Thursday December 5-10, 2019 Edition

POLITICS Will Sylva ‘allow’ Lyon serve Bayelsans?

‘Borrowing spree threatens national economic aspiration’

The •P13

VOX POPULI SACRUM

SPORTS

BUSINESS

•P19

Why I won’t relent on Eze –Pinnick

racle •P37

www.oraclenews.ng

Thursday December 5 - 10 , 2019

ISSN: 2545-5869

Today

VOL.4 No.43 N200

NASS to repeal, replace Nigerian Content Act

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

D

ESPITE concerns over multiple regulation and associated inter-agency conflicts, the Presidency and National Assembly are resolute with the ongoing processes to re-enact the

Nigerian Content Act to provide multi-sectoral coverage and harness all benefits accruing from projects executed in Nigeria.

The National Assembly has started amending its rules to facilitate swift legislative processes, including withholding of assent by the

•Amends rule to veto Buhari President.

In the new rules, the legislature would override the president should his withholding his assent pose any

hindrance to the implementation of passed laws.

The Chairman of Committee on Local Content, Senator Teslim Afolarin and the

Chairman of House Committee on Local Content, Hon. Ochiglegor Idagbo, who spoke in separate panel sessions at the ongoing

9th Practical Nigerian Content Seminar in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, stressed the determination of the

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Ikpeazu advocates revie w of indices for revenue allocation •NDDC executes over 600 projects in Abia From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has said there is need for a review of the indices used by the Revenue Allocation, Mobilization and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC) to allocate funds from the Federation Account to various States in the country.

Ikpeazu expressed this view while receiving the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State on RMFAC and a former Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Chris Akomas, and his team at Government House, Umuahia.

He called on the Commission to come up with policies that would engage States, Local Governments

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and other critical stakeholders in revenue sharing and exploration of natural resource deposits in the States.

The Governor promised to collaborate with RMFAC towards increasing the State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), adding that the State was embarking on key reforms with a view to increasing its IGR before the end of the first quarter of next year.

Acquainting his visitors with programmes of the state, Ikpeazu said his administration launched the Telehealth Initiative to improve average life expectancy of her people, adding that his greatest ambition was to have a life expectancy above the national aver-

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•Police at a checkpoint

IGP tasked on excess checkpoints •Group says too many police roadblocks equal human P2 rights abuse •Behave well at roadblocks, police reply

Woman in police net for poisoning 4yr-old stepdaughter

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS

A

s the Yuletide hustle and bustle intensifies and Nigerians prepare to travel to celebrate Christmas, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu has been called upon to dismantle the ‘excess’ roadblocks on highways across the country in order not to “abridge the freedom of movement of road users as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution.”

In an interview with The Oracle Today,The Executive Director of PeoplePower Initiative (PPI), a human rights group, JohnChuks Ogwumike who spoke from Lagos, explained that the appeal became necessary in view of the impending Christmas travel period when a lot of road users experience hardships on the highways as a result of “the often too many” roadblocks mounted by the police.

Ogwumike said that his group’s concern stemmed from experience, noting that “we will soon start hearing stories of ugly incidents at police checkpoints involving members of the force and the traveling public.”

“Such incidents often result from frustration on the part of wearied travellers who may take out their frustrations on law enforcement

IGP tasked on excess checkpoints

agents for causing them unnecessary delays at roadblocks. Therefore, to avoid such incidents, it is important that we nip the cause in the bud, by reducing the number of roadblocks on the nation’s highways this season and thereafter,” the human rights campaigner said.

The group’s intervention trailed recent criticisms of the roadblock syndrome by former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, Chief Tony Onyima.

In a recent post on Facebook, Onyima pondered at “the increasing complaints about the pains of Nigerians plying the Lagos-Shagamu-Benin-Onitsha route,” and described as “immorally high” the number of checkpoints mounted by detachments of virtually all the security agencies on that stretch of highway.

Onyima, who is also a former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Sun Newspapers, wrote that concerned by the complaints, he took “an opportunity on Wednesday, November 27, 2019 to find out the real situation. For complete

experience, I travelled with one of the transporters at Jibowu. After an excruciating traffic along the Redeemed Church corridor, we finally commenced the journey to Onitsha at 10:30am.”

“By the time we arrived at the Niger Bridge, I had counted 60 checkpoints. I was painstakingly taking notes and few photos. These checkpoints were manned by either the Army, Police, Customs, SARS, FRSC or a combination (of all of them).

You can imagine what will happen in the next two weeks when my brothers and sisters begin their Christmas migration,” he warned.

(Table below is list of the checkpoints on the route as checked off

by Onyima).

LAGOS TO ORE: 1. Ilisan - Police checkpoint just in front of Babcock University 2. Ilisan 2 - Another police check less than 300 meters after Babcock 3. Ijebu Ode toll gate - Customs 4. Ijebu Ife - Police 5. Ijebu Itele - Customs, FRSC and

Army 6. Ijebu Itele 2 - Police and FRSC 7. Ijebu Itele 3 - Police 8. Ajebandele - Police 9. Ajebandele 2 - Police 10. Ajebandele 3 - Police and FRSC 11. Ajebandele 4 - Army, Police 12. Ajebandele 5; less than 100 meters - Police 13. Ajebandele 6; less than 40 meters - Police 14. Ajebandele 7 - Police 15. Ajebandele 8 - Police 16. Ajebandele 9 - Police 17. Akinfosile - Police 18. Omotosho - Army 19. Omotosho 2 - Police 20. Obatedo - Police 21. Orilewo - Police 22. Orilewo 2 - Customs 23. Orilewo 3 - Police 24. Orilewo 4 - Police ORE TO BENIN: 1. Ore 1 - Police 2. Ore 2 - Customs and Police 3. Ofosu - Army 4. Ofosu 2 - Police 5. Ofosu 3 - FRSC and Police 6. Ugbogui Town - Police 7. Okada - Customs and Police

8. Okada 2 - Police 9. Okada 3 - SARS 10. Okada 4 - Police 11. Okada 5 - Police 12. Okada 6 - SARS 13. Okada 7 - Army 14. Okada 8 - SARS 15. Okada 9 - SARS 16. Okada 10 - Police 17. Okada 11 - Police 18. Okada 12 - Police 19. Iwinosa - SARS 20. Benin toll gate Customs, FRSC, SARS 21. Benin By-Pass - Police 22. Benin By-Pass 2 - SARS 23. Benin By-Pass 3 - Army 24. Ugoneki - Police 25. Ugoneki 2 - Police 26. Abudu - Customs 27. Abudu 2 - Army 28. Omumu-Agbor - Army, FRSC, Police and Customs 29. Agbor - Police 30. Ekwuoma - Police 31. Issele Uku - SARS 32. Issele Uku 2 - Police

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NASS to repeal, replace Nigerian Content Act Cont’d from Pg 1 National Assembly to support policies, programmes and operational strategies to deepen Nigerian Content of industry activities across sectors of the economy.

The challenge posed by political and ethnic bias in the implementation of government policies remains as efforts are made in creating a congenial environment for attracting international investible funds to drive the economy.

In the first panel session on “facilitating Commercially Viable Business Environment through Increased Interagency Collaboration,” the President of the Nigerian Gas Association (NGA), Mrs Audrey Joe-Ezigbo, highlighted key concerns in the regulatory

Nigerian Senate in session

...Review of indices for revenue allocation Cont’d from Pg 1

age, closer to that of the Republic of CUBA which stands at 82 for female and 80 for male.

He also said that Abia under him was currently taking care of the elderly in various communities across the State.

The State Chief Executive said that he was more concerned with producing young millionaires through poultry business and other Agricultural value chains.

Earlier, the Federal Commissioner representing Abia State at the RAMFAC, Akomas had called for proper and efficient data of all mining activities going on in the state, adding that the mining sector should serve as alternative source of revenue for states across the country.

He then enjoined the State to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in order to reap the huge benefits therein.

He noted that Abia was blessed with huge mineral resources and sought the collaboration of the

State in raising its revenue profile through other available sources.

Deputy Governor of Abia State, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Chris Ezem, Members of the Abia State Executive Council and other senior aides of the Governor were present at the event.

NDDC executes 600 projects in Abia…

Meanwhile, The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is executing 663 projects which are at various stages of completion in Abia State, the Acting Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Gbene (Dr) Joi Nunieh, has said.

Nunieh disclosed this when she led her team on a working tour of the state, to visit the Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, at Government House, Umuahia.

She told the Governor that the NDDC team was in Abia to inspect projects being executed by the Commission in the state and as well handover the list of such projects to the Governor, to avoid duplication of such projects.

According to her, NDDC has resolved to away with agents and expressed regret over the sorry state of oil communities, adding that the Commission would collaborate with the states with a view to working directly with the rural communities.

Receiving his guests, Ikpeazu pledged to collaborate with NDDC in its renewed effort to address issues confronting the people.

The Governor noted that for the first time, NDDC was responding to the issues confronting the people and commended the inclusion-approach introduced by the Ag. Managing Director.

He called for support for the new NDDC boss in her bid to remodel the Commission to cater for the needs of oil-bearing communities.

Ikpeazu stressed the need for NDDC to do quality projects and should endeavour to ascertain the socio-economic impact of projects.

He also commended a member of the House Committee of the NDDC and representative of Bende

Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, for his quality representation.

In his remarks, the member representing Bende Federal constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, stressed on the need to clean up NDDC and also get things right.

He also agreed that with presentation of the list of projects in the State, duplication of projects will be circumvented, considering the paucity of funds in the State, adding the NDDC tour In the State would bring about a proper needs assessment analysis of the people while assuring the Governor that the commission would live up to expectations.

Deputy Governor Ude Oko Chukwu, Secretary to Government, Barrister Chris Ezem, Members of the Abia State House of Assembly from Bende South and North, Honorable Commissioners, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of the Deputy Governor witnessed.

environment to include multiple transaction points that delay business processes and build cost, complex documentation and approval procurement processes, unstable operating conditions and fiscal fluidity.

She pointed at sanctity of contracts, unpredictable budget performance and difficulties associated with unstable policy regimes while calling for the establishment of regulatory hubs to ease the transaction of businesses with government in one stop shop.

The Group Managing Director of Aiteo E&P Limited, Mr Victor Okoronkwo, who presented the position of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LACCI) expressed the concerns of the group over creation of multiple agencies that would seek to draw funding from operating capital of the oil producing companies.

He identified the controversial fiscal provisions in the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill (PIFB), and the multiple taxation and levies that include contributions to education fund, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), NIMASA levies and many others, borne by upstream players.

Okoronkwo called for robust engagement of stakeholders on the terms and contents of the new law that would be enacted for broader Nigerian content application, pointing out that multisectoral communication do not exist in Nigeria because ministries, departments and agencies are not in sync.

The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr Simbi Wabote, explained that the National Assembly is exploring a solution to the prevailing tendency for proliferation of local

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION Border closure in national interest -- Sanusi, Fayemi

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mir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State have posited that the decision by Nigeria to close land border is part of measures to preserve its foreign policy in the national interest.

They made this known on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of the maiden Foreign Policy Journal by the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN).

They noted that the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari was to stop neighbouring countries from violating the ECOWAS Protocol given that Nigeria was fast becoming a dumping ground.

Sanusi said that the closure of the border was not inconsistent with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), adding that countries should learn to live by the rules.

“Last time, I was critical of Nige-

ria’s refusal to sign the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and recently I have been in supportive of the decision to close the border which now looks like two contradictory positions but they are not.

“The understanding that you have a free trade zone must come with the understanding that everybody must play by the rules. If the rules don’t work, the free trade does not work.

“Nigeria is 70 per cent of the population of West Africa and If we have an industrial policy that is aimed at protecting the productive sector of Nigeria it is a fair competition.

“We cannot allow our neighbors to open their doors to this unfair competition and through the back door undermine our industry.

“It is not about smuggling petroleum or rice but in 2017, the Republic of Benin was the world’s second largest importer of Tramadol to the

United States.

“All those drugs came into Northern Nigeria and now we hear that there are also arms coming in.

“So closing the borders, I hope is not a permanent solution but what I hope is that it is an opportunity to sit down and agree on rules and then open up the borders. It is extremely important to have a Foreign Policy that is ready to take very firm decision to protect the national interest against dangerous trade activities”, Sanusi said.

Fayemi said that the border closure is a foreign Policy measure that promotes the interest of the people because free trade has its rules and countries must adhere to those rules.

He said that the ACFTA was not a ground to allow for trade activities that would be detrimental to Nigeria and its citizens.

“You cannot say because we have signed up to the African Continental

Free Trade Agreement you then violate the principle of free trade by dumping in our country.

“Those that think of the actions of Mr President as wrong are definitely misguided”, Fayemi said.

Fayemi further commended ARCAN for the initiative to compile the Foreign Policy journal which he said would give Nigerians more knowledge on Nigeria’s Foreign Policies.

Remarking, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister for Foreign Affairs commended ARCAN for its dedication in ensuring that Nigeria’s foreign policy is constantly kept on the front burner through its various intellectually stimulating activities.

Onyeama who was represented

by Amb. Zubairu Dada, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs said that there is no entity more qualified than ARCAN to speak on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy considering their wealth of experience.

He said that the launch of the journal was apt, as it was coming at a time the ministry was in the process of reviewing Nigeria’s foreign policy which is one of the 11 priority mandates of President Buhari.

Onyeama urged all Foreign Service Officers to read the journal and utilise it in furtherance of the service delivery.

Amb. Oladpo Fafowora, ARCAN Nation President said that the association launched the journal as part of its contribution to national development.

“Our foreign affairs and foreign policies are now facing severe challenges which needs to be addressed urgently.

“We in ARCAN stand firmly to assisting in finding solutions to these challenges and with the launch this journal, the voice of retired ambassadors in Nigeria will be heard more publicly,” Fafowora said.

Irregular migration: Benin monarch partners with Danish govt.

ba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, says the palace O will set up a liaising team that will work with the Danish government in proffering permanent

solution to irregular migration and human trafficking in the city.

The monarch disclosed this at his palace on Tuesday when he played host to the Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Jesper Kamp.

The move, according to the monarch, is to facilitate a workable blueprint with foreign nations to reduce the menace and other social crimes associated with human trafficking.

The Oba noted that social welfare intervention and job opportunities by foreign nations would serve as huge panacea for the scourge of irregular migration in the country.

The monarch solicited for the assistance of foreign governments and international organisations in stamping out the menace.

Speaking, Kamp said that the efforts of the monarch in curbing human trafficking had been globally recognised as a tangible symbol of distinction.

•Former Governor of Lagos, Chief Bola Tinubu and wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (right) with Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, wife, Ibijoke , during the Special ‘Day of Honour’ event for late Brig. Gen. Mobolaji Johnson on Tuesday

he newly constructed Onikan stadium TJohnson is to be known as Mobolaji Olufunso Lagos governor names Onikan Arena, Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu pronounced on Tuesday during a ‘Day of Honour’ event organised to cele- stadium after late Mobolaji Johnson brate the exit of the first Military Governor of Lagos State, Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson.

Paying glowing tributes to the late Brig.

Gen. Johnson, Sanwo-Olu described him as a man who saw the future and worked to achieve the Lagos of our dreams.

The Governor and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, led members of the State’s Executive Council and high-profile dignitaries to the event held to honour the life and times of the deceased.

The late Johnson passed away in his Ilupeju country home on October 30, at the age of 83.

Sanwo-Olu said the late Johnson’s selflessness in service and excellent achievements had been a source of inspiration to successive administrations in Lagos.

Describing the former administrator as quintessential manager of resources and people, Sanwo-Olu said the late Johnson’s personality symbolised integrity, humility, fairness and justice.

He said: “In whatever role we knew him, the first and longest serving military administrator of Lagos State stood out as a special person for his leadership and charismatic personality. If anyone was

qualified to be addressed as ‘an officer and a gentleman’, it was Brigadier General Johnson. Despite his imposing frame, he was as gentle as a dove.

“He never threw his weight around, even though he was a man of power. As a man of authority, he was never authoritarian.

Though a soldier, he never ruled with an iron hand; he was compassionate.”

The late Johnson’s administration, Sanwo-Olu said, started the construction of Ikorodu and Mushin General Hospitals. He added that the former administrator also modernised the Lagos Island General Hospital, expanding the facilities of the hospital.

Aside building maternity annex at Onikan Health Centre and an additional ward at Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital, the Governor said the late Johnson also established five new Government Colleges in each of the five divisions of the state.

All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, spoke glowingly of the deceased, describing him as “a servant leader and a man of incorruptible character”.The former Governor said the late Johnson, despite being a military administrator, put the people at the cornerstone of his administration and economic policies.

He said: “I salute a courageous officer who never compromised the rules of the military despite becoming a State administrator at a younger age. He put the people at the cornerstone of his administration and economic policies. Having met 10,000 Pounds in the treasury of the State when he assumed office, the late Johnson deployed his ingenuity and talent to set the pace for the State’s modernisation and development.

“Just as he had great exploit in the army, his retirement was also solid. He lived a life of principle and contentment. He ran a clean and honest administration.”

Tinubu recalled that 10 State administrators were arrested for corrupt practices when General Murtala Muhammed took over as Head of State in 1976. Only late Johnson, the APC National Leader declared, was the military administrator absolved of corruption.

This, Tinubu said, spoke of the deceased’s trait of uprightness and spirit of accountability.

Dr. Hamzat said the late Johnson lived above pettiness, describing the former administrator as a giant “who matched his stature with achievements”.

Ishaku inaugurates Taraba cabinet members

overnor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson G Ishaku has inaugurated his cabinet comprising 23 Commissioners drawn from the 16 local

government areas of the state and council development area after a thorough screening at the state’s House of Assembly.

The Governor also swore in the Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Suzy Jemimah Nathan, and 12 Permanent Secretaries also drawn from different local governments areas of the state.

The Governor while addressing the newly sworn in members of the State Executive Council, Monday, urged them to put in their very best stressing that they were carefully selected from various local governments as well as tribes and ethnic groups.

He said the state is qualified with numerous people to be appointed into the State Executive Council but he is limited by the constitution and funds and urged those who are not appointed yet to keep calm as there are many more appointments ahead where they will be captured.

The Governor openly informed the commissioners that they are the middle men between him and the people and pleaded with people not to over weigh them with so much pressure on demands as this may keep them off their official duty. Governor Ishaku announced that there will be training and retraining and said there’s nothing expected from her except the best.

He called on civil servants to cooperate with the new appointees so as to enable them succeed in their fields of endeavor and directed that they all be giving the agenda for the Rescue 2 so as to be more familiarized with the agenda and blue print of the administration.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION ‘I wouldn’t retire from speaking against oppression in Nigeria’ –Onaiyekan

J

ohn Cardinal Onaiyekan on Tuesday formally bowed out as the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and handed over to his successor, Ignatius Kaigama.

Onaiyekan, who handed over at a press conference in Abuja, said that Kaigama would be formally inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja.

The Pope recently accepted the retirement of Cardinal Onaiyekan, who clocked the retirement age of 75 on January 29, 2019.

Archbishop Kaigama was announced by the Pope, through Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, as Onaiyekan’s successor, on March 11.

The announcement coincided with the opening ceremony of the first plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).

Filipazzi had named Kaigama as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Abuja and administrator of Jos archdiocese, where he served as its chief Shepherd in the last 19 years.

Speaking during the conference, Onaiyekan assured Nigerians that he wouldn’t retire from speaking against all forms of oppression in the country, until social justice was achieved for all citizens.

Onaiyekan, who formally retired from his role as the episcopal leader of the Catholic Church in FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue States, after 25 years, urged political leaders to prioritise social justice.

He said that government must achieve equity, if the nation must make progress.

“I am confident in the abilities of my successor to lead the Archdiocese to the next level of development. ”There were no elections to determine who will succeed me.

There were no campaigning and lobbying. His (Kaigama) appointment was simply in line with the Church practice,” he said.

Remarking, Archbishop of Abuja province, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, noted that many things had gone wrong in Nigeria, but vowed to wage serious war against the social ills and vices impeding the development of the country.

“We are the hope of Nigeria. So many things have gone wrong, but we cannot just sit and say prayers.

We have to go beyond prayers, because faith and action go together.

We have to mobilise our people to be integrated and work genuinely for the progress of Nigeria and the happiness of our people.

“I am not going to be hunting for problems, but when they come, I will do my best to tackle them with my priestly character and identity.

I will not be idle. I will always be doing something for Church and country, attacking ills, social vices, and anything that will not be helpful to the development of Nigeria,” he said.

Kaigama said that despite the government’s promise to tackle graft among public office holders, the menace had failed to give way for probity and accountability. ”If there wasn’t corruption, there would have been an equitable distribution of resources and our people will be living well above the poverty line,” he added.

Hate Speech: Atiku slams N2.5bn suit on Buhari’s aide, Onochie

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ormer Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has finally fulfilled his threat to institute a N2.5 billion libel against a Presidential aide, Mrs Lauretta Onochie over an alleged libelous publication.

Atiku who was at the Registry of the Federal Capital Territory Judiciary (FCT), Tuesday, to kick-start the libel suit against Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, formally deposed to his own witness statement on Oath before the Commissioner for Oaths.

The former VP, a candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23, 2019 Presidential Election, had in May this year threatened legal action against Onochie, who is the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social

Media.

The legal action was in connection with a publication wherein, Onochie in her Twitter handle alleged that Atiku is on the watchlist of security operatives in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for alleged criminal matters.

Onochie in the said publication of May 7, 2019, which was also published by many newspapers and online media platforms, had also accused Atiku of shopping for terrorists in the Middle East.

Atiku had while challenging the victory of President Buhari in the February 23 presidential poll at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and at the Supreme Court, remained in the UAE until last week when he returned to the country.

In a letter dated May 14, 2019 and written on his behalf by his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, the former Vice President described Onochie’s statement as ‘not only vile and denigrating but a calculated attempt to disparage his person in the eyes of right thinking members of the public.’

Onochie had on May 7, 2019 in her Twitter handle alleged that, “Atiku on UAE watchlist – security sources.

Security operatives in the United Arab Emirates are keeping a close tab on a former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who has been in Middle East nation for several weeks now. What is he doing there?

Me: shopping for terrorists?

However, in his reaction, the PDP presidential candidate insisted that

•From left: Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku congratulating the new Head of Service (HoS), Mrs. Suzy Jemimah Nathan, after the swearing-in and inauguration of cabinet members comprising 23 Commissioners as well as the 12 permanent secretaries, at a ceremony which held at the Government House, Jalingo.

Former Kwara councilor in EFCC net for car theft former councilor in the Ekiti Lo- one Dr. Gboyega Omojola of the of the vehicle.

This time, Adeojo claimed to be A cal Government Area of Kwara University College Hospital, Ibadan.

The case was reported to the Dr. Odumodu also of UCH, Ibadan, State, Samuel Opeyemi Adeojo, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

A statement by Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, Tuesday, said Adeojo was fingered as the leader of a car theft syndicate notorious for stealing vehicles from car dealers while acting as genuine buyers.

Until his arrest recently, the EFCC had been on his trail after series of petitions against his gang’s criminal activities were considered by the Commission’s Ibadan zonal office.

No fewer than three cases of car theft have been established against the syndicate, with all the vehicles involved recovered and kept in the Commission’s custody in Ibadan.

Investigations revealed that the gang deploys similar pattern of tricks to steal vehicles from their victims.

According to EFCC’s findings, Adeojo often pretend to be a medical doctor, adopting different names and different institutions as his place of work to appear responsible and create false sense of confidence to penetrate the victims.

One of the many cases reported involved a Toyota Avensis wagon car in which Adeojo claimed to be

EFCC, Ibadan office on March 23, 2019, by Tunde Adejuwon, an Ibadan-based car dealer.

According to the petitioner, ‘Dr. Omojola’ had come in company of one Babatunde Oluwatope Oni, his supposed driver, to his stand to negotiate for the car and later agreed to pay N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) for it.

After the agreement, ‘Dr. Omojola’ issued a N2m Skye Bank Cheque ostensibly in favour of the dealer and ordered his ‘driver’ to pay it into his Zenith Bank account at Bodija, Ibadan. Oni later came with a copy of the Zenith bank deposit teller, depicting ‘payment’ of the agreed sum into the dealer’s account.

It was, however, later discovered that the payment was not approved as the payer used a cloned cheque for the transaction.

Unfortunately, the decline did not come until after the gang had eloped with the vehicle.

A similar scenario also played out in a petition by one Mr. Amos Arole Oloja, also an Ibadan-based car dealer.

Oloja alleged that the duo drove to his car stand in an Honda CRV to price a Toyota Sienna car and agreed to pay N2,200,000 for the purchase

while Oni, his ‘driver’ gave his name as Kayode.

‘Dr. Odumodu’ issued a Standard Chartered Bank cheque for the payment of the sum and directed his ‘driver’ to go with the dealer to lodge the cheque into his account domiciled in the First Bank, Iwo Road branch.

Unfortunately, the cheque could not be confirmed as the account rather carried the name Akinjide Sefiu Odusanya.

On hearing the news, Adeojo pretended to be surprised. He left with the SUV with the promise to go and bring another cheque to offset the car cost. Oni was left behind.

Though, he (Oni) had pretended to be sick all the while, he took advantage of the time the dealer went to return a borrowed battery to his colleague to strike. Before the dealer’s return, Oni made away with the negotiated Avensis car.

The two were also linked with another car theft matter involving a Toyota Matrix car somewhere in Iwo, Osun State.

Oni is currently in the Agodi Correctional Centre, following a court order when he was recently arraigned on one of the incidents.

there is no iota of truth in the said publication which is beginning to affect public perception of his person, adding that, the publication since it was made has caused him national and international backlash and embarrassment as well as incalculable damages.

“To say that our client is shopping for terrorists is not only dishonest and reckless but is calculated and politically designed to instigate security agents against him not only in the UAE but across the world”, Ozekhome said.

He subsequently demanded Buhari’s Special Assistant to publish and tender a written retraction of the said statement and apologize over the said libelous publication in six national newspapers, one international newspaper and all social media platforms wherein the said publication was made.

In addition, Ozekhome on behalf of Atiku had demanded that Onochie pay Atiku the sum of N500m as minimal damages to assuage Atiku’s already battered image wholly caused by her said defamatory publication.

The senior lawyer stated that failure to do so within 48 hours of receipt of Atiku’s letter would compel them to “activate the full weight of the legal machinery against the Special Assistant to Buhari, where the sum of N2 billion would be demanded as compensation for exemplary, aggravated and punitive damages”.

Atiku’s presence in court Tuesday to sign his witness statement is, therefore, an indication that he is set to commence legal action against the Presidential aide.

Nigeria, others falling short of HIV treatment set target for Africa-- WHO orld Health Organisation W (WHO) has commended Nigeria, as well as others on the West

and Central Africa sub-regions for making significant progress in expanding access to HIV treatment in the past three years.

However, the global body, stated the improvement falls short of expected target, as it said the regions still lag behind East and Southern Africa, where by the end of 2018, 67% of people living with HIV were accessing ART. According to WHO, West and Central Africa recorded an increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) by 53 per cent at the end of 2018, (comprising people aged 15 and over) compared to 39% in 2015.

“While we are seeing glimpses of progress in these countries, the numbers are still not what we were aiming for. More people are getting tested, and more people are getting onto treatment, but it is not enough,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, adding: “Countries are doing the work; what is needed now is to improve the speed of the response and bring these efforts to scale if we are to achieve the 90-90-90 targets and the Sustainable Development Goals.” At the 2016 United Nations High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners noted with concern that the region had fallen behind Eastern and Southern Africa, and called for an urgent response, known as the “Catch-up Plan”.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS

PCRC rallies public funding for police

By THEO RAYS

P

olice Community Relations Committee (PCRC) has called on affluent Nigerians to assist in funding the Nigerian Police as they carry out their enormous responsibility of maintaining internal security.

The call was made at Ogidi Divisional Police Headquarters during the maiden launching of Project fund to build a Police Transit Camp at Ogidi Idemili North Local Government Area.

The PCRC Chairman Zone 9, Chief Ugochukwu Obi who is also Special Adviser to Abia State Governor on Police Affairs said that everything should not be left for the Police to provide hence the call for support from the members of general public “I like what they are doing here today. We cannot leave everything for the Police. Let everybody partner with the Police in intelligence gathering and other forms of support. Police needs people’s cooperation to perform” said Obi. He further commended the immense investment of Governor Willie Obiano and other South East governors on security which has made the zone relatively peaceful compared to other parts of Nigeria.

Chairman, Anambra State PCRC, Chief Ikechukwu Ezenwankwo said that the major challenge was fund to augment the efforts of both federal and State Government in sponsoring police activities in combating crime.

“In our voluntary task of assisting the police in fighting crime and criminality, finance is our problem. We need to provide conducive environment for the officers. We also need vehicles.

He lamented that some people were corrupting the hardworking policemen. “Police will arrest a suspect in the act and some wealthy community member will prevail on the police to release the person”, said Ezenwankwo.

Earlier while presenting his speech, PCRC Chairman Ogidi division, Prince Augustine Udo said that approached individuals to convince them on the need to raise 150million naira project Fund.

Udo said that the fund if realized would be used to build a Police Transit Camp and to equip the PCRC secretariat which was presently occupied by some members of MOPOL which came for special assignment.

“PCRC formed in 1984 is an outfit to protect both the interest of the police and the community. We volunteer ourselves to complement the efforts of the police.

“We ensure the police are well cared for in our community by encouraging the government about their needs after the community’s contributions like donating/building stations. The budget for the police is not enough.

“We want to build a transit camp for the police so that when they are doing a crash program they will have a comfortable place to stay. They also needs barracks”, said Udo. The Chairman of the occasion, Chief Felix Okeke said that the Police around here are doing their best to combat crime and criminality especially our DPO nothing that they deserve continued support and not criticism all the time In his vote of thanks DPO Ogidi, Mark Ijaraffu who received an Award of Excellence as best DPO in Anambra State thanked the PCRC, Igwe Alex Onyido of Ogidi and other stakeholdes for their immense cooperation.

Insecurity: South-South Governors, IGP endorse community policing G From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

overnor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and his counterparts in the South-South, has endorsed the proposal by the Nigeria Police Force for community policing as panacea for persisting security challenges in the country.

The governors declared the support for grassroots policing at a one-day South-South Nigeria Police Regional Security Summit in Asaba, with “Strategic Partnership for Effective Community Policing in the South-South Zone’’ as theme.

Police authorities had said that after due consideration of current security threats, especially kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, arms proliferation, child theft, attacks

by herdsmen and sea piracy in the country, adoption of community policing approach would help in checking the challenges.

In a communiqué at the end of the summit, participants, including the governors, Inspector-General of Police, Mr Abubakar Adamu, said that the motive of community policing which hinged on integrating the grassroots into security management across the country was commendable.

They said that the summit represented a significant redefining policing and security arrangements across the country, adding that current challenges were and should be the concern of not just government, but every citizen.

Also in the communiqué signed

by the IGP and representatives of the governments of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers, and read by Gov. Okowa, the participants urged the IGP to design training pattern for vigilantes and neighbourhood watchers to bridge the personnel gap in the Police Force.

According to them, the ad-hoc security operatives should be suitably equipped and funded and their operations should be subject to direct supervision and control by the Police.

“Moreover, the IGP should take further proactive steps to facilitate an appropriate legal framework to enhance the operations of the vigilante groups and similar bodies,’’ the communiqué added.

The participants expressed concern over declining family values, saying that many crimes were traceable to negative peer group influence, substance abuse and the absence of moral discipline, all of which could be mitigated by good parenting and effective teaching and learning in schools.

They, therefore, charged stakeholders to undertake strong advocacy for the sustenance of family values and functional education capable of promoting self-employment for youths.

They also urged State governments in the zone to “pursue job and wealth creation as a high priority as unemployment among youths is one of the disposing factors to criminality’’.

Notorious armed robber shot dead in Abia

From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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• Enugu State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (2nd right) with the member, representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Pat Asadu (right), Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. A. A. Attamah (left) and Hon. Patrick Omeje, when the governor inaugurated 200-seater e-library donated to UNN by Hon. Asadu, yesterday.

Commission bemoans poor job of Imo Airport apron expansion, queries contractor

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iscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of work done at the ongoing expansion of the Imo Airport Apron project in Owerri.

Director, Policy and Standard of the commission, Mr Alex Elikwu raised the concern on Tuesday when he led a team from the commission and Ministry of Aviation to inspect the phase two and three of ongoing expansion of the Airports Apron project.

Elikwu said he was not satisfied with the level of work done, considering the amount of money released for the contract.

He said: “We are not satisfied with what we are seeing here today; it fell short of our expectations because out of the N 677million contract sum, a total of N560million has been released to the contractor which constitutes 82 per cent of the total sum.”

According to the director, the

quality of the job done so far also fell short of standard.

He also raised worry over the contractor’s absence during the inspection after he was duly informed by the airport manager of their visit.

“We want the ministry of aviation to ensure that the contractor justifies money given to him by the federal government.

“His absence will create a lacuna in our inspection because we need to ask him some technical questions and get direct answer from him but right now that he is not here with us, we will do our report and make recommendations to government,” he said.

The director also expressed regrets on the condition of the runway noting that the spotted potholes made the airport runway fell short of internationally accepted standard.

Elikwu said that this called for urgent attention.

The Airport Manager, Rejoice Ndu-

dinachi said the Apron expansion was an abandoned project when she took over management of the airport.

“This project was abandoned when I came in but I insisted that the contractor must come back to site due to flight increase operations in the airport.

“I don’t supervise the contractor, directly but the ministry of aviation; I also informed him that inspection team from the presidency will visit the site so I don’t know why he is not here,” she said.

The airport manager also appealed to the federal government to help connect the airport to national grid, adding that since she came in, she had been running the airport on a generated power supply.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the apron expansion is being done by a local contractor, Mesh Projects based in Aba, Abia State.

olice in Umuahia, capital of Abia State, Tuesday, shot dead a wanted armed robber identified as Sampson Nwokocha, popularly known as ‘Grave.’

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ene Okon, said Nwokocha, who was recently released from prison, has been on the watch list of the Command following his alleged numerous criminal activities.

The CP said late Nwokocha was finally gunned down by operatives of the State Command following a tip-off on Tuesday.

“It would be recalled that on 6th and 10th November, 2019, Nwokocha and his gang invaded a hotel and robbed staff and guests. During the operation, one policeman on duty was shot dead and his rifle taken away.

“Also on November 10, 2019, Nwokocha and his gang robbed attendants and customers of a filling station on Bank Road, Umuahia.

“On different occasions, he led a gang that snatched vehicles from their owners within and outside of the capital city at gunpoint.

“He also robbed other locations and planned to attack the Correctional Service Centre in Umuahia (Prison) in order to liberate his mother and other people,” said Okon.

Okon warned criminals intending to disturb the peace of the state to relocate as the command would not spare them.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS UNN medical centre receives big boost • Gets N6m equipment

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fforts by University of Nigeria, Nsukka(UNN) to upgrade its medical centre received a big boost following the donation of various equipment worth over N6 million by a medical equipment company, Equator Medics International Limited.

Some of the equipment include a multi- purpose operating table for surgical procedures of the head, neck, thorax and abdomen. The facility which can be raised or lowered hydraulically by means of an oil pump is also used for gynecological and orthopedics operations.

