessly while driving the productive process,” he said.

UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA

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biaState University, Uturu has graduated a total of 4,153 during the 26th convocation ceremony of the Institution held recently.

Of the above figure, 18 made Ist class, 511 got 2nd class upper division, while 2532 made 2nd class lower division.

365 came out with third class, whereas 7 got pass level.

203 passed in Medicine and Surgery (unclassified) while 131 came out in Optometry (unclassified).

E. Uche Ikonne, a professor, and Vice Chancellor of the university, while speaking during the ceremony congratulated the graduands and urged them to effectively reflect and defend the motto of the Institution, ‘Excellence and Service’ in all their endeavours in the global market.

“We have equipped you with relevant knowledge,

skills, adequate moral conduct and service orientation that you need for the competitive global economy,” Ikonne said.

Ikonne announced the offer of automatic employment as a member of the Academic staff to Onyebuchi Chioma Precious, the overall graduand who scored CGPA of 4.70 in Philosophy.

The VC thanked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for assembling men and women of distinction as members of the Governing Council led by Ad-

olf Wabara, former president of the Senate.

Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse, Tor Tiv, chairman, Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers was installed the Chancellor of the University while His Eminence, Eze Bernard Onyenguzu Enweremadu, Ezeukwu 1 of Ngwaland and Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika (Lt. General Rtrd) former Chief of Army Staff, were conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degrees (Honoraris Causa) during the ceremony.

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PhotoSplash

L-R: Tope Adegbonmire, real estate expert; Iquoh ukoh, CEO Entod marketing / founder 1qfoodplatter; Allen Ose-Ediale, founder, the recharge centre/ convener Champions summit; Ediri Ose – Ediale, executive sectary, Advertiser association of Nigeria(ADVAN); Tony Aletor, vice-chairman, Capital express group and Austin Eruotor, president, Whitehouse hotels, at the champions summit tagged “take the lead in 2019” an initiative of THE RECHARGE CENTERS in Lagos.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,engaging some traders, during the inauguration of TraderMoni at Takie Market in Ogbomoso, Oyo State... on Friday

L-R: Tonye Preghafi, chairman, board of trustees, Red Star Foundation; Sule Bichi, director, Red Star Express; Abdul Koguna, head, central admin, and government officials during the donation of a borehole by Red Star Foundation at Koguna , Kano State.

L-R: Obi Ozor, co-founder, Kobo 360 Logistics; Gregory Krief, managing director of MSC, Benin, Niger and Togo, and Ife Oyedele II, co-founder, Kobo Logistics, at Lome, Togo on the occasion of the expansion of Kobo360 into Togo.

L-R: Simon Lalong governor, Plateau State, sympathizing with Ahmed Musa, assistant captain, Super Eagles, during his condolence visit to Musa over the death of his mother in Jos. NAN

Babatunde Fashola(r), minister of power, works and housing, addressing the press, during the inauguration of Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) Chemical and Engineering Laboratory in Lagos With him is Peter Ewesor, MD, NEMSA. NAN

L-R: Adekunle Adedotun, supervisor, Oja-Oba Market; Ogboye Aji, beneficiary; Kolawole Ayodele, Alara-Eluku; Ganiyu, Alase of Latawa; Falake Ogunsola Oyindanola, Balogun Oloko-OjaOba and an Agent of the Trader Mini, during Trader Moni inauguration at Oja-Oba Market Sagamu, Ogun State.

Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (m); Lateef Kayode Jakande, former first civilian governor of Lagos State, (l) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, All Progressives Congress (APC) Gubernatorial Candidate in Lagos State, during a visit by the Vice President, to Pa. Jakande residents, in Ilupeju Lagos.

10 Inside Lagos

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Why VIOs are now seen on Lagos roads, says official Stories by JOSHUA BASSEY

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he Lagos State government has explained why the operatives of Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) of the state ministry of transportation popularly called VIOs are being seen on the roads.

Taiwo Salami, the permanent secretary in the ministry, told newsmen on Friday that the VIOs were being deployed in some specific areas to lend a helping hand to the officers of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) in their task of controlling vehicular traffic on congested routes.

According to Salami, this is being done to ensure that vehicular traffic in such areas are effectively managed and made to flow seamlessly.

“This does not mean that the VIOs are backed on the road to inspect motor vehicles,” he said, adding that the executive order issued by the state governor banning the VIOs from road operation remained in force across Lagos.

Salami said any VIO stopping vehicles for purposes of inspecting and demanding driver’s license, roadworthiness and

VIO operatives

other related documents was in contravention of the subsisting order and therefore risked sanctions.

He called on motorists and residents of the state to report any such VIO to the relevant authorities.

“If you see VIOs on the road, they’re not there to check or inspect vehicles. They’re there to assist LASTMA in some areas where such assistance is needed.

IE begins e-tagging of high tension poles

I

keja Electric (IE), one of the two electricity distributors in Lagos has begun electronic tagging of electricity poles within its jurisdiction so as to optimise operations through adequate maintenance of installations and reduction of downtime.

Spokesman for the company, Felix Ofulue, said that the exercise, known as E-Pole Tagging Project, entailed labeling of all 11KV and 33KV High Tension (HT) poles with electronic Quick Response (QR) Code stickers.

According to him, it will accelerate fault clearing; ensure proper record keeping for poles and feeders that need urgent maintenance to bring about stable power distribution to customers.

He said the project would cover 274 units of 11KV overhead feeders and 64 units of 33KV overhead feeders.

Ofulue noted that the electronic stickers were designed in QR Code (Quick Response Code) format.

“Information about the feeders and poles are embedded into the fiber metallic stickers that are attached to the poles.

“This information can be read by scanning the QR Code on the stickers pasted on the poles with any smartphone devices.

“The scanned information will show the Index Number, Feeder Name, Pole Material Type

(Wooden or Concrete), Pole ID, Longitude/Latitude and Pole Structure (Single or Dual Poles),” he said.

He further explained that the initiative would enable the technical team to track work and maintenance history, reducing human error in the upkeep of regular maintenance.

“It will also ensure speeding up tracking times for new work orders.

“Part of the recent improvement done by IE includes upgrading of the PTC at Ikeja GRA to offer a highly effective Point-ofSales self-service.

“Others are fully automated Electronic Queue Management System (EQMS) and well-trained executives and sales representatives.

“The projects executed to scale up supply across our network also include commissioning of the Mushin 1x15MVA Injection Substation and the New Oworo 15 MVA Injection Sub-Station.

“Towards the end of last year, IE carried out a thorough rehabilitation of the Agege Injection Substation with the replacement of two obsolete high voltage switch gears.

“It has also set up a Preventive Maintenance Team to check failure of equipment and guarantee stable power supply,” he said.

If you see any of them doing otherwise, you’re expected to report to the relevant authorities for necessary action,” said Salami.

BD Sunday had reported last week that VIOs were gradually returning to the roads in defiance to the order of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode banning them permanently from road operation.

Checks in some parts of Lagos metropolis had shown VIOs

stopping vehicles on the roads since late 2018.

On Friday, January 18, 2019 for example, some VIOs were sighted on Agbegbi Road, in Ijesha, Surulere, in their usual manner of operation. Their black/ yellow stripes operational Hilux truck was parked by the roadside while the personnel stayed out to flag down oncoming vehicles.

Recall that Governor Am-

bode in May 2017 while inaugurating pedestrian bridges, laybys and slip roads at Ojodu Berger along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, banned the operations of the VIOs permanently from the roads.

Ambode challenged the VIOs to come up with technology to monitor and track vehicle registration and MOT certifications. He had also directed the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials to stay off the inner-city roads and the main streets of Lagos, saying the operation of the federal agency should be restricted to the fringes and highways over which the Federal Government has jurisdiction.

He said: “The VIOs have been asked to stay off our roads permanently. The FRSC is to stay on the fringes and highways and not on the main streets of Lagos”.

Before banning the operations of the VIOs from the roads, complaints had been rife about the high handedness of the operatives.

Their activities were also linked to worsening traffic situation within Lagos metropolis while they also had several brushes with motorists, some of which resulted in accidents and casualties.

Lagos records 119 fire outbreaks in 3 weeks

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h e La g o s St a t e Fi r e Service says the state has recorded about 119 fire incidents since the new year, January 1 till January 24, 2019 Rasaki Musibau, the acting director, State Fire Service, disclosed this to newsmen, attributing the high incidence to ‘high level of carelessness’ in the handling of fires and other inflammable materials.

According to Musibau, valuables worth millions of naira and lives were been lost daily to avoidable fire outbreaks.

The acting director added that the directorate received

about 19 fire emergency calls weekly (11 rescue calls and eight false call were received accordingly.)

He said the high rate of fire incidents was of concern to the state government because of the premium placed on the safety of the citizens.

“Fire outbreaks in the state have become a perennial problem, with many reported cases which pose serious threat to national economy.

“It further leaves enormous material damage, injury to persons and disruption of economic and social life.

“Some of the fire cases are

mostly caused by negligence on the part of those who use fire.

Hence the need to prioritise the management and prevention of fire in our environment to avoid destruction of lives and property,” he said.

Musibau said that fire officials, as first responders to emergencies and incident management, have been empowered and equipped to tackle any form of natural and man-made incident across the state.

He appealed to residents to utilise the emergency toll free numbers 767 / 112 to report any case of fire incident to avert loss of lives and property.

1.85m Lagos commuters used train in 2018

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total of 1,855,357 commuters traveled by train within Lagos District of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in 2018, the district manager, Jerry Oche, has said.

Oche said that last year’s train commuter traffic in Lagos was lower than the 1, 869, 626 and 2,319, 633 passengers recorded in 2017 and 2016, respectively.

The NRC boss said that 1,673,413 commuters traveled on its mass transit trains between Ijoko and Apapa/Iddo axis while 170,891 used its airconditioned luxury trains along the same route last year.

According to him, only 11,053 commuters raveled on NRC Express Train Service between Lagos and Kano in 2018.

“We moved 1,855,357 people in the Mass Transit Trains, Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) and the Express Train Service in 2018 in the Lagos District,” Oche disclosed.

The NRC boss added that the Express Trains recorded no service in July, September and October due to wash-outs on the rail tracks in Oyun, Kwara State.

“Washout is a situation where the earthwork or soil formation of a track is removed suddenly leaving the track hanging.

This could be as a result of sand slide, flooding due to heavy rain, blocked drainage, river overflowing, dam spillages,” Oche said.

The NRC boss said that the affected train, which was supposed to arrive in Lagos on September 1, was held back until November 6 due to the washout.

A ride on the Mass Transit Train cost N230 between lddo/ Apapa and ljoko in Ogun, while the air-conditioned luxury train cost N750 on the same route.

The Lagos-Kano ride cost N2,950 in the economy class of the express train service.

Sunday 27 January 2019

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Lagos and the tourism goldmine

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Frank Aigbogun editor Zebulon Agomuo DEPUTY EDITOR John Osadolor, Abuja

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

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Fabian Akagha EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL SERVICES Oghenevwoke Ighure GENERAL MANAGER, ADVERT Adeola Ajewole ADVERT MANAGER Ijeoma Ude FINANCE MANAGER Emeka Ifeanyi MANAGER, CONFERENCES & EVENTS Obiora Onyeaso SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Patrick Ijegbai CIRCULATION MANAGER John Okpaire DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Linda Ochugbua GM, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (North)

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F

rom all indications, the several investments of the Lagos state government in the tourism sector is steadily but surely paying off. For instance, according to reports, activities within the tourism sector contributed about N800billion to the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017.

Similar in a recent statement, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, revealed that the tourism sector recorded major success in the last quarter of 2018.

According to the Commissioner, developments and details of activities as keenly observed by the Lagos State Government captured total spending in excess of N50bn in cash transactions, especially in weeks preceding and following the Yuletide season.

Interestingly, this development seems to be following an already established one, as similar trend was recorded towards the last quarter of 2017. According to a report, a large chunk of noticeable spending in the last two years in the sector transpired in hotel lodgings, local in-bound flights and taxi/chartered transportation,

alcohol and beverage consumption; culinary business; visits to resorts, parks, clubs and lounges, live theatre and cinemas; concerts and clubs as well as ancillary businesses like fashion and clothing, kiddies’ games and toys, and private security guards, which are all now part of the tourism and entertainment ecosystem.

No doubt, this latest surge in economic activities in the sector is an indication that recent efforts by the state government geared towards strategic development and growth of the sector are, after all, not in vain. Of late, the state government has demonstrated sufficient capacity to explore the limitless potentials of the sector through deliberate interest in and commitment to the development of infrastructure, security and ideas that impact positively on tourism, entertainment and shopping.

Naturally, global top players in the tourism industry are intensely observing development in the state tourism sector. For instance, a report in the British Daily Mail of April 2018 listed Lagos along with Nairobi, Kenya as the top nonEuropean destinations among British travelers planning for summer holiday. Similarly, the MasterCard Global Travel Index released in October 2018 categorized Lagos as the most visited city in subSaharan Africa in 2018.

To sustain current momentum in the industry, in January 2018, the state government released the innovative Calendar of Arts and Culture events purposely to help visitors from across the world in planning their itinerary within and outside Lagos. The Calendar, with

a comprehensive guide of festivals and art events available in each month of the year, is, without a doubt, quite instrumental to recent boost recorded in the sector.

An integral part of the strategies being deployed by the state government in developing the sector is the improvement of Lagos night economy. New research from across the world has indicated that many cities, over the past two decades, have deliberately put in place a strategy to run a 24 hour economy. In major cities of the world, socio-economic activities take place 24 hours around the clock. A 24 hour economy is one in which socio-economic activities do not halt at night. The hospitality and entertainment industries, in particular, thrive better in a 24/7 economy.

Presently, Lagos boasts of a relatively thriving night economy.

In terms of crime management and security, night activities in Lagos have become relatively stable.

Today, if compared to cities like Cairo, Nairobi and Johannesburg, the security indicators for Lagos are high up despite the obvious fact that there is still work to be done. Cheerfully, the state government is not resting on its oars as the long term plan is to create a vibrant and safer Lagos that offers something for everyone – from a street bar with live music, a mechanic service, fashion businesses, to an all-hours bookshop.

In the next ten years, it is expected that the state’s economy will be transformed away from a focus on younger people and entertainment. It is hoped that 40% of people taking advantage of the improved 24/7 activities

in the state will be aged over 40 and that 40% of operating businesses at this time will be chiefly anchored on formal business concerns. This is why the state government is encouraging a larger variety of retailers and attractions to stay open late, to broaden people’s choices of things to do at night. By 2025, the state hopes to double its 24/7 economy turnover and increase employment by 55% through the creation of several new jobs.

As previously affirmed, the fresh impetus being witnessed in the tourism industry is a reflection of deliberate tactics evolved by the state government. For instance, in a bid to further explore the State’s tourism potentials, the state government a first-ever Tourism Summit in April, 2018.

With the theme: “Destination Lagos: Towards a Sustainable tourism-driven economy”, the Summit major paper was delivered by Professor I. A. Ayodele of the Department of Wildlife and Ecotourism Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, while Professor Pat Utomi, of the Lagos Business School, talked on “Financing tourism, the paths and possibilities for Lagos State”.

The summit attracted the former President of Ghana, John Mahama, who delivered the keynote address; the Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba, Chief Gani Adams; the Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Folorunso Folarin Coker and other distinguished personalities.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Perspective Aviation Cabotage policy to resolve Nigeria’s imbalanced bilateral air service agreements Dr. Oluwole Akinyeye, head, Maritime Unit Olisa Agbakoba Legal; Email – oluwole@oal.law Imbalance of Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements ilateral Air Service Agreements are international trade agreements that permit the airlines of two countries to conduct air transport services between their respective territories. Currently, Nigeria has signed over 80 bilateral air service agreements with various countries, which have largely failed to benefit the country. This position is largely against the principle that multiple benefits are to be derived from such international commercial arrangements, as confirmed in Part 8 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Policy, 2013, which provides that air service agreements will be premised upon economic considerations and expectations.

In This Day newspaper’s publication on November 19, 2018, it was reported that statistics from the International Air Transport Association, revealed that international airlines sold tickets worth $1.4billion to Nigerian travelers in 2017, while tickets worth $800 million were sold in the first six months of 2018. Unfortunately, while foreign air carriers continue to make monumental gains from operating flights to and from Nigeria under the bilateral air service agreements, Nigeria’s domestic air carriers continue to remain shortchanged under the agreements, as their inability to reciprocate these flights has been reported to cost the country over $3billion annually.

Suffice to say that the present bilateral air service agreements signed by Nigeria with other countries reflect an imbalance in these agreements. This position is totally unacceptable, considering that aviation occupies a strategic role as an integral means of generating revenue in any economy.

Notably, aviation stakeholders have identified that the unfair imbalance created under Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements can largely be attributed to an absence of government policy protecting the Nigerian airlines. Given this position, it becomes crucial to create a government policy to resolve the imbalance. It is these circumstances that warrant the consideration of Nigeria’s imbalanced bilateral air service agreements and the ramifications of enacting the proposed ‘Fly Nigeria Act’, which aviation stakeholders have clamoured for, as a viable solution to resolving the imbalance.

Problems creating Nigeria’s imbalanced bilateral air

B

service agreements The imbalance of Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements is the result of certain problems that are primarily responsible for the inability of Nigeria to reciprocate its agreements with other countries and to maximize the opportunities flowing from such agreements. The problems are identified below.

•Demise of national carrier Previously, the Nigeria Airways was the national carrier that executed Nigeria’s part of its bilateral air service agreements; however, its regrettable demise meant that inevitable difficulties would be presented to Nigeria’s efforts to continue to fulfill its own end of the agreements. It is also recalled that the defunct Nigeria Airways was replaced by Air Nigeria (originally Virgin Nigeria), however, it is quite unfortunate that the latter suffered the same fate of the former. The inevitable result is that there is no existing national carrier that would position Nigeria to reciprocate its bilateral air service agreements with other countries. This constitutes an unacceptable situation considering that a country’s national air carrier boosts that country’s image and tourism. Arguably, the current inexistence of a national carrier is clearly an indictment on the past and current governments for their failure to sustain the continued existence and operation of the defunct national carriers.

•Incapacity of local private airlines In the wake of the demise of the national carriers, privately owned airlines have tried to successfully operate the international routes, however, they have been incapacitated through formidable difficulties in the nature of financial constraints.

Regarding these financial challenges, one need not look any further than Arik Air’s operation of the Abuja-London route that appeared to have encountered the problematic issue of securing landing slots in UK airports, which was due to the significant costs in getting the slots. In a chat by a Former Director in Medview Airline, Lukeman Animasaun, with This Day newspaper, published on July 13, 2018, he stated that the costs of securing landing slots were too high and prohibitive, which would affect the capacity of any local private airline in operating the international routes. In other words, the same problem experienced by Arik Air would be encountered by any other private airline that sought to operate the international routes.

He further noted that while the government had initially made efforts to intervene in respect of the difficulties experienced

by Arik Air with the UK airport authorities, this intervention was, however, not sustained.

It was his opinion that the difficulties experienced by Arik Air would not have been so, if it had the status of a national carrier, as the government would definitely retaliate against any hostile measures or actions of the UK airport authorities.

However, it must be stated that while it is true that the government would certainly protect the interest of its national carrier, it is also true that the government owes the same obligation to any domestic private airline that operates the international routes. This is in light of the position that under most of Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements with other countries, there are provisions granting the parties the right to designate the air carrier(s) that will be authorised to operate the agreed routes. Against this backdrop, if in the absence of a national carrier, a domestic private airline has been authorised as the air carrier to operate an agreed route, the government owes that designated carrier a duty to advance and protect its interests. As a result, the failure of the government to adequately protect the interest of private air carriers operating international routes reflects a lack of political will to do so.

•Aviation cabotage policy as resolution of Nigeria’s imbalanced bilateral air service agreements The concept of cabotage originated from the shipping

...cabotage was originally associated with the shipping sector, its application has been extended to the aviation sector. As a result, Article 7 of the Chicago Convention 1944 permits a State to refuse foreign airlines the right to operate domestic flights in its territory

sector and refers to the carriage of goods or passengers from one place to another place within the same country, by a transport service provider from a foreign country. The practice of the concept can, however, be considered inimical to any country where it is permitted, as the economic growth and development of that country’s maritime sector could be inhibited. As a result, it is not surprising that an appreciable number of countries have enacted cabotage laws restricting the participation of foreigners in local shipping.

For instance, Nigeria has its cabotage restriction law in the form of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, 2003.

While cabotage was originally associated with the shipping sector, its application has been extended to the aviation sector. As a result, Article 7 of the Chicago Convention 1944 permits a State to refuse foreign airlines the right to operate domestic flights in its territory. It is noteworthy that Nigeria has categorically forbidden cabotage in its bilateral air service agreements.

However, it appears that simply prohibiting cabotage is inadequate in dealing with the imbalance arising from Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements, which is created by the challenges posed to the implementation of the agreements, as earlier considered.

Given this position, it is quite clear that cabotage restriction must be taken a notch further. In this regard, it is submitted that there is a growing necessity to enact legislation based upon a policy that will ensure that every government spending on travels, originates and terminates with an indigenous national air carrier. This policy can be modeled upon the United States of America legislation, Fly America Act, which primarily requires federal employees, consultants, contractors, and grantees, to use U.S. air carrier service for all air travel and cargo transportation services funded by the U.S.

government. In this regard, Nigeria’s proposed model of the American legislation may be regarded to as the ‘Fly Nigeria Act, if and when enacted into law.

Over the years, there has been clamour from various aviation stakeholders for the enactment of the ‘Fly Nigeria Act’, which would appreciably curb capital flight and compel foreign air carriers to partner with domestic air carriers, by way of code-sharing. Recently, a chat between correspondents from This Day newspaper and various aviation stakeholders, which was published on November 19, 2018, revealed that the Fly Nigeria Act is a legislation widely clamoured for by the stakeholders.

Presently, Olisa Agbakoba Legal, the sponsors of the Fly Nigeria Bill is engaged in positive talks with the Aviation Department of the Ministry of Transport, directed at promoting the Bill. The Bill is currently before the House of Assembly, although it appears that the legislature’s attention in respect of the Bill has been directed elsewhere. It can only be hoped that the Bill will be enacted sooner than later, as Nigerian continues to grapple with the economic effects of the imbalance of its bilateral air service agreements.

Conclusion It is clear that there is a need for Nigeria to revisit its bilateral air service agreements, in light of the glaring imbalance arising from the agreements. It must, however, be stated that while the Fly Nigeria Act will be a welcome legislation for dealing with this imbalance, it is very crucial to note that the proposed legislation cannot of its own simply cure the maladies of Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements. For the proposed legislation to work, it is crucial that Nigeria’s domestic air carriers must be ready to fulfill the requirements that will enable them to operate the agreed international routes in Nigeria’s bilateral air service agreements.

If the domestic air carriers fail to do this, the proposed legislation will inevitably be bedeviled with difficulties, as this would mean that there are no domestic air carriers to promote the success of the proposed legislation.

Dr. Oluwole Akinyeye, head, Maritime Unit

Sunday 27 January 2019

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VOXPOP Will economy be boosted if Nigeria adopts privatisation of major sectors that immensely contribute to GDP?

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he term privatisation is often loosely used to mean a number of related activities including any expansion of the scope of private sector activities in an economy and the adoption by the public sector of efficiency enhancing techniques commonly employed by the private sector. It involves the transfer of productive asset ownership and control from the public to the private sector. The transfer of assets can be total, partial or functionary, with the sale being implemented by methods such as private sales. Leasing arrangements, employee buy-outs and share issues. In Africa, many governments have embraced the idea of privatisation, brought to the fore mainly as a part of the adjustment and stabilisation programmes of the mid-eighties and the nineties.

Privatisation now frequently features in government policy statements and in conditionality from donors.

Jonathan Aderoju went to town to seek the views of some individuals on the subject matter.

Sobechukwu Michael, financial analyst Privatisation is essentially giving more room for a market-driven economy which has been proven to be very successful in so many countries.

We can see the effect it had in Nigeria when the former president Olusegun Obasanjo privatised the telecommunication industry. There was massive improvement brought about by private companies through competition. The major problem faced by Nigeria right now is lack of funds to carry out the very muchneeded infrastructure that would lift us from a possible second recession. The government has been borrowing money to fund projects that would not yield income. Even the 2018 budget showed that recurrent expenditure stands higher at 41 percent than capex. Just recently, you can see the number of companies that came up to be registered to drive financial inclusion.

What the government should do is to create an enabling environment, enact good governing policies and regulations and we would observe a huge turnover.

The Q3 report of FDI showed that the capital inflow was the highest since 2016.

Few weeks ago, a UK private equity firm CDC, pledged to invest about $1bn in Nigeria.

People still have confidence in Nigeria and once they see the government doing the right thing more money will come in.

Cynthia Ogochukwu, financial analyst It depends on the sector; there are key sectors that can’t be fully privatized; those sectors that do strictly public goods, but like NNPC can be privatised.

Government can remove their hands and allow forces of demand and supply play out.

The problem with Nigeria is that they will say they are privatising, but the government will still be interfering.

Government can remove their hands and allow forces of demand and supply play out.

They also did it in NEPA, like fixing a cap at will; these prices are sold yet they will be fixing the tariffs for the discos. On the other hand, for a country to privatise effectively there must be the presence of “Competition”.

If we are like 20 providing a particular goods, it will be more competitive compared to when there are only two or one person that such assets were sold to. So, privatization can work well when the government creates an environment for competition.

The private sector is known for efficient use of resources better than the government.

Hence, a complete privatisation and allowing prices to be determined by demand and supply rather than the government interfering will help a long way.

Omotayo Olubokun, fi-

nance lecturer There are countries that have privatised some sectors in their country and it has worked out for them, for example Ghana, this country has grown so much in such a short period. There is never anything in a country called full privatisation its either some sectors belong to the government and some to individuals. Privatising major sectors that contribute to the GDP will be of great advantage if we have leaders whose mindsets are driven to assist the masses.

Most of our leaders are just after their own selfish interest; you find out that if any company is being sold, it will be sold to their cronies so as to keep the money circulating within them. There is something called venture capital, that is what is being practised in Germany today; the country went into privatisation with individuals; if the company makes gain, the country makes gain. Now, look at Germany they are rated one of the best industrial states in the world. Well, privatisation is a welcome idea but let us tackle the main problem of corruption in the system.

Kelvin umweni, Research analyst Privatisation of key sectors of the Nigerian economy that contribute to GDP is long overdue. I am of the opinion that government has no business being an active player in certain sectors like oil and gas, agriculture, ICT, etc. Government’s role should essentially be centred on regulatory

oversight and putting in place the necessary security structures that ensure a peaceful business environment.

Priva t isat io n w o u ld n o doubt spur growth and create employment for the teeming Nigerian unemployed youths.

We need not look far for an example of how privatisation can turn a sector around for good as the Nigerian telecommunication sector offers huge insight. The sector has blossomed within a reasonably short period and Nigerians are enjoying the benefit of that. The Nigerian oil and gas sector has been marred with gross inefficiency and corruption due to government huge presence in the space.

Opening up the oil and gas sector to private investment would create the needed turn around especially in the area of value addition in the crude extracted, and growth stimulation in the entire oil and gas value chain. So for me, privatisation is the way to go if we as a country are to actualise meaningful progress.

Amamchukwu Okafor, Research analyst There is a degree of laissezfaire that yields sub-optimal outcome. There are pieces of evidence that the age of unregulated capitalism saw widespread inequality, especially in the global south.

Down here in Nigeria we have been tagged the poverty capital of the world with an estimated 87million people in abject poverty, should we be talking about pure privatisation or a mix of systems?

The proper question should,

therefore, be what policy mix would get the most out of poverty? For instance, the housing and transport sectors are two critical sectors where governments seem to have abandoned to the unorganised private sector. Yet with the level of private sector participation, the outcome in these two sectors is grossly sub-optimal. They are classic examples of market failure.

However, deregulation may yield efficiency in such sector as the oil and gas sector.

Ademola Asunloye, Research analyst I stand to be optimistic that it should. However, I do not think privatisation is the key issue here, rather I think that regulations, policies and its enforcement are key. Let us examine the power sector “Electricity”. Ever since its privatisation can we boast of a 50 percent better performance than when it wasn’t privatised?

So, we need to work on regulations, policies and its enforcement rather than privatisation.

David Ibidapo, Economic analyst Major sectors and businesses in the hands of private individuals will spur economic growth because attention will be shifted from political goals to economic goals. Also, due to profit maximisation goals of private individuals, efficiency and effectiveness will be encouraged, giving room for achieving desirable outputs.

To a large extent, privatisation of major sectors in Nigeria would encourage foreign direct investment into the country. What we have seen so far in Nigeria is a decline in FDI’s in 2018 due to hostile fiscal and monetary policies, amongst other factors. A good example is the sanction on MTN by the CBN. Privatisation is often accompanied in developing countries by changes in economic policies that affect economic growth. Also, Privatisation would enable Nigeria to pay a portion of their existing debt, thus reducing interest rates and raising the level of investment.

The performance of the economy mirrors market performance. Privatisation of major sectors will have a positive impact on market performance, enabling new privately-owned companies raise fund from the market and directing such fund to finance major projects that will spur economic growth.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Politics Presidential poll: Elite versus illiterate folks Daniel Obi

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igeria’s presidential election comes up on Fe b r u a r y 1 6 , 2019. The battle is really not between the two major presidential contenders. The presumed tough contest expected to act as compass for Nigerian challenging economy, is certainly between classes of Nigerian electorate who have perhaps made up their mind.

Chances therefore, of either Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress (APC) or Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or any other presidential candidate occupying Aso Rock from May 29 this year will largely depend on the understanding of the workings and running of the economy or lack of it between the elite class and the common man for the voting pattern.

Conversations across platforms indicate that majority of the middle and high class members may want to prefer a tested business manager to run the economy while the low income earners’ choice is largely dependent on immediate and momentary pecuniary gains largely informed by high level of poverty.

In June last year, Nigeria emerged as the country with the highest number of poor in the world, overtaking India, according to data from the Brookings Institution. The report adds that six Nigerians become poor every minute.

Under this situation, therefore, a few members of elite class will likely resist temptation of vote-buying while majority of the common man in the bracket of $1 dollar day will jump at it, even to the point of causing chaos for little in his pocket.

Analysts believe that vot-

ing and results derived in the environment of majority poor whose decisions are easily swayed by instant gratifications and a few elite class who may not turn out to vote, would probably not produce the right candidates. “This also becomes worrisome when other factors such as religion, blind support are considerations at the polls”, says an analyst.

Citing recent Osun State gubernatorial election, the analyst said “what do you call a situation where citizens of a state returned a political party to power when the government was owing up to 15 months’ salary arrears?

This cannot happen in other developed climes.”

Over time, voter apathy, especially among the elite class has increased, informed by unfulfilled promises, chaos at the polling booths, a situation that has left the common man and thugs to have field day during the polls. BDSUNDAY study showed that voter turnout was 52 percent in 1999, it climbed to 69 percent in 2003 only to decrease to 57 percent in 2007, went further down in 2011 to 54 percent and was 44 percent in 2015.

While some Nigerians still believe in giving the three-andhalf year old present administration chance to produce the ‘Change’ for more jobs, security, and end Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen attack on farmers and fulfil other promises it made earlier, other Nigerians have different opinion as they believe that the government has nothing again to offer and should be replaced with other economic managers. “The government has relied on blame games instead of tackling the economic challenges it was voted to handle.”

Operators in Nigeria’s over N200 billion value marketing communication industry who

have been facing tough challenges are still apprehensive about their industry as present tough time may continue till mid-year.

They believed that if President Muhammadu Buhari eventually wins the presidential election, the economic situation may remain the same.

But if Abubakar Atiku, his main opposition, takes over power, it may take some time before his policies will begin to impact on the economy.

It has really been tough, in the last two years for the marketing communication agencies who depend on the performance of the economy and thriving sectors to succeed. But looking ahead 2019, some of the practitioners were not optimistic of a very bright year as their clients are still hard hit by unfavourable environment.

Charles Igbinidu, the managing director of CFO and Associates in his view recounted that many organisations were affected by poor economic performance in 2017/2018 that pushed them to cut marketing communication budgets which had negative

impact on the media industry.

John Ehiguese, the CEO of MediaCraft, a PR agency based in Lagos, said: “The outcome of the elections would be a critical factor in years ahead, but the industry practitioners have to wait and see those who eventually wins, and what their attitude will be towards the economy and the media”.

The analysts strongly believe that if the election is free and fair and members of the elite class walk their talk, there will likely be upset in the presidential election. Campaign for the 2019 elections has been more grassroots based as politicians understand that votes of the common man matter.

Lai Omotola, chancellor of E-Boot Camp Limited, said: “You see, Nigeria is divided into North and South. What they see in the North is different from what they see in the South. The progression in the North is different from the progression in the South. What you call poverty in the South is not what is called poverty in the North.”

“So, you know what the level of education is. Someone

who is not educated does not have that ability to reason and analyse things the proper way.

These are the illiterate folks that support the politicians up north and give the massive votes they record there. And I tell people, if I say I am a leader I need to see the quality of the people following me, because if they are not enlightened they would just be hailing whatever I do or say.”

Omotola further said: “The essence of education is to read and write. That’s number one.

Number two is for you to comprehend – that is being able to understand what you read.

The third and final one is for you to be analytical. What is analysis? A man may be saying something, but what you are hearing is not really what he is saying. What is coming out of his mouth is not really what he is trying to say. So, it takes somebody to properly analyse issues and take proper action.

“That is the final stage of education and not so many people have that. So, based on the analysis above, Buhari will come back. He would come back because we have the majority people that cannot

sit down to analyse the case; say, if this man comes back, will he be able to deliver the dividends? This is because they don’t have that skill and the few people that have it, will they vote or are they enough to outnumber these illiterate folks? Remember, it is said that democracy is a game of numbers; if the illiterates outweigh the literates, our recruitment process in this way will always produce something defective.”

The use of thugs to perpetrate all manner of electoral fraud has become widespread in Nigeria. Most of those thugs are frustrated youths who are aggrieved at the failure of successive governments to make Nigeria a habitable place. Many of them are illiterates and semi-literates. A few are university graduates who as a result of inability to be properly engaged in meaningful employments determined to eke out a living in hard way.

Most times, they do not reason rationally. They go after political opponents of their principals without reasoning.

They even kill for a bottle of beer and for monetary compensation as meagre as N1000 (One Thousand Naira) only.

This set of people is usually poverty-stricken and always hungry. So, they go after their prey with all the venom they can muster. These are those waiting in the wings to be deployed as the general election hits up properly.

An analyst, who concurred with Omotola, said: “While the Almajiris in the north are armed with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the elite group in the country is busy arguing and shouting themselves hoarse about the need for APC not to return. They have taken over the social media with their argument, yet they do not even have their PVCs.”

2019 poll: APC elders’ caucus accuse Akeredolu of supporting AA in Ondo

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YOMI AYELESO, Akure

he internal wrangling in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may affect the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of the party in the state in the forthcoming general election if drastic steps are not taken by the national leadership to stop anti-party activities in its ranks.

Concerned elders and leaders of the party in the state led by a former deputy governor, Ali Olanusi who gave the indication at a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, alleged that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and the APC state chairman, Ade Adetimehin had been working against the interest of the party by secretly campaigning and funding their anointed candidates on the platform of the Action Alliance (AA).

The party’s leaders in a communiqué read by the former state chairman, Isaac Kekemeke and adopted by Idowu Otetunbi lamented that despite denying the allegation, Akeredolu and Adetimehin had refused to campaign for APC candidates but busy funding AA candidates.

The APC elders, however, called on the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole to dissolve the State Executive of the party led by Adetimehin over the alleged anti-party activities and constitute a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party in the State that could work for APC victory at all levels.

The Communiqué also urges President Buhari, Bola Tinubu and Adams Oshiomhole to ensure Governor Akeredolu is made to lead and financially commit to campaigns of all APC candidates ahead of the February 16 and March 2 elections

rather than working for AA candidates.

The APC elders also demanded that the National Secretariat should only allow the APC candidates to submit the list of party’s agents for the elections to send to INEC, adding that allowing Akeredolu or Adetimehin’s Exco to make such submission could be counter-productive.

Reading the communiqué, Kekemeke said, “The meeting urges the National headquarters to note and work on the sinister plot by some disgruntled party officials to stay in the party and work against the success of the party in the forthcoming 2019 general election, especially in favour of Action Alliance (AA)” “That the elders say dissolution of the Adetimehin’s Exco will not have any adverse effect on the party, because he has not been adding any value. We thereby urge the National leadership to dissolve

the state executive and put in place a caretaker committee in order to have one single party and one goal in Ondo state,” he said.

The elders and leaders from across the state however, expressed their readiness to work for the re-election of President Buhari and other candidates of the party in the state.

“That the leaders have pledged absolute loyalty to President Buhari, the National chairman of the party, Comrade Oshiomole, and our National leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. That leaders gathered in this meeting resolved our unflinching commitment to work for the success of Mr. President and other National and State Assembly candidates of APC in the general election in Ondo state.”

Some of the leaders at the meeting include, Felix Aiyegbusi, former chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke, Idowu Otetubi.

Sunday 27 January 2019

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Politics Why party forum wants APC back on the ballot or no elections in Rivers …Says INEC broke from tradition by obeying court order when there is pending appeal …Rivers Govt urges APC to look elsewhere for their problems and leave Wike alone

campaigns by political parties, hence we would also warn that we shall take same time to campaign from the day the order is lifted as what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.”

Fielding questions, the members said the problems were from external sources because the APC did not have any problem with its primaries. They said they would not say what they would do if their demands were not met, until then.

On the vexed clause (Section 87 (10), they said their lawyers had pointed it out to show that the case was pre-election matter that should not be handled by the courts but that they were surprised that the courts in Rivers State ignored it and gave judgments.

Ignatius Chukwu

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he forum of de-listed candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State still angry for being deleted from the ballot for the upcoming state and national elections have issued a huge threat warning to the electoral umpire to return them on the ballot or forget elections in the state.

The forum also demanded for enough time to also campaign like other political parties in the state in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act or they should forget the elections.

Addressing a crowded press conference on Thursday, January 24, 2019, at the Tonye Cole campaign headquarters on Woji Road close to where the 7-seven storey building collapsed recently in Port Harcourt, the forum members said the courts in Port Harcourt, both state and federal, have appeared hostile to the APC. In a three-page speech read by Henry Odili, the de-listed candidate representing Onelga/Ohoada West Federal Constituency, gave three conditions the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would need to meet. He said: “In light of the above, we demand the following: that INEC should with immediate effect and with apology to the APC and Rivers people re-list APC candidates in Rivers State for the 2019 General Election; that INEC should give the same enabling time and environment for political campaigns to the APC in Rivers State as they have given to the PDP and other parties; and that failing the above two demands, there should be no National Assembly, State Assembly and Governorship elections in Rivers State until all the cases pending before various courts have gone through their course to the apex court for final decisions, and our right to fair hearing guaranteed”.

Speaking further, Odili pointedly accused the state governor, Nyesom Wike, of being behind the crisis in the party and the behaviour of the courts to the party. He said the recent happenings in Rivers State and the judicial pronouncements have clearly shown to the world the person behind the intra-party issues within Rivers State APC and what the fellow hoped to achieve from it, which is to exclude the APC from participating in the 2019 elections for fear of his ‘guaranteed loss’ at the election because of poor performance in government.

“We are surprised that Gov. Wike who prides himself as “Mr. Projects” and the PDP that claims to be the popular party in Rivers State are afraid to go into a free and fair election/contest in Rivers State with the APC. It is on record that Gov. Wike boasted and informed his party (PDP) members who have also made it

Nyesom Wike

their mantra long before Justice Nworgu gave his infamous judgment that APC would not have any candidates in Rivers State to run against him and other PDP candidates. And what has transpired between him, the courts, and INEC is a manifestation of this boast and his trepidation of going into election against APC candidates in Rivers State.”

The forum wondered why INEC decided to obey court orders when the orders had been challenged before various courts especially at the highest court in the land. “The electoral law gives political parties rights to carry out the process of nominating candidates for election in accordance with their own guidelines.

Also the electoral law, recognizing that the electoral process is a time limited event arising from the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution (1999), was crafted such that the courts would not interfere with it, but the courts in Rivers State have willfully violated this, thereby affecting the rights of Rivers people to freely choose their leaders/representatives.

“We are aware that no section in the Electoral Act 2010 (As Amended) or the 1999 Constitution empowered INEC or the courts to de-list any duly nominated candidate whose name had been submitted by the party and acknowledged by INEC without their voluntary withdrawal or death. We are also aware that there was no suit, not to talk of (let alone) a subsisting court order, stopping APC from holding primaries in Rivers State. This is

notwithstanding the fact that S. 87 (10) of the Electoral Act 2010, (as amended) clearly prohibits the Courts from stopping the holding of the primaries of any political party even pending the determination of any suit in Court.

“Thus, the recent premature action by INEC to de-list our National Assembly candidates from participating in the election without waiting for the plethora of cases pending before various courts to take their course through the apex court for final decisions all in a hurried bid to satisfy Gov. Wike is an invitation to anarchy which should be avoided. What INEC has done in this regard is to destroy or tamper with the ‘Res’ of our appeals without their being fully determined.”

The de-listed candidates traced the political crisis in the state since 2012 and said there is too much bloodshed in the land and that over 1000 have died violently. They warned that the blood of more people in the coming elections would be demanded on the hands of those manipulating the courts and INEC. The text said: “The law is supposed be to blind and without respect of persons, but in Rivers State, it has sight and is bent on recognising only the person of Gov. Wike and his co-travelers but we leave that to God, the righteous Judge. We decry the unwarranted interruption of our campaigns by the courts in Rivers State but have obeyed it as law abiding citizens.

However, the electoral guidelines published by INEC specify given periods for

PDP reacts Carry your cross and leave Wike alone; results will be landslide Reacting, Emma Okah, the director of communications of the Rivers PDP Campaign Council, warned the embattled APC candidates to face their problems with courage by clearing the mess they allegedly brought upon their party instead of blaming Governor Wike for their woes.

Okah said the aspirants were being haunted by their greed and inordinate ambition to reap where they did not sow in the APC. He denied that Wike was colluding with INEC or meddling in the affairs of the APC. “These candidates are being clever by half. They are running and they know what is chasing them. They know what they did in the APC to give rise to what befell the party,” Okah said, pointing out that they need to summon the courage to eat the sour food they cooked for themselves.

According to Okah, “Gov. Wike has no hand in the self-inflicted problem the APC brought upon itself through recurring acts of impunity, lack of respect for the judiciary, and want of internal democracy in their party. “Wike is not a member of APC. He never asked the APC to disobey court order or refuse to resolve internal problems.”

Going further, Okah said this latter day lamentation was understandable and pathetic but could somebody tell them that those who play God dance the music the gods play for them. He advised them to appease their party men and seek the face of God. “On the threat by the aspirants to disrupt the polls if they are not restored in the ballot,” Okah said it would be a joke taken too far, describing them as unrepentant products of lawlessness, impunity and disorder. According to Okah, no amount of press conference or insults on Gov. Wike by these aspirants would stop Wike from reaping the fruit of support and solidarity which the people of Rivers State have placed at his disposal. The result will be a landslide victory in the forthcoming polls.”

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Politics

I am not running to be Senate President in 2019 – Ndoma-Egba Victor Ndoma-Egba, a former Senate Leader, was a three-term Senator, representing Cross River Central of Cross River State in the Senate from 2003 to 2015. He is contesting to go back to the Red Chamber. In this interview with ABANG PATRICK in Calabar, Ndoma-Egba formally declared that he is not running for the Senate to become the next Senate President as was being reported by some online media. He said he is only going to finish the business he began in the Senate and to contribute his quota to national development. Excerpts:

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What do you forget in the Senate that you want to go and pick? hile in Ikom we interacted with very many groups and held town hall meetings in all the six local government areas in the district. The response everywhere has been massive, favourable and we have taken time to answer the questions that you expect from the electorate like what did you forget in the Senate and I say well I forgot a lot of things. I started the Iruan Dam in Boki, it is not finished so that is what I forgot in the Senate. I started the Epe water scheme and that was expected to supply water from Mbor in Ikom to Nkonfab the last village before Ogoja Local Government that too has not been completed and forgotten in the Senate. I started a specialist hospital in Ikom which is not completed and forgotten in the Senate. I started the Ikom – Otono-Agbokim Waterfalls, not finished and forgotten.

I started a Police Barracks in Itigidi, not finished and forgotten in the senate. I started the Faculty of Law Building in the University of Calabar, not finished and forgotten in the senate. So those are the things I forgot in the senate. And of course, I have many bills and only the Freedom of Information Bill became an act of the National Assembly so the other 37 bills are still unprocessed, so I forgot all of these things in the Senate. So essentially, I let the people know that the Senate, particularly in the peculiar situation of Cross River State is about sending someone who brings value and who will align the state with the Federal Government in Abuja.

My friend and colleague, Dr. Sandy Onor is eminently qualified, but he will not be able to achieve what Cross River needs for now which is aligning our state with the centre. And in any case, he will not be bringing in the kind of traction to the Senate that I will be bringing in because I am a ranking member. And ranking in the Senate comes with certain privileges which will not be available to a first term senator.

So I am essentially running this race on my records and letting my records speak for me. Many of you were with me in 2014 when we toured my projects and if you could recall, we stopped at project number 74. We did not exhaust the projects that we had because there were almost 90 and for want of time we could not inspect all of them. If we attracted that number of projects in the past, then we should be able to do far more in the future. In the area of employment, we have it on record that we secured employment for young men and women of the central senatorial district in particular and Cross River State in general to the tune of 358 persons in federal ministries, departments and agencies, and I believe that we can do much

that in times past took three hours plus. So in summary these are our achievements.

They are not all because if you go to health centres, supply of vaccines, we have done quite a lot. Supply of educational materials, we have done quite a lot and that is for cross river state.

The big ticket things outside Cross River like the Nembe – Ogbia Road in Bayelsa has been completed by the NDDC with about 57 bridges and we are just awaiting a date for Mr. President for commissioning and we have quite a number of huge projects that are ready for commissioning and I am hoping that we have time to commission quite a number of these projects before the president’s visit.

The other parties are also in the race and so if I disclose to you how I am going to do that, they might steal my idea but I want to assure you that everybody will be reached. We recognise the nature of the forthcoming elections. It’s not going to be like any other election that we have known in the past; it’s going to be different and we are fine-tuning our strategies to accommodate the peculiar nature of the 2019 elections but we are keeping our strategies to our chest because the other parties are also angling to win the state.

Victor Ndoma-Egba

more than that in the future. In terms of empowerment, you could recall that as at last count, we had over 700 students, undergraduates and postgraduate students on scholarship; we can do far more than that. We supported the Central Bank’s Enterprise Project here in Calabar at the former Desam House and we sponsored over 220 beneficiaries from Cross River Central. Each and every one of them got seed capital of 250, 000 for their training to go and start the businesses for which they have been trained, we can as well do much more than that. So, I am essentially running on my records. My brother and friend who is running on the platform of the PDP will be running on promises, he can only run on promises, but I am running on my records which are established and verifiable. While at home, my mother turned 89 and so we had a small celebration after church service and it is the first birthday I can recall her celebrating. A little background into her, she was among the first 4 Ikom women to receive western education and she was the first woman in the defunct Eastern Government to be the chairman of a local government, then it was called County Councils. She was chairman of Ikom County Council between 1960 and 1963 when Ikom was made up of Ikom, Boki and Etung. So, we thank God that she lived to the age of 89 and we were able to have a small celebration. Now, because of the circumstances in which we went into these town hall and consultative meetings, we were not able

to take the main stream media along, so I have asked Sunny to compile a comprehensive report of the activities that we had during this period and thank you for your support.

We know of these records. So, can you add to the records you have achieved especially as chairman of the NDDC and the projects you have attracted to Cross River State?

I have said this before and let me say this again, in the past two years, any road that have been tarred in the state, 90 percent of the chances is that they have been tarred by either the Niger Delta Development Commission or the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and I want to be challenged on this. We have roads right from Calabar South, to Bakassi, down to Obudu, I want to be challenged. If you see any school rehabilitated in the last two years, builds, furniture, 90 percent of chances are that they have been done by the NDDC or the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and again I want to be challenged on this, and until we are challenged, these remain our achievements. You remember that once upon a time, the Calabar – Itu – Ikot Ekpene road was impassable but it has been made passable by the NDDC, the same for the Ikom – Calabar – Ogoja as Calabar – Ikom – Obudu road. I came from Ikom yesterday and before now, it took 5 hours but we made it in 2 hours plus, it’s now about an hour from Ikom to Obudu and Ogoja. These are journeys

How are you going to carry everyone in your constituency along in your campaigns, and the 74 projects you showcased in 1974 was there no mechanism in place to ensure that the person who succeeds you continues with these projects?

On continuity of the projects, there is no mechanism for this and that is the peculiarity of the legislature. There is no handing over notes in the legislature. A legislator loses his elections and just moves.

There is no time for you to interface with your successor and that is why it is advised that legislators return as often as possible.

That is why in the US, we have legislators who were elected the year I wrote my school certificate. John McCain entered the Senate the year I entered secondary school in 1968 and remained there till he died last year. This is the peculiarity of the legislature and it does not allow for handover notes and that is why they ensure that what is started is pursued to a logical conclusion. In fact, in the united states, a member of the House of Representatives, his constituents wanted him to be chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, that is the most powerful committee in the US Congress and for you to be that, you must have been there for a minimum of 28 years so they kept returning him until he qualified and became chairman of that committee. So seniority and ranking in the National Assembly is crucial so for us as an emerging democracy, we cannot afford the erosion of institutional memory that we have now and it is too costly for

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Politics the system. If you take the judiciary for instance, if you are looking for a court judgment that was delivered in 1898, you will find it because the judiciary has this very sophisticated archive and retrieval system that no matter how old a judgment is, you can find it. Then you also have what’s called the hierarchy of courts.

The courts are in a hierarchy from the customary court to the magistrate court, high court, appeal court to the Supreme Court. The moment the Supreme Court has delivered the principle of law, you have what is called judicial precedent. All the other courts are bound to follow that precedent. Now you go to the executive arm, the governor is handing over to a new one and there are handover notes, transition notes and this is systematic. For the legislature which in our circumstances is the weakest even though it should be the strongest, why do I say the weakest because we have had several years of military rule and each time the military struck, the first thing they did was to dissolve the parliament. So, the growth of the parliament has not been as consistent as it has been for the executive and judiciary.

So, each time you truncate the parliament, it loses memory and then to add to that, you see the turnover of legislators each time there is an election. So you lose the institutional memory because for the legislature, apart from our handset and other records, the institutional memory of the institution is the aggregate memory of the members put together, that is what constitutes institutional memory. That is why you see someone that says then this thing happened in the past, this was how we did it. So, there is massive erosion of institutional memory which is not very healthy for our system and so, that explains why there is no mechanism for continuity in the legislature as an arm of government because you lose an election and you just come, gather your documents, leave a clean office and move on for the next person to come in. In fact, in my first term, the senator who occupied my office left all the documents there, he did not even bother to take them so we had to look for storage for his documents.

You said the state should align with the centre but so many politicians have left the APC for the PDP recently, do you see the possibility of APC winning the governorship election in the state?

On defections, you have seen that in Cross River State, a bit of movement from the APC to the PDP, some big names, yes, but across the country, the traffic has been more out of the PDP into the APC and I want to leak a secret to you, just watch in the next few weeks, you are going to see very big names leaving PDP for the APC. The traffic is going to be both ways but more will leave the PDP for the APC; it’s a secret and you will see that movement very soon. In Cross River, yes of course, we see the possibility of winning all our elections and I tell you why. Do an analysis of the votes that PDP has gotten in Cross River State from 1999; in 1999, over 900, 000 votes, 2003 – over 1.5 million votes, 2007 – 1.5 million votes, 2011 – over 1.2 million votes and so you saw an upward movement of support for the PDP. What happened in 2015, the PDP scored just over 400, 000 votes. It came down from 1.2 million to 400, 000 and even this figure is disputed because you remember how they blocked the highway and access to INEC because they were in government both in the state and the federal level. If you remember the returning officer for

the first son of the president, and the president has shown him love, came to Cross River State twice and so this is the time to reciprocate that love. So, it will be the highest act of ingratitude for any Cross Riverian not to vote for Buhari. So, the factors that favoured PDP in the past are no longer there.

What role did you play in the rehabilitation of several roads in the state like the Ikom-Ogoja and Calabar roads because in the past, a lot of people had accused you of doing nothing for the state?

On roads, I stand on what I said. The commissioner allegedly contradicted my earlier claim. I did not hear the commissioner’s interview but those who heard gave me the summary. He did not mention any completed road. All their roads are in the pipeline. I am talking about roads that were tarred and I stand by it. If they insist, we can go and stand by the roads we did.

He never mentioned any roads that they completed from what I heard.

Cross River, that lady professor, could not read the results because what she was reading was not what she knew as the result that was produced in the state.

We have it in good authority that the real result for the 2015 election was about 177, 000, so the PDP dropped from over one million to the disputed 440, 000 so the decline of the PDP started in 2015 and we are going to complete it in 2019.

The Cross Riverians have become very conscious and have spent the last couple of weeks educating the people and telling them that for all the support we gave to the PDP for the past years which is over 4 million votes, what did we get? We lost Bakassi, 76 oil wells, hosting rights for the National Sports Festival, and during this time, paradise was lost in the state.

I remember a time when we had flights from Calabar to Obudu, Lagos to Bebi, Port Harcourt to Bebi, Abuja to Bebi, do we still have those flights? Once upon a time, we boasted of having the longest Cable car in Africa, do we still have that? Once upon a time, the President spent his vacation in Obudu, does that still happen? Do we still have the mountain race? So, with the massive support that we have given to the PDP, our experience has been one loss after the other. Let us even go into the area of appointment, constitutionally, every state is entitled to a minister; so it’s not a privilege but a right. Let us do an analysis of the ministers that we have had. 1999, President Obasanjo gave us AttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice, that is number one minister because it is the only one that is mentioned in the constitution.

When we had Senator Kanu Agabi (SAN) as minister we also had Senator Liyel Imoke as Special Adviser on Utilities, so the minister was a right and the SA was a privilege. 2003, Liyel Imoke became minister of Power, no longer number one but a downgrade. Senator Florence Ita Giwa became SA on National Assembly Matters. So the Minister was a right and Ita Giwa was an extra. After Imoke resigned to contest for governor, Ivara Esu, the current deputy governor was appointed Minister of State for Culture; that is minister for Ekpa, Mgbe, Nnabo and the rest. We had no SA. Then our brother of blessed memory, John Odey became minister for information, later environment; again a slight upgrade. There was

no SA, just our right. No extra. High Chief Edem Duke now came after John Odey.

With the massive support we gave to the PDP, they just took Cross River for granted and our people are beginning to know that. Now, let us see where we are with President Buhari, that we gave only 28, 000 votes. I don’t like to talk about the CJN because we should not politicise it, but it is under Buhari that Cross River has a CJN. It could be a coincidence but we also have the head of service of the federation, auditor-general of the federation, chief of naval staff as well as minister all with 28, 000 votes. The reason I am including the minister is that in the recent past, the PDP had reduced Cross River State to minister of culture and Ekpe. That had been our fate under PDP but Buhari said these people deserve something better. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs from Cross River, chairman of NDDC from Cross River, SA Prosecution; DG, centre for Women Development all from Cross River. So, you can see what Cross River has benefited with 28, 000 votes.

Our roads became passable under Buhari. Today, if you drive along Calabar – Itu road, you see some activities by Julius Berger. They have even cleared the other side which means the dualisation process for that road has started. The abandoned sub-station at Ikom, work has resumed; the sub-station at Obudu, work is almost complete under Buhari with 28, 000 votes. So, what is the PDP coming to tell Cross Riverians, what is the narrative now that we should continue to vote for you? The sentiment that ruled at the time is no longer there. We are a sentimental people. The sentiment then was that our son, Donald Duke and Imoke took part in the formation of the PDP and President Obasanjo was a southern Christian and out of sentiment we voted for them. After that, Goodluck Jonathan was our son from the South/South and we gave him massive support. Today, which sentiment are they going to use? President Buhari is a Muslim from the North as well as Atiku Abubakar, so what story are they going to tell Cross Riverians? And so, we stand a better chance of winning.

With the vulnerable position of Cross River State today, we cannot afford to be in opposition. And our governor has publicly said again and again that he is

It is being alleged that your intention to go back to the Senate was just to become the president of the Senate or that you have been promised the slot. May we hear from you on that?

I don’t know of any politician who would do that; supposing I don’t win the elections? So, that information is just cheap propaganda but what I can tell you for certain is that I am eligible and available when I get there to struggle for whatever is coming to my zone and will not shy away from it, but for now, nobody promised me anything.

It is also being alleged that some people are destroying billboards of their opponents in the state. What actually is the truth?

On billboards, violence is the argument of a man who has run out of logic. I recall that the governorship candidate of the APC complained of the destruction of his billboards and this does not speak well.

Democracy is a matter of choices and o don’t see how the presence of a billboard will affect how somebody votes. So, the destruction whether it’s done by the APC or the PDP is condemnable and not acceptable. The people must be allowed to make their choices very freely. Pulling down billboards will only instigate violence in an election that is supposed to be free and fair and so I condemn it. Every candidate should go out and sell what he can do. If you have been in office, you should be able to ride on your records and not promises.

Recently, the appointment of Amina Zakari by the INEC was controversial.

Do you think there was any reason for the controversy?

First, they said she was the blood relation of the president and the same people say the president is from Sudan, a Jubril from Sudan; so, how can a lady from Jigawa be related to a man from Sudan? And then, I don’t know what appointments they are talking about. The electoral act is very clear on the role of INEC. That commission they are talking about is not envisaged by the electoral act. It’s just some ad-hoc arrangement. The returning officer for the presidential election is the chairman of INEC. So, I think this propaganda is just mere distraction. First of all, you say the president is one Jubril from Sudan, then in another breath you say the lady from Jigawa State is a blood relation of a Sudanese; please be consistent.

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Politics ‘Atiku’s economic model will drive productivity across the country’ Anthony Kayode Ajayi is the coordinator of the United Kingdom (UK) Group for Atiku for President 2019. He is also the Secretary of Afenifere Europe and the U.K. In this interview with KELECHI EWUZIE, Ajayi who was in Nigeria recently, gives insight into why the group is confident that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has what it takes to turn around Nigeria’s economy and will win the 2019 election. Excerpts:

Y

Sir, can you tell us what the UK Group is all about? es, the UK Group is all about ensuring good governance in Nigeria. We are made of over 10,000 patriotic Nigerians living in the UK with keen interest to what happens back home across the country.

Members of the Group are professionals in different field based in the UK and strongly believe that Nigeria has what it takes to be a leading country in the comity of nations. We decided to come together as a strong political group to assist in changing the narrative of the political structure in Nigeria.

Why does the Group prefer Atiku to many young candidates if really you want to change the narrative of the political structure in Nigeria?

Some quarters in Nigeria believe Atiku belongs to the old generation of recycled politicians who had failed this country and there is nothing new he has to offer to Nigerians.

Before the Group decided to support Atiku, we examined critically all the other candidates and we found out that he is the most experienced person with the political will to change the narrative because he has the progress of Nigeria and Nigerians at heart.

Yes, there some young candidates but they don’t have the experience to pilot a ship such as Nigeria. The young candidates supposed to start their political ambition at the state levels where they can gather enough experience before thinking about the president seat. They are supposed to probably go to the State Assembly or Nation Assembly before thinking of the president’s sit. Remember that Nigeria is a peculiar country and there is need for them to understand the system before they can make the positive change.

As for the issue to whether Atiku belongs to old generation of politicians; Atiku being old in the system means he has the experience to run the affairs of this country effectively.

Remember that in 1999 when Atiku and Obasanjo took over power from the Military under PDP, they met an economy without the likes of MTN, Airtel, Glo, Etisalat, Dangote Cement, NIPP, Shoprite, privatized NEPA and many more. There were no agencies like ICPC, EFCC, to fight corruption. No regulatory agencies like NERC, NCC, PPPRA etc, No due process or procurement Act, no UBE Act, and many other laws. No Communication satellites and many other creations they brought to the country. So, Atiku has the experience and the political will to change the narrative.

Are you saying that the APC-led Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the expe-

Anthony Kayode Ajayi

rience to change the narrative in this country?

First and foremost, we don’t have a government in Nigeria today. The APC you mentioned is a Group that does not have any good agenda for Nigerians.

Do you know that the APC led federal government is now in a phase where it borrows more money than it generates within a fiscal year? The Federal Government of Nigeria under APC has a deficit of N3.8 trillion greater than its reported revenue of N2.65 trillion. The country’s oil revenue of N1.2 trillion is not enough to meet its personal obligations of N1.8 trillion.

A crisis is brewing with the growth in debt, not matched with corresponding rise in revenue. Between 2011 and 2017 at no time except in 2011 did actual crude oil production per day exceed actual budgeted benchmark of average daily crude oil production. Except between 2016 and 2017 when there was a marginal increase of .12 barrels per day at no time between 2011

...we examined critically all the other candidates and we found out that he is the most experienced person with the political will to change the narrative because he has the progress of Nigeria and Nigerians at heart

and 2016 did we experience a rise in crude oil production per day. This means that over seven years now we have aggregately recorded a fall in crude oil production.

According to Fitch ratings, Nigeria’s gross debts are 320 percent of its annual revenue, one of the highest in the world. On November 7, 2017 MOODY’s Investment Services downgraded Nigeria’s Sovereign Issuer Rating to B2 citing their rationale as largely unsuccessful efforts of the Nigerian authority to increase non-oil revenue and persistent key structural weaknesses.

The APC government under Buhari had on several occasions released bailout funds to enable states to meet their recurrent expenditure requirements. Only about Nine states including Lagos, Kano, Edo, Enugu, Delta, Rivers, Abia, Kwara and Anambra have their internally generated revenue sufficient enough to cover their interest repayments on their debts without depending on allocations from federally collected revenue.

According to BudgIT, its scale of ability to meet recurrent expenditure obligations rankings’, only four state namely Lagos, Katsina, Rivers and Kano have average monthly revenue in excess of average monthly recurrent expenditure.

Currently, reports show that the economy of Nigeria increased 3.23 percent quarter on quarter in the second quarter of 2017, recovering from a 13.3 percent contraction in the first quarter. GDP growth rate in Nigeria averaged 1.17 percent from 2010 until 2017, reaching an all-time high of 10.59 percent in the third quarter of 2010 and a record low of -13.98 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

In the face of this economic reality, the Population Reference Bureau predicts that Nigeria will in 2050 become the world’s

fourth -largest population with a population of 397 million coming after China, India and the United States of America.

A non-governmental organisation in Vienna, World Poverty Clock, founded by the German government and led by Homi Kharas, deputy director of the Brookings Institute in the US, and Wolfgang Fengler, a World Bank head economist is predicting that Nigeria will overtake India as the country with one of the world’s poorest people.

They contend that by 2030, there will be 200 million fewer people in the world living in extreme poverty than there are today.

However, 438 million or 5 percent of the world’s population will still be below extreme poverty line. This year, for example, the extreme poverty level is rising in 30 countries; in these countries a total of 9 million more people will be living in extreme poverty. Very few countries in Africa are making fast enough progress on ending poverty, and in two large countries, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, their populations are growing faster than their economic growth so poverty will likely continue to rise.

Nigeria’s population in extreme poverty is rising by 5.7 people per minute and that of DRC by 3.6 people per minute. The situation in Nigeria is such that in February next year it will overtake India as having the most people living in extreme poverty in the world at 82 million.

What makes you believe that Atiku is the option to resolve these issues you have mentioned?

Atiku stronghold is that our growth model has to change for us to survive as a country.

A model based on sharing of government revenue must give way to a new structure that will challenge and drive productivity in different regions across the country. This model must take into account that factors driving productivity in today’s world are no longer driven by fossil oil but rather the proliferation of a knowledge-based economy.

To Atiku and to most of us both at home and abroad, the restructuring of Nigeria into smaller and independence federations units and the devolution of powers to these federating units to control exclusively their human capital development, mineral resources, agriculture, and power (albeit with an obligation to contribute to the federal government) is the only way to salvage our fledging economy. Restructuring will devote attention to the new wealth areas; promote competition and productivity as the new federating units struggle to survive. It will drastically reduce corruption at the large federal parastatals which gulp government revenue for little or no impact dissolve and give way to small and viable organs in the new federating units.