Supplies also are an Ultrasound Scanning Machine. The scanning machine is mainly applied in the dynamic image diagnosis of the liver, gall bladder, spleen, kidney, urinary bladder, pancreatic gland, as well as in gynecological tests. According to Ambassador (Dr) Romanus Anayo Okafor, the Managing Director of the company, it is also used for pregnancy and contraception examinations.

Others are Hematology analyzer which is used for blood analyses and testing of 21 parameters in the blood and a Patient monitor for body vital signs; ten hospital beds with crank and lyres each, Drip stands with swivel handle, ten number of hospital mattresses, one wheel chair, two examination couch, two ward screens, blood glucose meter, glucose strips and two automatic blood pressure meters.

Dr. Okafor, who presented the equipment to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Charles Igwe, said it was a modest contribution in support of the commitment of the University management to provide quality medical services to the school community and members of the public.

“This is our little way of supporting the giant strides of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Igwe, at upgrading the University medical centre to a befit-

ting status. It is my company’s believe that UNN deserves medical facilities befitting of an institution of its status.

“It is the collective responsibility of well-meaning Nigerians to support educational institutions in the country such as UNN as government cannot do it alone.”

He appealed to corporate organizations and alumni members to support the development of the University through construction or renovation of facilities in the institution.

“UNN has produced a lot of high profile individuals with the capacity to assist in the development of the school through collaborative efforts.

“We should not allow this great institution, which is the pride of Nigeria to lose its enviable position in the hierarchy in Nigeria and Africa.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Igwe, commended Dr. Okafor for the equipment, which he described as a major boost to the University’s commitment infrastructural development.

Professor Igwe, who was represented at the occasion by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Patrick Okpoko, said the equipment will go a long way in achieving his dream to turn around the facilities at the of UNN medical centre.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, expressed delight at the gesture of Equator Medics, who’s managing Director, he described as worthy ambassador of UNN. The minister, who was represented by the Chief Medical Director, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Dr Cajethan Nwadinigwe called on other UNN Alumni to emulate the example of Dr. Okafor and support their alma mater.

He advised the University management to maximize the benefits of the equipment by ensuring proper maintenance and training of its personnel who will manage them to ensure optimal utility.

PUBLIC NOTICE ASSOCIATION OF PASTORS AND MINISTERS INTERCESSORY NATION (APAMIN) The general public is hereby notified that the above named Association has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ’C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990 NAMES OF TRUSTEES 1. Agafie Anthony Chinedu 2. Ike Uchebuaku Silas 3. Ibe Sylver Chidozie 4. Ugbeh Francis Enebeli AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To propagate the gospel of Jesus Christ through our teachings, lives and practical demonstration according to the standards of Christ, within the communities we serve Any objection should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within 28 days from the date of this publication Signed; Trustees

• L-R: Managing Director, Equator Medics International Ltd., Ambassador(Dr.) Romanus Okafor and Lady Faith Chinyeaka Okafor; Dean of Pharmacy, University of Nigeria Nsukka(UNN), Professor Anthony Atama, Dean, Students Affairs , Professor Edwin Omeje during the presentation of medical equipment to University of Nigeria, Nsukka medical centre recently

NLNG Train 7 to address restiveness with 12,000 jobs

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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he Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Tony Attah, has declared that the company’s new liquefaction train project would significantly cut youth restiveness in the Niger Delta by creating 12,000 direct jobs to engage youths in the host environment.

He described the project as the next big deal for Nigeria.

The project dubbed Train 7 is to increase NLNG’s production capacity by 35 percent, generating huge value for the company, shareholders and the country.

Mr. Attah who spoke at the opening ceremony of the 9th Practical Nigerian Content Conference holding in Yenagoa said the project was coming into reality, adding “Train 7 is real; Train 7 is here. If you come to Bonny Island today, you would see that early site work has commenced and we are 97 percent prepared, just waiting to take that Final Investment Decision (FID).”

He remarked that the relationship between NLNG and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on the Train 7 project was that of a partnership for progress.

He said: “We co-created the Nigerian Content Plan, working in harmony with the agency just to understand the interpretation of the law and then co-creating how we comply. Overall, it’s all about consolidation and co-creating the future. I am proud to say in March 2019, we signed off the Nigerian Content Plan

I formerly known as IDEMILI EZENNIA CHINEDU now wish to be known as IDEMILI CYPRAIN CHINEDU. All former documents remain valid. banks and general public take note.

I formerly known and addressed as OSAKWE STANLEY CHUKWUKELUE now wish to be known and addressed as OSAKWE CHUKWUKELUE UGONNA .

All former documents remain valid. banks and general public take note.

I formerly known as EGBOCHUE CHIJIOKE PASCAL now wish to be known as EGBOCHUE CHIJIOKE VALENTINE. All former documents remain valid. Please Banks and General Public take note.

I formerly known as IWUCHUKWU GENEVIEVE ECHEZONA now wish to be known as IWUCHUKWU JENNIFER ECHEZONA. All former documents remain valid.

Please Banks and General Public take note.

countries.

“In our positioning in the ranks of LNG producing countries, we moved down to 5th position once Australia and the United States of America came online. If we do nothing, we would continue to slide down. We have to focus on development of gas especially in the upstream sector. Nigeria has ridden on the back of oil for over 50 years. We believe it is time to fly on the wings of gas,” he added.

Attah stated that the partnership with NCDMB has produced the very first business to business service level agreement (SLA) to operationalize the Nigerian Content law, adding that other collaborative efforts with NCDMB have led to huge gains for Nigerian Content especially in his Company’s BGT Plus project in six of its vessels were replaced in 2017.

He remarked further that NLNG in this year celebrated 30 years of incorporation and 20 years of reliable and safe production, adding that the history of the company can be told in blocks of 30 which includes 30 years of the company’s founding fathers trying to make the LNG vision come into reality, 30 years of safe operations and the next 30 years which concerns the future of NLNG. He stated that within those years of operations, NLNG has been able to help reduce gas flaring from 60 percent to less than 20 percent moving the country’s ranking in the league of gas flaring countries from second to seventh position. He pointed out that with Train 7, Nigeria’s gas flaring status would be further improved.

rights of President Muhammadu Buhari and the State Governors who might wish to seek for a third term in office.

The suit which was filed on 20th November, 2019 came up for hearing on Wednesday, but Counsel to the Applicant, Barr. Iheanachor Agboti applied for the withdrawal of the suit.

Agboti told the Court he was withdrawing the suit on the instruction of his Client, Hon. Enya.

“I have the instruction of my Client to withdraw the suit so as to allow further consultation”, he told the Court.

Ruling on the application, the presiding Judge, Justice Akintayo Aluko, granted the application, and therefore struck out the suit.

“Upon the application of the learned Counsel for the Applicant for the withdrawal of this suit, I say may the case be struck out”, Justice Aluko ruled.

Hon. Enya’s suit had recieved backlashes and criticisms against the Applicant,Hon. Charles Enya, from different quarters, including his Party, APC, which issued a press statement disowning him and the suit.

National Publicity Secretary of APC, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a press statement threatened a legal action against Enya, as well as “serious disciplinary action” if truly he was a member of the party.

The Ebonyi State Chapter of APC also condemned Enya for filing such suit, saying it was selfish interest.

Applicant withdraws suit seeking third term for Buhari, Governors

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

CHANGE OF NAME

for Train 7 project, delivering 100 percent Nigerian content in construction, production of cables, welding, valves, scaffolding, furniture, painting and medical. It is going to be 55 percent of in-country engineering and procurement man-hours.”

Attah added that the project would generate over 12, 000 direct jobs during construction phase and in the upstream industry, with multiple spin-off effects in other sectors of the economy, increasing the number of jobs that would be generated over a six-year project window.

He stated further that the project would help reduce restiveness in the Niger-Delta region by providing jobs, calling for more projects in Nigeria to change the socio-economic narrative in the country.

Making a case for gas development in Nigeria, Attah said “we believe the future is gas; we believe the future is bright for Nigeria. We are a gas country with some oil because in reality, we have more gas. With the energy transition, gas would play more actively and that is why we say let’s focus on gas. But the question is ‘how focused is Nigeria on gas?’

“Let’s put this in perspective. Today, Australia has a gas reserve of 125 Trillion cubic feet (Tcf) but has 88 MTPA LNG capacity. Malaysia has 97 Tcf with over 29 MTPA capacity while Indonesia has 103 Tcf with an LNG capacity of 26 MTPA. Nigeria has a gas reserve of 200 Tcf with just 22 MTPA capacity. We have an unproven reserve of 600 Tcf, and if you add that to the proven reserves of 20 Tcf, we have the opportunity to be the fourth in the ranks of gas producing

M

r. Charles Enya, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who filed a suit seeking Constitutional amendment to allow President Muhammadu Buhari and Governors to seek third term in office, has withdrawn it.

He said the withdrawal was to allow for further consultations.

In suit no. FHC/AI/CS/90/19, Enya had approached the Federal High Court in Abakiliki seeking for the amendment of section 137(1) (b) and 182 (1) (b) of the Nigerian constitution to allow for a third term for the President and the state Governors.

Enya argued in the suit that the aforementioned sections were infringing on the fundamental human

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS

Tele-health initiative designed to end quackery, self-medication – Ikpeazu From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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bia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has explained that the Telehealth Initiative introduced by his administration would assist greatly in eliminating quackery and self-medication syndrome in the state.

According to Ikpeazu, his administration rolled out the telehealth initiative in order to ensure that every sick person in the state has access to a qualified medical doctor and to further deepen healthcare delivery in the

state.

Ikpeazu gave the explanation at the Abia State Telehealth Initiative Stakeholders meeting held at Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia Tuesday.

The governor, therefore, called on people of the state to embrace the novel programme as it has been carefully designed to eliminate quackery and self-medication syndrome in the state.

He noted that the world was changing, adding that those who refused to change with the world would have

themselves to blame in future.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Osuji, noted that the programme would positively impact on the healthcare needs of Abians as well as healthcare delivery in the state.

Earlier, the Technical Consultant of the Abia State Telehealth Support Centre programme, Dr Omas Ubaime, had explained the clinical operations of the dial-a-doctor component of the programme.

According to Ubiame, any subscriber who calls the centre would be at-

tended to by a doctor who would pick the call, investigate his/her case and prescribe drugs for the person or direct the person to the nearest primary healthcare centre or hospital, should the case require further medical attention.

According to her, telemedicine has been in operation in other climes about 48 years ago.

She praised Ikpeazu for initiating the programme in Abia and harped on the need for all Abians, particularly rural dwellers, to enroll in the programme.

In his remarks, the representative of Globacom, Mr Akoko Macaulay, enjoined the stakeholders to embrace the dial-a-doctor programme, saying it bridges the barrier between doctors and sick persons of which Globacom is the network provider.

Akoko noted that the aim of the programme was to give basic quality healthcare, using the telemedicine platform, stressing that when most citizens are not healthy in a polity, that polity was not safe.

Anambra 2021: Ifeanyi Uba woos Bianca, vows to uphold Ojukwu’s legacies

C’River: Ayade swears in Akon Ikpeme as acting Chief Judge

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From: ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

By THEO RAYS

head of the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, a competent source has revealed to The Oracle Today that one of the many aspirants who has indicated interest in the race to the government house in Agu Awka, the State Capital, Senator Ifeanyi Uba has reached out to the wife of late Biafra warlord, Amb. Bianca Ojukwu for support.

Uba reportedly promised Bianca that he will continue to uphold the political legacies of the late husband if elected as the governor of Anambra State.

According to the source, if the plans of Senator Uba who is representing Anambra South Senatorial over 2021 governorship election in Anambra State is anything to go by, his party, the Young Progressive Party (YPP) will overthrow the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) as the torch bearer of the political legacies of late Biafra warlord, the Ikemba of Nnewi and Eze Igbo Gburugburu.

The source told The Oracle Today that Senator Uba from Nnewi who defeated candidate of APGA and candidates of other political parties with YPP to emerge the Anambra South Senator is planning to extend the YPP bandwagon in the South to the State level by coming out to contest for the seat of Governor of Anambra State in 2021 governorship election in the Light of the Nation State.

According to the source, the Nnewi born Senator who is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas is wooing the wife of the late Eze Igbo Gburugburu as part of his strategic moves to actualize his dream to take over the helm of affairs at the government house in Awka. The source said the Capital Oil & Gas boss wants to use Ojukwu’s inscription on his campaign materials just like APGA do in the State.

The source continued “it appears that Senator Uba’s war against APGA is still on, having crushed the party in Anambra South and now he wants to extend the fight to the State level, and he feels that Bianca’s support could be a huge boost for him. Bianca is also a victim of APGA’s maltreatment and nothing has been done to placate her by the leadership of the party that uses her husband for campaign over the years, so that is politics for you and Senator Uba’s is in the right direction”

• From Left: GMD, Aiteo Eastern Exploration & Production Co. Ltd., Victor Okoronkwo; Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva; NLNG MD, Tony Attah; and Head, Nigerian Content Compliance Assurance & Monitoring, NLNG, Emmanuel Uleh; at the 9th Practical Nigerian Content Seminar hosted in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.

We didn’t kill police officers, burn vehicle – IPOB insists From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

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he Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on Tuesday absolved itself of attacking the Police in Oraifite saying that the Police rather invaded the house of its leader’s Lawyer, Bar Ifeanyi Ejiofor with the intent to kill him.

The group regretted even during the darkest days of Abacha’s dictatorship, no one witnessed such brazen intimidation of a legal counsel or the attempted assassination of a defence counsel in a high profile case.

A statement by IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful observed that It is the golden rule of every legal system under the sun that defence counsels are not harassed, intimidated or killed.

The group wondered why police said there was a criminal complaint against Barrister Ejiofor bothering on assault and kidnapping four days after the funeral of his brother describing it as stupid and laughable.

The statement partly read, “Criminal complaint from who? Who did he kidnap, the body of his dead brother?

“Who did he assault, Justice Binta Nyako? Where, when and how did he commit these crimes? The Nigeria Police never wrote to Barrister Ejiofor neither did they invite him to attend their station. This is a black lie. If they did, they should release the call log of the phone they claim they used in calling him.

“The only reason for this unprovoked criminal invasion with deadly intent is to kill Barrister Ejiofor and to stop him from attending Federal

High Court Abuja next month where he has all but defeated the Attorney General in the matter of Federal Government of Nigeria versus IPOB because Nigeria has no case against IPOB. “The same strategy of invade and kill doctrine they deployed in IsiamaAfaraukwu the home of our leader on 14 September 2017 a month before he is due in court is what played out in Oraifite yesterday.

“The unprovoked Nigeria police and army invasion of the home of our lawyer Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor barely four days after the painful burial of his senior brother is proof that those running Nigeria have descended into the abyss of iniquity from which they may never recover.

“Not even during the darkest days of Abacha’s dictatorship did anyone witness such brazen intimidation of a legal counsel or the attempted assassination of a defence counsel in a high profile case.”

While expressing doubt that rhe Nigeria Bar Association and National Judicial Council would rise up in condemnation of what it labelled “contemptuous behaviour by Aso Rock in this latest attempt to kill Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor.”, IPOB said that the level of dictatorial impunity against the rule of law, judicial process and natural justice must not be condoned by any right thinking person.

“In their usual predicatable manner, the Fulani run Nigerian Police through their Public Relations Officer one Haruna Mohammed in Anambra State have issued a self-incriminating statement ladden with blatant lies, falsehood and decep-

tion.

The group dismissed the press statement made by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Haruna Mohammed where he said that two of their officers were killed

by IPOB members as a lie saying that there were four dead bodies in the burnt out police vehicle.

It added, “The truth remains that Nigeria Police and Army went to the home of Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor with the sole purpose to kill him before next month’s court date as is now their tradition. On getting there they opened fire on unarmed civilians as usual and the two men that came out of the house were shot dead instantly. The police carried their dead and dying bodies into their van to conceal evidence and drove off. These are facts backed by evidence Anambra Police cannot deny.

“After killing two unarmed and innocent civilians, before they left the police doused Barrister Ejiofor’s home with petrol and set it on fire.

This was the reality yesterday in Oraifite Anambra State. It was the careleseness of the police in handling the petrol they used to drench Barrister Ejiofor’s home and nearby businesses before setting them on fire that trailed back and led to the fire that gutted their van.

“It is on record that IPOB remains a peaceful movement therefore this latest desperate attempt by this lying Fulani controlled Nigeria Police to equate our activities with their home-grown Miyetti Allah (Fulani herdsmen) terrorist organisation is a waste of time.”

ross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade Tuesday, at state executive council chambers, swore in Justice Akon Ikpeme as the acting Chief Judge of the state.

This follows the retirement of Hon. Justice Michael Edem, as the Chief Judge of the state.

Swearing in the acting Chief Judge, the governor said he has full respect for the constitution of the county and her ascension to the office is in the interest of the state as well as underscores the civilisation of cross river state.

“I have full respect for section 153 of the 1999 constitution as amended, which provides for the setting up of the National Judicial Council to safeguard the judiciary from the executive.

“The National Judicial Council is the final authority on matters involving the appointment of the Chief Judge of the state. I also recognise the role of the governor as well and I believe that for the interest and peace of the state, for the goodness of character and the warmness of the state, the right thing to do at this point is what the state has done by swearing in an acting chief Judge.

“The beauty of the law is that the law is derived from morality, ethics and norms of the people. The law has moral sensitivity that we must respect hence Hon Justice Ikpeme’s appointment today is a clear testimony of the civilization of Cross River state”, Ayade said The governor congratulated her on her appointment and expressed hope that “as a woman you have higher ethics and higher morals and I believe that as a mother, all of those qualities will come to bare and her tenure will see a tremendous improvement in our judicial system,” the governor stated.

Responding, the newly sworn in Acting Chief Judge thanked God who rules in the affairs of men and the governor for swearing her in, as she pledged to work in sincerity during her tenure.

Hon Justice Ikpeme averred that “the separation of the arms of government as contained in the constitution emanated from the Bible when God said I am the king, the law giver and the judge,” adding that, “all are separated but work as one as when one leg fails, the others also fail.”

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS

Abia Commissioner urges support for incoming TC chairman From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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s the mantle of leadership is due to change hands in the 17 local governments of Abia State, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Chief (Mrs.) Ojo Loveth Adimoha, has charged people of Bende Local Government Area to support the incoming Transition Committee Chairman, Dr Haggler Okorie, with prayers and good advice.

Adimoha was reacting to the dissolution of the 17 Transition Committee chairmen and their deputies and appointment of their replacements by the State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.

The development was contained in the December 1, 2019 statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Barr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, which stated that the names of the new council helmsmen have been forwarded to the State House of Assembly for screening.

Okorie, a former Commissioner for Youth Development, was appointed Transition Committee Chairman for Bende, with Mrs Adimoha hailing as a good choice. He will replace Chief Princewill Onyegbu.

In a congratulatory message made available to newsmen in Umuahia, Hon. Adimoha noted that the appointment shows the level of confidence that Ikpeazu reposed in Okorie and assured that he would deliver.

Adimoha, therefore, urged Bende people to unite, cooperate and support the incoming TC Chairman “with their daily prayers and good advice” and enjoined Okorie to formulate good policies capable of moving Bende forward when he assumes office.

The Culture and Tourism Commissioner described Governor Ikpeazu as a man who rewards excellence, hardwork, commitment and loyalty and congratulated Okorie for making the PDP proud by excelling in all his assignments so far; as well as his deputy, Mr. John Mark, urging them to bring honour and joy to Bende and the state at large.

According to Ememanka, the following were appointed Transition Committee Chairmen and Deputies in the 17 local governments: Aba North: Chief Victor Ubani (Chairman), Mrs. Joy Iwuchukwu (Deputy); Aba South: Pharm. Cherechi Wogu (Chairman), Nochin Kanu (Deputy); Arochukwu: Engr. Maurice Onyekachi Okoro (Chairman), Daniel Onyema Ogbuagu (Deputy); Bende: Dr. Hagler Okorie (Chairman), Mr. John Mark Deputy); Isiala Ngwa North: Udo Nwogwugwu Y. O (Chairman), Chukwuemeka Wachuku (Deputy); Isiala Ngwa South: Chief Nkem B. Onwubiko (Chairman), Barrister Prince Enyioma Okpanku (Deputy) and Ikwuano: Barrister Stanley Ojigbo (Chairman), Chima Ekije (Deputy).

Others are: Isuikwuato: Dr. Osita Igbe (Chairman), Charles Chinedu Uguru (Deputy); Obingwa: Kingsley Nnaji (Chairman), Mrs. Ezinwanyi Jonah (Deputy); Ohafia: Fred Idika (Chairman), Ezeikpe Kelvin Agbara (Deputy); Osisioma Ngwa: Dr. Ikechukwu Nwabeke (Chairman), Fyne Ahuama (Deputy); Umuahia North: Chief Lucky Akabuike (Chairman), Ugochukwu Ibe (Deputy) and Umuahia South: Dr. Ndukwe Adindu (Chairman), Chibuzo Ejim (Deputy).

The rest are: Umunneochi: Engr.

Matthew Ibe (Chairman), Chigozie Igbo (Deputy); Ukwa East: Mrs Stella Igbokwe (Chairman), Chief Rowland Omoni (Deputy); Ukwa West: Chief Sylvanus Nwaji (Chairman), Mrs Ifeyinwa Adiele (Deputy) and Ugwunagbo: Chief Peter Aguomba (Chairman) and Mrs Appolonia Emeh (Deputy).

100 bag First Class at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

V

ice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State, Prof Francis Otunta, says graduates of institution were exposed to entrepreneurial orientation and innovative talents in the course of their academic programmes to enable them to function as wealth creators and social reformers.

Otunta, in his address during the 9th convocation ceremony of the in-

stitution last Saturday, where 7,028 students graduated with first and higher degrees, said that MOUAU was dedicated to the training of its students to become professionally competent and confident graduates “with exquisite dexterity.”

Records showed that 6,214 obtained Bachelor’s Degree, 141 got Post Graduate Diploma, while 505 were awarded Master’s Degree and 142 received Doctorate Degree after successfully completing their academic programmes.

Among those awarded Bachelor’s Degrees, 100 graduated with First Class Honours which is a record number going by previous convocations of MOUAU. Records also showed that the 9th convocation comprised students that had graduated between 2014/2015 and 2017/2018 academic sessions, with a sprinkle of some that graduated from accounts department in 2010/2011 session.

Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika,

• (From left): Director of Advancement office, University of Lagos; Mr. Oluwarotimi Shodinmu; Regional Head, UBA Plc, Mr Uzoechina Molokwu; Guest Speaker, Professor Dauda Risikat; Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos and Chairman Board of Trustees, UBA Professorial Chair, Professor Ben Oghojafor; Chair Occupier, UBA, Professorial Chair in Finance, Professor John Ezike; Head, Head, Micro-small, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), United Bank for Africa, Mr. Babatunde Ajayi; and Regional Head, UBA Plc, Mr. Uche Agu, at the 1st Annual Lecture of UBA Professorial Chair in Finance, themed: ‘The Dynamic Structure of World Economy, From Globalisation To Slowbalisation; The African Dilemma,’ which held at University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos

Our leadership will work for progress of Abia – Onwuka From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

T

he new leadership of Abia State Traditional Rulers Council has assured people of the state that it would work in harmony for the progress of the state.

The Third Deputy Chairman of the Council, His Royal Majesty, Eze Godfrey Chinedu Onwuka, gave the assurance at his palace in Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area.

Eze Onwuka added that the new leadership of Abia monarchs would support the governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, in his efforts to develop the state and equally work with unity of purpose among themselves for the good of Abians and Nigerians as a whole.

The State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, at the weekend, approved the appointment of Eze Joseph Ndubuisi Nwabeke, the Traditional Ruler of Eziama Ntigha, as the new chairman of Abia State Traditional Rulers Council.

Until his appointment, Eze Nwabeke was the Chairman of Isiala Ngwa North Traditional Rulers Council and Chairman Umunneato Traditional Rulers Council.

Eze Nwabeke, a civil engineer, is a contractor, businessman and an administrator whose business interests span beyond the shores of Nigeria, replaces Eze Eberechi Dick, the immediate past chairman of the Council.

Eze Dick’s removal was contained in a statement issued at the by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sir Gabriel Onyendilefu.

In the new leadership, Ikpeazu also named His Royal Majesty, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, the Enachioken of Abiriba, the First Deputy Chairman while Eze Hary Ugwuala from Ugwunagbo is the Second Deputy Chairman and Eze Onwuka as the Third Deputy Chairman of the Council. The trio were the chairmen of Traditional Rulers Councils of their various local governments of Ohafia, Ugwunagbo and Umuahia South respectively.

Reacting to the reconstitution of the Abia State Traditional Rulers Council leadership, Eze Onwuka, the Towe 1 of Umutowe Autonomous Community, Olokoro, told newsmen in his Palace of Justice, that he was happy that the governor found them worthy to serve

the traditional institution at a higher level.

“I thank our governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, for appointing us to serve the traditional institution at the State level. There are many traditional rulers who are as well qualified as we are, but for the governor to find us worthy to be in that position, we appreciate him.

“Our dear governor made a very good choice. We know ourselves and having known ourselves as chairmen of traditional rulers in our various Local Governments, we will serve the traditional institution and the state harmoniously and support the governor to move the state and the traditional institution to the next level that Abians will cherish and appreciate,” he said.

Eze Onwuka recalled how he transformed Umuahia South Traditional Rulers Council, adding that he made several positive contributions both at the State and local government executive meetings of the royal fathers and expressed optimism that those who would succeed him at Umuahia South “will perform better than his administration.”

was the sole recipient of an Honorary Doctorate Degree at the convocation.

Otunta said that the graduands earned their graduate and postgraduate degrees meritoriously “through a proper mix of course work research.”

The Professor of Mathematics who assumed duties as the fifth Vice-chancellor of MOUAU on March 1, 2016 said that he has continued to apply himself to the task of transforming the university, adding that “a lot of changes” have already taken place since he assumed office.

“This administration has since it’s inauguration followed a trajectory which promotes academic excellence aimed at ensuring that the University remains amongst the top world class universities in the comity of universities,” he said.

The VC noted that though the task was tough, his administration was determined “to excel through a quality control mechanism, due diligence processes and best practices that would erode the unapplaudable image of the university occasioned by poor educational policies that were on ground” before he mounted the saddle.

He complained that he inherited “very poorly constructed” hostels which were being renovated and maintained with huge funds that could have been channeled towards building new structures.

The VC assured that he was already righting the wrongs in the physical development of MOUAU, adding that “sooner or later this University would flourish with choice projects that would make reality becloud mediocrity”.

He announced that the 12 programmes presented by MOUAU in the accreditation exercise by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in October/November 2018, all got full accreditation.

The Visitor to MOUAU, President Muhammadu Buhari, whose address was read by Deputy Registrar, National Universities Commission (NUC), Dr Gidado Kumo, said the nation was looking up to the ivory towers to come up with solutions to the various problems facing the country.

Urging public universities to seek external funding, Buhari said that “it is the expectation of government that beyond husbanding resources allocated to the University, Governing Councils should assist universities to mobilize external resources to meet their needs, as allocations are usually limited,” and specifically noted that the universities of agriculture, by their mandate, were expected “to fast-track agricultural development and hence diversify our economy which currently heavily dependent on crude oil”.

In his address the Chancellor of the university, HRH Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, the Emir of Gombe, again expressed his concern over the long-standing issue of accessing MOUAU land, pointing out that encroachment by host communities “is greatly inhibiting the implementation of the university’s master plan, thereby resulting to avoidable crowding of infrastructural facilities.”

The chancellor therefore appealed to the host communities and relevant government agencies “to assist in removing the obstacles to the development of the university.”

11

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS

NASS to repeal, replace Nigerian Content Act Cont’d from Pg 2 content regulation across government ministries and agencies in the country.

Wabote agreed on the need for extensive dialogue on industry concerns over the peculiarities different sectors to be regulated under the emerging regime.

The panel noted several regulatory interferences in the petroleum industry to include linked tendering procedures between the National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and NCDMB, joint Cabotage Act implementation between NCDMB and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and regulatory approval linkages between NCDMB and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) amongst others.

Senator Afolarin disclosed that the National Assembly had activated the processes to repeal the existing Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, which established NCDMB and replaced it with a new law that provides broader sectoral coverage of local content implementation.

He said the new law would provide for an encompassing Nigerian Content Development Agency (NCDA) to regulate implementation of Nigerian Content

Cont’d from Pg 2 33. Akwa Ukwu - Customs and Army 34. Ogwashi - Customs 35. Okpanam - Customs and Police 36. Onitsha Bridge head – Mopol, among others.

According to a post on Human Rights Watch site, “the Nigeria police frequently extort money from the public at taxi stands, marketplaces, or while going about their daily lives. However, the most common venue for extortion occurs at police roadblocks, ostensibly put in place to combat crime.”

But Onyima, PPI and others worry that in reality, “these checkpoints have become a lucrative criminal venture for the police who routinely demand bribes from drivers and passengers alike, in some places enforcing a de facto standardized toll.

“Motorists are frequently detained and endure harassment and threats until they or their family members negotiate payment for their release. Extortion-related confrontations between the police and motorists often escalate into more serious abuses. The police have on numerous occasions severely beaten, sexually assaulted, or shot to death ordinary citizens who failed to pay the bribes demanded.”

In the post with the headline “Everyone’s in on the game,” HRW further accused the police of hatching schemes for extortion of members of the public all in the name of policing for security, insisting that “extortion, embezzlement, and other corrupt practices by Nigeria’s police undermine the fundamental human rights of Nigerians in two key ways.

“First, the most direct effect of police corruption on ordinary citizens stems from the myriad human rights abuses committed by police officers in the process of extorting money. These abuses range from arbitrary arrest and unlawful de-

policy across viable industry sectors that include information and communication technology (ICT), manufacturing, construction, petroleum and power.

The senator said further that the new law would empower NCDA to address low level of Nigerian con-

•Senate-President-Ahmad-Lawan

tent across all industries that play in the economy, enhance transfer of technology, domesticate greater industry job execution, trap significant part of project budgets for local patronage of goods and services.

In one of the panel sessions,

Hon. Idagbo said that broader local content implementation has become necessary for Nigeria to develop other sectors of the economy by replicating the gains of Nigerian Content in the petroleum industry.

He said the National Assembly

•Femi Gbajabiamila

IGP tasked on excess checkpoints tention to threats and acts of violence, including physical and sexual assault, torture, and even extrajudicial killings.

“The police commonly round up random citizens in public places, including mass arrests at restaurants, markets, and bus stops. In some cases of blatant deception, plainclothes police officers simply masquerade as commuter minibus drivers, pick up unsuspecting passengers at bus stops, and take them at gunpoint to nearby police stations where they demand money in return for their release.

“The police often make little effort to veil their demand for bribes, brazenly doing so in open corridors and rarely bothering to question those in detention about any alleged crime. Those who fail to pay are often threatened and unlawfully detained, and at times sexually assaulted, tortured, or even killed in police custody.

“Many of these abuses are perpetrated as a means to further extort money from ordinary citizens or from fearful family members trying to secure the freedom of those detained.”

However, the police have never really explained the rationale for the hundreds of roadblocks they constantly mount on short stretches of roads across the country, especially given that there would appear to have been more deaths of innocent citizens than criminals from police bullets at such roadblocks.

The nearest the police had come to defending the existence of these roadblocks was mid this year when an online news site quoted the police as giving tips to Nigerians on how to “survive road blocks,” and avoid clashes with police or other officers.

According to the Premium Times online, the tips were given by the

police via their verified Twitter handle, @PoliceNG, in May this year.

The tips urged Nigerians to avoid unnecessary argument or challenging armed personnel, avoid putting on an unhappy impression when encountering an officer.

According to the report, the tips came against the backdrop of recent killings and brutality of citizens by police officers, leading to widespread condemnation from advocacy groups some of which held protests in parts of the country.

A former head of the Police Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit, Yomi Shogunle, was worried that the brutalities may have arisen from poor understanding of the mentality of the average police officers at checkpoints.

On his twitter handle @YemiShogunle, he advised: “For now, don’t go and be speaking Queen’s English with them on the road.

“For proper understanding, talk to them in pidgin, another way to avoid kasala.”

Tips On How To Survive At Police Checkpoint The police listed the tips as follows: 1. Endeavour to slow down your vehicle. It shows that you are not reckless. It also douses suspicion that you are a criminal and may want to speed off.

2. Turn down the volume of your car stereo. Courtesy demands this.

Besides, you are able to hear each other better. This simple act will also help you to win the confidence of the security operative.

3. Keep your hands visible to avoid unnecessary suspicion or fear by the officers that you are attempting to bring out a gun or other harmful objects to attack them.

4. Turn on the inner light of your vehicle while approaching the cops

(if at night). It readily sends an unspoken message that you have nothing to hide.

5. Be friendly and cheerful. Commend the officers especially when you see them working under very unfriendly weather conditions such as the rains, the harsh harmattan conditions, excessive heat, cold or sunshine. We know it’s their job, but a little kind word from you will do a lot of good. Remember when you smile at the mirror, the mirror smiles back at you.

6. Endeavour to be polite even when answering questions put to you by the officers.

7. Don’t dare or challenge an armed security man to a duel.

Oftentimes, you hear people say things like ‘shoot me if you can!”

Note that this is a recipe for disaster! It is very provocative and an unnecessary call for war. So, please play safe, moreso, as you do not know the state of mind of the officer concerned.

8. Also, don’t go into a physical fight with an armed security officer. He may resort to the use of his weapon (rightly or wrongly) to defend himself.

9. Avoid unnecessary argument with armed security personnel.

There are a thousand and one ways to seek redress where you feel your rights have been infringed upon.

10. Never try to touch an officer in an unfriendly manner. He may suspect you of trying to disarm him.

11. If you are a regular traveler or road user, make sure you have the police emergency phone numbers of the route you operate. You never can tell when an emergency situation could arise and you need the Police to come to your aid.

12. Make sure you have all your relevant car papers and desist from actions or inactions that constitute either a criminal or traffic offence.

would work out implementation mechanisms and funding arrangements to help the new agency operationalize local content in each sector of the economy.

Idagbo also noted that National Assembly was working to convince the executive to drive infrastructure development necessary for development of local content across all sectors of the economy.

He said the National Assembly was always willing to support the building of critical infrastructure across the country, but regretted that most of the infrastructure development blueprints from the executive have been without clear delivery time lines.

According to him, the set of critical infrastructure required to condition the local economy for international investment inflow remain in the Exclusive List, there y locking out states and local governments.

While responding to concerns about uncertainties associated with lingering legislation including the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), disrespect for contract sanctity, disregard for dialogue and unilateral changes in fiscal terms, Idagbo blamed the situation on defects in the prevailing legislative process that allows the president the opportunity to abuse his right to assent laws passed by the National Assembly.

Such infractions of the law provide veritable grounds for possible charges and other forms of adversarial contact with the Police or other law enforcement agencies, including unnecessary arguments.

13. Don’t give the impression that you are unhappy to see an officer on his beat or that he is wasting your time. But if you do have an emergency, politely inform the officer. Don’t speed off while still being checked.

14. Take note of the name tags, Force or Service numbers, personal description, description of weapons or patrol vehicle of the security officer especially where the officers begin to conduct themselves in an unprofessional manner.