Those campaigning against restructuring in Nigeria have painted an unfortunate and untrue picture that those of us in the Continues on page 20

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Politics I am not doing politics for selfish interest - Mulya In this exclusive interview, Jaq Mulya, a former managing director of Benue Investment and Property Company and a front line contender for Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency of Benue State under People’s Redemption Party (PRP), with BENJAMIN AGESAN, bares his mind on several issues bordering on the people of his constituency which have to do with insecurity, infrastructure and unemployment. Excerpts: With the current massive decamping of politicians from the ruling All Progressives Congress both at the national and state levels to other political parties which you are good example of, what will you say is the reason behind it? t is very true that the rate at which people are decamping from APC to other parties is so worrisome, I don’t know exactly what would have been their reasons as such; I can only talk of myself. The party which some of us were part of its formation is no more the party which some of us joined our leader, Senator Akume George in forming. It was a party that was formed to have an internal democracy that will be representing the will of the people and also have a good reward system, but some of us have come to realise that the party first of all is a betrayal of our trust; there is no more internal democracy and the reward system is very poor.

For instance, if a person of my type who partook in the formation of a political party right from when it was ACN till date, the entire people of Sankera abandoned the party, yet I was still keeping faith with the party all alone, to some extent that people were afraid of hosting the activities of the party with the fear of being attacked by their opponents, I still stood firm and hosted all the activities of the party bearing in mind the risk of being attacked by the opponents. The formation of the party in the entire Zone ‘A’ was done right in my house at Katsina-ala. Other people refused hosting the activities of the party with the fear that their house may be burnt down by the opponents yet I took the risk, the members of PDP at that time in Sankera were ever ready to burn down any house or place that will host the activities of the party but I said let the activities of the party be done in my house, let me see who will come and burn down my house for political reasons, all the activities of the party were made possible only with the aid of my personal resources which I solely invested heavily in the party starting from the days of Ugbah in ACN till this moment that I am contesting for House of Representatives.

As I aspired for House of Representatives under All ProgressiveS Congress, the party conducted its primaries twice in Katsina-ala the headquarters of Sankera in which I emerged victorious; the party’s primaries were cancelled and later rescheduled to Makurdi without any one bothering to get me informed, apart from that, nobody cared to call me and explain things to me. So, how can you belong to a particular political party that will neither recognise you, your interest nor that of your people? Even in churches or associations, one will not be a member of it without being recognised not to talk of one’s interest being protected.

I am not doing politics for my selfish interest but rather for the interest of my people, that was why I had to comply when they insisted that I must contest for the elections. I even went as far as resigning from the office that was offered to me by the state government to manage for the election, I won the primaries twice but the party cancelled the primaries and gave the ticket to another person.

In spite of the above, my people still

People have been losing elections, even the APC that is in power recently lost elections when they conducted State Assembly elections in some states and in some states APC won. So, I believe that the INEC will conduct credible elections come 2019 and they will not be biased and the people that will be voted will be declared winners and they will occupy their offices.

I

Sir, the Sankera Federal Constituency which you are vying to represent is among the axis that has been seriously affected by the herdsmen attacks; what will you do if given the mandate to ensure that peace is restored in those areas to enable the IDPs return to their various homes?

A lot has been done in that regard by President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Samuel Ortom, with the presence of Operation Whirstrock and Anti-Open Grazing Law; we shall continue to stand on the structures that have already been laid on ground which has recorded a reasonable success. We shall build on that because of the seriousness of the federal and state government on the issues, the Nigerian army has worked so hard towards returning peace and I will continue to build on that.

Jaq Mulya

insisted that I should contest under a different platform even if it means contesting as an independent candidate, it was at this point that PRP came calling, they demonstrated that they value me with my aspirations and the people I represent, I then decided to respond to my people’s call by picking up the House of Representatives ticket on the platform of PRP. Even now that I am aspiring under PRP, it is not my will but the will of the Sankera people where I come from and I believe that here an individual will not decide the affairs of the party by canceling elections and rescheduling them at his own will; general election must be done and I believe that the voice of the Sankera people will be heard this time around.

If finally the mandate is given to you, what do you intend to do for the people of Sankera?

I will do what I have been doing for them and I will improve on it. For the past twenty years now I have been serving my people even as a worker; I wouldn’t want to call it a scholarship but I used to have at least fifty students on my list that I have been paying their school fees at all levels- primary school to university. I do buy joint admission and matriculation forms for many sons and daughters of Sankera, I even helped in the employment of many people in Sankera both when I was working in Abuja as a banker and when I was appointed to serve Benue State as the managing director of BIPC. I believe in helping people and I don’t help people so as to be glorified at the end, I always give glory to God because He is the one that has been giving me the strength to help people.

At this time, I will be opportuned to attract dividends of democracy for the people of Sankera. In the past few years, the people of Sankera have been suffering from insecurity and this issue of insecurity

has come to break the unity that existed in Sankera between the three bloc in Sankera. So, I will first of all call for unity meetings that will bring peace and by the time peace is restored, the constituency will attract development because without peace there can never be unity and without unity there can never be peace and without the two all put together there can never be development.

You can see by yourself that both primary and secondary schools have died, markets have died even farming activities are at their lowest level because of lack of peace and unity in the area. You always hear that the Ukum are fighting the Shitile; the state of militia is very high in the axis today because no one has been challenged to stop the menace, but I feel so challenged.

So, if given the mandate, I will find a way of interacting with the angry youths who got themselves involved in the activities and that can be done only when you are given the mandate because, if you do such a thing without mandate, even the security apparatus will have problems with you, but with that mandate you can take permission from the government and you will be able to interact with those youths to know their problems and reasons why they engage themselves in such acts, you will try to tackle such problems if they have genuine reasons, that will bring peace and unity in the area, with the peace and unity in the area, development can be easily attracted with both the federal and state government intervention. These are some of the things that some of us are yearning for.

At this point, what will be your message to the INEC in order to conduct credible elections?

I don’t have any cause to doubt INEC because they consistently have the capacity of conducting free and fair elections, so I don’t have any reason to doubt them.

Political positions like this are mostly won by zoning; how does the zoning favour you?

I spoke about this on radio stations before, like the Sankera Federal constituency which is comprises of three Local governments, the zoning method is based on the local governments, for instance, From Logo local government, the Former Governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam enjoyed double tenures, during the Ukum Local Government era, Akaaye Chaha enjoyed two tenures, even the incumbent Representative, Emmanuel Udende who equally enjoyed eight years is from Ukum local government while in the case of Katsina-ala Local government, Mzenda Iho enjoyed only a tenure from Shitile where I come from, for that, it is now time for Katsina-ala Local Government and Shitile to be precise to at least complete its double tenure just as others did.

What will be your advice to your supporters in order to shun politics of violence, assassination and thuggery?

I always been a peaceful person and I believe in peace, politics should not be taken that far, I am a product of peace as such I believe that people should be allowed to exercise their franchise freely on the day of elections but the youth should also try to learn their lessons. I always ask the youth that these people you always fight for during elections, where are their children? You can go look around and see whether the senator, Governor, House of Representatives member or state Assembly that you are fighting for their children are with you, how will you be fighting people that are with you for people that are not with you? How can you be fighting people around you for people that their children are schooling in big schools abroad? I have always been telling them that, so I can never support violence because I am an advocate of peace.

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Politics Why Northern Elders’ Forum does not want Buhari’s re-election, Igbo presidency - Uremadu Sebastine Uremadu, a professor of Banking and Finance at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture and political analyst, in this interview with UDOKA AGWU in Umuahia, explained why Ango Abdullahi, chairman of Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) and his group are opposed to the second term bid of President Muhammadu Buhari and the emergence of a president of Igbo extraction. Excerpts: Recently, Ango Abdullahi, chairman of NEF reportedly said the decision of the group not to support the re-election of PMB stemmed from his non-performance in office. What is your reaction to such statement? he reason why NEF is refusing to vote for PMB is because he has not complied with their entrenched northernisation policy. This is evidenced in their two-point advice to him that he should take concrete steps to address the abject poverty and under-development in the North and not in the whole Nigeria.

That has been the issue of these negativeminded northern elders who would not want Nigeria to be peacefully united to achieve her economic growth and greatness instead they continue to pursue northernisation agenda first initiated by Ahmadu Bello since 1952 when he became Premier of Northern region.

From the likes of Ango Abdullahi, you only hear north, north nay Nigeria unity and progress. It is quite unfortunate that they have so chosen to themselves, never to want Nigeria unite as one country to reap benefits of its greatness and resources in materials and human capital. It is really unfortunate.

Mr. President rightly knows his people that they have been wooing him with entreaties to cause him make commitment to their northernisation course or agenda that has never led Nigeria to anywhere in the past since it was instituted in 1952.

Now, they would want him crucified, but God will not permit their evil wish. For the fact that the President is for the whole Nigeria is the main reason why he should be encouraged to continue and people from the south ought to learn this and not reject him and opt for another who would come in to continue pursuit of northern agenda and not of Nigeria. A word is enough for the wise.

Fi n a l l y, i t m u s t b e n o t e d t h a t Ai sha’s revelation of two powerful men in Buhari’sadministration influencing him negatively or rather slowing him down in his quest to unite and develop Nigeria has no correlation with what NEF members are postulating. Rather, those two big men by their negative actions have been wanting to compliment northernisation policy of NEF and that they draw from

T

Sebastine Uremadu

Sarduana’s 1952 policy which he told British that he was openly pursuing without minding its negative implications/consequences on the entire unity and development of the entire Nigeria.

However, two other core reasons why Ango Abdullahi would never want PMB re-elected in the forthcoming election are to have another northerner to rule for eight years instead of four years of Buhari in his 2nd term and for the fact that he has promised to support an Igbo to emerge as president in 2023 through principles of rotational presidency.

What is your take on Fashola and Osinbajo who while campaigning recently for Buhari in the South-west told the Yorubas that to be

sure power comes back to South-west in 2023, they should vote for Buhari?

They are being mischievous, greedy and tribal in their disposition in this matter towards Ndigbo interest in producing next president in 2023.

Major political parties in Nigeria have been zoning Presidential slots to six geo-political zones in the country since 1999 (SW, NW, SS, SE,NE andNC). This based on our level of democratic development and the system has to go round among the six zones before leaving it open to any qualified Nigerian from among political parties no matter the zone he or she comes from.

Being that Yorubas (S/W) took the first slot in 1999 in Obasanjo, then Shehu Yar’Adua was selected by PDP in 2007 from NW (Hausas)

‘Atiku’s economic model will drive...

Continued from page 18

support of restructuring are doing so in order to deny the Northern States who are yet to have any proven oil reserves of the ability to survive. This is unfortunate.

The new model Atiku propose for Nigeria recognises that revenue in the world today is promoted by two main sources namely, human capacity development leveraging on technology to drive the critical sectors of the economy and agriculture.

Ten years ago the top ten companies in the world were the likes of Exxon Mobile, Shell and Total. Today, the top eight companies in the world are represented by technology related companies. They include Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Amazon.

The example of Netherlands in agriculture is also relevant here. The Netherlands is the 18th largest economy in the world.

It has a land area of about 33.9,000 square kilometers.

While Niger State, one of Nigeria’s 37 administrative units has about 74,000 square kilometers. Netherlands has over $100 billion from agricultural exports annually, contributed mainly by vegetables and dairy. Nigeria’s oil revenue has never in any one year reached $100 billion.

Northern Nigeria is the most endowed agriculturally in Nigeria. Its tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, cucumbers, tubers, grains, livestock and dairy feed the majority of Nigerians in spite of its huge reserve of unexploited export potentials. In a restructured Nigeria, Northern Nigeria, with the

right agricultural policies, will be the richest part of Nigeria.

Therefore, the Group is optimistic that Atiku’s blueprint for Nigeria will cushy the defect across the country. Atiku rich manifesto addresses all the challenges currently confronting the country. From defence and security, through job creation, education and infrastructure to poverty alleviation, power and fight against corruption, no document from any presidential candidate in the history of Nigeria come close to Atiku’s manifesto in terms of concept, content and creativity.

The Group agreed with Atiku when he said, “Nigeria as currently constituted as an entity is rooted in corruption, impunity and injustice and thus must be reconstituted”.

For instance, there is the need for privatiza-

and made President of Nigeria with Goodluck Jonathan as his Vice president. Two years into his first tenure Yar’Adua died and Jonathan completed his tenure and did another four years from 2011-2015, and PMB took over from him in 2015 to continue in for NW and by 2023 power would be shifted to the South if PMB wins the forthcoming election which would be the turn of South-East to produce president of Nigeria, if Nigeria truly wants a peaceful and united Nigeria.

Igbo of SE make up the three tripod stands on which Nigeria leans and you cannot sideline them based on any sentiment or ethnic hatred.

President Buhari has said on a number of occasions that he would support Igbo presidency when the time comes.

It is now left for Ndigbo to back his second tenure bid in 2019 by massively voting for him in the forthcoming election. However, this should not be used as a condition for zoning Presidency to South-East in 2023 as Victor Ndoma-Egba has rightly pointed out.

It is the turn of the SE whether they vote massively for Buhari or moderately for him. In other words, there should be no conditionality attached for the South-East to utilise their slot because in1999 when the whole Nigeria decided to make a South-West Yoruba man, Olusegun Obasanjo president, the Yorubas never voted for him, rather they voted for Olu Falae of AD, their tribal party that was founded

by Tinubu and other prominent Yorubas. So, both the Yorubas and Hausas should stop placing condition for an Igbo President come 2023 should PMB win in the forthcoming election.

No doubt, all signs point to him winning 2019 election to complete his two-term tenure because he has been performing in the three areas he assigned himself to pursue—diversification of the economy through Agriculture, fight against corruption and determined efforts in fighting insurgency to the barest minimum and we have been seeing results in these regards.

Additionally, he has been making giant strides in reducing infrastructural deficits, building roads/bridges and all worth and these are laudable projects that should earn him second tenure in office.

My advice to the Igbos is to try and vote massively for Buhari in the forthcoming elections.

tion of the seaport ports, airports and roads given to states and local governments to build and maintain. Also, state police cannot be overemphasized in this country.

These would form part of the restructuring we are clamouring for.

Can’t Nigeria achieve all of these without Atiku?

For now, we don’t have any other presidential candidate with the political will to start the process. This is the right time for Nigerians to come together in unity to make the necessary compromises and sacrifices needed to restructure our federation to make the nation a stronger, more united, productive and competitive country. This is the right time to give Atiku the chance to change the narrative in Nigeria.

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Nike Okudaye and her 50 years in the arts

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Arts Nike Okudaye and her 50 years in the arts

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OBINNA EMELIKE o doubt, Nike Davies-Okundaye is a household name on the African arts landscape. She is one of the internationally acclaimed female artists from Nigeria, who has made astounding strides in textile, visual arts and mixed media painting on the global arts scene. Born in 1951, Nike is an Amazon in her own right. She is the woman behind the Nike Art Empire spanning across Nigeria and the world.

There is hardly any important museum in the world that does not have Madam Nike’s work. She is an artist of many parts - she drums, directs plays, dances, paints, and trains young adults to do all of the listed.

However, this year 2019, marks her 50 years of promoting and exhibiting traditional and contemporary African art across the world, and she is rolling out colourful drums to celebrate the uncommon feat on January 27, 2019 at the Nike Art Gallery, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

But taking a look at the journey so far, it is obvious that the artist weathered so many storms to prove her mettle to promote African art to global relevance.

With four art centres in Lagos, Osun, Kogi and Abuja, she was dedicated to promoting and teaching the arts, culture, tradition, language and heritage of Nigeria.

Nike’s Lagos gallery, the newest of the four, contains one of the most extensive African art collections in Africa, and is reported to be West Africa’s largest art gallery. The four art centres collection boasts of over 500 sculptures, 8,000 paintings, and thousands of indigenous and hand designed fabrics, all hand selected by Madam Nike.

At the Nike Center for Art and Culture, Osogbo, Osun State, trainings are offered free of charge to interested Nigerians in various forms of arts. The centre was established in 1983, by Nike solely from her earnings as an artist and without governmental assistance.

Nike opened this centre with 20 young girls who were marching the streets in Osogbo aimlessly and who had no hopes for the future. In their tender age, Nike withdrew these girls from the streets and provided them with free food, free materials and free accommodation at her residence at Osogbo and taught them how to use their hands to earn decent livings through the art. So far, over 3000 young Nigerians have been trained at the centre and are now earning decent living through art.

Many African countries now send their students to study textile art at the centre.

The Osogbo centre now admits undergraduate students

Nike Okudaye

from many universities in Nigeria for their industrial training programmes in textile design. It also admits students from all over Europe, Canada and the United States of America. International scholars and other researchers in traditional African art and culture also visit the centre for their research works into Yoruba “Adire” fabric processing and African traditional dyeing methods.

In 1996, Nike established a textile (Aso-Oke) weaving centre at Ogidi-Ijumu (her hometown) near Kabba in Kogi State for the women of the village, employing and empowering more than 200 women in the weaving centre.

In June 2002, Nike established an Art and Culture Research Center at Piwoyi village, Abuja with an art gallery and a textile museum, the first of its kind in Nigeria, which will provide functional platform for research into Nigerian traditional textile industry in the Federal Capital Territory area of Abuja.

In furtherance of these noble endeavours, Nike is currently the

managing director and founder of Nike Art Productions Limited, which she incorporated in 1994; Nike Art Gallery Limited, which she incorporated in 2007 and Nike Research Centre for Art and Culture Limited, which she incorporated in 2007. Also in 2007, Nike founded the Nike Art and Culture Foundation with some eminent Nigerians as trustees, with the objective of fostering Nigerian cultural heritage.

Her support for African traditional and contemporary art over 50 years has also earned her some local and international recognitions: In May 2006, Nike was awarded one of the highest Italian national awards of merit by the government of the Republic of Italy in appreciation of her efforts in using art to address and solve the problems of Nigerian prostitutes (sex workers) in Italy. In 2005, the National Commission for Museum and Monument of Nigeria awarded Nike a certificate of excellence in recognition of her efforts in the

development of Nigerian cultural heritage. In 2002, Nike was awarded and admitted as a fellow of the institute of The Pan–African Circle of Artists of Nigeria in recognition of her commitment to the promotion of art education in Nigeria.

In 2010, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria presented Nike with a golden plaque of honour in recognition of her noble role in the fight towards drugs free Nigeria society.

In 2010, the Osun State Council for Art & Culture presented Nike with a golden plaque of excellence for being one of the leading “Patron of Art & Culture” in the State.

In 2011, the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN) in collaboration with the Nigerian National Gallery of Art (NGA) presented Nike with a plaque and a certificate of honour for art dealer of the year. In November 2012, Nike was presented a plaque of honour ward by the Female Artists Association of Nigeria (FAAN) for her support and contribution to the growth and development of Female

Artists in Nigeria.

In December 2012, Nike was presented a plaque of honour ward by the National Council for Art & Culture (NCAC) in Abuja in recognition of her efforts in the promotion of Nigerian Creative Industry and Empowerment through Visual Art. In May 2013, Nike was presented with a golden trophy by the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos in appreciation of her contributions to the development of the National Museum in Lagos.

As well, some of the major international shows she participated in are: In 1974, Nike was one of the ten African artists who toured and taught arts in various crafts institutions in the USA and in 1981, Nike’s work won the first prize during the SOUTH WEST ARTS FESTIVAL in Washington DC. USA. In 1985, Nike was one of the six women artists who exhibited at the African Heritage Kenya during the World Women Conference held in Nairobi sponsored by the UN, and in 1992, Nike was the only African who represented the continent at an exhibition organised by BMW Company, Munich Germany.

In 1994, during the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the UN, Nike was one of the 50 world artists selected to exhibit their works and in November 1994, she exhibited her art works at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto Canada.

In addition to the following major international shows, Nike has had over 102 solo art exhibitions and 36 group art exhibitions in her artistic life. Nike’s art works can be found in many private home collections and public institutions collections including schools, colleges, universities, palaces and museums all over the world. Two of Nike’s major art works “Liberal Women Protest March (Parts 1 & 2)” were collected by the Smithsonian National Museum Of African Art in Washington DC, USA for permanent display in 2012.

From a very modest beginning without serious formal western education, Nike has grown to a point where her actions and initiatives have positively impacted the lives of so many who came her ways.

Other than giving the benefits of her exposure to the less privileged, Nike’s works have won her large array of dedicated fan across the globe where she has become an ambassador of good will for art and culture for her beloved country since 1974 when she first took her art works across the shores of this country to the Americas for exhibition. Her interactions cut across a wide divide: politicians and non-politicians, diplomats, scholars, business men and women, researchers, children, tourists, etc., come on a daily basis visiting Nike and her centres in Nigeria.

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Arts Edo prepares ahead of NAFEST 2019 …Obaseki commends Runsewe for cultural rebound

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n efforts at boosting the relevance of cultural heritage and the nonoil sectors, Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, has promised to enrich the cultural content of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) with robust presence of Benin royalty and culture never seen anywhere before now.

Speaking at a recent engagement meeting heralding the NAFEST 2019 with Olusegun Runsewe, director-general, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), at Government House in Benin City, Governor Obaseki noted that Edo being the cultural nerve centre of Nigeria, will bring its rich cultural experience to embellish the growing influence of NAFEST as the true face of Nigeria cultural festival, and unity adding that the state under his watch is honoured to fly the cultural flag of the nation.

He commended Runsewe for the strategic and uncommon turnaround of the national festival into a refreshing gathering of the best of Nigeria’s culture in less than two years in office, while urging him to break more records. “With what you have done with NAFEST, some of us are reassured that Nigeria can rebound in all aspects

IFEOMA OKEKE

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Olusegun Runsewe, director-general, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in a handshake with Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State, and Osewingie Ero, commissioner for culture and tourism, during the engagement meeting in Benin City.

of our national life and we are proud to have you at the centre as key partner to take Nigeria out of the woods to the Promised Land”, Obaseki said.

To drive the 2019 edition of the festival in October, Governor Obaseki immediately directed Osewingie Ero, commissioner for culture and tourism, to put in place a local organising committee to ensure stress free

organisation of the festival.

Addressing the governor earlier, Runsewe disclosed that he was in Benin to appreciate the governor for bidding and winning the hosting right for 2019 edition of NAFEST, promising to pay detailed attention to the full content of festival, not excluding its marketing and promotion.

He commended the giant strides and initiatives of the

governor for being the first in Nigeria to introduce cultural clubs in Edo public schools and also the introduction of culture/tourism desk at Benin Airport as a process of reviving and sustaining Edo culture in the minds of the people and Nigerians at large.

Runsewe revealed that a national organising committee for NAFEST 2019 in Edo would be announced soon to

enable NCAC to showcase another record breaking outing in Benin possibly more than the last edition held in Rivers State last year. Notable intervention on content such as cultural golf competition, empowerment and skill acquisition, health outreach, children cultural dance and competition with a special outing with Edo State governor’s wife will brace the Edo October outing.

Ngozi Ukazu, Tomi Adeyemi are finalists for the William C. Morris Award 2019

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he William C. Morr i s Yo u n g Ad u l t Debut Award, first given in 2009, honours a book published by a first-time author writing for teens and celebrating impressive new voices in young adult literature. The winner is announced annually at the American Library Association Youth Media Awards, with a shortlist of up to five titles named on the first week of December.

The award is named for William C. Morris, an influential innovator in the publishing world and an advocate for marketing books for children and young adults. Some of the previous winners of the awards are Angie Thomas for That Hate U Give, Jeff Zentner, Becky Albertalli, Isabel Quintero, and Blythe Woolston.

Of the five finalists for the 2019 edition of the prize announced in December 2018, there are two writers

BUAF to hold Beeta Playwright Competition January 30th

of Nigerian descent; Ngozi Ukazu and Tomi Adeyemi.

Check, Please!: #Hockey written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu published by First Second is described thus; Using witty dialogue, a subtle gay romance, and lots of references to Bitty’s baking, Ukazu dives deep into bro-culture and demolishes

Ngozi Ukazu

toxic masculinity in this wellcrafted graphic novel, which follows Eric “Bitty” Bittle and his hockey team through their years at Samwell University. Teens will be ready to devour the next installment of this unabashedly charming story.

In the other hand, Children of Blood and Bone writ-

Tomi Adeyemi

ten by Tomi Adeyemi published by Henry Holt Books is described thus; In Orïsha, diviners and maji were revered for their abilities, until tyrannical King Saran forced magic from the kingdom. When his daughter, Amari, flees the palace with an ancient relic, she meets 17-year-old diviner Zélie.

Together, they undertake a quest to restore the kingdom’s magic, but Amari’s brother is determined to keep his father’s legacy intact.

The five writers in the running for the award are; Check, Please!: #Hockey written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu published by First Second, Children of Blood and Bone written by Tomi Adeyemi published

by Henry Holt Books, Blood Water Paint written by Joy McCullough published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, Darius the Great Is Not Okay written by Adib Khorram, published by Dial Books and What the Night Sings written and illustrated

by Vesper Stamper, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

The winner will be announced at American Library Association Midwinter Youth Media Awards on January 28, 2019.

eeta Universal Arts Foundation (BUAF) will hold the grand finale of the second Beeta Playwright Competition (BPC) on January 30, 2019 at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

The foundation is led by Bikiya Graham-Douglas, award winning actress and producer.

Entries received were 348 from playwrights across the country.

Panel of judges for the prize award include; Shaibu Husseini, journalist and art critic, Kenneth Uphopho theatre director, Ego Boyo, veteran actress, Ayo Jaiyesinmi, theatre producer and writer, Ibiso Graham-Douglas, publisher and bookseller, and led

by Ahmed Yerima, awardwinning playwright and jury chairman.

The panel is tasked with selecting the best play from the 10 shortlisted plays from the following playwrights: Shehu Zock-Sock (Tick Tock More Talk), Rukee Ejigbo (Mr. Macaroni), Joshua Alabi (Beyond the Wig), Ubonla Adenike (Echoes of the Drum), AbdulQudus Ibrahim (Jagagba), Kehinde Ademoye (A Love Like This), Ekpeno Ukut (Room 7), Kelvinmary Ndukwe (Transparent), El Osas Iyalekhue (Shark Boy), and Elias Ozikpu (Queen Akhadze).

The finalists had a training session, facilitated by Yerima, Uphopho, and Ibiso GrahamDouglas at MUSON Centre.

The winner will be announced at the grand finale on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, starting at 12pm.

The winner will take home the N1 million prizes money, a publishing deal with PaperWorth Books Limited, as well as, having the play produced by BUAF at Terra Kulture Arena.

Also, a campus tour to selected universities across the country is part of the deal for winning the prize.

The competition is sponsored by Union Bank and supported by WAPIC Insurance Plc, NIMASA, Terra Kulture, Olajide & Oyewole LLP, and British Council.

Beeta Universal Arts Foundation is Nigeria’s foremost organisation focused on developing the arts through storytelling, education, and advocacy.

According to GrahamDouglas, the BUAF’s founder, “Our first edition was very successful, with the winning play, Our Son the Minister, produced many times across the country. Our winner Paul Ugbede worked with the biggest producers in Nigerian theatre and has also been shortlisted for the African Playwriting competition.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Life&Living How to know what shoes work best for your feet

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Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

’m sure we have all heard the popular saying, ‘if the shoe fits, wear it’. In literal terms, I’m sure you’re thinking (duh) of course I’ll wear the shoes if I like them and they fit me feet. It’s only normal right? But the saying is actually an idiomatic expression that means if something has all the characteristics of a thing, then it most likely is that thing. An example will be, someone saying “Everybody keeps calling me a bully” and then someone replies, “Well, if the shoe fits”.

According to phrases.org.uk, the phrase means that if a description applies to you, accept it.

“This expression is often used when something derogatory is said about a person who then complains to a third party. The third party, if they agree with the original negative

comment, might suggest “If the shoe fits, then wear it”.

However, in this article, I’d like to focus on its literal meaning, as I am writing on knowing the right shoes to wear for your kind of feet, the occasion and the length of time when the shoes are to be worn.

A lot of people seem to think that because they wear a particular size of shoes and these shoes are that size, then it’s perfect for them. But that is so wrong. Different people have different forms and shapes of feet and so, not every shoe that is your size is good for you to wear.

Here’s how to know what shoes work best for you; Wide feet: Having wide feet does not necessarily mean that you have big feet. You can be a European size 38/ UK 5 and have wide feet.

Every wide footed lady will know the struggle of forcing your feet into

impossibly narrow but beautiful shoes. This is really dangerous as it can deform your feet, giving you ugly looking corn and it can also be very uncomfortable and painful. Make sure you buy shoes specifically made for ‘wide feet’. A lot of shoe shops have started including this in their collection. It is also important to know the type of wide feet you have, either flat wide feet, high arched wide feet or bulgy bunion wide feet so that you can get the right support from your shoes.

Work shoes: A lot of ladies get this totally wrong. The shoes you wear for a night out with the ladies

at the club are not appropriate for work. I see some ladies wear stripper heels to work and I’m thinking “did you miss your way?” If you are going to wear heels to the office because it makes you look and walk smarter, then make sure they’re mid heel, comfortable court shoes. They should be as formal looking as possible, with subtle colour tones and no unnecessary flamboyant designs or decorations.

Open toe shoes/ sandals: Open toe/peep toe shoes and sandals look fabulous on well pedicured feet. If you toe nails are chipped and horrible looking and the heels of

your feet are dry and cracking, then you should not be wearing sandals, sling backs or open toe shoes. This is because they are very painful to look at. A lady’s feet are supposed to be appealing to look at. So if they are not, please cover them up.

Comfy shoes: Now this is relative. What feels comfortable on my feet might not necessarily be comfortable to you. This is because, as I said earlier, people have different types and shapes of feet. If I have high arched feet, totally flat shoes might be uncomfortable for me.

Also, the type of support that my body weight needs might make it either more or less comfortable for me to wear thin heeled shoes. A big/ plus size lady might feel more comfortable in block heels, as this would provide more support to her body weight. If you are going to stand for long hours in a music concert or walk around town shopping, I’ll advice you to wear you most comfortable shoes.

Try on your shoes: People tend t think that once they know their shoe size, the can buy shoes from any store and it’ll be fine. Well, that is wrong. It is important to always try on shoes and even take a few steps around the shop before purchase.

This is because different shoe shops have different styles and shoes are made of different material. Leather for example expands after a few wears. Also, the climate condition in different countries can either enlarge or reduce your feet. For example, my feet tend to swell after a long flight and cold weather swells it even more.

Why looking good is good business Jumoke Akiyode-Lawanson

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while ago, I was listening to a conversation between two people on radio and one of them was complaining about just how expensive clothes are. ‘It really is expensive to look good,’ she said. And I thought to myself, ‘imagine life without clothes!’ If we did not have to dress up and look good for others to see and admire how we look, would there be anything like jealousy, hate or envy? Would people be killing themselves by buying accessories and clothing items that they obviously cannot afford just to ‘belong’?

Or would we just be living as carelessly and freely as animals if there was nothing like clothes?

Let’s rewind time to the days of Adam and Eve in the Bible. Remember that they only started covering themselves in shame when they

sinned against God. So that answers the question. There would have been no shame, jealousy, envy and the others if we had a life without clothes because that would have meant that there was no sin from the beginning.

Get it? How wonderful would that have been? I can only imagine.

Yes we all know that clothing is important because it reflects an individual’s culture, personality and preferences. People can use clothing to enhance their personal appearance and protect the body from extreme temperatures and elements in various climates but apart from these reasons, it is important to be more cautious about your appearance as people often form first impressions based on what a person wears.

Have you ever heard this saying, ‘looking good is good business’? Well it’s undoubtedly true as fashion designers and beauticians are cashing out more than ever these days.

‘I have never seen anyone con-

sciously making an effort to look bad.

Even the people that seem a bit care free still want to look nice and presentable. Believe it or not, Nigerians judge

people a lot by the way the person looks,’ Moni Fajobi, a Lagos based fashion designer tells BDSunday.

Historically, it is believed that the

invention of clothing is one of the important factors that made migration possible as findings have shown that clothes appeared some 70,000 years before humans started to migrate north from Africa into cooler climates. Without a way of covering up to shield their bodies from cold, they probably would have had to all stay in the warmer climate of Africa.

Countless scenarios have also proven that you have to dress the way you would like to be addressed.

So it goes without saying that if you dress like a thug, you are more likely than not to be treated as a thug. Some say it is sad that an individual should be judged by his mode of dressing but that’s just our sad reality.

So ladies and gentlemen, please make the extra effort to dress appropriately, fit for the occasion and look good, because sadly, we do not live in a world without clothes. We can only imagine!

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Entertainment Nollywood plans film production forum at FESPACO

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istory will be made on Wednesday February 27 , 2019 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, when the Nigerian film industry otherwise known as Nollywood hosts the first ever African Coproduction Forum (ACF) at the world famous Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). This will be the first time that Nollywood will be organising an event within the official programme of the festival.

Powered by Madu C. Chikwendu’s Thud Worldwide Consultants Ltd. ACF Is designed to preempt the proposed African Continental Free Trade Agreement by bringing together African filmmakers to commence their own partnerships and col-

laborations within the audio visual sector.

According to Chikwendu, filmmaker and the lead consultant at THUD,: “The impetus for this initiative is actually fuelled by three very important factors; the high quality of a reasonable number of Nollywood films, the availability of funding and the expansion of the distribution space through the increasing number of cinemas. This new situation has to be brought to the attention of other cinema professionals on the continent with a view to creating interesting projects, initiating bilateral and multilateral agreements and expanding revenue by clinching distribution deals across the continent.”

FESPACO will this year celebrate its golden jubilee .It is the

biggest, the most prestigious and the most important film festival on the African continent with over 20,000 visitors. For African producers ,directors , government agencies and cinema professionals that are unable to attend FESPACO, THUD has created various windows of participation including ; Listing of filmmakers and their projects in the commemorative brochure , advert placements and inclusion of movie trailers, products and services in a free DVD that will be distributed free of charge to participants.

FESPACO is the first in the series of what is basically Trade Delegations presented by Thud Worldwide Consultants Ltd under its “We Create ..truly Nigerian” banner.

Bird Box, Elite drive Netflix subscriber growth to over 139 million Jonathan Aderoju

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ovies including Bird Box have helped Netflix to end 2018 with more than 139 million subscribers, adding 8.8 million members in the last three months of the year.

The streaming giant said the growth reflected the success of its original programmes. Netflixoriginal material now represents the vast majority of its most popular shows, the streaming giant said.

Television viewers also spend an estimated 10 percent of their time on Netflix, it claimed. The figures accompanied the release of the firm’s quarterly earnings report.

They offered investors a rare glimpse of audience viewing patterns, as the firm seeks to explain how its massive spending on content - much of it funded with

debt - is paying off.

Bird Box was watched by 80 million households in its first four weeks after release while Elite, a Spanish drama, was watched by 20 million households in its first four weeks after release.

Netflix estimates that the show ‘You and Sex Education’ will both be watched by 40 million households within their first four weeks of release.

Some analysts have estimate that Netflix spent more than $13 billion on movies and shows last year.

Netflix said its spending is likely to increase this year.

“Our multi-year plan is to keep significantly growing our content while increasing our revenue faster to expand our operating margins,” Netflix said in a shareholder letter tied to the earnings report.

“Our growth is based on how good our experience is,” Netflix further said.

Shares, which had risen sharply in recent weeks, dipped more than 3 percent in afterhours trade, after revenue for the fourth quarter fell shy of analyst expectations.

The firm reported quarterly revenue of $4.2bn (£3.2bn), up 27 percent from the same period in 2017.

However, a price increase in the US and some countries in Latin America and the Caribbean announced recently has the potential to add some $1bn in revenue.

The firm said it will also look to adjust prices elsewhere as currencies fluctuate, but warned the increases could lag behind the exchange rate shifts, causing revenue hiccoughs.

The 8.8 million increase in paid subscribers, most of them from overseas, marked six percent growth from the previous quarter.

Is ‘Up North’ about Banky or Bauchi?

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f we agree that movies are an integral part of a nation’s popular culture, then to an extent, movies have roles to play in projecting a nation’s culture and environment.

‘Up North’ in this regard projected aspects of Nigeria. ‘Up North’ is relatively a good movie though it could have been better. I love the movie more than it deserves because of its projection of our national life; the culture and national relevance of the movie obscures its shabby plot, and lack of simple details in the development of the story. Justice for me will be a six over ten rating for the movie.

The movie was directed by Tope Oshin, and starred the musician turned actor Bankole Wellington a.k.a. ‘Banky W’ as Bassey Otuekong alongside Kanayo O.Kanayo, Hilda Dokubo, Michelle Dede, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, Rahama Sadau, Ibrahim Suleiman among others.

‘Up North’ told the story of Bassey Otuekong (Banky W) who failed to live up to his father’s (Kanayo O Kanayo) expectations to manage his business and marry the daughter of his business partner in order to cement the business relationship that existed between them. To punish him for disrespecting his father’s wishes, he was not only forcefully mobilized for his National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC), his father refused to influence his posting hence he was posted to Bauchi state where he was faced with new experiences and love life. By focusing on the experiences of the major actor as a corps member, the movie also stressed the relevance of the NYSC scheme. It was a good story/script.

By projecting the beautiful culture and landscape of Bauchi, the movie is a counter narrative to tales of terrorism and religious violence that has characterised core Northern Nigeria. With the colourful festival and tourists’ sites projected in the movie, the movie did justice in attempting to correct the negative perception people have about Northern Nigeria. To reinforce its narrative, ‘Up North’ used Bahd, Baddo, Baddest’ by Falz, Olamide and Davido, ‘Fresh Love’

by Dinachi and ‘Motherland’ by Sound Sultan as its sound tracks.

The lyrical contents of these songs suited the movie well.

The film can boast of quality picture and sound. The aerial views (when the corpers were on the field), the projection of social media icons and interface on the screen, and the set props all enhanced the technical aspect of the movie.

There were sterling performances from the cast particularly from Kanayo O Kanayo. Banky W was too forceful in some of the scenes;

he was unconvincing any time he wanted to portray anger particularly when his credit card was declined at the ATM and suya points.

There were shabby and ill handled scenes particularly when the soldiers were chasing Banky W and his roommates when they left the camp premises to buy suya. Banky was shown to be ahead of others while they flee from the soldiers, and all of a sudden, he started running back towards his assailants and the next thing, he was caught. That was too unrealistic and mundane.

There were also factual errors.

Anybody who went through NYSC knows full well that it is not the NYSC camp commandant that is in charge of redeployment, it is the camp director/state coordinator.

Rahama Sadau (Aisha) according to the current University of Lagos structure would have been too young to have become an associate professor; it requires a PhD and at least nine years of service to achieve. Not only was Aisha too young to have attained such position, she was never addressed as a Doctor in the movie, a clear fact that would have suggested she had a PhD degree which is a prerequisite to becoming an associate professor.

Unless she meant to say she is an assistant professor.

The Governor of Bauchi’s speech during the sport finale which was previously given in an outdoor event was woefully recreated when it was being watched on a television. On a closer look during the TV version of the same event, one will see doors at the background when the governor was giving the speech suggesting that the TV version of the speech was recreated in a room.

This is an embarrassing disparity.

The scene where the villagers were listening to a radio in order to follow up the sport competition isn’t original; it reminded me of Mira Nair’s ‘Queen of Katwe’.

The plot of the film is tardy and did not reveal how Banky W and Raham Sadau became lovers. The first hint of their love affair was when Banky’s sister Michelle Dede was begging Raham Sadau to let her brother go. There were no supporting details or scene that could have led to such revelation and confrontation. The love affair between Banky and Raham Sadau was imposed on the plot particularly when you compare it with the well detailed and chronological love affair between Adesua EtomiWellington and Ibrahim Suleiman.

In all, ‘Up North’ is worth your time, money and popcorn.

Destiny Isiguzo Follow on instagram @destinyisiguzo and on twitter @isiguzocid

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Mobile: 08053859391, email - iambolatito@gmail.com twitter - @iambolatito

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in Nigeria. Little wonder, the CBN governor said, “I am sure by that time, the CBN will be begging Dangote to sell its dollars to the bank,” after he spent over four hours touring the ongoing Dangote Re-

finery, Petrochemicals, Fertilizer projects and Dangote deep-water jetty over the weekend. Other industry giants are without any doubt concurring with Dangote even as some of them are led

by the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Deputy Governor of CBN, Economic Policy, Sarah Alade, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, Zenon Oil boss, Femi Otedola, Ibe Kachukwu, Babatunde Fashola, Kayode Fayemi, Kemi Adeosun, the Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank, Segun Abaje and the CEO, Enyo Retail & Supply Limited et al were at one time or the other visited the refinery and gave kudos to the man of substance when it comes to manufacturing. This is a good testimony of why people always love to identify with visible, verifiable and viable success. As a summation, Aliko Dangote says they have a couple of projects at hand and will continue with these transformative projects.

Why Tony Elumelu is Personality of the Year

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ike beauty attracts the eyes, then personality is an unbroken series of successful gesture that captures the heart, but if a Man of the Year can be described as a person who shows how one person can truly make a difference and every day changing the world in their own little way, then you are talking of Tony Elumelu. For leading the largest African philanthropic initiative devoted to entrepreneurship, Mr. Tony Onyemaechi Elumelu, an economist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, chairman of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa, Transcorp, and founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF, is Vanguard’s personality of the year. Tony Elumelu’s large footprints across key sectors of the Nigerian economy,

from Banking and Finance to Real Estate, Oil and Gas, attest to his entrepreneurial dexterity and knack for business excellence. Indeed, his philanthropic activities are greatly becoming the stuff for legends. His origination of the Africapitalism concept, driven through The Tony Elumelu Foundation, is changing lives and creating businesses, not only in Nigeria, but also across the African continent.

The concept is an economic philosophy that embodies the private sector’s commitment to the economic transformation of Africa through long-term investments that create both economic prosperity and social wealth. In many measures, the TEF has gone a long way in actualizing its stated objective of proving that the African private sector

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of the billionaire whose inspiring story started a

AD Mogul, Steve Omojafor, celebrates

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e has every reason to rejoice because he added another year to his life. A few days ago, Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor, a marketing communication guru, turned 73. The well-planned birthday celebration, which held at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence, was graced by a number of leading lights in the advertising sector as well as titans of the corporate world in Nigeria. While the event lasted, Omojafor was full of appreciation to God and some individuals who had contributed in different ways to his success story.

The septuagenarian, who is the Chairman of STB McCann, has been around for so many years; and many who have drunk from his fountain of knowledge are today ‘irokos’ of sorts in the nation’s thriving marketing communication industry.

His company is one of the most successful advertising companies in Nigeria.

The advertising guru, who holds a degree in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos, is a Fellow of the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN). He was at various times a SubEditor, Daily Times; Group Head, Client Service, Lintas Limited and co-founder of Rosabel Advertising.

Billionaire Adenuga’s daughter, Bella shines

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can itself be the primary generator of economic development. It is noteworthy that to date, TEF has funded no less than 4,460 entrepreneurs

with an investment of about N9.6 billion ($25 million.)

This is why he was found worthy to be the Vanguard personality of the year, 2018.

Otunba Funsho Lawal, an oil baron par excellence

e operates silently but those who know him well will tell you that he has all it takes to be the industry top player. Otunba Funsho Lawal, OON, CON is the Chairman, Sogenal Oil &Gas is an ambitious businessman and he has his hands in many sectors of the economy. Though he is famously known as a top player in the country’s oil and gas sector, his businesses are scattered within and outside the country. Anyone who undertakes to compile the list of top corporate players in Nigeria will be making a grave error if he or she lives out the name

Sunday 27 January 2019

Bolatito Adebola

Industry giants align with Dangote uccess is no accident; it is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence. This has a correlation with what highly enterprising Alhaji Aliko Dangote has been doing in his many businesses nay manufacturing. His new business adventure into petrol-mechanism is already making appreciable success, and industry giants are readily aligning with him if only to register their support for him. Even with the rapid growth and maturing success of the multi-million dollar project; this mercurial billionaire Dangote, is being touted as the next Nigeria’s most powerful forex merchant that will be dictating the pace of foreign exchange market

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long time ago. Though his contributions to the nation’s political scene have been acknowledged, the technocrat loathes any loud celebrations. However, this is not the news.

The former Chairman of the Corporate Affairs C o m m i s s i o n , C AC , i s said to be investing in another line of business, communication. Though the source refused to disclose the details of the business, it was learnt that his involvement in the communication sector would definitely change the narrative in the sector. For a man whose eyes are on the future, it is not surpris-

ing that he is trying to expand his business interest. However, in spite of his great accomplishments, one can say that Otunba as fondly called is still a story waiting to be told. Since he started out as a businessman, he has continued to ply his trade in such a way that makes many of his competitors green with envy. The Petroleum Club former president is known to have a soft spot for the advancement of humanity. Indeed, people who have come in contact with him also affirm that he’s always in the constant quest to influence and give back to the society.

eing the daughter of a billionaire is enough fame already, but when you are now the daughter of one of the richest black men in the world, the entire black race should literally worship the ground that you tread. The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Globacom, Mrs. Bella Adenuga-Disu played out on Monday when she joined 149 other top global business leaders at the 2019 Choose France International Business Summit an event was held at the Chateau de Versailles in France and provided an opportunity for various global CEOs to publicize their major investments and partnerships involving French companies.

The French President, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, was on hand to receive Bella and other business leaders

at the dinner organized to promote France’s attractiveness as a business environment. The event, which was headlined by high stake business meetings, the announcement of multi-million dollar investment projects and dinner with President Macron, was organized to promote France’s attractiveness as a business environment. Bella Adenuga- Disu used the occasion to hold bilateral meetings with key business leaders in France, describing engagements at the summit as impactful and an important platform for exploring collaborations and business development. Even as a billionaire’s daughter, Bella keeps a low-profile and avoids any form of scandal that can jeopardise her name and that of her family. She is one young lady who has matured more than her age.

Sunday 27 January 2019

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Bliss with Nonye Ben-Nwankwo

BDSUNDAY 27

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

Why I left music industry - Easy Lizzy

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lizabeth Taiwo Olapeju, popularly known as Easy Lizzy used to be a happening babe in the entertainment industry. At least, being about the only female artiste in the fuji hip hop genre, Easy Lizzy was a force to reckon with some years back.

But as soon as the ovation was loudest, it was as if the singer faded out of the industry, nobody could hear anything about her – at least her music –for a long while.

But in a chat with Bliss recently, the singer said she actually left the industry due to some “challenges”.

“The music industry is very challenging and I just decided to pipe low. I was about the only female doing fuji hip hop. I wasn’t making so much money as well.”

Howbeit, Lizzy said she didn’t fade out completely because she has some other things taking her time.

“Even if I am not in the entertainment industry, I have so many other things I am doing. I have an NGO that I am running and free summer classes that I do for kids every long vacation.”

Lizzy said she didn’t set up an NGO to get financial gains anyway.

“I have always been a strong woman who has wanted to get things moving. I don’t ever want to be idle. I don’t run an NGO to make money, far from it. I am the kind o person that likes giving back to the society. It might be because of what I have been through in my life when I was growing up. I wouldn’t want any girl child to experience what I went through. That was why I came up with the Boss Lady project. No matter what we go through, we can always scale through it.”

But when Bliss asked her to talk a bit about what she went through in life, Lizzy chose to be evasive saying, “I really don’t want to talk about my experience. I would only advise mothers that no matter how busy they are, they should have adequate time for their girl child. My mother was extremely busy. At a very tender age I was already making decisions for myself and it affected me so much. As you are growing up, if you are not properly tutored, you can make a lot of mistakes because you weren’t tutored on life challenges.”

Even as she is no longer so vibrant in the music scene, Lizzy had composed and released a track few years ago for Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State.

Explaining why she released the song for a politician, Lizzy could not answer if she was rewarded

A

for her efforts by the Lagos State government for the song.

“I will not talk about money. My father was a politician before he passed on. Politics has always been a part of me. So if you see me doing stuff for politicians, it is not as if I just jumped into it. I have that political blood in me. That is why you see me do music and support the winning party. I didn’t just decide to juggle into politics. Whatever we do in life we get rewarded for it.

We just thank God for everything.”

Lizzy also revealed that she intends to release another national song she titled, Nigeria.

“I did a song, Nigeria, which is an afro pop song. I will shoot the music soon. I am still doing music but not as much as I was doing before now. The song is about unity. This is the best time to pull out that song. We have to put sentiments aside and come together and make this country great again. That is what the song is all about,” she said.

Harrysong storms Asaba for Life’s Bridge of Progress party

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o matter the challenges he faced in his life last year, pop artiste, Harrysong, is a ‘Master’ when it comes to music and the singer went all out show his prowess in Asaba at the Life Bridge of Progress party.

Sponsored by Life Continental Lager Beer, from the stables of Nigeria Breweries, the party which held at Shoprite few days ago, also featured highlife duo Obiligbo Brothers who thrilled fans in the big heart of Delta State.

Born Harrison Tare Okiri, Harrysong initially rose to fame after his tribute song to Nelson Mandela won the “Most Downloaded Callertune Award” at The Headies 2013. He followed this success with songs like “Reggae Blues” ˆ “Arabanko” which were smash hits and got massive airplay.

He capped off 2018 with the release of the single “Selense” which featured Reekado Banks and Kizz Daniel.

When he got on the Asaba stage, fans went wild! He got everyone off their feet as he performed and left many in awe of his electrifying talents.

Controversy trails Linda Osifo’s new house lmost as soon as actress, Linda Osifo, announced on her social media handle that she has acquired a mansion in highbrow Lekki (Lagos), so many followers came out instantly to puncture her claim, alleging the house is not Linda’s.

In her handle, Linda had posted a picture where she was posing in front of a lovely mansion and she wrote, ‘’Na small small...•I squatted at first in someone’s house (A great helper till now) -2013 •Rented a shared apartment with a complete stranger -2014 •Rented my own 3 room apartment in Lekki- 2015 •Glory to God....like play sha na we them dey call Landlord for this Lagos! -2018.

“If I never took that bold step & got on that plane....there wouldn’t be ‘LAO’ today. Don’t let them tell you it’s not possible because of your gender, age, skin color, background, education or whatever! Let them know your dreams are POSSIBLE because you have a LIVING GOD. Never give the glory to man, but to God only! #TBTgratitude #Testimony.”

But so many online followers, who claim they know Linda, allege the young actor’s claim as untrue.

A commenter posted immediately online saying, “That house doesn’t belong to Linda Osifo. It’s her parents’ home in Lagos. One of my colleagues at our architectural firm designed that house. I visited the site several times while construction was on-going. Linda’s only input in that property was that she was the person who our firm liaised with periodically on

the project, because her parents live overseas, and she’s their only child resident in Nigeria. That house is definitely not hers. Please take note.”

Another follower quickly added her two pence in the story saying, “This girl can lie. That’s her parents’ house. Her parents are in Canada.

She’s the only one in Nigeria and she lives there. That’s a family house.

DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE ON SOCIAL MEDIA!!

I know them enter house. I know when her parents were building that house. It’s in Sangotedo, Ajah. LIES! Acquired my ass!”

Also, an anonymous fan commented on her story saying, “So na hee parents get the house. Haaa. I be wan ask how many films she don act to buy this lucrative house.”

And yet another fan said, “Why do people lie so much on social media? Who asked her all these ones she’s talking now. How can you claim you bought a house when it actually belongs to your parents?

Na wa o.”

However, so many of her other fans including her colleagues, have congratulated the actress on her new acquisition.

Tonto Dikeh ready for ‘war’ with blackmailers

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And the Obiligbo Brothers were also sensational! The year 2018 was a breakout year for the brothers who played across the east and thrilled many with their signature highlife tunes.

Fresh off a hugely successful 2018, the brothers took the stage filled with confidence and they gave out the best and treated guests to the best of highlife music.

ontroversial actress, Tonto Dikeh is one actress who is not cowed easily and she has proven that in so many ways.

Just recently, the actress posted a screen shot of a message ‘blackmailers’ had sent to her threatening to release her nude pictures and those of nine other actresses.

In her reaction, Tonto spat fire and quickly dared the blackmailers to go ahead with their threat.

In her social media handle, Tonto posted, “These ones are still learning, if I give you guys a dirty slap you will release my nudes today…

How dare you have my nudes and decide to release it at weekend? Do you know how much I have spent on my body so far? Don’t play with me. Release the shit let’s make money… I wanna blow so don’t

let me drop it before you lad!!

“If you release a photo shopped picture of me, I WILL SHOOT YOU IN THE HEAD AND GO TO JAIL, I will hunt you down and do really bad things to everyone you love… DARE ME, DARE ME, DARE ME, DARE ME.”

42 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Consumer Watch Consumption of carrot reduces risk of cancer - Experts

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arrot, that roots vegetable, is very much in season. It comes in many colours, including; yellow, white, orange, red and purple.

It can be seen at the bus-stops, markets or while being hawked around on the streets. Five medium-size carrots can be sold for N50.

While ten large-size can go for N100.

It is crunchy, tasty and highly nutritious. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium and antioxidants.

It has a number of health benefits. They are weight loss-friendly food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.

The carotene antioxidants in them have also been linked to reduced risk of cancer.

The traditional orange colored carrots get their bright color from beta-carotene, an antioxidant that is converted to vitamin A in the body. The water content can vary from around 86-95 percent, and the edible portion consists of around 10 percent carbohydrates.

Carrots contain very little fat and protein One medium, raw carrot

contains 25 calories, with only 4 grams of digestible carbs.

Carrots are mainly composed of water and carbohydrates.

The carbs consist of starch and sugars, such as sucrose and glucose. They are also a relatively good source of fiber, with one medium sized carrot providing 2 grams. Carrots often rank low on the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly foods raise blood sugar after a meal.

Eating low-glycemic foods is linked to numerous health benefits, and is considered particularly beneficial for diabetics.

It also contains soluble fibers which can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion of sugar and starch.

They can also feed the friendly bacteria in the gut, which may lead to improved health and decreased risk of disease.

Certain soluble fibers can also impair the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract, lowering blood cholesterol.

Individuals that are low in vitamin A are more likely to experience night blindness, a condition that may improve by eating carrots or other foods rich in vitamin A or carotenoids.

Consumers lament high cost of kerosene

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NGOZI OKPALAKUNNE

or some time now, the price of kerosene nationwide has continued to skyrocket, thereby exposing the users who are mainly the poor to more economic hardship. Investigation by Consumer Watch revealed that the product is not scarce, but expensive.

A visit to some petroleum filling stations in Surulere, Lagos operated by independent marketers, revealed that a litre of kerosene sells for N240 while roadside sellers charge between N250 and N300 per litre.

Some women, who were spotted in some filling stations buying kerosene decried the persistent increase in the price of the product and added that it had increased beyond everyone’s imagination.

They however, appealed to government to come to their aid by finding a lasting solution to the persistent increase.

A home maker, Blessing Duru who spoke on the issue described the continuous increase in the price of the petroleum product as wickedness against the poor masses.

“The rich do not use kerosene, it is the poor and the government is not worried about it.

The thought of buying kerosene each time l want to cook makes me feel sad, because l cannot imagine spending N250 worth of kerosene on daily basis, it is worrisome considering the present economic crunch,” she said. In addition, she wondered how the poor who were manag-

ing to survive the present economic hardship will spend more in buying kerosene than the rich who cook with gas.

Speaking further, she said, “It is only in this country that such thing can happen, kerosene should be the cheapest among the petroleum products, but the reverse is the case. This is an indication that the government is insensitive to the plights of the poor. Over three years now, the price of kerosene has remained high and the users have been lamenting, appealing to government to come to their aid, but nothing positive has been done about it, in fact the price of kerosene is increasing almost on a daily basis. The road –sellers are not helping matters, they can wake up one morning, on their

own, they will increase the price of the product and the helpless users will have to pay through their nose”, Duru said.

An educationist, Benedict Uzoma explained that the high price of kerosene prompted her to use cooking gas which she does not like because of the risk associated with it. “l do not like cooking with gas because of my children, they are still small and may not know how to operate cooking gas, but because of the continuous increase in the price of kerosene, l resorted to cooking with gas and it is very economical, if l refill my gas cylinder with the sum of three thousand, it lasts for three months, but with the current price of kerosene, l may have to spend up to N5,000

monthly. Though using gas has its own disadvantage, it is not only economical, but also convenient,’’ she added.

Another home maker who preferred to be addressed as Susan, described the situation as unbearable and added that she cannot afford to spend such amount only on kerosene.

“If l buy 5 liters of kerosene for N1,500 that will not last up to a week, how much food stuff will l buy that will be enough for a family of five. Since the price of kerosene remains high, l decided to go for charcoal, at least with N500, l am sure of cooking for my family for a week. “Really, cooking with charcoal is not convenient because of the filthiness associated with it, but

l cannot afford kerosene or gas, so l have to go for the one affordable,” she added.

One of the independent marketers who does not want his name mentioned on the print affirmed that the persistent increase of the product was due to the thrice increase of the product last year by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“The NNPC last year through its subsidiary, the PPMC, increased the kerosene price three or four times. This is alarming,” he said.

An analyst, Chukwudinma Muoneke observed that the increase had introduced more suffering to the users.

“This government has failed Nigerians, people are going through hell, the cost of consumer goods and services are rising daily and nothing is been done about it. Many Nigerians are jobless and are dying of hunger. “Where can a jobless fellow find money to eat not to talk of money to buy kerosene that is fast getting out of the reach of the poor,’’ “ It is time for Nigerians to learn their lesson, the 2019 general election is at the door step, they should vote wisely , so that the suffering will be not continue,’’ Muoneke advised.

One of the independent marketers who does not want his name on the print affirmed that the persistent increase of the product was due to the thrice increase of the product last year by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

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29

Politics

Ezekwesili and ACPN: A union gone awry INIOBONG IWOK

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he sudden withdrawal of Obiageli Ezekwesili, who was a candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) from the 2019 presidential race, has continued to generate ripples in the polity.

Ezekwesili, who was a former Minister of education and later Minister of Solid minerals under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration was born in April 28, 1963.

A chartered accountant from Anambra state, married to a Pastor, Nedu Ezekwesili, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. She co-founded Transparency International (TI), serving as one of the pioneer directors of the global anti-corruption body, also occupied the position of the vice-president of the World Bank Africa division.

In 2008 she was nominee for the Nobel peace prize for her work in transparency in the extractive sector.

However, to some political observers in Nigeria, Ezekwesili’s withdrawal from the presidential race though shocking, her decision to contest for the nation top job was rather unexpected.

It would be recalled that weeks before announcing her decision to vie for the nation’s top job, she had presided over an election of presidential aspirants, under the auspices of Presidential Aspirant Coming Together (PACT).

Fela Durotoye, a management expert and the candidate of Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), had emerged from the consensus election defeating the likes of Kingsley Moghalu of Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress (AAN).

But weeks after presiding over the PACT election, Ezekwesili dazed the nation by announcing her entrance into the presidential race.

In her manifesto she had promised to lift over 80 million Nigerians out of poverty, prioritising human capital development, restructuring the country and diversifying the economy of the country.

“The excessive powers of the Federal Government are partially responsible for the stunted growth and poverty of the states and regions. We shall lead an economic-based dialogue for correcting the structural imbalance that has hobbled the regions and states and created the failure of our fiscal federalism in its practice. The failure of the power sector is the clearest proof of what can happen when the Federal Government refuses to let go of its control,” she said.

According to her, “This failure is responsible for the situation where 190 million Nigerians manage about 3,500 megawatts of power, whereas, South Africa with 50 million people generates in excess of 50,000 megawatts. How can a nation be productive without access to energy. We need complete and true deregulation of the sector. We can lift many of our citizens out of poverty by filling the infrastructure gaps. It is

Ezekwesili

“Coalition is good, politicians should learn to put down their ego and join a coalition when they know their chances are slim. But we must give it to her for her to challenge the incumbent and give women a voice”. not enough for the fuel subsidy to go.

Our government will also deregulate the entire oil sector”.

However, her decision to pull out of the race, less than a month to the presidential election came as a shock to Nigerians.

In a statement, Ezekwesili said she was withdrawing from the race to help build a coalition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming general election.

According to her, “my commitment to this promising political recalibration has been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of candidates under the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) arrangement in 2018, when I consented

to supervise the internal selection process as an outside observer passionate about building an alternative force,” she said.

“However, despite resistance from the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria on these and other issues, I have decided that it is now necessary to show by action and example my determination on this issue by stepping down my candidacy so as to focus squarely on building the coalition to a logical conclusion “We have no right to allow citizens give in to despair. We will Fight for Nigeria together and prove to all that the mess, which the political class has now become, should not be allowed to destroy our spirits and nation. We are also determined to ensure that the message keeps resonating that our beloved country deserves better, and that we will get the best that we deserve.”

“From last year, when I joined the presidential race, I made it clear to Nigerians that the country has always had a 20-year cycle of change - 1958, 1979, and 1999. As such, 2019 begins another 20-year cycle, and together with all Nigerians of good will, I stand ready to play my part to ensure that we do not miss this golden opportunity to sing a new song.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) subsequently rejected her withdrawal, the commission said the 45 days to election deadline for candidates to pull out of the race, as enshrined in the 2015 Electoral Act, has elapsed.

INEC further stated that withdrawal of a candidate from election has been spelt out in Part 4, section 35 of the Electoral Act, as amended.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, noted that Ezekwesili should have withdrawn from the race in November.

“It is impossible for any presidential candidate to withdraw from the

race now, the deadline for Ezekwesili, or any candidate in that category, to withdraw, or be replaced, has passed,” Meanwhile, some hours after Ezekwesili announced her decision to pullout of the presidential race, the ACPN subsequently adopted incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for the election.

The party expressed its displeasure over her decision, while accusing her of failing to account for several large sums of money donated for her presidential campaigns.

National chairman of the ACPN, Abdulganiyu Galadima, who incidentally was her running mate, in an interview with journalists, stated that the party would fight and seek a refund of all funds donated to her for the presidential campaigns.

“We would get back all our money donated to her for the campaigns; right now all the promises she made that she would refund some money to the party account have not been fulfilled. We know she collected money donated to her and she opened several accounts for that.

“As I am talking to you INEC has given us a form that that we should disclose all the sources of funding for the campaign in this election and we have to disclose them.”

However, in spite of the controversy that have trailed her withdrawal from the presidential race, pundits have applauded her courage to enter into a race where few women have dared.

National President of Voters Awareness Initiatives, Wale Ogunade, while applauding her courage, urged women to be more strategy in seeking elective positions.

“It is good the heat is on her now, the men would be separated from the boys, it is only in Nigeria that everybody wants to become president. Having structure is very important, you must be on ground, and you must have followers, not admirers “That is the problem with many politicians, they have admirer not followers.

Does she have structure across the country to win her presidential election?

“Coalition is good, politicians should learn to put down their ego and join a coalition when they know their chances are slim. But we must give it to her for her to challenge the incumbent and give women a voice”.

Also the former chairman of the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), urged Nigerians to contest for lesser position which according to him, they could make more impact in the society.

“It is a good development that she contested and campaigned to test the waters, it helped to put issues in the front burner and challenge the existing status. But I am one of those who believe is not every good candidate that should be President and governor.

“That is not only the position; we need more people in sensitive positions, like the Senate and House of Representatives, instead of this position.

“I believe she can rally round to get more support, I equally believe in young people taking over, but as we can see young people lacks grassroots structures and other factors are there”.

30 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Politics

Will APC expel Okorocha?

A JAMES KWEN, Abuja

head of the February 16 and March 2 general election, one of the most disturbing questions within the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is whether the party will expel one of its arrowheads chieftains in the South East geopolitical zone, Rochas Okorocha.

Okorocha, the Governor of Imo State and only APC Governor in the South East has been suspended by the State Chapter of the party for alleged anti - party activities and accordingly recommended his expulsion to the APC National Working Committee, NWC. Chairman of the APC Imo State Caretaker Committee, Marcellinus Nlemigbo identified the antiparty activities of the governor as; sponsorship of a rival political party, Action Alliance (AA) in Imo State and its governorship candidate, Uche Nwosu as well as open denunciation of APC and its governorship candidate in the state, Hope Uzodimma.

The caretaker Committee which said its action is in line with Article 21 (B) I-VI of the APC constitution wrote to the APC National chairman, Adams Oshiomhole informing him of the suspension and called for the governor’s expulsion.

According to Nlemigbo, “a letter by the Imo State chapter of the APC signed by the chairman conveyed the suspension to the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole. We regretted that Okorocha who is the party’s candidate for Imo West Senatorial District has vowed to undermine the APC and its electoral interest”.

But reacting to the suspension, Okorocha through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo dismissed the action stressing that he still remains APC Leader in Imo, arguing that there is no faction of the APC. Onwuemeodo said, “There is only one APC in the State with Hon. Daniel Nwafor as the Chairman and Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the leader. Any other group claiming to be a faction of Imo APC must obviously be a gang of 419ers or league of fraudsters who are experts in issuance of dud cheques and collecting billions for jobs not done.