15. Seek an audience with the most senior police officer at the checkpoint if things are not working out smoothly.

16. Politely insist to be taken to the police station if your complaint is not properly addressed.

Onyima, however, fears that the number of checkpoints on any given stretch of road in Nigeria, especially the Lagos-Shagamu-Benin-Onitsha Road can test the patience of even the most humble as he noted that clashes between citizens and the police under such circumstances are practically unavoidable.

The only solution to a crisis, especially during this yuletide, according to PPI, is for the IGP to dismantle many of roadblocks across the country.

“Our panacea to the almost unavoidable crisis is foolproof: the IGP must dismantle the ‘excess’ roadblocks. Nigerians may be a patient lot, the number of roadblocks on our highways is in most cases so high that not many would be able to keep their cool wading through hundreds of those checkpoints on those very short stretches of road where they are mounted out of so much disdain for the feelings of road users,” Ogwumike surmised.

12

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS Ezeibe to deliver 48th inaugural lecture of Michael Okpara Agric varsity From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia his journey of discovery. According to him ample tests were carried nventor of local cure for HIV/ out using animals, while doctors of AIDS, the Medicinal Synthetic the treated patients were involved.

Aluminum-Magnesium Silicate When the federal government (MSAMS), Prof Maduike Ezeibe, was not forthcoming to carry out has been picked to deliver the 48th its investigations, inaugural Lecture of the Michael Ezeibe rushed to the Senate, apOkpara University of Agriculture, pealing to the apex lawmakers to prevail on the relevant agencies Umudike (MOUAU).

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academ- and ministries to investigate his ics), Prof. Madu Ebibisiwe, in a mail, claims. conveyed to Ezeibe, the approval In 2018, an inter-ministerial comof the Vice Chancellor, Prof Francis mittee with members drawn from Otunta, for the lecture to hold on the Ministries of Health; Science Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at and Technology and other relevant the Anyim Pius Anyim Auditorium agencies was set up and it came up with the recommendation that of the university.

No sooner had the approval been Ezeibe should be assisted finangiven than rumours started making cially, possibly through the Tertiary the rounds that the institution has Education Trust Fund, to carry out closed the chapter for inaugural further work on his research.

That was the first level of recognilectures this year with the November lecture. tion by the federal government.

But Ezeibe who has reached adThe second came last month vanced stages in his preparation when the federal Ministry of Scifor the lecture which would dwell ence and Technology gave Ezeibe a on how his research team discov- grant of N300, 000 at a ceremony ered and invented MSAMS, told the ministry organised in Abuja to The Oracle Today that the lecture recognise and encourage Nigerian would hold as scheduled. innovators and inventors. Enquir“Help me inform the public that ies by The Oracle Today shows that MOUAU officially scheduled me the researcher is yet to access the to give my inaugural lecture on 11 money.

However, patients from across December 2019. When information got to me that another lecture has the world, including Jamaica Mabeen fixed for that day, I appealed laysia, Tazania, Cameroon and Nito the VC and he has graciously gerians living at home and in Unitgiven approval that my inaugu- ed States of America and England, ral lecture holds on 18 December. are daily streaming to Ezeibe for Please let Nigerians come and hear treatment. how MOUAU cures “incurable disHe said that millions of naira was eases,” including HIV/AIDS,” the required to conduct more clinical researcher said. trials in the last phase of his reAuthorities of the Michael Ok- search, a stage he feels the federal para University of Agriculture, government should step in to asUmudike (MOUAU), were the first sist and takeover the production to drop the hint in early 2017 that a and commercialisation of MSAMS. Ezeibe believes that the Nigerian lecturer in its fold has discovered a HIV medicine which can also treat cure for HIV/AIDS. Having received the green light cancer and potentiate other drugs from his employers, Ezeibe, in has the potentials to fetch the an interaction with newsmen on country more foreign exchange February 1, 2017, confirmed his in- than crude oil. vention with a narration of how He also believes that doubts that his research on how to develop a such an invention cannot come medicine to manage diarrhea in from a black man was responsible sheep and goats resulted in the for the foot-dragging by the federgreat breakthrough in discovering al government, stressing that time the medicine for the cure of HIV/ has come for the federal governAIDS, a feat that had eluded scien- ment to fully embrace his invention tists globally. since the inter-ministerial commitWhen Ezeibe made his invention tee found merit in his claims.

“Results so far show the medipublic, adding that he has already cured 10 HIV patients with the drug. cine reduces HIV viral load and He appealed to the federal gov- increases immunity (CD4 count). ernment to assist him financially People have been on the treatto complete the clinical trial of ment for more than one year MSAMS. Which he said would gulp without adverse effects. These are enough. It is only matter of time for millions of naira.

However, the federal govern- each patient to recover,” he said. ment slammed the Professor of According to Ezeibe, “the biggest Clinical Virology and Head of De- challenge the invention had was partment of Veterinary Medicine, lack of confidence by some people MOUAU, for not getting “ethical who thought that a Nigerian could approval” before treating humans not have found cure for viral diseases. They doubted the invention with the drug.

Then Minister of Health, Prof. because they did not believe that Isaac Adewole, ordered investiga- viruses are electrically charged but tion into Ezeibe’s claims. virologists know that every virus The issue was almost swept un- has either a net positive or a net der the carpet but for Ezeibe’s in- negative electrical charge.” sistence that federal government “The problem,” he continued, “is should investigate the veracity of that we are still in doubt that we his claims and leave aside ethical have achieved what those we see issues, though he maintained that as our superiors could not do.” he observed ethical processes in

I

Anambra 2021: Ezeemo outlines programme to PDP

By THEO RAYS

F

rontline People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for the 2021 governorship election in Anambra State, Mr Godwin Ezeemo has outlined his programmes for Anambra State to the State Executive Committee of the PDP led by the Chairman Hon. Ndubuisi Nwobu in a meeting held at the party secretariat in Awka, the state capital While addressing members of PDP State Working Committee, Ezeemo reiterated that his aspiration for the governorship position was borne out of passion and love for the good people of Anambra state.

Outlining his programmes under six words ‘PHASEE’; P=Power,

H=Health, A=Agriculture, S=Security, E=Education and E=Environment, Ezeemo promised to revamp and treat with outmost concern and special attention on these vital sectors in his first four years if given the mandate to be at the helm of affairs.

He went further to explain in details that 75% of his business is been brought down to Anambra, having reside in London over 20years before coming down to reside in his home town not Abuja or Lagos but his own father’s land of Umuchu.

He noted that many of his friends discouraged him in doing so because of security threat and lack of infrastructural development, but he insisted on coming back not just to reside but in developing his home

town and creating job opportunities for the teeming youth as an individua out of love and passion he has for his people.

He said that as a local investor in Umuchu he found out that the common basic amenities have been deprived the people both in the cities, urban and rural areas in the State adding that amenities are vital issue to be addressed once he is elected as the governor.

In closing remark, the State chairman of PDP Hon Ndubuisi Nwobu thanked the Umuchu born millions businessman turned businessman for informing them in details his program and vision for the State and assured him of a level playing ground for all aspirants through a credible primaries come 2021.

• Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with other dignitaries at the official flag off of the 2019 December pilgrimage ceremony and the commencement of the Air-Lifting of intending pilgrims to Israel organised by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, (NCPC) at the Christ the Light Chapel Alausa Ikeja on Sunday

Ikpeazu inaugurates ultra-modern 55, 500 bird-capacity mega poultry cluster From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

A

bia State Government has taken a giant step to kick-starting its envisaged revolution in dairy production in the state as the governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has inaugurate the first Abia ultra-modern Mega Poultry Cluster with 55,500 bird-capacity for Abia Central Senatorial Zone.

The project was executed under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The sprawling poultry cluster, located at Umuosu-Nsulu in Isialangwa North Local Government Area, occupies 3.5 hectares of land, is an integrated poultry farm with virtually everything needed for poultry farming, from training, feed production, poultry production and provision of market for the farmers. The facility has a modern administration building with three training halls, 26 office rooms, including self-contained rooms to house trainees, 69 Poultry pens with 55,500 birds capacity. All the facilities were built by the Abia State Government while the CBN provides for training programmes of the trainees.

Inaugurating the project, the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, emphasised the need for all to embrace the project and called on stakeholders and politicians to use poultry farming as empowerment tool for

youths in the State.

Ikpeazu assured that the cluster would be replicated in the remaining two senatorial zones of the State and charged all the Transition Committee Chairmen of the 17 local government areas of the State to provide pens for would-be farmers in their councils.

The Governor explained that his administration resolved to train poultry farmers because of the need for them to understand the rudiments of poultry farming so as to be successful in the business.

According to the Governor, the cluster has commenced production of feeds which would be sold at a highly subsidized rate of N2, 000 per bag and urged the youths to exploit the opportunity provided by the facility. He commended CBN for its efforts in tackling food insecurity in Nigeria.

Representative of CBN, Mr. Ogbuagu Camilus, disclosed that Abia was the first State in Nigeria to key into the CBN AADS, assuring that the partnership would be sustained in order to ensure that the project achieved its goals.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji, said the project would lead to quantum leap in poultry production in the State, create employment and generate wealth, both for the people and government.

The project, according the Commissioner, would provide direct and indirect employment for over 10,000

youths, along all the value chains in the poultry industry, revealing that 1,000 youths have been profiled by CBN to benefit from AADS, out of which 220 were currently participating in the cluster.

Each participant would be allocated birds from the about 55,500 birds already stocked at the cluster at the end of their training.

Outgoing Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and currently, the Solicitor-General of the State, Lady Uzoamaka Ikonne, said the cluster was the pilot of many clusters that would be established at the Senatorial zones and subsequently in all local governments in the State, disclosing that the Governor has already flagged- off the site for the construction of Abia North zone cluster.

Earlier, the Project Manager of AADS, Igwe Nomso Ogbunamiri, said that apart from the poultry clusters to be established across the three senatorial zones of the State, approval has been given for establishment of 25-capacity poultry cluster in each of the 17 local government areas, in addition to setting up poultry processing plants to mop up all birds produced in the State.

The Deputy Governor, Sir Ude Oko Chukwu, Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Okey Igwe, other members of the Abia State House of Assembly, Commissioners and other top officials of government witnessed the event.

13

POLITICS The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

•Lyon

T

he emergence of the Southern Ijawborn David Lyon, a pipeline surveillance contractor, as Bayelsa State Governorelect proved many book makers wrong that PDP in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s home State was unbeatable. Last month, November 16 to be precise, Bayelsans went to their polling booths and by the time the election was over, they had, as if saying ‘enough of this nonsense’, dethroned the almighty PDP, which had held sway in the state since the dawn of democracy in 1999.

But, to some other observers, the victory of Lyon was not any surprise as, according to them, the handwriting was clearly on the wall that the time of PDP was up in the state.

Interestingly, they say the outgoing governor, Seriake Dickson helped the cause of APC greatly by his choice of candidate for the election and by his personal attributes of “iron fist” leadership, which, according to them, is very antithetical to the aspirations of an average Ijaw man.

Little wonder that the bazaar of celebration that attended the declaration of David Lyon by INEC as winner of the election had the trappings of celebration of freedom by an evidently marooned and down trodden populace.

So, is it a new dawn in Bayelsa with Lyon soon to mount the saddle at Creek Haven?

Opinion is divided on this, given especially the way and manner of Lyon’s emergence from the ‘blues’ to clinch the ticket of APC. As Governor Dickson would taunt APC, the former governor, minister of state for petroleum and leader of APC in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva brought Lyon out from his pocket and made him candidate of APC without allowing him to pass through a foolproof primary election.

It was also said that Sylva had secretly bought the governorship nomination form with the intent to run, but at the last minute drafted Lyon to take his place to the consternation of many followers and party leaders.

So, judging from the way of many political godfathers and their political ‘sons’, it is feared that an over-bearing influence of Sylva on Lyon might puncture the high expectations Bayelsans have of the Governor-elect.

On his own, Lyon is a known philanthropist who has a heart for the people. His mien suggests a humble fellow who would respect Bayelsans and allow inputs from those who can see far ahead of him. He is venturing into public office as a greenhorn in that area and to such exalted position of Executive Governor.

Nonetheless, analysts say left alone, he could make a good leader and wipe tears from the faces of the people. But the million dollar question is, would he be left alone? He may not, and would not.

The self-effacing soon- to- become governor who is still stuttering in his public presentations, could become just a figure head, no thanks to his lack of experience in the intriguing game of politics. This, observers say, would make Sylva assume the status of a de-

•Sylva

•Dickson

•Jonathan

Will Sylva ‘allow’ Lyon serve Bayelsans?

The euphoria that attended the victory of Chief David Lyon Pereworimini of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) after the November 16 Bayelsa State governorship election is still aglow in the state. Bayelsans poured on the streets of the state capital, Yenagoa and in their communities to celebrate Lyon who many analysts had seen as an underdog in the build up to the election. Yet, the nagging question remains: will former Timipre Sylva allow his political protege, governor-elect David Lyon enough space to work for Bayelsana? From Yenagoa, CHRIS EZE reports

facto governor and running the show behind the scene.

Sylva who has been nursing the ambition of returning to power to complete a second term as governor which was denied him when he was squabbling with then President Goodluck Jonathan, according to analysts, might have gotten from the back door what he could not get through the proper channel, which is a second term ticket, via Lyon.

So, the apprehension pervading Bayelsa is that while Lyon would be seated in Creek Haven in Bayelsa as governor, the dynamics of power and workings of government would be dictated from Abuja where Sylva is seated as Minister of State for Petroleum.

The resultant throwback would be confusion and poor service delivery as most government business may have to wait for Sylva’s nod before actions can be taken, a situation which may pitch the new administration against the people and ipso facto, dash their hope.

Already, the APC leadership in Bayelsa is said to have relocated to Abuja after Lyon announced members of his transition committee that would interface with the other committee set up by the outgoing Dickson administration for a smooth hand over.

It was gathered that high-level lobbying is ongoing by many political actors seeking to get the attention of Sylva in order to be considered for appointment, which would be made soon after February 14, 2020 when the new administration would be inaugurated.

Interestingly, it was learnt that nobody is lobbying Lyon because “he was merely brought to come and chop” and, therefore, he is expected to just “maintain” as is commonly said in local parlance here.

Sylva, according to analysts, has become the oracle which everybody is queuing up to consult and hear what he will say before contemplating the next political step. The Port Harcourt- Abuja route from the Port Harcourt International airport is said to be hav-

ing busy schedule entertaining passengers mainly from Bayelsa even as some members of the cabinet of the outgoing governor are said to have joined the pilgrimage to Abuja to seek political salvation from Sylva.

But, against the backdrop of the fear that Sylva’s influence might put undue pressure on Lyon and hurt the new administration and Bayelsans in general, a veteran journalist in the state, Samuel Ese says such fear is unfounded.

“I don’t think it would be like that for some reasons, given that godfatherism is a feature of our democracy. But going by the manner in which Bayelsans voted in support of the APC, it is an eye opener,” he told The Oracle Today in an interview. “Lyon would not want to be the stooge of Sylva just as the latter would not want to be seen as controlling the governor.

Should anything go amiss, people would easily blame him while referring negatively to his time as governor. Sylva did not get the governorship through the backdoor. Bayelsans decided, although you cannot rule out his contributions especially in identifying a man who would be easily attracted to the people.”

However, a rights activist and Field Officer, Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria, (ERA/FoEN) Comrade Alagoa Morris shares the apprehension that Sylva’s factor may derail Lyon if not well-managed.

“Let me say that those having such thoughts or concerns may not be completely wrong, based on what we are seeing unfolding in other states of the federation. Take Lagos and Edo states as most critical examples.

Some are having this fear that Chief Timipre Sylva might become the Tinubu of Bayelsa or Adams of Edo,” he contented. “While that is the concern of some Bayelsans, let us not forget in a hurry that Tinubu didn’t get his way in Lagos when Ambode was there just as Adams is not in charge in Edo State.

Bayelsa State is having a unique disposition; Jonathan didn’t interfere with the Dickson led Restoration Government even though

it is clear to all that Dickson became governor via the influence of former President, Goodluck Jonathan. While that fear remains real, I want to believe that the sailing state of affairs in Bayelsa State requires all wellmeaning Bayelsans to contribute towards the positive development of the state and this is what l think Sylva may have no other options than to do too.

About Sylva, Alagoa further said: “He has been a Political Adviser to Alamieyeseigha, a Governor and now a Minister and I think watching the state since he left Creek Haven about eight years ago, there is no doubt that he should be wishing that things are better in the state than what presently is on ground. That sense of responsibility to assist in propelling the state to the next level; of holistic, positive development is what I think Chief Timipre Sylva should be disposed to doing and not interfering with the administration of Chief David Lyon.

“Sylva will earn the respect of admirers, friends and even foes (if there are any) if he does that--not meddling, that is. But again, sometimes, it is associates that push persons in the position of Sylva to veer into things that attract public opprobrium.

“Let’s hope the Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva will pleasantly surprise even his critics on this matter.

During the campaigns we heard things and we are hoping for the best, even though the expectations of Bayelsans are very high and the incoming administration cannot afford to disappoint the electorate and Bayelsans in general.”

“There is so much to be done. Let me also use this medium to appeal to Bayelsans to, please, allow political appointees breathing space and not take personal issues to their offices as it used to be. Political appointees are public servants and they should be allowed the space to concentrate and tackle issues of general interest and focus on the common good,” Alagoa surmised.

14

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

Bold & Blunt Mr. Pacino, how do you deal with the weight of your own achievements?

I don’t know. You don’t think of it that way.

You don’t think of those parts as achievements. You think of the roles you play, the paintings you’ve made. I mean, imagine an actor saying, “I don’t want to go on anymore because I can’t do better than the last movie I made. I might as well quit now.” We’d call that resting on your laurels and I guess you’re not supposed to do that. I’m all for that! You know, resting on your laurels, you get a nice big check, take another profession on… But for some thick reason, I keep wanting to go back and do this stuff.

Because you want to try to do something new?

Yeah, if I find something that I feel I can contribute to in a way, and feel as though I’m in it, I’m saying something – whatever that means. What it means is that I “hold as it were the mirror up to nature,” as Shakespeare says. If I’m expressing something that I feel is a way to exercise my talent and help to communicate a role, a human being in a movie, I will try doing it. I’m not going to say the word “retirement” because it’s kind of a strange word for an artist to say, “retirement.”

The artist Christo says that artists don’t retire, they just die.

But there are artists that have retired.

Like Phillip Roth – I did a movie of his book The Humbling. He has quit writing and he’s very happy! So he says. He goes off and does what he does. I can understand that. It gets so routine. You get the script, you’ve got to read the script, you’ve got to learn the script.

You have to go through that process again.

So, you’re looking for the other things, like a director who wants to use you.

A tour de force of Al Pacino’s most intense scenes. But surely all directors want you.

Before The Godfather, the first Godfather, nobody else wanted me. But Francis wanted me! He just wanted me, and I didn’t understand it… The studios didn’t want me, nobody wanted me – nobody knew me. I think when a director is interested, I have a tendency to lean forward instead of backing off. You’re looking for a risk you can take, a challenge, the fact that you fall down and get up and go on.

Why? When you do it long enough, you want to keep yourself open. You don’t want to close off because vulnerability is important. You can’t let your skin get too thick. Like Brecht says in that great play he wrote, at a young age, too. At 22 he wrote In the Jungle of Cities and one of the characters says, “Man’s skin is too thin for this world.” So, he sees that it grows thicker and thicker, until finally he is bumping into things and not feeling them anymore.

Do you regret any of the movies you did because of your desire to push your own limits?

I don’t regret anything. I feel that I’ve made what I would call mistakes. I picked the wrong movie, or I didn’t pursue a character or I played somebody and made some choices… But everything you do is a part of you. And you get something from it. And I mean, the idea and excitement of being in these situations and places – they are more than just memories, they inform your life. So I don’t regret anything.

Not even turning down Star Wars?

Star Wars. Yeah, that was my first big mistake.

And a Terrence Malick script?

Yeah, a long time ago Terry wanted me to be in a movie, and I always wished… There’s another one of my many mistakes. They’re in the museum of mistakes! All the scripts I rejected!

“You want to keep yourself open. You don’t want to close off. You can’t let your skin get too thick.”

Would you say that you have a different approach to acting today than before?

Yeah, I would imagine I do. I couldn’t go on this long otherwise. We just go through

AL PACINO: ‘You can’t let your skin get too thick’ Alfredo James Pacino alias ‘Scarface,’ a nickname taken from his most famous movie with the same title, was born in New York, USA on April 25, 1940. In this inspirational conversation culled from talks.com and featuring creative icons of this age, AL PACINO talks about his life and works. Excerpts: our cycles as we live and I think age is about that. I think we’re here – and then we’re not!

Whenever we go, we go and we don’t know when, any of us. So we go through cycles.

HAIDER ACKERMANN Colombia, Fashion Designer “You’re always looking for a second chance. You’re always looking to do a little bit better than you did the last time. And you hope that the readers will stay with you.”

Are you enjoying this cycle of your life?

You know, when you think of it, is the glass half empty or half full? That’s the way it is for all of us, really. There are days when I really do enjoy it. But there are days when not…

If I were a painter nobody would question me about my age. “I paint! I’m an artist!”

I hate saying that. I don’t like saying that.

That’s one thing I learned early on. A woman I lived with said, “Whatever you do, don’t tell them you’re an artist.” I said, “I know!

I don’t!” (Laughs) I’ll avoid that. And I have been avoiding that for many years. Let’s put it this way, I think I’m an artist. I hope I am.

But I think if I were a painter, the questions would be different.

STEWART O’NAN, US, Author “For me it’s a lot about physicality, about how I feel. When you have these hardships or when you see someone you love in pain or you struggle, all the petty shit goes away.

You are like, “I can’t believe I was worried about this other thing,” when you see what really matters.”

AMY SCHUMER, US, Comedian “When you’re young so many things happen and it’s really hard, but you have to fight. Sometimes to get what you want you need to have a really strong past to make sure that you become a warrior and you are not scared about anything and you fight through the night.”

But all actors have the same problem.

Because of the visual thing. It’s because of the image. It’s because we have to deal with our image, even though we play different characters, the image is always there… So that’s part of why there’s a kind of pretentiousness in saying you’re an artist, because after all, you’re a movie star. And that’s wrong too! That’s pretentious, too – I’m a movie star! So what the fuck do you say?

OLIVIER ROUSTEING France, Fashion Designer “To be an artist, you must start with a considerable drive; in my case it was a fierce madness, a wildness. I think that’s the mark of an artist, actually, that they are rebellious, unruly… And I was one of them myself.”

LIFE “Life is confounding and who knows what’s around the next corner. But in many ways uncertainty can be exhilarating— there’s a lot of freedom in it. It would be a shame to waste our snippet of time on this planet being afraid.”

GEORG BASELITZ, Germany, Artist “The truth. The whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. And that’s it!

May it be ugly, may it be beautiful, may it be perverse, may it be all of those things. That’s it, I can’t lie; it is what it is, unabashed, naked.

I expect that of myself, that’s for sure.”

DEBORAH LANDAU, US, Poet “It’s easy to have inspiration and have a vision and an aesthetic, but if you don’t have the execution and you don’t get it out there properly and on time, it doesn’t matter. It’ll sink.”

RICK OWENS, US, Fashion Designer “I’ve been very lucky — I took the risk to do the things that interested me, so I could have no possible complaints. There’s nothing else I could ask for, really, and if I drop dead tomorrow, I would have had a terrific time.”

ROBERT HARRIS, UK, Author “At what point do you feel you’ve achieved it and you can move on? I think you usually have to start thinking, ‘So what’s next?’”

STUART VEVERS, UK, Fashion Designer “The recognition of luck is extraordinarily important — as well as making the best of it and creating to the best of your capabilities on that one opportunity you’re given so that it doesn’t end up in the museum of errors.”

ROBERT RICHARDSON, US, Cinematographer “I don’t think I’m ever going to stop wanting to see and experience things. I think the day that you don’t long for that anymore is the day you have kind of given up.”

SIENNA MILLER, UK, Actor “One of the reasons why I have this much

success is because I’m hard on myself. Until now, I never really saw myself as a talented chef! I don’t take the easy way. I put in the time. From the age of 17 until 23, I didn’t take any vacations, I had almost no days off.”

TIM RAUE, Germany, Chef “Right now we are 40 people working in Osteria Francescana, for 28 or 30 covers a night. So, it’s totally the opposite of a business. You cannot survive with that. But we believe in those kinds of dreams and so I keep investing, and reinvesting, and reinvesting.”

MASSIMO BOTTURA, Italy, Chef “I have a moral standard of my own. I know the difference between right and wrong, I know what I feel comfortable with.

And if you live up to your own moral standard, you’re going to have a more comfortable life.”

RUSSELL CROWE, Australia, Actor “I think every person who is curious is more fascinating, and exploration is a big part of that. If you know everything in advance, if you’re too self-confident, then everything will stop at some point.”

STEVE MCQUEEN, UK, Film Director “I’m trying to not play it safe. I learn more when I fail than when I succeed, so if I push myself to do something that’s really difficult, I could fail and I’ll learn a lot. But if I don’t fail, then I’ll be in a great movie. I hope to be the kind of actor that isn’t always great.”

JESSICA CHASTAIN, US, Actor “I can’t make people happy if I’m not happy myself. That applies to anyone who tries to achieve something in their life: if you’re not happy, you can’t transfer any happiness to anyone else.”

FERRAN ADRIÀ, Spain, Chef “Life is struggle. Life is about struggle.

You’re not supposed to be happy all the time. It’s about challenging yourself and pushing yourself, you know? You become content. That’s not happiness.”

SAM ROCKWELL, US, Actor “The more experience you have, the more time you’ve spent on this earth, the more regrets you accumulate. It’s normal. You can’t do everything right, nobody’s perfect. But if you think too much about that, you’re not here. You have to make some efforts to stay open-minded.”

VIGGO MORTENSEN US, Actor “I believe that you’re a result of the choices that you make. Each action has a reac-

15

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

Bold & Blunt with. The whole thing doesn’t come at once, but fragments of things come and these fragments form themselves into a script. It’s a process.”

DAVID LYNCH, US, Film Director “It’s been a lot harder than I thought it was going to be to make the films I really dream of making. It’s heartbreaking when that happens, but it’s all okay. It requires patience.”

ETHAN HAWKE, US, Actor “There is a thing called discipline. If you really want to do it, you’ve got to put in the work. Work, work, work, work. Practice, practice, practice, practice.”

KEVIN KLINE, US, Actor “In life it’s about opening yourself up. It’s about tapping into your instincts and your energies. I think I got very good at that. I have to be open and I have to be open to the possibilities.”

MICK ROCK, UK, Photographer “My work is integrated completely into my life and vice-versa – I’ve been working since I was sixteen and my work is my life and my life is my work. It made me who I am.”

CHARLOTTE RAMPLING, UK, Actress “Making something or creating something is about looking and exploring the potential, and I want to do that right up until the day of the performance. And then when we’re performing, I want to do it a bit more.

There’s no reason we can’t.”

WAYNE MCGREGOR, UK, Choreographer “Art is something about everyday life.

Art is about finding creativity in the normal gutter next to you. To see the potential in something where there is no potential is often where art or creativity is a great tool. It’s about making the impossible possible.”

OLAFUR ELIASSON, Denmark, Artist “The only thing that you have to be very sure of is that nothing can go wrong. You can’t get in the way of the whole thing by messing it up with great ideas or smart moves. Absolute trust is, I think, the crucial ingredient.”

KATHARINA GROSSE, Germany, Artist “I work till the breath goes out of me, and that might be at one or two or even four or five (in the afternoon). The point is that you must work every day if you ever expect to let the vision take hold of you.”

T.C. BOYLE, US, Author “You don’t have to please everybody. As long as you and the people whose opinions you respect are comfortable and happy with it, then… keep going! Keep making that weird stuff.”

•A crosection of people at the ocassion

•Ven Emendu, Archbishop Anikwenwa (Rtd), Archbishop Ibezim

tion. Somehow it’s just all connected and I wouldn’t change any of it.”

ety has to dream. If you stop dreaming, it’s over.”

LARS ULRICH, Denmark, Musician “I think you have to slow down a little bit.

But I am just trying to make work; I am just out there making work. I take care of myself so that I can survive. I used to not take care of myself so well, but now I do.”

BRUCE DERN, US, Actor “We’re not having to run from predatory animals like we did for hundreds of thousands of years before. So now we have to make up new activities to fulfill those emotional needs. There is a certain something about the ever-present danger of death that makes living so great.”

LARRY CLARK, US, Film Director “I think my photographic career has been one of growing, learning, experimenting and trying different things. That was a big journey for me! It’s always a progression, it’s about challenging the idea of what photography is.”

MARIO SORRENTI, Italy, Photographer “I think all actors have to be dreamers.

I think every citizen of every kind of soci-

LAIRD HAMILTON, US, Surfer “Of course we all do stupid things when we’re young, but that’s your way to find boundaries, you know. Have I done stupid things I regret? Yeah. But I can learn from those mistakes and grow. That’s what it’s all about.”

LEBRON JAMES, US, Basketball Player

CRAIG GREEN, UK, Fashion Designer “I think you know when you’re playing it safe, when you’re stagnating, and when you’re growing. It’s probably an ongoing thing for all of us — and a tricky balance. I try to learn at least one thing on every album, to reach out. I become my own teacher.”

“My work and my life are the same thing to me. I don’t have a life on one side and work on the other side. My entire life has been my work. I don’t have a family, I am by myself, I have made very strict choices.”

BRIGITTE LACOMBE France, Photographer “It’s hard to watch the misses, it’s hard to be criticized. But you’re always trying to hit it into the rafters, and damn the consequences if you don’t make it.”

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR, UK, Actor “I don’t want to only do what I know how to do. I want to be pushed somewhere else.”

CATHERINE DENEUVE, France, Actress “I always say ideas drive the boat. Ideas are a huge, huge blessing. That’s the thing you try to catch – an idea that you fall in love

BJÖRK, Iceland, Musician “I just want to do everything as good as I possibly can but it is also good to act on an idea and fail — and then you get something out of it. I think it’s really important to not be afraid of failure and to push yourself to try things and jump in the cold water.”

JUERGEN TELLER Germany, Photographer “Life is confounding and who knows what’s around the next corner. But in many ways uncertainty can be exhilarating— there’s a lot of freedom in it. It would be a shame to waste our snippet of time on this planet being afraid.”

DEBORAH LANDAU, US, Poet “It’s easy to have inspiration and have a vision and an aesthetic, but if you don’t have the execution and you don’t get it out there properly and on time, it doesn’t matter. It’ll sink.”

16

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

The Law and You W

hen I travelled and suspended writing in this my column – The Law And You - a lot of my numerous readers where texting and sending E-mails to me to know why the sudden stoppage in my write ups. A lot of rumors came up that made some of my numerous readers to asking me if the Government of the day has arrested and detained me for writing the facts as I see and experienced them. I always reply them that the Government of the day even though perceived by some as dictatorial likes reading and listening to criticisms to sycophantic praising because they are made up of reasonable progressive and eager to correct the ills in the society Nigerians who do not act irrationally without giving people the chance to fair hearing and fair-trial. That I was never arrested or detained even though that there was a time that some people who did not understand the ideology of this present government in power were trailing me thinking that I did not know but in this case, I decided taking some holidays by myself to re-organize and reposition myself.

This edition’s topic was chosen by me as a welcome edition because many of my readers asked me the questions such as why are lawyers liars and why is it that when they die, they are usually laid in state turned upside down, why do they see black and call it white, Etc. These questions made me believe that many people are still living in ignorance and unknowingly afraid of lawyers for unjust cause and portrayed the good image and reputation of lawyers in bad light out of mere speculations of lies. Are all these questions I received from you readers correct?

The answer is NO. Lawyers are not liars but are “pastors” in the temple of justice. A person who is a ‘pastor’ in a justice temple can never be said to be a liar. This assertion is a mere generalization which usually destroys even a good relationship.

“Yorubas” are not good, “Igbos” are not good; “Hausa” are not good, so it means everyone in these communities are bad. The same thing applies to these negative believes about lawyers.

I was passing through a street in Lagos one beautiful Saturday and I saw a gathering of people in front of a residential building, I thought it was one of the usual celebration Lagosians are noted for but when I enquired what was happening from a stand-by observer I was very shocked to understand that it was a landlady and her son that was quarrelling because the son applied to JAMB and was offered to study law and the woman who portrayed to be one of these fanatical Pentecostal church goers said that the son shall never be a lawyer because lawyers are liars and anti-Christ. The son insisted that it was his choice of profession in life and must be it as God has answered his prayers. The son asked his mother whether she understood how difficult it was to be admitted to study law in Nigeria and whether law is same thing as a lie?

In another development, in a drinking parlor where I decided to cool off with a chill bottle of beer while easing off tension of work for the week and awaiting one of my clients that I had appointment therein, a friend of mine worked in and greeted me “Barrister” and ordered more chilled bottles of beer for me on his own account, the other customers of the joint who heard him started commenting – “Are you buying beer for liars, they never say the truth in their lives, they will see white and turn it to black; that is why when they die they are laid in state turn upside down”. I was shocked and surprised to hear such uncomplimentary and completely lying statements and comments on one of the noblest professions in the world. I am not saying this because I am a Lawyer but because I had been in some other professions before becoming a lawyer and finding out the fact by myself.

It took me a very long argument and proves to debunk their negative perceptions. This is why I chose to start off once again with this topic - Lawyers are not liars and it is a title in one of my numerous unpublished Novels still in processing. I expect your reactions to this topic through my email and telephone lines at the foot note of this my column. Happy reading.

Are lawyers liars? No. the first and acceptable lie in the Christian Bible was in the book of Genesis Chapter 12 verse 13 where Abram told Sarai to lie – “say I pray thee thou art my sister that it may be well with me for thy sake and my soul shall live because of thee”. This is the word in the Holy Bible and we learnt that God did not punish Abram and Sarai that lied instead God punished those Egyptians that took away Abram’s wife. Please Note that I am not a preacher or a pastor but a Barrister in the

With Barr. Ken Akpom 08162016410

Lawyers are not liars

temple of Justice.

In line with this teaching, most lawyers operate and most people term them as liars. Come to think of it further, the Holy Books condemn killings, murder; none of the Holy Books agreed that anyone should be killed because one commits any offence no matter the offence.

Instead, they believe in forgiveness of sins and repentance. So, if a lawyer who wants to follow the doctrine in these Holy Books wants to defend an accused so that he does not die or be harmed will it is termed a liar because he saw a loop-hold to use to safe the soul of such an accused. Is the lawyer not doing the Will of God? Law is not static but dynamic and most of these judges, magistrates, etc. that stand as “God” in these temples of justice – courts – are human beings and not present when what these accused were charged for happened.

We are all aware that in this country, especially in the criminal aspect of law where the law enforcement agents like the Nigerian Police, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), etc. prosecute these cases that it is whatever they frame up as charges to these accused that the courts follows. In most case, some innocent persons are wrongly framed up by some of these prosecutors; you need to visit their stations whenever you or someone else that you know have you cases to understand their behaviours/attitudes to these accused as I am trying to portray especially these poor innocent ones without helpers for you to understand and appreciate the very good works that lawyers do in the society that people term them as liars. Without the lawyers try in so hard to counter the lies framed upon these innocent but poor accused in this country, it would have been worst. This is the reason why when one has cases in some of these stations and involves a lawyer who will act as Abram and Sarai did to save souls; these officers in these stations become very aggressive and angry for nothing other than that a lawyer who is well trained on the job is involved. In most case, as had been some cases, they tried to frame up or even accused the lawyer who came to defend an accused because they know that he stands for truth.