“The only contentious issue in Imo APC is that the National Chairman of the Party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, imposed a known PDP member and a known character in the state on the party as its governorship candidate, and by so doing pushing the party and its members to a very tight corner especially when it comes to the issue of marketing a candidate.

Okorocha has been at war with the Adams Oshiomhole led NWC of APC over the refusal to make his son-in-law Uche Nowsu the governorship candidate of the party for Imo in the March 2 nationwide governorship election while Nwosu

Adams Oshiomhole

Governor Rochas Okorocha

Hope Uzodinma

with the backing of his father in -law has cling the governorship ticket of AA. What remains uncertain is whether Oshimhole would use his vantage position as APC National Chairman to take a pound of flesh from Okorocha by implementing the recommendations of the Imo State APC EXCO to expel the governor less than a month to the election he is contesting for senatorial seat.

This would however be dependent on the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC in which Okorocha is also a member as provided by the APC Constitution. Article 21 of the APC Constitution provides that: “Where it is proposed to expel a member of the Executive Committee, political office holder (governor), or a member of a Legislative House from membership of the Party, such a proposal shall be submitted to the National Executive Committee, which after deliberations on the matter may confirm or reject the proposal. A decision to expel a Member of the Party taken or confirmed by the National Executive Committee shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees for ratification”.

Speaking on the issue, Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary who hailed the action of the Imo State APC EXCO said NWC would soon sit and consider the report, examine the facts and take further actions.

The APC Spokesman said, “What has happened in Imo shows clearly that APC means business and every member of the party is equal. Everyone has a vote. The vote of the street trader and that of the governor both are equal as far as APC is concerned.

“Let me say clearly, if you look at the party’s constitution, your membership starts from the ward level and there are certain disciplinary measures that your ward can bring to bear on you if you have gone against the laws of the party.

“So, I think the media should be commending this party. For the first time in this country it is possible for a sitting governor to be given a query and suspended by ordinary members of the party.

That is what happens in advanced democracies. That is the world view that this party shares. That is why it is a progressive ideology, an ideology that recognises that every human matters and every member of this party is as important as any other person.

“We don’t have the facts yet, if they are bringing it to the NWC we will look at the issues and when we are looking at the issues somebody been governor, councillor or commissioner won’t play any role.

We will look into that. We deserve some accolades for ensuring internal democracy.

“NWC has not met. When we meet and we see the report then we will be able to know if it is true and then relate with the facts and take further actions depending on what the facts are. Whatever

they have done, they have right at the ward level once they comply with rules”.

As the Nlemigbo-led Caretaker Committee of Imo APC awaits the verdict of the Oshiomhole led NWC on Okorocha, the governor known for political battles was already fighting back as the dissolved Nwafor EXCO loyal him expelled the state APC governorship candidate, Uzodinma from the party.

Nwafor said Uzodinma was expelled on the basis of alleged inordinate and anti-party activities and accused him of running a parallel executive as well as working with a senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) instead of Okorocha who is contesting for the senatorial seat on the APC platform.

According to him, “Hope Uzodinma has been sponsoring the All Progressives Grand Alliance Senatorial candidate, Senator Osita Izunaso, instead of the APC Senatorial candidate in Imo West, Governor Rochas Okorocha. He has also been running parallel exco in his Omuma ward and issuing party cards without recourse to party excos.

“This is to inform you that the All Progressives Congress, Omuma Ward of Oru East Local Government Area in Imo State, has expelled Senator Hope Uzodinma from the party due to certain inordinate and anti-party activities perpetrated by him and his cohorts”.

But Issa-Onilu, APC National Spokesman rejected the purported expulsion of Uzodinma by the former State EXCO of the party and warned all APC faithful in Imo that the National leadership will not condone acts of indiscipline from members.

“We want to state categorically that the former Imo State Working Committee of the APC led by Nwafor was dissolved after majority of members of our party in Imo State lost confidence in their ability to lead the party to victory in the forthcoming general elections, especially due to their involvement in several anti party activities.

“Consequently, the NWC had since set up a Caretaker Committee in Imo State led by Chief Marcelinus Nlemigbo to pilot the affairs of the party in Imo State.

“Therefore, Nlemigbo remains the only recognised Imo State Chairman and any decision which does not emanate from this recognised Caretaker Committee as regards the affairs of the APC in Imo State is null and void.

“We call on our teeming supporters in Imo State to remain steadfast and disregard such reports as it does not have the blessings of the NWC. “The NWC is paying keen attention to events as they unfold in Imo State and the party would always take appropriate measures to protect the interests of the party. Let it be stated clearly that APC would not tolerate indiscipline from any member of the party under any guise”, he warned.

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BDSUNDAY 31

Politics Udom, Ekere in epic battle as governorship campaign gathers momentum in A/Ibom

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ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo t is another season of electioneering and politicians have taken their campaigns to the nooks and crannies of the country seeking votes from the electorate. For politicians, this is the period to step out of their comfort zones from tinted chauffeur-driven exotic cars to ask the people for their support once more that will enable them to be elected into various levels of governance.

As they mount the soap boxes in colourful attires decked in flowing ropes with songs and dances from their supporters, it tends to belie the huge political and economic challenges facing the country. The growing army of unemployed youths who throng the various campaign venues across the country is one of the major issues the nation has to find urgent solution. The unending issue of epileptic power supply, the lack of portable water and inadequate healthcare facilities are all there to be attended to.

In Akwa Ibom State, Governor Udom Emmanuel of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who is seeking re-election and Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress (APC), one-time deputy governor, have launched their governorship campaigns with fanfare in Uyo, the state capital drawing hundreds of supporters.

While the governor is anchoring his campaign on consolidating his five-point agenda which he launched in 2015 of job creation, poverty alleviation, economic and political inclusion, wealth creation and infrastructure consolidation and expansion, Ekere on the other hand says if elected he would “banish poverty in Akwa Ibom State.”

Udom has presented his scorecard in a way showing the factories the state government has been able to establish in conjunction with investors, pointing to 14 of such factories in the state which include Syringe manufacturing factory said to be the largest in the country, pencil and toothpick factory, electric digital metering solutions factory, fertilizer blending factory, rice mill and a starch manufacturing plant as well as a flour mill.

“I can say that my administration has recorded life-touching achievements in creating jobs through the establishment of industries across the state,’’ he said.

According to the governor, the Ibom deep seaport and the Ibom industrial city have yielded an “impressive fruit with realistic and physical evidences” to show, adding that several milestones have been recorded on the projects. Going forward however, he has initiated the completion agenda which according to him would focus on industrialisation,

Governor Udom Emmanuel

aviation development, small and medium scale enterprises and infrastructure. Others include security, human capital development, agriculture and rural as riverside area development.

On the other hand, Ekere has promised to create jobs, present an enabling environment for the private economy to grow and pledged to build on the foundation laid by past leaders of the state if elected.

Contained in his five-pillar vision, he said Akwa Ibom people should not have any business with poverty given its resources, pointing out that Akwa Ibom deserves the best.

Interestingly, while Udom’s campaign is hinged on sustaining the relative peaceful atmosphere prevalent in Akwa Ibom State, Ekere’s catch phrase is that Akwa Ibom deserves the best.

“This campaign should be based on performance and on issues; it will be about the referendum. We should have no business with poverty with all the resources we have in the state,’’ he said.

The two candidates have taken their campaign trains to local government areas of the state and with less than two month to the governorship election, it seems all of them are determined to give each other a close fight ahead of the polls.

But prior to the launch of the campaigns and even after, there have been accusations and counter accusations from both parties in their bids to outdo each other and in the main win the votes of their supporters.

For instance, while the PDP has repeatedly alleged that APC has hatched a plot to have many of its top officials framed as a

Nsima Ekere

prelude to charging them to court under Anti Terrorism Act, the APC has also alleged that has plans to hire militants from neighbouring states to foment trouble during the elections.

According to Paul Ekpo, chairman of PDP in Akwa Ibom State, the leadership of the party has been inundated with calls from different parts of the state where supporters of the party have been wantonly arrested and incarcerated without any lawful justification.

“In Nsit Ibom, one of our supporters was stabbed by a member of the opposition in front of the Divisional Police Office, and till date the assailant has not been pulled in for question or arrested. In Ikot Abasi, people who are our supporters who refuse to support their brother are mercilessly beaten and harassed. Even journalists and various media workers who sympathetic to our course are daily harassed and intimidated,’’ he said.

The party has also alerted the people and mostly its followers that it has uncovered plans by the APC to publish scandalous pamphlets against the governor, adding that the pamphlets contains cooked up lies to malign the governor.

Charles Udoh, commissioner for information and strategy, in a statement acknowledged however, that since the governor came to power in 2015, there has been much improvement in the economy of the state with the establishment of many factories, adding that Akwa Ibom state has become the preferred destination of foreign direct investment.

The foreign direct investment has no doubt come in the form of notable factories like the

syringe-making firm, coconut refinery, plastic, metering plant and the flour mills all established by the present administration.

However, according to APC, it will never be involved in trumped up charges against the PDP, its members and officials and indeed any person.

“We are a responsible and reputable party with a huge membership and support poised to win the national and state elections and we have no reasons or justifications for manipulations of any sort.

Nkereuwem Eyongekere, publicity secretary of the party in Akwa Ibom State, at a press conference denied all the allegations saying that the party does not sympathise with PDP. According to him, PDP in 16 years, has been boasting of its might and prowess, calling itself a religion in Akwa Ibom State but “now wailing and lamenting about its misfortunes.”

Musa Komo, the state police commissioner has also denied that the state command intends to use the anti-terrorism unit to hound government officials insisting however, that the command should be commended by its proactive approach to fighting crime and criminality in the state.

While the governor says he has recorded “impressive achievements” based on the manifesto he presented in 2015 which emphasized job creation, poverty alleviation, wealth creation, economic and financial inclusion as well as infrastructure consolidation but APC has tended to ignore these achievements claiming that the factories were not existent.

It seems baffling in assessing the achievements recorded by

the state government from the opposition’s perspective given that many of the factories like the rice mill in Ini Local Government area, fertilizer blending plant and toothpick and pencil production factories had since commenced production yet, the APC says they are not in operations.

Indeed, the two candidates are engaging in an epic campaign for the race to the governor seat and the result will only be known after the election which is scheduled to take place in March 2 is conducted and the winner and loser made known by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC).

Recall that recently, the two leading gubernatorial contenders had embraced themselves in Uyo, during a programme organised by the Catholic Diocese of Uyo. It was a beautiful scene to behold and passed a message that political ambition must not be a do-or-die affair and that regardless of party affiliations, the brotherhood must subsist.

On that day, their supporters were wondering whether the governors would trade tantrums or exchange pleasantries or seek to promote corporate rather than personal interest.

“As we go into elections this year, let the God of peace grant us peace. I join my faith with all Christians that this is a Christian State. May we enjoy peaceful and transparent election in Jesus name,” Governor Emmanuel had said.

Ekere, on his part thanked the Catholic Church for hosting them and re-echoed the need for peace as key to development during and after the elections.

“All I am saying is that you (the Catholic Church) must continue to pray for Akwa Ibom State because at the end of the day, all that we have is Akwa Ibom State.

It’s not about APC. It’s not about PDP. It’s about Akwa Ibom State.

“And you know that God knows the end from the beginning.

So, even as we stand here, God knows who the next governor will be. And so, all we have to do as Christians is to continue to pray.

So, please, pray for us, sir (Bishop), pray for the political process. We need peace and we need security.

We do not need to spill the blood of any Akwa Ibom child in the course of these elections.

“I want to thank God for the peaceful coexistence of people in Akwa Ibom State. I want to thank God for what we enjoy today and Paul Apostle said, “We are many in this city because there are so many Christians praying for us. That is why we are enjoying this peace.”

As the election date approaches, the contenders must be committed to ensuring that they and their supporters are guided by the letters of the peace pact they signed.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Interview ‘Voice of Wisdom’ is not just entertainment, but unleashing forces of God into warfare’ Port Harcourt may soon become a Mecca of gospel music as budding singers are set to explode through a strong recording company with inclination for the gospel which has been grooming the talents at a secluded location in the Garden City. One of the talents, Voice of Wisdom (VOW), in an interview with newsmen reveals an upcoming gospel music revolution in PH in the coming months through JC Records. Excerpts:.

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hat are you doing with JC Records; you said they are a recording company now in Port

Harcourt?

My name is Wisdom Nwachukwu, also known in the gospel music world as ‘Voice of Wisdom’.

Yes, JC Records (Jesus Christ Records) came into Port Harcourt in 2018. I was attracted to them due to the name, Jesus Christ Records.

Many recording companies make a singer to deviate in faith and spirituality because of heavy emphasis on profit and commercial success of songs, but by their name and what I have seen so far, they are actually out to promote the Gospel, both in songs and in lifestyle.

I am currently working with them to release my first Single. There are many other upcoming gospel artistes working hard to do theirs in the place. JC Records came into Port Harcourt to hunt for young and talented artistes in the Gospel world in order to bring them to limelight. With them I have already recorded my track, though still in production process. Very soon, very, very soon, you will hear from me; you will hear from JC Records.

You say you have been recorded and we hear it’s already on YouTube, so can you say more about that song?

Yes, the song is titled ‘Great and Mighty God’. While I was recording it, they took a bit of it and they’ve been circulating it round the social media, facebook for now, just like a teaser to let my fans have an idea of what is coming.

The song is actually geared towards breaking yokes because so many people are still under strong bondage. So I know that for some time there are some things I have been struggling with, too, and finally I saw and experienced liberation. So, I was able to bring in my experience and also mix it up with what I know other people are going through out there and other things people are experiencing because of the handwork of God. So the song is saying that God is the Almighty and has broken giant chains that are holding people down. The power of God has been able to break people loose with freedom and an assurance to all.

This inspires people to know and to believe that it’s possible.

Can you give more details about yourself and career?

Once again, I am Wisdom Nwachukwu but I go with the ministration name or stage name, VOW. I hail from Aboh Mbaise LGA in Imo State, Nigeria. I graduated from The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) with a degree in History as a major, and English as a minor. I also hold a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism. Thus, by profession, I am a journalist and I work with a radio station in Port Harcourt, Nigeria Info 92.3 FM, one of the foremost in the Niger Delta.

On a general note, I am a gospel singer and so I minister in songs, that is to say, I am a gospel minister. You can also call me a gospel artiste in the making.

Ok, you said your stage name is VOW; what is the meaning of VOW and what do you want to achieve with that name?

Ok, VOW has dual meanings to me. VOW is an acronym for ‘Voice of Wisdom’; being that my name is Wisdom. So it’s my voice, like an instrument that will be used to pass messages to the world. Secondly, the messages should be filled with the wisdom of God. The inspiration for the name came when I made a VOW to God. When the time is right I might say what the VOW is, but I made a vow to God in line with my ministry which is a singing ministry. So, these two things I have said now are the reasons I chose the name VOW. It’s actually a vow and it also means the ‘Voice of Wisdom’.

Are there other artistes that are doing good songs with JC Records this time around?

Oh yes! That’s what JC Records is all about. They are out to look for as many as possible that are out there, who are good singers and are carrying the real message of Christianity. There are many strong songs also that people can anticipate from many other people coming from JC Records label. JC Records came into PH to help artistes and push them into limelight and success, career wise, and in so doing, use their voice and talent to promote the Gospel.

Do you think JC Records coming into Port Harcourt is a big deal to the city this time?

Yes of course! Port Harcourt has been in bad light for long; political crisis, violence, evil, etc, as if the devil had moved down to the Garden City, the great oil city.

Now, crusaders are also moving into the Garden City to mobilise the good forces into counter action.

It’s not just about entertainment but unleashing the forces of God into warfare.

So, the coming of JC Records is a big deal seriously because like I said earlier they are here to push and bring to limelight those who already have talent but are probably constrained by finance or lack of exposure. They are here to present a platform that will showcase budding talents. Port Harcourt should get ready to hear great and wonderful songs and soul-lifting songs. It’s going to give so many up-comers a chance to bring out what they have in them, things which on a normal day could have remained in the various artistes and maybe could have died from there. But JC Records has come to give many gospel ministers the push to come out. That means Port Harcourt will begin to expect more and more wonderful gospel songs because JC Records has come to help the dreams of gospel

Wisdom Nwachukwu ministers come through at almost no cost.

Then, in the coming weeks, what do people around the south-south and Port Harcourt expect from VOW and JC Records?

Oh yes, JC Records right now, like I said earlier, is processing our songs and so many are still recording. People are still going into the studio, and the production is still going on. They would be promoting and pushing artistes. And then

...the coming of JC Records is a big deal seriously because like I said earlier they are here to push and bring to limelight those who already have talent but are probably constrained by finance or lack of exposure. They are here to present a platform that will showcase budding talents

it’s going to climax at the grand unveiling concert in March.

According to JC Records, they are going to release wonderful and great artistes from this region, the south-south, from this state, Rivers State, including me. They are going to give us one of the biggest platforms to launch out. They are unveiling us on that very great platform; they are pushing towards it in so many ways, through the normal media, the new media (social media), the streets, etc, so that everything will climax at the unveiling concerts where those of us already produced would minister and let people know the things that we have done. I in particular expect my song, Great and Mighty God, to explode at the concert and take off from there.

People should come and listen to our ministrations. It’s going to be dynamic because you are going to be hearing different styles from different people, from each and every one of us. We are coming with dimensions and dynamics.

I am working hard to make my outing grand and great. I can’t really wait for the 31st of March, 2019, because the promises there are great. Imagine someone who is just starting her journey in the gospel singing world having a 500-man choir as a backup. It’s one thing I know doesn’t come easy but JC Records is preparing all these for that same day. The album

launch and everything else will be happening on that same day of the unveiling concert.

So, what is your vision, what do you want in the singing world?

Alright, right from time I have always wanted the opportunity to reach out to so many people through my voice; either by broadcasting or by my songs; and that is why even in the songs I write which are not out yet, I aim to liberate people and glorify God. My mission in singing is to target souls mostly, not just to produce beautiful sounds for people to be pleased or indulged but sounds that are accompanied by great words of wisdom and of course coming from the Holy Spirit.

Also, my vision is not to bring out any song that I am not convinced the Holy Spirit has approved and the power of God is backing up because that is the one and only essence of a gospel song. It is not like the regular or secular songs where you can come up and say whatever you like. I believe that as a gospel minister the aim should be to minister God, and to minister Jesus to everybody. That is my mission. And I say, in all I do, let there not come a time I do songs that are not spirit-filled but are just there to fill up spaces.

Finally, is there any other message you want let out to our readers?

I will like to tell everybody out there to keep tabs on us. If you want to know more about JC Records you can go to www.jcrecords. com or JC Records international or on facebook. Also I want to tell everybody out there that once you are doing anything gospel, no matter how entertaining it may look or sound, stick to the message of Christ. Some people may think that being a gospel artiste has no form of entertainment, no, that’s not true. Just know that while we please God, while we sing to God, while we worship God through songs, God addresses issues in our lives. No other level of entertainment can ever equal the pleasure you feel when you know that the issues in your life are being addressed. That’s Gospel music for you. So if you are looking for entertainment too, it is in the Gospel world. People should not think that the gospel is just for Sunday morning services and when you go back to normal life you forget about it. If you are for God you stand for God at all times. And for those who are also gospel singers, you should remember that you are not so different from the pastor or evangelist, because you are actually doing yours through songs. You are supposed to carry a message.

So whenever you realise that you are failing to carry the message of Christ, I think you should pause and retrace your steps because in all we do, we are aiming at gaining more souls for Christ

Sunday 27 January 2019

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Interview ‘Why we must improve the social condition of the vulnerable in Nigeria’ Omoronke Olubokun, founder of Ronny Cares Foundation, in this interview with JONATHAN ADEROJU talks about her foundation, vision and plans. She emphasizes the need for government and good-spirited compassionate Nigerians to help the vulnerable like out-of-school children, destitute, the elderly who have been rejected or abandoned by their friends, families in society. Excerpts:

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May we know about the founder of Ronny Cares Foundation? onny Cares Foundation is founded by Olubokun Omoronke Racheal. I am a graduate of Social Work from the University of Lagos. I am 26 years old; I hail from Ondo State, Nigeria, and the second child of my parent.

I have also been involved in many social events in Nigeria that have helped in elevating youths to become people with great prospects and she’s currently doing more social reach out in the country. I am a devoted Christian and a music director.

Tell us about Ronny Cares Foundation?

Ronny Cares Foundation is a body that is aimed at helping and elevating the social condition of the vulnerable like out-of-school children, destitute, the elderly that have been rejected or abandoned by their friends, families in the society. Therefore, the foundation seeks to bring about different coping strategies to alleviate the condition of these people by supporting them in every way possible so that they can become better persons to themselves and to the society at large.

The foundation seeks to touch lives of people in Nigeria and the world at large. It also seeks to create her platform in other African countries in the nearest future.

What is your organisation’s vision?

My vision is to ameliorate the social condition of the vulnerable in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large, by ensuring that they live a

basic things they need.

In the second quarter of the year we will be looking at reaching out to the homeless, bringing them together also to feed them and also provide some funds for them so as to keep the faith alive.

In the third quarter we would be reaching out to children with the Autism deficiency.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterised by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication.

And then in the fourth quarter which happens to usher in the festivity season we will be reaching out to orphans, to commemorate the Christmas season with them.

These social events are to ensure that people mentioned are reached out to in every way possible, and this will create a perception that people in this world still care for them by putting smiles on their different faces and that they are not forgotten.

Omoronke Olubokun

better life which will make them to become a great people in their society and to the world at large.

What are your plans for the year 2019?

The year is just starting, and there are plans that myself and team have put in place for the four quarters of the year. We plan to have visit to the home for the old, this will be in the first quarter in March to be precise, this is a time where we go out to take care of the elderly people in those homes and provide them with

What motivated you to go into charity services?

Hmmmm, ever since I was little I have always wanted to help people. I can categorically say I was motivated by my life experience. What do I mean by this?

When I was a teenager, in some parts of my community, I used see how women, children, the old people struggled to survive every single day. Many families at that time were unable to feed themselves because of poverty. Their children could not go to school which made them to hawk things to sell.

Many of the girl-child became pregnant and

the boys turned out to become “area boys” (street urchins) and this problem made me come up to conclusion, that when I come of age where I can help people I will try and help people as much as I can. This was what encouraged me to study Social Work in the University of Lagos, so that I can have a deeper knowledge as to how these categories of people can be helped and that’s how Ronny Cares Foundation came into existence.

Where and how did you acquire the experience on how to cater for the vulnerable?

Yes, while I was a student, Social Work Department made it mandatory for students to go for practicum in many social work agencies, either being owned by government or by private individuals in Lagos State. This practicum was able to make us gather experience as to how the vulnerable can be assisted, and other social events I voluntarily go for while I was a student made me see how I can be of help to these people.

What is your advice to Nigerians who are yet to see the importance of charity services?

There are many social problems in the country; therefore, every successful Nigerians should try to help the poor, less-privileged because one way or the other the society contributed to their success, and I feel the only way they can pay back is also by giving back to the society especially to the poor.

If every Nigerian can inculcate this habit, I believe the country will become a better place for everyone.

Buhari, February 16 and a victory foretold Emmanuel Umohinyang

T

he much-talked about Presidential election may still be a few weeks away, but signs of the things to come may jolly well be here.

This is in view of what we have seen in terms of political campaigns across the country in the last few weeks.

From Akwa Ibom, to Delta, Imo, Plateau, Sokoto, the picture of where the pendulum is headed is becoming clearer by the day.

For those who prophesied rightly or wrongly, the next few weeks would definitely show whether they were truly led by the spirit or filthy lucre.

This is due to the fact that every election season comes with all manner of predictions, some rather ridiculous and tainted with personal interest.

But the good thing is that the die is cast and the chest-thumping by leading contenders is set to abate as the D-day approaches.

For President Muhammadu Buhari, the frenzy that has greeted his campaign this time has surely over-shadowed what we saw in 2015.

Despite starting late, the President has left nobody in doubt that he remains the most popular politician in the nation’s recent history going by the tumultuous welcome he has received where he has been since his campaign started

For instance, the crowd that attended the APC campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State has never been seen anywhere in the state since the state was created.

So massive was the crowd that the entire Godswill Akpabio Stadium was overstretched to its limit, making several thousands of supporters unable to gain entry into the stadium to catch a glimpse of the president.

This, no doubt has sent a clear message that the president would win overwhelmingly in the state as opposed to what happened in the “Land of Promise” in 2015.

It is also a pointer to the stature of the immediate past governor of the state, Obong Godswill Akpabio whose defection to the APC has changed the fortunes of the party in the state.

In fact, so confident was Akpabio in a recent press interview while reflecting on the recent campaign rally in the state that he declared that President Buhari would win the coming election in the state within three hours.

Judging by on-going rallies of APC, one can safely take it further by saying the president would win nationwide within three hours of voting.

The picture is just too glaring for the doubting Thomases who initially taunted the president that he could not embark on a campaign.

If what happened in Akwa Ibom was mindblowing, what about the unprecedented crowd that thronged the Rwang Pam Stadium

in Jos, Plateau State?

So massive was the crowd that for the first time, President Buhari could not address the gathering as part of his campaigns. He only managed to wave to the crowd and had to be smuggled out of the arena by the security agencies from the state and Abuja.

To say the least, the show of affection was mind-boggling as supporters clung to

ViewPoint the president’s official vehicle, shouting ‘sai Buhari’, Sai Buhari.

What about Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s Sokoto State? No doubt, the reception was tumultuous, and one that would not be forgotten in a hurry in the PDP-controlled state.

From the Airport down to the city, the ‘Seat of the Caliphate’ would surely not forget the visit in a hurry.

All over where the President visited, one thing that is evident is that this president is greatly loved by the ordinary Nigerian.

Even with the very harsh condition, they never failed to demonstrate that they have implicit confidence in him at every point.

And thankfully, the president has never failed to re-assure them that the trust they have in him is not misplaced.

At every opportunity, he preached the message of hope, of a better tomorrow, of a

better Nigeria.

Itisusuallyabouthispromisesof2015andhis plans to consolidate on his achievements in the nextfouryearsincriticalsectorsoftheeconomy.

The icing on the cake is that even in states where there are still issues arising from the last party primaries, the major actors have agreed to work for President Buhari’s second term.

Even leading lights of the opposition including governors have keyed into this allimportant project because the undisputable fact is that President Buhari is the man needed to take Nigeria to the next level.

No doubt, these have rubbished the propaganda machinery led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who is trying to link the president with a rigging plot.

That this devilish plot is dead on arrival is a fact, going by the tremendous condemnation the accuser and his accusations have received in the last few days.

Nigerians have by this declaration told Obasanjo in very clear terms that they will not touch the ‘bad message’ he is trying to sell to them for his personal interest.

With the massive support and the indices on ground, we may well be congratulating President Buhari on yet another victory even before the February 16, 2019 Presidential election. *Umohinyang, a social commentator, wrote in from Abuja

34 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 27 January 2019

TheWorshippers ‘Government has divine responsibility to keep the sanctity of life’ Rev. Femi Popoola of Divine Mercy Baptist Church, Ikosi, Ketu, in this interview with SEYI JOHN SALAU, spoke on Leah Sharibu, asking Christians to intensify prayers for her release, as he urged government to live up to its divine mandate of protecting/promoting the sanctity of life. Excerpts: In 2018, Divine Mercy Baptist Church celebrated its 10th anniversary; looking back 10 years ago, what would be your take away? e thank God for everything. Let me first put the record straight, Divine Mercy Baptist Church actually clocked 10 years on the 28th September, and was celebrated in November, 2018.

Looking back one cannot but ascribe all the glory and honour to the owner of the church, Christ Himself ! In 10 years, so many things had happened: spiritually, God had touched many souls that would have rotten in hell, and had given them eternal life. The word of God has never ceased to be preached and the grace of God has continued to multiply.

In the area of ministry, the church had fared well. We had touched other churches both near and far by giving ministry and financial support. We had touched the community and society at large.

The gospel had been preached to the community and the general through such programmes as open air crusades, outreaches and our prison ministry.

Physically, the Lord had blessed the church. From a rented hall, we had received God’s grace to acquire a permanent site and built some facility that enhances conducive atmosphere for worship. An evangelism bus had also been acquired. These are nothing but God’s great mercy upon His church. In like manner, individuals had also been touched physically by God. Members had enjoyed God’s providence in their physical life through fruits of the womb, great employment opportunity, promotion, and prosperity of all kinds. God had

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Pastor Yomi Omiyale Resident pastor, Lighthouse International Christian Centre (LICC), Lagos Teacher of the Word and a Tax Accountant omiyaleyomi2013@gmail.com 08077587734

I

Kings 18: 46 “And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”

So many have experienced delay of all kinds and in various forms.

Some have experienced delay in their career such that a journey that should naturally take 5 years has turned to a 12 years journey. I will never forget the story of a man who had been in a position for 17 years without being promoted.

Some have experienced delay in child birth even after several years of marriage. Some others have experienced delay in getting married with each passing year further

Rev. Femi Popoola

preserved the lives of His people from death and dangers of all sorts.

Numerically, the Lord has continued to increase us. A sizeable number of people had come to join the church.

Last but not the least, Christ is building His church and the church is not overcome by the gates of hell as promised by the Lord in Matthew 16:18. Satan’s attacks against the church had been very vehement, but the Lord has caused His church to triumph. All these caused for celebration and that was the reason for the anniversary.

It was indeed an occasion welldeserved! To God be the glory.

If Christ tarries; what is the vision of the church in another 10 years?

By God’s grace, the church still has a long way to go. There is still so much land to be possessed. If

the Lord tarries to come, the following visions will be sought to be achieved in the next ten years: First, the church will focus on all-round growth cutting across spiritual and physical. We desire that members would be more rooted in Christ-like life. Again, we desire that the church population would increase far more than what it is. This is not just growth in number, but growth as occasioned by the Lord just as it was recorded in Acts 2. We desire also that the Lord would have provided more Christlike ministers as pastors and deacons for the advancement of the gospel within and without the church, and not just to satisfy human quest.

Moreover, it is desired that the church would have reproduced that is, we too would have planted other churches that would be

mothered in Christlike manner.

It is also anticipated that the church would have started a mission school that will aim at giving quality education at an affordable rate with Christ as a focus. By God’s grace, the physical expansion of the church facility is part of the vision for the next 10 years.

May God help us (Amen).

Leah Sharibu is still with her captors one year after: what does this say about the government in relation to sanctity of lives?

It is very unfortunate that this young Christian girl is still in the hands of her abductors despite all the promises the government has made. Even though the government has a divine responsibility to keep the sanctity of life, we can see that lives are no more safe in Nigeria and government can no longer guarantee the lives of the populace. Security has been politicised and this is affecting the lives of the people. We can just pray for more of God’s presence in our land.

I think as Christians, we have more responsibility to pray for the nation and most especially, to live right as citizens of heaven in Nigeria. May God intervene concerning Leah Sharibu’s case and may her parents be strengthened (Amen).

Politicians are busy campaigning across the country as we speak right now: what should be our expectations from them as we look towards the general elections?

Truly, we are in the season of political campaigns and the politicians are well at it. Very sincerely, I think we need to humble ourselves as a people and turn to God for the arm of flesh has failed us again and again. Most of our politicians in Nigeria are unpatriotic, but real enemies of our beloved country because of their selfish posture to things that concern the general

populace and matters of national interest. My counsel to the electorate is that they should learn not to be fooled again. They should learn not to be cajoled. We should learn to remove sentiment from our politics and display a sense of reasoning. We should lean to consider such things as integrity, honesty, competence and track record as yardsticks for choosing people into political offices and shun propaganda in its entirety.

We should make our vote to count and be ready to defend our votes.

May the Lord’s will be done in the coming elections.

Nigeria now has a new Inspector-General of Police; going into the elections, what reforms would you like to see in the police?

I congratulate the new IG of Police and pray that he succeed in this new assignment. I want to say that the police should stick to their professional mandate of maintaining law and order and refuse to be used as unholy instruments in the hands of the politicians. May God help the police so to do.

Finally, what is 2019 looking like for Nigeria and Nigerians?

Well, by the grace of God, I am not a seer but a preacher of God’s revealed word- the Holy Bible. Going by that, I will speak from the Bible because God alone sees, knows and holds the future.

However, we can be sure that if we turn to God, God will turn to us. If we continue to disobey, it may be unhealthy for us. Let me end by quoting Isaiah 3:10-11 “Tell the righteous, that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked!

It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him.

I wish Nigeria and all Nigerians well.