Furthermore, lawyers follow rules, orders, procedures, precedents, decided cases, known principles of law, etc. in arguing their cases while a non-lawyer or non-professional does not understand very well these stated ways/ professional trainings lawyers handle their cases do it wrongly and against the known and tested laws and principles and a lawyer corrects them and win the case, people see it that lawyers turn black to white.

To qualify to be a lawyer, one needs to be well trained in both character and in learning for a period of a minimum of six years (five years in the University and a year in the Law School) very thoroughly well in the ingredients of lawyers and when a person who read properly business law or any other law in his course or just learnt skeletal part of law in his training handles a case not knowing what the law says, and a lawyer educates him in court, people term it that the lawyer is a liar.

Finally, on the issue that lawyers are laid in state ‘upside down’ - that is with the faces covered downwards because they are lawyers is a very big lie. It is not the principle, doctrine and culture of lawyers to the best of my training and knowledge. However, one cannot say that if it is the culture of a town or village where lawyers come from to bury their men upside down and it affects a lawyer who happens to be a male from such a place that it is the way lawyers do. Also, do not forget that in the quest for riches or one other thing one is lacking on this earth that some over ambitious people involve themselves into certain fraternities, societies, cults and cultures that behaves very abnormally. If a lawyer belongs to such group and it affects him, it is his own personal way and not the ways of lawyers as professional bodies.

•If you enjoyed this write up and even the consequent ones coming up and wants to encourage and motivate the column, please contact me on the phone lines on this page or send an email to me also. You may also reach me on my Whatsapp line 08031342552. Questions and comments are welcomed.

• Do you have questions or seek legal clarification on issues concerning your marriage, probate, property, etc? Call or send a text message to Barr. Ken: 08162016410, 08075763840. Email: kenakpom@yahoo.com

17

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

Focus

Inter-communal land dispute: Abba community accuses police of hobnobbing with Ukpo opponent •Petitions Police Public Complaint Response Unit. •Lies; police are doing their job of protecting lives and properties - PPRO The protracted land dispute between Abba community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state and its neighboring Ukpo and Ukwulu communities in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state appeared to have taken a dangerous dimension with Abba community accusing the police of hobnobbing with their Ukpo opponents. IBE NWACHUKWU reports.

T

he people of Abba allege that police chummy chummy relationship with Ukpo in a matter in which the police ought to be neutral has metamorphosed into indiscriminate arrests and hounding of prominent Abba indigenes into various police detention camps, with trumped-up charges ,which have so far landed some of the accused persons in prison custody.

However, Anambra State Police Command has in a swift reaction to the allegations, stated that there is no iota of truth in the hobnobbing allegations, pointing out that the police are only doing their professional job of protecting lives and property.

The State Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Haruna Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police, SP who spoke to newsmen in his office, noted that the police have never taken sides with any of the parties, but rather are working tirelessly to avoid breach of peace in the area in particular and other parts of the state, adding, “the best thing for them to do is to go to court and sort themselves out, rather than causing a breach of peace.”

In a petition to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP in-charge of Police Public Complaint Response Unit, Abuja, dated October 15, this year and made available to newsmen in Onitsha, by their legal counsel, Ejike Efobi, Abba community appealed to the ACP to respond urgently in this matter as some of those Abba people arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS are still under the custody of SARS without bail and without being charged to court.

In the petition entitled: “Abuse of Police powers by the trio of Anambra state police Commissioner, John Abang; the Officer Incharge of SARS, Patrick Agbazue; the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, Evristus Chike and his colleagues of the SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra state” they reminded the ACP that the institution of the Nigerian Police Force is greater than any individual or group and so its image should not be allowed to be thrown to tatters by unscrupulous and lawless officer(s).

According to the petitioners, “we are surprised that the police are declaring prominent people of Abba wanted in connection with arms supply to robbers and kidnappers, including the traditional ruler of Abba, Igwe Leonard Nwankwo Eze a prominent transporter; Chief Benneth Anaekwe, PresidentGeneral of Abba town union who has just retired as a Director of Electrical Department in the Anambra State Ministry of Public Utilities and Chief Pius Nweke, an industrial giant and Chief Executive Officer of Best Aluminium Limited”.

They contended that in other to circumvent an order of court, members of the Ukpo community wrote a false petition to the police which petition is with the SARS at Awkuzu, Anambra State alleging that Abba community members are all armed robbers, adding that a catalogue of name of Abba persons were listed in the petition with every other Abba person (man or woman) de-

scribed as “others being at large”.

They noted that some of the SARS people at Awkuzu who are residing at Ukpo working withother colleagues at SARS office are the ones responsible for unleashing police powers against Abba people in subversion of the rule of law with the sole aim of making Abba people relent in the defense of their ancestral property.

According to the petition, “Since this development, several Abba persons including Edwin Onwumelu, Sunday Okoye, Charles Okogba, Chief Christian Onyebumuo, Abuchi Onyebumuo and Chukwuma Nwikwu have been taken into SARS custody and detained for several days before being released while some of them are still in custody.”

“The most tragic of the detentions is that of Chief Christian Onyebumuo, (an elderly person) and who went to inquire about Abuchi Onyebumuo but was himself arrested and detained for daring to come to SARS at Awkuzu and ask for an Abba community person who is in their custody”.

“The game plan of the detention of Chief Christian Onyebumuo was to send signal to Abba persons at home and elsewhere that it is risky to come forward and ask for one’s own person at SARS Awkuzu once you are a native of Abba community”.

“It is instructive to note that even with all the arrests, nobody has been charged to court and the request made to the officers to charge arrested persons to court if any of them has committed any offence was rebuffed as they insist that nobody should teach them their job.

“Our clients are of the firm view that the whole exercise of the mass arrest of their people is just for the purpose of the abuse of police powers for the advancement of their opponents cause in a civil matter which is land dispute”.

“Before this development, members of Abba community have been charged to court in charge No. MCU/54C/2019, MCU/65C/2019, MCU/68C/2019 and MCU/78C/2019 all on account of the same land dispute”.

“It is on record that on May 20, this year, Prince Arthur Eze, an Ukpo born billionaire convened a meeting at Geneva Hotel, Awka where he offered Abba community N100 million to accept to share the land in dispute into three parts, one for Abba, the other for Ukwulu and the third for Prince Eze himself. Those who attended the meeting from Abba were Igwe Leonard Eze, Chief Benneth Anaekwe, the President-General of Abba town union, Chief Cosmas Agagbo and Chief David Umeano”.

“After announcing the N100 million offer, Prince Eze warned that if Abba people reject the offer and refuse to share the disputed land, he would unleash police on them and because we refused to share our land with him, he has now unleashed the policemen who are in his pay roll on us”.

“Another salient point is that the Community Secondary school, Abba was commissioned by the government in 1980 but in 1985, five years after its establishment,,

•Demolished fence at Community Secondary school

Ukpo joined Ukwulu to claim ownership of the land where the school is situated and that explained why they went and demolished the school fence in the name of land dispute”.

“We are still wondering why the police are still disrupting, trading/business and commercial activities at Oye Abba market by stationing a multitude of policemen inside the market and preventing people from coming near the market, in gross violation of the court order and when the police discovered that most of the Abba people they arrested and charged to court on frivolous charges were usually granted bail, they now decided to brand them armed robbers or kidnappers so as to deny them bail in the court”.

Referring to one of the cases in court, the petitioners recalled that they approached a vacation judge of the Federal High Court sitting in far away Port Harcourt, Rivers state during the August/September annual vacation and filed a motion asking the court to restrain the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, his officers and operatives from continued sealing off/shutting down of trading/business/commercial activities at Oye Market, Abba, along Enugu/Onitsha Expressway but even after getting an order of the court, the police are still stationing at the market and harassing Abba people.

They made a particular reference to their motion No. FHC/PH/CS/188/2019, filed on their behalf by their legal counsel, Gordy Uche (SAN) with Ejike Efobi Esq.,the plaintiffs/applicants, Hon. Obinna Chukwuma, Sir Lawrence Okoye, Hon. Isaac Nwafor Okoye and Mr. Innocent Ike for themselves and on behalf of the entire members of Ire, Amabor, Okpuluorji and Ezi-Abba villages, praying the court to restrain the IGP from further harassing, intimidating, arresting and dis-

persing their people and other members of the public from lawfully trading at the Oye Abba Market.

They recalled that in granting the motion, the vacation judge of the Port Harcourt Federal high court, Justice J. K. Omotosho had restrained the defendant/respondent (IGP), his officers and operatives from continued sealing off/shutting down trading/business/ commercial activities or harassing, intimidating, arresting and dispersing the plaintiffs/applicants and members of the public from lawfully trading at the Oye market, Abba, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Justice Omotosho who transferred the matter to Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra state, for adjudication after the vacation, said he granted the motion upon reading the 36 paragraphs affidavit in support of the motion on notice sworn to by Hon. Obinna Chukwuma, Nigerian Citizen, Male, Christian and Politician of ire village, Abba, the exhibits and written address attached thereto and filed at the court’s registry, and after hearing Gordy Uche (SAN) with him, Ejike Efobi Esq., counsel for the plaintiffs/applicants moved in terms of the motion paper.

They noted that the Attorney General of Anambra State by a letter dated June 7, 2019 and addressed to his Excellency the Deputy Governor of Anambra State had expressed opinion that there is no enforceable judgment between Abba and their Ukpo and Ukwuluneighbours which the State will lend its enforcement machinery for its enforcement.

“In the circumstance and in accordance with out client’s instruction, we pray you to •Continued on Page 18

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

CULTURE

Nwokafor: A prophet with honour also at home U mujagbo village Okpuno Awka, country home of Chief (Dr.) Amobi Daniel Nwokafor in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State was a beehive of cultural activities over the last weekend, as the renowned chartered accountant and strategic management expert was initiated into the Ozo society of Awka kingdom. It was, indeed, a historic event as the age-long dream of the former President-General of Awka Development Union came to fruition .

Nwokafor’s compound played host to Ozo title holders who came in their numbers, adorning their regalia and with their staff to witness the conferment of Ozo Awka title on Dr.Amobi Nwokafor.

Although there are about five traditional titles in Awka town viz Amanwulu, Chi, Ayajioku, Ajaghija and Ozo respectively, the Ozo traditional title is the most revered because of the rigorous processes of screening and cleansing to ascertain the personality of the individual going for the Ozo title after which the initiation ceremony is performed in the home of the celebrant.

Ozo Awka was the title the traditional institution of Awka ancient kingdom bestowed on former President-General of the town union who, it is generally accepted, pioneered some of the infrastructural developments in the area .

Some of the elder Ozo title holders who spoke about Chief Nwokafor describedhim as a man of impeccable character and selflessness in service to humanity. It is said that his tenure as the PG of Awka Development Union brought a lot of transformation to Awka town and that the Ozo Awka title conferred on him was well-deserved .

Chief Dozie Nweke-Nwezeobuna, Ozo Agudeuzulu of Umuayom village Awka reiterated that the celebrant was the architect of the monumental progress in Awka town when he was the President-General of the town union .

Ozo Agudeuzulu said Chief Amobi did only one term as President-General but handed over to his successor unlike most persons who would refuse to peacefully relinquish power over selfish and primordial interests.

For his part, Ozo Chief Jeff Ezechukwu Nweke, Ozo Zuluezu of Amikwo village Awka said the Ozo Awka society is an assembly of good people in Awka kingdom and that Chief Nwokafor has also joined the fold by virtue of his initiation into the Ozo Awka society Ozo Zuluezu, however, described Chief Nwokafor as a very good man, adding that by the conferment of Ozo Awka title on him, he had been given the mandate of the

From Awka, OZO RAY writes on the recognition given to a philanthropist by his people in recognition of the fact that a prophet can truly be with honour at home also.

•Ozo Amobi Daniel Nwokafor performing the Ozo esoteric dance steps shortly after his initiation .

people to continue speaking the truth at all times, exposing evil and not taking sides.

Also, Ozo Emma Anene of Umuogwali village, Awka, Ozo Ona corroborated what others said about Ozo Chief Amobi Daniel Nwokafor, pointing out that he merited the traditional title as an Awka man. Secondly, he said the celebrant is a good man, who used his personal resources to run his office as President-General of Awka Development Union.

For Ozo Chief Michael Nwankwo Chinekwu of Umuogbunu village Awka, Ozo Obiara Igbum Gbuo One Ya, said that Ozo title is not for money-bags, explaining that the process of Ozo title-taking begins from a formal application subject to thorough scrutiny and screening of the applicant to ensure that

the applicant has no questionable character and not an ex-convict before his application would be approved .

Ozo Chinekwu noted that apart from being the PG of Awka town, Ozo Nwokafor has given out scholarships to indigent children to continue their education and equally has widows in his payroll to enable them fend for their families .

He, however, admonished Chief Nwokafor to keep the rules and regulations of Ozo, stressing that any Ozo title holder no longer tells lies or supports evil in whatever guise or form.

For Ozo Amobi Daniel Nwokafor, whose marriage to Chief Mrs . Nkem Helen Nwokafor has produced lovely children, Ozo title-taking is the best thing that has happened to him .

Abba community accuses police of hobnobbing with Ukpo opponent •Continued from page 17

intervene in the matter by calling to order the police officers who are involved in bringing the reputation of the force to the mud in this matter and recommending possible sanctions against them”.

But in their own petition written and signed on their behalf by their legal counsel, C. C. Ozumba, the representatives of Ukpo community, Hon.Andrew Modili and Hon. Vincent Onyiliagu claimed that the Supreme Court had on February 15, 2019, delivered a judgement in favour ofUkpo people with respect to the protracted land dispute between Ukpo and Abba people.

Modili and Onyiliagu further claimed that it was on the strength of that Supreme Court judgement that warrant of possession was legally granted to the entire Ukpo community over the disputed land by the High court of Anambra state which was on June 14, this year, served on the representatives of Abba community, including Igwe Eze, Hon. Benneth Anaekwe, Chief Pius Nweke and other prominent indigenes of Abba,.in the presence of the Police Commissioner.

They contended that it was when the bailiff of the court partly enforced the judgement of the court on September 6, this year that on September 7, Benneth Anaekwe, Pius Nweke, Isaac Nwafor, David Umeano, Jeremiah Nweke, Emmanuel Anumba, Chocolate Nweke, Ugochukwu Egbe, Sunday Nwankwo, Ulo Kenechukwu Eddy, Sunday Anasolora, Asa Ogbe, Iwenofu okpala, Maduka Okolo, Joy Modili, Jude Agu, Mache Abba, Esibe, Emeka Ofor, Sunday Okeke, Paul Okafor Akunebiokwu, Smart, Udoye and their hired mercenaries while fully armed with dangerous weapons, in protest against the said enforcement of the court judgement by the bailiff, went to Ukpo junction and violently destroyed shops, some properties of Ukpo community and also robbed unsuspecting victims of their valuables such as phones, money, among others.

They therefore craved the indulgence of the police to call the above named people to order, based on the above allegation, and to help avert the looming communal crisis, breakdown of law and order, further attacks and robbery of innocent people.in the area

•Demolished shops at Oye Abba market

Chief Nwokafor said it had always been his ambition to become a member of the Ozo society of Awka kingdom, adding that his people all agreed to name him Ozo Awka, which to him is a great and unprecedented honour.

He said that while he was President-General of Awka Development Union, it was his duty to chart the course of development in the area and that his people really appreciate the little contributions he made in the growth and development of Awka kingdom .Chief Nwokafor said he would dedicate the rest of his life to the service of the people, describing the Ozo Awka title conferred on him as an eloquent testimony that his people appreciate and acknowledge his little contributions to the growth of Awka kingdom and Anambra state at large .

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BU$IN£SS The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

•Energy

•Finance

•Stock

•Insurance

•Aviation

•e-Platform

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

Energy

A

s Nigeria’s national debt reach N25.7 trillion as at end of 2019 second quarter, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has cautioned government on borrowing that may become a burden on national development in the future.

Commenting on $30 billion loan request by the Federal Government, Director General of LCCI, Mr. Muda Yusuf said the growing National debt is a cause for concern as the debt profile grew from N12.6 trillion in 2015 to N25.7 trillion in 2019 second quarter, an increase of 104 percent.

The chamber expressed worry over the government capacity to service the debt saying, “the debt service provision in the 2019 budget was a whopping N2 trillion; whereas the total capital budget was N2.9 trillion; this implies that the debt service commitment was 70 percent of capital budget allocation. Debt to revenue ratio was about 30 percent, which is also on the high side.”

He explained that, in the 2020 budget, debt service commitment and recurrent spending are beginning to crowd out capital expenditure.

This trajectory according to him is not consistent with Nigeria national aspiration to build infrastructure and a competitive economy.

Debt service of N2.45 trillion is more than the capital budget of N2.14 trillion in 2020 budget which is 114 percent of capital budget, he said.

Muda stated that the debt is against this background that the new request for $30 billion is troubling.

He said there is a need to clarify place of the new loan request in relation to the 2020 budget and the 2020 -2022 medium term expenditure framework. Stated that additional borrowing should strictly be in line with section 41 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act which stipulates that ‘Government at all tiers shall only borrow for capital expenditure and human development, provided that such borrowing shall be on concessional terms with low interest rate and with a reasonable long amortization period.’

He therefore cautioned government on debt burden to avoid a full blown debt crisis.

He said it has become critical to review the spending structure of government and the cost of governance.

“The ballooning recurrent expenditure, in the face of declining revenue, is a cause for concern.”

“The opportunity cost of high debt service commitment for the economy and citizens is very high.

There is also the exchange rate risk inherent in the exposure to mounting foreign debt which we need to worry about. As the currency depreciates,

•Tourism

Chevron to divest $2.0 bn assets in Nigeria P24 AVIATION

NCAA explains non-certification of Bayelsa airport

P26

e-Platform

9mobile, Google, Transsion set to boost affordability of smartphones, highspeed internet P27

Minister of Finance Mrs Zainab Ahmed

‘Borrowing spree threatens national economic aspiration’

the burden of servicing foreign debt would intensify. This is a major problem with increasing the stock of foreign debt.”

He however implored government to look more in the direction of equity financing which he believes is far better for national capital development.

He advised government to introduce appropriate policy choices to attract domestic and foreign private sector capital for infrastructure financing.

“The government needs to look beyond tax credit in its quest for more complimentary funding sources for infrastructure. We should be looking more in the direction of equity financing. But for this to happen the policy and regulatory environment must be right”, he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last Thursday asked the Senate to approve an external loan of $29.96 billion to execute key Infrastructural projects across the country.

CBN Exchange Rates As At Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Currency Buying(₦) Central (₦) Selling(₦) US DOLLAR 305.95 306.45 306.95 POUNDS STERLING 397.7656 398.4156 399.0657 EURO 338.962 339.516 340.0699 SWISS FRANC 309.5094 310.0152 310.521 YEN 2.8105 2.8151 2.8197 CFA 0.495 0.505 0.515 WAUA 419.1743 419.8594 420.5444 YUAN/RENMINBI 43.3415 43.4128 43.4841 RIYAL 81.5823 81.7156 81.849 SOUTH AFRICAN RAND 20.9108 20.945 20.9791

Senate President Ahmad Lawan read President Buhari’s letter at Plenary.

Buhari in the letter said he decided to represent the request for external loan of $29.96 billion, part of which was rejected by the eight National Assembly, to finance key projects in different sectors of the economy.

The letter titled: “Request for the National Assembly to reconsider and approve the Federal Government’s 2016-2018 external borrowing plan” reads in part: “Pursuant to Sections 21 and 27 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment Etc) Act, I hereby request for resolutions of the Senate to approve the Federal Government’s 2016-2018 External Borrowing Plan as well as relevant projects under this plan.

“Specifically, the Senate is invited to note that (a): While I have transmitted the 2016-2018 external borrowing plan to the eight National Assembly in September 2016, this plan

Equity & Capital Market

was not approved in its entirety by the legislature.

“Only the Federal Government’s emergency projects for the North East’s four states projects and one China Assisted Railway Modernization Projects for Lagos-Ibadan segment were approved out of the total of 39 projects. “(b). That outstanding projects in the plan that were not approved by the legislature are nevertheless, critical to the delivery of the government’s policies and programmes relating to power, mining, roads, agriculture, health, water and educational sectors.

“These outstanding budgets are well-advanced in terms of the preparation, consistent with the 2016 date.”

He said, sustainability analyses undertaken by the Debt Management Office were approved by the Federal Executive Council in August 2016 under the 2016-2018 external borrowing plan.t

Ecobank, Standard Chartered lead in capital importation to Nigeria Q3 2019

P30 Money Market

AMCON may declare public office holders indebted to the corporation bankrupt P31

STOCK MARKET HIGHLIGHTS AS AT TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2019

Summary

5 Top Gainers

ASI 26,944.32 DEALS 3,314.00 VOLUME 189,007,353.00 VALUE N2,883,013,603.78 EQUITY CAP N13,004,745,963,143.01 BOND CAP N13,140,316,392,069.50 ETF CAP N6,483,228,729.34

Symbols OKOMUOIL FLOURMILL UNILEVER ETRANZACT ZENITHBANK

Top 5 Trades

5 Top Losers

S/N 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Coy ACCESS GUARANTY ZENITHBANK UBA FIDELITYBK

(By Volume) Value(N) 35,406,553 N324,549,348.10 34,611,435 1,047,800,383.70 18,366,551 N342,410,834.85 15,909,974 N111,796,510.65 7,804,804 N15,693,404.28

Last Close N49.65 N18.25 N17.7 N2.38 N18.6

GUINNESS STANBIC MTNN CAP WAPCO

Current Change N54.55 4.9 N19 0.75 N18.45 0.75 N2.61 0.23 N18.8 0.2

N31 N29 -2 N38.15 N36.8 -1.35 N120 N119 -1 N24.3 N24 -0.3 N14 N13.85 -0.15

%Change 9.87% 4.11% 4.24% 9.66% 1.08%

-6.45% -3.54% -0.83% -1.23% -1.07%

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

ISSN: 2545-5869

The

racle www.oraclenews.ng

Today

EDITORIAL

20

VOX POPULI SACRUM

Save Nigeria’s mother tongues

U

NESCO deserves commendation for instituting the International Mother Tongue Day first observed on February 21, 2000. It is symbolic, for it was particularly chosen to honour four students who stood against all odds for the reinstatement of their mother tongue as a national language in Eastern Pakistan. The Bengalispeaking people who constituted the majority of the province demanded inauguration of their language as the official language, as opposed to Urdu which the government had instituted as a national language. The students who joined in the mass protest and extensive campaigning for their right died in the process.

They did not die in vain, however. The government resisted the protesters initially but gave in on February 21, 1952. And Bengali became the official language in Pakistan on February 29, 1956.

It is almost impossible to find any group of Nigerians protesting for recognition of their indigenous language like the heroic students from Pakistan. The mark of an “educated” person in Nigeria is their ability to speak English. If you chatted with friends in your mother tongue, you are considered a “villager”. Of the three major languages (out of perhaps 300 others), the most neglected has been Igbo; Yoruba comes second, and Hausa next. Yet, most of those who speak English in Nigeria do not even speak it well: they cannot pronounce words correctly, and, when they write, they murder the language with bad grammar.

A “de-culturised” society, it is said, breeds homosexuality and total failure of systems resulting in senseless murders and mutilations, lack of respect for societal symbols – just about everything we are witnessing in Nigeria today. Is it any wonder that today’s children no longer recognize crimes

nor institutionalise our core values in children. as crimes? Is it strange that suicide bombing, It cannot substitute for any of our local lanonce thought to be alien, has found a home guages. Wa, zo, bia all Nigerians. Shame on in Nigeria today? any tribe that allows its mother tongue to go The theorists of languages predict that several into extinction! years of mother-tongue instruction always The Hausa have an adage, “Whoever leaves lead to a better second-language acquisihome, the home leaves it.” Our first language, tion than being instructed in that second that beautiful sound we heard while still in language from the first day of school. Today, the womb, plays an important role in shaping many countries are looking for novel ways our thoughts and emotions. A child’s psychoto ensure the easiest and most effective logical and personality development depends learning method for their students: mother largely on what has been conveyed through tongue is canvassed as one of the ways. the mother tongue. Our heritage, cultural Not yet in Nigeria. Is there any educated Nigeand traditional values are all preserved in the rian today that does not consider his native mother tongue – it’s our identity, a reflection tongue inferior to the English language? As of who we are and what we stand for. And minister of education in the late 1980s, Prof. who would disagree with the great Nelson Babs Fafunwa ensured that every student Mandela? “If you talk to a man in a language studied a Nigerian language. He had quoted he understands, that goes to his head. If you from a study conducted then that showed talk to him in his language, that goes to his students would learn better if they were heart.” taught all subjects in their mother tongue.

In the face of the multicultural diversity that has And we believe he was right. How many led to many conflicts in Nigeria, we should books today are written in Ijaw, Urhobo or celebrate this diversity and appreciate its Gwari? History has been abolished in Nigerian strength and power. Parents are urged to schools, and the study of indigenous languagmake concerted efforts to help their chiles is threatened also. dren develop good literacy skills in their first Where are the proud speakers and writers of language. Education policymakers in counthe Igbo language today? Many “educated” tries with multiple languages such as Nigeria Igbo avoid speaking the language even in should continue the efforts of people like their own homes. Apparently in a bid to Fafunwa. rebuke such foolish people, Ndigbo in the United States annually celebrate their heritage. One’s language is their identity, for everyone thinks in his language. Igbo parents Our Vision who discourage their kids from speaking the TO BE among the top five newspapers language are fools who deserve 10 years in in Nigeria and, in due course, the Numjail. ber One; to be a newspaper of records Those whose language is on the brink of exthat effectively caters to the informatinction like Ndigbo would do well to think tion needs of all segments and sections deeply and begin to walk back from the of the Nigerian society as well as all sobrink. Nigerians, especially the “nouveau cial classes and cultures. Essentially, we elite” members, are reminded that English is a borrowed language and can neither convey want to be a responsible corporate citizen, a commercially viable, properly organised media business, which meets its obligations to society, government and the workforce.

Mission

Culled from Asukwo blogshot.com

WE INTEND to contribute to the development of an inclusive Nigerian society, with a view to getting rid of the dark sides of our national life such as slothfulness, greed, corruption, nepotism and totalitarianism, among several others.

We will strive to continually engender and sustain national debates that would ultimately lead to the enthronement of healthy national values--to wit, hardwork, justice, equity and fair-play, transparency and good governance, resulting in the egalitarian Nigerian society of our dream.

We will give voice to the voiceless and, at all times, strive to be balanced, objective, honest, truthful and fair to all sides so that through The Oracle Today, our people, the Nigerian people, can see a bright light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. And we shall do all this in absolute trust in God who blesses good intentions.

21

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

OPINION

Bayelsa poll: Lamido’s cruel attack on Jonathan

By EHICHIOYA EZOMON

F

ormer President Goodluck Jonathan has become the latest target of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to direct its angst for its defeat in the November 16, 2019, poll in Bayelsa State.

The initial prey, as usual, were President Muhammadu Buhari; the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); security agencies, especially the Police and Military; and thugs allegedly “recruited” by the APC. This time, former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State is leading the charge, alleging that Dr. Jonathan traded off the PDP to APC in Bayelsa, for a reprieve in the controversial $1.6b Malabu Oil (OPL 245) scam.

According to Lamido, in an interview: “The leadership of the APC and the government are blackmailing Jonathan, and I think I can say it anywhere that he traded this for his own freedom.

“Jonathan worked against his party because he was very, very angry with Governor Seriake Dickson. It was because he sure knows his problem with Buhari and his government. And the issue of Malabu, I think, played a key role.”

What a contradiction! How could Jonathan be angry with Dickson because he’s afraid of being held to account in the said Malabu scandal?

Should the public infer that Lamido has swapped, for his freedom, the PDP in Jigawa (where the APC has won all elections since 2015) because the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is trying him (and his two sons and two firms) for fraud?

It’s easy to see where Lamido is coming from: First, he likely smelt a rat when, prior to the poll, Jonathan visited President Buhari, and concluded that, “the sojourn must be for

a trade-off of the PDP in Bayelsa, to get amnesty in the Malabu racket!”

Second is Lamido’s animus against Jonathan since 2015 when he aspired to be president, but was checkmated by the “right of first refusal” that Jonathan enjoyed seeking re-election.

This shows in his attack, hence: “To me, Jonathan is a creation of an accident hoisted (foisted) by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo on Nigeria. I don’t think, in terms of looking at the Nigerian landscape, you can rate him as a leader outside the office he occupied.”

Plainly pathetic! When it suits the likes of Lamido, they advertise Jonathan as a great leader, staunch ally, and statesman; yet, when their self-worth is deflated, they strive to bring him down.

Jonathan has denied the Lamido charge, and dared him to prove same or be quiet, even as the Presidency has refuted the blackmail report, and advised critics to stop blaming President Buhari for everything, “including issues that are not his business.”

Jonathan, via his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, said: “Apparently seized by some inexplicable resentment, Lamido held on to the lie... by a few mischief-makers, to the effect that former President Jonathan helped the APC to win the last gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State.

“Unfortunately, the former Governor jumped into this convenient bandwagon of grovellers without first thinking of the burden of substantiating his claim...”

On Malabu, he said: “We feel that it is important to reiterate, as we have always done, that former President Jonathan did nothing wrong, as far as the Malabu deal is concerned.

He therefore doesn’t need to cut a deal with anybody within or outside Nigeria.

“We call on anyone, including Mr. Sule Lamido, who has any shred of evidence linking

former President Jonathan to any wrongdoing in the case of the Malabu incident, to waste no time in publishing such evidence or forever remain silent.”

As Lamido chews a response to Jonathan’s gauntlet, I reference my last week’s article, “November 16 poll: Can’t PDP examine itself?” which urged the party to look inward, and learn where it got it wrong, rather than blame imaginable forces for its defeat.

But afresh, the party has left the substance, and turned on another soft spot, Jonathan, to massage it’s bruised electoral ego.

It embarked on a faulty raison d’être, to arrive at, “If Jonathan had supported us (PDP), we would have won the election.”

This is simplistic reasoning that discounts other variables, which, in the case of Bayelsa, were as many as the 45 political parties that presented candidates for the poll.

These variables: how the policies and programmes of Dickson’s eight-year rule had impacted the people, and the political undercurrents in the state, were capped by the governor’s desire to “install” his successor.

Going forward, Dickson rejected the views and feelings of leaders of the PDP, and indeed, concerned members of Bayelsa’s polity, who craved that the candidate or running mate be zoned to a particular council or district.

Thus, with a primary election conducted for the aspirants, the governor allegedly “foisted” on the party members Senator Diri Douye, who was declared winner of the poll.

The PDP running mate, Senator Lawrence Ewrujakpor, was chosen from Dickson’s council, Sagbama (Bayelsa West), instead of Ogbia, as canvassed, to counter the high votes in Southern Ijaw (Bayelsa Central), the fort of APC’s candidate, Chief David Lyon.

Jonathan is credited to having the capacity to influence elections in his council of Ogbia in Beyelsa East, where “he did influence the

November 16 poll to favour the APC,” his critics alleged.

But here are the posers: If the PDP hierarchy knew Jonathan’s political relevance, and capability to swing votes, why didn’t they take his counsel for a level-playing field at the primaries?

If he’s invincible in Ogbia, and Bayelsa East in general, why didn’t they choose the PDP running mate from there, after his “anointed” aspirant, Chief Timi Alaibe, lost the governorship ticket?

And if Jonathan is Dickson’s “Leader,” as the governor espouses, why didn’t he defer one position - the candidate or running mate - to him?

Picking on Jonathan is like asking a wife who, among several men, including her husband, will she fight with. Definitely, she will choose her husband on the belief that he won’t hurt her!

Because the former President is viewed as gentle, harmless and “powerless,” the PDP, as represented by Lamido and others, has picked on him, to let off the steam of its political disaster.

Why not pick on Governor Dickson, the alpha and omega in the choice of the candidate and running mate, and the campaigning, which he led, as if he’s on the ballot?

What would it have cost the governor to yield one position to the Jonathan camp, and shelve his “senatorial ambition”? Nothing, but accolades as “a listening leader, and a man of the people!”

Dickson was the reason the PDP, since 1999, lost its power in Bayelsa, as he didn’t play his card justly, fairly and equitably. So, the aberration of November 16 had nothing to do with Jonathan!

• Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.

How new generation bullet train will impact Japan’s economy

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R Central featured its future fastest bullet train in a test-ride event on October 3 in Yamanashi Prefecture. Media taking part were able to experience the Superconducting Magnetically Levitated (SCMAGLEV) vehicle for themselves and imagine the future.

JR Central has released a film in English illustrating what daily life might be like in the future with the Linear bullet train. The Linear, as it is currently called, will open up between Shinagawa/Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027. Then it will extend to Osaka, with full operation expected in 2037.

The Japanese government has proposed a Super Megaregion Initiative for Japan’s sustainable economic development as the county faces a depopulation problem. The Linear project is expected to help boost the flow of people and contribute to Japan’s further economic growth.

At Yamanashi Linear Maglev Center in Tsuru City, Yamanashi Prefecture, the Linear vehicle drove forward, then accelerated to almost 150 kmph (93mph). Its tires were pulled into the bottom of the train as it reached around 150 kmph, and the train magnetically levitated 10 cm above the track. Right after that, the train surpassed over 500 kmph (almost 311 mph).

The project is a window into the future in which trains will levitate above their tracks by using SCMAGLEV technology, achieving a maximum speed of 505 kmph. The Linear construction project expects to realize connections between Tokyo’s Shinagawa Station and Nagoya in 40 minutes, and Osaka in 67 minutes.

The full cost of construction connecting Tokyo and Osaka is projected to be around ¥9 trillion JPY ($82.7 million USD). It will take ¥5.5 trillion JPY ($50.5 million USD) to first build the SCMAGLEV infrastructure between Tokyo and Nagoya, according to JR Central.

Connecting the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka regions by travel of merely an hour will give rise to a mega-economic region containing 65

In the future, if you’re in a hurry, you will be able to get from Tokyo to Osaka in less than 67 minutes, or stop in Nagoya in even less time. derneath the Tokaido Shinkansen’s existing rails, as well as below the Tomei Expressway connecting vehicle traffic between Tokyo and Nagoya.

Furthermore, the Linear tunnel construction has incorporated certain strengths in keeping with security policy. For example, there would be little opportunity for spying by surveillance airplanes or artificial satellites when looking down on the Linear railway, whether it is in use as public transportation or for the transport of police and security units.

Although the Linear comes with many advantages, JR Central and the Shizuoka local government have differing opinions regarding its impact on the environment. As a result, a full-scale construction in Shizuoka Prefecture has not begun.

JR Central, the Shizuoka prefectural government, and the national Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) have agreed to meet in an effort to improve understanding and overcome remaining differences.

MLIT Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba, speaking at the regular press conference after the November 22 Cabinet meeting, said that the Linear Shinkansen operation between Tokyo and Nagoya would be completed as scheduled in 2027.