Supernatural acceleration – God’s response worsening the already bad situation. Yet for some others it is delay in their finances. They have stayed on a spot financially without any appreciable level of progress.

DELAY IS REAL Honestly some people are not where they ought to be based on divine timing. They are far behind in heaven’s time table. Are you presently in a position where it seems that all those with whom you started with have gone ahead of you? Are you in a situation where you find it difficult to associate with your former colleagues and friends because you don’t measure up to their current status in life?

Does it seem to you as if life has left you behind? Then I want you to carefully read daily devotionals carefully and with rapt attention as I will by God’s grace be sharing with you proven principles of ‘su-

pernatural acceleration’.

Mark my word: proven principles of supernatural acceleration; these are principles that have worked for others and I am rest assured that these principles will work for you if you work them.

Supernatural acceleration is one of God’s provisions for us as believers. The same way Salvation, Divine Healing, Holy Ghost Baptism and Prosperity are heaven’s provisions for us; then supernatural acceleration is also a covenant provision for us in Christ Jesus.

The word ‘accelerate’ means to hurry things up; to quicken, to cause something to happen sooner, to fast forward. Supernatural acceleration is a divine provision for people who are not moving at the speed that they are capable of moving.

Sister Christiana got to the age

of forty, but was not married; everybody in her church was sorry for her and started calling her a senior single. This name was never one that she accepted for a single day.

She said age is just an arithmetic figure, and that what matters most was how she felt. She even prophesied that, by the age of forty four, she would have four children. At the time when she spoke, she was not even engaged, which made some people to make a jest of her behind her back.

However, in God’s way - at forty one she got married, got pregnant that year and gave birth to a set of identical boys. Then at the age of forty four years she gave birth to a set of identical girls making it for her at the age of forty four to have four children.

Now when she talks, sisters listen. She currently has a wonderful

marriage. This is a true story and not a figment of my imagination.

Supernatural acceleration helps us to catch up on wasted time: Supernatural acceleration helps us to outpace our equals and contemporaries: Supernatural acceleration makes up to catch up and out run those who are ahead of us: Supernatural acceleration makes us to operate at God’s speed: Supernatural acceleration guarantees that we turn out as originally planned by God: Supernatural acceleration helps us accomplish more over a short period.

I pray that your destiny shall be accelerated in the name of Jesus. By the Mighty Hand of God, you shall be compensated for your years of delay in the name of Jesus.

Shalom.

You are lifted.

Sunday 27 January 2019

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BDSUNDAY 35

SundayBusiness Agbeke’s narrative on small scale plantain flour production Food & Beverages With Ayo Oyoze Baje

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xperts on economic growth rates in different countries across the globe have identified the interwoven complimentary role that both the government and entrepreneurs, especially those who operate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) could play for their businesses to grow. The bitter truth however, is that not a few banks impose stringent conditions to give out loans, particularly to start- up business owners. But that is just one of the several challenges they face.

Others include decrepit infrastructure, such as epileptic electric power and water supplies, pot hole-riddled roads, lack of access to the requisite modern technological knowhow to fast track their processing and preservation processes and of course, standardization of their products.

A chance encounter with a small scale plantain flour processor beamed a brighter

Spiritonomics

Debo Atiba

www.spiritonomics.org

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verybody must come to the realisation in his life that “God is good”.

Indeed He shows no favoritism, He loves us and wants it to be well with us. Based on limited knowledge, many times people attribute the success of others to certain factors that appear around them. As a result they also justify their failure.

However this is not entirely true.

Irrespective of our place of birth

light on the challenges she and her counterparts battle with and their efforts to overcome them with to become more productive. I became instantly interested and saw it as an inspiration. Why must we media practitioners focus mainly on the big-times business companies and successful multi-millionaires without a critical look at the smaller ones and how they are pulling themselves up by the bootstraps? So, I got talking with the subject of this piece.

She is Mrs. Ire AkintundeJohnson, a graduate of English and Literary Studies from the University of Ife (now OAU).

In addition, she is a writer, a foodpreneur and health enthusiast who worked at The Punch after her NYSC programme which she served in Benin City in 1987/88 before moving to Ruyi Communications Ltd., as a media executive. She was a Director of Marketing at Encomium Magazine between 1997 and 2001.

She was motivated to venture into food business by her husband, Akintunde who kept complimenting her exemplary skills at cooking delicious dishes.

He would always say: “This your culinary expertise should not be wasted o. I am not the only one that should be enjoying this type of food”. Back then she was making variety of stews and soups that drew the attention of several busy business executives, including some busy housewives who wanted to eat good food without going through the hassles of cooking.

Before you know it, they started ordering all sorts of soups from her. They went further to call her “Agbeke Alatadindin”(Agbeke fried pepper).

With the aim to expand the scope of food business and also driven by her preference for healthy foods she delved into the plantain flour business. That was in the year 2018. In fact, she is fully aware of the nutritional attributes of plantain flour. She revealed that: “Unripe plantain flour is quite nutritious. It contains potassium which helps to reduce blood pressure, heart rate and other cardiovascular issues. The calcium in it makes it good for the health of bones and teeth. Plantain flour also contains dietary fibres which help in weight control, and lowering cholesterol. Because of the aforementioned and more, it helps in blood circulation which, it is believed, leads to improved libido in men and enhances their sexuality. It is also said to be good for ulcer”.

Bu t t r y i n g t o p r o m o t e the health benefits through processing has not been a stroll in the park for Agbeke. Her initial challenge was sourcing for unripe plantain at a desired price.

In her words: “It is quite a bother; because at some periods of the year the product is very scarce.

Somehow, we are working around it by sourcing from remote plantain plantations.

Our customers know now that we don’t add preservatives and additives so they can trust us that when the plantain is scarce our standard doesn’t change and our quality is not compromised.

What may change is the cost price”.

In spite of the fact that it is not long ago that she began the business, she has started building a strong bond with her customers. “We started with our friends and extended families, but we are expanding fast. Our

customers trust our product and the news is spreading. The feedback is quite encouraging.

There are customers waiting for a brand they can trust”.

Her vision is “to produce and popularise a quality healthy option for those who have purposed to live a healthy life”.

One can decide to eat healthy and be frustrated by the quality of what is available at the market.

She has this to say: “For example, I went to market to buy the unground yam flour (Yorubas c a l l i t Gb o d o) a n d i t w a s ground in my presence. When I poured it in hot water to make “Amala”, the smell of cassava flour overwhelmed me. It was a mixture! Even the raw one can be mixed. That is not fair. If I didn’t know the difference, I would just take it like that. That’s why we are in the market - to produce undiluted plantain flour “.

That is precisely where government intervention should come in. For instance, back in 1990, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) issued licences enabling micro finance banks to provide loans to entrepreneurs at reduced interest rates.

Micro finance banks’ clients are typically self-employed, low income entrepreneurs in both urban and rural areas. But how effective are they today?

Similarly, it sounded like some piece of sweet music to the ear when the Federal Government of Nigeria through the CBN made available N220 billion (122 million United States Dollars) SME Fund that small business owners through which they could source for funds. Also, the bankers’ committee intervened in 1999 with a scheme themed ‘Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme’

( S M I E I S ) . Bu t i t d i d n o t commence till June 19th 2001.

The truth of the matter is that plans are made without credible data to work with. How many of the Agbekes are captured in these schemes? How many of them have had access to such funds and the enabling environment for their businesses to thrive? The answer is obvious.

This was her response to the question on what precisely she wants the government to do for her and her peers. “Plantain flour is an exportable product.

Government should encourage those of us who are interested in the business. If I have a farm and machines for fast-tracking the process of making the flour, I will be churning it out big time.

“Look at what our normal flour, made from wheat. Plantain flour can do more, and it is even healthier. Plantain flour is what you can eat and not feel guilty!

You can eat it as ‘swallow’ food with correct soup or use it to bake or make pancakes”.

On her plans for the future, she said: “We want Agbeke plantain flour to be everywhere.

We want people to see it as food for everybody, and not only diabetics, as erroneously believed. Plantain flour is made from a fruit rich in vegetable fibers. It should be a national staple food that is truly wholesome and enriching.”

All said, the likes of Agbekeand there are millions of them spread all over the countryneed sustained government intervention to succeed.

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

Life programming or lineage, we have all been born on a clean slate of life. Every individual was born special, loaded with potentials beyond their imaginations. However many are not even aware.

Looking through life you can see that superstars of life are not those born with silver spoons in their mouths. Many are born in circumstances that should have swallowed them up in life. Some were born bastards, poor, uneducated, rejected yet they turned out successful. They were able to defy the challenges of life and overcome them. What makes you succeed is the original potential of God in your DNA, and every one of us is imbued with it whether we know it or not. On no condition should we allow our environment to determine the outcome of our lives. Yes, it

is true that life might have programmed us wrongly, but does that mean life has the final say?

No, the responsibility to change our story lies with us. Scripture admonish us that we should not allow life to scope us into its mold rather that we win in life by taking responsibility for the renewing of our mind. This is no small task, as it requires every ounce of strength in us to defeat limiting, negative thoughts.

This season requires us to deliberately seek out information that challenge our belief system.

Most of our belief systems are rooted in tradition, culture and superstition. If we refuse to allow new information to come in, we would remain in the same position throughout life.

When a new year begins like this, there must be seri-

ous self-appraisal in identifying areas where we have been programmed wrongly. For example, many believe that except they practice what they read in school, they cannot succeed.

Some believe that until they go to school they cannot succeed in life. There are others who equally believe that at a certain age it is over for them to succeed.

All these are products of wrong programming and it is destructive to the potential of God that we harbor.

God’s programming must replace life programming, we must change our source of information, the fact that we have not attained what our hearts tells us we should have, is a proof that the information we have is stale and requires replacement with right information. The first source of

right information is the word of God. The words of man have programmed us wrongly long enough. We must be deliberate in our choice of friends. When your friends are not different from you in terms of reasoning, you need to change them. Steps like these and many more are what make for success in our world.

Bible says that new wine must be poured into new wine skin, otherwise the outcome would not be as expected.

In this New Year, deliberate steps must be taken to replace wrong programming by life with right programming by the word of God. More of the WORD of God must be ingested deliberately to flush out life’s wrong programming.

Remain blessed

36 BDSUNDAY

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Sunday 27 January 2019

SundayBusiness Mortgage in era of economic diversification

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etermined to reduce too much dependence on oil which, at the moment, accounts for about 80 percent of Nigeria’s earning, the federal government has embarked on diversifying the economy with special focus on some sectors of the economy considered to be growth areas.

Agriculture and manufacturing are already receiving government’s attention in terms of making funds available through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Anchor Borrower’s fund made available to farmers has helped to empower some farmers, create more jobs and increase agricultural productivity.

One growth area which the government seems to be ignoring in this drive is the mortgage system which, for sheer neglect and poor funding, has been in slow growth and so unable to impact the housing sector. In advanced economies, the mortgage industry makes significant contribution to economic development.

In Nigeria, the story is different. Here, mortgage finance as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is as low as 0.5 percent which is several steps behind other emerging markets including Mexico, Malaysia and South Africa where mortgage contributions to GDP are as high 10 percent, 25 per-

cent and 29 percent respectively.

A well developed and funded mortgage industry has all the potential to stimulate a slowing economy like Nigeria’s which, it is argued, is clogged by a number of obstacles to growth that need to be tackled.

Some experts argue that the relative ‘newness’ of the sector; lack of understanding of the dynamics and operational models of the sector by many Nigerians, and poor appreciation of the need and the ultimate benefit of keeping money in a mortgage bank are militating factors.

Ideally, government can benefit a lot from a flourishing mortgage banking sector as it will help in regulating the economy in the desired direction. But government’s attention doesn’t seem to paid in the direction of the mortgage sector.

Government can also leverage this industry in the drive to stimulate the economy by coming up with a policy that will reduce the interest rate on mortgage loan. All things being equal, more people will embrace loan for mortgage to buy houses, leading to increased activities in the construction sector.

Because of the identified obstacles, many primary mortgage banks (PMBs) are going through very difficult times, such that some are still unable to meet up with the kind of capital requirements in the

Procurement and Supply Chain

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

…. Continued from last week Prompt payment of suppliers.

This is another major factor used to determine a customer of choice.

Suppliers are encouraged when they receive payments of their invoices promptly and according to the terms of the contract once the contract has been executed.

Nothing discourages a supplier more than delayed payments. This is because the supplier also has bills to pay from the execution of the contract. Some suppliers use bank credit facilities to execute their jobs and pay heavy interests.

Therefore, any delay will attract new bank charges and increase the cost of executing the contract.

Suppliers should also be able to work through a well-structured procure-to-pay process that avoids lengthy delays and delivers on-time payments. Many organizations have payment terms of 30 days, 45 days or more at the behest of their Finance teams, but this cycle can be unnecessarily extended by inefficient payment systems, further impacting on the timeliness of payments.

Ease of doing business. Business organizations consider the ease of

doing business as a major factor for building and sustaining business relationships. To emphasize this point, the World Bank publishes an annual report on the Ease of Doing business in various countries of the world. According to its 2018 report, of the 190 countries ranked, Nigeria emerged 146th, dropping by a spot from its 145th position in 2017. This is a bad return which will discourage genuine businesses from coming into Nigeria.

Similarly,suppliersusetheeaseof doing business with their customers to rank them in order of priority of customer of choice. They consider their processes for registration, pre-qualification, procurement to pay, conflict resolution and so on.

Suppliers appreciate customers whose processes are clear, simple and consistent. They also are happy with customers who dispatch their work with a sense of urgency and understanding of the pressures under which the suppliers operate.

Good Customer – Supplier Communication. Good communication is an invaluable factor in determining a customer of choice. Organizations should have an established working communication chain with their suppliers. The supplier must never

sector.

Mortgage operators are of the view that if government pays a closer attention to the PMBs by removing some of the obstacles that they have such as the Land Use Act of 1978 which vests land ownership on state governors; the right to easily foreclose on delinquent borrowers, ease of creating a legal mortgage and perfecting titles and the ease of falling back on their collateral to recover bad loan etc, this sector will surely improve tremendously.

They insist that until all these issues are resolved in a way that encourages the provider of capital, in this case,the mortgage bank, the sector will not grow as desired.

Expectation is that when these obstacles are removed, the supplier of mortgage will allocate more funds towards the provision of home loans while home buyers will better appreciate the implication of prompt interest and capital repayments as well as ensure discipline on the part of the people.

Okika Ekwem, a US-based realtor, affirms that the capital base of the PMBs is inadequate. He however, dismissed the idea of a fixed capital base for mortgage institutions. “Saying that a mortgage institution should have a fixed base of, say N10 billion, is wrong because that amount is too meager; even N100 billion is also meager given

Talking Mortgage with CHUKA UROKO (08037156969, chukuroko@yahoo.com) the kind of projects they are to finance.

“The federal government needs to come in, look at what is happening in other civilized world and copy.

These days, copying is no longer an act of deception but actually something that is done even in the civilized world”, he said.

In the civilized world, according to him, there is secondary market for real estate financing where commercial banks or individual brokerage banks lend money to people and thereafter sell the securitized certificate to the secondary market and comes back again to lend to individuals.

Given Nigeria’s large population and the wide housing demand-supply gap, mortgage sector growth is possible in the country if the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) plays the role of a regulator while the federal government, through

the CBN, should empower the PMBs more.

This validates experts’ arguments that the country needs more PMBs established, about 40 in each state of the federation. Meckson Innocent Okoro, an estate manager explains that this is aimed to discourage the concentration of these institutions only in urban centres.

“When this is done, access to housing finance will be increased; the PMBs must be positioned to champion the whole issue of affordable or social housing for the low income earners in the country.

Anything the country wants to do without a functional mortgage system that can guarantee homeownership for a good number of people will not succeed”, he posited.

“We are talking about housing which is capital intensive and so must have capable institutions to finance it”, he stressed.

Commanding supplier loyalty (2) be stifled of valuable information.

Invitation to tender must be clearly communicated to the prospective suppliers, the quality standard of the organization as well as the terms and conditions of contracts must be clear to the suppliers. Suppliers are frustrated when they are not hearing from the customer as at when due. They cherish prompt feedback on tender outcomes.

The successful bidder should be contacted, and the unsuccessful bidders should also be informed promptly. When you do this, the supplier can plan better and know when to focus attention on other prospects. The practice in many organizations of keeping the suppliers in the dark about their tender outcomes for months is a clear sign of lack of empathy and this does not strengthen the relationship. Customers of choice will never leave the supplier in the dark of valuable information.

They listen, communicate, and resolve issues promptly with the supplier. They provide performance feedback to their suppliers, jointly review their performances and request that their suppliers in turn appraise their own performances too.

Attitude. The attitude of the customer to the suppliers is also an important factor. Staff of the customer should endeavor to show respect for the supplier. They are expected to adopt sound customer service skills to delight the supplier.

They should be courteous and attend to the supplier and their needs with dispatch. Also, staff of customersshoulddemonstratehigh sense of integrity for their company to be regarded as customer of choice. They should not engage in arm-twisting of the suppliers for

personal gains. The philosophy of win – win should be the bedrock of the relationship. When the supplier sees the customer as genuinely interested in the growth of his business, the tendency is for the former to raise his premium of value of the customer. In short, the general attitude exhibited by staff of the customer towards their suppliers is a defining factor for a customer of choice rating.

Long-Term Relationship. A business organization which has the tradition of retaining its performing suppliers in a long-term relationship is a candidate for the customer of choice. The relationship therefore, is beneficial to both parties. This kind of relationship is transparent, collaborative and the parties consider themselves as partners.

The importance of enduring relationships in business cannot be over emphasized. It has memories which help to keep them going. It is symbiotic in which the customer gains value and the supplier also gains value.

A customer that treats his suppliers in the above stated ways is most desirable for the supplier and consequently will command the suppliers’ loyalty. The question therefore is ‘Are there benefits of becoming a customer of choice?’

Of course, there are. Marco Nink, senior consultant at Gallup Management Consulting, points out that there are five main benefits that accrue to an organization regarded as Customer of choice by the suppliers. These include: Higher quality, as the supply chain contains less waste of resources from rework; Improved planning which results from greater access to more accurate forecasts, or more on-time delivery from the supplier;

Improved product development as the suppliers will give you access to the latest innovations; Greater support and value by which Suppliers provide you with greater resources and provide beyondcontractual support; Lower costs in the form of lower transaction costs, reduced unit price and generally lower cost of doing business. These benefits could be crucial to the overall success of a business.

In conclusion, any business organization that craves to be a customer of choice or a key account to its suppliers should have a paradigm shift. The traditional belief that buyer-supplier relationships are purely dictated by spend; that is, the more a company spent, the better it is valued and treated by its suppliers, has changed in today’s business world. Business leaders are beginning to recognize that a focus solely on volume or spend is shortsighted and deters from overall value creation. Organizations should train and coach their Contract Management teams on behaviors that can improve supplier relationships and see how loyal their suppliers can be. That loyalty pays off greatly when the suppliers have value creation choice to make between customers. My humble submission therefore, is that suppliers are more likely to prioritize a company whose views on overall value are aligned with theirs and such companies will always command the suppliers’ loyalty.

Gob – Agundu Uche is a Fellow and Chartered Member of the prestigious Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, CIPS (UK). She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, CILT (UK).

Sunday 27 January 2019

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BDSUNDAY 37

SundayBusiness Internet users in Nigeria hit 111.6m in December 2018 Jonathan Aderoju

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nternet users in Nigeria increased marginally to more than 111.6 million in December 2018, the Nigerian Communications Commission has said.

The NCC made this known in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for December posted on its website.

The data showed that overall internet users increased to 111,632,516 in December 2018 from the 108,457,051 recorded in November 2018, showing an increase of 3,175,465 new subscribers.

According to the data, Airtel, MTN and Globacom gained more internet subscribers during the month under review, while 9mobile was the biggest loser.

The breakdown revealed that MTN gained the more with 2,221,153 new internet users in December 2018, increasing its subscription to 43,899,957 as against 41,678,804 in November 2018.

It further showed that Airtel was second, gaining 799,538 new users in the month under review, increasing its subscription to 29,757,791 in December 2018 as against 28,958,253 in November 2018.

It said that Globacom was the third gainer with 293,667 new internet users, increasing its subscription in December 2018 to 28,054,948 from 27,761,281 recorded in November 2018.

The NCC data showed that 9mobile the big loser lost 1, 388, 93 internet users in December 2018 with 9,919,820 as against

10,058,713 recorded in November.

Nigeria has a total of six active international submarine fiber optic cable networks that formed the core networks. Five of them are connected to the world via Europe while one is connected to a neighbouring country, Cameroun.

However the hike in internet subscribers in Nigeria can be attributed to Low cost phones, affordable data, high competition which has helped improve Nigeria’s internet affordability in Africa.

According to analysts Low cost phones, affordable data packages and high competition among telecommunication companies may be the reason for Nigeria being among the only four African countries having affordable mobile broadband plans.

Bendel Brewery workers protest, lament vandalism of company’s assets IDRIS UMAR MOMOH/ CHURCHILLOKORO, Benin

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embers of staff of the moribund Bendel Brewery Company Limited have staged a peaceful protest to lament the alleged unbridled vandalism of assets of the company in its premises.

The staff, who stormed the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly and the state’s Government House, however, demanded for the payment of their terminal benefits.

A protest letter signed by Victor Aivhenyor, Patrick Alebun, Sunday Izevbokum and Stephen Aniemeke on behalf of the entire workers and addressed to the speaker of the house and the state governor appealed to the state

government to intervene in their plight, saying that they are only living by the grace of God. They noted that the company, which went out of production since 2014, has now become homestead to vandals.

They also disclosed that security in the company has been rendered helpless as a result of incessant attacks.

They listed some of the assets vandalised to include transformers, air-conditioners, machinery, among others while cables of the vandalised machinery were also taken away.

“We the entire members of Bendel Brewery Company Limited Workers, write to passionately appeal to Your Excellency to save our souls, those of our families and dependants as for we are just living by the grace of God because many of our members

have died and many are on sick bed.

“We are not unmindful of the economic crisis in the state; we are appealing to you to feel our pains and kindly look into the submitted terminal benefits list for all workers across board and consider those of us on deployment for payment to enable us get engage on any business that can also alleviate our suffering,” they said.

They further added that one of the security, Etsede Lucky, deployed by the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Employment and Cooperative to the company is now in critical situation at home after being beaten up by the vandals.

The injured staff, they said, has been referred to University College Hospital, Ibadan, but no fund to travel to the hospital for the medical treatment.

Going Digital With

Wison Moore

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n this article, I will address the major challenges that digital marketing agencies and freelancers in Lagos face.

Additionally, I will discuss the awesome opportunities of digital marketing in Nigeria. Let’s get started.

What is digital marketing?

Wikipedia defines digital marketing as: “The marketing of products or services using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including mobile phones, display advertising, and any other digital medium.”

Ouch!

Here’s a pretty easy one to remember: Digital marketing is the marketing of products or services using electronic devices.

The fact that digital marketing involves electronic devices is the reason why it has been around for a long time.

In fact, digital marketing strategies are both online and offline.

For example, the advertising mediums that companies use may be part of a digital marketing strategy that includes online PR, social media marketing, bulk SMS marketing, digital billboards, television and radio.

Additionally, digital marketing tactics include search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, and influencer marketing.

It also includes content automation, campaign marketing, e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, social media optimisation, email marketing, and display advertising.

In fact, the list would not be complete without letting you know that it includes ebooks, optical disks, games, and any other form of digital media.

And for a solid and wellrounded digital marketing strategy, you need both offline and online strategies.

5 Digital marketing challenges in Nigeria • Electricity.

• Internet Connectivity problems – think phone and data.

• Business executives who

Digital marketing challenges and opportunities in Nigeria What are your digital marketing challenges?

As you think of the many challenges, do you foresee opportunities now or in the future as you take an informed look at the digital marketing landscape of Nigeria? don’t appreciate the value of digital marketing.

• A much diverse audience with different cultures and needs.

• Not-so-easy availability of hard currency through most of your ‘friendly’ banks.

Let’s dive in. #1. Digital Marketing Challenge - Electricity Nigeria has been ranked as the second worst nation in power supply as power drops to 3,851 megawatts (MW).

As of 2017, out of the 137 countries examined in a report, Yemen ranked as the worst electricity supply nation in 2017, followed by Nigeria, Haiti, Lebanon, and Malawi.

Is that report shocking?

Well, that’s the reality on the ground, backed by statistics.

Since digital marketing is the marketing of any form of products or services that involve electronic devices, you can appreciate why digital marketing agencies

are hard hit with unreliable electricity.

Access to reliable power makes it easy to market offline and online. It also increases the number and variety of business and job opportunities available. #2. Internet Connectivity Challenges in Nigeria The erratic supply of electricity in Nigeria also affects the quality of services delivered by the telecom companies.In fact, the majority of businesses now need a reliable, fast internet connection.

Slow internet speeds impact the productivity of your employees but also the quality of customer service you provide through your website.

You would agree that today the internet is vital for the day-to-day operations of your business such as accessing emails and file transfers.

And if you make a living as a digital marketer whether using offline or online marketing strategies, you would agree that unreliable internet connectivity is not funny. #3. Business executives

who do not appreciate the value of digital marketing Many business executives who market to consumers spend a major percentage of their marketing budget on traditional marketing, despite the fact that digital marketing is incredibly effective, and so deserves a bigger slice of the marketing budget pie.

When decision makers understand how digital marketing impacts positively on their bottom line, they are eager to pay the agency or freelancer what their service is worth. #4. A much diverse audience with different cultures and needs If you are using digital marketing to sell your goods or services in Nigeria, you would have to create diverse personas with varying needs.

There is no doubt that global online marketing has massive potential and is a rapidly developing industry.

For you to make the leap to the global market, you will need a team of specialised digital marketing experts who can adapt products and services to your global audience for specific languages and regions. #5. Hard currency is not readily available If you are a digital marketer, you would understand why you would need hard currency for the smooth running of your agency or freelance business.

Google AdWords or Bing ads are all done in the dollar.

If you don’t have dollar accounts with your local friendly bank, it becomes exceedingly difficult to pay for your campaigns.

Additionally, the social media management apps that you would use to manage your accounts and those of your clients are paid for in dollars.

Very few banks in Nigeria are equipped to open and provide dollars for their customers.

To be continued….

Moore is Director of Marketing Anaconda Marketing Ltd, a Lagos-based Digital Marketing Agency +234 080 579 37786 wilson.moore@anacondamarketing.com.ng http://anacondamarketing. com.ng

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Sunday 27 January 2019

BrandsOnSunday SPOTLIGHTING BRAND VALUE

The amazing story of recreation of Niger Bridge

H

DANIEL OBI

T

he Niger bridge (also known as the Onitsha Bridge) is one the most iconic monuments of Nigeria. The bridge which connects southeastern Nigeria with western Nigeria is over 1,400 meters long and was completed in 1965.

As part of its year-end festivities, Life Lager set out to welcome easterners back home with the bridge of progress parties. The parties featured some of the best entertainers out from the East such as Flavour and Phyno.

Despite the A-list headliners at these events, one of the more talked topics of conversations has been the Niger bridge recreation which was made of 508 crates of Life beer.

Similar to the Aro Meta statues which were erected at the venues of the One Lagos Fiesta, this recreation of the Niger bridge is the perfect homage to the Igbo people and its culture.

The bridge of progress party is themed around welcoming the Igbos back home after some time away and the recreated bridge offers a literal and metaphorical depiction of this idea.

Fans who attend these parties are ushered through the bridge, and what typically follows is a night like

no other. No other beer brand is this passionate about culture, no other brand is this proud of heritage.

The parties are often a celebration of progress with a combination of classic highlife music as well as contemporary indigenous music providing the rhythm for the night.

The ambience is unmistakably Igbo, with the chattering of glasses, and the signature Igbo kwenu greetings reigning supreme across venue.

Everywhere you look, in every corner of these venues, you see the pride of being true to your roots.

Habo Global gives out over N1.3m in social media competition Chetachukwu Umeremadu

I

n its hunt for worthy brand ambassadors, Habo Global Limited, a sanitary product producer based in Lagos opened up a social media competition that encourages creativity with one minute video about the Habo sanitary pad, which saw winners cart away one million, three hundred and fifty million naira (N1.350).

The competition which held from December, 2018 to January 19, 2019, produced three winners who were also made Habo brand ambassadors. The first place winner was given N1million while the second and third place winners were given N250,000 and N100, 000 respectively.

Speaking during the prize giving ceremony in Lagos, Ifeanyi Ifeabunike, spokesperson, Habo said that the brand has come to offer a better comfort, protection and satisfaction to Nigerian women during menstrual cycle with its sanitary pads which is one of the best in the market today.

“The competition was held by the company to select creative individuals who can represent the company and what it represents.

Also, it is a way of encouraging Nigerians, especially Lagosians to maximize the use of information technology available to them in purchasing our products via HABO mobile App,” he said.

Hero rewards 500 consumers in yuletide promo

He further mentioned that the product comes in four categories which are: HABO Free and Soft Extra Wings Sanitary Pad, HABO Ultra Blue Thin 0.1 Sanitary Pad (heavy flow), HABO Ultra Pink Thin 0.1 Sanitary Pad (Regular flow), and HABO Free and Soft Family Pack.

Nafisat Abdulyaniyi, the first runner up who is an entrepreneur from Ilorin Kwara state said; the product is outstanding among other existing products of its kind. One of the qualities of Habo is that it improves your immune system compared to other similar products.

“The manufacturer took proper consideration to the health of users which makes the product quite unique. It is cost effective and equally durable and flexible. With habo, you are zero percent prone to cancerous disease,” she said.

With joyous expression, Duru Ifeoma Olivia, a final student of Psychology, Imo State University, Owerri, the overall winner said, she feels good emerging as the overall winner of the competition and also being crowned as the Brand Ambassador of Habo sanitary. “I will invest my money into the brand as being a major distributor of the product,” she said.

Chikata Kelechukwu, a Theatre and Film Studies undergraduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka also expressed her happiness for emerging as the second runner-up in the competition.

Life beer on its part has continued to champion this idea, reveling in the premise of being unapologetically Igbo. The brand theme “Progress is Life” is a double entendre. Highlighting a clever play on words with the brand name, but also referencing a core premise that guides all of Life Beer’s consumer activities.

Last year the brand organized two very interesting initiatives. The first, a highlife talent show celebrating the best homegrown highlife talent. The other involved a financial

grant given to hundreds of entrepreneurs across the southeast.

One common theme across these two initiatives is a commitment to the betterment of the people.

The bridge of progress parties caps this off with immense style, bringing together the best of culture, music, and tradition. The recreated bridge by Life lager simply adds to the growing list of innovative ways the brand continues to deepen its already impressive relationship with its consumers.

CSR: Betway donates sports kit to Nigerian National Amputee Football Team

I

nternational sports betting platform, Betway and sponsors of the first ever five-aside professional league in Nigeria, has taken its love for Nigerian football a notch higher by embarking on a CSR project, donating valuable items to the Special Eagles, the Nigerian National Amputee Team.

This project will go a long way in improving the morale of the amputee Football players who represented Nigeria at the 2018 edition of the Amputee World Cup in Mexico.

According to Betway Nigeria Country Manager, Lere Awokoya,

in a statement, “We are happy to support the development of the Nigerian Amputee Football Team with this donation. We truly appreciate the players and staff for their efforts in inspiring other Nigerians for flying Nigeria’s flag with pride.”

Betway will continue to support the football community and other worthy social causes, all for the love of the game,” he concluded. Items donated by Betway include first aid kits, nets, crutches, footballs, bibs, training jerseys, football boots and sports bags.

These items will help improve the team in various areas such as training and games to come.

Lere Awokoya, Betway Country manager, (Centre) with the Nigerian National Amputee Football Team

ero lager, beer brand from the stable of International Breweries Plc, part of the AB InBev family, according to a statement has rewarded over 500 consumers with cash prizes worth over N90 million and gifts through its national consumer promo, tagged HEROnaires Mega promo, which ran for three months.

The promo which began October 14, 2018, was aimed at rewarding consumers above the legal drinking age of 18 with N1 million weekly wins for 17 weeks.

The promo also offered other consolation prizes including cash prizes of N50, 000 each to other winners.

The consumer promotion was also a part of Hero’s efforts to connect with its loyal consumer base, especially as the year end is always a season for spreading love and celebrating with family and friends.

“For International Breweries, Christmas represents a perfect time and season for giving back, gifting and rewarding its loyal customers for their patronage all through the year,” said Marketing Director, International Breweries, Tolu Adedeji in the statement.