Construction is progressing in all areas, except Shizuoka. A groundbreaking ceremony for one of the Linear stations also on November 22 was held onsite in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Work on the station is expected until the end of March 2027. Other The project plans to dig to a great depth terminal stations, such as the Shinagawa terunderground, over 40 meters depth at some minus station, have been under construction points in major metropolitan areas and un- since 2016. million people, half the population in Japan.

It is expected to contribute significantly to Japan’s further economic development.

Passengers of Tokaido Shinkansen will also see the benefits of more convenient travel once the Linear’s operation begins.

There will be six stations, one in each prefecture between Tokyo and Nagoya, except Shizuoka, which will be bypassed using a deep underground tunnel through the South Japanese Alps. The stations will be at Shinagawa (Tokyo), Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, and Aichi (Nagoya).

Passengers riding on the Nozomi, currently the fastest bullet train of the Tokaido Shinkansen, would be shifted to the Linear. That will allow room to increase service on the Hikari Shinkansen, currently the second fastest bullet train, and the Kodama which stops at all stations. Eventually, Tokaido Shinkansen’s passenger would have faster access to every Tokaido Shinkansen station from terminal stations such as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

The impact of the Linear will be more than economic growth and new conveniences. It will also provide a buffer to help absorb the risks from disasters and conceivable security risks.

Of the route between Tokyo and Nagoya, 86% will be constructed underground through areas thought to have comparatively small tremors when earthquakes occur. In this, the new train system will help increase the transportation system’s resilience against strong earthquakes and similar disasters.

THE GROUP Managing Editor/COO Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Deputy Managing Editor/COO Sopuruchi Onwuka Chairman Editorial Board Igwebike Mbanefo Political/Production Editor Kodilinye Obiagwu SE/SS Editor Odogwu Emeka Odogwu Acting BDM Kelechi Nze Head, Graphics & Designs Nnamdi Alex Chukwu Circulation Manager Felix Oti

22

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

BUSINESS

Nigeria hosts national forum on AfCFTA

By VICTOR NZE

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igeria, which signed the landmark African Continental Free Trade Agreement in July, is this week hosting its national AfCFTA Forum on the “Effective Implementation of the AfCFTA for Industrialization and Inclusive Economic Development”.

The Forum, which runs from 5-6 December 2019 in Lagos, is being co-organized with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the European Union, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), and in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC).

This AfCFTA Forum will bring together the private sector in Nigeria to afford them the opportunity to learn how to best leverage the opportunities within the AfCFTA. The role of the private sector is critical in its implementation,” says Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi, Senior Advisor with the African Trade Policy Centre at the ECA. The forum is also a platform to actively engage with and consult intra-African actors across a diverse range of different sectors to better understand how the agreement can shape more inclusive economic development in Nigeria.

The AfCFTA entered into force on 30 May 2019 having been ratified by the required 22 countries.

Currently, 54 countries have signed, and 27 countries have ratified the

Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr Victor Osadolor (m) receiving the ‘African Bank of the Year 2019,’ by the Banker Magazine at a ceremony in London, weekend as Middle East and Africa Editor for The Banker, Mr John Everington watches.

AfCFTA. The historic agreement provides an opportunity for Africa to create the world’s largest free trade area, with the potential to unite 1.3 billion people, in a $2.5 trillion economic bloc, ushering in a new era of development.

The agreement has the potential to generate a range of benefits for Nigeria through supporting trade creation, structural transformation, productive employment and poverty reduction.

Nigerian President, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, signed the AfCFTA agreement in Niamey at the African Union Summit in July after what his government said were comprehensive consultations with the private sector and in-depth consideration of its potential impact on the Nigerian economy.

Following this, the National Action Committee for the implementation of the AfCFTA under the chairmanship of Mr.

Otunba Niyi Adebayo, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, was created, signalling its readiness to implement the agreement.

In meeting these objectives, the AfCFTA will become a key engine of economic growth, industrialization and sustainable development in Africa in line with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for “The Africa We Want”.

This Forum is part of a comprehensive project, supported

financially by the European Union, aiming to deepen Africa’s trade integration through effective implementation of the AfCFTA. The ECA has been working with its partners including the African Union Commission (AUC), International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and a selection of independent trade experts to ensure effective AfCFTA implementation strategies.

Yuletide: Access Bank unveils ‘More Xtravaganza’ to reward customers

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ccess Bank Plc has unveiled series of exciting rewards for its customers with a campaign tagged “More Xtravaganza”, ahead of the Yuletide celebration.

The bank’s Executive Director, Retail Banking, Mr Victor Etuokwu, said in Lagos on Tuesday that the campaign, which had started on November 21, would run till December 31.

Etuokwu said that the More Xtravaganza campaign was launched to appreciate loyal customers.

“Access Bank is passionate about its customers and everything we do is centred around giving them

more.

“This season, we have decided to launch this campaign to end the year on a high note in celebration of our customers.

“We appreciate them for their loyalty and support and this is our own way of saying thank you to them,” he said.

Etuokwu said that the campaign “demonstrates its promise to provide customers with the best banking products and services whilst rewarding them for banking with us.”

He said that the bank would be rewarding 50 active and inactive

Diamond Business Advantage customers with one-month free advert broadcast and production for signing up to the Ebony Life Access to Market package.

Access Bank Head, Insights and capabilities, Mr Robert Giles, said that the bank had remained in business because of customers patronage.

“Customers are the reason the bank is in business and they will always come first in our products, processes and services.

“To show appreciation for their patronage, we are going to feature three different DiamondXtra draws;

Senior citizens draw, Women’s draw and the National quarterly draw this December.

“We will reward 19 senior citizens who are 50 years old and above, 10 Women in which one of them will win a shopping allowance of N100,000 per month for one year and nine others will win N300,000 each,” he said.

Giles said that a total of 1,016 lucky customers would emerge winners from the quarterly draw.

The bank’s Head, Consumer Banking, Adaeze Umeh, said that a lot of customers would be rewarded in the Yuletide season.

“In the spirit of this Yuletide

season, we will be rewarding our first 100 premium savers with daily airtime when they maintain their account balances for 30 days.

“We are also going to reward the first 200 transfers on the mobile app with airtime.

“XclusivePlus customers who refer three new customers of their subscriber type will win one monthly/ yearly plan.

This reward will be for the first 200 customers. We will also reward our Early Savers with 20% bonus of their 13th savings for maintaining consistent savings over 12-month period,” Adaeze said.

‘Unconventional monetary policies have created over 2.5m jobs’ –CBN

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entral Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says its unconventional monetary policies have supported the creation of over 2.5 million jobs across the agricultural value chain.

The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele made this known in a keynote address he delivered at the 28th Annual Seminar for Finance Correspondents and Business Editors held in Owerri on Tuesday.

Emefiele was represented at the occasion by Mr Edward Adamu the CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services.

The 2019 seminar has its theme as “Galvanizing Development Finance and Monetary Policy for Growth.”

He noted that the unconventional or heterodox monetary policies adopted by the apex bank were well thought through and had been yielding significant gains for the Nigerian economy.

He said this was evidenced in the GDP recovery in the third quarter of 2017, which had been sustained for nine successive quarters after five consecutive quarters of negative growth.

Emefiele noted that the unconventional monetary policy initiative was premised on ensuring credit delivery to critical sectors of the economy.

According to the CBN governor, the move informed the directive to

Deposit Money Banks to maintain a minimum Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR) of 65 per cent by the end of December 2019.

He said the apex bank was also creating the necessary eco-system to inculcate a better credit culture among Nigerians.

“In all, there is sufficient evidence of significant reductions in our annual imports bill and increased non-oil exports.

“Our Development Finance intervention has helped to bolster agricultural production by removing obstacles faced by small holder farmers.

“We have also improved access to markets for farmers by facilitating

greater partnership with agroprocessors and industrial firms in the sourcing of raw materials.

“So far, the programme has supported more than 1.5 million farmers across all the 36 States of Nigeria, in cultivating 16 different commodities over 1.4 million hectares of farmland.

“It has also supported the creation of over 2.5 million jobs across the agricultural value chain,” he said.

Emefiele said that considering the gains, the media had a critical role to play in conveying a deeper understanding of the bank’s commitment to economic growth and development.

“For instance, it is our game

changing intervention in the rice value chain in Kebbi and other riceproducing states across the country that increased local rice production from 2.5 million tonnes in 2015 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2017.

“This was also the case in the cotton intervention with the flag-off of input distribution to 150,000 cotton farmers, cultivating 150,000 hectares in 23 states of the Federation,” he said.

The CBN governor said the theme of this year’s seminar was relevant, considering the evolving interconnectedness between development finance and monetary policy, not only in Nigeria, but in other economies across the world.

23

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

BUSINESS 30m Nigerians facing abject poverty by 2030 –World Bank …Decries absence of macro-economic policies to drive investment

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orld Bank Group on Monday said that Nigeria needed to make concerted efforts to boost productivity with a view to creating more jobs and accelerating economic growth.

Country Director, World Bank Group, Nigeria, Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, spoke at the launch of the bank’s Nigeria Economic Update in Abuja.

The event had the theme “Jumpstarting Inclusive Growth: Unlocking the Productive Potential of Nigeria’s People and Resources.

The Nigerian Economic Update is prepared twice a year (Spring and Fall) to appraise stakeholders interested in economic and social developments, prospects and policies.

Chaudhuri said it was critical

for the country to implement a bold reform programme to boost productivity.

According to him, although Nigeria continues its recovery from the 2016 recession, the bank projects that the absence of structural reforms will make growth remain stable, averaging 2.1 per cent during 2020 to 2021.

Stating that the country’s growth outlook remained vulnerable to external and internal domestic risks if more transparent and predictable macroeconomic policies were not in place to encourage investments, Chaudhuri expressed concern that the recession spurred a rise in unemployment and pointed out the need for more states to create enough jobs to keep pace with their growing labour force.

FCMB’s PBT drops by 13.5% in Q3 2019

T

he long-awaited financial statements of FCMB for the period ended September 30, 2019, have finally been released by the board of the company and posted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) for public consumption.

In the results, the financial company suffered a 13.5 percent decline in the profit before tax (PBT), while the profit after tax (PAT) went down by 4.4 percent.

According to the financial documents, the pre-tax profit in the third quarter of this year reduced to N12.8 billion from N14.8 billion in the same period of 2018, while the posttax profit reduced to N10.8 billion from N11.3 billion.

However, the gross earnings posted by the company in the first nine months of this year marginally rose by 2.2 percent to N135.8 billion from N132.9 billion.

The results further showed that the interest and discount income made by the firm increased to

N101.8 billion in the period under review, higher than N95.4 billion in the corresponding period of last year, while the interest expense rose to N45.6 billion from N42.2 billion, leaving he net interest and discount income at N56.2 billion against N53.2 billion a year ago.

For the fee and commission income, FCMB printed N21.7 billion, higher than N19.9 billion in Q3 2018, while the fee and commission expense stood at N6.4 billion versus N4.4 billion. This left the net fee and commission income at N15.3 billion, lower than N15.5 billion in the first nine months of 2018.

However, the trading income in Q3 2019 improved to N4.8 billion from N4.6 billion, but the other income dropped to N7.4 billion from N13.0 billion.

In the period under consideration, the personnel expenses increased to N21.6 billion from N18.1 billion, while other operating expenses rose to N13.4 billion from N12.8 billion.

PFAs advised to invest in manufacturing, agric sectors

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ational Pension Commission (PenCom) has been advised to urge pension fund administrators (PFA) in the country to invest much of their portfolios in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors of the economy.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which made this call, said exposure to government securities should be minimised by the fund administrators.

Governor of the CBN, Mr Godwin Emefiele, while addressing newsmen last week in Abuja, said the PFAs can also look into investment in the real estate industry, which provides viable long-term return.

“The committee called on government to urge the pensions commission to improve the prudential requirements for pension funds to refocus their investment portfolio away from their traditional choice of government securities in favour of other viable long-term investments in real estate, manufacturing and agriculture; and indeed infrastructure,” Mr Emefiele said in a communique he read after the two-day MPC meeting.

Speaking further, the apex bank

chief said, “The committee called for strong visibility of fiscal and structural policies to improve infrastructure and investment conditions in the economy.

“It expressed strong optimism that the current policies of the bank, in a regime of solid fiscal and structural policy support, would yield strong dividends in closing the current negative output gap in the medium to long term, and place the economy on a sustainable and self-sufficient path of output growth.”

Last week, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) disclosed that investment in FGN securities contributed 71.43 percent to the N9.58trn pension assets in the third quarter of this year.

From the numbers, investment in FGN Bonds gulped 46.71 percent, while treasury bills added 23.62 percent. In value terms, out of the N9.58 trillion pension assets, N6.85 trillion came from FGN securities, with FGN Bonds gulping N4.48 trillion and T-bills N2.26 trillion.

In addition, the local money market securities contributed 11.21 percent or N1.10 trillion to the value weight while foreign money market securities has the least with 0.09 percent weight.

Guest facilitator, Founder of Interswitch Group, Mr Mitchell Elegbe (m) flanked by participants during the monthly exclusive Breakfast Chat series for entrepreneurs to network, address pressing business issues and discuss possible solutions to their business challenges which held at the Co-creation Hub (CcHUB), Yaba, Lagos, Thursday.

Shippers’ Council to work with FG to establish Single Window

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igerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) on Tuesday said its members would work with Federal Government in establishing a Single Window for maritime industry in Nigeria.

Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello made the assertion at the 20th anniversary of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Lagos.

The anniversary had the theme, ‘The Single Window Evolution Under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement Regime’(AFCFTA).

Bello, represented by Mrs Selin Ifeora, Deputy Director Monitoring and Enforcement, NSC, said that the industry needed to be automated.

“Establishing a single window evolution is long overdue in the country for us to succeed in what we are doing in the port and establish a stand worldwide.

“Single window is an electronic platform where information/documents can be lodged and this helps in simplifying, standardising and

harmonising our processes and procedure.

“The window put in place will help eradicate all manual processes that brings about corruption, delay in activities in the ports and ensure competitiveness in the industry,” he said.

He said that all countries in West Africa had the single window except Nigeria.

Bello said that Cotonou, after adopting the single window, had witnessed a 38 per cent revenue increase.

He said that adopting it would bring about efficiency, remove physical examination, reduce vessel turn around time and cargo dwell time.

Bello urged NAGAFF members to be committed and dedicated in their activities and what would be done to help the single window come into the country.

He said that this was not just a federal government issue, but concerned everyone, as the adoption would benefit all stakeholders.

The Founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam, urged members to maximise the window created by the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

According to him, they should, in the next two decades, have successfully expanded their door-to-door net worth and networking beyond the west and central African sub-region to global competitiveness.

He said that trade and commerce were critical mass in nation building and development, wherein freight forwarding practitioners were the vehicle or artery of conveyance.

Aniebonam said that the liberation struggle to enthrone best practice in the business of freight forwarding had been successful, and would help in adopting global standard.

The President of NAGAFF, Mr Increase Uche, said that the association would continue to add innovative values to better the ecosystem as the world migrates to digital technology.

Airtel Nigeria wins award for ‘Best Use of Storytelling’ at SERAs 2019

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irtel Nigeria has been honoured with the Best Use of Storytelling to Drive Sustainability award in recognition of its efforts at promoting corporate philanthropy.

The firm was bestowed with this by organizers of the prestigious SERA awards at an award ceremony held recently at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

The Corporate Communications & CSR Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Emeka Oparah, led members of his team to receive the award at the classy event that was attended by many accomplished professionals in corporate Nigeria.

According to the citation read in honour of Airtel, the award recognized the

company’s outstanding ability to articulate its sustainability/ CSR interventions, providing actionable insights through storytelling to get the message out, across the organization and out to stakeholders.

“Airtel has over the years developed its story with focus on sustainability as an integral part of the company, which cuts across various initiatives that address the SDG’s,” the citation read.

The SERAS – CSR Awards is an annual project, which aims to promote as well as raise awareness about the roles organizations play with emphasis on their responsibility towards stakeholders and the social development of Africa.

The 2019 edition of the SERAs

was themed Driving Sustainability Through Inclusive Growth: Strategic Partnership as a Key to Unlocking Opportunities and it focused on organizations whom through their CSR and sustainability activities have made renowned impact addressing the SDG’s. The 13th edition of the Awards brought together sustainability experts, public relations practitioners, brand owners and public office holders.

The SERA awards platform, which is widely considered the gold-standard recognition in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability in Nigeria, was conceived to lead the drive towards actualization of the sustainable development goals in Africa.

24

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

ENERGY

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

A

merican major oil company, Chevron, is working on arrangements to further cash out from some of its investments in Nigeria as government and key players in the nation’s petroleum industry continue to dispute fiscal and operating terms that govern commercial operations in the country.

The Oracle Today gathered that Chevron looking to sell part of its stakes in upstream industry assets with the target to take up to $2.0 billion in cash recovery.

The plan in captured in the global map of asset divestments planned by world’s biggest operators to fetch a total of $27.5 billion.

In an analysis of asset swap deals across the global upstream industry drawn by industry advisory consultancy, Rystal Energy, Chevron is listed to have put some of its Nigerian assets up for sale as it struggles to raise funds to drive projects elsewhere.

Details of the assets the company plans to dispose were not available at the moment as the local spokesmen of the company declined comments on the arrangement.

But Rystad Energy declared in an industry advisory statement that Chevron “is considering a sale of assets in Nigeria which could be valued at up to $2 billion.” It is not however clear whether the assets for sale are onshore, in shallow water or in deepwater.

Rystad Energy stated that Chevron offered up the Nigerian assets to raise capital for projects such as Tengiz in Kazakhstan, Contract 3 in Thailand, and its US shale positions in the Permian basin.

The statement, The Oracle Today notes, is coming on the heels of a new wave of dispute between the federal government and its international partners over interpretation and implementation of existing operating agreements, especially over deepwater operations.

For over 10 years running, the Nigerian petroleum industry has not offered fiscal clarity for upstream investments following the lingering disagreement over the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and associated loss of investor confidence at a time of fast transition in energy demand patterns.

Chevron and other international oil companies gathered under the

Chevron to divest $2.0 bn assets in Nigeria

•As major IOCs target $27 bn asset sales aegis of Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LACCI) have remained in vehement dispute with the government over new fiscal terms proposed in the PIB. The two parties are also in disagreement over interpretation and implementation of the prevailing 1993 Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) that govern deepwater operations; and the OPTS has mounted allegations that government resorted to use of sovereign force to lift too much crude oil at the nation’s export terminals.

Besides, a recent Supreme Court judgment requiring government to recover alleged remittance shortfall of princely $64 billion from deepwater operators has been decried by OPTS which stressed that it was not party to the case that produced the judgment.

Since 2008 when the dispute over fiscal terms erupted, deepwater exploration programmes in the country has nearly frozen while a number of development projects

Global summit explores strategies against peak emission

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elegates from around the world are scheduled for a week of climate change summit in Madrid to explore possible arrest of the prevailing rate of global warming.

The summit, according to analysts at Quartz, follows a major UN report showing that the goal of holding climate change at 1.5°C above preindustrial average temperatures—the threshold at which climate change becomes catastrophic—is nearly impossible.

The planet is on track for 3.2°C of warming above pre-industrial levels by 2100. To stay below the 1.5°C threshold, global emissions would need to be cut by more than 7 percent every year between 2020 and 2030. That means emissions in 2030 would have to be 55 percent lower than they were in 2018.

Put another way, “peak emissions” can’t come soon enough.

That’s where the Madrid meeting comes in. At the summit, countries would finalize the mechanisms for meeting their climate commitments, and at least try to stave off the worstcase scenario.

One of the main matters of debate would be setting rules for international

Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Mr. Jeff Ewing

carbon markets, one of the few internationally coordinated efforts to contain climate change.

Many countries plan to meet their climate goals in part by buying carbon credits to offset their own emissions, paying to prevent deforestation in other countries, or planting trees. Changes in land use, including deforestation, currently accounts for around a quarter of global emissions.

In practice, offsets are controversial.

As journalists have reported for years, it’s hard to make sure trees aren’t harvested later. Plus, carbon credits are often too cheap to compete financially with the drivers of deforestation, like cattle ranching or mining. Preventing double-counting of credits is also tricky.

During the previous round of climate talks, draft rules for carbon markets would have prohibited double-counting credits.

The delegation from Brazil objected to this.

As home to a large part of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil is likely to play host to much of the world’s carbon offsets.

Being able to count projects funded by others towards her climate target would be advantageous. The issue was put off to this year’s summit.

has also stalled as investors awaits fiscal clarity from variants of the PIB creeping though legislative processes at the National Assembly.

Since then, multinational majors have also cut significant presence in the onshore and shallow water terrains where operations have been fraught with production losses and security threats while asset fall vulnerable to heightened vandalism.

Shell, Total, Agip and Chevron have in the period sold over 15 producing and undeveloped assets in a wave of profit taking that pulled out over $12 billion from the wallets of local indigenous upstarts who regularly scramble for low-risk quickwin assets to launch upstream entry.

Time lines for the Chevron’s new divestment plan is said to be still sketchy while negotiations are backstage.

According to Rystad Energy, the Nigerian assets are part of the global farm out deals currently pursued by oil majors looking to fetch a total of $27.5 billion.

The companies, according to Rystad, are actively shedding mature assets on a massive scale in a bid to finance higher-yielding investments elsewhere, with the added benefit of pleasing shareholders who are calling for stricter capital discipline.

Analyst on Rystad Energy’s upstream team, Ranjan Saxena, said: “The expected transactions mean some of the majors are poised to exit certain regions, giving regional players and independents a chance to buy into key fields and help keep them profitable through production-life extensions and new developments.”

It is however unlikely that Chevron would exit Nigeria given its vast deepwater and onshore assets that collectively contribute to the company’s global status as supermajor producer.

In taking closer look at some of the main assets currently up for sale, Saxena stated that “While oil and gas majors increase their focus on core areas and divest mature assets and interests in geopolitically unstable

regions, observers will be following closely to see how investors react and what other steps these energy giants will take to keep stakeholders interested amid rising climate concerns and geopolitical volatility.”

Some highlights from the firm’s latest report showed that another American multinational major, ExxonMobil, also plans to divest assets worth $15 billion by 2021 as it focuses on developing oilfields in Guyana and the US Permian basin, as well as gas projects in Mozambique and the US Gulf of Mexico.

European major, BP, is also said to be looking to offload some of the US shale assets that lie outside of its core areas in order to help fund last year’s $10.5 billion purchase of BHP’s North America subsidiary.

BP is said to have put seven asset packages on the market, headlined by the gas-rich San Juan Basin acreage on the Colorado-New Mexico border.

A sale could fetch between $1.6 billion and $2.0 billion for all the packages combined.

U.S. posts full month petroleum export credit

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ccording to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the United States has solidified its status as an energy producer by posting the first full month as a net exporter of crude and petroleum products since government records began in 1949.

According to data from the EIA weekend, the US exported 89,000 barrels a day more than it imported in September.

While the U.S. has previously reported net exports on a weekly basis, today’s figures mark a key

milestone that few would have predicted just a decade ago, before the onset of the shale boom.

President Donald Trump has touted American energy independence, saying that the nation is moving away from relying on foreign oil. While the net exports show decreasing reliance on imports, the U.S. still continues to buy heavy crude oil from other nations to meet the needs of its refineries. It also buys refined products when they are available for a lower cost from foreign suppliers.

“The U.S. return to being a net exporter serves to remind how the oil industry can deliver surprises -in this case, the shale oil revolution - that upend global oil prices, production, and trade flows,” said Bob McNally, a former energy adviser to President George W. Bush and president of the consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group.

Soaring output from shale deposits led by the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico has been in main driver of the transition.

Halliburton launches 15kpsi multizone deepwater completion system

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alliburton has announced introduction of Xtreme SingleTrip Multizone (XSTMZ) system for completing wells in deepwater and ultra-deepwater conditions up to 15,000-psi.

Based on the successful 10,000-psi rated Enhanced Single-Trip Multizone (ESTMZ) system, the increased pressure rating of the XSTMZ system allows operators to isolate and frac pack multiple zones at higher pump rates with larger proppant volumes.

It also supports the ability to create zonal compartments for better

stimulation of long pay zones that have high-pressure differentials between them.

The increased capability of the XSTMZ system helps increase production and total recovery by driving down abandonment pressure and can save rig time by isolating and treating several intervals with a single trip.

Halliburton said a major operator in the Gulf of Mexico Lower Tertiary has ordered the XSTMZ system to complete multiple reservoirs that are experiencing very large bottomhole

pressure differentials due to the depletion of some of the reservoirs.

The operator plans to begin installing the equipment needed to complete two wells in 2020, Halliburton said.

Vice President in charge of the Completion Tools business line at Halliburton, Mark Dawson, stated: “The introduction of the 15,000-psi rated XSTMZ system allows us to maximize production in even more challenging formations while further reducing the time required to complete these wells versus conventional systems.”

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

ENERGY IMO 2020: Bunker fuels pull demand from Nigerian sweet crude

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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he global race by the shipping industry to meet the impending fuel quality regulations imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has shifted demand patterns and associated premium prices from Nigerian crude oil grades.

Conversely, crude oil grades from Angola which were sold at discount to Nigerian crude grades have ironically become king of the market as refiners brace for demand boom for bunker fuel oil and gas oil

by January.

The Oracle Today reports that heavy sweet crudes like those from Angola now trade at small premiums over light sweet crudes from Nigeria as the oil market prepares itself for the January 1 introduction of a 0.5% sulfur cap for marine fuels as mandated by IMO. Refiners are seeking to buy heavier or medium sweet crudes to adhere to these stricter shipping rules; and crude grades especially those from Angola and other parts of West Africa are seeing a demand boom.

Nigerian crudes are largely light and sweet in quality because they

are low in sulfur (sweet) and yield a generous amount of diesel, jet fuel and gasoline (light). Refinery output from light sweet crude grades forms the profit-making products for global refineries, conferring price premiums on them over light crude benchmarks.

Angola, on the other hand, produces medium and heavy sweet crude grades that are low in sulfur but yields significant fuel oil and gasoil specifications. Thus the imminent demand boom for low sulfur marine gasoil now confers price premium on heavy sweet crude grades.

Heavy sweet grades, The Oracle reports, traditionally traded at a discount to the Dated Brent until recent times when their prices have strengthened due to global demand surge propelled by IMO sulfur cap on marine fuels.

A market intelligence report by Platts Energy group stated Sunday that medium and heavy sweet crude grades are now privileged against lighter crude grades, adding however that as diesel market starts to strengthen further ahead of IMO 2020, prices of Nigerian light sweet crude differentials could also start to surge.

Ghana’s Springfield stock about 1.2 Bbbls

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atest oil discovery in Ghana is set to solidify the West African country as sustainable energy source with additional reserves profile of 1.2 billion barrels crude oil.

The deepwater discovery from first attempt at drilling was made by Ghanaian homegrown independent Springfield Exploration and Production.

Africa Energy Chamber described the feat as historic for Ghana and Africa’s local content.

The group stated that the discovery marks the first deep water oil discovery made by an African oil company and could also be a bigger find than Ghana’s Jubilee Field, which remains the biggest oilfield in the country.

While figures are still temporary and several additional assessments need to be conducted, the discovery is the result of the drilling of two wells over 40 days. Both wells struck oil. Commercially viable quantities of gas were also discovered.

Springfield encountered 50 metres net light oil pay in high quality Cenomanian sand stones, in the West Cape Three Points Block 2 (WCTP2) Offshore Ghana. The gross thickness of the hydrocarbon column is 65 metres. Afina 1 is located in a water depth of 1,030 metres.

Afina-1 spud on October 7th, 2019, by drillship Stena Forth, is the first of two exploratory wells that Springfield proposes to start with on the asset. The second is Oak-1.

WCTP2 was carved out of the West Cape Three Points block, operated

by Kosmos Energy, following the delineation of the Jubilee unitisation area. The block was subsequently awarded to Springfield E&P for a seven year exploration period from July 2016.

WCTP2 is situated between the Jubilee field (90,000BOPD) and Sankofa (30,000BOPD) field and is immediately north of Aker Energy’s Pecan, Hickory, Almond, Paradise and Beech discoveries.

NNPC maintains strong position on Deepwater Act Amendment

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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igerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has restated it position against investors’ indignation about the amendment of the Acts governing oil and gas exploitation in the deepwater regions of the nation’s marine territory.

The Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, who spoke in Lagos, said the recent amendment made to the nation’s Deep Offshore Act (DoA) does not jeopardize the interest of any stakeholder in the Industry.

He maintained that Nigeria remained a viable option for investors as the success rate for finding oil are very high, especially in the Niger Delta region.

He called on Industry stakeholders to support the government towards the passage of

the Petroleum Industry legislation which he described as necessary for stable and sustainable investment to thrive.

Mallam Kyari pointed at reserves depletion in the country as the biggest challenge that confronts all stakeholders, calling on industry leaders and partners to increase exploration efforts.

He observed that following the recent significant oil discovery in the Kolmani area of the upper Benue trough by the NNPC, the corporation sees higher prospects in other frontier basins based on current understanding.

“It is instructive to highlight that our exploits and successes in the Upper Benue trough were achieved through the deployment of the most recent techniques and technologies and the efforts of our in-house geoscientist and other petroleum experts,” Kyari added.

Acquisition: Seplat takes over Eland assets December 17

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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ndigenous energy independent, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, wouldin the third week of the month finally take over the assets of Eland Oil and Gas Plc to conclude one of the biggest acquisition deals in the Nigerian oil and gas industry in the decade.

The Oracle Today gathered from credible sources working for Eland that the company’s shareholders have already approved £382 million takeover, making closure of the transaction almost irreversible.

At two meetings on November 20, shareholders of Eland passed unanimous resolutions in favour of the proposed takeover of Nigeria-focused Eland with 99.9 percent of votes cast. And “subject to court approval, the takeover is expected to become effective on 17 December 2019,” publicists of Eland said in a media statement.

The deal has also cleared mandatory notification requirements with regulators and Nigerian sovereign partners in the petroleum industry.

On 23 October 2019 the transaction satisfied the condition “requiring a joint notification by Seplat and Eland to the Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources, notifying the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources of the

acquisition and the acquisition of interests by Seplat in Eland.”

The deal also satisfied the “condition requiring a joint notification by Seplat and Eland to the Nigerian Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, notifying the Nigerian Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of the Acquisition.”

With the acquisition now certain, Seplat is on course to become Nigeria’s biggest indigenous oil and gas company with diversified asset base and business portfolios in the upstream and midstream petroleum industry.

With its Assah North and Ohaji (ANOH) field development, and existing crude production and gas monetization portfolios, acquisition of Eland production assets would make Seplat one of the biggest independent companies in the African petroleum play.

The cash takeover announced in October provided recognition of Eland’s achievement in building a successful exploration, development and production business in Nigeria. The deal also amplified the status of Seplat as the preferred company that has the financial and technical capacity to develop Eland’s assets and woulddeliver longterm benefits for employees, partners, host communities, and Nigeria as a whole.

“As a leading indigenous operator, Seplat understands the critical role it must play to drive a positive socio-economic impact among its communities.

With their knowledge of Eland’s producing assets and operations, Seplat’s management team would efficiently integrate them into Seplat’s existing portfolio,” the statement said.

The acquisition, according to deal facilitators, would also take care of concerns about labour issues that would arise from possible role duplication and creation of redundancies in an efficiently run operations of Seplat.

It was gathered that whereas management cadre employees of Eland might have to be affected in the new company structure, other employees of the company would be accommodated in the expanding structure.

Seplat had on announcement of the deal acknowledged the importance and value of the skills and experience of existing Eland employees who built the company’s success, stating that the combination of the two businesses would result in a wider range of capabilities, as well as underpin Seplat’s ambition to be the leading independent E&P in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer of Eland, George Maxwell stated: “We are glad to have contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.”

Petrobras set to lead global oil production

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

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razil’s national oil company, Petrolio Brasiliero als known as Petrobras, is on course to lead global oil production in the next 10 years, pushing back other national oil companies and international supermajors.

According to latest data and forecasts by international consultancy group, Rystad Energy, Petrobras is already in picture to become the world’s largest oil producer among publicly listed companies by 2030.

According to Rystad, Petrobras would ride on the back of its control

of vast exploration block mopped up in the flopped licensing round organized by Brazil to drive reserves and production growth.

Brazil’s biggest-ever oil auctions in November were generally deemed to be disappointing, receiving muted interest from international exploration and production companies.

However, that provided Petrobras opportunity to gain nearly full control of more than 8.0 billion barrels (Bbbls) of oil in the Buzios field, where a sixth floater is being planned. Petrobras, though stained with news of corruption, remains the world’s fastest growing oil producer.

To develop these and other offshore resources, Brazil is set for a $70 billion offshore capital investment spree between 2020 and 2025, solely on field development, Rystad stated.

Vice President of Rystad Energy’s upstream team who specialized in exploration and production (E&P) activities in Latin America, Aditya Ravi, said: “Petrobras can, in a matter of years, become the world’s largest oil producer among publicly listed companies. The significance is huge and symbolic. We predict that Petrobras alone can boost its production numbers by more than 1.3 MMb/d over the next decade.”

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

AVIATION NCAA explains non-certification of Bayelsa airport Stories by VICTOR NZE

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igerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has explained its reasons for stalling on an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) certification for the N60bn Bayelsa International Airport which was commissioned on February 15, 2019 with an inaugural flight.

According to NCAA, the absence of adequate perimeter fencing at the facility in Yenagoa has prevented the regulatory agency from issuing an ICAO certification, six months after the airport was commissioned, as the fencing is one of the ICAO security requirements.

The Acting Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, who disclosed this in an interview with aviation correspondents at agency’s headquarters, Murtala Muhammed

Airport (MMA), Lagos, Monday, however assured that once the requiremet is complied with the certification will be issued for the airport to commence full operation.

“Somebody called me on the issue of Bayelsa Airport, then, after I did my own investigation. Perimeter fencing is number one requirement for any airport, which is safety.

Someone said the government has done about 60 per cent of the perimeter fencing and said the other side of the airport is creek, but I said that is not acceptable to aviation industry.

“That perimeter fencing is the only thing remaining for Bayelsa Airport. There is no politics about it. That is the requirement. And anything security is taken seriously.

It is a security issue. If we need to close an airport because of security issue, we will until they comply.”

Sidi commended the Federal

Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for providing quality security systems at the nation’s airports particularly the international aerodromes, adding that despite some of the teething challenges at the airports, the major airports: Lagos and Abuja have continued to receive high ratings in the area of security in international community.

Sidi, who is also the Director of Operations and Training, NCAA explained that Lagos and Abuja airports have consistently scored over 90 per cent in international security audits, stressing that the government was focusing on security and safety at the nation’s airports.

The Acting DG further explained that air and passenger sides of the airports are equipped with security gadgets such as the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, which made it extremely difficult for

intruders to gain access to restricted areas of the airports without detection.

“Inasmuch as we have some minor security issues, Nigeria airports especially the Lagos and Abuja, security-wise, we have achieved 96 per cent of the International Security Audit of our airports and if you remember, not long ago, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, collected certificate from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Canada for achieving very high security standards at our airports.