“The ‘HEROnaires Mega’ promo underlines the company’s commitment to impacting the lives of its customers for good and putting smiles on their faces.

“In this time of the year, a simple act of kindness can make a huge difference. What better way to salute our customers than to create opportunities for them to become millionaires through the reward scheme, particularly in this season of sharing, caring and giving,” she added.

Nu m e r o u s w i n n e r s f r o m different walks of life and parts of the country were rewarded with various cash prizes, and many expressed joy and excitement over their good fortune.

Ugwuanyi Onyebuchi one of the N1 million winners said, “I am super excited and still cannot believe that I have won N1 million just like that? I heard that people have been winning but I never imagined I will be one of them. Thank you very much Hero lager, Ndi Oh Mpa.” At the conclusion of the promo, Marketing Manager, Hero lager, International Breweries Plc, Obumneke Okoli, stated that Hero lager keeps fulfilling its long standing promise to continue rewarding consumers in various regions and zones in Nigeria.

“We wanted to reward our consumers in a unique way and we are very excited to have impacted lives and homes positively, especially during the yuletide with the staggering amount of giveaway. This was also our little way of saying thank you.”

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EquityMarket Anticipating peaceful elections, investors bet on equities as 38 stocks gain Stories by TELIAT SULE

I

nvestors are anticipating peaceful general elections in Nigeria, following which a number of them are already taking position in equities, a development that is responsible for the increasing positive sentiment in the Nigerian capital market.

Analysts are unanimous that foreign investors overpriced Nigerian political uncertainties into the equity market.

The All Share Index (ASI) which gauges the market momentum is gradually heading towards the positive territory as it closed at -0.01 percent after the fourth week of trading in 2019. ASI closed at 31, 426.63 basis points last Friday as against 31,430.50 basis points on the last trading day of 2018.

The number of stocks that have appreciated year to date rose to 38 as against 17 in the first week of this year. Also, 13 stocks had their prices remain unchanged, while 44 stocks shed various amounts in their prices.

Market capitalisation of quoted stocks rose to N11.71 trillion last week Friday compared with N11.72 trillion on the last trading day of 2018. The NSE Main Board Index, NSE Banking Index, NSE Lotus Islamic Index and NSE Industrial Index are the earliest sub sectoral indexes to return to the positive territory as they closed at 0.07 percent, 1.93 percent, 1.87 percent and 6.54 percent respectively.

“The early birds are taking posi-

tion in value stocks ahead of a justified post-election rally, with the

Red Star Express, Tripple Gee post improved third quarter results ... As stock price appreciates by 19% ytd

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ed Star Express Plc has announced its third quarter results for the period ended December 31, 2018 and its financials show it has the potential to make investors happy by March 2019. Revenue rose by 22 percent from N6.20 billion in December 2017 to N7.56 billion in December 2018. The cost of goods sold hit N5.74 billion in 2018 as against N4.6 billion in corresponding period in 2017, representing an increase of 25 percent during the period. It also implies that the cost of goods sold relative to revenue in the current period was 76 percent as against 74 percent in 2017.

Profit before tax increased to N534 million as at December 2018 compared with N428.2 million in December 2017. Profit after tax increased by the same margin from N291.2 million in December 2017 to N363.1 million same period in

2018. The company posted 6.89 percent and 13.7 percent as returns on asset and equity respectively.

Investors traded 229,144 shares of Red Star Express worth N1.15 million on Friday last week, consequent upon which the stock gained 4.17 percent on that particularly day and 19 percent year to date.

Tripple Gee and Company Plc improved its third quarter results, particularly as its turnover and profit after tax rose by 10 percent and 202 percent respectively.

Turnover at the end of December 2018 stood at N546.3 million in contrast to N494.8 million in the previous period. Profit before tax rose by 122 percent from N10.25 million in 2017 to N22.76 million in 2018. Profit after tax in the current period was better than the previous period by 202 percent as it rose to N16 million in December 2018 up from N5.3 million in December 2017.

conviction that the election would be seamless given the maturing

democracy in Nigeria and the experience of 2015. More so, major par-

ties contending at the national level both agree on the major problems facing the country and the need to execute reforms relevant to achieve the desired results.

“Hence savvy investors are taking early bets on the positive outlook on the country particularly as valuations of most counters are at notable discount to intrinsic values. Interestingly, the earning season is fast approaching and dividend yields are quite compelling at an average of 9 percent on many defensive stocks in the banking sector, with established dividend history”, said Rasak Abiola, head, investor relations at the United Bank for Africa(UBA) Plc. “It is positioning ahead of the elections. The momentum towards the election is not coming with as much as apprehension as earlier anticipated”, said Kemi Akinde, senior analyst at Meristem Securities.

C & I Leasing led the gainers table by gaining 407.9 percent year to date. Royal Exchange rose by 40.9 percent year to date, and the construction giant Julius Berger garnered 39.3 percent year to date.

Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) was up by 23.7 percent while Fidelity Bank at 23.2 percent completes the top five most appreciated stocks year to date.

On the losers’ table are Law Union, UAC Property, GlaxoSmithKline, Beta Glass and Resort Savings. Law Union has shed 16.7 percent from its share price year to date. UAC Property shed 16.8 percent from its share price; GSK, -17.2 percent; Beta Glass, -19.5 percent and Resort Savings, -60 percent.

Flour Mills of Nigeria restructures fertilizer business

N

igeria’s indisputable market leader in food and agro-allied products, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, has notified all the stakeholders of its plans to restructure its fertilizer business. In this regard, it has filed a scheme of arrangement with the regulatory authorities for authorisation.

“Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, the market leader in food and agroallied products in Nigeria, has announced it has filed a scheme of arrangement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to transfer its existing assets in one of its divisions, Golden Penny Fertilizers, to its wholly owned agro-allied company, Golden Fertilizer Company Limited.

“The move, which is part of a well-thought-out, and on-going restructuring process within the FMN Group, is expected to improve synergy, increase efficiency , and ultimately position FMN for greater operational

and financial flexibility to ensure continued business growth”, a notice signed by Umolu Joseph, company secretary and director of legal services at FMN stated.

“Upon approval by SEC, and on completion of the restructuring process, Golden Fertilizer Company Limited will serve as a Holding Company for all FMN Group’s agro-allied businesses.

The proposed restructuring will be effected through a scheme of arrangement under Part XII of the Investment and Securities Act no. 29 of 2007(ISA) , and Section 539 of the Companies and Allied Matters LFN 2004”, according to the notice sent to all the stakeholders.

Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc presently controls about 70 percent of the nation’s food and agroallied products through presence in foods, agro-allied, and, logistics and supports businesses. In recent times, the company has invested over N150 billion in backward integration activities

through which it aims to minimise the impact of the volatility in exchange rates.

“Volatile commodity prices arising from unpredictable changes in global supply and demand, exchange rate fluctuations and punitive tariffs and import barriers, has made our reliance on imported raw materials risky, expensive and unsustainable.

The need to create value further back in the supply chain and reduce dependence on imported raw material has been identified as a strategic imperative for our Group in the years ahead. The investment of the next N150 billion will, therefore, focus on a strategy of backward integration to maintain growth and sustained profitability”, Flour Mills of Nigeria, stated.

Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc made N269.7 billion as revenue and N5.05 billion as the total comprehensive income at the end of the second quarter ended September 30, 2018.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Travel

Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, still a tourism landmark OBINNA EMELIKE

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n Nwaniba Road, a few kilometres away from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, lies a hospitality jewel. Tucked in a lush tropical landscape, Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort is a prime leisure and business hotel by all standards.

The serenity of the environment amidst tropical beauties easily gives away the outfit as a top get-away and holiday option for discerning vacation seekers.

Its world-class accommodation option is a true complement of other facilities conceptualised by Akwa Ibom State, the owners, to glue guests to a sustained leisure outing and memorable experience afterwards. The private terraces in each of the 130 guest rooms, 26 suites, and seven chalets will indulge you. Besides, each room looks over a forest of palm trees and the golf course.

T h e p a n o ra m i c v i ew c re ated by this special offering is compared to that of viewing the Atlantic Ocean from the comfort of one’s hotel room.

Of course, the height of ex c i t e m e n t a t t h e r e s o r t is the 18-hole golf course, w h i c h h a s a t t ra c t e d b e s t golfers from far and near to battle for honour on its lush and well-trimmed lawns. The emphasis on

Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort

t h e exc l u s i v e a n d l u x u r y sports allows guests to meet with top personalities who, while on a golf re t re a t , m a y s h a re s a m e table or swimming time with other guests. The

rooms and other excitements may not make sense to you if you visit when golf tournaments are on.

Apart from the golf course, the resort indulges guests in memorable

leisure through other facilities such as bars, stylish restaurants, Marina Club House & BBQ Terrace, retail shops, a hair salon, and a VIP lounge.

W i t h a l l i t s n a t u re e n -

dowments and the worldclass facilities, the idyllic re s o r t t r u l y w o o s y o u t o a golf and leisure retreat.

Similarly, the needs of the corporate and business worlds are adequately met through the hotel’s conference and banquet facilities. While the banquet hall accommodates up to 1,000 people, there are various options for meetings and seminars.

As well, the hotel’s business centre includes rental office space and function rooms.

Emphasis is further laid on leisure with other recreational facilities such as a fitness and health club, outdoor children’s and adult pools, tennis and squash facilities, Ibom Golf Club, as well as, a riverside marina with a floating jetty.

Lodging in the hotel gives you the opportunity to join every other guest to discover and explore signature dishes created by experienced culinary team.

Of course, the Akwa Ibom axis is known for its great traditional culinary prowess. You will be feted with enough local dishes that keep whetting your appetite.

Now that more airlines fly to Uyo, the journey to discover this hide-out is short and more convenient. But an ardent golfer will not forget a swell experience at the resort in a hurry.

Lagos sue for the preservation of heritage sites

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he Lagos State Government on Tuesday held a stakeholders forum on the need for preservation of historical and cultural heritage sites/monuments in the state.

The forum, which was held at the Hall of the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Obafemi Awolowo way, Ikeja, was attended by owners and managers of heritage sites, traditional rulers, among others.

Speaking at the event, Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, said the stakeholders forum was meant to create an avenue for the state government and the stakeholders to examine issues of preserving, protecting, restoring and promoting historical and cultural sites and monuments in the state.

He added that this is in line with the determination of Akinwumi Ambode, the Governor of

Lagos State, who in his inaugural speech promised to “engage investors and stakeholders in creating the enabling environment for tourism, entertainment and art and an iconic infrastructure for the benefit of all Lagosians”.

He pointed out that Lagosians are living witnesses to how the governor has been keeping to his words and surpassed expectations of citizens in infrastructural development that has positively impacted on arts and expanded the frontiers of tourism fortune of the state.

Speaking further, Ayorinde disclosed that the forum is a follow up to the first gathering held in October, 2017. He emphasized that the objectives of the forum was to ensure that the heritage sites and monuments in the state are maintained and make attractive for tourist/ visitors and to keep historical monuments for generations to come.

While reeling out the benefits

Badagry Heritage Museum of preserving the heritage sites and monuments in the state, the commissioner reiterated that they are precious to the state government just as it is in most advanced countries of the world.

In a short keynote presentations by Tunji Adejumo, an

associate professor in the Department of Architecture, University of Lagos and Architect Theo Lawson, the speakers talked on the interchanging heritage and culture, as well as, why heritage and culture should be preserved. They noted that

all indigenous groups in Lagos have their festival routes and that it is left for the people of each area to sit and package whatever heritage sites they have for tourism purposes. The two scholars both agreed that there is the need for inventory of all facets of cultural heritage resources, consensus on immovable heritage to be addressed, create an enabling environment for private driven small scale museum for display, as well as, exploration of statewide cultural festival calendar.

Highlights of the suggestions provided at the end of the forum include, the establishment of Ibile Festival to showcase the uniqueness of the culture of the state, the establishment of cultural heritage committee, adequate funding of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in order to efficiently perform and using the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as a veritable tool for public sensitisations.

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BDSUNDAY 41

Travel

Reasons why flying is still the best way to travel

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Stories by IFEOMA OKEKE

ravelling by air is still being assumed as luxury by many Nigerians. Sadly, this has made many people shut their minds against giving this means of travel a try. While some feel the amount they could spend flying could be twice or three times more than other alternative means of transport, others just have phobia for flight. But, here are some reasons why flying is still the best way to travel.

It’s Safe The old adage that flying is the safest way to travel still holds true today – the recent track record of the airline industry not withstanding.

On a daily basis, there are more than 93,000 scheduled commercial aircraft flights across the world, and yet we can go weeks or months without a fatal crash. When you crunch the numbers, the chances of you being onboard an

aircraft that crashes is infinitesimally small. In fact, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be in an airplane crash. But should your flight actually go down, you’re also likely to still survive. A study of all the air crashes that took place in the U.S. between 1993 and 200o showed that more than 90per-

cent of passengers and crew survived.

Flight costs are surprisingly affordable It may not seem like it but when adjusted for inflation, airline ticket prices are actually near an all time low. In fact, they have been declining steadily for 30 years, allowing more of us to fly then ever before.

Increased competition,

more efficient aircraft, and the ability to bargain shop for flights online have all played a role in this trend.

And while we may still bulk at the price of airfare when it is time to book, we are fortunate to live in an era when the cost of flying is still affordable – relatively speaking.

It is still the fastest way to get anywhere

If you only have a limited number of days to travel, and you truly want to spend quality time at your destination, then flying is still your best choice.

If you’re flying domestically, chances are you can find a flight that will deliver you to your destination early in the day, allowing you to start your vacation as soon as you arrive. If you elect to drive, you could spend days in the car before you even get to that place, drastically cutting down on the amount of time that you can spend there. And at the end of your trip, when you’re ready to go home, a flight can get you there in a matter of a few hours, while facing a return trip by car can seem painful.

It is the only way to get to some places Want to visit Paris?

Have dreams of lounging on a beach in Tahiti?

Then flying really is the only option you have. The days of taking a slow boat to Europe – or anywhere else in the world for that matter – are long gone. For

international travellers, flying opens up nearly an unlimited number of possibilities, allowing us to visit distant lands, experience unique destinations, and explore our planet to the fullest. Many of those places simply would not be an option for most of us without modern air travel, and if you love immersing yourself in foreign cultures, then the airplane is literally and figuratively your vehicle to the world.

Inflight Entertainment Modern aircraft are often equipped with stateof-the-art entertainment systems that put a selection of movies, television shows, music, and games right at our fingertips. This can help time to pass more quickly while on a flight, and allow us to relax more in the process. But even if your aircraft doesn’t have a built-in entertainment system, chances are you brought one with you.

Most travelers now come equipped with smartphones and tablets, which can fill the entertainment void nicely.

Ethiopian Airlines wins ‘Africa Outstanding Airline of the Year’ award

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frica Project Against Suicide in Conjunction with South west Nigeria Excellence Awards has honoured Ethiopian Airlines with the Africa Outstanding Airline of the year.

The event held on Sunday 20th January at the Conference Centre of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife, Osun State. It was well attended by members of the Association from all over the Africa.

Firihiewot Mekonnen while receiving the Award on behalf of GabrielMariam Tewolde, the Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines thanked the Organisers for the Award.

In her words “Ethiopian

Airlines will always support great ideas that will uplift the standard of living for Africans. As this program will also be launched in different African countries including Ethiopia I am proposing that you take ET as the official carrier when ever you fly.

“ET is a pan African carrier that supports any project which aims for the betterment of Africa. Ethiopian Airlines is the biggest Airline in Africa and has been recognised as the African four star Airline. It is a member of the Global Star Alliance and flies the newest Aircraft Brands in Africa including the B787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 “.

The conference came as a United States-based

organisation-Leadership in Obscurity Network, had officially entered into partnership with the African Project Against Suicide (APAS) in a one-year-long crusades being undertaken by the latter.

Honey Olawale the Overall Coordinator of APAS ; Reholegile Mehlape, South Africa Coordinator, and Daniel Madalanga, Eastern Africa Coordinator, jointly stated that the terms of the partnership include training of selected African leaders on suicide prevention.

According to him, 10 countries within Africa are participating in the first phase of anti-suicide project. The countries are South Africa , Kenya , Nigeria , Ghana, Ethiopia, Gambia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Egypt and Mauritius. As for Nigeria, however, cities listed for the war-against-suicide crusades and concerts are Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Benin, Abuja, Kaduna and Enugu.

He said that Ethiopian Airlines was the official Airline for the conference as members from all over Africa travelled to Nigeria with the Airline.

Turkish Airlines to launch its first flight to Mexico, announces additional new destinations in 2019

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urkish Airlines, will launch its inaugural flight to Mexico on August 21, 2019 with a triangle route from Istanbul (IST) to Mexico City (MEX) and Cancun (CUN).

The entire route will use one flight number, TK181, to be operated three times a week. Passengers will be the first to experience the airline’s new B787-9 aircraft, which debuts a new Business Class offering.

The Mexico City – Istanbul route will be operated from Turkish Airlines’ new home at Istanbul Airport, slated to be the world’s largest once all phases are completed.

The newly-opened hub, that will welcome up to 200 million passengers its later phases, will play an important role in the future of Turkey’s aviation sector as global aviation shifts eastwards, with Istanbul at the centre.

The smart and innovative design of the airport, already the recipient of many design awards, will allow a streamlined travel experience for travelers flying with Turkish Airlines to enjoy the widest global network.

Ahmet Olmuştur, Turkish Airlines’ chief marketing officer, stated, ‘‘We are very pleased to announce this service to Mexico on

Turkish Airlines. As the flag carrier of Turkey, we are continuously looking to expand our network in order to present our quality-focused and servicecentric concept to new destinations. Mexico is a country that has been on our radar for some time, and this new route marks a very exciting milestone for us.”

In addition to Mexico, Turkish Airlines will launch flights to six new destinations in 2019: Marrakesh, Sharjah, Port Sudan, Bali, Luxor and Rovaniemi. Last year, the airline introduced flights to Freetown, Samarqand, Aqaba, Krasnodar, Moroni, Banjul and Lusaka.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

Focus

Senatorial ovations for Ochendo IYKE OGBONNAYA

A

s I script this piece, the good people of Abia Central Senatorial entity who Theodore A. Orji is professionally representing at the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly have been grinning from cheek to cheek, following from the unprecedented milestones their anointed senator has been attaining.

The multiplicity of Orji’s life-touching and enhancing programmes being seamlessly and genuinely administered has puzzled and compelled his detractors to backtrack in regret for their confrontational vituperations variously unleashed on the person and innocent mien of Ochendo.

The sacrosanct reality, however, is that Ochendo got himself adequately and studiously prepared for the task of being properly counted at the National Assembly. He is not oblivious of the fact that it is another veritable medium to resiliently interface and horse-trade with relevant quarters to enable him allocate enduring values back home.

Consequently, while other senators find pleasure in warming the National Assembly seats and networking for enhancement of business fortunes, Ochendo saw the need to significantly reduce the wage bill of Abia State by going the whole hug in realizing the federal takeover of Abia State Polytechnic Aba. Before his chronic critics could come out from their revelries and permutations of doom, Ochendo has in one fell swoop sponsored with intellectual trappings over 5 motions and 14 bills of national importance.

Prominent among these include but not limited to the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council Act Cap N117 2004, which seeks to provide for the creation of attractive incentive framework and transparent predictable and facilitating environment for investment in Nigeria. The bill will compel government to give maximum support to foreign and domestic entrepreneurs.

Ochendo is also seeking to replicate at the National level, the medical miracles he attained during his gubernatorial stewardship in Abia. This he is doing through SB. 256, which seeks for the establishment of Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Provision.

The bill earnestly yearns for national attention for the development and application of disease control and prevention especially as it affects infec-

T.A. Orji

tious disease, food borne pathogens, environmental health, occupational safety and health, injury prevention and other related matters.

The unique Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Bill 2015 (SB 78) is also to the credit of Senator T.A. Orji. It is intended to institute the process of determining the culpability or otherwise of anybody accused of crime by leveraging the DNA result and scarce evidence, which will yield vital clues as it affects swooping on the perpetrators of a crime. Also important in this process is that identification of victims can occur, particularly in cases where the victims condition is unrecognizable to family or friends.

As we zero in on motions, the truth is evident that it was at the instance of Ochendo’s legislative foresight, that the Senate passed the resolution of 28th January 2016, mandating the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) to publish reports of its investigation into the causes of Air accidents in Nigeria over the years.

It was at the instance of Ochendo’s

eye opening motion which conscientiously unveiled the continuous consumption of over 42 banned antimalaria drugs that Senate in utter consternation rose to its legislative mandate as it affects health delivery.

Barely 3 years of bestriding and flying the senatorial flag of the six local government areas located in his zone, Ochendo has not reneged in his campaign promise of ensuring equal representation even in the face of obvious Nigeria’s financial misfortune.

“What is good for the goose is equally good for the gander”, has variously featured in Ochendo’s extension of democratic dividends.

Ochendo’s life impacting programmes are currently being driven through the platforms of social empowerment, Community aid, Youth empowerment, Annual Scholarship, Healthcare delivery, Rural Electrification, Agriculture and Water resources.

With Isialangwa North Local Government Area as our departure point o n peo ple o r iented program m es, Senator T.A. Orji currently adjudged

the third most productive senator in the Nigerian senate since June 2016 has extended over thirty scholarship to indigent/ intelligent students who are currently in various disciplines located in various Nigerian tertiary institutions.

On the platform of empowerment, over 1000 artisans, entrepreneurs, and farmers have had their lives rejuvenated by Ochendo’s intervention. Ahiaba Okpuala Community which has been groping in darkness, recently took delivery of three (Nos.) 300 KVA Sub-stations for the glowing of electricity in that community.

At Ikwuano Local Government Area, Ochendo assisted the good people of Nchara Oloko in banishing darkness, through the installation of 500 KVA transformer which he powered its installation.

While replicating his annual scholarship programme in Ikwuano, as it obtains in all the 6 Council Areas of Abia Central zone, emotion laden with compassion moved Ochendo to extend same to a blind and indigent student who is currently studying at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.

In no distance time, the drums will be rolled out as the good people of Umuariaga congregates to take delivery of the road being constructed

by Ochendo to ease their difficulties in conveying harvested products from the farm. He was on hand to personally flag off the reconstruction of Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene federal road.

Isialangwa South, Osisioma and Umuahia South Local Government Areas have all benefited proportionally from Ochendo’s senatorial blue print, meticulously designed to positively affect the lives of the people.

Ochendo’s free eye surgery initiative which was inaugurated in January 2018 at Anya Specialist Eye Clinic located at Ohafia Street in Umuahia, has recorded over 400 eye interventions of varying degrees ranging from majorly cataract to pterygium eye challenges.

His odourless cassava flour processing vocation has tremendously benefitted over 150 participants across his senatorial enclave.

The truth is obviously evident that under Senator T.A. Orji, the infrastructural needs of Abia Central Senatorial zone are being genuinely addressed.

It will only be expedient therefore that Ochendo is massively supported for attraction of more democratic dividends.

Ogbonnaya, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Umuahia.

Moghalu begins campaigns in Southwest INIOBONG IWOK

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ith few weeks to the general elections, Kingsley Moghalu, the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), began his presidential campaign across the South-western states on Saturday.

Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of Nigeria’s central bank, is perceived to be the candidate with the most viable economic plan to transform the nation’s economy.

In a statement to journalists in Lagos, the spokesman of the Moghalu campaign organisation, Jide Akintunde, said the campaign would kick off in Lagos on Saturday, 26th January, 2019 at Lion Field, Kokumo Road, Alimosho-La-

gos, and will later this week move round the major cities in Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ondo States.

The statement further stated that Moghalu is expected to connect more with his growing supporters who had been yearning to meet him, and strategizes ahead do the presidential election.

Moghalu recently emerged as the most impressive candidate during the presidential debate organized by the Nigerian Elections

Debate Group (NEDG), Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), Channels Television and numerous other partners.

“During this campaign tour, he is expected to connect more with his growing supporters who had been yearning to meet him, discuss his victory plans cum participation models; and in return get their undying support and loyalty for the February 16th poll,” the statement said.

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COURT WATCH Court orders removal of Ondo lawmaker as PDP House of Reps candidate

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YOMI AYELESO, Akure

Federal High Court sitting in Akure, the Ondo State capital has ordered a federal lawmaker, Bode Ayorinde to stop parading himself as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the forthcoming House of Representatives election.

Ayorinde is the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, representing Owo/Ose Federal Constituency of Ondo State.

The court also ordered the National Secretariat of the PDP to remove Ayorinde’s name and send the name of Sodiq Obanoyen to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the party.

Obanoyen reportedly won the House of Representatives primary in the Owo/Ose Federal constituency, held in Owo on October, 2018, having scored 107 votes while Ayorinde polled 73 votes.

But the National Secretariat of the party sent Ayorinde’s name and had it published last week Thursday by INEC as the party’s candidate for the election as Obanoyen was disquali-

fied by the party.

Not satisfied with the development, Obanoyen challenged the action of the party at the court.

The suit had the PDP, the chairman of the Ondo State PDP Mr. Clement Faboyede, Ayorinde and the INEC as the first, second, third and forth defendants of the case respectively.

The counsel to the third defendant (Ayorinde), Tolu Babaleye, in one of his prayers, asked

the court to uphold the disqualification of the plaintiff on the grounds that the Obanoyen did not resign his appointment as a legislative aide to the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu before obtaining the form to contest, the action was said to be against the party’s election guidelines.

The plaintiff’s legal team, led by Remi Olatubora however presented the evidence that

showed the appropriate resignation of its client to the court.

In judgment the judge, Justice Abdul Dogo struck out the prayers of the first and third defendants for lack of merit. The court also held that the plaintiff duly tendered his resignation letter before obtaining the form and thereby qualified to contest the election.

“The first defendant, PDP, is hereby ordered to forward the name of the plaintiff to the fourth defendant as the candidate of the first defendant in the election.

“The third defendant (Ayorinde) is hereby restrained from parading himself as the candidate of the first defendant (PDP) in the election.

“The fourth defendantINEC) is hereby restrained from recognising the third defendant as the candidate of the first defendant in the election.”

In a reaction, the counsel to the plaintiff, Remi Olatubora commended the court, saying the judgment confirmed that the judiciary was still working in the country, However, the counsel to Ayorinde, Tolu Babaleye said he would need to consult his client to determine the next line of action on the matter.

N700m bribe: Absence of defendant stalls ex- Gov Yero’s trial INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

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he trial of a former governor of Kaduna State, Muktar Ramalan Yero and three others before Justice Z.B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna could not continue on January 24, 2019 due to the absence of one of the defendants, a former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the state.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Tony Orilade, Yero was rearraigned on November 27, 2018 along with Nuhu Somo Waya, a for-

mer Minister of State; Abubakar Haruna Gaya, a former PDP Chairman, Kaduna State Chapter, and Hamza Ishaq, a former Secretary to the state government. They were arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on “conspiracy, bribery, money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of N700 million”.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Muktar Ramalan Yero, whilst being the Executive Governor of Kaduna State; Nuhu Somo Waya, whilst being a former Minister of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Ishaq Hamza, whilst being the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, and Continues on page ??

N400m fraud: Fraudster who defrauded First Inland Bank bags 32 years INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 24, 2019 secured the conviction of one Ibrahim Suleiman who defrauded then First Inland Bank of N400, 700,000 (Four Hundred Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) only.

Suleiman was first arraigned in 2007 at a Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State.

He was re-arraigned on amended charges in 2011, a statement issued by the Acting Spokesman of the commission, Tony Orilade, said.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Ibrahim Suleiman, on or about 29th June 2007 in Jos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, retained in your

account with First Inland Bank now FCMB Plc, the sum of N400, 700,000 on behalf of others yet at large, and which sum you knew to be proceeds of an illegal act by those yet at large and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 16 of the Money laundering act 2004”.

The sum of N400, 700,000 was fraudulently diverted from an account domiciled in First Inland Bank, to Suleiman’s own account. He then transferred various sums to the accounts of his partners in crime, who are currently at large, the statement added.

Presiding judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel, found him guilty of all the eight charges preferred against him by the EFCC, ruling that the prosecution, led by

Comos Ugwu, proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt after calling eight witnesses.

Before delivering his judgment, the trial judge noted with dismay that “it took me 12 years to

conclude this matter due to antics deployed when I took over this matter”, adding that “it was torture as I had to travel from Ibadan and then Lagos to hear this matter”.

In his ruling, Justice Emmanuel held that: “The court has a duty, in sentencing, to impose sentence which will serve as deterrent; also in sentencing it has a duty to bear in mind the

economic impact of the offence committed.

“The offence for which the convict is sentenced has led to the collapse of the financial institution and is within public knowledge that First Inland Bank virtually collapsed after the offence. “Innocent citizens have been left to suffer the consequences of other people’s criminal act”, he said.

Taking into consideration provisions of Section 311 and Section 416 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, and the allocutus of the defence pleading for “leniency”, the trial judge, sentenced him to five years on counts one, two, four, six and eight; three years on count three, and two years on counts five and seven, to run concurrently, the statement added.

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Sunday 27 January 2019

COURT WATCH N264m Diezani bribe: Court convicts INEC staff, fixes Jan 25 for sentencing

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INNOCENT ODOH, Abuja ustice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted Christian Nwosu and Tijani Inda Bashir, both officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for an alleged N264,880,000 (Two Hundred and Sixty Four Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) only fraud.

The defendants were re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 7, 2018 on an amended ninecount charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N264, 880,000, a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Spokesman of the EFCC, Tony Orilade, said.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke (still at large), Christian Nwosu, Yisa Olanrewaju Adedoyin (now convicted) and Tijani Inda Bashir, on or about the 27th day of March, 2015, in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to directly take possession of the N264,880,000 which sum you reasonably ought to have known, form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: gratification and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the

Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.” The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Justice Idris had on August 15, 2018 dismissed their “no-case” submission, and held that “after reviewing the evidence and exhibits before the court”, they had explanations to make.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, January 24, 2019, prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, notified the Court of the absence of Nwosu, and urged the court to continue with the proceedings “since he did not give any reason for his absence”.

“The absence of the

first defendant is an indication that he has jumped the bail earlier granted him by the Court,” he added.

He further submitted that when both the prosecution and defence adopted their written addresses, “the court held that judgment would be delivered within 90 days and both parties agreed to the ruling”.

“My lord, the 90 days have elapsed,” he said.

Oyedepo, therefore, urged the court to proceed with the judgment, adding that anyone who is not happy with the outcome “should approach the Appeal Court”.

In his response, counsel for Nwosu, Obinna Okereke, told the court that his client left Enugu for Lagos to attend the

proceedings, but “he collapsed immediately he arrived Lagos yesterday evening”.

“He was rushed and admitted to a hospital in Lagos,” he added.

Okereke then showed the court a letter he said was sent to him by Nwosu’s doctor. He told the court that there was “no dishonest reason for my client’s absence in court today.”

According to him, the defence had a pending motion before the Court of Appeal and urged the court to await the ruling of the appellate court before delivering the judgment.

However, in his response, Oyedepo said: “It is very unfortunate that Nwosu did not collapse all the way from Enugu till

he arrived Lagos.”

Oyedepo urged the court not to rely on “a purported worthless medical paper”, adding that the said medical report showed that Nwosu was conscious and alert.

“It is a tactic to delay the judgment,” he added.

After listening to all the arguments, and reading the letter, Justice Idris, ruled that it was indeed, a tactic to delay the matter.

The trial judge held that: “Judgment was to be delivered after 90 days and both counsel had adopted their written addresses.

“I will proceed with the judgment in the absence of Nwosu on the grounds that the 90 days had elapsed.

“I have reviewed the evidence of the witnesses in the matter and the defendants’ defence.

The evidence before the court showed that the N264 million was unlawfully laundered by the defendants because the transaction did not pass through any financial institution.

“The prosecution has proved his case beyond reasonable doubt”.

Justice Idris, thereafter, found the defendants “guilty”, and fixed January 25, 2019 for “sentencing”.

The court, further, ordered that Nwosu must be brought to court for the sentencing, while Tijani, should be remanded in EFCC custody, the statement said.

N700m bribe: Absence of defendant stalls...

Continued from page ??

Abubakar Gaya Haruna, whilst being the Chairman PDP Kaduna State Chapter, sometime in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit crime to wit: indirectly taking possession of the sum of N700 million, which you ought to have known forms part of unlawful activity to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)Act, 2011 ( as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3)of the same Act”.

They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, and the case was adjourned to today for commencement of trial, the statement said.

At the resume hearing, however, counsel for the second defendant, S. Atung, holding brief for Dr. A. Adewale, counsel for the fourth defendant, sought leave of the court for an adjournment to enable his client attend to his illhealth.

He further told the court that “I personally visited him upon a phone call by his family member.” Prosecuting counsel, J. Saidi, did not oppose the application for an adjournment. Justice Abubakar thereafter adjourned the case to March 20, 2019 for “hearing”, the statement added.

Court affirms decision of INEC not to accept APC’s candidates from Zamfara FELIX OMOHOMHION, Abuja

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Federal High Court in Abuja, Friday, affirmed the decision of the Independent Nation Electoral Commission (INEC) debarring All Progressives Congress (APC) from fielding candidates in the coming elections in Zamfara State.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu in a judgment said INEC was right to have delisted names of candidates APC presented for the forthcoming elections.

She said INEC’s decision was in tandem with the law guiding parties’ primaries.

She held that INEC acted within its powers

by refusing to accept list of candidates from APC. Justice Ijeoma contended that the APC failed to conduct a valid primary within the period scheduled by the electoral body.

She said such action from INEC was good for democracy, saying it would instill discipline in political parties.

The judgment was in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1279/2018, in the name of APC by some individuals, who said they emerged from a consensus arrangement adopted by the party in Zamfara State.

The judge noted if consensus candidates are to emerge, there are laid down rules, the constitution of a party, which

must be adhered to strictly. She said from the facts of the case before her, the applicants did not abide by their constitution in submitting names of candidates to INEC. She therefore dismissed the application

for lack of merit.

The APC (faction) had dragged the INEC to court, seeking an order to permit its candidates to participate in the forthcoming general elections in the state.

The party, in the suit,

further applied for an order of perpetual injunction to restrain INEC from giving effect to the content of a letter with Reg. No. lNEC/ SEC/654/1/330 and dated October 9, which foreclosed it from presenting candidates in Zamfara for failing to conduct its primaries within the stipulated time.

Joined in the case were the governorship aspirant of APC in the state, Senator Garba Marafa and a senatorial aspirant, Alhaji Siraju, as well as seven other chieftains of the party, as defendants in the suit.

The APC, in the suit prayed the court to declare that INEC’s letter purporting to exclude the party from present-

ing and submitting the list of its candidates for the forthcoming election in Zamfara state scheduled for 2019, is null, void, ultra vires and of no effect having regards to the provisions of sections 31(1) and 86(2), (3) and (4) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“A declaration that by virtue of section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and section 31(1) of the Electoral Act (as amended), the defendant lacks the power to refuse to collect the name of the plaintiff’s candidates for Zamfara state presented and to be submitted to it not later than 60 days before the election scheduled for February 2019.”

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Health&Science How women can preserve fertility after cancer treatment ...expert advocates for awareness in Nigeria

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rics and gynaecology and the Chief Executive Officer of Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos, at the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH), annual international scientific conference held last year.

Available statistics shows that there are about 12 million infertile persons in Nigeria, which is almost 10 percent of the total population.

Ajayi said that the oncofertility counselling will help patients in high survivorship and provide good quality of life.

“There needs to be a change from an old way of thinking to a new one, as this field of oncofertility expands.

There exists in Nigeria urgency to clarify and update patients on oncofertility services that are provided on a global scale in order to share best practice” he said.

Fertility preservation aims to preserve reproductive tissues for future use. Oncofertility is a term coined for fertility preservation in cancer patients. Oncofertility counselling with specialists including oncologists and psy-

chologists can reduce stress and improve quality of life.

Often, men and women, who have been diagnosed with cancer, may not be comfortable about bringing their fertility issues to the forefront. Unfortunately, fertility preservation services are rarely offered or even discussed with the patient before starting cancer therapy.

Studies have shown that infertility is a significant survival concern. Patients who received information regarding their sexual and reproductive health had lower levels of psychological distress than patients who did not receive this information. An informed decision reduces reproductive regret in these young men and women.

Ajayi said there are several barriers that face oncofertiltiy practise in Nigeria; “we have to look at social, cultural, religion, lack of institution and research fund and the issues of cost, and other barriers such as lack of awareness among oncologist, gynaecologist and patients.”

Fertility treatments are

AKINREMI FEYISIPO, Ibadan

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ANTHONIA OBOKOH

wing to moreaggressive and advanced treatment, an increasing number of cancer patients do usually suffer infertility as a direct effect of cancer. Worldwide, millions of individuals in the reproductive age group are affected by cancer, Nigeria inclusive.

More often it is cancer treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy or surgery, which results in reduced fertility, early menopause or even sterility in cancer survivor.

Nigeria’s cancer death ratio of 4 in 5 affected persons is one of the worst in the world and is responsible for 3 per cent of total mortality leading to 72, 000 death per annum says World Health Organisation (WHO).

Fertility preservation is becoming increasingly important to improve the quality of life for cancer survivors.

Patients may not be aware of their options for preserving fertility as they focus on their cancer diagnosis and treatment.

An expert in fertility has said that there are gaps in Nigeria in our perceptive of the clinical techniques, and patient and provider awareness, particularly for young women and girls diagnosed with cancer.

“There is need for oncofertility counselling for women in Nigeria in order to spread awareness and help patients preserve their fertility after chemotherapy,” said Abayomi Ajayi, specialist in obstet-

Check your health status, be treated – Olomojobi

not covered by health insurance in Nigeria and over 90 per cent of fertility service in Nigeria is provided in private centres and clinics , but some In-vitro fertilisation treatment (IVF) centre at university hospitals may offer low cost service and some charity organisations are now coming up to support patients who have the resources to pay.

“In spite of different barriers, oncofertility has a great potential in Nigeria, areas for improvement in this growing field can be addressed through collaboration of relevant professionals and government bodies” he said.

The expert further said that advancement in reproduction technology have given cancer survivors hoped for future reproduction which makes the fertility preservation conversation more important than ever.

“Fertility preservation is deemed an important aspect of post treatment quality of life. It is new in Nigeria, it is not a thing the country can do for now,” Ajayi said.

Pupils of St. Peter’s Anglican Pry School, Siun, Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun State during the Nestlé Healthier Kids Cooking Demonstration held on Thursday.

Picture by Razaq Ayinla

eople of Ekiti State have been urged to utilise the opportunity of the ongoing Free Health Mission of Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration in the State to check their health status and get necessary health care.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Folakemi Olomojobi,a medical doctor who made this plea at the flagoff of the first phase of the Free Health Mission in Emure Local Government area said the mission targets pregnant women, women of reproductive age, children under 5 years, the aged and the unemployed who are considered the most vulnerable group of the estimated 3million population of State.

Olomojobi, who informed that Outreach Teams despatched to communities across the State have been making house-to-house visitation to distribute insecticide treated nets, give immunization and offer family planning services to residents urged Ekiti people to collaborate with the state government in its efforts at

guaranteeing easy access to qualitative and free medical services.

Some medical personnel interviewed at the occasion described the mission as second to none in the country, particularly considering the quality of services being provided, drugs dispensedtobeneficiariesandthe state-of-the-art medical equipment made readily available for the exercise such as eye care, general Out-Patient, dental and emergency and referral services.

Other services, according to her also include HIV screening, ante and post natal care.

Beneficiariesofthefreehealth mission, who also include community leaders, described the free health mission as timely. They deeply appreciated the Governor, Kayode Fayemi and the entire medical team for the initiative.

The Free Health Mission tagged “Ulera Ekiti” was flaggedoff by Governor Fayemi on Wednesday, 23rd January at Ikere Local Government.

This phase of the health mission, designed to cover Ten Local Government areas of the State would end by the end of this January.

What you need to know about Lassa fever

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What is Lassa fever? assa fever is a zoonotic disease, meaning that humans become infected from contact with infected animals. The animal reservoir, or host, of Lassa virus is a rodent of the genus Mastomys, commonly known as the “multimammate rat.” Mastomys rats infected with Lassa virus do not become ill, but they can shed the virus in their urine and faeces.

Lassa fever is spread by the multimammate rat, a common rodent found across much of subSaharan Africa. It was first discovered in Nigeria when two missionary nurses succumbed to the virus in 1969. Its name is derived from the village of Lassa where it was first documented.

About 80% of people who become infected with Lassa virus have no symptoms. 1 in 5 infections result in severe disease, where the virus affects several organs such as the liver, spleen and kidneys.

Experts say the best way to prevent the diseases is through keeping rodents out of homes and food supplies, as well as maintaining effective personal hygiene.

Gloves, masks, laboratory coats, and goggles are advised while in contact with an infected person.

Researchers at the USAMRIID facility, where military biologists study infectious diseases, have a promising vaccine candidate. They have developed a replication-competent vaccine against Lassa virus based on recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus vectors expressing the Lassa virus glycoprotein. After a single intramuscular injection, test primates have survived lethal challenge, while showing no clinical symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms generally appear within 1-3 weeks following infection. The incubation period of Lassa fever ranges from 6–21 days.

Cases of Lassa fever becomes serious, symptoms can include:

Haemorrhaging - in the gums, nose, eyes or elsewhere, difficulty in breathing, cough, swollen airways, stomach-ache, vomiting and diarrhoea (both bloody).

Other are difficulty in swallowing, Hepatitis, swollen face, pain in chest, back and abdomen, shock, hearing loss (sometimes permanent), abnormal heart rhythms, hypertension or hypotension pericarditis (a swelling of the sac that surrounds the heart), tremors, encephalitis, meningitis and seizures.

The disease is especially severe late in pregnancy, with maternal death and/or fetal loss occurring in more than 80% of cases during the third trimester.

What do you do when you notice Lassa fever symptoms?

The patient should be isolated in a holding room immediately, to limit contact. Early laboratory diagnosis of Lassa fever is important so as to have a good outcome with ribavirin administration.

All samples should be considered as highly infectious. Confirmation of Lassa fever requires highly specialized Reference Laboratories.

How doctors can protect themselves during treatment?

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Handbook, staff protection and control measures, standard precautions includes hand hygiene, use of double gloves, fluid repellent disposable overall or gown, full length plastic apron over overall/gown, head cover e.g. surgical cap, fluid repellent footwear e.g. surgical boots/shoe covers, full face shield or goggles, fluid repellent FFP 2 respirator used as splash protection.

If the respirator is to be used as respiratory protection when managing a patient with infections known to be transmitted via the airborne route, it must be worn as per manufacturer’s recommendations/instructions

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Sports NFF-AITEO Football Awards to hold April 1

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Stories By Anthony Nlebem

he second edition of the NFF-AITEO Football Awards, which inaugural edition held on 19th February 2018 at the Grand Ballroom of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island in Lagos, has now been scheduled for 1st April 2019 at the same venue.

Amaju Melvin Pinnick, President, Nigeria Football Federation, confirmed that this year’s edition would be an even bigger occasion as the NFF and award sponsors AITEO (incidentally also the sponsors of the annual CAF African Football Awards) haveperfectedarrangements to expand the guest-list, guarantee greater radiance and panache and honour more legends of the Nigeria game on the night.

CAF President Ahmad, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, members of the CAF Emergency Committee, an array of prominent political heavyweights and galvanizers in Nigeria, oaks of Corporate Nigeria, renowned administrators past and present, football legends and today’s superstars, foremost figures in the entertainment industry and media owners and chieftains would be among the invitees to the big event.

Last year’s inaugural edition wowed the football world with huge entertainment, with Governors Akinwunmi Ambode and Ifeanyi Okowa of Lagos and Delta States respectively, joining FIFA President Gianni Infantino, CAF President Ahmad, FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura, several prominent political figures, football legends and stars of today,

Moses completes 18-month loan switch to Fenerbahce

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giants of entertainment and media owners at the Eko Hotel and Suites for the occasion.

It also marked the first time that the nation’s football –governing body was organizing an Awards ceremony to reward and inspire the major actors and actresses in the Nigerian Football space.

Gongs were presented to winners in Player of the Year (men), Player of the Year (women), Coach of the Year (men), Coach of the Year (women), Young Player of the Year (men), Young Player of the Year (women), Team of the Season, Fairplay Award, Goal of the Season, Fans of the Season, NFF Development Award and Platinum Award categories. Also, there was a special recognition of a ‘Legends Eleven,’ a squad of outstanding former Nigeria international players. Recognition was also accorded the first Nigerian football team to achieve glory – the Green Eagles squad that won the football gold at the 2nd AllAfrica Games that Nigeria hosted in 1973.

AITEO’s Deputy Managing Director Francis Peters, said at the occasion: “The

amazing power of football to heal wounds, enrich the gifted and entertain the majority is the reason why AITEO, Africa’s leading energy solution company, is investing in the game. We remain grateful to the Nigeria Football Federation for giving us the opportunity to begin charity at home.

We also praise the leadership of the Confederation of African Football for providing us with the platform to be part of the continental terrain.

“AITEO is an organization that is committed to the vision of every African realizing his potential, whether they be in football or some other profession, and our operating business principle revolves round encouraging and empowering the teeming youth population of this country, and of this continent, to take their destiny in their own hands and aim for the very top.”

WINNERS AT 1ST NFFAITEO FOOTBALL AWARDS Player of the Year (Men): Victor Moses Player of the Year (Women): Asisat Oshoala

Young Player of the Year ( Wo m e n) : Ra s h e e d a t Ajibade Young Player of the Year (Men): Ikouwem Udoh Fair Play Award: Remo Stars FC Fans of the Season: El-Kanemi Warriors FC Fans Coach of the Year (Women): Ann Chiejine Coach of the Year (Men): Kennedy Boboye Goal of the Year: Sikiru Olatubosun (MFM FC) Team of the Season: Plateau United FC NFF Development Award: Channels Television (Channels Kids’ Cup) Le g e n d s El e v e n : An n Chiejine, Austin Eguavoen, Felix Owolabi, Nwankwo Kanu, Christian Chukwu, Uche Okechukwu, Segun Odegbami, Mercy AkideUdoh, Thompson Usiyen, Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Adokiye Amiesimaka Special Recognition: Nigeria’s 1973 All-Africa Games Gold Medallists Platinum Award: Gianni Infantino

helsea winger Victor Moses has completed his 18-month loan move to Turkish club Fenerbahce.

The 28-year-old Nigerian has been restricted to five appearances this season, with his only start coming in September’s EFL Cup win at Liverpool.

The 28-year-old has moved to Turkey until the end of the 2019-20 season after falling out of favour under Maurizio Sarri.

Moses was converted from a winger to wingback by Antonio Conte, Sarri’s predecessor, play-

ing a key role in the 201617 title triumph.

The Nigeria international first joined Chelsea from Wigan in 2012 and spent time on loan at Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham before earning a regular first-team spot.

In total, Moses has made 128 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 18 goals across four seasons.

Fenerbahce have also enquired about Moses’ team-mate Danny Drinkwater, who also finds himself down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge

Ogun SWAN holds session on national sports festival ... Soname, Ikhana, Adesokan, others to receive awards

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h e Og u n S t a t e chapter of the S p o r t s Wr i t e r s Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has concluded plans to hold its 2019 SWAN Week on Sunday, 27th January to Friday, 1st of February, 2019.

The SWAN week with the theme: “2018 National Sports Festival: The Lessons Therein” kicks off with a church Service on Sunday, at the Fulfillment Prayer Mountain, Holy Ghost Arena, Brewery roundabout, Abeokuta by 8am while the opening holds on Tuesday, 29th January, 2019 at the conference hall of Continen-

tal Suites Hotel, Ibara, Abeokuta at 11:00 and will be declared open by the Secretary to the Ogun State Government (SSG), Barr. Taiwo Ade-

oluwa.

A renowned sports psychologist professor Seun Omotayo is the guest speaker of the day.

As part of activities

marking the week, the Ogun State SWAN team will engage Abeokuta Sports Club table tennis team in a novelty match on Wednesday, 30th Jan-

uary at the Table Tennis Hall of Abeokuta Sports Club by 5pm.

Th e S WA N m e m bers will also engage the Ogun State chapter of Freelance Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) in a football friendly match at the training pitch of MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta on Thursday, 31st January. by 4pm The week-long event will be rounded - off with a Gala Nite at Continental Suites, Abeokuta where notable Nigerians who have contributed to the growth of Sports in the country would be given awards of recogni-

tion.

Among the awardees is the Chairman, Remo St a r s Fo o t b a l l Cl u b, Chief Kunle Soname who will be conferred with “Award of Excellence for Football Development “, while former Enyimba , U- 23 and Super Falcons coach, Kadir Ikhana will be conferred with “First Best African Coach from Nigeria” being the first coach to win CAF champions league with Enyimba Football club of Aba. Other awardees include; NFF executive member, Ganiyu Majekodunmi, Dorcas Adesokan, Kabeer Ajibola Gbemisola and late Peter Okodua.

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BDSUNDAY 47

Sports

Real Madrid overtake Man United LSFA completes screening ahead of state FA elections as Europe’s richest football club L

S

panish football giant, Real Madrid with a record revenue of €750.9mleapfrogged Manchester United to the table of the world’s 20 richest football clubs in Europe, according to Deloitte Money League.

English side, Man United slipped to third with Barcelona making it the first Spanish onetwo since 2014-15.

Man United had been top of the Deloitte Money League for the previous two years but despite a return to the Champions League did not venture beyondtheroundof16,soReal and Barcelona have overtaken them as Europe’s top two earners in the table.

Its Football Money League, based on season 2017-18, also shows the combined revenues of the top 20 clubs has risen 6% to €8.3bn (£7.4bn), a new record.

TherewerearecordsixEnglish Premier League clubs in the top 10.

The list, the 22nd of its kind, only looks at revenues and does not take into account club debts.

This gap this year between the top two places was the secondwidestyet,with€60.5m between the leading pair.

Real Madrid won their third successiveChampionsLeague, beating Liverpool 3-1 in Kiev last May. That helped raise income for Los Blancos, who have now topped Deloitte’s money league 12 times.

The club experienced commercial growth of €54.8m,

including an increase in sponsorship and merchandising revenues, as well as exploitation of increasingly lucrative pre-season tour matches.

At €356.2m, Real Madrid nowhavethehighestcommercialrevenueofanyfootballclub globally, contributing to those world-record revenues.

Dan Jones, head of Deloitte’s sports business group, said: “Real Madrid’s outstanding financial performance in 2017-18 is built on their long history of success on the pitch, most recently three consecutive Champions League titles.

“This has enabled the club to continue to drive commercial revenue as the appetite to partner with Europe’s most successfulclubsremainsstronger than ever.”

He said most of Deloitte’s top 10 of our top 10 were through to the round of 16 in this season’s Champions Leagueandforecastingfurther

revenue growth.

Bayern Munich and Manchester City completed the top five, retaining their positions fromthepasttwoyears.

Paris St-Germain, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur occupied places six to 10, with Spurs making it into the top tier for only the second time, having last appeared in 200607.

Evertonwerein17thspot, Newcastle United 19th, and West Ham United 20th.

City, meanwhile, increased all revenues, closing the earnings gap on United in a single season from £128m in 2016-17 to £87m this time.

Gradually, City have chipped awayatwhatwasahugeclass divide when the Abu Dhabis firstboughttheclub.Adecade ago, United had more than threetimesCity’sannualearning power: £324m compared to £104m.

agos State Football Association (LSFA) electoral committee on Friday says it has completed screening of candidates for its elections scheduled for January. 31.

Segun Babtunde, Chairman, LSFA Electoral Committee, made this known at the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Secretariat, Lagos.

Babatunde said out of the 13 candidates that obtained forms only 12 have express their willingness to contest in the elections.

“Out of the 13 contestants that bought the forms, only 12 candidates submitted their applications before the January 21 deadline,” Babatunde said.

He further said that the 12 contestants were further narrowed down to 11 because one of the candidates failed to meet the requirement of article 4 as stipulated in the electoral guidelines.

He said that the election would be close ballot for the 11 eligible candidates whether they were present or not.

According to the electoral committee, Seyi Akinwunmi and Lameed Gafar are contesting for the chairmanship position while Tade Azeez is the only candidate for the

post of vice chairman.

He said that Dotun Coker, Oyekan Ifalade, Mojeed Adegbindin, Moses Adebanjo, Wale Joseph, Kemi Popoola, Raliat Abdulsalam and Yemisi Cole were all seeking board membership positions.

“I am glad to say that the LSFA electoral committee is saddled with the responsibility of organising and conducting a free and fair election which we promise to deliver.

“We followed the rules to the letter during the screening in accordance with the guidelines for the elections,” the chairman said.

Babatunde also said that 13 delegates participating in the elections were representatives of different divisional football associations (DFA)

and their affiliates.

“These include Ikorodu DFA, Ikeja DFA, Epe DFA, Lagos DFA, Badagry DFA, Referees Association of Nigeria, Coaches Association of Nigeria and Professional Football League.

“Others are the National League Nationwide League 1, Nationwide League 2, Women Premiere League and Women Professional League,” Babatunde said.

Me a n w h i l e , De b o Oshundun, Chairman, SWAN Lagos and member of the electoral committee, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that adequate security had been provided for the exercise. “l want to assure all that adequate security has been put in place to ensure a hitch free elections”, Oshundun said.

Emiliano Sala: British investigators probes pilot’s license B

ritishinvestigatorssaid they were probing the licence held by the pilot of the small plane carrying Premier League player Emiliano Sala that went missing over the Channel this week.

The light aircraft transporting the 28-year-old striker, who signed for Cardiff City last weekend, disappeared from radar around 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Guernsey on Monday night.

The local coastguard on Wednesday named the pilot, the only other person in the plane, as David Ibbotson – a 60-year-old married father of three from northern England, according to reports.

A spokesman for Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) told AFP his licence would be reviewed as part of its probe into the plane’s disappearance.

“We would look at operational aspects of the flight and that would include

licensing,” he said.

“Our purpose is not to apportion blame or liability.

Our purpose is to establish the cause of an accident,” the spokesman added.

Ibbotson reportedly told a friend via social media shortly before take-off that he was “a bit rusty” with some of the controls on the plane.

Sala , who signed on

Saturday from French club Nantes for a reported fee of 17 million euros ($19.3 million), was flying to Cardiff in a single-engine Piper PA-46 Malibu aircraft registered in the United States.

According to a US Federal Aviation Administration database, Ibbotson held a British private pilot licence which provided the basis for a similar certificate issued

there in 2014 permitting him to fly single-engine planes.

Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority, which issues UK licences in accordance with European Union regulations, said Friday it could not “confirm the type of licence held by Ibbotson”.

According to EU aviation rules posted online by the CAA, a private pilot licence

is “for recreational flying only”.

“You aren’t allowed to be paid for any flying you do using one, apart from some flight instructor work,” its guidance states, noting pilots receiving payment need a commercial license.

Rescue workers formally called off the search for the missing plane on Thursday, prompting Sala’s sister to make a desperate plea for its resumption.

Romina Sala said that she feels her brother and Ibbotson are still alive.

“Please, please, please don’t stop the search,” she told a press conference in Cardiff on Thursday. “For us, they are still alive.”

“While there is the possibility, a shred of hope, we ask that you please #NoDejenDeBuscar (don’t stop searching) for Emiliano,” said Barcelona attacker Messi.

Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic said Friday that it was “disgraceful” that the

search had been called off as he knew “in his heart” that Sala was still alive.

“It’s disgusting to leave the situation like that,” Halilhodzic told reporters ahead of his team’s first match since Sala disappeared, a French Cup tie with thirdtier Entente Sannois SaintGratien this weekend. “ Pl e a s e d o n ’ t s t o p searching, we understand (the difficulty of the task) but do not stop searching.”

The Premier League announced Thursday that there would be a “moment of silent reflection” in tribute to Sala before next week’s fixtures.

However the French League said they had no plans for a similar commemoration at this week’s Ligue 1 matches. League president Nathalie Boy de la Tour said the decision was taken out of respect for the “desires of Emiliano Sala’s parents and loved ones” who believed he could still be alive.

BDSUNDAY

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I

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The imperative of voter education

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here is no denying the fact that free, fair, credible and peaceful elections form the firm foundation on which to build the solid house of democracy, anywhere in the world. The challenges however, are many, particularly as it concerns Nigeria’s money-driven polity. Amongst the hurdles placed on the intricate path to good leadership in the country is mass poverty on the part of millions of the electorate scattered all over the rural areas. And since the cost of accessing positions of authority, as well as running the machinery of government are on the prohibitive side politics is abnormally skewed in favour of the few rotten rich.

Fully aware of this anomaly, they capitalise on it, instead of ameliorating it. Firstly, they make fanciful promises which they do not intend to keep but which they know have compelling appeal to the long-suffering masses. These are promises the poor masses see only in their nebulous, distant dreams! So, not a few of them capitulate to taking bags of rice, salt, sugar, vegetable oil and now, raw cash from their political leaders, who remember them only during electioneering campaigns. This is an odious act now popularly called vote-buying.

The other factor is ignorance, as this class of voters view their political leaders as ‘they’ and the masses as ‘we’. In fact, they see them as some demi-gods, to be feared and worshipped little knowing that in democracy power belongs to them and not their unrelenting oppressors.

But beyond the crude and

cruel antics of cajoling and coercing the electorate with money, they are adept at whipping up waves of sentiments of religion and ethnicity so far they swing in their electoral favour.

The onus therefore, lies on the shoulders of members of the civil society to step up to enlighten the voters on their rights and responsibilities. Incidentally, one became a beneficiary of the recent partnership between the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria (GPAAN) and the Dr. Joe Odumakin-led Women Arise for Change Initiative (WACI).

That was when the Senior Programme Officer of the latter group in the person of Comrade Olufemi Lawson shed light on the nitty-gritty of Voter Education. Indeed, it became an eyeopener which members of the larger public should gladly glean from.

Ordinarily, it is the onerous duty of all the registered political parties to embark on sustained voters’ education running through the gamut of the fouryear period of any government in power. It should not be carried out only during the periods of campaigns. In fact, it should be budgeted for. Sadly, they hardly do so here in Nigeria because their focus is more predicated on angling for power and holding unto it, for self-serving purposes.

The opposite situation plays itself out in the United States of America (USA) where the voters are consistently enlightened by the community heads of their political parties, virtually on daily basis. Members of the Civil Society should take it upon themselves to let the voters know that the Permanent Vot-

ers Card (PVC) is compulsory for every Nigerian voter; not just for banking purpose or enrolling their children in school but to freely discharge their franchise.

And to take ownership of the electoral process, what rightly belongs to them, right from the point of voting for their preferred candidates.

Besides, we as mass media practitioners, public affairs analysts and social commentators should assist by using the programmes at our disposal(on radio, television, print and social media) to reach out to the eligible voters. We should be educating them, on all it takes to be active participants in the democratic process. That they should not fall easy preys in the hands of greedy politicians who have weaponised poverty! That Nigeria should not be turned into a market place for vote selling and buying. We should say a vehement ‘No!’ to the use of incidence Form but ‘Yes’ to signing the Electoral Amendment Bill into Law by the president.

Also, political campaigns should be issue-based devoid of mudslinging, character assassination and hate speech. The voters deserve to know what each candidate, using the platform of his or her political party wants to do, in specific terms to right the many wrongs of the past.

In retrospect, the ‘Age of Enlightenment’, was a late 17thand 18th-century intellectual movement emphasising reason, individualism and skepticism.

The Enlightenment presented a challenge to traditional religious views. Enlightenment thinkers were the liberals of their day. They believed that rational

thought could lead to human improvement and was the most legitimate mode of thinking.

They saw the ability to reason as the most significant and valuable human capacity.

American political leaders like Jefferson, Franklin, James Otis and John Adams were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thinking. In fact, it provided the philosophical basis of the American Revolution. An effective model for Public enlightenment should be one that will enable all stakeholders gain easy access to each other.

In the Nigerian situation, we have had the likes of Herbert Macaulay publishing the Lagos Daily News, Ernest Ikoli, using the (Daily Times, 1926) and Nnamidi Azikiwe (The West African Pilot in 1937) with a similar focus on public enlightenment.

They brought news from the outside world to grab the attention of the growing middle class.

It was also to highlight the challenges of national development as well as to demand for political independence from the colonial masters.

Decades later, attention shifted to enlightening the public on the demand for democratic government from the iron-grip of the military dictators. So, magazines such as Newswatch (Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Muhammed and Dele Giwa, of blessed memory), The News (Bayo Onauga) and Tell (Ayodele Akinkuotu), went to town to stir public consciousness in this regard.

Ever since the return of democratic dispensation in 1999, attention has since moved to the persisting quest for good governance in Nigeria. There

$640.35m

Nwobodo: Like the barber’s chair

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are several top-rate television and radio stations, newspapers and online publications trying to bridge the information gap between our political leaders and the led majority. The truth however, is that much still has to be done, to sensitise Nigerians on their rights and responsibilities.

But we are still battling to have governments peopled by honest and patriotic Nigeriansthose who make promises and keep to them; those who take responsibilities for their actions instead of becoming masters of blame-game. We say no to the issues of nepotism, lope-sided political appointments, religious and tribal sentiments, insecurity, disunity, joblessness and mass misery. But we say yes to the calls for political restructuring, drastic reduction to high costs of accessing political power and running the machinery of government.

All said, we want an electoral process devoid of violence, ballot box snatching, brow beating opponents with intimidation and of course, the recent manifestation of vote-buying. Let our votes count, when the people have made their choices.

Quick Takes

Off the Cuff he return last Friday to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of a former governor of old Anambra State, Jim Ifeanyi Chukwu Nwobodo from the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he went to hibernate since Friday, January 8, 2016, was not unexpected.

Nwobodo, whose decampment to APC was alleged to have been induced by a desire to evade prosecution over some amount of money for which he was allegedly being chased about, returned to the PDP, singing like a returnee prodigal son.

He said it was a mistake to have left a party he was a founding father of.

Nwobodo, who was conspicuously absent at the Nnamdi Azikwe stadium venue of the All Progressives Congress flagged off presidential election campaign in the state last week, announced his return to PDP during a visit by key leaders of the PDP in the Southeast to his Amaechi country home.

The former governor was said to have been in the cold since he joined the APC in a state that is traditionally PDP. Observers said that the sterling performance of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his grassroots appeal may have sent the opposition into perpetual slumber. Un-

Ayo OyozeBaje Baje is Nigerian first food technologist in the media and author of ‘DRUMBEATS OF DEMOCRACY’

confirmed reports have it that the state governor doles out a mouth-watering monthly allowance to each of the “retiree politicians” in the state, which has made it very difficult for any of them to speak ill of the PDP administration in Enugu at the moment.

The other day, a former governor of the state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, was heaping prayers on Ugwuanyi for reaching out to him and rescuing him from oblivion. It is even said that many of the important figures in the Enugu APC wield the broom in the day but go under the umbrella under the cover of the night. They Nicodemously fraternise with the governor for their own interest.

Nwobodo, a former presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, had on Friday, January 8, 2016 attended an APC meeting, reportedly convened by Foreign Affairs minister, Jeffrey Onyeama, in Enugu.

He declared his membership of the party at the meeting, to the amazement of most of the APC members present at the event.

His defection and that of Senator Fidelis Okoro did not go down well with some of the entrenched interest in APC, who openly voiced their dissatisfaction with the development at the meeting. The thinking was that Nwobodo had come to take food from their mouth.

In his declaration speech, Nwobodo had

tongue-lashed the PDP. He condemned the umbrella party and blamed the party’s leadership for allowing five governors to leave for the APC in the build up to the 2015 general election.

According to him, he was joining the APC to move the people of Enugu State into the mainstream at the federal level.

Drawing from his experience as a governor, he said it was not good being in the opposition.

He said members of the APC in Enugu State should not be discouraged by the electoral losses they suffered in the state in the past.

“You must always lose, what matters is the ability to rise again. I must condemn our former party, PDP – I know we had problems.

“I am not looking for a job; I am talking because I want peace. I want our people to be part of the Federal Government at the centre. I had a problem being an opposition governor. I am not coming into APC because I want anything.

“I want our people to be reintegrated and have our own share of the Federal Government resources,” Nwobodo said.

This is the barber’s chair-like politics being played in Nigeria. Call it, politics of ‘shifting cultivation’.

This is the amount of money Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says the country earned from the export of crude oil and gas for the month of October, 2018.

Ozekhome’s outburst “The desperate act of a sit-tight president constitutes a direct suspension of the Nigerian Constitution and the entire democratic process. It has finally removed the remaining veneer of pretension to democratic credentials by Buhari and his all-conquering cabal. Welcome, Nigerians, to full blown dictatorship, absolutism, authoritarianism and fascism…”

- Mike Ozekhome, a constitutional lawyer, on the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, by President Buhari.

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