“Every airport must have what is called perimeter fencing, which could be solid wall with a buffer and sharp fence to stop pilferation into the airport environment. Also, we have what we called the airside and the passenger side of an airport. The airside is supposed to be much more secured than the passenger side. I

am happy to tell you that even the passenger side all have Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras.

“So, it is difficult for any unlawful person to penetrate the airport without tracking the person. I hope you can remember the Abdumutallab era in 2009, he was tracked and even between then and now, a lot has improved in the system.”

Sidi noted that some of the security challenges in the country’s aviation industry were not peculiar to Nigeria alone, stressing that each country had its own security challenges that it battles.

On stowaways, the Acting DG said that such shameful act had reduced in the industry in recent time and attributed their action to ignorance.

In his words, “Most of the stowaways are ignorant of their actions and that is why they die.”

NCAA introduces automation to prevent curb airlines indebtedness

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igerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says the agency has put in place automation to prevent emergence of new debt from airlines.

General Manager, Public Relations of NCAA, Mr Samuel Adurogboye, said in Lagos on Sunday that airlines indebtedness to NCAA was more than N10 billion.

Adurogboye said that old debts owed by airlines were defrayed little by little by way of ensuring that the defaulters show evidence of payment before services were rendered.

NAN reports that the debts are accrued from five per cent ticket and cargo sales charges collected by the airlines in trust for the regulators.

The Ticket Sales Charges (TSC) is a charge collected for the agencies by the airlines in trust, to be remitted to government coffers in order to avoid collection before flight and creating confusion, delays and missed flight.

According to him, airlines indebtedness to NCAA is over N10 billion.

“However, we have put up a system that prevents emergence of new debts via the automation.

“The old debts are being defrays little by little by way of ensuring that the defaulters shows evidence of payment before services are rendered.

“We applied appropriate sanctions whenever there is an infraction as a deterrent and to prevent a re-occurrence.

“NCAA is working hard to ensure

that the airlines are operating safely in and out of our airspace,” he said.

Adurogboye said the Nigerian travel agencies were being controlled through registration and the process is on-going.

He said that the main source of revenue for the agency remained the internally generated income from the five per cent on TSC and five per cent cargo sales charges.

The NCAA spokesman said NCAA control passengers’ complaints in line with the provision of the Nig. CARs He said that domestic airlines were insured overseas, adding that this was largely because of the heavy capital involved.

Adurogboye added that Nigerian insurance provides the local content.

He said that NCAA still see to it that airlines were properly and adequately insured, so that they would be in position to fulfill their part of the bargain in event of an occurrence.

“NCAA has been at the fore front and also an advocate of training and retraining as a way out of manpower and aging workforce staring us in the face,” Adurogboye added.

However, when contacted for response to the NCAA’s alleged N10 billion indebtedness by the airlines, the president of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. Nogie Meggison, could not immediately respond to calls and text messages sent to him.

Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu (l), receiving his award at the recently-concluded; Human Resources Department Retreat of the agency which held with the theme; ‘Human Resources: Culture & Change Management,’ at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, from November 28-30, 2019.

ICAO gets new President

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he 36-member governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the ICAO Council, has elected Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano of Italy as its President for a three-year term, beginning 1 January 2020. He succeeds Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu of Nigeria, who has held the position for two consecutive terms since 2014.

Sciacchitano’s candidacy had been endorsed by the 44 General Directors of the European Civil

Aviation Conference. His election follows an accomplished 39-year career in aviation, during which he served inter alia as General Director of the Italian Airworthiness Authority (RAI), as Deputy General Director of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC), and many other international positions including as Executive Secretary of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC; 2010–2018).

He has also participated in several ICAO Assemblies as Chief

or Alternate Chief of the Italian Delegation to ICAO, as well as the Chief Delegate of ECAC. He had also recently been appointed to the Italian Delegation to the ICAO Council.

Sciacchitano is fluent in English, French and Italian. He graduated as a Master in telecommunication engineering “cum laude” from the University of Catania, and has an extensive educational background in both aviation and management.

NAAE harps on cyber security competence

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resident of the National Association of Air Traffic Engineers (NAAE), Mr Ishaya Dung, has stressed the need for competence in cyber security to protect and boost air services.

Dung made this known at NAAE’s 2019 Annual General Meeting with the theme ‘Satellite Based ADS-B Technology and the Relevance to ATSEP Job’ in Abuja.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is a primary technology supporting the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Next Generation Air Traffic Control System, which will shift aircraft separation and air traffic

control from ground-based radar to satellite-derived positions.

The president, who lauded the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for including the cyber security competencybased training for ATSEP, urged the government to promptly implement the recommendations for secure and efficient air transportation in Nigeria.

“We consider our profession as a key link in the aviation safety chain; therefore, we are working assiduously hard and now focusing on competencies on cyber security which has become a major threat.

“International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Association

(IFATSEA) raised concerns over cyberattacks in the CNS/ATM domain with her working paper `WP 105’ presented during the recently held 40th ICAO Triennial Assembly.

“ICAO approval for cyber security to be included in the competency based training for ATSEP in document 10057 was a remarkable achievement in the best interest of safety.

“We call on our authorities in their characteristic manner to promptly follow up and implement these recommendations for a more secure and efficient air transportation in Nigeria’’.

The president said with the expected rise in air passenger traffic and air traffic, training was

imperative and necessary for optimal performance of ATSEP jobs.

“It will interest you to know that the latest ICAO long term traffic forecasts indicate that both air passenger traffic and freight traffic are expected to be more than double by 2023.

“Characterised by a 4.3 per cent annual growth rate for passenger traffic and 3.9 per cent for freight traffic,“ he said.

According to Dung, the Annual General Meeting is an avenue where stakeholders come together to brainstorm and share ideas on ensuring high availability, accuracy, continuity and resilience of the service

rendered in the country.

He said “we also consider our welfare and take time to socialise to refresh ourselves and brace up to the challenges that lie ahead, because many factors, including but not limited to evolving digital technologies, present their own challenges for the ATSEP. “Programmes for modernising the air navigation infrastructure in both CNS/ATM are well underway across the globe, such as: Smart Digital Control Tower, Open ATM Systems, Space-Based Very High Frequency (VHF) and Artificial Intelligence for speech recognition and conflict resolution.“

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

e-Platform

Chams appointed NAPAAS technology provider

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hams Plc, an identity management company, says it has been appointed the technology solution provider for the National Personal Asset Acquisition Scheme (NAPAAS), to manage its recently automated asset acquisition scheme.

Group Managing Director of Chams Plc, Mr Gavin Young, made the disclosure in a statement made available, Monday in Lagos.

NAPAAS, a scheme for exservicemen and women in Nigeria, recently deployed an integrated, secure and multi-channelled asset acquisition online platform via a mobile app to automate key processes and end-to-end transactions with minimal human intervention designed for the Nigerian Legion.

The platform, designed for simplified and automated registration, asset discovery, application, approval, collections, monitoring and reporting of activities is a simple and flexible application imbued with artificial intelligence features, including liveness detection and face matching.

Young said that military pensioners would be the ultimate beneficiaries of the platform.

“The military pensioners will be ultimate beneficiaries of the platform that will ensure they can acquire goods and services

at affordable rates, linked to a structured and automated repayment plan.

“As the technology partner to NAPAAS and its esteemed members, our aim is to assist with fulfilling the vision of the scheme, which enables military service pensioners acquire personal basic assets with ease through the NAPAAS customer technology platform, designed with NAPAAS and developed by Chams Plc. “The platform is easy-to-use, ensuring a great user experience.

Ex-servicemen and women can safely apply for goods and services directly from their mobile phones.

“Chams Plc is proud to be associated with an initiative which supports Nigeria’s veterans in a way that improves their lives through access to goods and services at discounted rates, and facilitates easy repayment terms. Members could then use the various assets to generate business and related income.

“With technology playing an important role in the success of the initiative for NAPAAS and its customers, Chams Plc is privileged to have been selected as the technology solution provider.

“We expect to soon add additional services to the platform; such as micro-insurance and other beneficial solutions,” he said.

9mobile, Google, Transsion set to boost affordability of smartphones, high-speed internet

Stories by VICTOR NZE

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o further demonstrate its commitment to providing high-speed data experience and deepen mobile broadband internet access, 9mobile has collaborated with technology company, Google and mobile devices manufacturer, Transsion, the parent company of Tecno, Infinix and Itel brands, to roll-out an offer that puts smartphones in the hands of more customers.

Through this latest initiative, both new and existing customers of 9mobile can own select Transsion smartphones that run on Android’s optimised Go version which focuses on speed, storage, data management and security, bundled with an exciting data bonus from 9mobile.

Customers can make a choice

from any of Tecno, Pop 2 and Pop 2 Power, as well as Itel A33, P33 Plus and S15, or the Infinix Hot 8 Lite.

Commenting on the offer, Acting Director, Marketing, 9mobile, Layi Onafowokan, said users get an exciting and affordable data offer upon purchase of any of the smartphones. “Customers who purchase select Tecno and Itel phone models (Tecno, Pop 2, Pop 2 Power and Itel A33, P33 Plus and S15) will enjoy 2G free sign-up data bonus upon activation and also receive 100 per cent bonus on all data plans purchased from N1,000 and above for the first six months plus 50 per cent data bonus on all data plans from N1,000 and above from the seventh to twelfth month.

Speaking further, Onafowokan added that

Customers who purchase Infinix Hot 8 Lite are not left out of the fun as they get up to 4Gb free sign-up data bonus upon activation plus 100 per cent bonus on all data plans purchased from N1,000 and above for the first six months, while 50 per cent bonus on all data plans purchased from N1,000 and above will apply from months seven to twelve.

Onafowokan added that the key objective of this latest offer is to enable both new and existing 9mobile customers to own quality smartphones and browse seamlessly.

“This offer exemplifies the premium we place on our customers that motivates us to continue to explore partnerships that deliver true value for their money while delivering exceptional internet browsing experience,” he remarked.

Ayade lauds MTN 5G trial in Calabar

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overnor of Cross River State, Sir Ben Ayade has lauded MTN Group, for its choice of Calabar as one of the pilot cities to test-run its latest technological innovation - the 5G technology.

The Governor, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Orientation, Dr. Aye Henshaw, made gave the commendation during the Company’s 5G technology trial, held on 28 November 2019, at MTN Office, Etta Agbor Road, Calabar.

Ayade further quipped that with Cross River, being a technically-savvy State, MTN’s latest 5G technology, when it becomes fully operational, will further add impetus to the state’s aspiration of becoming the first smart city in Nigeria.

“The arrival of 5G technology in Calabar is not a coincidence.

We are pretty gratified that MTN chose Calabar as one of the pilot cities for this project,” he stated.

“I know that we have a history of partnership with MTN. When we started to build the Optic Fibre Network, it was in partnership with MTN. Going forward, the current administration has invested a lot of funds in equipment that will lead to the realization of that project. And very soon, we will call MTN again on issues of connectivity, because the Ayade-led administration, as a test-run, wants to get the entire Carnival Calabar route to be smart,” Ayade added.

The Governor, who described the 5G innovation as a welcomed development, thanked the

Company for displaying the abundance of benefits the 5G technology brings.

The delighted Governor also promised to key in and building on the existing partnership, while wishing MTN a faster rollout that would lead to the adoption and approval of the technology for the consumption of Cross Riverians and other residents of the state.

In his remarks, the Chief Technical Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Rufai, after conducting the Governor and other dignitaries round the 5G Demonstration Booths, said the exercise was just a demonstration of the technology which is subject to the ratification, adoption and approval of the National Communications Commission (NCC).

In a vote of thanks, the Chief Sales and Distribution Officer, Mr. Adekunle Adebiyi, thanked Governor Ayade and his delegation and all other attendees for gracing the event.

He also added that the 5G innovation will bring a whole new change to digital service delivery, while advising all to begin to tune towards adaptation to the modern-day phenomenon.

5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has defined three main uses for 5G. They are Enhanced Mobile Broadband (EMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC).

Airtel Nigeria chiefs, Mr Emeka Oparah and Erhumu Bayagbon receiving the ‘Best Use of Storytelling to Drive Sustainability’ award during the SERAs 2019 event held at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

NITDA commences enforcement of IT content development, projects clearance

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ational Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced the enforcement for compliance to the guidelines on Information Communication Technology (ICT) content development and projects clearance among 125 Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) and government owned companies.

Director-General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, said this on Tuesday in a statement he signed and issued in Abuja.

Inuwa recalled that the agency, with the mandate of regulating Information Technology (IT) in the country, issued a circular with Reference Number 59736/S.2/C.11/125 on Aug. 31, 2018 to MDAs. He said that the circular mandated the MDAs and government companies to clear IT projects with NITDA before such is

implemented.

This he said was in compliance with the Regulatory Framework for Promotion of Local Content in IT and projects clearance.

The director-general reiterated that it was in line with Executive Orders 003 and 005 approved by the FG in 2018.

“NITDA hereby notifies the general public, MDAs and government-owned companies that the agency has initiated enforcement action against 125 MDAs. “This is for violation of the directive of the Federal Government issued vide Circular with Ref No. 59736/S.2/C.II/125, issued on August 31, 2018.

“The circular mandates all MDAs and Federal Government Agencies to clear all IT Projects with NITDA before implementation and to comply with the Regulatory Framework for Promotion of Local

Content in IT. “These regulatory instruments were issued pursuant to Section 6 (a) (b) (c) of the NITDA Act 2007.

“Violation of these guidelines constitutes an offence pursuant to Section 17(4) of the Act and punishable under Section 18 of the same Act,’’ he said.

He said that NITDA had referred the matter to the Nigeria Police Force for appropriate investigation and prosecution, in line with the extant law.

According to him, principal and relevant officers of these MDAs will be held liable for violation of these regulations in line with Section 17:(3) a.

Inuwa warned erring institutions to comply by submitting all projects for clearance with NITDA and to procure IT goods and services in line with the regulatory guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS Extra 45 political parties set to merge for 2023 Igbo presidency

Climate change: NCF to establish 25% forest cover for Nigeria

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

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total of forty five registered political parties in Nigeria under the aegis of Equity Group are currently drafting a memorandum of understanding that will give birth to a merger into a mega political party to ensure an Igbo man emerged president of Nigeria in 2023.

National leader of the Group, Chief Frank Igbobuike, who disclosed this in a chat with Journalists in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, said the national Chairmen of the 45 political parties are fully committed to the struggle.

Chief Igbobuike who is also the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), said for the sake of unity, equity and fairness, it is incumbent on all other geopolitical zones to support 2023 Igbo presidency.

“Equity Group stands for a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023.

“The Equity Group is founded by 45 national Chairmen of registered political parties and they found me feat to be their national leader.

“What we are saying is that nearly all the zones have produced President of this country and they have always used the zoning formula as the metric stick in determining where the presidency should go to.

“And we think that at this time in our political history, we should be in the position to have the South-East produce the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“As a matter of fact, we have 92 registered political parties in the country and we are 45 registered political parties in the group. You can see the numbers we have.

“We are saying that an Igbo man should be the next president of this country. And we are ready to surrender the platforms we have for a mega party. In other words, the 45 registered political parties are ready to merge into one, as time goes ahead.

“In fact, we have done the memorandum of understanding and in a very short possible time, you found out that there might be nothing like PDM again. We will come up with a new name.

“The 45 registered political parties will merge and become one. We feel that coming together in one platform will help in no small measure in persuading the voice of the people within the six geopolitical zones to listen to our cry that for unity, equity and fairness, the presidency should go to an Igbo man come 2023.

“We are not seeing it as a small project and God’s willing, we shall succeed”.

Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barr. Nwebonyi Onyekachi, in an interview with our Reporter corroborated the position of Chief Igbobuike, adding that PDP was involved in the merger talk.

Nwebonyi maintained that it was high time for South-East to produce the president of Nigeria, urging other zones to support 2023 Igbo presidency.

“Yes, it is a reality and by the grace of God, it will happen. PDP is behind it, because as people who believe in equity, it high time to give the SouthEast the opportunity to produce the next president of this country.

“It is incumbent on other geopolitical zones to support an Igbo man to be president of this country and they will see the difference”, he said.

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar he Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has disclosed that it is poised to establishing a 25% forest cover for the country in order to address the problem posed by climate change and associated environmental challenges in the country.

NCF project manager for the state, Emmanuel Owan, disclosed this in Calabar during a March to mark this year’s Climate Change Week.

The march had as theme “naturebased solution for climate resilience”, and was graced by environmental activists across the state.

He said to achieve this target, the NCF has planted about 3 million trees across Nigeria and has this year partnered with the Cross River State and conservation clubs in schools across the state to plant 20,000 trees this

year.

“Today we are marking the climate action week and we are trying to create awareness and sensitization in the need to plant a tree and also develop mitigation strategies.

“NCF has a mandate to within a few years establish a 25% forest cover for the country and by doing that we plant trees every year.

“We have planted over three million trees across the country and during the wet Carnival we collaborated with the state government to plant 20,000 trees including donation to school conservation clubs across the state”, he said.

He said climate change has an immense effect on the society including change in rainfall pattern, crop shortage, heat intensity and called on everyone to plant a tree wherever they are.

Earlier, Ogbang Akwaji the permanent secretary Cross River State Ministry of Climate Change and Forestry said the state plays host to 50% of the remaining rain forest in the country hence is nature’s gift to the world.

He said the government is committed to protecting the forests and salvaging the environment hence the creation of a climate change and Forestry ministry underscores this.

He listed the impact of climate change in the state to include intensive heat and heavy rainfall up till December this year and called on all to join in saving the environment in our collective interest.

He assured the environmentalists that the government will use what nature has blessed it with in salvaging the world and called on all to key into this by planting a tree.

• Ezeemo 2nd from left and others during the visit to State Secretariat of PDP

Ebonyi Correctional Centre’s Comptroller threatens to stop intake of more inmates

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

E

bonyi State Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Services, Mrs Emelia Oputa, has threatened to stop intake of more in mates if nothing is done to decongest the centre.

The Comptroller who lamented over how the Abakaliki Centre is overcrowded, explained that it was meant to house 387 inmates but it now houses 1,213.

She said that the Command had been working hard to decongest the prison but needed assistance and support from relevant authori-

ties to make sure those who should not be there were freed.

The Comptroller disclosed this during a courtesy visit to her by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ebonyi Chapter.

Oputa attributed the congestion to lack of speedy trials, lack of legal representation of some innmates and delay in prosecution of offenders.

“We are not happy that a Correctional Services in Abakaliki with the capacity of 387 is harbouring 1,213 inmates, currently. Such issue gives rise to jail break because of congestion.

“There are inmates that have stayed for two years now, no complaints.Some are those accused of been in opposition parties and was since dumped after the 2019 General Election.

“We will stop taking inmates, if nothing is done to decongest the centre”, Oputa said.

She called on the Judiciary, Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ministry of Justice and the Police to redouble their collaboration with the Command in decongesting the centre.

the State.

His supposed challenger, Sunday Nkwuda of Young Progressives Party (YPP) was absent at the election venue.Reason for his absence was not ascertained immediately.

Those that were elected with Nwogba include: Esheya Kelvin Ikechukwu of C4C (Secretary), Njoku Evans Njoku of NCMP (Deputy Chairman 1), Chief Nwobegu Moses of LP (Deputy Chairman 2), Evang.

Kate Ohakam of APM (Financial Secretary), Barr. Oko Ewa Enyim of NPC (Legal Adviser) and Veronica Okafor of MAJA (Auditor Control Officer).

Others are: Edeh Pascal of GDPN (Publicity Secretary), Engr. Ele-

kwachi Chinedu of APP (Treasurer), Eze Ifeoma of DA (Organizing and Welfare Secretary), Udem Florence of AD (Gender and Disability Advisor) and Nchita Samuel Akahite of ADP (Deputy Secretary).

The Chairman of the electoral Committee and National Chairman of PDM, Chief Frank Igbobuike, said all the contestants were given equal playing ground and congratulated those who emerged victorious.

The immediate past Chairman, Mrs Adibe Nwafor, in an interview thanked God for a successful tenure band urged the new leadership to surpass his achievements, especially by sustaining the existing peace and unity among members.

Ebonyi IPAC elects new Executive

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

E

bonyi State Chapter of InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC) has elected a new executive committee.

The new leadership is to pilot the affairs of the council for the next one year, according to the rules guiding IPAC in Nigeria.

The election was held at the state headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Officials of INEC, Journalists and security agents were on hand to monitor the election.

Comrade Nwogba Morgan Nnaemeka of United Patriot (UP) party emerged the new IPAC Chairman in

Over 47 children, adolescents die of AIDS daily in Nigeria, says UNICEF

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

U

nited Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) says at least, 47 children and adolescents die of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) daily in Nigeria whereas only 35 percent of children living with the virus have access to life-saving treatment.

Peter Hawkins, the country representative of the Agency who disclosed this in a press release issued in Abakaliki to mark this year’s World AIDS Day, attributed deaths arising from the virus to low access to antiretroviral treatment and limited prevention efforts.

Hawkins said 160,000 children aged 0-9 were infected with HIV in 2018, bringing the total number of Children in the age group living with HIV to 1.1 million.

He added that 89,000 children under the age of five were infected during pregnancy or birth while 76,000 were infected during breast feeding in the year under review.

The country representative said 140,000 adolescent girls were newly infected with HIV compared to 50,000 adolescent boys within the period.

He called on governments and partners to improve HIV testing and treatment data for children and adolescents to respond to the needs of the vulnerable population.

“Progress has been made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, but we must do more, especially when it comes to Nigerian children and adolescents “Testing and treating for children and adolescents is a matter of life and death – and we must choose life.

“According to latest global data, regional disparities in access to treatment among children living with HIV is very high with West and Central Africa faring worst.

“Access is highest in South Asia, at 91 per cent, followed by the Middle East and North Africa 73 percent, Eastern and Southern Africa 61 percent, East Asia and the Pacific 61 percent, Latin America and then Caribbean 46 percent and West and Central Africa, 28 percent Access to treatment by children living with HIV in Nigeria is only 35 percent.

“Mothers’ access to antiretroviral therapy to prevent the transmission of the virus to their babies has increased globally, however, reaching 82 per cent, up from 44 per cent less than 10 years ago. This figure in Nigeria is 44 percent, up from 22 percent in 2009.

“It is good news that more and more pregnant women are receiving antiretroviral treatment to prevent mother- to-child transmission of HIV, which has helped avert about 2 million new HIV infections and prevented the deaths of over 1 million children under 5 old around the world”, said Hawkins.

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known as MISS CHIDIMMA OKOCHI, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS CHIDIMMA OKOLIE. All former documents remain valid. General Public note.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

INSURANCE & PENSION NSE suspends share trading of Continental Reinsurance

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he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has suspended the share trading of Continental Reinsurance Plc in order to ‘allow the company reconvene another Court Ordered Meeting to consider the scheme of arrangement as directed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).’

A statement by the NSE, said the suspension takes effect from Thursday, November 28.

“We refer to our Market Bulletin of 18 July 2019, with Reference Number: NSE/RD/ LRD/MB39/19/07/17, notifying Dealing Members of lifting of the suspension initially placed on trading in shares of Continental Reinsurance Plc (CRe or the Company) to

allow the Company reconvene another Court Ordered Meeting to consider the Scheme of Arrangement as directed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“Dealing Members are hereby notified that trading in the shares of CRe has been suspended effective today, Thursday, 28 November 2019.

“The suspension is to prevent further trading in the shares of the Company beyond the Effective Date (the date the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Court Sanction will be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission) of the Scheme of Arrangement by which CRe African Investments Limited (CRe Investments) will acquire all the shares of CRe Nigeria,” read the NSE statement.

Lagos Govt pays N1.514bn into the RSA of 426 retirees Stories by VICTOR NZE

L

agos State Government has paid the sum of N1.514 billion accrued pension rights into the Retirement Savings Accounts (RSA) of another batch of 426 retirees from its public service.

Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC), Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, who disclosed this at the 69th Retirement Benefit Bond Certificate presentation ceremony held recently in Ikeja, added that the state government has been consistent in the payment of

outstanding accrued pension rights of retirees.

“The state government is committed to clearing the backlog of accrued pension rights and has restated her determination to ensure that as people retire from service, they will transit to paid pensioners not later than two months after

retirement,” she said.

While thanking the retirees for contributing their quota and making a meaningful impact during their service years to the State, Onanuga advised them to do things in moderation as well as indulge in healthy activities in order to live a longer life.

NAICOM set to host AAISA General Assembly from Dec. 9

N

ational Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on Monday said is set to host the 3rd General Assembly of the Association of African Insurance Supervisory Authorities (AAISA) on December 9 – 10, 2019 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

AAISA is the umbrella body set up to bring together insurance supervisory authorities from all parts of Africa with the objective to amongst others: (1).

Promote co-operation among supervisory authorities in

Africa (2); Assist countries in human resource development, and (3); Create a forum for the standardisation of insurance laws and supervisory structures on the African continent.

As part of NAICOM’s support for capacity development of member countries, the General Assembly will be complemented with a seminar on Index-based Agricultural Insurance (IBAI).

Africa Re appoints senior Management team

T

he African Reinsurance Corporation (Africa Re) has announced new appointments at senior management level.

The appointees include; Guy B. Fokou; Director of Human Resources; Linda Bwakira; Corporate Secretary and General Counsel; Adil Essoukkani, Director of Information and Communication Technology; Phocas Nyandwi, Director of Central Operations and Special Risks; and Yvonne Palm, Director of Risk Management, Compliance and Actuarial Services.

Fokou has over 18 years of experience in human resource management at managerial level. He joined Africa Re in 2014 as Assistant Director of Human Resources & Administration and rose to the position of Deputy Director of Human Resources & Administration in 2018. He was appointed Director of Human Resources on 1 June 2019.

Bwakira has over 18 years of diverse and progressive experience in international financial institutions and legal services.

Prior to joining Africa Re, Mrs. Bwakira has worked in Global Corporate and Investment banks, namely Natixis Group and IXIS in France, Africa-based development financial

institutions including the African Development Bank and the Trade & Development Bank. She also worked in different law firms in Europe including Clifford Chance, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Landwell Brussels (PwC Legal arm) and Jansen & Associés Brussels.

Her expertise includes financial services, corporate governance and legal services.

Essoukkani has over 15 years of experience in information technology management in the insurance industry. He has occupied many managerial positions in the African insurance industry.

Nyandwi has over 20 years of experience both in life and non-life insurance. He occupied various managerial positions in the industry, especially in East and Southern Africa. He worked in the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re) as non-life underwriter in charge of francophone markets. He was also an active member of the technical committee of the Association of Kenyan Reinsurers (AKR). He joined Africa Re in 2010 as treaty and facultative underwriter in the Nairobi Regional Office, where he rose to the rank of Assistant Director, Underwriting and Marketing.

Palm has over 13 years of experience in actuarial practice.

From left: Mr Abisola Onigbogi (ED Technical, ARM Pension Managers), Mr Tunde Phillips (Head, States Operations Department, PenCom), Mr Peter Aghahowa (Head, Corporate Communications Department, PenCom), Mrs Carol AlexUzomah (AGM, Corporate Communications Department, PenCom), Mr Kunle Odebiyi (Head, Micro Pensions Department, PenCom), Mrs Eniola Adebulehin (SM, National Databank Management Department, PenCom), Mr Sola Adeseun (Acting Head, South-West Zonal Office, PenCom) Mr Elochukwu Nwankwo (Legal Department, PenCom).

25 states enact enabling laws on CPS, as contributors reach 8.85m in 2019

N

ational Pension Commission (PenCom) has disclosed that only 25 states of the federation have enacted laws on the contributory pension scheme (CPS).

The commission stated this at the 2019 PenCom journalists workshop in Benin City, Edo State, adding further that out of the 25, only nine states have begun implementation and remitting both employer and employee pension contributions.

Speaking at the event, Head, States Operation Department, PenCom, Mr. Babatunde Phillips, named the compliant states to include; Kaduna, Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Anambra, Ekiti and Delta States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He added that of the nine states, five of them are funding accrued rights.

He said Kaduna, the FCT, Osun, Delta, Anambra and Lagos States are funding accrued rights while Edo, Ondo and Ekiti States are only implementing and remitting.

He stated further that, of the 25 states which have existing CPS laws, 13 of them

had instituted pension boards.

Philips noted that five states have employees retiring under the CPS and drawing pensions, adding that, four States have enacted laws on the Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS).

Seven states, comprising of; Kwara, Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Plateau and Katsina, he said, are still at the bill stage while Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Gombe and Zamfara States are operating other pension schemes.

Earlier, the Acting DirectorGeneral, National Pension Commission (PenCom) Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar, disclosed that the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) has grown to 8.85 million as at the end of September, 2019.

Dahir-Umar, who was represented by Head, Micro Pension Plan Department, Kunle Odebiyi, maintained that the pension fund assets grown to N9.58 trillion.

According to her, Kaduna State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and seven other states are now fully remitting the pension contributions of both the employees and employers’ portion.

She said the industry had recorded a 1.78 per cent growth in the scheme membership during the second quarter of 2019, from 8.63 million contributors at the end of the first quarter, that is, March 2019, to 8.79 million in June 2019.

She attributed the consistent growth in pension scheme subscribers to increased awareness on the advantages and enforcement of the new pension scheme by the pension industry regulator, that is, the National Pension Commission (PenCom) and pension fund operators.

She also disclosed that pension assets at end of third quarter (Q3) stood at N9.58 trillion.

She also attributed to the commission emphasis on the safety of pension funds as the bedrock of sustaining the CPS, assuring all stakeholders that the pension reform remains steadily on course.

“These modest milestones notwithstanding, the Commission and Pension Operators are committed to actualizing the growth potentials of the pension industry.”

Speaking on the theme of the workshop, which was, ‘Expanding Coverage of the Pension Industry’, she said, the Commission’s current strategic focus, is aimed at expanding access to pension as a veritable tool for economic development.

“This aligns with the pension reform objective of old age poverty reduction and improvement in the welfare and general standard of living. The quest to expand coverage of pension is being pursued through some transformational initiatives especially the Micro Pension Plan.”

She said the micro pension plan, is targeted at the informal sector and self-employed who are not mandatorily covered under the CPS, noting that, it was designed with significant flexibility in recognition of the peculiarities of the targeted population.

She stated that the Enhanced Contributor Registration System (ECRS) is an in-house developed ICT application which was deployed in June 2019 to enhance the integrity of the contributors’ database.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

EQUITY & Capital Market SEC approves new rules for executing negotiated deals on NASD Exchange

S

ecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the new rules for Executing Negotiated Deals on the NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange. This is will improve transparency and price discovery on the platform.

In a notice by the commission, it was stated that in the newly approved rules, where a newly introduced security is accompanied by a valuation sheet prepared by an independent party, negotiated deals can be executed only after three months of entry to the OTC market.

It further noted that in the case of a newly introduced security, which is accompanied by a valuation sheet prepared by a related party, negotiated deals can be executed only after six months of entry to the OTC market.

On post admission or currently admitted securities, the NASD said it reserves the right to decline a negotiated deal request after considering certain factors which include, but not limited to value of transaction frequency of transaction and market information.

Also, the exchange noted that any deals negotiated outside the prevailing price band shall attract additional administrative costs as approved by SEC to be estimated based on the volume and value of the transaction.

It was further stated that under the new regulations, negotiated deals priced outside the prevailing price band can be executed by downloading and completing the NASD Form, which must be signed by the Chief Executive Officer and the Compliance Officer of the participating institution and then returned to the exchange, together with a signed client mandate which shows that they are aware of the market opening price as at the date of the negotiated deal.

On High Volume Trades, which are trades in equities which represent more than 5 percent of the total issued and fully paid capital of the company’s shares, the exchange stressed that participating institutions are under the obligation to obtain the written consent of NASD prior to executing such transactions.

It also directed that any application to execute a HighVolume Trade must be accompanied by an application letter highlighting the rationale behind the transaction, pricing, volume and beneficial holding of the securities prior to and after executing the transaction.

In addition, parties must obtain, fill and submit the NASD Form 7 (buyer and seller mandates).

The exchange said it would then communicate its decision on the application within 48 of receiving the completed request.

President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Uche Messiah Olowu (left); Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Aishah Ahmad; CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele; and Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank, Emeka Emuwa, at the 54th CIBN yearly dinner held in Lagos.

Ecobank, Standard Chartered lead in capital importation to Nigeria Q3 2019

N

ational Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Ecobank Nigeria and the local unit of Standard Chartered Bank have joined Stanbic IBTC Bank to become foreign investors’ favourites for investment deals.

Details of the Bureau report showed that out of 26 banks foreign investors used to deploy foreign capital into the country, the most investment came through Stanbic IBTC Bank. The bank attracted $1.63 billion worth of investment in the third quarter of this year, lower than $1.76 billion it had in the previous

quarter.

Ecobank followed with $754.38 million worth of foreign investment, while Standard Chartered Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of UKbased Standard Chartered Bank occupied the third position by attracting $502.47 million inflows.

Access Bank got $477.55 million; Rand Merchant Bank, $430.15 million; Citibank Nigeria Limited; $350.95 million; while First Bank of Nigeria had $307.94 million.

According to NBS, while the total value of capital importation into the Nigerian economy fell

by 7.78 percent to $5.36 billion in the third quarter of 2019 from the previous quarter, Ecobank Nigeria attracted $754.38 million worth of foreign investment, representing 55.41 percent more capital thus making the bank foreign investors’ favourites for investment deals.

Commenting, Adetokunbo Uko, Country Treasurer, Ecobank Nigeria, said the Bank was leveraging on its pan-African strategy to attract capital to the nation’s economy, stressing that the Bank remains committed to increasing capital flows to Nigerian financial market.

VAT generates N275bn in Q3 2019 –NBS NSE: Market capitalisation

T

he National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said the sum of N275.12 billion was generated as Value Added Tax (VAT) in the third quarter of 2019.

The NBS made this known in its Sector Distribution of VAT for 2019 third quarter report in Abuja on Monday.

It explained that what was realised in the third quarter was less compared to N311.94 billion generated in the second quarter of 2019.

The NBS report indicated that

sustains loss, down N22bn

the sum of N273.50 billion was generated in the third quarter of 2018 representing 11.81 per cent decrease Quarter-on-Quarter and 0.59 per cent increase Year-on-Year.

It further explained that professional services generated the highest amount of VAT with N32.09 billion.

According to NBS, after professional services, manufacturing is next, which generates N30.27 billion, then Commercial and Trading with N14.47billion.

The bureau disclosed that mining

generated the least and closely followed by Textile and Garment Industry and Pharmaceutical, Soaps & Toiletries with N44.30 million, N253.83million and N291.06 million respectively.

The NBS noted that out of the total amount generated in the third quarter 2019, N150.74 billion was generated as Non-Import VAT locally while N63billion was realised as NonImport VAT for foreign.

It added that the balance of N61.37 billion was gotten as Nigeria Customs Service NCS-Import.

SEC, NSE, FMDQ, others to attend 2019 CAMCAN conference

C

apital market regulators, operators and other stakeholders are expected to converge on December 7 to proffer ways on how the government can tap into the nation’s capital market to tackle the challenges.

The experts will gather at Dover Hotel, Ikeja, for the 2019 Annual Conference of the Capital Market Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CAMCAN) to discuss the theme:’ Bridging Nigeria’s Infrastructure Gap: The Capital Market Option.’

Guest Speaker is Mr. Oluseun Olatidoye, who is Head, Debt Capital Markets for FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited, one of the leading merchant banks in Nigeria.

The acting Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Mary Uduk, will be the special guest of honour, while the Chief Executive Officer, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Oscar Onyema, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, FMDQ Securities Exchange Plc, Bola Onadele, will be guests of

honour.

Also, expected is the Managing Director/CEO, Central Securities Clearing Systems Plc (CSCS), Haruna Jalo-Waziri, representatives from listed companies, trade groups and others to grace the occasion.

In a statement, CAMCAN said capital markets which have pools of long-term funds can provide the required financing for infrastructure, saying the experts will examine how government can use the market to solve the infrastructure challenges at relatively cheaper costs.

T

he crucial market indices of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) dropped further on Tuesday with a decline of 0.17 per cent.

The market capitalisation shed N22 billion or 0.17 per cent to close at N13.005 trillion against N13.027 trillion on Monday.

Similarly, the All Share Index which opened at 26,990.59 lost 46.27 points or 0.17 per cent to close at 26,944.32.

The downturn was impacted by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are; Guinness Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, MTN Nigeria, Chemical and Allied Product and Lafarge Africa.

Analysts at Afrinvest Limited said that “We maintain a bearish outlook on the market in the near term as investors book profit following gains in the prior weeks.”

Consequently, market breadth closed negative with 13 gainers compared with 19 losers.

Ikeja Hotel led the losers’ chart in percentage terms, dropping by 9.73 per cent to close at N1.02 per share.

Champion Breweries came second with a decline of 8.82 per cent to close at 93k, while Law Union & Rock Insurance dipped 8.45 per cent to close at 65k per share.

Chams lost 7.89 per cent to close at 35k, while Guinness declined by 6.45 per cent to close at N29 per share.

Conversely, Okomu Oil recorded the highest price to lead the gainers’

table in percentage terms, gaining 9.87 per cent to close at N54.55 per share. eTranzact followed with a gain 9.66 per cent to close at N2.61, while Royal Exchange and Wapic Insurance appreciated by 8.33 per cent each, to close at 26k and 39k per share, respectively.

Jaiz Bank improved by 4.55 per cent to close at 69k, while Unilever appreciated by 4.24 per cent to close at N18.45 per share.

The total volume traded declined by 23.33 per cent as investors bought and sold 189.01 million shares worth N2.88 billion exchanged in 3,314 deals.

This was in contrast with 246.51 million shares valued at N2.44 billion achieved in 3,093 deals on Monday.

Access Bank dominated the activity chart with an exchange of 35.41 million shares worth N324.55 million.

Guaranty Trust Bank followed with 34.61 million shares worth N1.05 billion, while Zenith Bank accounted for 18.37 million shares valued at N342.41 million.

United Bank for Africa sold 15.91 million shares worth N111.79 million, while Fidelity Bank transacted 7.80 million shares valued at N15.69 million.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) resumed trading for the month of December earlier on Monday with a marginal loss of 0.04 per cent.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

MONEY Market AMCON may declare public office holders indebted to the corporation bankrupt

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

M

anagement of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria (FHC), have challenged to explored the AMCON Act (as amended) to declare public office holders indebted to the corporation bankrupt.

This, according to a legal consultant and Senior Partner, Olaniwun Ajayi -LP, Muyiwa Balogun, has become the only alternative to enhance recovery of the over N5.4 trillion outstanding debt which is proving herculean and a source of pain to the Federal Government.

In a review of the new AMCON Act 2019 at a one-day Seminar for judges of the FHC in Abuja, Balogun warned that the debt profile can easily soar to a whopping N6.6 trillion by 2024.

A breakdown of the figure, he noted, showed that AMCON still owed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) N4.5 trillion, just as it is still battling with the N1.7 trillion worth of Assets Under Litigation (AUL).

This debt, he explained, will eventually become the burden of the federal government and by extension taxpayers, which is why he urged the FHC judges to take the matter as a national assignment and explore all the powers of the new amendment, in view of the corporation’s impending sunset.

He stressed the need to speed up the court processes, pointing to the immorality of allowing the obligors

to go away without punishment, especially since both the Holy Bible and the Quran, which incidentally are the dominant religions in the country abhor people who borrow without the intention to repay.

Backed by these, he stated that there are no legitimate means adopted by AMCON and its agents to recover the debt as mandated by the Amended AMCON Act that can be termed as draconian.

Balogun wondered what would have befallen the already challenged Nigerian economy, if the debts were not recovered in good time before the sunset, a situation he believes will not be possible without the support of the Federal High Court judges and indeed the judiciary.

According to him, “once you are declared bankrupt, you cannot hold public office. Today, we have AMCON debtors making laws for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. AMCON with your support needs to go to court and declare such individuals bankrupt. Given the sunset period of AMCON and the fact that the debt we are talking about is the commonwealth of Nigeria, it would not be out of place to take full advantage of the bankruptcy power among other special powers in the new amendment.”

The bankruptcy proceedings, he continued, have been explored in other climes to address similar matters arguing that there was no reason why it should not work in Nigeria.

“As a way of being proactive with the new amendment of the AMCON Act, let us test the bankruptcy

proceedings because it will be effective. In other jurisdictions, this has proved to be a very potent tool, and why not in Nigeria,” he wondered.

The new 2019 Amended AMCON Act, signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari earlier in the year gives AMCON sweeping powers to help it recover the debt owed by obligors.

He recalled that AMCON was created in 2010 as a result of the global economic crises of 2008/2009, which nearly crippled the Nigerian financial system, noting that the intervention at the time, depositors would have lost N3.7 trillion. AMCON had in the process also saved over 15,000 jobs, while purchasing approximately 12,743 bank loans through debt instruments worth N3.9 trillion. This was based on the simple understanding that the loans would be recovered either through voluntary payment or disposal of assets pledged by the obligors.

Also speaking at the event, AMCON Managing Director/Chief Executive, Ahmed Kuru, lamented a situation where the obligors have been working hard to stretch AMCON to the sunset period.

He however warned that the corporation, under his leadership, is determined to achieve its mandate within the limited time available (and within the law), adding that the amendment can only be as effective as the judiciary pronounces on its provisions within the interpretative powers vested by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

“On our part, we will continue to

sensitize our external solicitors on the best approaches in presenting AMCON cases to the courts. During our recent interaction with our external solicitors, we conveyed some of our concerns and implored them to properly equip themselves with the unique provisions of the amended AMCON Act as well as the Practice Directions whenever they appear before Your Lordships.

AMCON is committed to achieving its mandate within the limited time available (and within the law) and we recognize the crucial role of the judiciary in this effort.

“We have repeatedly made the point at every opportunity that all stakeholders must view the AMCON mandate as one of serious national importance. If at sunset AMCON is unable to recover the huge debt of over N5 trillion, it becomes the debt of the Federal Government of Nigeria for which taxpayers’ monies will be used to settle. The implication is that the general public will be made to pay for the recklessness of only a few individuals who continue to take advantage of the loopholes in our laws to escape their moral and legal obligations to repay their debts. We should not allow a few individuals to escape with our commonwealth.

“And we want to do it within the confines of the law. As we all know, the Federal High Court is AMCON’s court of first instance.

Under the new amendment, State High Courts and the High Court of the FCT have also been vested with jurisdiction to hear AMCON matters, but the powers to grant ex parte

orders under section 49 and 50 of the amended AMCON Act still reside exclusively with the Federal High Court,” Kuru submitted.

He further re-echoed the fact that it was unfortunate that AMCON through the instrumentality of the courts has continued to encounter a lot of challenges, which makes recovery difficult.

In addition to that, Kuru said the obligors of AMCON are getting wiser by the day, deliberately causing orchestrated legal delays knowing that AMCON has a sunset date.

It would be recalled that the AMCON Act was first amended in 2015 to address some of the encountered challenges of the corporation at the time. When the obligors again got wiser as it were, it became necessary that the Act is amended again in 2019 with a single objective of recovering the loans bought from the banks in order to settle AMCON’s debt without recourse to taxpayer’s money.

The seminar was attended by the Acting Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Terhemba Tsoho, officials of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), the management of AMCON and officials of Legal Academy. Balogun said the Judges of the FHC, which incidentally is AMCON’s court of first instance should as a matter of fact support the corporation to explore the bankruptcy proceedings as provided by the amendment, which he said will at least make it possible for AMCON to rubbish its debtors that are holding public office as persons of no integrity and so cannot hold such office.

How FirstBank FinTech summit is contributing to bridge Nigeria’s financial inclusion

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s financial solution providers continue to face stiffer competition globally from Fintech startups and emerging technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrency and crowdfunding, and the increasing level of disruption in the traditional mode of payment and business models, technology holds the key to unlock the potentials in the financial service sector across Africa through Fintech.

As the banking sector continues to find newer ways of engaging and providing customer centric services to bridge the current level of unbanked and under banked population to achieve Nigeria’s 2020 financial inclusion target, the fallout of the recently held FirstBank Fintech Summit 3.0., is that technology is the growth to financial institution in Africa.

“Customer experience and innovation are key in our approach to satisfying our customers. As a leading banking services solutions provider, FirstBank has continued to set the pace in the financial services

industry, coming up with new initiatives to provide financial products and services with greater speed, accountability and efficiency,” said Adesola Adeduntan, the CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited at the recent FirstBank Fintech Summit 3.0.

Adeduntan opined that the third edition of the FirstBank Fintech Summit indicates the Bank’s commitment to putting its customers first. According to him, FirstBank is keen at offering excellent financial services by devising new ways of effectively and efficiently meeting customers’ financial needs.

“Evidently, financial technology is causing positive disruption in the financial services industry. The impact of technology in lifestyle business and other areas of today’s customer is huge.

We are therefore following global trends in collaborating with Fintechs and other big technology companies on several transformational initiatives to be able to satisfy our customers’ needs,” said

Callistus Obetta, Group Executive, Technology & Services, FirstBank; Gbenga Shobo, Deputy Managing Director, FirstBank; Victor Asemota, Founder, Swifta Systems & Services and Keynote Speaker at the event; Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer, FirstBank and Abdullahi Ibrahim, Executive Director, Public Sector, FirstBank at the FirstBank FinTech Summit 3.0 held in Lagos.

Adeduntan.

According to Adeduntan, the main purpose of the FirstBank Fintech summit is to converge thought leaders in the FinTech space to champion discourse around financial technology and proffer solutions that will shape the future of banking.

He stated further that key areas of interest for the bank, is to champion the propositions

around e-business and digital offering, agent banking, wholesale or transaction banking product suite, retail and consumer lending and SME productivity.

“I am optimistic that every organisation represented here will be empowered to provide services with greater speed and solve real societal problems to the advantage of the Nigerian

populace through the insights that will be gained from this event.

“At FirstBank, our promise is to always deliver the ultimate ‘gold standard’ of value and excellence. We will therefore stop at nothing to provide excellent and innovative financial services to our esteemed customers,” he concludes.

32

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

Crime

We’ll use technology to fight crime – Lagos Gov

Stories by VICTOR NZE

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agos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday restated his administration’s commitment to adopt technology to fight crimes in the state.

The Governor revealed this at the 13th Annual Town Hall Meeting on security, which was organised by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, themed: ‘Transformational Security’.

The town hall event is organized as a feedback mechanism where residents and other stakeholders in the security framework converge to get a first-hand report on the state of security as well as a forum for fundraising towards improving the

security situation in Lagos State.

Speaking on new role for the Security Fund, Governor Sanwo-Olu revealed the State Government’s plan to build a one-stop technology hub where data will be collated for efficiency in the handling of security issues.

“The Trust Fund will be taking a higher responsibility and new initiatives will take place. We are going to build a smart city project. We will use technology to ensure that the State remains safe. We will build data rooms and install lots of security cameras across the state.

“Other security apparatus will be complementing the work of the police. Lagos State is working with other neighbouring states.

“In partnership with all the States in South Western region, a regional security outfit code-named ‘Amotekun’, has been established to combat banditry and kidnapping.

This group will work interstate and all modern gadgets and facilities will be provided. It will make it impossible for anyone to abscond to the neighboring state after an offense in one state.

He added: “We are revamping our Command and Control Centre.

We are doing a complete overhaul of this centre.”

The Governor further said that focus has been placed on the youth of the State to ensure that they are placed in a position where they will voluntarily shun cultism.

He said: “Very importantly, we are fully aware of the nexus between young people and security, and therefore very much focused on putting young people at the center of our security strategy.

“To this end, we are engaging youths and educational institutions, right from primary school level, in order to empower them to shun cultism and criminality, and to help them build skills to be active and responsible citizens.”

He called for support for law enforcement agents while they discharge their duties of safeguarding the state.

Chairman, Board of Trustees, LSSTF, Mr. Oye Hassan-Odukale, noted that crime fighting is manda-

tory and the Fund will not stop promoting the fight against crimes.

He said: ”The theme of today’s event is, “Transformational Security” which means that at the Fund, we are reviewing our response to security challenges in furtherance of our goal.

“After 12 years, our Trust Fund is still very relevant as we continue to provide critical support for the Police and other security agencies.

This is because our esteemed donors have continued to contribute to the Fund. This continuous support is not only a vote of confidence in LSSTF, but a recognition that our collective resolve to continue the fight against crime is an absolute necessity.”

DSS issues red alert over ‘plot to destabilise Nigeria during Yuletide seasons’

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•A cross section of Nigeria Police Force personnel in attendance during the 13th Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security with Mr Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu which held with the theme ‘Transformational Security’ at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Drug trafficking: NDLEA arrests 29 suspects in Edo

N

ational Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Edo command says it has arrested 29 suspected drug traffickers.

State Commander of the agency, Mr Buba Wakawa, who disclosed this in Benin on Tuesday, said the suspects, comprising 23 males and six females, were arrested in November.

He said that the suspects were in possession of about 3,756.82 kilo grammes of narcotics at the time of their arrests.

According to the commander, the bulk of the seized drugs were cannabis commonly referred to as marijuana.

The commander said that one of the suspects said the love for money led him into the criminal act.

“I was a commercial motorcyclist until things became very bad that I could not afford my house rent and even feeding.

“A friend of mine took me to Sobe to farm cannabis. He said that I will make enough money to settle myself and my family. However, my story is different. The first year was poor and the second year, thieves and bush fire destroyed my harvest.

“This year, I decided to bring my harvest home but unfortunately NDLEA officers arrested me and seized my drug,” the commander quoted the suspect to have said.

He said that the suspect from Ondo State and married with a child was found in possession of 684 kilogrammes of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis.

He would soon be charged to court.

The Edo commander also disclosed that the state command had inaugurated a Special Patrol Squad to tackle illicit cases of drug trafficking and abuse.

He explained that the strategic approach was aimed at intensifying surveillance operations to cut off illicit movement of narcotics as we approach the end of year festive season.

“What we have done is to constitute a team of officers to beef up patrol thereby making the command more dynamic and vibrant in tackling the problem of drugs in Edo.

“This is a season where the love of money lures many people into criminal activities including drug trafficking. That is why we are poised to intercepting the movement of drugs before they get to the final users.

“Cutting off the supply of drugs is a vital strategy in preventing drug and substance abuse in our society,” Wakawa said.

He warned drug barons to quit illicit drug cultivation and trafficking in the state or be prepared to face the wrath of the law.

“The patrol will leverage on intelligenceled techniques in intercepting drugs as well as arresting traffickers for prosecution,” he said.

Woman in police net for poisoning 4yr-old stepdaughter

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olice in Katsina State have arrested one Aisha Abubakar, 38, for allegedly killing her step daughter by poisoning.

This is contained in a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Katsina.

He said that the incident occurred on November 28 at Sabuwar-Unguwa quarters, Rimi Local Government Area of the state.

Isah said that the suspect allegedly administered a poisonous food on a four-yearold girl, Aisha, who became unconscious after eating the food.

According to him, the victim was rushed to the hospital where she later died.

He revealed that the suspect confessed to have committed the offence because of the hatred she had with the mother of the girl.

The police spokesman said that the suspect would be charged to court after investigation to serve as deterrent to others.

Isah also said that the police have succeeded in apprehending one Ibrahim Kasim, 22, of Makera, Funtua local government area for allegedly kidnapping his step sister.

He said that the incident occurred on Nov.16 where the suspect conspired with his girlfriend, Murja and committed the offence.

epartment of State Services (DSS) says it has uncovered syndicated plots by some undesirable groups to cause a breakdown of law and order in various parts of the country including Abuja.

According to the Public Relations Officer, DSS, Abuja, Peter Afunanya, the plan by the groups involves instigating protests, mass action and violence ‘with a view to causing anarchy and destabilizing the country.’

“These predetermined actions have been designed to take place simultaneously in the major cities across the geopolitical zones in the coming weeks.

“This is more so that the plotters are also targeting the yuletide seasons to accomplish their sinister motives. Considering the implications of these on public safety and national security, the Service wishes to warn the anti-democratic elements responsible for these heinous plots to desist forthwith from their inglorious acts.

“Consequently, parents are advised to rein in their wards and enjoin them not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble.

“Similarly, Heads of academic and public institutions are to warn their students and employees respectively from engaging in any untoward activity against public order.

“The Service and other sister agencies are at alert and will ensure that peace and security are maintained in all parts of the country before, during and after the festive periods.

“Law abiding citizens are equally encouraged to go about their normal businesses without fear but report any suspected persons or breach of peace to the nearest security office to them,” read the statement by the spokesman.

Police nab handbag, phone snatching robbers; recover gun, others

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olice operatives attached to ‘Operations Kpochakpu II’ Obunike Divisiion and Otoucha Area Command in conjunction with Vigilante group, last Friday, arrested one Oluebubechukwu Isaac ‘m’ aged 20 years of Azu Ogbunike and Ekezie ifeanyi ‘m’ aged 19 years of Osile Ogbunike village all in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, suspected of being phone robbers.

The suspects allegedly went to a barbing salon located at No.3 Olisakwe crescent Azu Ogbunike and robbed all the customers inside the salon of their belongings including handsets, jewelries and other valuables at gunpoint.

A statement signed by SP Haruna Mohammed, the PPRO for the Anambra State Police Command, on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, said exhibits recovered in their possession include; one locally-made revolver pistol, two wrist watches, one gold-coloured Infinix phone, one white-coloured Lenovo phone, one black power bank, one gold plated necklace and one Malaysian bag.

33

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

Love and Living

...With Ireto Temofeh

MODEL OF THE WEEK

LOVE NEWS

Ring that Pablo Picasso designed to appease his angry lover when she threw her old jewellery in the River Seine during a row sells for £500,000

I

Name: Elizabeth Tel: +234 9093174930 If you want to be our next Model of The Week, e-mail or forward your photos/data to: ireto007@yahoo.com. Call 07031028714

t went under the hammer at the Sotheby’s Actual Size sale on June 21 following the sale of her estate.

Curator Thomas Bompard said: ‘Picasso has depicted a world on a scale so intimate you can hold an entire artistic vision on your finger.

‘Sometimes the smallest of things can contain a universe of thought and emotion, and so it is with this ring - an intimate piece that allows us a captivating glimpse into secrets that might otherwise not be shared.’

Dora Maar was by no means the only woman who became involved in the the famed artist’s colourful life, as Picasso struck up relationships with a number of mistresses during his 91 years.

But theirs was a troubled albeit passionate affair that was never meant to last.

The pair were introduced to one another while Maar was working as a set photographer on the Kean Renoir film, The Crime of Monsieur, in 1935.

Picasso had already married to Olga Khokhlova - a ballerina - in 1918 but the pair separated around 1927, though they remained legally married until her death in 1955.

On meeting Maar, Picasso was still involved in an affair with MarieThérèse Walter, whom he had met when she was 17, in 1927.

Maar and Picasso remained together for around nine years and, though she remained nothing more than a mistress, served as an integral part to his artistic life.

She would document, help and photograph Picasso in his attic studio in Paris - ultimately leading

ODD NEWS

Romantic Joke

Sugar could be worse for your blood pressure than salt, shock new research reveals

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ugar - not salt - is to blame for high blood pressure, US researchers claim.

They argue that high sugar levels affect a key area of the brain which causes the heart rate to quicken and blood pressure to rise.

The scientists from New York and Kansas also highlight a recent study of 8,670 French adults which found no link between salt and high blood pressure.

For years the public have been urged to slash their salt intake and guidelines state it should be restricted to a teaspoon a day.

Experts say it increases the risk of strokes by a quarter and it has been blamed on 3 million deaths worldwide annually.

But in an article in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers led

by Dr James DiNicolantonio state ‘It is sugar not the salt that may be the actual causative factor for high blood pressure.

‘This notion is supported by meta analyses of randomised control trials (large-scale studies) suggesting that

sugar is more strongly related to blood pressure in humans than sodium.

‘Encouraging consumers to hold the sugar, not the salt, may be the better dietary strategy to achieve blood pressure control.’

Around a quarter of adults in the UK have high blood pressure and it greatly increases the risk of strokes and heart disease.

This research is further evidence of the health risks posed by eating too much sugar.

In June, officials issued new guidelines urging the public to limit themselves to between five and seven teaspoons a day over concerns it is causing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The American researchers believe that high sugar levels affect a key area of the brain called the hypothalamus which causes the heart rate to quicken and blood pressure to rise.

They also think it may cause our bodies to produce more insulin, a hormone, which may also speed up the heart rate.

Dr DiNicolantonio, a heart disease research scientist at Saint Luke’s Mid

to the creation of his masterpiece, Guernica, in 1937.

Maar would also feature in a number of Picasso’s paintings and, notably, Weeping Lady.

But the artist’s bohemian lifestyle led him onto meet a young art student named Françoise Gilot, in 1944, when she was just 23 and he was 63.

Though incredibly close, his and Maar’s relationship was also one fraught with tension and dispute because Picasso continued to see his former lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter.

They separated in 1943 and Picasso went on to have two children with Gilot - who would also separate from the artist years later.

Boxing Match

America Heart Institute in Kansas City also contradicts experts who claim reducing salt consumptions will lower levels of obesity and heart disease.

He adds: ‘We argue the opposite, a reduction in salt intake may lead to an increased intake in processed foods (and added sugars) and, thereby, increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.’

The reasons are complicated but it is thought that low salt levels increase the amount of certain fats in the blood.

Dr Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and science director of Action on Sugar, a campaign group, said the public health risk posed by sugar had been underestimated.

He added: ‘We know that sugar does not provide any nutrients and

there is growing evidence it is an independent risk factor for many diseases.

But Professor Graham McGregor, an expert in cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary, the University of London, said the evidence blaming sugar rather than salt for high blood pressure was ‘incredibly weak.’

He said that research spanning several decades had shown a strong link between salt and high blood pressure.

Guidelines from Public Health England, the agency responsible for tackling obesity, in June stated that women should have no more than five to six teaspoons of sugar a day and men seven to eight.

But the average adult consumes 15

A guy and his wife are sitting and watching a boxing match on television. The husband sighs and complains, “This is disappointing.

It only lasted for 30 seconds!” “Good,” replied his wife. “Now you know how I always feel.” teaspoons largely due to the high levels of hidden sugar in fruit juice, muesli, yoghurts, sandwiches and ready meals.

Some experts want the Government to impose a sugar tax on fizzy drinks although ministers have so far rejected these calls.

The Government’s chief advisor on obesity, Professor Susan Jebb, has also urged parents to ban fruit juice and fizzy drinks from the dinner table and stick to water.

Experts are also worried that sugar is behind an increase in tooth decay in children and could affect their ability to learn.

34

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS Extra Onitsha traders lament extortion by touts From JONATHAN AWANYAI

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raders and residents of Onitsha, Anambra State have cried out to Governor Willie Obiano to intervene and stop extortion perpetrated by touts, who allegedly claim to be revenue agents.

The Oracle Today gathered that the boys most times wielded weapons to carry out their unlawful business of collecting illegal fees along Bidda Road of Onitsha Main Market.

Traders who spoke with The Oracle Today lamented the activities of the touts, who forcefully collect money ranging from N5,500 and N10,000 or more from trade in the name of ‘land payment money’, ‘auction permit’ and all sorts of illegal taxation.

While narrating their ordeal in the hands of these touts, the chairman of Bidda market, Chukwudobelu Chinedu who spoke with The Oracle Today during a peaceful protest at the Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Union (AMATA) office in Onitsha to lament the incessant extortions alleged that the traders in the market are forced to pay a lot of illegal levies ranging from land rent to auction permit.

Another trader, Izuchukwu Orji also called on Governor Obiano to help them; “so many things are going on in Onitsha. We are being extorted every day. If you go to markets, they collect goods and land money” he said In a swift reaction, The chairman of Anambra North Vigilante Services, a subsidiary of Anambra State Vigilante Group, AVG, Chief Chinenye Ihenko who spoke with The Oracle Today disclosed that the security outfit is on top of the situation but regretted that hoodlums have infiltrated the revenue agency in the area.

“These boys parade different letters claiming to be revenue agents and we find it difficult to identify the genuine government revenue agents because they sub contract it to other people whom you cannot trace it to. However, we are working hard to handle the situation” Chief Ihenko, also known as Okpompi assured traders of their safety during the yuletide season and beyond while advising them to be conscious of their environment and handling of their luggage, so that they are not shortchanged due to the busy atmosphere of the period.

Also the leadership of Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Union(AMATA) in Onitsha have promised to investigate the issue.

• Gov. Obiano

Anambra communal land dispute: Detained party sues petitioners, police for N120.5m

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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ine indigenes of Ufuma community in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra state have dragged fellow indigenes of the community to an Aguata High Court sitting at Ekwulobia claiming a total sum of N120.5 million for breach of their fundamental human rights and ostracizing them from the community.

Joined in the suit which has been fixed for hearing on January 13, 2020, as 8thy, 9th, 10th and 11th respondents are the Officer In-charge of Anambra State police Commmand Monitoring Unit, the State Commissioner of Police, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG Incharge of Zone 9 Zonal Command, Umuahia and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP. The Motion No. AG/MISC51/2019,

filed on their behalf by Anayo Emejue Esq., lead counsel to the applicants, was brought pursuant to to Order II, Rules 1, 2 and 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and Sections 34 (1), 35 (1), 41, 42 and 43 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria, and Articles 4, 5, 6 and 12 of the African charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

Out of the total of N120.5 million being claimed by the applicants jointly and severally against the respondents, N120 million is for exemplary, special and general damages for unwarranted violation of the fundamental rights of the applicants, while the remaining N500,000 is for the cost of the suit against the first to seventh respondents.

In the suit which was filed at the High Court Registry, the applicants,

Chief Ferdinant Orji an octogenarian, Ifeanyi Orji, Anayo Orji, Okwudili Nwankwo, Chimezie Anuka, Okechukwu Nwankwo, Chike Nwankwo and Udochukwu Nwankwo are seeking a declaration of the court that the arrest, detention and intimidation of Messrs Vincent Chukwu Nwokolo, and Isaac Nwokolo, together with the persistent search, threat and attempts to arrest and detain other applicants, by the 8th to 11th respondents, at the instigation of the 1st to 7th respondents, for challenging the 1st to 4th respondents in a civil court over 1st to 7th respondents’ criminal trespass into the lands of the applicants is wrongful and unlawful as it violates their right to liberty and dignity of human person as enshrined in the constitution.

The applicants further prayed the court to declare that the acts of the

• Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa(middle); Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (2nd left); Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu (2nd right); Special Adviser to the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State on Security, Mr.Fubara Duke (left) and Special Adviser on Security to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr.Boma Jack, during the 2019 South-South Regional Police security Summit, in Asaba Delta State. Photo: JONATHAN AWANYAI

N/Delta youth leader seeks Buhari’s intervention in NDDC impasse From CHRIS EZE, Yenagoa

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mmediate past Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Dickson on Niger Delta Youth Affairs, Mr. Kenedy Tonjo-West, has urged the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, to intervene in the lingering leadership crisis in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a statement he issued in Yenagoa, Tonjo-West said the call to Kyari to intervene in the impasse between the legislators and Senator Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, over the inauguration of the board members of NDDC was based on Kyari’s competence as an astute administrator.

Recall that newly appointed board of the commission is awaiting inauguration, while Akpabio has appointed an Interim Management Committee to probe NDDC’s finances and run the commission for six months.

However, the National Assembly had said it would not recognize the committee, nor allow it to appear to defend the 2020 budget of the commission insisting that there was no provision for the committee in the NDDC Act. According to Tonjo-West, the impasse was an impediment to the commission’s progress, adding that the development might affect NDDC’s appropriation for the 2020

fiscal year, if steps were not taken to resolve it.

The youth leader maintained that if the appropriation is affected, it will have dire consequences for development in the region.

The youth leader further said that Niger Delta youths were getting more aware of their roles and responsibilities in shaping their future.

He said that youths of the region saw crisis in NDDC as “an ill wind that does no good to the region.

“We have watched carefully the proactive and objective disposition of the Chief of Staff to the President in handling issues that have to do with the presidency and members of its cabinet, especially when they concern policies, and reforms of government and the citizens.

“This is the first time the president is delegating his powers to the minister for the purpose of creating a healthy relationship between the people and their own vis-à-vis development of the region.

“We commend the Senate leadership for standing their ground in ensuring that the right thing be done, which is to allow the board to commence work.

“The way the youth leaders are feeling about the crisis suggests to me that trouble is looming should our plans to urge Kyari to persuade the president to prevail on the min-

ister to do the needful fails.

“The patience of the youths, who are eager to see the development plan of the Federal Government materialise in concrete ways is running out.

“The earlier the board comes on stream to settle the plethora of issues that have been left unattended to, the better for our safety and peace.

“We appreciate the minister’s efforts in looking into the records and the finances of NDDC, we are totally in support of the audit to ensure probity and accountability of public funds.

“However, we feel that delaying the inauguration of the board and denying them the space to work or delaying the recognition is certainly a drawback to our overall progress.

“Inauguration of the board remains the wish, aspiration and views of the people of Niger Delta as the selection process for membership was democratic and representative of the entire region,” Tonjo-West said.

He further said that the president consulted widely and met with Niger Delta governors before the board was constituted.

He therefore urged stakeholders to close ranks and give the board the support to succeed in driving development in the region.

respondents in arresting, detaining, intimidating, harassing, embarrassing and threatening to arrest, detain and torture more of the applicants as to force them to relinguish their landed properties, subject of Suit.

No. AG/88/2018 and other civil suits without any justification amounts to breach of their right to acquire and own immovable properties in Nigeria.

A declaration that the complaint of the 1st to 7th respondents to the 8th to 11th respondents sometime in November 2019 or thereabout, which gave rise to the arrest, detention, persistent search, threat and attempts to arrest and detain more of them by the police for no justifying reason(s) is malicious, mischievous, spurious and false.

They therefore prayed to court to make an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, servants, privies from further arresting, detaining or attempting to arrest or torture them over the matters forming the grounds for this application.

Also in a 16-page written address attached to the motion in support of the grounds of the application, the applicants recalled that in ostracizing them, the respondents had decreed that no native of Ufuma should ever associate with them, neither should anybody ever do any kind of business with them, nor visit their houses or compounds, not to talk of honouring any invitation for burials, marriages or any other kind of event held at their places of abode.

The applicants also recalled that the respondent followed up the decree with a stern warning that whoever flouted their decrees would pay huge sums of money to them as fines or penalties.

They noted that so far, Nwokolo Jekwu, Nwokolo Isaac, Nwokolo Godwin, Nwokolo Nwabueze Orji Ferdinand, Orji Anayo, Orji Ifeanyi and their family members from Obuagu, Umuagu, and Ugwu, Umuagu, Ufuma have fallen victims of the ostracism saga, adding that never in their history have they ever been subjected to this kind of injustice, ridicule, banishment, ostracism and subjected to outcast in their own town of birth and in the modern day and age.

They attached a letter to the traditional ruler of Ufuma community, Igwe Sylvanus Chika Uchime and his cabinet known as Diji-in-Council, written by one of their legal counsels, N. B. Gbarade Esq., asking for their confirmation and intervention in the ostracism saga They also attached a reply/confirmation letter from the Ufuma Diji-inCouncil confirming that the respondents actually ostracized some people in the area without the approval of Diji-in-Council, even when villages, clans or families in the community, by custom and tradition, have no traditional authority to do so without approval by the Diji-In-Council of Ufuma which must only be if a traditional abomination is committed.

In the letter signed on their behalf by the Ufuma Cabinet Secretary, Nze Bertram Orji, the Diji-in-Council also confirmed that some people have been ostracized in Obuagu, and Ugwu, Umuagu-Ufuma by a group led by Mr. Obinna Nwankwo, to the extent that a widow named Mrs. Paulina Okoli was fined N10,000 only for selling akara balls to one Edna Okoli who is said to be ostracized, adding that apart from the widow, other people were also fined for associating with those said to be ostracized, including the applicants

35

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

NEWS Extra We are neglected, disabled persons cry out in Abia From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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he Joint Association of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), Abia State chapter, has cried out to the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, to pass the Abia State Disability Bill into law.

Addressing journalists at a Press Conference to mark the 2019 International Day for Persons with Disability, also requested government to restore the Special Scholarship Scheme for PWDs to boost education of their members.

Decrying what they described as the indifference of government to their plight with regards to the passage of the Disability bill into law, visually impaired Chairman of the Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities in Abia, Comrade Stanley Onyebuchi, lamented that their members face neglect in the society because of the absence of the law.

“We face neglect. There is no percentage provision for us in terms of employment, no provision for us in road construction and office buildings so that wherever people without disability go, we can go and wherever they speak, we can also speak,” Onyebuchi said.

He further noted that there was no provision for PWDs at banks’ Automated Teller Machines or churches and other public buildings in the state, incuding the Michael Okpara Auditorium, the major civic centre in Umuahia, the state capital.

“We ask that the 7th Abia House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, should emulate the National Assembly by passing the Abia State Disability Bill into law,” Onyebuchi said, adding that this would save PWDs from their harrowing experiences and give them a sense of belonging in the society.

The group also alerted the state governor that their members were excluded from all employment exercises carried out recently in the state.

“It is disheartening to observe that since the creation of Abia State, persons with disabilities have been excluded in the appointment of top political positions like Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Special Advisers, Board members, etc,” they added.

They also pleaded with the state government to establish and furnish a skill acquisition center for PWDs and restore the special scholarship scheme for them, which, before now, had assisted them to acquire education from primary to tertiary level.

Executive Director, Center for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), Mr. David Anyaele, in a goodwill message delivered on his behalf during the conference, expressed his worries, saying “We are concerned that Abia State House of Assembly does not take the protection of the rights of PWDs as an issue. No one is immune from getting disabled.”

Anyaele also called on Ikpeazu and the House Speaker, as well as other well-meaning Abians to “take concrete measures to set in motion, the process of passing the Disability Bill in Abia State.”

The theme for the 2019 International Day for Persons with Disability, celebrated worldwide yesterday (Tuesday, December 3, 2019) is “The Future is Accessible.”

Nnamdi Kanu’s defence counsel declared wanted by police From PAMELA EBOH, Awka

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efence counsel to Nnamdi kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Bar Ifeanyi Ejiofor has been declared wanted by the Anambra State Police Command.

Making the announcement in Awka on Tuesday, the Police Commissioner in the state, CP John Abang said Kanu’s lawyer was wanted in connection with the killing of two police officers by mem-

bers of IPOB in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on Monday.

In a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Haruna Mohammed, he declared that members of IPOB in Oraifite killed two police officers when a team of security personnel went to arrest Kanu’s Advocate over complaint of abduction brought against him.

According to him, the members of the proscribed group immediately

attacked the police, killing two of its men and setting ablaze a vehicle belonging to the command.

While declaring Ejiofor wanted, CP Abang said, “We implore lawabiding Nigerians from North, South East or West who have information about this man to report to the nearest police station.

“He is a member of the proscribed IPOB, and he is wanted in connection with the killing of two policemen. We implore anyone who has information on him to report to us.”

• APAM Band Group on performance at the funeral ceremony of Lady Victoria Nwadunume Nwafor Orizu, Wife of the First Nigerian Senate President recently at Otolo Nnewi, Nnewi North LGA ANambra State. Photo; OLIVER UDEOGU

‘Cash for Marks’ undermining education in Nigeria, says Professor Enoh

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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ormer Vice Chancellor of the Cross River University of Technology CRUTECH, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh has deplored the menace of cash for marks in the nation’s tertiary institutions saying it is undermining the quality of education in the country.

He called for stiffer sanctions against any academic staff who trades marks for cash in order to save our institutions and add value to our education system.

He also charged the managers of tertiary institutions to rise up to the occasion to put an end to the ugly trend where students’ grades in school are traded for cash with a resultant effect leading to abysmal fall in standard of education in the country.

Enoh gave the charge after delivering a lecture titled “Quality Assur-

ance and the Architecture of Educational Excellence” at the combined convocation of the Cross River College of Education, (COE) Akamkpa.

He said that when teachers allow students to “sort” aside becoming incapable of the required contribution to national development expected of them, the teacher and student end up loosing their integrity.

He equally identified poor attitude to academic matters as being responsible for falling standard of education in Nigeria and emphasized that quality education is not when the government goes about erecting gigantic laboratories/libraries but when those involved refused to treat academic matters with levity.

“Anyone who sorted, altered students’ scores, tied examination scores to purchase of his textbook or handouts, who rarely lectured students, doctored continuous assessment scores is unfit for appoint-

ment as provost, Rector, VC or principal of a school.”.

Other vices mentioned by the former VC as being responsible for low quality of education in the country, includes “sorting”, falsification of continuous assessment scores, examination malpractice, linking award of examination scores to purchase of handouts and textbooks.

“Why are we unconsciously converting our huge beautiful looking libraries/ laboratories buildings to mere ornaments, examination to mere formalities, project writing to mere rituals, lecture attendance to a matter of choice, above all certificate we offer to a mere piece of paper without substance?”, he queried.

Professor Enoh stressed that Nigeria will remain economically nonviable if our educational system is not overhauled.

The lawmaker whose attention was drawn to the incident, quickly took custody of Jennifer and has offered to carter for her accommodation, feeding, education and her sundry welfare, through his foundation.

Ogah, who spoke through his Aide, Ogochukwu Elem, said he was working hard to take his constituents out of streets hawking by gainfully empowering them.

“The Lawmaker has directed that she be placed on automatic scholarship so that her vision and mission on earth would be not be truncat-

ed.

“We commend security agencies for their intervention. Because, if not that they alerted the Lawmaker who sent us out in search of the girl, he may not have known about her condition.

“I want to assure you that now she is in our custody, we will do everything humanly possible to giver her a bright future”, he said.

In an interview, Jennifer thanked the Lawmaker for coming to her aid and prayed God to reward him abundantly.

Reps member awards scholarship to Ebonyi orphan rescued in Lagos

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

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ember representing Ikwo/ Ezza South Federal Constituency, at the House of Representatives, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, has awarded scholarship to a 23year old orphan, Miss Onwe Jennifer, who was rescued in Lagos by security agents.

Miss Jennifer hails from Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, but was rescued and repatriated from Lagos by security agents who were moved by her hapless and pitiable condition.

Police arrest wanted murder suspect, six others in Anambra

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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nited Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has commenced a 16 -Day campaign/ Activism against all manner of Gender-Based Violence at Ogoja, Northern Cross River.

The campaign kicks off with a street walk by officials of the UNHCR, partners, host communities and the Cameroonian refugees from their resettlement camps in Adagom and Ukende communities.

Head of UNHCR sub-office, Mulugeta Zewdie in his remarks appealed to all relevant government agencies to ensure that victims of gender-based violence get justice irrespective of their financial status.

Zewdie, who was represented

by Mr Derwin Djamaris, Protection Officer of UNHCR, said a situation where victims of the gender based violence are not given access to justice would make the victims feel so bad as if they have no one to speak for them or care about their plights.

Justice he said, is one crucial aspect of effective protection response to gender-based violence and also contributes to its prevention.

The 16-Day campaign which ends in December 10, would help in creating awareness and renew commitment to prevent and respond to abuses.

Speaking on the 2019 theme; “End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work”, Zewdie stressed that UNHCR is poised to ensure that all the victims of gender based violence get redressed.

“UNHCR is committed to ensuring that all persons of concern have access to existing justice mechanism; giving sexual and genderbased violence survivors a voice and restoring their dignity.

“Also, securing a remedy for the serious violation of their rights and ensuring their perpetrators are brought to justice must be a priority for all.

“The responsibility is not central to UNHCR’s mandate, it is a matter of human rights and has to be reflected in our own action as humanitarian workers,” he said.

He stressed that sexual and gender based violence were among the social ills that has remained a threat to the safety and security of those victims by displacement and conflict.

Zewdie averred that failure to investigate and prosecute sexual violence and the inability of victims to seek and achieve redress has eroded confidence in law enforcement actors and the judiciary.

The Global 16 Days Campaign which was earlier launched in 1991 has remained coordinated by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership, running each year from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

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The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT Lolo 1 – Comedienne

With Douglas Omoyooma

I’m ready to give love another chance

–Lolo 1

By Douglas Omoyooma

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opular broadcaster, Lolo 1 (Omotunde Adebowale David) has paid her dues as far as broadcasting is conncerned in Nigeria. In this chat with Oracle Today, the single mother of four opens up why she quit WAZOBIA FM after 11 illustrous years, life as a single mum and why she is ready to give love another chance after her separation from mher ex.

“I am a hopeless romantic,” Lolo crooned in a chat.

“Until you are dead you can never stop believing. I am believing God for a second chance and trusting that everything will work out in its own time. I am not in a rush; I just want everything to happen as it should. So, of course, I want to give love another chance. My ideal man has changed from when I was much younger.

Now I would really, really want to get together with a man that is extremely adventurous, that loves nature that loves God above everything and also would love my children.

“I am talking about a man that knows who he is so he doesn’t get swallowed by my ‘mild huge personality (laughter).’ I am about physical features but I don’t like fat men though. I don’t mind somebody that is very athletic, because if he is keeping fit, that means he is going help me keep fit too. However, I take all other considerations as I see the person because whatever standard you want, you have to be that standard yourself for it to be worthwhile.”

Born without a silver spoon in the 80s, Lolo comes from a average family. Recalling her early years she continued: “Back then we had a very strong middle class so I think I wasn’t born poor. Dad was a printer who had his own printing company. My up bring was basically in the boarding house for a long time.

I went to the boarding house when I was in Primary 3 and I stayed till I finished secondary school. I spent a lot of time In boarding school so it made me very independent. You know, being away from home for a very long time when I was young made me very independent and today I can say I am a one man army,” she says laughing.

Lolo 1 has been broadcasting for the past 15 Years.

She started out with Metro FM where she cut her teeth mentored by the likes of Kodele Ope, Delight Alfred, Frank Edoho and Charles Anozodo.

“Wazobia FM changed a lot for me,” she recalled. “I had my first set of awards and the job gave me access to big names and celebs. I don’t think there is any A-list artist I have not interviewed. I had the privilege of interviewing ambassadors and even the vice president and traveled extensively. It has been an amazing and rewarding journey with so many high points.

“When I just started pidgin broadcasting I had an experience. I have done English programming for a long time hence pidgin challenged me at first. I was on Cool FM doubling as a news reader when I called Roger Federer Roger Federerer. Before I knew it, it was in the papers how terrible the news reader was! How I

couldn’t I pronounce Roger Federer right. It was in a national daily so you can imagine how devastating it was for me. I remember another instance when I was on a as a new broadcaster and someone said ‘get that person off the air. She doesn’t know how to speak pidgin.’

Life as single mother The divorced mother of one also spoke about life as a single mother and her challenges. She said: “Being a single mum has been one of the most challenging roles in my life. It is a situation that nobody desires but when life happens, you take it has it comes and move on. I always tell everyone it is not easy so stop labelling any woman or a mother that is nurturing her children on her own. It is not a disease; it is a state of being. You can’t label people just because they are single, married, divorced, aged, colored or whatever. We just have to treat everyone like the unique individuals they are. I don’t consider myself different because I am a woman. I consider myself hardworking and a human being, it is not really about my gender. It

will support them.”

is tough raising children on your own or being a single mum but life throws different kinds of challenges on our way so the best to do is know your situation, deal with it and live above it.”

IS any of her kids taking after her? “I just allow my children to be themselves and I watch out for their major talents and try to help them grow. I don’t compel them to do this or that. Rather, I listen to them all the time. Some of them are showing traits for media but I would want them to come in at their own time. As much as I will make myself available, I will be conscious of what their natural gifts are and help them invest in it and as long as it does not offend God, I

Advice Having seen it all and done it all, Lolo has an advice for wannabes. She says: “For every young person that wants to take after me I will say, know yourself from the very beginning. Once you can determine who you are, what you give yourself to or what your focus is

37

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

SPORTS Why I won’t relent on Eze –Pinnick

Diving season concludes with final Grand Prix meet in Singapore

By MADUABUCHI KALU with Agency Report

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By MADUABUCHI KALU with Agency Report

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majuPinnick, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, has given reason he won’t give up in the pursuit of England Under-21 player, EbereEze, for the Super Eagles. He explained that his insistence on Eze playing for the Super Eagles is to improve the squad.

The NFF are hoping to convince the Queen’s Park Rangers midfielder to play for them rather than England at senior level. The midfielder has yet to accept to lace his boot for the national team the Super Eagles but the NFF’s boss said he is not giving up in luring him to play for the Super Eagles.

Eze, who was born in England to Nigerian parents, played twice for the Three Lions at under-21 level in November, but Pinnick wants him to switch allegiances to boost. The Super Eagles’ midfield as they plan for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“We need to make a solid representation at Qatar 2022, and it starts with improving on your squad with quality players like Eze,” he insisted.

“Can you imagine a midfield with Ndidi, Aribo, Etebo and Eze? it is one that will improve our squad.”

Pinnick has already held meetings with the 21-year-old and his parents and believes they have gone well.

“I had a positive meeting with EbereEze in London and I spoke to his parents as well,” said Pinnick.

“He requested for the chance to continue to focus on his club career which is going well, so far, and that further progress will be made in due course “But I’m confidently hopeful that he will play for Nigeria soon.”

Imo Sports Festival: Ihedioha lights up unity torch

By MADUABUCHI KALU

A

s a part of his determination and commitment to reposition sports in Imo State, Rt. Hon. EmekaIhedioha CON, on Monday lit the Unity Torch for the 13th Imo State Sports Festival that will see the 27 Local Government Areas of the state engage in a sports festival.

This is coming just a few days the state staged “Imo Sports Summit” at the Concord Hotel that saw who is who in the country’s sports industry converge on Owerri to chart a new cause for sports in the state.

The Unity Torch was delivered to the Imo State Governor by the State-born African and World Record holder in para- Athletics shot-put, Ms Goodness Duru. Governor Ihedioha was handed over the Torch by the Chairman of Imo State Sports Commission, a veteran sports journalist, Chief Fan Ndubuoke.

Speaking after taking over the Unity Torch at the Government House, Owerri, Rt. Hon. Ihediohapromisedthat the State government would give full scholarships to participants who excel at the Sports Festival. He said the sports festival was a part of concerted efforts of his administration to revive sports in the State from the grassroots and return Imo to the pinnacle of success in sports.

Already, the Unity Torch has started it journey across the 27 local governments in the State and will make a final stop at Owerri Municipal.

The event which was witnessed by some ex-internationals of Imo state origin was attended by the State Deputy Governor, Hon. Gerald Irona, Chief Of Staff, Government House, Owerri, Barr.Chris Okewulonu, Board Chairman Heartland FC, Chief Barr. Charles Ezekwem and other top government functionaries.

Delta Force shock Nasarawa Utd ...As Plateau held Pillars

By MADUABUCHI KALU

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onders they say shall never ends, this actually captures what transpired between Delta Force and Nasarawa United in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL)at the weekend in the encounter that involved both teams.

Before the match, bookmakers had given the match to Nasarawa United otherwise called the Solid Miners just as the club were hoping to end their winless streak against the newcomers but it was not to be as the new NPFL new comers proved a hard nut to crack and even ran away with victory.

It was Delta Force’s Solomon Enudi’swho broke the deadlock as his first half strike proved vital for the visitors, as the Lafia-based team failed in their quest to come back in the second half.

Due to Nasarawa United lost to Delta Force which is their second home loss this season, The Solid Miners at the bottom of the country’s top-flight log with two points from six outings. They will be guests of Sunshine Stars of Akure this Sunday for their next encounter against KabiruDogo’s Sunshine Stars.

At the New Jos Stadium, former champions, Plateau United were held to a 0-0 draw by rivals Kano Pillars. The much talked about encounter failed to produce a goal as both teams produced defensive masterclasses.

he 2019 diving season has come to an end for the best divers in the world with the conclusion of the FINA Diving Grand Prix in Singapore, which held from November 22-24.

After the ninth-leg event, China and Italy shared the honours in the overall ranking of the individual events of the competition.

In the men’s 3m springboard, Lorenzo Marsaglia (ITA) was the best in 2019, with a total of 101 points. He was followed by Colombian talent Daniel Restrepo Garcia, with 97, and by China’s Tai Xiaohu, with 95. In the women’s side, Noemi Batki, also from Italy, led operations in the 10m platform (105 points), while for the second overall place Maria Kurjo (GER) and Celina Toth (CAN) both accumulated 103 points.

China’s dominance was confirmed in the men’s 10m platform, with Yuan Song finishing first with 106 points.

Puerto Rico’s Rafael Quintero (95) and Mexico’s Jose Diego Balleza (88) completed the leading trio in the event.

In the lower board, Wei Ying (111 points) and Ma Tong (102) dominated in the women’s category, and were followed

by AlyshaKoloi (AUS, 87) in the third position.

In the final leg of the circuit in Singapore, representatives of the Asian powerhouse earned gold in all individual events, adding three more titles in synchro action.

Among men, Tai Xiaohu controlled operations in the 3m springboard, while his teammate Duan Yu was in the best in the 10m platform (he also won the synchro event, with teammate Wang Zewei). In the 3m springboard synchro, the Chinese pair Tai Xiaohu/Zhang Chao was leading until the last dive, but a shaky forward 4 ½ somersaults in the final round allowed the French duet GwendalBisch/Alexis Jandard to take gold in 406.38.

In the women’s events, China got the four titles on offer, with Huang Xiaohui and Tang Yixuan prevailing in the 3m and 10m, respectively. Both divers were also part of the winning duets in the synchro finals.

Switzerland (3m synchro) and Mexico (10m synchro) were the two other countries with gold medals in the Singaporean rendezvous, competing in the two mixed finals in the programme.

Great Britain, Japan, Puerto Rico, Russia and Ukraine completed the list of nations with podium presences in the last meet of the season.

The 2019 FINA Diving Grand Prix kicked-off on February 14 in Rostock (GER) and touched the five continents, with its subsequent legs being staged in Calgary (CAN), Mission Viejo (USA), Madrid (ESP), Bolzano (ITA), Cairo

38

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

SPORTS Joshua makes confident prediction for title rematch against Ruiz Jnr

By MADUABUCHI KALU

F

ormer Nigerian born British heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua is focused on his championship rematch against Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jnr and nothing will distract him from his focus even when he visits one of the world’s most expensive shopping malls, his mind was on boxing, not spending.

The Oracle Today Sports was reliably informed that Joshua, who has been in Saudi Arabia for the rematch with Ruiz Jnr come Saturday, walked briskly past some of the luxury brand stores who are his sponsors to face the world’s media.

Joshua and his team have been in Saudi Arabia preparing for Saturday’s

rematch against Andy Ruiz Jnr after his shock loss of his world heavyweight titles about six months ago.

The former champion believes he will knock out his opponent on Saturday in their heavyweight title rematch.

As he says: “Boxing is what I do.

All I do between starting training camp and the fight. Eat, talk and sleep boxing.”

The mood was a mixture of focused and confident as he walked a black carpet for the cameras and microphones.

Relaxed, too. When asked for a prediction he declared: ‘Knock out.’

Then laughed and added: ‘By me. ‘ The Mexican claimed all four of Joshua’s belts after beating him in New York in June.

ANFSC honours Dr. Sanusi, NFF General Secretary

By MADUABUCHI KALU with Agency Report

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here is no gain saying that there are various Nigerian Football Supporters Clubs following the crisis that rocked the Nigeria Football Supporters and other Sports Supporters Club (NFSC) headed by then President General, Dr. RafiuLadipo following his insistence that his anointed and favoured candidate must be the chairman of the club.

However, this story is not about the crisis, rather it is about the honour done to one of the eggheads of the country’s football governing body, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of the NFF by one of the splinter groups of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club called

“The Authentic Nigeria Football Supporters Club (ANFSC).

The “The Authentic Nigeria Football Supporters Club (ANFSC) last Wednesday, honoured Dr. Sanusiby presenting him with a plaque in appreciation of his doggedness and hardworkas a football administrator which according to them has helped in putting the country on the global football map over the years.

While presenting the award at the NFF Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday to the General Secretary of the NFF, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, the President of ANFSC, Mr. AbayomiOgunjimi said the organisation deemed the football administrator worthy of the honour, “insisting he has displayed consistency, diligence at all times which has in turn given the country successes at the global

stage.

In his words: “Dr. Sanusi is dogged, hardworking and resilient.

He has shown so much consistency and has stood out in his job at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) hence, the need to encourage him” Ogunjimi pointed out.

In his response, an elated Dr. Sanusi thanked the Club for the honour done him, saying he was delighted.

“I’m honoured and delighted for being recognized by the vibrant Authentic Nigeria Football Supporters Club that has done so much to boost the image of Nigeria in the global sphere.

“I appreciate this gesture while I encourage you in return to keep doing all youcould to support and boost the image of Nigerian football the world over,” Sanusi said.

Van Dijk lost Ballon d’Or to Messi by just 7 points

By MADUABUCHI KALU

I

t is no longer news that Argentine and Barcelona Captain, Lionel Messi on Monday made history as he emerged the 6th time winner of Ballon d’Or in Paris France. It is recalled that Messi had shared the Ballon d’Or on a record five times each with Juventus star, Cristiano Ronaldo who won in 2017 to bring his tally at par with Messi.

However, the news is that this year’s contest was so close between the Argentine international and Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk. It was only seven votes that Messi used to beat Van Dijk, had earlier won the European Player of the Year.

The votes for the award have been released by France Football via Sport Witness and show just how close the polling was as the world tried to split Van Dijk and Messi.

Messi fired 51 goals for Barcelona across the 201819 season, while Van Dijk led Liverpool’s charge to their sixth

European Cup, defeating Messi and Barcelona on the way.

It was so close. So, so close.

It is recalled that no player in history has ever won the World

Footballer of the Year more than five times and it was still the Argentine who first set that record before Cristiano Ronaldo equaled the record. Messi won this year’s Ballon d’Or on the strength of the 51 goals he scored for Barcelona last season as no other player was able to match that effort.

While Messi was in Paris to receive the coveted award, Cristiano Ronaldo was in Rome receiving the Italian Footballer of the Year Award.

Though he was beaten to the third position in the race for the most coveted individual football award, nothing will be taken from him as a consummate player. He has achieved a lot as an individual. While Messi may have won the 6thBallon d’Or, Ronaldo has towered his Argentine counterpart with international achievements.

Messi has never won anything with his nation but Cristiano Ronaldo led the Portuguese national team to win their first continental trophy in 2017.

Ronaldo’s sister blasts Van Dijk over Ballon d’Or joke

By MADUABUCHI KALU with Agency Report

V

irgil van Dijkmay have courted trouble when he joked that the former Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t a “rival” following his absence at the FIFA Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday, as his sisterKatia Aveiro, has jumped to the defence of her brother on social media in response to a tongue-incheek remark from the Liverpool defender.

Following that tirade by Van Dijk,Katia Aveirohas gone to her Instagram after the defender joked that the Juventus forward wasn’t a “rival” for this year’s Ballon d’Or by asking the Liverpool’s defender, to first and foremost win trophies before he could come out and mock her brother.

It is recalled that Barcelona star, Lionel Messi claimed the coveted individual award for a sixth time in Paris on Monday, with Liverpool centre-back, Van Dijk finishing second in the final voting.

Five-time winner Ronaldo did not attend the ceremony, instead chose to make an appearance at the Gran Gala del Calcio in Milan to collect his ‘Best Player in Serie A’ award.

Van Dijk commented on the 34-year-old’s absence during an interview with Dutch broadcaster RTL7 while on the red carpet, joking

that he wasn’t in the running to win the Ballon d’Or this time around anyway.

When asked if Ronaldo’s failure to show up meant that he had one less rival to compete with for the accolade, Van Dijk responded: “Was he a rival then?”

Ronaldo’s sister Aveiro took to Instagram to vent her fury over Van Dijk’s comments, expressing her belief that the Liverpool talisman is not in the same league as her brother.

“Now, dear Virgil, where you are going, Cristiano Ronaldo has gone and has come [back] a thousand times,” she began.

“You see, my dear Virgil, that Cristiano Ronaldo was a three-times champion in the country where you have been playing for years and you still haven’t got your hands on the trophy.

“Cristiano Ronaldo was even the best player and best scorer in the country where you play Virgil. By the way, he was even younger than you.

“Then, dear Virgil, Cristiano Ronaldo went to other places and became the greatest player in the history of club football.

“Real Madrid, (does that) tell you something, Virgil? Maybe so, because this club, with this Cristiano guy, even beat you in the Champions League final. Of these (Ballons d’Or), Ronaldo already has five, Virgil.”

39

The Oracle Today Thursday December 5 - 10, 2019

SPORTS Rafael Nadalbetter than Federer, Djokovic –Ferrer

By MADUABUCHI KALU with Agency Report

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Gatlin resumes training L

ondon 2017 World 100m champion, Justin Gatlin started with light training for the coming Olympic Year. He won silver at the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships.

He, as usual, is not planning to compete indoors.

Recent Doha Worlds silver winner might have his 2020 season as last.

“But let’s see what happens, it is not finally confirmed,” says his agent Renaldo Nehemiah.

Gatlin, 37, is one of the most consistent sprinters of all time.

His first major title was the Athens 2004 Olympic Games 100m gold. He won world 100m titles in Helsinki 2005 and London 2017 World Championships and the 200m in 2005 at the same level.

Usain Bolt made his debut at the Helsinki 2005 World Championships and finished eighth in the 200m.

Overall, Gatlin has won nine gold, nine silver and two bronze at major Championships, including the World Relays and World Indoor Championships.

He has personal best times of 9.74 and 19.57

Salmon leaves Jamaica for Buford Bailey’s group in Texas Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games 400m hurdles bronze medallist, Tonja Buford Bailey is now coaching Shiann Salmon.

Salmon, a silver medal winner at the 2018 World U20 Championships, moved to Texas recently to join Buford Bailey’s group.

“She is being coached by the coach she wanted to be coached by which is Tonja Buford Bailey,” disclosed CubieSeegobin, who is taking up management of the athlete.

He added, during the CVM TV interview: “She asked me to manage her in 2020. She wants to turn pro.”

Seegobin said Salmon is at a junior college in Texas.

Salmon spent one year at GC Foster College under the guidance of Maurice Wilson.

She made the Jamaica team to the Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships where she was a semi-finalist. She improved from 55.63 to 55.16.

“Her commitment was only a year at GC Foster. Shiann always wanted to go to school in America. She wants to study business.

Wikki captain happy with impressive start to campaign

By MADUABUCHI KALU with agency report Idris Mohammed Guda, Wikki Tourists captain, is happy with how they have started this season’s Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and could not hide his excitement of helping his side to a 1-0 win over Heartland last Saturday at the Pantami Stadium Gombe.

Guda netted the goal that turned out to be the winner against Heartland from the spot, and now hopes that they can keep their fine form going as the season progresses.

“The most important thing was the three points. It doesn’t matter where it came from and how many goals were scored in the match.

“We hope we keep on doing well and we want our supporters to continue to believe in us,” said Guda.

The win over Heartland now places Wikki in second position, just a point behind leaders Plateau United.

Guda was not just instrumental in netting the winner, he was also industrious at the other end of the pitch for Wikki with a goal-line clearance that denied ChijiokeOpara from heading Heartland level in the match.

Wikki will head to the southeast town of Nnewi this weekend to face FC Ifeanyiubah in their next match of the campaign.

West Ham joins Ighalo chase West Ham United FC of England have joined in pursuit of former national team goal poacher, Odion Jude Ighalo. The Oracle Today Sports gathered that before the entrance of West Ham to bid for the services of the Edo State born Nigerian forward five other English Premier League clubs were already battling for his services.

According to TEAMtalk, six Premier League teams want to bring the former Watford striker back to England.

His former club, Watford are said to be one of those and West Ham are another. Everton, Newcastle

United, Southampton and Crystal Palace complete the sextet.

Ighalo is currently playing for Shenhua in the Chinese Super League. Shenhua are reportedly open to letting Ighalo leave on loan with an option to buy in January.

West Ham seems to be perpetually linked with Ighalo, who enjoyed one terrific season with Watford in the Premier League.

The 35-cap Nigeria international scored 20 goals to get Watford promoted and then backed that up with 17 goals in 42 games the following season.

espite the accolades, achievements and accomplishments reached by tennis moguls such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray (amongst other talents), it seems that there has been one player in the mens’ singles division who is on the back of possibly his best season to date; none other than Rafael Nadal!

Depending on who you ask, people are often divided on who they feel is the best tennis player in the world – whether that be currently or all-time best ever.

A lot of people might be of the opinion that it is indeed Roger Federer, after all, he does have more Grand Slam tournament titles than anybody else at a grand total of 20 no less.

Whatever the case may be, Nadal is 33 and Federer is 38 respectively, so this would suggest that both men’s careers are coming to their winter seasons, Federer’s even more so it would suggest.

Nevertheless, Nadal has had an incredible year to date, winning all competitive matches in the Davis Cup as well as finishing the year as the oldest year-end world No1 – a triumph that is new territory.

Of course, the argument still remains – who is the better player, Federer or Nadal? And of course, you’ve still got Djokovic in that discussion.

Every sport has their own debate; football has Ronaldo and Messi; Boxing has Ali, Tyson; and it is only right that tennis have theirs.

David Ferrer, former world No3, didn’t hold back in his assessment of Nadal, as he said, per tennis365: “Rafa is just unbelievable.

“To finish as the No1 player in the world, playing amazing tennis, winning all the matches at the Davis Cup. “It’s maybe the greatest-ever season that I’ve seen from him.

“The thing with Rafa is that he is still improving his game. He is a superhero.

“But Rafa, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are all very special tennis players.

“People must enjoy Rafa over the next few years because it will be very difficult to see the like of him again.

“I am really happy to see him, Roger and Novak all still playing at such a high level.”

Nadal and Federer have shared large parts of either career ingulfed in huge competitive rivalry between one another. The comparison of Grand Slam titles goes to the wire with Federer on 20 and Nadal on 19.

Yohan Blake lashes IAAF chief Coe for ‘killing’ athletics

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ce Jamaican sprinter,Yohan Blake has slammed world athletics chief Sebastian Coe for taking away track and field disciplines such as the 200 metres from next year’s Diamond League.

The International Association of Athletics Associations (IAAF) dropped the 200m, 3,000m steeplechase, triple jump and discus from its list of “core” disciplines at Diamond League meetings in 2020.

“I believe all the events are very important. This is people’s careers, this is where they make their money,” Blake said at a promotional event in Mumbai on Monday.

“If he can take away the 200 and triple jump, I don’t know if he is trying to build it or trying to kill athletics but that’s a stupid move. He must enhance the sport, but he is killing it. It is just madness.”

The athletics world body said its decision was based on online research in China, France, South Africa and the United States and post-event surveys in Belgium, Britain and Switzerland.

It said the aim was to reduce the length of the Diamond League meetings to fit a 90-minute international broadcast window.

The 29-year-old Blake, who won 100m gold in the 2011 world championships, has had to settle with being the second fastest man behind countryman Usain Bolt in both 100m and 200m.

But the two-time Olympic sprint relay gold medallist said he was confident of taking more gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m always the favourite, the second fastest man in the universe. Everyone has to look up to me,” said Blake.

THURSDAY December 5 - 10, 2019

The

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cross many cultures, a witch is often a poor old widow who turns into a bird or other dangerous creature in search of innocent people to harm in the dead of night. Nobody would associate with a known witch or wizard!

When, therefore, the Prof. B.I.C Ijomah Centre for Policy Studies and Research advertised a conference on “Witchcraft: meanings, factors and practices,” to be held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), all hell was let loose especially on social media.

Witches meet in their covens, usually after midnight, but here were ones boldly inviting people to their meeting in an academic environment! Pressure mounted on the UNN authorities to cancel the conference. The lobbyists succeeded only in making the centre change the theme to “Dimensions of human behaviours.”

From the many brickbats thrown by friends proclaiming the “blood of Jesus” over their households to “bishops” calling for the cancellation of the conference slated for November 26—27, the interest generated was global. Denials by the organisers failed to persuade those who were sure some academic witches were handing UNN and its occupants over to the devil. The director of the centre, Prof. Egodi Uchendu, wondered how an ordinary academic conference was twisted to cause confusion in the media, admitting that a major casualty of the hysteria was the withdrawal of its keynote speaker Professor David Ker. I took the “risk” of attending the conference. And the content of this piece is the fruit of my trip.

Indeed I saw many “witches and wizards” – professors and other academic giants from almost every discipline, researchers, two or three clerics including a Catholic priest, journalists, undergraduate and postgraduate students, jobseekers and entrepreneurs – who occupied every space at the ultra-large Princess Alexandra Auditorium.

There is little doubt the English once recognised “witchcraft” – if they didn’t, the word wouldn’t be found in any dictionary.

•Witchcraft-conference in Nsukka

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On witchcraft Aniebo

Nwamu But its definition varies. Not all witches are malevolent, and no two societies conceptualise witchcraft the same way. A witch is not “amosu” in Igbo, nor is it the equivalent of a sorcerer. Even “wizardry” refers to skills: we have computer wizards and mathematics wizards. The witches mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth were perhaps different from the witch consulted by biblical Saul in the Book of Samuel. Or is the witch the same as the bugbear?

The problem has to do with occultism. The occultist always claims he’s a mystic but he’s not. Occultism is not a religion or a science.

What is common among these variations of witchcraft is an element of magic. You know, it takes magic for a human to turn into a bird or to foretell a future event or do anything else beyond the realm of the physical.

There were unseen witches at the UNN conference. The magic behind the streaming of the event live on Facebook, enabling people across the globe to watch what we were watching at the same time, was witchcraft too. If the organisers had paid NTA or Channels TV, the audience at home would have watched the witchcraft conference

in the comfort of their homes. Couldn’t a witch have inspired the invention of the internet and the worldwide web? Or the cellphone everyone at UNN had in their pocket this Tuesday? Who understands Einstein’s Theory of Relativity expressed in E = MC2?

The line between witchcraft and science has become blurry — science or technology is witchcraft in practice.

So, witchcraft is not exclusively African.

In ancient Europe and America, “witches’ were tortured and killed. Even a pope in the 14th century decreed death for “witches”.

The Witchcraft Act enacted in Europe in the 18th century wasn’t repealed until the 19th century.

Studies showed that witchcraft existed in societies plagued by conflicts; that’s why people described it according to the conflicts they battled. In Nupe land of Nigeria, for instance, women are witches and their victims are almost always male. But among the Gwari, women and men could be witches. The Korongo of South Sudan recognize no witchcraft.

But why is witchcraft always associated with the poor? Nobody accuses a president

or governor or senator of practising witchcraft. It’s often a helpless old woman. Or a childless old man who has no one to care for him.

Belief in witchcraft waned with the Industrial Revolution in Europe. One of the earliest authorities then said it’s paranoia: people thought to be witches had brain disturbances – psychological, psychiatric or neurotic diseases nobody had a cure for.

Some Nigerians of today are even more primitive than people who lived in medieval Europe. Occasionally, ignorant Nigerians have tortured and even killed “witches” intercepted by “Holy Ghost fire” as the former flew past a holy zone. Children in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states have been branded witches and their fingers cut off by uncles or foster parents. Unfortunately for the victims, Nigeria offers no job to psychologists and psychotherapists. Only churches now perform the tasks.

All archaic societies believed there was witchcraft. Not anymore, thanks to more knowledge — science and technology have been found to be more practical and verifiable. The finest anthropological studies done on witchcraft show that witchcraft itself doesn’t exist; what does exist is belief in witchcraft. Only in Africa have people not grown above this belief up until this time.

When does Africa hope to drop this belief as other parts of the world have?

I’ve been paraphrasing mainly the words of two lead speakers at the conference: Professor Damian U. Opata and Professor Peter J. Ezeh.

Ezeh, who presented the second paper, advised that the continent should “make knowledge production robust”. If it did, in 50 years’ time there would be no witchcraft in Africa. His paper: “Which Witch? What Anthropology Knows about the Adult Bugbear”.

For his part, Professor Opata never misses any opportunity to clear misconceptions about the devil and the Christian God. He alluded to the penchant of some churches to exploit the fears of their hapless followers: “Some people have killed the initiative for creative indigenous thinking because of mere belief in witchcraft…Pastors, prophets, seers in the foreign religions and charismatic priests of variegated persuasions very frequently use perceived attacks by witches and wizards to put fear in the minds and hearts of their various congregations,” he said. “Remove the devil and almost all these churches would be gone.”

Opata’s lead paper is entitled “The Wealthy Are No Witches: Towards an Epistemology and Ideology of Witchcraft”. At least 36 other papers on witchcraft are listed in the conference’s brochure. The Ijomah centre welcomes, and promises to publish, more researched papers on the subject.

Enthusiastic members of the audience asked the duo presenters questions, some testifying to the existence of witches or narrating their encounters with them. Opata and Ezeh went to their rescue with superior facts and logic.

I hereby testify that, contrary to the fears expressed in several quarters ahead of the conference, the Ijomah centre didn’t invite witches to perform at UNN. It was a mere academic exercise. Actually, I knew it’s meant to interrogate the concept of witchcraft and provoke research on the subject. There were no initiations into witchcraft, because the stakeholders were yet to gather in their coven.

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The Oracle Today is published by The Oracle Newspapers Limited. Head Office: 116 Awka Road, Onitsha. Lagos Office: 25 Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA Ikeja. Abuja Office: 1st Floor, Plateau House, Central Business District, Abuja, FCT. ISSN: 2545-5869 Email: oracletoday2016@yahoo.com, Twitter: @oraclenews.ng Facebook: oraclenews.ng@facebook.com Website: www.oraclenews.ng Advert hot lines: 09078310060, 09061836916. Editor: FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU.