Wednesday October 3, 2018 Edition

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NE of the raging absurdities about Nigeria is the growing acceptance that of life, human life particularly, is unimportant. The experience of the past few years is that the Federal Government jumps to the defence of cattle over human beings. Evidences of these abound. Our government unabashedly stands up for Fulani herdsmen and their cattle, deploying more attention to them than ordinary Nigerians.

Where’s Nnamdi Kanu?

The Oracle Today Comment

LIFE has never been cheaper in Nigeria than it is at the moment.

The dignity of man has been redefined not only by the series of kill-

The

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ings across Nigeria, but also by the bestiality applied in them. Government offers lame defences for the killings, including revealing that

the killers were foreigners, and that they were killing in retaliation for their rustled animals.

OUR Constitution was written

with statesmen and democrats in mind, yet its operators – who enjoy office on the strength of the provisions of the Constitution - behave as if the Constitution is a great inconvenience to their inclinations.

The Constitution is beneath them.

They only evoke it to remind us that their existence is at the instance of the Constitution. They are short of blaming their disrespect of the Constitution on the

racle

WEDNESDAY October 3, 2018

Cont’d on page 24

www.oraclenews.ng

ISSN: 2545-5869

Today

VOL.3 No.39 N200

Anxiety hits PDP primaries From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba; NATH OMAME Jnr, Port Harcourt; COLLINS UGHALAA, Owerri and ANIEKAN ANIEKA, Calabar

•Make or mar period for new PDP •Okowa heads Convention Committee •Most governors gets automatic tickets •Legislators complain

mboldened by its stellar performance in the Saturday, September 22, Osun State governorship election and Western media prediction that it heads to the 2019 polls voters’ favourite, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will on Wednesday, September 26, commence its primary elections in its effort to select credible candidates to fly the party’s flag in next year’s general election in Nigeria.

The September 26 date is for those aspiring to be governors on the platform of the former ruling party at the centre.

Those aspiring to be Senators

will face their zones in delegates congresses on Saturday September 29 while those for House of representatives will know their fates the following day, Sunday September 30, to be precise.

It will be the turn of lucky aspirants to the State Houses of Assembly to qualify as candidates on October 2 when their State constituency delegates vote to elect them as such.

The party’s special National Convention where its presidential flag-bearer will be elected holds on October 5-6 in what has been described as “the testiest time for

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Modric wins FIFA Best Player of the Year

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ROATIAN Luka Modric wins the FIFA Best Men’s Player of the Year, beating the likes of Mo Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo, in an in an impressive ceremony Monday night. Woah, what a year Modric has had. From winning the Champions League to reaching the final of the World Cup (and winning the Golden Ball) to this!

He’s broken the CR7-Messi hegemony in FIFA The Best & Ballon d’Or awards finally.

Other winners were: • The Fifa Puskás Award Mo Salah wins the FIFA Puskas Award for his strike against Everton • The Best Fifa Men’s Coach French coach Didier Deschamps wins the FIFA The Best Men’s Coach of the Year for leading France to the World title. Arsene Wenger presents Deschamps with the trophy. In a World Cup year, it was always going to be the coach of the winning team who would land the trophy, more often than not. No surprises.

•The Best Fifa Goalkeeper

Page 17

Thibaut Courtois wins the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award for his heroics for Belgium in the World Cup. He won the Golden Glove too during the World Cup. •The Best Fifa Women’s Coach Reynald Pedros is the FIFA Best Women’s coach of the Year. He coached Lyon Women to a French league and Champions League double.

•The Fifa Fan Award Peru fans win the FIFA The Best Fans award. Many of them made arduous journeys to Russia to witness their team play the World Cup for the first time since 1982, leaving their jobs and borrowing money.

•The Fifa Fair Play Award VVV Venlo striker Lennart Thy wins the FIFA Fair Play Award.

The German striker declared himself unavailable against his side’s match against PSV to donate blood for a person suffering with Leukemia. He was named Man of the Match for that game despite

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•Modric winner of FIFA’s 2018 Best Player of the Year

2023 Igbo Presidency, an illusion--Ohanugo

By Theo Rays Onitsha

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ormer governorship candidate of Better Nigeria Progressives Party (BNPP) in last November’s Anambra State governorship election, Chief Ikem Ohanugo has described as “an illusion” the impression by Ndigbo that the presidency of Nigeria would be zoned to them in 2023.

Chief Ohanugo who spoke during his interview with news-

men in Onitsha, Anambra State, said before one expects to get something in return in anything, there must have been an investment over time.

But sadly, he said, Ndigbo do not invest in politics and yet they want to reap bountifully out of it.

He said: “ Where I feel sad is how the Igbo man continues to deceive himself. Nobody gives you power by proxy. It is an illusion.”

The former governorship candidate referred to what he called “structural realignment” that made Asiwaju Bola Tinubu support President Buhari’s presidential ambition, noting that President Buhari before now had contested for the presidency of this country for three consecutive times, which gave him an edge before he eventually won it.

Cont’d on page 44

Skye Bank: Shareholders lose N11b

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS Continued from Pg 1 the PDP since it emerged out of a prolonged leadership crisis.”

Although the party is reportedly wary of any “undemocratic” processes that could “resurrect” old crisis and is, therefore, prepared to make the primaries as transparent as possible, there are indications that most of the governors elected on the platform of the party will be practically given automatic tickets.

In Abia, Akwa Ibom, Taraba, Delta, Enugu and Rivers States, the governors are likely to enjoy automatic tickets as they have no contestants willing to square up with them for the party’s governorship tickets.

In Rivers, incumbent Governor Nyesom Wike is the sole candidate for the governorship primary.

Soalabo West, a lawyer, who earlier claimed he collected his expression of interest and nomination forms, at the PDP headquarters, in Abuja, has, voluntarily, pulled out of the contest.

Governor Wike was among the three sitting governors who were screened and cleared by the South South PDP Gubernatorial Screening Committee, on Saturday, September 22, to contest the 2019 governorship election on the platform of the party.

The other two incumbent governors are Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.

The screening, which took place at the PDP South-South Zonal headquarters, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, lasted for upwards of two hours.

The three governors were jointly screened by the Gubernatorial Screening Committee led by Dr. Muraina Ajibola.

According to Ajibola, the screening committee worked in line with the PDP Constitution and guidelines for the selection of candidates for elective political offices.

He commended the governors for their achievements, which have consolidated the presence of the party in the South South geo-political zone.

In Imo State, members of the party say they would prefer a unity candidate to emerge to save the party from collapsing.

The former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives and 2015 governorship candidate of the party, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha (from Owerri Zone), Senator Samuel Anyanwu (from Owerri Zone), Prof Jude Njoku (from Owerri Zone), Senator Arthan Achonu (from Okigwe Zone) are the major contenders for the governorship ticket of the PDP in Imo State.

Party sources told The Oracle Today in Owerri on Monday that the members do not want the gladiators to destroy the party after fighting through the primary election.

Modric wins Cont’d from page 1

not setting foot on the table.

• 2018 Fifa Fifpro World 11 GK: David De Gea DEF: Dani Alves, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo MID: Luka Modric, N’Golo Kante ATT.MID: Eden Hazard, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe FWD: Cristiano Ronaldo •The Best Fifa Women’s Player Marta wins the FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year. The legendary Brazilian striker has dominated women’s football for so long and adds another feather to her cap after leading Brazil to Copa America glory.

Anxiety hits PDP primaries

•Atiku

•Kwakwanso

According to the sources who pleaded anonymity because according to them, “it is a sensitive party matter”, Senator Anyanwu and Rt Hon Ihedioha “are at each other’s throat over the governorship ticket and the best way to resolve the problem is to have a unity candidate, a candidate that will be acceptable to all parties”.

They warned the state leadership of the party to note that they do not have the pleasure of time, adding that “no leader should play politics with this matter”.

However, in Cross River State, there are at least three people eyeing the incumbent governor, Professor Ben Ayade’s job. They are Dr. Paul Udaiye, Mr. Paul Ugian and Emmanuel Ibeshi, former PDP National Publicity Secretary.

All of them from the northern senatorial zone of Cross River State to which the party has zone the governorship for another foru years.

They all bought the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms.

Unfortunately for serving members of the National Assembly, they are unlikely to enjoy the same privileges as the governors with regard to automatic tickets.

Although they pushed for the PDP to give them automatic tickets back to the legislature, with many of them even using subtle means to threaten that there would be crisis if they did not enjoy automatic tickets, their efforts came to some grief following what was described as “stiff opposition” from many constituencies and zones disavowing automatic tickets for their representatives.

Much of the problem for some NASS members stemmed from the tenor of politics at home.

In places where there are zoning arrangements, the party was careful not to give automatic ticket to a candidate whose election might, in the end, become impossible.

In Enugu State, in the Udenu/

Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency, for instance, the party is contending with the challenge of an incumbent aspiring to go back to the House in defiance of the zoning arrangement in the area that disqualifies him from contesting again.

It was against this background that PDP, it was learnt, decided that where consensus was not possible to strike, the aspirants, both incumbent and new entrants alike, should go to the field and face delegates.

There are, however, some constituencies where NASS members were practically given automatic tickets.

In Enugu West, for instance, the deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is sure of automatic ticket for election back to the Senate a record 5th time on the platform of the PDP. Although there are contestants from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Enugu West Senatorial seat against him, the coast is clear for the distinguished Senator from Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State in the PDP. However, what many may not know is that the race to the State Houses of Assembly in some States may be the most contentious of them all.

In Nsukka State constituency, for example, there are all of 64 persons vying for the two available slots for the area in the Enugu State House of Assembly.

Similarly, in Igbo-Eze North of Enugu State, while Ozzi Constituency 1 candidate, incumbent Mrs. Ethel Oyibo Ugwuanyi has no challenger, her Umunano counterpart, Hon. Tony Ogidi has some 17 other contestants eyeing his seat.

While the House of Assembly primaries may be rancorous, party leadership would eventually find a way out of the problem, treating it as a storm in a tea cup actually.

But what engenders most fears for the survival of the PDP is the presidential primary.

Given the calibre and number of

•Saraki contestants for the PDP presidential slot, there are fears that one way or the other, there could be another convulsion in the party, unless wisdom, patriotism and love of party prevail over personal ambition.

Already, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has raised an 86-member National Convention Planning Committee to organise the special National Convention slated for Friday October 5 – Saturday, October 6.

Headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who had similarly served in that position on a number of occasions since the party was ousted from power, the committee has as its deputy chairman Governor Darius Isyaku of Taraba State while Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi is to serve as its secretary.

Membership of the Committee is drawn from across the federation with new returnees to the party including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, making the list.

All serving governors elected on the platform of the party are members just as numerous members of the party’s BoT, members of the National Assembly led by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, some former governors, former ministers and other party stakeholders are members too.

According to the national organising secretary of the PDP, Colonel Austin Akobundu, who signed the statement, the committee will be inaugurated on Monday next week at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Recently, the Economist of London predicted that the PDP will win next year’s presidential election albeit with narrow margin.

Such prediction may have bolstered PDP’s confidence that the electorate may have become tired of the ruling APC (at the centre) and would give the party a second to redeem itself.

the Vice-Presidential Candidate of PDP slot originally zoned to Ndigbo because they seem to be strong in the party may have been rezoned to the South West.

Lamenting that the South East is too politically divided to make any appreciable impact on national politics, Ohanugo called for a formidable political front among the Igbo political class and advised the Igbo to invest in politics to be able to have influence and a say within their political patties.

“Why is it that All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), cannot be strengthened for Ndigbo to use it as a bargaining power, to use it to launch themselves into the mainstream of Nigerian politics?” he queried rhetorically. “We must

have a stand point. We should have a home-grown party.”

On restructuring, Ohanugo said it would be a better way of reintegrating the country, but because of Nigeria’s penchant for ethnic politics and specialising in criminalities even at the level of presidency, it may not work.

He said if restructuring must work, politicians and Nigerians must,”rise above tribalistic politics”.

“We are too myopic and tribalistic. Restructuring will entail State Police. Won’t they use it against their enemies. That is the weakness of restructuring. Unfortunately, we specialize in criminalities in this country in spite of our good programmes and policies,” he said.

Igbo Presidency, an illusion--Ohanugo Continued from Pg 1

Ohanugo said the consistent contest made him experience the “consistency and inconsistency and showed President Buhari as a dogged fighter,” which qualified him to win the election.

He expressed displeasure that Ndigbo do not invest in anything that has long gestation period but want quick profit, warning that even if the presidency slot was actually zoned to Ndigbo in 2023, they would finish themselves in internal struggle over who picks the ticket.

Whether in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressives Congress (APC), Ndigbo are not serious about the Presidency, he added, lamenting that even

•Tambuwal But, nothing could have prepared the PDP for 2019 better, especially psychologically, than the September 22 Osun State governorship election, which it won against the ruling APC—against all odds.

Although there would appear to be some subterranean moves to quash PDP’s clear victory and award it to APC, the party’s response to the declaration of the Osun governorship election as “inconclusive” by INEC showed a party that is ready to challenge what it described as wrong move by INEC. In a press statement signed by its national Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP declared, inter alia: “Section 179 (2) (a)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, (as amended), is clear and very unambiguous in spelling out the conditions for returning a candidate to the office of governor of a State.

“This section states inter-alia: ‘A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates – (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State.

“The declaration of the election as inconclusive, by INEC is, therefore, a sordid robbery of the franchise of the people of Osun State, who participated in the election.

“It is obvious that having failed in their schemes to alter the final results due to the resistance of the people, the APC had to bear pressure on INEC to declare the election inconclusive so as to pave way for the perfection of their manipulative schemes, which the people of Osun State have firmly resisted so far.

“Instead of yielding to the evil machination of the APC, INEC should have summoned the patriotic courage to immune itself and end this needless controversy by returning the PDP and declaring our candidate as the winner.

“It is important to state that the PDP will no longer accept inconclusive elections as subterfuge by the APC to attain its dubious electoral manipulative schemes in our nation.

“The people of Osun state and the entire nation are already aware that the PDP won this election.

They have the authentic figures from the polling units and know the candidate the voters prefer.

“The people by their votes, have overwhelmingly declared for our candidate and we are not ready to accept any attempt by anybody to use any means whatsoever to steal our mandate freely given by the people.

“PDP is for peace, but we will not hesitate to use every force available in a democracy to face any attempt to subvert the will of the people or rig us out in this election.”

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

Good Ambassadors for Gburugburu G

ood Ambassadors for Gburugburu, promoted by Prince Emeka Mamah, CEO, Ifesinachi Group and aspirant for House of Representatives, Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency recently organised a concert in support of the 2nd term bid of the Enugu State governor, Rt.Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwaunyi at the temporary stadium, Ogrute, Enugu-Ezike, IgboEze Local Government Area of Enugu State. Below is the event in photos

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Enugu North Senatorial Zone

•Gburugburu arrives at the stadium with Prince Mamah

•Hon. Tony Ogidi, EHA, Amb Fidel Ayogu (hold newspaper, Pst E. Abugu and Alex Uramah

•Gburu poses with one of the artistes, a boy who acts old woman

•Hon. Ethel Ugwuanyi with Reps Member, Dennis Agbo

•Jubilant crowd welcomes His Ecellency

•The fun in politics...dance time with Gbugburu, Ide, Mayor, Onwa and Dennis

•Gburugburu, Prince Mamah (Ide) and others watch the artistes perform

•Some of the artistes perform

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3 2018

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

2019: CAN, JNI deal, bold step to peaceful coexistence – Legacy Initiative

By VICTOR NZE

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GROUP, the Legacy Initiative International (LIN) has hailed the recent signing of a peace agreement between the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) for a peaceful conduct of the 2019 General Elections, describing the development as ‘the boldest step.’

LII has been at the forefront of getting both major religions in the country to fashion out a workable arrangement towards evolving political candidates across party lines for better delivery of democracy dividends to the electorate.

A statement signed by the group’s Grand Patron, Chief Kenny Martins, Monday, said the signing of the agreement represented ‘the boldest step peaceful coexistence of Nigerians from all religions and all political parties.’

“We bring the compliments of our organisation to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) for their wisdom, courage and patriotism to sit down with each other and fashion out a wonderful agreement, unprecedented in our political history for the peaceful conducts of the 2019 general elections in such a manner that the elections will not be a source for wanton killings and brigandage in any part of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before and after the elections.

“They have done this as great servants of the Most-High God without fanfare and without drawing attention to themselves during the long negotiation period until the final Agreement was signed on the 18th day of September 2018 under the auspices

Flood: Jigawa council distributes 10 boats to 7 communities

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URI Local Government Area of Jigawa on Monday distributed 10 boats to seven communities ravaged by recent floods in the area to ease transportation.

The communities are Zugobia, Alanjo, Zuba, Giryo, Furgi, Galdimari and Una. Presenting the boats to the communities in Guri, the council’s secretary, Alhaji Muhammadu Hasssan, expressed optimism that the boats would ease the movement of people and goods.

Hassan said no fewer than 5,000 sacks had also been distributed to the communities for erecting sandbags embankment in the areas.

The scribe urged Community Based Organizations (CBOs) in the area to take active part in the project aimed at controlling flood disaster.

Receiving the items on behalf of the Una community, Alhaji Tsalha Idi, commended the council for its effort aimed at saving the lives and property of the people.

of the Nigerian Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA) in collaboration with Local and International Partners. This is a great lesson to the Politicians to learn and imbibe in the conduct of their political affairs in the interest of our country Nigeria. Nobody’s interest or group interest is superior to the National interest. In the words of a former Nigerian President, nobody’s political ambition should be worth the blood of any Nigerian.

“We place on record our appreciation of the style of Leadership of His Eminence, Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman Jama’atu Nasril Islam, and his Counterpart, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Supo Ayokunle and their worthy representatives Dr Shehu Chindo Yamusa, Emir of Keffi and His Eminence, Dr Samuel Uche, Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, for allowing God to direct their actions in reaching this historic agreement that will become a reference point for all Nations of the World on the strategies to prevent sectarian violence before and after general elections in developing countries.

Our prayer is that God will crown their efforts with success so that peace will reign in Nigeria in the run-up to the general elections and afterwards,” Martins said.

The group further assured of its readiness to partner with NIFAA as well as the leadership of the faith-based organization in the quest for the social, political and economic growth of the Nigerian society.

“On our part, we are willing and ready to partner with Nigerian Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA) and the Leadership of these two faith based organisations that have the majority of the Nigerians as their loyal members to continue in our advocacy for the leadership of this two religions to continue to interface with each other on a regular basis in this new spirit of

cooperation and understanding of the influence their actions or inactions and bring about in the determination of what happens to our country socially, politically and economically.

“Examples abound of countries with multi-religious composition where the citizens have resorted to violent confrontation among each other leading to civil war because their Religious Leaders are busy preaching to their adherent how bad each other’s religion is.

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erally led to peaceful co-existence among the people,” the group stated.

It would be recalled that last month, the LII organized an interactive session which featured a cross section of leaders of the two faith-based religions with representatives of the Sultan of Sokoto, Christian clergy, and the Ooni of Ife in attendance, as well as former Minister of External Affairs, General Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) and others in attendance at the Oriatal Hotels, in Lagos.

•Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode presenting cheques to beneficiaries as part of the N500 million grant to 275 Community Development Associations (CDAs) to enable them complete their on-going self-help projects.

Street lighting: Lagos covers 1300km in 3 yrs

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AGOS State Government has so far effectively installed street lighting in about 1300kilometres across the State, with a projection to deliver another 82kilometres by

2019: Jonathan backs David Mark ORMER President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday threw his weight behind the presidential ambition of Sen. David Mark, saying the former senate president will strengthen the bond of unity in Nigeria.

The former president, who hosted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant in his Yenogoa residence, said Nigeria was in dire need of unity.

Jonathan said that it would take a man with strength of character and clear conscience like Mark to rebuild and foster unity in Nigeria in 2019.

“We are only existing superficially and this is very dangerous,” he warned.

He said that beyond dwindling economy and worsening insecurity, the major problem the next president would face was the challenge of uniting the country and giving every section a sense of belonging.

Jonathan noted that every right thinking Nigerian should crave for peace and unity as “we continue to stay together”.

“We urge both CAN and JNI to quickly publish the said peace agreement and further to translate it in major Nigerian languages so that it will get to the remotest areas of the country and be a guide to them on the need for peaceful co-existence with their neighbours with different religions and not be merely a news item that the adherents of the two great faith groups will soon forget and go back to their Holier Than Thou principles which has not gen-

“Staying together is what everyone desires as the global community respects and values us because of our size and population. As president of Nigeria, I worked harmoniously with Mark as President of the Senate. He demonstrated patriotism and loyalty to his fatherland.

“His colleagues admitted that he is a detribalised leader. He is the kind of man the nation needs now.”

Jonathan said.

The former president expressed optimism that the PDP would get it right in 2019 elections.

In his remarks, Mark, said that Nigerians now knew the difference between the former and present administrations.

He said that he possessed the experience, knowledge and skill to bring the nation out of the social and economic malaise within two years if elected.

Earlier, Director General of David Mark Campaign organization, Sen. Zainab Kure, paid glowing tribute to Jonathan for his uncommon leadership quality and sacrifices he made to keep the nation united.

the end of the year, Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr Olawale Oluwo has said.

Speaking to journalists while inspecting ongoing projects in the sector with his team on Sunday, Oluwo said since the assumption of office of the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, concerted efforts have been made to ensure that every nook and cranny of the State is well lit in line with operation ‘Light Up Lagos Project,’ which is an initiative of the present administration.

The Light Up Project, according to Oluwo, is predicated on a tripod of street lighting, rural/community electrification and embedded power programme, adding that it was gratifying to note that all the components of the initiative were progressing well.

Giving details, Oluwo said: “When this administration came on board, we met a total distance area of 345kilometres street lighting infrastructure, and between May and December 2015, we reactivated hitherto moribund street lighting infrastructure in 99 roads.

“These street lights were taken over by the Lagos State Electricity Board from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, and as at December 2017, we already covered 1100kilometres,

while as we speak, we have effectively covered a total of 1300kilometres.”

He said at the beginning of 2018, the State Government commenced work on another 79kilometres of street lighting infrastructure, while a total of 143kilometres of roads across the State were retrofitted from High Pressure Sodium (HPS) to LED light.

“Currently, we have 82kilometres street lighting infrastructure ongoing across the State and it is projected that the project will be completed by the end of the year or within the first quarter of 2019,” Oluwo said.

He said it was also instructive to note that the State Government recently entered into a partnership with a firm to construct additional 10,000 LED street lights covering 300kilometres across the State.

The deal, Oluwo said, includes the provision of about 500 direct and indirect jobs and construction of an LED lighting and Hybrid Energy Power Assembly Plant in the State.

He said aside the fact that the provision of street lighting infrastructure had enhanced aesthetics of the State and foster improved night economy, the initiative had also provided jobs to thousands of people as well as ensured safety of lives and property of residents.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3 2018

NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

INEC fixes November 27 for Osun guber election re-run

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HE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Thursday, November 27, for the re-run of the earlier declared inconclusive Osun gubernatorial election in the affected polling booths.

According to INEC, all the 48 political parties will participate in the rerun election at the affected polling booths.

This development was following the declaration of the Saturday’s election inconclusive.

The Returning Officer said the declaration was because the number of cancelled votes was higher than the margin between the two top candidates.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke scored 256, 698 while the APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola scored 256, 345, while the total number of voided votes was 3498.

The Adeleke Campaign organisation had earlier asked INEC, not to declare Osun election inconclusive.

In a statement its director, media and publicity, Mr. Olawale Rasheed, the Organisation urged INEC to declare the winner of the election.

“Our attention has been drawn to reports of an alleged plan to declare the Osun governorship election inconclusive as a plot to order

a re-run.

“We appeal to INEC to toe the path of honour and constitutionality by declaring the rightful candidate with required votes and spread, Ademola Adeleke, the winner of this hotly contested polls.

“We note with high sense of responsibility the intense pressure surrounding Osun election from the beginning. There are times however, when one must stand with the people and the law by doing the right thing without fear of favour.

Now is the time for INEC to align with Osun people and resist pressure and intimidation to tamper with the will of the people.

“Osun people are expectant of a liberation day which is today when their yearnings to be free will be fulfilled. Delaying the announcement of the results or doctoring the outcome is an invitation to people’s anger and wrath.

“We urge people of goodwill locally and internationally to prevail on the APC and her chieftains to concede defeat. Our democracy is •AIG Muhammed Murtala Abbass (rtd) after taking his oath of office as Special Adviser on Security to Kaduna too stressed up to be subjected to State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (l) and Coordinator, Operation Yaki, Monday. another daylight electoral robbery.

“We reject plan and plot for rerun; a winner has clearly emerged.

To INEC chiefs, time is now to announce Senator Nurudeen AdemoORMER Special Adviser on inflation and rising costs of com- “slow response” to the problem. la as the winner of this historic elecMedia to the immediate past modities across the local markets.

Afebgua said the PDP was tion.”

Oshiomhole’s former aide defects to PDP with supporters

F FG releases N22.68b to defunct N’ Airways workers, N20b to universities

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EDERAL Government has released N22.68 billion to settle part of the retirement benefits of former workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways.

Government has also approved the release of N20 billion to revitalize public universities in line with demands of the Academic Staff of Universities.

Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed who made the disclosure in Abuja on Monday, however, said the money for the universities would be released through normal channels while that of the ex-airways workers would be paid after verification.

The minister, who announced the setting up of a nine member committee to verify the claims of the ex-workers, said the money approved was 50 per cent of their N45 billion benefits.

“As you are aware, the ex-workers of Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation were not paid their retirement benefits for the past 15 years despite the liquidation.

“As a result of the delays in settlement of these benefits, many ex-workers have been thrown out of their houses, their children have been unable to attend school, and others have lost their businesses, fallen ill or indeed, passed on.

“This unfortunate situation cannot be allowed to continue under a responsible administration.

“It is on this basis that Mr President has approved the immediate release of N22.68 billion being 50 per cent of N45.3 billion total entitlements of the ex-workers of the Nigeria Airways Limited in liquidation”, she said.

Ahmed said that the nine member committee is headed by Mohammed Dikwa, Director of Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit.

Other members would be drawn from the Office of the Head of Service, ministries of Aviation and Finance, Bureau of Public Enter-

prises, Accountant-General office, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, the ex-workers union, and the Budget Office.

“The committee is mandated to physically verify the claims of pensioners and relevant next-ofkin before the release of funds to the approved beneficiaries,” she stressed.

The minister also explained that the N20 billion for the universities would be released immediately in line with the established criteria used by the National Universities Commission.

Ahmed said that the federal government would monitor the progress of the implementation of the universities’ revitalisation with a view to resolving emerging issues and keeping its promises to relevant stakeholders.

Governor of Edo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Mr Kassim Afegbua has defected with thousands of his supporters to the PDP. Afegbua, who was also Commissioner for Information in Edo, was received by the party’s Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, at Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

The former aide to Oshiomhole said he took the “bold step” in rejoining his former party, because of infrastructural deficit in his community.

He said that though he served under the APC- led administration in the state for 8 years, he felt dissatisfied, because of the state of roads and lack of development in Okpella community.

Afegbua also lamented the absence of electricity in the community and complained of high

He said the APC members were defecting to the PDP on account of poor roads and neglect of the community by the state government.

He said that the PDP was sympathetic with flood victims in the locality and blamed the state government for what he termed

HE National Assembly has once more postponed the resumption of its plenary session.

The parliament will now resume on October 9, 2018 instead of September 25 as earlier slated.

The postponement was contained in a statement,Sunday, by the National Assembly Clerk, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, addressed to the lawmakers.

According to the statement, “This is to inform all Distin-

guished Senators and Honourable Members that resumption of plenary session earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 25th September has been postponed to Tuesday 9th October due to the activities of the primaries of the political parties.

“Therefore, all Distinguished Senators and Honourable members are expected to resume plenary session by 10 am on the 9th of October, please.”

at enhancing their chances of employment and creating jobs for citizens.

He said that the YouthMobile initiative endowed its beneficiaries with the hard and soft skills they needed to leverage technology development and promote mobile applications.

UNESCO Nigeria, in its first phase of the YouthMobile project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) trained 408 participants that resulted in the emergence of the youths.

“Since the launch of the YouthMobile Project by the Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO in 2014, the initiative has counted more than 6, 000 direct beneficiaries who developed and distributed mobile apps for sustainable development.

“The project targeted over 26 countries around the world and has already benefited the East African region and Rwanda in May 2017.

“With the support of Rwanda’s K-Lab, YouthMobile aims at inviting

a selection of previous YouthMobile projects’ participants to attend YouthConnekt and help in revitalising some of the apps.

“YouthConnekt will present the participants the opportunity to improve their hard, soft skills, network and increase their employability and four of our youths qualified for the conference,” Olushola said.

He emphasised that the project was promoting the importance of coding education as a tool for socioeconomic development.

According to Olushola, the project aims at bringing together a young generation of coders, previous beneficiaries of YouthMobile trainings to connect them with each other.

“YouthConnekt will revitalise two to three mobile or web apps delivering services to citizens, strengthen capacities of youth in mobile application development for sustainable development and entrepreneurship skills.

“It will ensure that developed mobile applications are localised to

the developer’s context, user languages and are compatible for use by persons with disabilities.

“The conference will strengthen the YouthMobile Alumni network, foster collaboration with partner organisations, incubation hubs and government officials,” he said.

He, however, said the project also aimed at contributing to facilitate the engagement of African policy makers to introduce or strengthen coding education in their countries.

Chief Executive Officer, McAnderson Associates, Mr Akindayo Akindolani, the facilitating institute on the YouthMobile Project said that the participation of the youths was placing Nigeria on the Information Technology map globally.

Akindolani said that the four representatives are Hamza Jirah, Joel Edache, Kemi Oyewole and Rhoda Babatunde.

He said that they were trained on Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) -a programming language, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), JavaScript and Phone Gaps.

aware of donation of relief materials by some Federal Government agencies and appealed against diversion of the items.

The spokesman of other defectors, Chief Ekpen Abu, pledged their readiness to work with the party to win the next election in the area and the state in general.

National Assembly shifts resumption to Oct.9

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YouthConnekt: 4 qualify for UNESCO ICT apps demonstration in Rwanda

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OUR youths trained under the YouthMobile project of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have qualified to represent Nigeria in the YouthConnekt application demonstration conference in Kigali, Rwanda.

UNESCO’s National Communications Programme Officer, Mr Macaulay Olushola, who disclosed this, Monday in Abuja, said that the aim of YouthConnekt convention scheduled for October was to inspire thousands of young people with new ideas to promote sustainable development, economic growth and social progress.

The communication officer said that the four youths were selected based on the expertise exhibited on the applications they developed during the YouthMobile training on web designing and development of applications, among other ICT skills.

According to him, their participation in the conference will enhance their developed applications aimed

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS

Ex-presidential aide seeks dissolution of APC factions in Enugu

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chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Dennis Aghanya, has called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to dissolve the two factions in Enugu State.

Aghanya, a former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari between 2009 and 2011 and Pioneer National Publicity Secretary of the defunct CPC, gave the advice in a letter to the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Monday.

He said in the letter made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu that the situation was threatening the fortunes of the party in the state.

“The situation is currently threatening the fortunes of the party to the detriment of efforts by serious candidates who are investing time and finance to ensure victory for themselves and President Muhammadu Buhari at the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

“I suggest that the National Working Committee of the APC should as a matter of urgency dissolve the two factions led by Okey Ogbodo and Ben Nwoye respectively.

“The NWC should set up a caretaker committee to be composed of neutral persons, possibly from neighbouring states in the South East to conduct primaries for aspirants at all levels, using Direct Primary method.

“The caretaker committee should go further to conduct a fresh congress for the party after the primaries so that the party can go out in pursuant of votes as a united family.’’

According to him, ignoring this advice will amount to deliberately weakening the party to the advantage of the incumbent in Enugu State.

He said that it would also amount to deliberately sabotaging Buhari from making inroad into the South East.

“These are all assumptions and can only be proved wrong if only the right thing is done by the national leadership of the party now.

“Just few days ago the acting national publicity of the APC announced that party members should go to their states and use their temporary party cards to collect their original membership cards.

“My question now is which faction will these members go to collect their membership cards from?’’

He said that 99 per cent assertions that“ a thing cannot be done is just the unwillingness to do it’’.

“It does not take anything to dissolve these two factions and set up a caretaker committee to reunite the APC family in Enugu State,’’ he said.

IPOB celebrates unique interface with UN From Chuks Collins, Awka

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nited Nations (UN) has moved to investigate the reported refusal of entry visas to the family of Dr Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) group by the Switzerland Government through its embassy in Abuja.

The Kanus were invited by the UN for a meeting at its Geneva Headquarters to testify alongside other first-hand eye witnesses to the military invasion of AfaraukwuUmuahia, Abia State on September 14, 2017, a day more than 28 persons were allegedly killed by the Nigerian military.

The probe of the unhealthy situation was disclosed by officials of the world body during their meeting with the IPOB leaders at Geneva.

The Kanus and other relevant participants and stakeholders who were invited to the meeting by the UN were denied representation at the meeting because the Swiss embassy refused them entry visa to Switzerland, allegedly on the instructions of the Nigerian government.

Celebrating the rare opportunity of the meeting between the IPOB delegation led by its deputy leader Mazi Uche Mefor which held on Sept 14, 2018, same day Biafrans were remembering the victims of the invasion of the home of our leader at Isiama Afaraukwu Umuahia, the pro-Biafra group pointed out that this “is the first time in the post war history of Biafra that the leadership of any group, movement or people has met with the United

Nations in a face to face meeting to discuss anything pertaining to the plight of Biafrans or the Eastern Region.

“It was a historic encounter that will go a long way in cementing the diplomatic credentials of IPOB in the eyes of the international community. This is the very first time that United Nations had the opportunity to host Biafrans to a meeting. It is only appropriate that we appreciate all those working tirelessly hard with our London-based diplomatic team to accomplish this.

In its one statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, the group said: “We equally commend the Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (DOS-IPOB) under the distinguished leadership of Mazi

Chika Edoziem who accompanied our deputy leader to the historic meeting as well as the rest of the IPOB’s High Command.

“This unique encounter with the UN has opened up avenues and opportunities for further engagement between IPOB and relevant agencies of the world body around the burning issues of human rights violations by the Buhari regime and enforcement of IPOB’s universal right to self-determination.”

Mefor, according to the statement, had at the meeting pledged on behalf of the worldwide family of IPOB to commit the movement to working within the guidelines of United Nations charters and obligations in recognition of the unique privilege Nigeria currently enjoy as a full-fledged member of the United Nations.

Umahi bags governor of the year award in agriculture

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

G • (From right): Comrade Uwakwe Ezeja, Council Chairman Igbo-Eze North LGA, Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Prince Emeka Mamah, CEO Ifesinachi Group and House of Reps aspirant for Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency, Amb. Fidel Ayogu, former member and current aspirant for the House of Reps and Hon Dennis Agbo, Member house of Reps for Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency dance when Gov. Ugwuanyi visited Igbo-Eze North to participate in a concert organised by Mamah’s Good Ambassadors for Gburugburu in support of Govs 2nd term bid.

NEWMAP, Anambra Govt. to rescue Federal High Court, other structures from gully erosion

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igerian Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has begun the process of controlling gully erosion threatening the Federal High Court and other property at the Alex Ekwueme erosion site, Awka.

Project Coordinator of NEWMAP in Anambra, Mr Mike Ivenso, said Sunday, in Awka that the project had held a pre-bid meeting with some potential contractors for the control works.

He said Gov. Willie Obiano had declared emergency on the Alex Ekwueme gully erosion site which was threatening a number of structures, including the Federal High Court, a hotel, federal secretariat and access roads.

He said the bidding process was “abridged” in the light of the urgency of the project and the need to rescue the area expeditiously.

The World Bank-sponsored NEWMAP project coordinator said the prospective contractors were expected to respond on or before October 4, two weeks after the process commenced instead of the normal eight weeks.

Ivenso said the contract would be for a period of 12 months but expressed hope that it would be delivered by March next year.

According to him, funding for the project has been appropriated by the state government which is working in concert with the Federal Government as well as the World Bank.

“We have met with potential bidders, six of them, and they have visited the site to take an assessment of what to do to enable them come up with responsive bids which we can evaluate.

“His Excellency, Gov. Willie Obiano has declared an Emergency on the Alex Ekwueme erosion site and has mandated NEWMAP and all relevant agencies to fast track the intervention works here.

“A lot of landslide has occurred here and the erosion is fast encroaching into the Federal High Court and the governor has directed that we expedite control intervention works here.

“This vicinity houses significant amount of federal, state and private property, the area is called Central Business District, the Federal High Court is not the only threatened structure.

“We have a Five-star hotel, the State High Court is not far from here, there is the upcoming Federal Secretariat, access roads to the other parts of the district are all in severe danger and that is what informed the declaration of emergency in this area.

“We intend to rescue all these properties with a combination of civil works and bio-remediation activities,” he said.

Ivenso said the Anambra Government had already spent about N22 million on the preliminaries of the project as a demonstration of its commitment to the speedy execu-

tion of the project.

“Already, Anambra Government has spent about N22 million on Environmental Impact Assessment and Resettlement Action Plan; these are the two major things that must be done before any World Bank intervention works can commence as well as the engineering design.

“The Administration Judge of this court has expressed grave fears about the emerging erosion, the Judges complex have been vacated because of the advancing landslide, our mandate is for a speedy and rapid response, so, we expect that it will be remedied by March next year.

Contributing, Mr Mike Okonkwo, Commissioner for Environment in Anambra, said that Obiano was very concerned about the erosion challenge, the safety of Anambra people and their property.

Okonkwo said the governor was glad that the intervention process has started with the commencement of bidding and thanked the World Bank and Federal Government for heeding the call to rescue the area.

“We have had ministers and heads of agencies visit the area, everybody knows that it is a very dangerous environmental challenge, that is why the bidding process is abridged.

“We must pay attention to every detail in the bid so that we don’t get any objection, we look forward to seeing the end of this by October 4,” he said.

overnor David Umahi of Ebonyi state has won the Governor of the Year Award (Achievement in Agriculture) from New Telegraph Newspaper, one of the leading national dailies in the country.

This is the fourth time Umahi have won similar award within three and some months into his first tenure as governor.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Emmanuel Uzor, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Abakaliki.

According Mr. Uzor, governor Umahi beat 35 other Governors to clinch the prestigious award which would be conferred on him in November, 17th, 2018.

He said a letter notifying Umahi of the award signed by the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of New Telegraph Newspaper, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, disclosed that Governor Umahi was chosen because of his agricultural policies that revamped rice and cassava productions in the state among others.

Mr Uzor quoted part of the letter to have read thus: “the state in our opinion is one of the few states with the privilege of being run by a highly focused visionary leader who from day one has zeroed in on improving critical areas of socio-economic development platforms necessary to attract international and local investors to fast track economic development” “The Ebonyi rice revolution, the revamping and expansion of the Ebonyi state fertilizer and Chemical Company Limited to unrivalled ingenuity at marking Ebonyi a prospective business hub, thereby contributing immensely to the economic development. After a thorough study and scrutiny of Your Excellency’s achievements and activities, the panel of judges and editors in New Telegraph are pleased with your achievement and hereby award Your Excellency as the Governor of the Year Achievement in Agriculture, 2018.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS 2019: Groups score Onitsha lawmaker low on representation

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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cross-section of the residents of Onitsha North II State Constituency of Anambra state, under the aegis of Concerned Landlords and Tenants Onitsha North Constituency II, have expressed concern over what they termed poor representation of the people of the area in the state House of Assembly, by their incumbent legislator, Hon. Edward Ibuzo.

The residents said they scored Ibuzor’s performance very low because according to them, with few months to the end of his four-year tenure at the state legislative assembly, he has failed to attract basic amenities, such as the provision of refuse dumps and disposal sites, non installation of street lights and water bore-holes, as well as dilapidated condition of access roads in the area.

In a press statement jointly issued on their behalf in Onitsha, weekend, by a Civil Society Organization (CSO) and Concerned Youths of Onitsha North Constituency II (CYONC2), the residents specifically threatened to recall Ibuzo for his alleged abysmal performance in the legislative house.

In the statement signed by their coordinator, Chief Innocent Azuka Ajuluchukwu, the groups lamented that the constituency has never had it so bad in terms of benefiting from dividends of democracy, with nothing on ground to show for their unflinching support and total loyalty to Gover-

nor Willie Obiano-led All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) controlled Anambra state.

They also disclosed that it has been established that the legislator in question has done virtually nothing with the constituency funds accruable to the constituency, only embarking on his personal building of hotels in Awka and Asaba respectively, to the detriment of the welfare of the people of his constituency.

“We therefore call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as other constituted authorities to investigate how the said legislator acquired a massive expanse of land at Okpanam in Delta state allegedly with the constituency funds”.

“For more than three years now, they further lamented, the said legislator was yet to move a motion or sponsor a bill in the floor of the house, not to talk of having a town hall meeting with members and stakeholders of this constituency who overwhelmingly voted for APGA during the 2015 elections”.

“We also regret that we the electorate in the constituency could not have an access to him due tp the fact that he was residing in Asaba, Delta state and his phone line was always not reachable. Let Obiano and APGA state and national officers know that the party stands to lose the constituency in the 2019 elections if the said legislator is fielded for a second term”, they warned.

We’ll reciprocate Anambra peoples’ support with good works - Obiano’s wife

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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ife of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano, has disclosed that she and her husband would reciprocate the good gesture of Ndi Anambra’s overwhelming votes during last year’s November 18 governorship election in the state, which earned them victory in all the 21 local government areas of the state, with good works.

She stated the victory in all the 21 local government areas of the state which nicknamed Obiano a 21/21 governor, was the first of its kind in the history of gubernatorial elections in any state of the federation, since first republic till date, and as such require adequate compensation from Obiano to the extent that he will not look back in fixing the problems of the state before leaving office in 2022.

Mrs. Obiano who said this at Ogbaru local government area secretariat, Atani, during her working tour of the council area, in continuation of her thank you visit to all the 21 council areas of the state, emphasized that such a unanimous acclamation which comes once in a century, would remain indelible in their minds and must be reciprocated upon, hence her decision to establish her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE).

She further disclosed that under CAFE, more than 4,000 indigents had been trained on various skills acquisitions and empowered to become selfemployed and fend for themselves.

She, therefore, commended Ogbaru people for their identifying themselves as one of the local government areas that gave Obiano large chunk of voted during the governorship election in the state, adding, “if Ogbaru people had not given Obiano more than two-thirds of the total votes cast in Ogbaru, he would not have been answering 21/21 governor but 20/21 governor”.

“It is Ogbaru people that made

Obiano won 21/21 and he is so grateful that he had accomplished his campaign promises in the spiritual realm and now waiting for it to manifest in physical realm. I established CAFE to train and empower people. We had already trained about 4,000 people so far on various skills and empowered them. I direct those incharge of our healthcare centers in Ogbaru local government to resuscitate and make them functional for the rural dwellers to have access to health care facilities.

Earlier, the chairman of the local government, Comrade Arinzechukwu Awogu and his wife, had commended Obiano’s wife for painstakingly embarking on the tour of all the 21 local government areas of the state, with gift items such as rice, clothes and even cash, adding that the dint of hard work she and her husband had exhibited so far in the state were so glaring that the state has gradually transformed into an enviable status.

Awogu and his wife identified effective security network, agricultural boost, road network and other facilities as some of the areas the Obiano administration had excelled more than the previous administrations in the stat and urged her to keep it up, adding that their most pressing needs in the local government are health care facilities, roads rehabilitation for evacuation of farm produce and electricity.

In their separate speeches, former Speaker of the state assembly, Mrs. Chinwe Nwaebili; two members of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Benson Nwawulu and Somtochukwu Udeze; former member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Linus Ezenwanma and a House of Assembly aspirant under APGA, Evangelist Dan Obi, assured Mrs. Obiano that APGA would sweep the polls in all the elective positions during the forthcoming general elections in the country, as according to them, Ogbaru is a no-go-area for other political parties.

• (From left): Acting Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Mary Uduk; CEO Kenya Capital Market Authority (CMA) and Chair, African and Middle East Regional Commission, Mr. Paul Muthaura; and the Acting Executive Commissioner Legal and Enforcement, SEC, Mr. Reginald Karawusa during the Growth and Emerging Markets Committee Meeting in Cayman Islands

Return to farming to end hunger, monarch tells Ndigbo From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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hairman, Oboro Council of Traditional Rulers, in Ikwuano local government area of Abia State, HRM King Larry Ogbonnaya Agwu, has called on Ndigbo to return to farming as the best way to improve standard of living in the South East zone.

He noted that poverty was ravaging the land because Ndigbo have abandoned farming, stressing that hunger could be eradicated in South East “if we can go back to our farms.”

Speaking in his Eze Onyeoruru Palace at Ajatanigu, Oboro during the annual New Yam Festival (Iri ji) of his community, Eze Agwu noted that that if the entire Igbo nation could return to their farm lands as in the old days, bumper harvest of crops would force down the exorbitant price of many commodities in the markets.

The monarch frowned at a situation whereby most people in the southeast live in abject poverty, lamenting over the hunger in the land

while their land remained uncultivated.

He regretted that most communities have relegated agriculture to the background but expressed optimism that hunger could be eradicated with a return to agriculture.

He advised communities and the entire Igbo nation to shift their focus from crude oil to agriculture, stressing that over reliance on oil has brought disappointment to many nations.

Urging Ndigbo to re-direct their focus to agriculture, the traditional ruler praised God for a bountiful agricultural harvest this year.

“We planted yam tubers, cassava stems, maize seeds and many other crops and their yields have been bountiful and that’s why we’re thanking God. “We should avoid over dependency on oil as a means of livelihood.

Various communities in Nigeria and the Igbo nation, in particular, should return to agriculture and leave oil because oil has failed us greatly. By

the time we begin to have bountiful yields, farm produce like garri will be sold at a give-away price in the markets,” he assured.

Speaking with Journalists, a prominent son of Ogbuebula Oboro Ikwuano, Elder Ikechukwu, described New Yam festival as one of the cultural festivities of Ikwuano people, pointing out that the event serves as a uniting factor because it brings the people together.

One of the recipients of chieftaincy awards during the event, Chief Henry Ekpe, who is the Director of Georgina Foundation, expressed appreciation to the traditional ruler and members of his cabinet for the honour done him.

Ekpe who was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Agujiegbe 1 of Ahuwa Oboro Ancient Kingdom, said “this honour is a reward, respect and recognition of the things Ihave done for my people,” and pledged to render more selfless services to his people.

Birth registration: Ugwuanyi’s wife flags-off media campaign

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ife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs Monica Ugwuanyi, Monday flagged off a three-month media campaign aimed at promoting under-five birth registration in the state.

The campaign was organised by the National Population Commission (NPopC) in conjunction with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Enugu.

Ugwuanyi represented by Mrs Onyinyechi Anichukwu, Head of Administration, Governor’s wife pet project, assured the organisers of the birth registration campaign of her unalloyed support as well as that of the state.

Ugwuanyi, who used the medium to present birth certificates to some mothers, urged them to also help to publicize the importance of birth registration to others.

The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze emphasized the importance of birth registration and the role his ministry would play in achieving the set target.

Represented by Dr. Vera Nwafor, a director in the ministry, the commissioner said that state owned schools and tertiary institutions would henceforth be directed to ask for NPopC’s birth certificates as

a pre-requisite for admission and enrollment.

“I think if we implement this directive, it will go a long way in making parents see the importance of birth registration.

“When they realise that their children cannot be admitted without birth certificate, they will make move to get one.

“Thus increasing the rate of birth registration in the state as well as meet up with the set target,” he said.

Earlier, the State Director of NPopC in Enugu State, Mrs Ngozi Onyia, said the campaign for the promotion of birth registration in Nigeria and Enugu State especially was necessary.

According to her, a complete birth registration complements census data because birth registration is a continuous exercise.

“It also enables adequate population estimation and projection, aids statistical planning and research and for administrative purposes.”

Onyia noted that under-five children formed five per cent of an estimated 4,768,755 Enugu State population.

She said that out of the figure, the commission hoped to register a total

of 137,766 children within the space of three months when the media campaign would elapse.

State Director, therefore, urged parents to seize the opportunity to register their children and save themselves of the grave consequences that might arise now and future for not registering their children with NPopC. She however, appealed to the media and other major stakeholders to help create awareness both in the rural and urban areas.

“Our greatest challenge as regards birth registration in Enugu State has been lack of awareness of the importance to register with the NPopC. “Our media friends which are a part of this programme will have to help us in creating awareness and bridge the communication gap,” Onyia said.

The NPopC boss commended the wife of the state governor for her continuous support for all the programmes of the commission.

She pledged that NPopC’s registration centers would be designated in hospitals, health centers, local government secretariats and all the commission’s offices across the state.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS

Foundation launches free medicare in Ebonyi town C

By CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki

aring Heart Foundation, a nongovernmental organization owned by the Member, representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency, Hon. Linus Abaa Okorie, has launched free medical services at Uburu, the hometown of Ebonyi Governor David Umahi.

The launch of the programme in Uburu, last weekend, makes it a total of 8 clans from the federal constituency that has benefited from the free health services of the lawmaker.

A medical Doctor from AMURT foundation who is part of the medical team, Dr. Agu Martins Nnonso, said the turnout was impressive as more than 1500 people came out to receive the free medical services.

“We have a lot of them, women some of whom are pregnant and man. We have over 400 that are currently receiving drugs and another 500 with card numbers yet to be attended to. And we have people that are still waiting and we are also mopping up.So, we have a good number and we hope to attend to all of them.

On whether there were special cases identified in the course of the outreach, Dr. Agu said, “We have special cases more on the adult side than on the adult side. We have seen some special case and some in wheel chairs. We know our limit but we have counselled them on what they are going to do and we referred so many of them. We also have their phone numbers so that we get back we can call those that would helped

further after making our recommendations”.

Hon. Ani Onyekachi Peter, Technical Assistant (TA) to Governor Umahi on Education and Coordinator, free the medical outreach of the Caring Heart Foundation said the exercise was initiated to attend to health needs the people at the grassroots who cannot afford such health services.

“We are today at Uburu to meet up with one of the live touching activities and programmes of Hon. Linus Okorie on health. This is a free medical exercise. Today, we are giving out drugs and Doctors are consulting patients free. We have laboratory and we have autrasound for pregnant women. We also have Ambulance here for referring severe cases.

“This is the 8th place we organising this health outreach. In Akaeze, we took some children with cases to Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and today, we are ready to same if there are special cases that need referral”, he said.

Chief Vincent Obinna, Presidential general, Eweze Uburu autonomous community, commended the Lawmaker for caring for the less privileged.

“For me as a person, I would not say I’m surprised because I know Linus Okorie and what he can do. This Caring Heart program is down grassroots program and live touching. It touches the lives and health care of the masses down grassroots. So, I’m so much pleased by his efforts toward reaching down grassroots.

Asked whether the free medical

APC has dwarfed PDP on projects delivery -- Usani

Anambra records successful HIV/ AIDS survey – NACA

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ational Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has described the ongoing Nigeria Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) to ascertain the accurate statistics of HIV/ AIDS in Anambra as successful.

Director-General of NACA, Dr Sani Aliyu, made this known while monitoring the conduct of the survey in Awka, the state capital.

Aliyu represented by Dr Priscilia Ibekwe, an official of the agency, said that the agency decided to monitor the NAIIS survey to enable them have firsthand knowledge of what was happening in the field.

The director-general said that the survey was expected to cover 180,000 respondents nationwide, and 8,775 households in the 774 local government areas in the country.

Aliyu encouraged the team working on the survey to see it as a national assignment that would engrave their names in gold upon its completion.

He however assured that most of the minor gaps identified would be corrected in subsequent states where the survey would take place.

The South East Zonal Coordinator of NAIIS, Dr Ejike Nwene, while briefing the Aliyu’s Monitoring Team, said the work in Anambra has been interesting with high level of success.

According to him, the team has recorded 98 per cent interview acceptance rate in the state.

“Minor challenges encountered in the state are that most Enumerated Areas (EA) were being displaced by ecological issues like flooding and students being on vacation,” he said.

Nwene said that there were 230 personnel, laboratory attendants, interviewers, trackers and community guides working in 100 Enumerated Areas in Anambra.

One of the team leaders in Amawbia, Ms Ifeoma Onyedika, thanked NACA for the opportunity given to them to work, but complained of lack of adequate incentives.

care was politically motivated, the Town Union President said,” Personally, as much as I know Linus, this program didn’t start today. It started far back even before people started talking about election.

“So, it is not because of election, it is because he has the people at heart and he wants programs that will touch the lives of the people at the grassroots. So, it has nothing to do with politics. Hon. Linus is a man of the people”.

Some of the beneficiaries including a100yr-old woman, Mrs Lovelyn Odo, and another Octogenarian, Mr. Bernard Nwodo who is suffering from eye problem since 2016, commended Hon Okorie for attending to their heath needs and prayed God to reward him abundantly.

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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• (From left): Former Commissioner for chieftaincy matters, Enugu State, Hon. Emeka Abugu, PDP Chairman Igbo-Eze North, Hon. Alex Uramah and Engr. Simon Atigwe, House of Reps aspirant for Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency thrilled as they watch Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi dance round the field in acknowlegement of cheers from the public as he arrived for a concert in support of his 2nd term bid organised by Prince Emeka Mamah’s Good Ambassadors for Gburugburu at the Temporary Stadium, Ogrute Enugu Ezike.

No room for substandard products -- SON

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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uthorities of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) has warned that it would not spare manufacturing companies operating without Mandatory Conformity Assessment Programme (MANCAP) certificate as such companies run the risk of being shut down for lack of quality standards.

Anambra State Coordinator of SON, Nwaoma Olujie who sounded this note of warning at the state SON office in Awka, weekend while presenting MANCAP certificates to Vino Vegetable Oil Nigeria Limited, on behalf of the Director-General of SON, Osita Aboloma, said all the manufacturing companies operating within the state which have not applied for MANCAP certificate should do so or be prepared to face the dire consequences.

According to Olujie: “It is this MANCAP certificate that gives a product manufactured locally credence to be to be distributed for both local and international consumption as it is only products with quality standard that can get the mark of MANCAP, just as imported products with SONCAP mark are assumed to be of quality standard”.

She disclosed that she SON had been able to issue MANCAP certificates to about 60 companies in the

state, adding that the application of more companies are still being processed, while their products are still undergoing various tests, adding that the MANCAP certificate would last as long as the company’s products are still of quality standard.

She disclosed that from time to time, SON which has zero tolerance against compromising quality standard, would go round and pick the company’s products and subject to test to ensure that the quality of such products remain intact as it was when the MANCAP certificate was issued.

“I want Anambra manufacturers to start looking at taking their products outside the country and the key to the sustainability of the multinational companies all over the world is quality because with quality, you can sell your product anywhere in the world but without quality, nobody will patronize you once they discover that the product has no quality standard”.

She also presented MANCAP certificates to four other companies, including Pita Genesis Industries Limited, Curtis Jas Industries Limited, Honey Best Juicy Bakery Limited and Denco Foam and Chemical Industries Limited, on behalf of the SON D-G. Receiving the certificate on be-

hind of the company, the Executive Director of Envoy Oil Limited, Ikechukwu Igbozuruike who represented its Managing Director, Chief Felix Ojimba expressed gratitude to SON for finding them worthy to have the MANCAP certificate, adding that the company would not compromise the standard quality of its products in future.

Igbozuruike who disclosed that Vino Oil is marketed by Transtell Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Envoy Group of companies, maintained that at no time would the company derail from its quality culture.

He identified lack of steady power supply, lack of infrastructure, multiple taxation and influx of foreign oil into the country which created unhealthy competitions between foreign and local products as some of teething problems plaguing manufacturing companies in the country and appealed to the government to assist them in that regard.

Also receiving their own certificates, Managing Director of Denco Foam and Chemical Industries Limited, Dennis Anozie and his Honey Best Juicy Bakery and Chin-Chin, DanielOkpo commended SON for certifying their products and maintained that they would not only retain their quality standard but also improve upon them.

inister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani has disclosed that the Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration in three years has thus far dwarfed the sixteen years performance of the People’s Democratic Party in terms of projects delivery.

Pastor Usani Uguru Usani this disclosure in Ogoja, Northern Cross River State where the ministry handed over an ultra-modern town hall building and solar-powered borehole to the Ishibori community.

He stressed that since the government came on board, all projects in the Niger Delta Ministry, as well as the NDDC, have been based on request by the people, a development he said has made the people of the various communities in the area highly appreciative of the projects.

He said a number of projects which had been abandoned by previous administrations in the country particularly in the last sixteen years have commenced and urged the benefiting communities to make the most of the projects.

The Minister sued for cooperation among the youths and elders for development to thrive, stressing that five communities of Abakpa, Mfum, Ugaga, Igede, and Ishibori are the direct beneficiaries of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

Giving details of the achievements of the government thus far, he said “427 intervention projects were meant for the nine oil producing states of Abia, Akwa, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Rivers. Contracts were awarded for canalization, electricity, food and cassava processing plants, housing schemes, land reclamation/shoreline protection, rehabilitation/remediation of oil-impacted sites, roads, skills acquisition centres and water scheme and several others”, he said.

In his welcome address, the Mbeji Amahntol of Ishibori Community said today,” it is gratifying that even though the structure has come a long way, the intervention and takeover of the project by the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, is what has made the project a reality, we commend the government of President Mohammadu Buhari for the timely completion of the 30 years project”, the monarch said.

POLITICS

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

30 days before Leah Osun 2018: Sharibu, others are Peaceful election, murdered dramatic results Pg 10

Pg 12

PDP Primaries: Princes of business in race to serve their people

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arrister Philip Okey Igwe and Prince John Chukwuemeka Mamah are two of a kind. Both are scions of two prominent business families in Igbo Land-Igwe from Abia, Mamah from Enugu.

Both are well educated.

Igwe, a veteran of the American Air Force, is an American and a Nigerian trained lawyer. Mamah holds MBA from the University of Nigeria (UNN). Before he joined politics and got elected as Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Igwe was Managing Partner of Lagem Firma and Partners, a firm of legal practitioners specializing in maritime, business, migration, litigation, and property laws, among others. He was also Executive Director of Mainland Oil and Gas Limited, a big player in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil industry.

Mamah is CEO of the famous Ifesinachi Industries Ltd with interests in transportation, courier services, products development and importation, hospitality, oil and gas and pharmaceuticals, among others.

Both men are children of mothers who sired boys all of who are profoundly established in their different businesses— Igwe’s mother five, Mamah’s four. Indeed, both are children of privilege. Which is, really, not the interesting thing about them.

Of course, if you are the son of Igwe James Mamah, Ohabuenyi Ozzi in Enugu-Ezike, Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State and founder of the great Ifesinachi Industries Ltd brand; or you belong to the great Elder Joseph Onyesoh Igwe of Umuogele Amuda, Isuochi, Umunneochi LGA, Abia State, you must be a child of privilege. What is interesting about these two young men—both are in their early 40’s) is that although there is cake aplenty already in the homestead, they are young men who are not content with what is already on the table: they want to, and bake, their own cake to add to the larger family pool, in clear fidelity to the Biblical position on wealth creation, namely, that to those who have even more shall be added.

Yet, even more interesting about these princes of business is that they not only bake their own cake and add to the family wealth but also share part of it with the rest of the human family through philanthropy and offers of employment of thousands of people, directly and indirectly, thereby feeding families, training children and improving people’s life chances generally.

Put another way, both are achievers.

In 1997, barely three years after he joined the family business after National Youth Service, Emeka Mamah saw a business opportunity in a young mother’s disappointment. A mother had sent money through one of the luxury bus conductors working with the transport division of Ifesinachi Industries to her son in Enugu but, for one reason or the other, the conductor never delivered the message but came back with the money. As he watched the young mother voice her frustration over the non-delivery of her message to her son who needed that money urgently, Mamah quickly saw the need to set up organized courier services as an adjunct of the larger Ifesinachi transport business to take care of such emergencies. And that is how IFEX Courier, the first indigenous courier company to be established as an adjunct of a luxury bus business was set up in 1998. Today, IFEX is so successful it prides itself as the only courier company that has been to

The incoming dispensation will have quite a handful of non-regular politicians to contend.

They are not career politicians but wealth creators who want to use the instrumentality of politics to add value to the conduct of public affairs. Governance just got set to be guided by a new set of rules—pragmatic ones, to be sure! FELIX OGUEJIOFOR ABUGU reports

• Prince Emeka Mamah

•Bar. Okey Igwe

What is interesting about these two young men—both are in their early 40’s) is that although there is cake aplenty already in the homestead, they are young men who are not content with what is already on the table:

“

Koma!

Okey Igwe flourished in the United States as a corporate, civil litigation, criminal litigation, international business, immigration and family lawyer. Respected for his knack for constitutional interpretation and dedication to human rights enforcement, Igwe practised in the prestigious New York Law Firm of Shaw and Associates where he was in charge of immigration, corporate and international law practices before returning home to found Lagem Firma and Partners.

As Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Igwe is on record to have restored light to the LGA after over 40 years of darkness in a place which the late indomitable Uche Chukwumerije, to use a time-tested expression, bestrode like a colossus but to which he could not, even

with all his contacts in successive administrations in the country, attract the most basic amenities. The electric power-backto-Umunneochi scheme was executed by Igwe using both official and, obviously, private money, all in a bid to improve on the quality of life in his community.

The good news is that these two are politicians—of the service-oriented hue, that is—who want to serve their people as lawmakers. They want to contribute towards making laws for the good governance of the people of Nigeria and, by extension, of their own immediate communities.

As his tenure as Chairman of Umunneochi LGA expires this December, Igwe wants to move on to the State House of Assembly to continue from where he stopped as Chairman of the local government in which capacity he has served his

people very well.

Mamah, a one-time Special Assistant on Transportation to former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, is also aspiring to represent his people in Udenu/ Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency in the 9th House come next year. Both of them belong to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the ruling party in Abia and Enugu States. On Sunday September 30 and Tuesday, October 2, the two aspirants will be facing party delegates from their constituencies who would be called upon, in accordance with the Electoral Act, to elect candidates to fly the party’s flag for the House of Representatives and that of the State House of Assembly respectively.

They hope to be elected and go on to win their elections.

At a time of extreme poor political leadership at all levels of government in Nigeria, many constituencies are angling for their best to represent them in various capacities. Their hope is that when their best (good men) are in power, there will emerge transformative leadership and the people will rejoice.

So, the question is, those constituencies which boast the likes of Igwe and Mamah, who are raring to serve them, would they rather not let those compassionate men and wealth creators serve them? Time— and delegates—will soon tell.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

INTERVIEW

•Leah-Sharibu

•Leah-Sharibu-s-mother-Rebecca-Sharibu

30 days before Leah Sharibu, L others are murdered et us take some moments to digest this story, as we ponder the fate of Miss Leah Sharibu, the Boko Haram kidnap victim and two others who now sitting on a chair designed and made by death.

As you read this, Leah, Alice Ngaddah and Hauwa Mohammed Liman have 30 days or less to be murdered, unless a streak of divine intervention blazes forth from heaven.

The story is told about two friends, an American and a Nigerian that wanted to commit suicide because they were simply fed up with life. A circle of friends and others gathered at the base of the two-storey building where the two had perched precariously like predatory owls, waiting to descend to their doom.

“We are fed up. We want to die. Life is meaningless. Our leaders are heartless. No food, no electricity, no jobs. Go away let us jump down. Nobody should stop us. It is our fundamental right to commit suicide.

This is not really a suicide; it is the way we have decided to die,” they said.

The crowd pleaded with them to reconsider their position. One person in the crowd said he had offered the two employments. Another said he would pay them a ransom if they do not for not take their lives. Yet another said he would buy them a car and build a house for them should they rescind their decision.

But like a mule whose veins are reined in stubbornness, the two friends appeared to have relinquished their freedom to reason and contemplation: “We will not come

“Our dear children, husbands, relations and the entire nation need us back home. To our able organisations please hear our cry for mercy. We are really helpless and hopeless, please rescue us and vindicate us, our families need us back and the entire nation at large. “ Against the backdrop of threats by Boko Haram to kill abducted Christian girl Leah Sharibu and others unless heavy ransom is paid for their release, JUSTUS NWAKANMA writes that whatever needs to be done to get the girls released must be done by down here unless our Presidents come and talk to us. A transmission of hope.

Soon, the two Presidents, Donald Trump and Muhammadu Buhari were informed.

Trump was the first to arrive. The moment the American saw him; he started shouting,”Mr. President, I am fed up with you. I want to die. I will jump down from here and die and my blood would be on your head. You promised to improve the lot of the youths but you have utterly failed…leave me let me jump down and die. I despise you.”

Trump was startled. He said: “Hell No! You cannot do this. Your life is important to all of us. The life of every American is precious to me. That you are even wearing a cap with the American flag insignia shows that you are a patriotic American. It shows your level of devotion to the uplift of our great country. You are a worth American

Ambassador. Please come down. “From today, I promise to turn America around.

I invite you to a dinner at the White House this night.”

The crowd applauded and applauded.

The young American came down. He got a big hug from Trump who promptly took him away.

Seconds later, President Muhammadu Buhari arrived. The young Nigerian shouted: “Sai Baba, I was one of those who trekked to celebrate your victory in 2015.

All the promises you made to youths you have not fulfilled, I want to die. I want to commit suicide. Nobody should stop me…”

There was pin-drop silence. Then, President Buhari whispered to one of his aides: “Is he from the 97 percent or the 5 per cent?

“I wouldn’t know Your Excellency, his aide said.

The Presidents’ tiny lips twirled, letting out a smirk of inconceivable mischievousness.

“Hmnnn, corruption is fighting back. Are you the only one that has no job? Do you know how many Nigerians are dying every day? The ones Boko Haram are killing; the ones dying from hunger; what of those like what is her name...Leah somebody… when others were released and she was not released, why did she not commit suicide? You are here shouting, I want to die, I want to die. If you want to die, what are you waiting for? Which country in this world do they invite a President because one useless person wants to commit suicide?”

He turned to the crowd: “And you, what

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

INTERVIEW

•jtf-boko-haram-flag

are you doing here? Just because this idiot wants to commit suicide, that is why all of you gathered here? Lazy Nigerian youths.

He entered his car and zoomed off.

No matter how perfunctorily exaggerative this narrative may be, it depicts the lackadaisical attitude with which African leaders treat the lives of their citizens.

Let us recall that Leah was one of the 110 students abducted from Government Girls Technical Science College, Dapchi, Yobe State by the Al Barnawi faction of Boko Haram on February 19, 2018.

In March, after about a month in captivity, there was a ray of hope for the distraught and traumatised parents and the victims as it was reported that the kidnapped girls would be released after the terrorists had reached an agreement with the Federal Government.

However, an expected song of liberation turned to a hymn of sorrow for the parents of Leah, after 104 of her colleagues were released but the sect held her back.

Her offence: she had refused to denounce her Christian faith, which was part of the conditions her captors gave for their release.

Predictably, this attracted global outrage among human rights activists. How could a government that paid a huge ransom to release the other girls failed to negotiate the release of Leah when the overriding consideration for their release was money and not change of faith?

According to a United Nations report signed by Coordinator of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, Edmund Fitton-Brown, and Chair of the Security Council Committee, Kairat Umarov, the world body asserted that a “large ransom” was paid by the Nigerian government to obtain release of the Dapchi schoolgirls.

Part of the report noted: “In Nigeria,

111 schoolgirls from the town of Dapchi were kidnapped on 18 February 2018 and released by ISWAP on 21 March 2018 in exchange for a large ransom payment.”

All entreaties and protests concerned Nigerians and civil society groups to intervene in the case of Leah have yielded no positive results. Now, the danger is growing larger than expected.

This week, Saifura Ahmed, one of the three humanitarian workers abducted in Rann, was killed by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram.

The victim was abducted during a raid on a military facility in the area on March 1.

At least four soldiers, policemen and three humanitarian workers were killed in the attack.

Hauwa Leman, one of the workers abducted, had sent an audio to one of her friends, demanding that her parents be informed that she had been kidnapped.

The terrorist group also threatened to kill Hauwa Liman and Alice Ngaddah who were abducted alongside Khorsa in March 2018, as well as Leah Sharibu, the remaining Dapchi schoolgirl in Boko Haram captivity.

One worrisome aspect of this episode is that the insurgents claimed that they contacted the government over the captives and sought a middle ground of settlement but the government in its usual intransigence and lack of interest in matters involving lives ignored the warnings.

“The other nurse and midwife will be executed in a similar manner in one month, including Leah Sharibu.

“We contacted the government through writing and also sent audio messages but the government has ignored us. So, here is a message of blood,” said a spokesman of the group who did not give his name.

Last August, the sect released a 35-sec-

ond online audio of Sharibu pleading for an urgent intervention by President Muhammadu Buhari to facilitate her rescue.

“I am Leah Sharibu… I am calling on the government and people of goodwill to intervene to get me out of my current situation”.

It is unimaginable, the kind of trauma, depression, numbness, helplessness and hopelessness; sometimes anger, sometimes despondency, when one realizes that death is facing her in the face and she is incapable of rescuing herself from its clutches, while the government whose duty is to protect and secure the citizens are gyrating somewhere reveling in one corner dance. This is the situation Leah and others are facing now. The families of these innocent ones are also meant to pass through a daily ritual of mental and psychological torture.

After the release of the recorded audio in which Leah pleaded for assistance, the Nigerian government admitted that efforts to secure her release by the insurgents had been tortuous and complicated.

They did not explain what they meant by “tortuous and complicated.”

But this latest threat by the sect, which somehow, was predicted by Ahmad Salkida, a journalist with the knowledge of Boko Haram insurgency and Lake Chad crisis, puts a lie to the position of the government. It is also an indication that the sect may be on the verge of launching a largescale attack in the northeast.

“The insurgents are busy piling up arms by overrunning one military base, after another, for something “big” and what could that be,” Salkida had tweeted. It is sad that President Buhari has always breached his promises of acting on matters concerning hostages held by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. Otherwise, one would have popped champagne over his recent

pledge to do everything possible to ensure the safe return of Leah and others. In a statement by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, he said: “We will continue to do everything possible to ensure the safe return of all of our people held by Boko Haram. This is a vow we intend to fully keep.

I appeal to our international partners and friends to continue to support us, even as we redouble our efforts. “In the last three years the efforts of our gallant military and intelligence agencies have resulted in the freeing of thousands of hostages, including some of the Chibok Girls and most of the Dapchi Girls. Let me again assure that no one - including Leah Sharibu - will be left behind. “While Human Rights Activists and other civil society groups in Nigeria appear to have gone into a sleeping mode over Leah and the humanitarian workers, concentrating more on the wave of reelection that has held the nation in a frenzy, those in the Diaspora have kept the flame burning. In a recent letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Emmanuel Ogebe of the US Nigeria Law Group, once again drew the attention of the global body to the need to intervene and save the lives of these hostages. Part of the letter read: “We urge you to meet with Nigerian President Buhari during his visit to US for the UN General Assembly next week to find out what led to the death of Ms Saifura Ahmed and how he can speedily secure the release of these captives; President Buhari should respond to the claim by the terrorists, that his government was contacted in to writing and also sent audio messages but the government ignored them”. The group urged the Secretary General to extract from Buhari an assurance that all the hostages will be released before Nigeria’s Independence Day on October 1, 2018 and also to remind the President of Nigeria’s obligations under international humanitarian law to negotiate the protection of aid workers and noncombatant civilians in its dialogue with BH/ ISWAP. It is recalled that in February 2013, in Borno State, several vaccinators were killed by Boko Haram. In the same month, three North Korean doctors and health workers were murdered in Yobe State.

The abduction and killing of aid workers in Rann IDP camp in March 2018 occurred a year after the same camp was erroneously bombed by the Nigerian Air Force killing many. Also, the Red Cross lost six aid workers in the January 2017 bombing of Rann camp. The execution of Saifura brings Red Cross Staff fatalities to seven in consecutive attacks in one camp.

It also noted that UNICEF had previously lost a staff member in the 2011 bombing of the UN Building in Abuja by Boko Haram.

A UN aid convoy was also attacked with fatalities in 2016 resulting in at least 3 consecutive years of deaths of aid workers in Nigeria.

Similarly, a medical doctor affiliated with UNICEF was also killed in the March 1 attack on the Rann camp (along with IOM workers) making UNICEF the UN Agency with the highest series of fatalities in Nigeria in the seven-year history of UN attacks.

The other day, Rebecca, Leah’s mother said she saw her daughter being released.

The entire family turned into a carnival of rejoicing. She danced like never before.

She embraced her daughter. They wept together. Leah consoled her that now that she was finally out of the den of the terrorists it was going to be a new beginning. As she was preparing to go to church for a thanksgiving, she woke up. It was a dream. She started weeping again. Nigeria, the international community, should never allow Leah Sharibu, Alice Ngaddah and Hauwa Mohammed Liman to be consumed by a fire they did not ignite. Let us never allow them to die.

•Nwakanma is a journalist based in Lagos

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

POLITICS

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s the governorship election in Osun State drew closer, various political parties made frantic efforts towards securing votes in the Saturday, September 22 polls. While the ruling party striving to retain power, the opposition on the other hand was struggling to regain it. The State was electrified with political campaigns, electoral promises, freebies and rallies.

The election, which was adjudged by political analysts as the most keenly contested governorship poll in Osun State, had no fewer than 48 political parties in participation.

However, there were five major contenders. All the five major candidates were strong political figures with vast experience and a formidable support base. ADC’s Akinbade was a former State party chairman of, and ex-governorship aspirant under, the PDP. He was also a former secretary to the Osun State government. ADP’s Adeoti was an excouncilor and former State party chairman of the defunct Action Congress (AC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He was also the immediate past secretary to the state government (SSG). APC’s Gboyega Oyetola is the immediate past chief-of-staff to the State governor. PDP’s Adeleke is a serving senator representing the Osun-west senatorial district of the state. And SDP’s Omisore is an exsenator and former deputy governor of the State.

The Oracle Today, while monitoring the polls across the State, observed that the turnout of voters was impressive.

In some of the polling units visited, polling points and materials were already set up as early as 7 am. Voters also behaved responsibly in most areas as they queued up peacefully to vote.

The candidate of the PDP, Senator Ademola Adeleke, was accredited and he voted at 8.08am at Abogunde Ward 5, Unit 9 In Ede while the candidate of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola, cast his vote in his hometown in Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area at about 10:15 a.m. at PU1, Ward 2, LA Primary School, Popo Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area.

The ADP governorship candidate, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti who cast his vote at about 10:45am at post office open space at Gidigbo ward 1unit 4, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the poll while the candidate of the ADC, Fatai Akinbade, voted at 10:35am at Ward 3, Unit 123, Ogbagba, Ola-Oluwa Local Government Area Also, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Senator Iyiola Omisore voted at the Polling Unit 3 Ward 1, Ife East. He voted at St Gabriel Primary School, Moore, Ile-Ife at 11:15 am.

Generally, security officials conducted themselves properly. There were no reports of intimidation of voters by either party officials or security personnel.

The foreign observers led by the European Union and local motoring groups also commended the exercise, describing it as largely peaceful and without calls for any emergency. This tacit endorsement of the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and others involved in the exercise, was also reflected in a number of interim reports released by civil society groups.

After a largely peaceful governorship poll on Saturday in Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the announcement of the results about 4 am on Sunday.

However, after over 15 hours of collations, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared the Osun governorship election inconclusive.

INEC’s Returning Officer, Joseph Afuwape, who announced the results on Sunday afternoon, said the PDP candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, polled 254,699 while Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress had 254,345 votes.

Iyiola Omisore of the Social Democratic Party polled 128,049 votes to place a distant third.

However, Afuwape said that since the difference between the two leading parties was just 353,which is far less than the cancelled votes, there would be a run-off.

He said number of registered voters in the five polling units where elections were cancelled is 3,498, adding that the figure is higher than the difference between the votes of the

•Adeleke

•Oyetola

•Omisore

Osun 2018: Peaceful election, dramatic results •PDP, Saraki, others react From Osogbo, JONATHAN AWANYAI reports that the Osun State governorship election, which held throughout the State last Saturday, September 22 to be precise, was remarkable for several reasons. Many thought it would be violent; it was very peaceful. With what happened in Ekiti governorship election still fresh in people’s minds, many feared the ruling APC would again try to muscle its way to victory; the opposition PDP won, although there would appear to be some subterranean attempts to rig the election in favour of the ruling party. The import of it all is this: the electorate just got wiser and it certainly isn’t going to be easy for election riggers next year. leading candidate, so a run-off election will be conducted.

Following the declaration by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission,(INEC), Professor Joseph Afuape,September 27 has been fixed for the run-off election.

With the lead by the Peoples Democratic Party candidate Ademola Adeleke, it will be up to the 3,498 voters spread across seven polling units to decide who will succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

But in a swift reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday rejected in its entirety, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) declaration of the September 22, 2018 Osun State Governorship election as inconclusive.

PDP insisted that the process was conclusive and that its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who won a total of 254, 698 votes, is in clear lead and should be immediately declared winner by INEC, having met the requirements of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP noted that “Section 179 (2) (a)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, (as amended), is clear and very unambiguous in spelling out the conditions for returning a candidate to the office of governor of a State.

“This section states inter-alia: ‘A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates – (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in

each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State.

“The declaration of the election as inconclusive, by INEC is, therefore, a sordid robbery of the franchise of the people of Osun State, who participated in the election.

“It is obvious that having failed in their schemes to alter the final results due to the resistance of the people, the APC had to bear pressure on INEC to declare the election inconclusive so as to pave way for the perfection of their manipulative schemes, which the people of Osun State have firmly resisted so far.

“Instead of yielding to the evil machination of the APC, INEC should have summoned the patriotic courage to immune itself and end this needless controversy by returning the PDP and declaring our candidate as the winner.

“It is important to state that the PDP will no longer accept inconclusive elections as subterfuge by the APC to attain its dubious electoral manipulative schemes in our nation.

“The people of Osun state and the entire nation are already aware that the PDP won this election. They have the authentic figures from the polling units and know the candidate the voters prefer.

“The people by their votes, have overwhelmingly declared for our candidate and we are not ready to accept any attempt by anybody to use any means whatsoever to steal our mandate freely given by the people.

“PDP is for peace, but we will not hesitate to use every force available in a democracy to face any attempt to subvert the will of the people or rig us out in this election.”

PDP also charged “the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to avoid the fury of the people by immediately reversing this fraudulent decision of the Resident Electoral Commissioner and declaring our candidate the winner of the election. Anything short of this is definitely not acceptable to the PDP and the people of Osun and it is a direct recipe for crisis.

“Finally, the PDP cautions INEC and the APC to note that the game is up. The people of Osun state have decided in favour of the PDP and that has become a fact that can never be altered.”

In the same vein, President of the Senate and Chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Council on Osun State Gubernatorial Election, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, also faulted the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the election results were inconclusive.

Saraki, in a statement signed by him, expressed dismay at the decision by INEC to declare as “inconclusive” an election in which a candidate won the highest number of votes and fulfilled the condition for geographical spread.

According to him “In my lay man’s opinion, the INEC was wrong in declaring the election as inconclusive because the votes in certain polling units were cancelled. The decision of INEC to cancel the election in those areas after voting had taken place means INEC had already excluded the votes in these areas from the election process and therefore those units should have no place in the overall results.

“My opinion would have been different if the election in the affected units did not take place at all, may be as a result of malfunctioning of the card reader machine or unavailability of the electoral materials. Since the voting took place and was cancelled, only the courts could reverse the initial decision by INEC to cancel the votes in these areas.”

Jide Balogun, an accountant who spoke with The Oracle Today in Oshogbo chided INEC for the inconclusive results. He argued that if the collated results were in favour of the All Progressive Congress(APC) there would have been no inconclusiveness.

He regretted that with the inconclusive results, “the government has to cough out huge sums of money for a rerun and it also imposes great financial burdens on electoral candidates and their political parties.”

13

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

POLITICS

Mgbuka Market: Why I am seeking re-election, by Chief Obiagwu What are the major challenges of leading traders in Onitsha market?

Well, the issue of market leadership depends on the nature of the market in question. There are basic challenges emanating from the need for adequate security, environmental sanitation, bad road network, availability of water and power supply. These are the basic challenges each market leader faces but in addition, each market has its own ups and downs.

It is possible to say that the challenges we have at Mgbuka here are quite different from the ones that exist at Onitsha Main Market, Bridge Head, Ochanja Central Market or Ose Okwodu. For instance, at Mgbuka here, we have the peculiar challenge of managing the boys who are the vast majority in numbers here. In some other markets, you may have elderly people and women as the majority so the challenges differ. This market is all about boys because 90% of us here are boys and as the leader of the market, you have to control them against violence, quarrels and fighting. You have to deal with the riotous elements in the boys to ensure peace and orderliness. I thank God that so far so good; I have been able to manage them well enough in the last four years.

•Says Mgbuka traders ready for.2019 polls too In a few weeks from now, traders at Old Motor Spare Parts Market, Obosi in Anambra State, popularly known as Mgbuka Obosi will elect new officers to pilot their affairs in the next four years following the expiration of the tenure of the present administration headed by Chief Emma Chidu Obiagwu, also known as Ohamadike of Umuchu. Already, those aspiring to fill positions up for grabs, including the incumbent Chairman Chief Obiagwu who is seeking reelection for a second term in office, have started to campaign all round the market. In this interview, Obiagwu gives account of his stewardship, explaining why he wants to remain in office for another four years. He also spoke on the challenges of market leadership in Onitsha, why traders apply Option A4 as election formula, revealing that Mgbuka traders are ready for 2019 polls with their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). THEO RAYS reports...

How were you able to do that? May be you used iron hand?

Not iron hand. Iron hand is not the best option because I have the experience where iron hand boomeranged and riot followed. What I did in the last four years and what I will continue to do is to front myself before them as one of them. I use myself as example of being calm and peaceful and encourage them to be peaceful in everything they do. I use myself as example to tell them in language they understand that there is no gain in violence, quarreling and fighting but there are gains in calmness and peace.

Secondly I try to respond to their needs ahead of time by ensuring that they don’t have dispute with each other in terms of space and movement. I always ensure that the terrain is free. The space they run their businesses are free and the places they move around are also free without elements of disputations. These are the working methods that I have applied to control them. And I thank God because it is only in my regime that we didn’t witness any riot from the boys. Since inception of this market in 1985, no regime has successfully controlled the boys against rioting but I have succeeded to do that.

Recently, the State government launched attacks on market leaders over revenue generation. What’s your position on that?

How would you absolve yourself of blame in the saga?

Yes, I am aware that some market leaders were invited and questioned by the State government. Some were arrested and detained. Some were removed from office and later reinstated but I was neither arrested nor removed so that tells you my own side of the story.

Talking about the forthcoming election in the market, how are the preparations?

How ready are the traders and what formula are you people going to apply for the election? Is it open secret ballot or Option A4?

We are ready because we have made adequate arrangements in line with the

•Chief Obiagwu

constitution of the market for the election. Campaigns are already on. People who are interested in elective positions in the market have started campaigning.

Myself as the incumbent chairman have started campaigning for re-election. I am seeking the mandate of the traders for a

second term in office. On the issue of formula, we are going to use Options A4 not open secret ballot. All over the markets in the State, traders use Option A4 in election and ours is not going to be different.

Why are you seeking re-election? What

are those things you have done that give you the confidence to seek re-election?

I won’t hesitate to tell you that I have done a lot and as such, the last four years of my regime have been fruitful and rewarding. I have been busy working from day one till this moment and interestingly, I am not tired. When I came on board, I started with human and environmental sanitation and quickly ensured that the traders and the market environment are well sanitized. I flushed bad boys out of this market.

When I came in, Mgbuka was like a den of bad boys with hoodlums and miscreants who drink and smoke all sorts of things making negative impact on the market.

The market was associated with bad boys and people were scared to come and buy goods at Mgbuka. People lost confidence in the market but I succeeded in flushing them out and restored the confidence of the people in the market.

I also dealt with evil forces through prayers. Our weekly Friday prayer meeting, which I re-invigorated is making positive impact and the reign of fetish people has been completely dismantled.

Thirdly, I accorded befitting burial to traders who died some years ago but did not receive burial rites according to the constitution of the traders. My predecessors out of negligence failed to give our deceased members their burial rites and by the time I came on board, the number of our deceased members who were not given proper burial rites had swollen to nearly 200. I closed the market and organised a ceremony to give our deceased members a befitting burial rites.

The fourth achievement is in the area of infrastructure. I grade and maintain roads around the market. Right now, I am building an ultra-modern hall in the market. My predecessor developed it but I was not satisfied with the kind of structure I met so, when I came on board, I started to do a new thing. I have to expand the capacity of the sitting hall and give the hall befitting structure. I also upgraded the present secretariat of the market and equipped it to standard.

Lastly, I have ensured that peace reigns in the market. And, as I said earlier, there has not been any riot in the market under my regime, unlike what happened under my predecessors who witnessed riotous moments.

How are Mgbuka traders getting ready for 2019 polls?

We are ready and I can assure you that virtually all the eligible voters in the market have their PVCs.

14

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

POLITICS A Abia Central needs worthy BIA Central Senatorial Zone needs representation that would make the people feel the impact of government policies, Dr. Brightman Onyendi, an aspirant to the seat has said. In an interview, Dr. Onyendi lamented that the absence of such a Senator was responsible for the poor state of the infrastructure in the Zone.

“The state of infrastructure in the Zone is terrible,” Dr. Onyendi said. “It is the major reason our people are unable to benefit from the economic opportunities in their respective localities.

“An example is the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway that passes through a greater part of our Senatorial Zone. The road has fallen into disrepair for years. It is not getting any attention because those who have represented us have not thought of the importance of the road to the local economies in our Zone.

“What have they done in 19 years, other than looking after themselves? Can they point to any sustainable project that they initiated in any of the six local government areas of our Zone?”

Dr. Onyendi said he would be different because his agenda was centred on improving the opportunities that the people in the Zone would have. He explained it thus: “I am thinking of the interests of the people in the Zone. Their interests have formed the bases of the decisions that I have made.

“My choice of political platform is the All Progressives Congress, APC, it is the party at the centre. We need to be at the centre to benefit from national opportunities.”

Dr. Onyendi retired, in 2014, from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, where he was a senior manager and a labour leader. He studied Sociology at the University of Jos. “Representation should be for the people, not the self. The people of Abia Central need a Senator who can speak for them, who would care for them, and knows their needs because he knows them. Those are the services I am offering,” said Dr. Onyendi, who looks forward to success at the party primaries on 3 October.

representation – Onyendi

•Dr. Onyendi returning his completed nomination form for Senate to Abdullahi Yusuf Gashua, APC National Director (Administration)

INEC’s Osun debacle: How did 308 voters become 3,498?

By Jide Kolade

L

awyers, journalists and political pundits have been hands in gloves against the Nigerian electoral umpire INEC since the past 24hrs.

The pugilistic stance of all right thinking Nigerians, against the Independent National Electoral Commission, is born out of the decision to throw the keenly contested Osun State gubernatorial election to inconclusive quagmire, by the Chief Returning Officer, Prof Joseph Adeola Afuwape, who is also said to be the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure.

In doing this, the chief electoral officer had latched on a section of INEC guideline, claiming that the voided votes from the just concluded exercise is in excess of 3498 which in strength outweighs the paltry differential of 353 votes, by which the leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Sen Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, was about to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola.

Inter alia, logic has been advanced that the Chief Returning Officer does not have the legal backing to throw the election result to inconclusiveness, drawing reference from the same electoral guidelines.

For the purpose of clarity, let me mention here that I was on ground, traversing the nook and crannies of Osun State, as election observer for three consecutive days.

By the way, it should be recalled that the latest grammatical lexicon, in the Nigerian electoral conduct now, is the word INCONCLUSIVE! Be that, as it may, the logicality of my argument here is not to debate whether or not the Chief Returning Officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of one of the nation’s

•Ademola Adeleke casting his vote citadel of learning, excellence and integrity, is backed by the law to perform his volte faced bidding, but the sensibility of the professor’s act.

Picking the figures from the cancelled polling units one after the other, it was posited as thus: 1) OROLU Total number of registered voters - 947 Total number of accredited voters - 50 2) IFE NORTH Total number of registered voters - 502 Total number of accredited voters - 76

3) IFE SOUTH Total number of registered voters - 353 Total number of accredited voters - 84 4) OSOGBO Total number of registered voters - 884 Total number of accredited voters - 98 Registered voters for the contentious four polling units are hereby put at 2686, which is even a far cry from the bandied figure of 3498 (oops where is the missing figure?). Whereas, all the accredited voters from these polling booths had been aggregated to 308.

The question now is, for crying out loud,

why has the returning officer suddenly thrown his Intelligence Quotient on auto reverse?

Why won’t he wear his thinking cap right and stand firm on his oath of office as somebody on whose thrust the public put so much level of integrity, to damn the consequence and say it as it is?: “Look gentle men and colleagues on this table, the number of the accredited, but cancelled votes from the four polling units amount to the following figure, let’s agree to make a deduction of the outlined figure from Ademola Adeleke’s leading units of 353, just in case we choose to award this willy nilly to the first runners up, Adeleke is still bound to win with a slight margin, but valid vote, of 45”, case closed!!!

Pray, is there anywhere in INEC electoral guidelines or, even, in the Nigerian constitution whereby it is stated that to win an opponent in any election, the clear winner must emerge with thousands of ballots in differential?

No! This VC made a big mistake! He has been misled into putting his reputation at stake, both nationally and internationally.

“Bi a ba ran ni n’ise eru a fi t’omo je”, the Yorubas say, in adage, if you are sent on errands meant for the slave, apply your sense to deliver with astuteness of a free born!

As it is now, from where does Prof Afuwape hope to produce sufficient figures of voters to cover up the loss on ground, come September 27th, D-day?

I think the People’s Democratic Party and it’s candidate, Sen Ademola Adeleke, reserve the right to approach the Supreme Court for a constitutional interpretation if Adeleke is truly serious to dance to the government house as the next Governor of the state of the Living Springs.

15

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

INTERVIEW

Why Ndigbo should stick with the opposition – Rev Nwachukwu Ahead of the 2019 general elections in Nigeria, an Onitshabased man of God, Rev. Jerry Nwachukwu has in what looks like advice from above told the people of the South East geopolitical zone to pitch their tent during the election. Rev Nwachukwu who is the Senior Pastor of Bible Base Assembly also spoke on the lingering crisis in the Senate, which led to the sack of Mamman Daura as the Director General of Directorate of State Service (DSS), the ambivalence of Igbo elite on the plight of Ndigbo in Nigeria, pro-Biafra agitation, among other issues. THEO RAYS and GABRIEL EJIOFOR report.

Let’s start by gerting your candid view on the situation of things with Ndigbo in Nigeria. Are you satisfied with Ndigbo’s response to their plights in Nigeria? Some say restructuring will address the Igbo Question while others are in support of restoration of Biafra…

No am not satisfied because I don’t see any effective measures being put down by Ndigbo toward addressing the challanges facing us as a people in Nigeria. In most cases, we end up as mere complainants. We complain about marginalization, complain about the unfavourable structure of the country and lack of federal presence in the South East but end up doing nothing tangible in response. If we say we don’t like the structure or what is going on, what have we done about it all?

What sacrifice have we made? Have we boycotted any election and said we want Bifara instead? Some say we need restructuring others are going for Biafra but united we stand and divided we fall. We have to unite and decide on the best option. So, now what do we want and what have we done or are doing to realise it? Have we sponsored any Bill to that effect in the National Assembly?

As Ndigbo, can we speak with one voice and stand with one political party? If not for anything, the party will be controlling our States.

Even if we don’t have other things, let us have a party we can call our own so that it can be said we are governed by one political party. That is the only way out. If we cannot form a political front, we will remain political lepers; we are not ready to suffer building a political front. We run after ruling parties, which means we cannot build our own and stand on our own. Under this circumstance, our opponents can never take us seriously.

We are not serious, if we cannot identify with ourselves. We are nobody. They can do whatever they want to do without us.

The man that said without Igbos, I can rule, is he not ruling us today? And we are here.

He is ruling us today. Did he regard us as anything? And our so-called big men are joining him. Ohanaeze Summit and so on amount to nothing. Ohanaeze as an organization in itself, seems not to understand the question bothering Ndigbo; they don’t understand it. And because they don’t understand the question, they don’t have the answers. That is why they are calling for restructuring. For me, Ohanaeze crying for restructuring is not it. Restructuring what? The election is next year February, how feasible is that restructuring before that? They just gathered expecting something to enter into their pockets. Is there any of them that is saying this and that and is not having secret meetings with those in power? None. So, how can we make progress?

Where would you advise Ndigbo to pitch their tent with regard to the 2019 election?

Left for me, Ndigbo should stick with the opposition party. And it is either we choose the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) because

we will have a better deal with PDP or APGA than All Progressives Congress (APC). Those who are making effort to drag Ndigbo into APC should forget about that because the party has no interest in taking us where we are supposed to be.

What of IPOB’s continuous demand for referendum and the recent arrest, detention and arraignment of Igbo women protesting in Imo State?

In case of IPOB, a child you beat must cry.

And that cry will not stop their father from doing what he wants to do. So, that threat may not hold water. There are processes you have to get before you talk of referendum. Even the agitation of English-speaking Cameroun seems to be stronger than ours.

See how their political office holders at the national level have resigned their positions.

The French-speaking Cameroon has marginalized them over time. They stopped them from going to school. They deprived them of so many things, but they are standing their ground. Our people here they seek political offices at the national level. And many of our people are still there. So, all those people are just crying for the pains they are going through and their cry can’t change anything in Nigeria.

For those women detained and arraigned in Owerri, it is not only condemnable but abominable. In the eyes of God, international community and Igbo tradition, it is an abomination. What did they do? It is just because they are protesting the absence of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). They would arrest, detain and arraign elderly and pregnant Igbo women for protesting without carrying even a stick but provide security to protect killer herdsmen. I am happy the pressure from men and women of good conscience has forced them to release the women.

How do you see the crisis in the National Assembly and its effect on 2019 general election?

In the month of May 2018, God told me there will be a basket of crises in the All Progressives Congress (APC), that they will keep making mistakes and making mistakes.

What happened few weeks ago was one of those mistakes of the administration that no democratic, mature mind should ever make. It is a kind of going all out to achieve the self centred interest against the wish of the majority. To me, it is a hand- writing on the wall that APC need to retrace their steps because it is no more accusation; it is an act.

And permit me to say that what motivated the sacked Director General of DSS to lead the operation may also lead the party leaders of APC to make the mistakes that may sink them. Doing things without considering the interest of the public is an act that hinders political development and negates the principle of democracy. So, to me even God respects constituted authority; what of human being? I am not surprised by what is

•Rev. Nwachukwu unfolding in the country. By the end of July, I don’t know whom He was referring to but God told me specifically that the enemy of Nigeria has been conquered, disarmed and dispossessed. So, whoever among the ruling class that is an enemy of the country politically, democratically, economically and otherwise has been conquered, disarmed and dispossessed. So, gradually, the power will be getting out of their hands because when you leave what you are supposed to do and start doing another thing, you are closing your chapter gradually until you get to a level where there will be no more opportunity for you to continue in your wicked act.

Do you think this attempt to impeach Saraki and Ekweremadu even unconstitutionally will augur well for our democracy?

If they are in power to gang up and impeach the leadership of the National Assembly in a crooked manner or unlawful manner, it shows they are not in control of the country. It is an indication and evidence that even among the National Assembly members, they don’t have the majority that can impeach the leadership of the House. So, if they are in control and fully in charge of the house, they don’t need to fight to change the House. Everybody should come in, let them vote, if all the senators want Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu to

go, they can’t drop it but where the majority stands by their side, they can’t remove them. If they want to remove them, they should follow the rule of law, due process; they know it. They cannot force the reconvening of the National Assembly that has gone on recess. If they want, there are processes and procedures of reconvening the National Assembly. The President of the Senate has called the meeting of both Houses, about 20 leaders, to sit and listen to what the executive was saying, for them to know whether they would reconvene or find out a solution to what they need. Does that require masked DSS operatives to besiege the hallowed legislative Chambers? So, you realize the country is not in their hands and they don’t have the interest of the country at hand. All their pursuits, all their interests, all the things they want to achieve are about electoral victory in 2019.

They don’t care about those of us who are hungry, who are crying; they don’t care about unemployment, or how to grow the economy. So, the problem is that they are a selfish set of people. Does the person that controls the Senate determine what will happen in 2019? And God had told me years back that it is us the populace that will determine whether election shall be rigged or not be rigged; they cannot rig the election on their own. It is not possible.

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

BU$IN£SS

•Energy •Finance •Stock •Insurance •Aviation

•CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Skye: Shareholders lose N11b T

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

HERE is clear indication that shareholders of defunct Skye Bank would lose their investments worth N10.688 billion in the bank as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last Friday announced withdrawal of the lender license.

The deposit money lender which was public company and listed on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has it shareholders’ funds eroded following share reconstruction.

The implication of this is that, no single shareholder would be able to recoup his or her investment in the bank.

A check by The Oracle Today showed that almost 14 billion outstanding shares of the defunct bank traded at N0.77 kobo at its last trading day.

Financial experts blame shareholders for Skye Bank’s license revoke as they refused raise fund to improve shareholders funds.

The failure of Skye Bank shareholders to recapitalize the bank, which has been battling with acute liquidity challenges is responsible for the revocation of its operating license of Skye Bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), experts who spoke to The Oracle Today said.

According to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of APT Securities and Funds Limited, Mallam Garba Kurfi, “Skye Bank is a lost investment to shareholders and no more any hope”, he said.

In his own, former President, Chartered Institute of Banking of Nigeria (CIBN) Prof. Joseph Ajibola, opined that there was an understanding by the public that the shareholders of Skye Bank including Lagos State Government would beef up the capital base of the bank to enable it operate profitably and meet the critical regulatory ratios.

“This was not to be as the bank continued to rely on borrowings from the CBN to remain in operation. Hence the decision of CBN to close its lending window against Skye Bank,” he noted.

The Central Bank had last Friday revoked the operating licence of Skye Bank which has been under the management of apex bank’s appointed board since 2016.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, told pressmen in Lagos that the apex bank decided to pull the plug out of the lender after “The result of our examinations and forensic audit of the bank has, however, have revealed that the Skye bank requires urgent recapitalisation as it can no longer continue to live on borrowed times with indefinite liquidity support from the CBN. The shareholders of the bank have been unable to recapitalize it.”

An economist who doesn’t want his name

to be mentioned said, “The reasons given by the regulatory authorities are difficult to controvert.

If the existing shareholders are not able to inject additional capital even after the capital base of the Bank had been eroded by losses means that they have lost any claims on the Bank and therefore the withdrawal of the license is simply a confirmation of an existential condition. It is ill advised that a bank should operate only with borrowed money.”

He added that what CBN has done is to make it clear to the shareholders of Sky Bank that their investment has been completely eroded and therefore they no longer have any claims.

“Legally, Skye Bank has ceased to exist, it has been taking over by Polaris Bank. However, nothing has changed yet until AMCON inject funds into the bank and that is expected to be done by next week.

“Moreover, this singular action of the Apex Bank will trigger a run on the bank in the next few weeks. However, I expect that the bank will be able to meet its obligations to customers courtesy of the fund that AMCON is expected to inject into it.”

He expressed belief the revocation of the license by the Central Bank was simply a confirmation of an existential condition, adding that It was good that the Central Bank has taken steps to sustain the going concern of the Bank by protecting depositor’s funds while ensuring that jobs were protected.

“Therefore, to all intents and purposes, what CBN has done is to make it clear to the shareholders of Skye Bank that their investment has been completely eroded and therefore they no longer have any claims. What is left is for the regulatory authorities to embark on aggressive enlightenment programme to ensure that all stakeholders are on board,” he stressed.

However, CBN Governor who announced the decision said depositors funds remain safe.

Polaris Bank has been established to assume ownership of the assets and liabilities of Skye Bank.

However, the National Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) has injected N786 billion in the new bank.

The defunct Skye Bank has been on CBN’s lifeline since July 2016 and the apex bank says it can no longer continue to intervene to keep the balance liquid.

The defunct Skye Bank bought Mainstreet Bank (offshoot of Afribank) in 2015 and became terminally ill in 2016, surviving on CBN’s oxygen.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

BUSINESS Stories by VICTOR NZE

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ANAGING Director of Ecobank Nigeria, Mr Patrick Akinwuntan, has disclosed that the major task before him is to grow the Ecobank brand in the country by delivering it as a brand of choice and making sure the lender’s services are available and are within the reach of every Nigerian either in their homes or locality through any of the bank’s versatile touch points.

Akinwuntan, who was fielding questions by the media in Lagos, said Ecobank is a central platform of choice for doing financial transactions across Africa, because the bank has more presence in African than any other any other financial institution, whether as a global player or as an African player. In his words “My mandate in Nigeria is to deliver the brand promise of Ecobank as the platform of choice for convenient, affordable and instant banking services to customers in Nigeria. “it is our ambition that we are within easy reach in your locality at an Ecobank express point through our agents or within your arm’s length on your phone; you can open an account and you can make payment; you can receive payment straight on your phone and at any time cash out through our agent at any Ecobank Xpress point or the ATM. “In addition, our multi-featured digital payment solution, EcobankPay – this is our rebrand of the Ecobank Scan+Pay QR offering designed to allow us deliver unified and instant self-service across a range of interconnected payment solutions.

“This allows our customers pay in-

store via the Ecobank mobile app or *326#. It is the Ecobank everywhere strategy across Africa that we are implementing in Nigeria,” the new Ecobank Nigeria chief stated.

He said further that, “We have more country presence than any other financial institution across Africa, currently 36 countries and therefore our central technology platform positions us as the platform of choice and enables us leverage for scale, efficiency, affordability, quality of service across the continent.

“We are able to relate our common product, common platform, common services, and common set value proposition to our customers.

We spent the last two years building on our unrivalled platform and laying the foundation that enables us accelerate to leadership in this market.”

Ecobank today is a world-class pan-African bank, a major contributor to the economic development and financial integration of Africa.

The bank’s ground-breaking digital banking solutions – including the Ecobank Mobile app, Xpress account offering, which can be opened instantly with less documentation and Ecobank OMNI, that is our online payment platform for corporate customers, has in no small way unleashed the potential of Ecobank as the unparalleled pan African platform and supports its goal to reach 100 million customers by 2020.

Ecobank is known to deliver a seamless customer experience across 36 African countries, bringing wholesale, retail, transactional and investment banking services to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, local companies, SMEs and individuals.

Ecobank plans aggressive expansion in Nigeria

•The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta; Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Engineer Ubale Maska.

Abia Govt to establish microfinance bank to assist SMEs

A

BIA State Commissioner for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Mr Gabriel Igboko, says the State Government has concluded plans to establish SME microfinance bank in October to assist small scale entrepreneurs in the state.

Igboko who disclosed this in Friday in Umuahia, said the bank was one of the three agricultural SME programmes of the state government already approved by the Central Bank

AfCFTA will spur Africa’s industrialization, economic development – ECA chief

T

HE African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is a tool that countries can use to create opportunities for African businesses and through them drive the continent’s industrialization, economic diversification and development, according to David Luke, Coordinator of the Africa Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

In a presentation at the 24th Sessions of the Inter-Governmental Committee of Experts (ICE) of Southern Africa in Mauritius, Mr. Luke said the AfCFTA, which has been signed by 49 of the 54 African countries and ratified by seven so far, will reduce trade costs and facilitate business expansion and in the process provide great opportunities for African businesses to gain from, and contribute to Africa’s rapid market growth.

“The AfCFTA helps promote the type of trade that produces sustainable growth, creates jobs for Africa’s youth, and establishes opportunities for nurturing Africa’s businesses and entrepreneurs,” he said.

“It will have only a small impact on tariff revenues while helping to restructure African economies to deliver a more sustainable fiscal base. This is because the AfCFTA helps to pivot Africa’s trade away from extractive exports towards more sustainable and inclusive trade that is less dependent on the fluctuations of commodity prices.”

Luke said in an era of increasingly unreliable aid receipts, and the growing importance of domestic resource mobilization, the AfCFTA provided a route towards more sustainable government revenues.

Africa faces a changing world

trading landscape with many evolving external challenges, he said, adding the AfCFTA, against this, could serve as a platform for African trade policy coherence providing Africa with the strengthened voice of 1.2 billion people in future negotiations, fostering a common position on evolving trade policy issues, and ensuring that individual bilateral arrangements do not unravel the objectives of continental integration.

The ATPC Chief said to fully utilize the opportunities of the AfCFTA, each country is recommended to develop an AfCFTA strategy which is complementary to their broader trade policies and identifies key trade opportunities, current constraints and steps required to take full advantage of the continental African market. Such strategies could speak to the African Union’s Boosting Intra-African Trade Action Plan, he added.

The ECA has already received a dozen country and REC requests for support for developing such strategies.

“The CFTA presents an opportu-

nity to leverage trade for structural transformation, economic growth and job creation in Africa. This is because intra-African trade, which is promoted by the AfCFTA has a stronger impact on development than other types of trade,” Mr. Luke said.

The ECA estimates that all African countries will experience welfare gains once the AfCFTA becomes operational; more industrialized countries will be well placed for manufactured goods; there will be opportunities for satisfying Africa’s growing food security requirements; land-locked gain from trade facilitation, transit and customs cooperation, among other gains.

“African businesses have had their interests piqued, political leadership at the highest level is committed, and the world is watching,” said Mr. Luke, adding policymakers must see through momentum with prompt ratification of the AfCFTA. The AfCFTA will officially come into force once at least 22 countries have ratified the agreement, potentially making the continent the largest trading bloc in the world.

of Nigeria (CBN).

The commissioner explained that the government would, through the bank, do disbursements to other SME bodies, so that they could have soft loans that were not normally available in commercial banks.

He said: “by October, we would have completed all formalities to have Abia SME microfinance bank established.

“The governor has since given his approval. We have gone to the CBN and we have met all the conditions.

We are just trying to tie all the necessary loose ends in terms of documentation.

“The microfinance bank identifies those businesses that would come for as small as N20,000 loans or N50,000 and even up to N500, 000 loans.”

He explained that the bank would be disbursing funds to other CBN approved programmes of government that included the Commercial Agricultural Scheme (CAS) and the industrial starch plant.

Igboko further said that the state government would engage over 10, 000 youths within six months in the

Stanbic IBTC shines at EMEA Finance African Banking Awards

I

N recognition of its position as Nigeria’s leading investment banking institution, Stanbic IBTC has won four awards in different categories in the 2018 Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Finance African Banking Awards.

The diadems: ‘Best Foreign Investment Bank,’ ‘Best Debt House’, ‘Best Equity House’ and ‘Best Loan House,’ were won through Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited, a member of the Stanbic IBTC Group.

According to the organizers, the annual awards, now in its 11th edi-

Sterling Bank engages US-based firm to upgrade ICT platform

S

TERLING Bank Plc has engaged the services of a United Statesbased cloud-based business software provider, Freshworks, to oversee the upgrade of its information and communications technology platform.

Freshworks will upgrade the current IT service desk of the financial institution to a modern, robust, cloud-based platform to empower its employees and also enhance the business efficiency of its technology teams.

The 2014 CIO imperative pushed Sterling Bank to align with industry best practices and comply with the CBN IT roadmap for financial institutions in Nigeria.

The lender found its current IT platform incapable of fulfilling some of the critical requirements stipulated by the ISO 20000-1 standard. The legacy platform was also insufficient in supporting some of the bank’s strategic goals around digitization and implementing IT as a Service (ITaaS).

commercial agriculture programme also billed to take off in October.

According to him, everybody in the state, including civil and public servants would be encouraged to have their own farms under the scheme.

He said that the state government had already made available about 10, 000 hectares of land for the scheme.

“Every person will have a farm of at least one hectare, but no individual is allowed to have more than three hectares, so that it is not monopolised,” Igboko said.

The commissioner also said that the industrial starch plant would be the first of its kind in West Africa.

He said the foreign partners had already done the feasibility study, adding that it would take the state to another level of industrialisation.

“We already have an off taker that is asking for 38 metric tonnes of cassava starch per annum. The whole of Southeast of Nigeria cannot produce up to 30 metric tonnes per annum. In fact, we will involve our neighbouring states like Akwa Ibom, Imo and Ebonyi. Abia alone cannot meet the demands for the kind of farming we are talking about,” he said.

After a successful proof-of-concept of Freshservice, Freshworks’ flagship IT service desk solution, Sterling Bank transitioned to the modern, efficient, ITIL-aligned service desk to power its technology teams to realize strategic organizational goals while improving operational productivity and overall business efficiency.

“Africa is a very strategic market for Freshworks,” said Arihant Jain, Director for Middle East & Africa, Freshworks.”

tion, recognizes the achievements of the best commercial and investment banks as well as asset management and brokerage operations on the African continent.

It particularly focuses special attention on banks that are moving the industry forward through new and innovative products and services, excellence in investment banking, as well as increasing the number of banked individuals, and giving back to the community through corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Overall, the Standard Bank Group, to which Stanbic IBTC belongs, won 23 awards at the African Banking Awards 2018 in various markets, including the Best Investment Bank in Africa, which it is winning for 11th consecutive year.

The awards presentation ceremony holds on Thursday 6 December, 2018 at the Law Society in London, UK. Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC, Mr Yinka Sanni, said the performance of the Standard Bank Group is a reflection of its pervasive footprint across Africa, riding on the back of experience and expertise garnered in over 155 years of existence. The Standard Bank Group has strategic representation in 20 countries across Africa and other emerging markets.

19

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

BUSINESS

RSA Pension funds records mixed performance in August

Stories by KAYODE OGUNWALE

A

UGUST was not particularly a good month for RSA Pension funds as a good number of them ended the month with negative performances. Of the 19 RSA pension funds, 8 of them ended the month in the red with Sigma RSA pension fund losing the month with a negative 1.02 percent return.

All but one Retiree fund, on the other hand, posted positive returns for the month with Investment One Retiree fund being the only one that recorded a negative performance return of 0.64 percent.

Among the RSA funds the highest positive return for the month was recoded by Veritas Glanvills RSA Pension fund with 0.86 percent while Trustfund Retiree pension fund toped the Retiree funds with August performance of 2.03 percent. Those are quite laudable performances given that the pension index shed 7.55 percent of its

performance in August meaning that all the retirement funds beat the index in August.

On a year to date basis, year to date which also forms the basis of our ranking, all the RSA and Retiree funds made positive returns building on prior periods positive performances. By so doing, they all beat the pension index which has a negative year to date performance of 6.92 percent.

It is not clear, however, if the index is a good bench mark for the pension funds given that the index is a predominantly equity based while the pension funds are over weight in fixed income securities.

Be that as it may, below are the first 5 RSA and 5 Retiree funds.

Gratuity pension funds which are only managed by Pension Alliance, PAL, made good returns as the Pension Alliance Guinness Fund returned 9.26 percent while the Pension Alliance Emenite Fund returned 8.71 percent, on a year to date basis as at August 31, 2018.

Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan and Kenya.

Moody’s: Islamic finance poised to expand

I

SLAMIC finance is set to grow steadily across Africa as financing needs increase and global investors become more comfortable with the legal structures of Islamic debt securities, says Moody’s Investors Service in a recent report.

The report according to Moody, “Islamic Finance Africa; Promising growth prospects for Islamic finance in 18 African countries,” Vice President and Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s, Akin Majekodunmi said, “The desire within Africa for stronger investment links with the fast-growing economies in the Gulf and Asia that have large Muslim populations with large pools of capital will help drive the issuance of sukuk on the continent.”

The report stated that, Africa’s large Muslim population, which is predominantly unbanked, will also provide a solid foundation for the growth of Islamic banking assets.

Moody’s estimates that the share of Islamic banking assets as a percentage of total African banking assets will rise to over 10 percent over the next five years, from its current level of below 5 percent.

Since the start of 2014 there has been $2.3 billion of African sukuk, or Islamic bond, issuance, providing new funding sources for both sovereigns and financial institutions. However, African sukuk

makes up just 0.5 percent of global sukuk issuance.

As African sovereigns seek to diversify their funding base, the amount of sukuk they issue will likely increase. Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan have expressed interest in issuing sukuk this year or next and Moody’s forecasts at least $1 billion of sukuk issuance in Africa over the next 18 months.

Moody’s has identified 18 African countries that have the greatest growth potential for sukuk issuance, as well as Islamic banking.

Buying(NGN)

B

H

ERITAGE Bank Plc, has been adjudged “Best SME Bank Nigeria 2018” by Capital Finance International (CFI.co) and “Agriculture Bank of the Year 2018” by the Nigeria Agriculture Awards (MAA).

Also, the bank was awarded the Best CIBN Chapter of the Year 2018.

The best chapter in terms of members mobilisation and participation as well as sponsorship of the Institute programmes.

The bank won the prestigious awards in recognition of its leadership position in delivering development and growth of the Agricultural sector and Small and Medium Enterprises. CFI is an esteemed print journal reporting on business, economics and finance, headquartered in London. The award is based on recommendations and voting from CFI Partners such as the World Bank,

Central (NGN) Selling(NGN)

US DOLLAR 305.3 POUNDS STERLING 402.1412 EURO 359.0939 SWISS FRANC 319.6189 YEN 2.7092 CFA 0.5281 WAUA 427.5491 YUAN/RENMINBI 44.5795 RIYAL 81.4003 S/A Rand 21.2287

Dangote launches ‘BlocMaster’ for cement moulders

UILDERS and other stakeholders have lauded the BlocMaster Cement which was formally launched by Dangote Cement PLC yesterday in Kano, Kano State, describing it as extra strong and the best for block moulding in Nigeria.

Before it was officially rolled out yesterday, the innovative cement product had been adjudged ideal by the country’s engineers, builders and block makers, due to its rapid setting within an hour, its strength and top quality.

Multitude of block makers in attendance lauded the company’s innovate efforts and after a demonstrative test also confirmed its

strength and asserted that surely, it is the best product for building construction for now, from the stable of Dangote cement.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the cement yesterday, Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje called on all Nigerians to patronize the new cement to help minimize the menace of collapse building in the country.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Usman Alhaji commended the Management of Dangote Group, adding that it has always been supportive in all sectors of the economy.

Heritage Bank scores awards hat-trick

CBN EXCHANGE RATES SEPTEMBER 24, 2018 Currency

•Osepiribo Ben-Willie, Divisional Head, Commercial Banking, Heritage Plc; Olugbenga Awe, Group Head, Agric Finance; Jude Monye, Executive Director, Heritage Bank; Professor Caroline Afolami, Member of the Nigeria Agriculture Awards (NAA) Committee and Bar. Richard-Mark Mbaram, Secretary of NAA Committee and Editor-in-Chief of AgroNigeria, during the award presentation to Heritage Bank Plc as the “Agric Bank of The Year,” in Lagos.

305.8 402.7998 359.682 320.1424 2.7136 0.5381 428.2493 44.653 81.5336 21.2634

306.3 403.4584 360.2701 320.6658 2.7181 0.5481 428.9495 44.7264 81.6669 21.2982

IMF, WTO, UN and IFC. Whilst, the NAA is an annual event powered by AgroNigeria aimed at recognising and rewarding men, women, businesses and institutions who have contributed to Nigeria’s re-emergence as a veritable force in agriculture.

Also, Heritage bank won “For Sustainable Transaction of The Year in Agriculture” in the inaugural Nigeria Sustainable Banking Award convened by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Commenting on the awards, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Heritage Bank, Ifie Sekibo, was quoted to have said, “We are highly honoured to be awarded by renowned organisations and regulators as one of the most supportive financial institutions to the agriculture and SME industries, which are key sectors of the economy and this validates the hard work and success

story of the bank to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.”

According to him, Heritage Bank has been on the driving seat of the agricultural and SME financing revolution and will continue to compliment the efforts of the CBN by making funds available to both individuals and corporate organisations in their efforts to increase outputs in both sectors.

He, however, noted that the bank would support the drive for cash crop commodities that would boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, which the President Mohammad Buhari’s administration has always been cautious given the dangers the continuous reliance on imported food items pose to its efforts to create jobs as well as develop and diversify the economy.

Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc Eng. Joe Makoju said the new brand is a product of years of deep research, adding that it has been tested and approved by builders nationwide.

According to him, it is strong and affordable to Nigerians because of its rapid setting, especially during raining season.

“This is a new era. This is a new quality. This is a product of research,” Mr. Makoju said.

Speaking, Group Chief Marketing Officer Oare Ojeikere said the new cement is multipurpose and very strong, urging Nigerians to adopt it for all construction purposes.

He said he was happy that hundreds of builders in Kano had used it before the launch.

The immediate past chairman, Nigeria Institute of Building and Director Consultancy Services, Science and Technical Schools Board, Kano State Abdullahi Alhassan SanSan said he was elated because the new cement block will address the issue of collapse building in the country.

Speaking also at the event, Manager Magina Blocks Industries Kano Nura Musa Yahayah said he has used the block and can therefore recommend it to Nigerians. According to him: “I can recommend this product. I have personally used it and I am very convinced that it is the best for those of us who are in the business of cement moulding. It is strong and sets very fast. This is the product that we need at this time and we are grateful to the Management of Dangote Cement for giving us this product”

Stock Market Highlights As At 24th SEPTEMBER, 2018

Summary

ASI DEALS VOLUME VALUE EQUITY CAP BOND CAP ETF CAP S/N

32,436.86 2,873.00 186,575,787.00 N3,292,482,246.70 N11,841,958,385,500.33 N10,376,642,857,506.80 N5,970,919,445.47

Coy (By Volume)

GUARANTY TRANSCORP UBA FIDELITYBK DIAMONDBNK

66,986,702 15,725,900 10,421,442 9,636,649 6,638,627

Value(N) N2,349,095,298.80 N19,028,152.15 N84,905,565.30 N15,794,934.46 N7,826,839.04

5 Top Gainers

Symbols Last Close UNILEVER N43 GUARANTY N34.7 ZENITHBANK N20.8 PZ N13.35 BERGER N6.9

Current Change %Change N45 2 4.65% N35.25 0.55 1.59% N21 0.2 0.96% N13.5 0.15 1.12% N7 0.1 1.45%

Five Tope Losers OKOMUOIL NB FO CAP UACN

N77 N93 N21.5 N28.35 N11.8

N70.1 N90 N20.05 N27.2 N10.75

-6.9 -3 -1.45 -1.15 -1.05

-8.96% -3.23% -6.74% -4.06% -8.90%

20

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

ENERGY

Italian court trials may stall $12b Zabazaba field development F

By SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

INAL investment decision from two European multinational oil companies, Shell and Eni, on the development of Nigeria’s ultradeep offshore oilfield may have been pushed back by early outcomes from Italian courts over allegations of shady deals in acquisition of the oil block A court in Milan, Italy, weekend jailed Messrs Emeka Obi, Nigerian, and Gianluca Di Nardo, Italian, for four years each in consequence of their respective roles in assisting Malabu Oil and Gas auction awarded prospecting acreage lease area hosted in oil prospecting licence (OPL) 245 in the deepwater offshore Niger Delta.

Both men were alleged to have played meddle men in helping Malabu Oil and Gas Limited owned by former Minister of Petroleum, Mr. Dan Etete, sell the oil block in which huge discovery was made to partners Shell and Eni. According to sources monitoring the proceedings, Mr. Obi had unwittingly revealed the affair in 2013 when he sued Dan Etete in a London court to claim his commission for setting up the deal.

He won that case, received $114 million and paid Di Nardo $24 million for linking him up with Eni executives in Milan.

Their success in the London case laid basis for the main case

by Nigeria against Eni and Shell.

Italian prosecutors say those alleged payments constituted illegal kickbacks.

An Italian judge ordered $98.4 million seized from Obi; and 21 million Swiss francs, $21.8 million, or 18.6 million Euros seized from Di Nardo as part of their penalties.

Eni and Shell also stand accused in the main case running at separate court in Italy. They have insisted right from the beginning that they followed ethical processes in acquiring the petroleum assets.

While the cases which followed protracted investigations raged overseas, Nigerian government officials have been working closely with the two companies on the development of the giant oil reserves discovered in the controversial oil block.

Experts say that with over 9.0 billion barrels of oil reserves in place, the Zabazaba deepwater oilfield would be the nation’s biggest source of new production and development might envisage the longest deepwater production life ever in the West African waters.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, had in February boasted that government would attract some $12 billion in foreign direct investment from the two oil companies when the investment decisions for the field development would be reached.

Dr. Kachikwu had at an industry forum in Abuja declared that Za-

bazaba and other field development projects represented the next tranche of foreign direct investments expected to reinject vibrancy in the nation’s upstream petroleum industry operations where activity lull in the past 10 years have dealt commercial blow on oilfield service sector and dampened hopes of meeting the key targets of the Nigerian Content Policy.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who was responding to concerns about the low level of activity and consequent labour crisis in the service segments of the industry, said over $40 billion has been secured to keep up activity in the sector while efforts were on to boost investment in the upstream industry to $100 billion.

The minister counted the $12 billion Zabazaba deepwater field development to be operated

by Eni’s Agip Energy Resources (AER) as key investment prospect and source of new oil for the country.

Zabazaba, when commissioned, comes with nameplate production capacity for 250,000 barrels of light sweet crude oil per day. But industry observers are worried that the unexplained delay in approval processes that would lead Eni to FID on the project might be linked to the corruption trials which might bring the two companies under sanctions and pressure to forfeit the asset.

The Oracle Today reports that the project has scaled all regulatory approvals including the Nigerian Content job package audit as well as technical and quality audits by Department of Petroleum Resources which regulates the industry. It only remains approval from the ministry for investors to sign FID on the project.

The Chief Executive Officer of Eni, Mr. Claudio Descalzi , and Dr. Kachikwu had earlier in Rome reached agreement on the company’s continuing investment in Nigeria despite lingering investigations over the company’s acquisition of the Zabazaba field with Shell.

Dr. Kachikwu had reached plans with Eni to intensify upstream oil and gas production operations with an increased focus on development and exploration in their offshore and ultra-deepwater op-

erated areas.

However, whereas Zabazaba flaunts huge investment funds for Nigeria, the asset transfer deals involving Shell and Eni remain subject of investigation and court appearances. Top executives of both Shell and Eni have been standing trials since early this year over the roles in processes leading to acquisition of OPL 245.

Investigations are wound around $1.3 billion acquisition fee brokered by the government, and prosecutors in Italy contend that the two firms paid nearly $1.1 billion into an escrow account for the government, from which $800 million was later transferred to a company connected to a former dictator to be distributed as payoffs.

The sentence of Messrs Emeka Obi and Gianluca Di Nardo, weekend, rekindled fire in the parallel

‘

case involving Eni and Shell; and analysts say that the convictions post a signal to the direction of the main cases involving Shell and Eni. “But one thing’s for certain: this judgment will send shivers down the corporate spines of the oil industry -- and will surely alarm Shell and Eni employees and shareholders who have been repeatedly told that there was nothing amiss with the OPL 245 deal,” a rights campaigners who has been following the case in Italy said weekend.

The ruling would provide Shell and Eni the sign post for the likely outcome of the main case which involves Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and four former Shell managers including one-time Shell Foundation Chairman Malcolm Brinded.

According to a source familiar with legal issues of commercial

No matter the outcome, an industry analyst told The Oracle Today, there is every likelihood that FID on Zabazaba field development would have to wait for the outcome of the main case. The main case is calculated by Italian legal experts to last for several months

,

nature, the recent ruling would not tie the hands of the court but rather post prejudgement signal.

With the prevailing investment apathy in the country and government’s efforts to persuade the oil companies with untapped reserves in the country to invest in field development, OPL 245 has constantly featured as one of the greatest allures for foreign direct investment in the near term.

Whereas Dr. Kachikwu had counted it as one of the new project on the table, industry observers fear that board and shareholders of the publicly quoted European companies might not approve funding for field development investment because of the ongoing dispute.

In the main trial against Eni and Shell some 13 people including Etete, Eni boss Claudio Descalzi and his predecessor, Paolo Scaroni face charges in the scandal.

And if found guilty in the case, the company officials that stand trial risk possible jail terms for bribery, while the corporate entities would be liable to pay huge fines.

No matter the outcome, an industry analyst told The Oracle Today, there is every likelihood that FID on Zabazaba field development would have to wait for the outcome of the main case. The main case is calculated by Italian legal experts to last for several months.

Thus, the highly anticipated $12 billion development project on OPL 245 and tapping of production from Nigeria’s biggest oil reserves may have fallen of the table.

21

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

ENERGY

NNPC battles Police over N8.87bn whistle blower’s money

•Says over N177.4b never hidden Stories by SOPURUCHI ONWUKA

N

IGERIAN National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is in a serious struggle not just to save its corporate image from corruption stain but also to avert the financial liability of paying the mandatory five percent of alleged hidden N177.4 billion to whistle blowers.

The corporation responded to allegations by the police that it uncovered two of the corporation’s accounts holding a total of N177.4 billion in two separate currencies hidden in commercial banks.

It stated that the funds were not hidden but under processes of transfer from commercial banks to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) where the corporation has Single Treasury Account (TSA).

Pointing at inferences that the declaration by the police targeted reward for whistle blowing, NNPC stated that it would resist estimated N8.87 billion whistle blower deductions from the money.

Under the modus of the government’s anti-corruption campaign, whistle blowers that alert the government of public stolen funds are entitled to five percent of the cash which could have been lost. The financial incentives have led to few cases of misleading information and shadow chase.

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Ndu Ughamadu, weekend explained that the allegation that the Nigerian Police recovered $470.5 million (N169.4 billion) and N8.0 billion NNPC funds hidden in commercial banks was not only misplaced but equally misleading.

While confirming that a few commercial banks are yet to complete remittance of US dollar deposits to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), he stated unequivocally that the Corporation had no funds hidden in any commercial bank as the Presidency, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, (AGF) and the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN) were fully aware of, and received periodic status reports on balances yet to be remitted to TSA by commercial banks.

According to him, following TSA implementation, the corporation had made a report to the Presidency on the failure of some commercial banks to complete transfer of dollar deposits and a presidential directive was issued for the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure that the funds were completely transferred to the Corporation’s Treasury Single Account in US dollars.

Most of the commercial banks have since complied with the presidential directive and completed transfer to the corporation’s Treas-

NigerStar7 commissions $10m vessel

I

NDIGENOUS offshore logistics company, Nigstar7, has deployed a $10 million maritime logistic vessel that would render services to the upstream oil and gas industry, bringing sophistication to the offshore field operations.

The vessel which was rechristened in Lagos weekend by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote, is prized for its a dynamic positioning system.

The vessel christened NIGERSTAR 7 ADABA and which is to fly the Nigerian national flag, is rated as DP2 and is equipped with Kongsberg DP system. The vessel is also equipped with Fire Fighting System (FIFI) Class 1 and is capable of fighting offshore facility and ports fire incidents.

Speaking at the event held at Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, Mr. Wabote stressed the need for industry players to partner and cooperate among themselves to develop local content in the oil and gas industry and grow investors’ confidence in the economy.

He commended the business model of NigerStar 7, which is a partnership between Nigerdock and Subsea7, noting that it has helped the group build a formidable presence in engineering, fabrication, installation, and project management.

Wabote charged other service providers to build bridges especially now that the industry was rebounding from a period of downturn.

“We see rays of light in the sanctioning of big-ticket projects. There is need to collaborate more and build partnerships that last. The opportunities in the industry are quite vast and there is room for a win-win situation for all,” he said.

He urged the oil service companies to emulate the partnership between the NCDMB and several

government agencies, including NNPC-NAPIMS, NIMASA, NEPZA, OGFZA, NIS, FAAN, NIPC, EFCC, BOI, and several other agencies and institutions.

He added that “these collaborations are already yielding results such as the alignment with NIMASA on the classification of vessels operating or seeking to operate in Nigerian waters as well as training of seafarers. NNPC-NAPIMS is also preparing the 5-year projection of vessel requirements to guide stakeholders on focus areas and investment opportunities.”

The Nigerian Content chieftain called for several of such collaborations amongst the Nigerian oil and gas service providers, adding that such would create employment opportunities for young jobless graduates and grow businesses in the country.

He noted also that the outright acquisition and deployment of ADABA

by Nigerstar 7 in Nigeria show the growing confidence of investors in Nigerian economy under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

The NCDMB Boss emphasized that there are many untapped opportunities in the nation’s oil and gas industry, highlighting that the schedule in the Nigerian Oil & Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 presented immense opportunities for players like NigerStar7 to key into.

He reiterated that the Schedule in the Act for marine operations and logistics services provides for 75 percent Nigerian Content in marine installation services and 100 percent Nigerian Content provision for crane barges and heavy lift vessels.

He also restated the provision of the Nigerian Content Act that first consideration must be given to Nigerian companies that demonstrate ownership of equipment, personnel and capacity to execute jobs locally.

ury Single Account in dollars, including the reported $470.5 million.

“On the purported recovery of N8 billion by the Nigeria Police Force, the corporation is not aware of any change in the subsisting presidential directive to the effect that all of the dollar balances must be transferred to NNPC’s CBN Treasury Single Account in US dollars. In addition, no such funds have been deposited into the Cor-

poration’s CBN Treasury Single Account.

“Consequently, NNPC’s record of the dollar funds still yet to be transferred by a few commercial banks cannot reflect the said recovery.

While the Central Bank of Nigeria executes the presidential directive to ensure complete transfer of dollar funds to the corporation’s CBN Treasury Single Account, it is

pertinent to reiterate our earlier position that NNPC will resist every attempt to subject these funds, which have been in the full view of government, to five percent whistle blowing fees as this would be unreasonable and a sheer waste of public funds.

The NNPC noted that as an entity with fiduciary responsibility to the government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, its

•NNPC Chief Operating Officer Gas & Power, Engr. Saidu Mohammed, with the Director/Board Member of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Ltd, Mr. Ronald Cochrane on the sidelines of the 30th edition of the Gas Technology Conference (Gastech), Barcelona, Spain.

$200m NCIF: Contract loan terms relaxed

T

HE two agencies managing the disbursement of the $200 million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) have succumbed to stakeholders’ pressure to relax conditions set for oil service contractors and manufacturers to access cheap loans from the fund.

According to a set of conclusions reached during a consultative forum on disbursement of the fund in Lagos, Bank of Industry (BOI) which processes and manages the fund, and Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDBM) which provides the money, agreed to calls to lighten up conditions for players to access the loans.

Under the new arrangement, BOI would apart from increasing the volume of funds available to individual borrowers accept insurance bonds, unencumbered collaterals and other forms of collateralization outside bank guarantees.

The Oracle Today reports that The NCIF is a portion of the fast growing Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) meant for building local capacity for in-country delivery of oil industry jobs.

Section 104 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 provides that one percent of the budget of all contracts, subcontracts, projects and activities in the upstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas industry is statutorily to be deducted and remitted to the NCDF for the purpose of capacity building for local job delivery.

From the NCDF which currently pools some $700 million, the $200

million NCIF is set aside by the NCDMB for BOI to manage and lend directly to indigenous manufacturers, service providers and other key players in the oil and gas industry, to meet their funding needs.

The available types of funding under the NCI Fund include loans for Manufacturing, Asset acquisition, Contract Finance, Community contractor finance and Loan refinancing.

However, since the introduction of the NCIF, the expected industry patronage to the low interest loan has been lackluster, leading to stakeholder consultations on review of processes. And following the Lagos interaction among stakeholders, NCDMB and BOI promptly relaxed some of the conditions for qualified oil and gas service companies.

The stakeholders’ forum chaired by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote and the Managing Director of BOI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, was attended by over 84 delegates from different companies to address the major challenges applicants faced in processing their loan applications.

It was agreed at the end of the event that NCDMB and BOI may consider the inclusion of insurance bonds as collateral for accessing the fund, provided such bonds are issued by competent and major insurance companies qualified by the BOI. Besides the traditional bank guarantees, BOI was also convinced to accept other forms of collateral listed against each loan type; and that applicants that

have unencumbered collateral acceptable to the BOI can access the NCIF loan without recourse to bank guarantee.

Another key resolution is that an applicant can access loans for two different categories or product types, subject to the applicable single obligor limit under the scheme.

“The NCDMB will also consider increasing the single obligor limit for Refinancing from US$2m to between US$5m and US$10m, particularly because many companies that attended the forum have such needs,” the forum agreed.

There would also be no discrimination between international oil companies and indigenous oil companies, rather the history and performance of the oil companies will be considered by the BOI when taking a decision.

The Bank of Industry also committed to standardize the conditions for obtaining bank guarantees from each commercial bank, and “this shall be issued to each applicant at the point of application to guide and speed up their pursuit of the document.”

As part of efforts to ease access to the NCI Fund, BOI would no longer insist on appointing a Director on the Board of borrowers; but would rather place an officer to monitor the project financed by the loan.

The Oracle Today gathered that the NCDMB is also considering growing the NCIF with more allocation from the NCDF if the performance of the first tranches of loan yield encouraging returns to the board.

22

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

e-Platform

9mobile excites customers with new mifi offer

By VICTOR NZE

I

N keeping with its affirmed commitment to continuously delight customers with innovative solutions that give them more value at no extra cost, telecommunications company, 9mobile has introduced a new MiFi offer to the market offering customers a whooping 30GB free data plus bonus data for 1 year.

With the launch of the new MiFi offer, 9mobile also reinforces its commitment to consistently provide faster and more affordable data services that enable existing and new customers to do more for less.

VP Marketing, 9mobile, Adebisi Idowu, said 9mobile subscribers who purchase data devices in any of its experience centres are assured of high quality internet services, stating this is a promise the telco will always deliver on. “We are passionate about our customers; this is why we offer them true value for their money on 9mobile data plans, to deliver exceptional browsing experience online”, he said.

Idowu revealed that customers are assured of a 15GB sign up

free data bonus instantly upon purchase of the new LTE/3G MiFi device. The customers also get another 15GB free data bonus if they purchase 7.1GB or higher data plans in the second month after service activation.

From the 3rd month, these customers get up to 100% bonus data for one year whenever they purchase 7.1GB or higher data plans on the 9mobile network.

Existing 9mobile MiFi device customers who purchase 7.1GB or higher data plans will also enjoy up to 100% bonus data for one year Idowu added: “As a customercentric network, we are very audacious in providing value-adding services to our subscribers. We also provide platforms that ensure positive customer experience both at the point of sale and even after sale. This is why we go the extra mile to reward our customers with amazing bonuses. In addition, we have ensured that 9mobile MiFi devices are built with durable materials.”

The 9mobile MiFi device can provide internet services for up to 10 devices and is portable, making it easy to be carried around anywhere one goes.

Globacom’s subscriber growth linked to facility upgrade

T

HE latest performance of Globacom, as the top growing network in terms of subscriber figures has been linked to the aggressive backbone and infrastructure upgrade done by the network across the country in recent months.

Latest figures released by the industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) showed that Globacom added more subscribers than other players in the month of July 2018.

This is not surprising to watchers of the industry, as investigations have revealed that Globacom from as far back as 2017 had been strengthening its existing cell sites, rerouting its optic fibre

cables and expanding its existing cable infrastructure. Specifically, Globacom has been swapping and upgrading network equipment with new and higher capacity equipment to deliver improved data and voice services.

It was revealed that Glo’s core data network interface ports have been upgraded from 40GB to 100GB, meaning the traffic handling capacity is more than doubled. Also, the capacity of Globacom’s undersea cable, Glo 1, has been tripled. The network’s renowned 4G Coverage is being extended to several more cities in 33 states consolidating Globacom’s position as the network with the widest and best 4G coverage in Nigeria presently.

•Head, Programmes Coordinator, Online Wisdom School Club, Confidence Osein (left); Cyber Security Professional/ Member of the Board of Advisors, Sam Okenye, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Martin Obiora and Head of IT, Salami Samuel at the media launch of Online Wisdom, a cyber-security Education initiative by Great life Technology in Lagos.

What Nigerian children search online, websites visited -- Report reveals

A

NEW Report by Kaspersky Lab has revealed the online activities of children across Nigeria, based on statistics from the company’s Parental Control modules.

The research also showed what children in the region watched, listened to, purchased and searched for online.

Kaspersky Lab, in the statement, disclosed that the report shows anonymised statistics on websites visited from Windows PCs and Macs, and search activity on Windows PCs, Macs, Android and iOS

devices. The stats were taken from Kaspersky Lab’s flagship products that have the Parental Control module switched on, and from Kaspersky Safe Kids, a standalone service installed for kids’ online protection.

Globally, children were more likely to watch video content and listen to music, than spend time on social media, however this was not true for children in Nigeria, who were most active across internet communication media (referred to as social media/networks) in the region at 35 percent with the most popular being Facebook, Google Mail, Twitter,

Nigeria’s entertainment, media to generate $9.9b by 2022 – PwC

A

NEW report by PwC has disclosed that the entertainment and media (E&M) industry in Nigeria will generate revenue of $9.9 billion by 2022 from the $3.8 billion raked in 2017.

In its ‘Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2018 – 2022: An African Perspective’ released today and obtained by Business Post, PwC said last year, Nigeria saw a huge 25.5 percent rise in E&M revenue, although $605 million of this $764 million rise was attributable to Internet access.

“A 21.5 percent CAGR rate is anticipated to 2022, with revenue reaching $9.9 billion in that year.

Again, Internet access revenue will account for 89.6 percent of this absolute growth,” the report said.

PwC noted that in report that Africa’s entertainment and media industry has entered a dynamic new phase, a third wave of convergence.

It said the borders that once separated E&M, technology and telecommunications industries are blurring in the battle for the attention of the consumer in a

world that is rapidly digitising.

As the mobile device cements itself as the pre-eminent source of the E&M experience, the most disruptive, forward-thinking companies are striving to create an integrated ecosystem suited to this consumer-driven dynamic, it said further.

According to PwC, by 2022, total E&M revenue in South Africa is expected to reach R177.2 billion, up from R129.2 billion in 2017. Internet (access and advertising) is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3 percent over the forecast period to reach R91.2 billion, up from R53.4 billion in 2017.

Overall E&M growth will be less reliant on Internet access revenue as organic growth opportunities in Internet connections start fading towards the end of the forecast period. Internet advertising will greatly exceed TV advertising in terms of growth, leading the way with a 13 percent CAGR over the forecast period to reach R9.4 billion and overtake TV advertising spend in 2022.

The Outlook is a comprehensive source of analyses and five-

year forecasts of consumer and advertising spending across five countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania) and 14 segments: Internet, data consumption, television, cinema, video games, e-sports, virtual reality, newspaper publishing, magazine publishing, book publishing, business-to-business (b2b), music, out-of-home (OOH) and radio.

Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment and Media Leader for PwC Southern Africa, says: “It’s clear we’re in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem that’s experiencing Convergence 3.0. In Convergence 3.0, the dynamics of competition are evolving while a cohort of ever-expanding super competitors and more focussed players strive to build relevance at the right scale. And business models are being reinvented so all players can tap into new revenue streams, by, for example, targeting fans and connecting more effectively with customers to develop a membership mind-set.

“The pace of change isn’t going to let up anytime soon. New and emerging technologies such

as artificial intelligence and augmented reality will continue to redefine the battleground. In an era when faith in many industries is at a historically low ebb and regulators are targeting media businesses’ use of data, the ability to build and sustain consumer trust is becoming a vital differentiator.”

South Africa’s E&M industry faced a challenging year in 2017 amidst economic and sociopolitical uncertainty. Total E&M revenue rose at a comparatively low rate of 6.8% year-on-year to R129.2 billion. A bounce-back in 2018 sees an anticipated 7.6% year-on-year growth, while the CAGR to 2022 is forecast at 6.5 percent.

South Africa will see a strong CAGR of 7.6 percent for consumer revenue to 2022, moving from R93.9 billion in 2017 to R135.7 billion in 2022. Beyond revenue from the Internet segment (buoyed by apps revenue) there are many success stories, most notably that of video games, which will surpass books, magazines and B2B to become the third-highest contributing consumer segment.

WhatsApp and Instagram. This was then followed by video content and music at 29 percent.

The research revealed that children spent more time on YouTube– in particular, showing an increased interest in Netflix and o2tvseries. com for movies and series.

Children in the region also began to visit news sites more frequently, including sports.ndtv.com, accounting for 20 percent of activities.

Electronic commerce was also among top four categories as well: 7 percent of children showed their interest in exploring online stores for clothes and mobile devices. With regards to online stores, children in Nigeria visited Amazon the most.

It should be noted that alongside computer games (just under one percent), similar statistics where noted for children in Nigeria who also searched for adult-content web-sites.

However, if their parents had blocked such sites (for example with a Kaspersky Lab product), then the children’s attempts to visit these sites were unsuccessful.

“The statistics we have obtained indicate the interests of children and teens in the region today. This is why we recommend using parental control products not only to block potentially dangerous content, but also to help parents stay informed about their children’s interests and passions.

“Many software programs, including those from Kaspersky Lab, allow parents to see reports about their children’s online activities.

“Naturally, reports like this do not disclose any private information.

In our opinion, the parents’ knowledge of what their children do online should promote better family relationships, helping to encourage open dialogue and preventing more serious threats to children in the region,” Riaan Badenhorst, General Manager for Kaspersky Lab Africa.

23

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

e-Platform

TE SubCom to extend MainOne cable system to Francophone region A

TE Connectivity Ltd company and an industry pioneer in undersea communications technology, TE SubCom, has secured a contract from leading connectivity and data centre solutions provider, MainOne, to extend its active submarine cable system into West Africa’s francophone region with two additional branches connecting Senegal (Dakar) and Cote D’Ivoire (Abidjan).

These new branches will connect to MainOne’s 7,000km cable system, which extends from Portugal to Nigeria, and will inject new technology that upgrades the system to a potential capacity of 10TBps by November 2019 when the subsea system becomes operational.

With this development, MainOne will have landing points in five

markets – Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire and Portugal, in addition to Cameroon.

A cluster of francophone countries in West Africa that are experiencing an increased demand for advanced telecom services including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania will also benefit from these extensions into Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal.

“MainOne continues to lead the current digital transformation of the region by ushering in affordable connectivity to drive economic development.

“Our objective remains focused on bridging the digital divide between West Africa and the rest of the world. We have, and will continue to, invest significantly in projects to accelerate broadband access to help local businesses address the

LADOL defends Samsung sublease termination

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

T

HE management of Global Resources Management Limited (GRML), a subsidiary of Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) has shed light on the reason why it ejected Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Nigeria Limited from the LADOL Free Zone in Lagos.

In a release by the company’s legal adviser, Prof. Fidelis Oditah (SAN) cited “unremedied and material breaches of sublease covenant” as the first reason for the termination of the agreement.

He also alleged that SHI had earlier approached the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to carve out a portion of GRML’s leased land and grant a direct lease in SHI favour so that it could deal directly with all government regulators without needing to go through GRML or the zone management.

Lastly, he also alleged that there are indications of SHI MCI FZE’s anticipatory breach of the sublease agreement.

Although the sublease provided for an upward-only rent review, SHI MCI FZE wrote to GRML and numerous government agencies informing them that on the expiry of its current sublease in June 2019, it would unilaterally reduce its rent from $70 per square metre to $5 per sq metre – a reduction of more than 90 per cent.

In his words: “GRML regarded the renunciation of the upwardonly rent review as an anticipatory breach of the sublease contract which it accepted and immedi-

ately terminated the sublease as it is entitled to do as a matter of law. It did not need to wait and see whether in June 2019 SHI MCI FZE would recant and pay the reserved rent or insist on paying $5 per sq metre. It was entitled to accept SHI MCI FZE’s anticipatory breach and accelerate the termination of the sublease.”

The SHI-MCI yard is a joint venture between LADOL and SHI, with SHI having 70 percent stake and LADOL 30 percent.

The dockyard is the only one of its kind in Africa, designed to make Nigeria a hub of FPSO fabrication in the continent.

The South Korean shipbuilder, had in 2017, confirmed that Total’s Egina FPSO sailed away from its Geoje shipyard, heading to Nigeria. The FPSO, operated by Total, is 330 meters in length, 61 meters across and 34 meters high, with a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels of oil.

SHI is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world and one of the “Big Three” shipbuilders of South Korea.

The core subsidiary of the Samsung Group, South Korea’s largest conglomerate, focuses on the engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and the delivery of transportation ships for the commercial industry, topsides modules, drilling and floating production units for the oil and gas sector, gantry cranes for fabrication yards, digital instrumentation and control devices for ships, and other construction and engineering services.

Galaxy S10 to come anineven three versions bigger screen than the

W

HILE a few days ago Android Pie firmware seemingly revealed that there would be four separate Galaxy S10 versions, new information today tells us there will only be three model numbers.

The international models will go by SM-G970F, SM-G973F, and SM-G975F. G970 will sport a 5.8” flat display, G973 will have the same size edge display, while the G975 will come with a 6.44-inch curved panel.

Interestingly, the flat paneled flagship will make a return after two generations without such an option (the Galaxy S7 was the last of the flat ones).

Also, the S10+ (G975) will have

Note9, interestingly enough.

All of these will naturally launch with Android Pie on board, early next year. A 5Gcapable version is also being tested (and is the fourth one in the earlier leak), but this apparently is unlikely to have a separate model number. It’s also very possible that it will end up being exclusive to South Korea and the US. One of the smaller S10 models might have a single rear camera, while the other would get two. The S10+ might even sport three units on the back, alongside two cameras on the front, for a total of five which will match LG’s upcoming V40 ThinQ.

challenges they face procuring capacity at competitive rates.

“This extension of our subsea cable to Senegal and Cote D’Ivoire will further open up their international bandwidth markets, drive down costs and ultimately boost the economic and commercial development of the region,” said Kazeem Oladepo, MainOne’s regional executive for West Africa.

“These MainOne enhancements bring two additional connectivity options to this rapidly growing region,” said Debbie Brask, vice

president, project management of TE SubCom. “MainOne has also selected SubCom’s industry leading WSS ROADM technology to achieve dynamic capacity management in fulfilling the region’s burgeoning demand.”

The new branches will be equipped with TE SubCom’s WSS ROADM technology that allows MainOne and its partners to match the capacity in each branch to the market need, thus optimizing cable utilization. SubCom will light the new branches with Ciena’s trans-

mission equipment, which enables this flexibility and higher capacity.

It is also an industry first for the deployment of undersea spectrumsharing in Africa.

The MainOne Submarine Cable System links West Africa with Europe, bringing ultra-fast broadband in the region. It runs from Seixal in Portugal to Lagos in Nigeria. The system first went live in July 2010, becoming the first privatelyowned subsea cable to bring openaccess broadband capacity in West Africa.

Samsung Galaxy10

9 reasons to upgrade to iPhone XS Max, 3 not to

F

IRST, let’s get this out of the way - if you are currently a happy owner of the iPhone X, or even not-so-satisfied one, don’t bother. Even if you are eyeing the extra screen real estate on the XS Max, the price premium is just not worth it. But if you are coming from an iPhone Apple, or even an iPhone 8 Plus, there are a few compelling reasons to opt for the iPhone XS Max. We’ll now try and summarize all you stand to gain by going for Apple’s latest and greatest: Camera The camera quality on the new iPhone XS Max has been vastly improved all thanks to the revamped 12MP main sensor. The lens retains the f/1.8 aperture, but pixels are now considerably bigger - 1.4µm.

Plus there is an updated bokeh rendering that allows you to adjust the depth after the photo has been taken. There’s also a new Smart HDR feature enabled thanks to the A12 Bionic chip. Additionally, you get zero shutter lag, 4 frames buffer, long exposure and additional interframes that are merged into a single shot for that perfect portrait.

Video recording is also better - it can record stereo audio (finally!).

Chipset The new A12 Bionic chipset is promised to deliver 15% better performance than the A11 Bionic and up to 50% better efficiency through its hexa-core CPU and quad-core GPU design. The latter is said to be 50% faster as well.

In addition, the new iPhone XS

Max - along with the iPhone XS are the first iOS smartphones with 4GB of RAM. Screen size It’s an XS Max, after all - the centerpiece here is the large 6.5-inch OLED screen. Although notched, this is the largest screen on an iPhone to date with an impressive screen to body ratio. The more modern look that comes with that is not to be underestimated either. We’ve been seeing the same front design with thick bezels ever since the iPhone 6 came around.

Screen resolution The bigger display comes with better resolution. Despite being considerably larger, the iPhone XS Max retains the same 458 ppi (pixel density) as the iPhone X while packing more pixels than the iPhone 8 Plus.

Battery Still no solid metrics about the battery but Apple promises endurance about the same as the 8 Plus. The latter scored well in our battery tests, so we expect the XS Max to be a worthy successor.

More storage Long gone are the times when Apple was offering merely 16GB as a base memory configuration. The new iPhones start at 64GB and can go up to 512GB, although you have to pay a hefty price to acquire that much storage. You would really need to consider the $350 more for the 512GB variant, but even if that’s not your thing, it’s better to

have the option than not.

Gold color Last year’s iPhone X came only in silver and black so seeing the gold option on the modern XS Max will surely attract some customers.

The gold variant really does look cool with that stainless metal side frame and glass back.

IP68 dust and water resistance Apple introduced water and dust resistance with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, getting IP67 certification for both, while this year’s iPhones boast IP68, which ensures even better protection. To put things in perspective, the IP67-rated smartphone can be submerged into 1m for 30 minutes while the IP68 certification gives you 2m for 30 minutes. So if you spend your time around water a lot, this would be another good reason to upgrade.

Most durable glass Apple says the glass on the back is the most durable one on a smartphone. While we can’t confirm whether this is true or not, this means it’s more durable than the existing iPhones for sure.

Unfortunately it’s not all that easy as the new iPhone flagship would also have you make a few compromises, chief among which is: Price Last year’s riots against the iPhone X’s $1,000 price hike seem like a distant memory, but it’s hard to ignore that the iPhone XS Max costs even more the starting price is $1,099.

24

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

ISSN: 2545-5869

EDITORIAL

www.oraclenews.ng

Where’s Nnamdi Kanu?

Cont’d front page 1

poor democratic conduct of other Nigerians.

WHILE they swore lustily to obey the Constitution, they forget that one of the most important prescriptions of the Constitution is that, “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government”, Section 14 2 b. If this provision were given any consideration in government policies, Nigeria would have been paradise.

THE importance of life –human life – encircles our Constitution which deems life important enough to direct that it cannot be taken unlawfully, or people detained without bringing them to trial. If anything, our government does not discuss these matters in any meaningful manner to suggest it wants to operate within the law.

A NOT so new dimension to how unimportant life here is, is the disappearance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on 14 September last year.

Government’s ominous silence has become part of the history of Nigeria, especially for a civilian government that swore to the Constitution, though the Constitution is observed mostly in the breach.

MAZI Kanu is the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, a group that agitates for a peaceful severance of the South East from the rest of Nigeria. There have been modifications of the request, an extreme measure that most reason would at least result in

VOX POPULI SACRUM

Act,” he said. government acquiescing to the restructuring “It was the court that granted bail to Nnamdi of Nigeria.

Kanu under certain conditions. So, if he had PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari brooks no disviolated the conditions, it is the same court cussions on the future of Nigeria, the shape of that should review such conditions. We all the future and the path to attaining it. He says witnessed when the Federal Government it is a foreclosed matter. His imperious stand felt uncomfortable that Kanu had, allegedly, on restructuring has banned any efforts to flouted his bail conditions and filed a motion examine a better working Federation. before the same judge handling the case (JusDURING one of his longer medical vacations last tice Binta Nyako), asking the court to revoke year, the All Progressives Congress, his party, Kanu’s bail. But unfortunately, the Federal Govrevved up ideas on restructuring the country. ernment failed to wait for the legal process it Its work lasted months and was submitted had initiated to take its course and allowed the last January. The President has never said a army to invade Kanu’s residence. Since then, word about it. his whereabouts have been unknown and noIPOB was at the forefront of the calls for debody has either seen or heard from Kanu. liberations on how the various components “Nigerians know that the last time they saw or of Nigeria could live together, peacefully. heard from Nnamdi Kanu was when he was Mazi Kanu is the arrow head of that struggle resting in his home on 14 September 2017, and that has resulted in loss of lives, and military the army, via ‘Operation Egwu Eke II’, invaded exercises in the South East, Operation Python his home in Abia State. Nigerians also, saw Dance, now in its third season. how his home was invaded, how the army The Nigerian Army invaded Kanu’s family home, gained entrance into the compound, and he in Afara Ukwu, Umuahia, on 14 September has not been seen or heard from since then.”

2017. IPOB alleged some people were killed WHY is the Federal Government no longer interand others injured. Bullet marks on the ested in the whereabouts of Kanu, a suspect building testify to the invasion. The invasion in a case government is prosecuting? Should happened barely a month before the resumed government not redeem its breach of Kanu’s trial of Kanu on treason charges by the Federbail condition by returning him to trial? al Government. Kanu, his parents, and others arrested with them, have not been seen since IF the “disappearance of Nigerian citizens”, after the military visited their home is of no importhen, nor anything heard about them. tance, we have then arrived at a destination KANU was not in court when the trial resumed where human lives would not be counted on the 17 October 2017, prompting because they do not count. the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako WHERE is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu? The Federal Govof Abuja Federal Court to order ernment should answer that question, even Senator Enyinna Harcourt Abaribe, if it is only to re-assure Nigerians that human as the surety, to produce Kanu on 20 lives still matter.

November, failing which he would face the consequences, including Our Vision loss of the N100 million surety sum.

TO BE among the top five newspapers in NigeHe had been detained since 14 Octoria and, in due course, the Numero Uno; to be a ber 2015. newspaper of records that effectively caters to SENATOR Abaribe, representing Abia South, who is also as the leader the information needs of all segments and sections of the Nigerian society as well as all social of the South East Caucus in the Naclasses and cultures. Essentially, we want to be a tional Assembly, stood as surety for responsible corporate citizen, a commercially viKanu’s release from prison on bail able, properly organised media business, which on 25 April 2017. meets its obligations to society, government Lawyers have faulted Justice Nyaand the workforce. ko’s order on Abaribe to produce Kanu in court, given the extenuatMission ing circumstance that led to Kanu’s WE INTEND to contribute to the development disappearance from the public since of an inclusive Nigerian society, with a view to 14 September. getting rid of the dark sides of our national life HUMAN rights activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Mike Oze- (slothfulness, greed, corruption, nepotism, totalitarianism, etc); to continually engender and suskhome has noted that “bail is like a tain national debates that would ultimately lead contract between the court and an to the enthronement of healthy national valuesaccused.”

-hard-work, justice, equity and fairplay, transpar“In Nnamdi Kanu’s case, it is a ency, good governance, resulting, in themselves, tripartite contract involving the the egalitarian Nigerian society of our dream. We court, Nnamdi Kanu and his surety will give voice to the voiceless and at all times, (Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe). But that strive to be balanced, objective, honest, truthful bail contract has been frustrated and fair to all sides; so that through The Oracle through no fault of Kanu’s surety Today, our people, the Nigerian people can see (forcing) the Senator to apply for a bright light at the end of what has been a very discharge of suretyship obligation, dark tunnel. And we shall do all this in absolute as provided in Section 177 of the trust in God who blesses good intentions.

Administration of Criminal Justice

25

The Oracle Today Wednesday Octobere 3, 2018

OPINION Buhari: Say no to zonal leaders’ ‘vetting’

By EICHIOYA EZOMON

I

n the 2019 election season, some “Elder statesmen” from four of the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria have constituted themselves into a clearing house for presidential aspirants. Comprising the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); Afenifere; Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Middle Belt Forum, their aim is to “rub minds” with all the aspirants and “come up with a position on who to support for the presidential election.”

In a clime where many throw their hats into the ring, a vetting body like the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum is a welcome development if it’s devoid of partisan bent, and carry out its self-imposed assignment assiduously and conscientiously.

However, polity watchers doubt the stated mission of the leaders of the four zonal bodies because, one, members of the public, and the media had no inkling that such a meeting was in the offing. That’s why it didn’t attract publicity.

Two, if, indeed, the leaders are apolitical, why making the parley “secret,” and scheduled at the residence of one of its members?

Is the Abuja home of the Niger Delta leader, Chief E.K Clark, the headquarters of the zonal leaders? A true vetting process ought to hold in a public place.

Three, what informed their decision to “invite” former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the first to appear before them? Observers are sceptical about the leaders’ explanation that, “By sheer force of providence, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar... has become the first person to

be with us.”

Four, why would the leaders examine presidential aspirants, who haven’t scaled nomination of their respective political parties, as candidates for the 2019 elections? Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse if they picked one among the 12 presidential aspirants of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)?

Five, and the most crucial, is the composition of the Forum. It’s an agglomeration of stalwarts and/or supporters of the PDP and the “Never Buhari” campaigners, who have labelled President Muhammadu Buhari as a failure, and should not run for a second term in office.

Some of the members are Messrs: Edwin Clark, Nnia Nwodo, Ayo Adebanjo, Albert Horsefall, Dan Suleiman, Stella Omu, Idongesit Nkanga, Simon Okeke, Bitrus Pogu, Godknows Igali, Bassey Henshaw, Banji Akintoye, Nne Nwafor, Mac Emakpore, Yinka Odumakin, Alfred Mulade, Wilberforce Juta, Boni Haruna, Collins Rill Ihejine and Francis Doukpola.

Let’s consider the views of one member from each of the zones they represent. Chief Nwodo, in his personal capacity, and as the President-General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has repeatedly urged President Buhari not to vie for re-election, as “he has failed Nigerians.”

Early August, Nwodo, Prof. Ben Nwabueze and a representative of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), declared that the SouthEast was not (no longer) interested in an Igbo presidency, but the restructuring of Nigeria.

“The primary need of Ndigbo now is re-

structuring not Igbo presidency. We want a restructured Nigeria because that is the only way we get what we want, and every zone would be satisfied. If Nigeria is restructured, that will go a long way to satisfy our demands,” Nwabueze told reporters after a meeting he hosted to reconcile Ohanaeze and IPOB. But recall that Ohanaeze has had a running battle with IPOB for opposing the presidency for Ndigbo. So, why the about turn? Possibly, Ohanaeze prefers that the slot goes to another zone if voting for Buhari’s re-election would quicken the presidential slot going to the South-East in 2023.

Similarly, Pa Adebanjo, a critic of Buhari and his administration, is opposed to his second term bid. In an August 4 interview, he predicted that the president would lose the 2019 election on three premises: “The image of Buhari in 2015 has deserted him now, and besides the defections (from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Buhari’s performance is not enough for him to win,” he said.

Likewise, the Afenifere, in which Adebanjo is a prominent leader, has, through Mr. Odumakin, regularly made scathing remarks about the Buhari presidency. Lately, he (Adebanjo) was reportedly considering endorsing Atiku’s aspiration.

The other day, Commodore Suleiman (retd.) compared the goings on in the country to the days of former maximum ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha. What a damning verdict! Thus, what will the president say to change Suleiman’s perception of him?

As for Air Commodore Nkanga (retd.), a

chieftain of the PDP, he was (in 2015) and still the director-general of the Udom Emmanuel Campaign Organisation that’s working for the re-election of Governor Emmanuel in 2019.

Will Nganga, whose principal has accused the Buhari government of instigating the EFCC freeze of the Akwa Ibom accounts in several banks, leave out a PDP aspirant and endorse Buhari for 2019?

Past meetings of these zonal crusaders were essentially on restructuring, economy and security, but on each occasion, they would veer towards de-marketing Buhari ahead of the 2019 elections.

Of what use is the invitation if, without hearing from him, they decided to campaign against his re-election? So, what new things or assurances do they expect from the president? A face-to-face parley may not alter their mindset, which appears hardened as the elections draw nearer.

I think the leaders want to fulfill all righteousness by inviting President Buhari, to come and tell them what he has for Nigerians and Nigeria post-2019, even when they’ve proclaimed consistently that “he has nothing to offer the country.”

Consequently, I’m inclined to advise Buhari and other presidential aspirants, particularly in the PDP, to shun the invitation to appear before the zonal elders, for examination. As the local parlance goes, “they just wan use una shine” for their “preferred candidate.”

The “vetting” is a smokescreen!

•Ezomon, journalist and media consultant, writes from Lagos

Compromised INEC is murdering Nigeria’s democracy

BY CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME he announcement by INEC, that the Osun State election conducted on SatTurday, 22nd September2018, was inconclu-

sive and the fixing of 27th of September for a so called rerun, is a dangerous subversion and travesty of the electoral process, a blow to our hard earned constitutional democracy and an ominous sign of the farce to expect in 2019-subversion of the people’s will. INEC has earned for itself the inglorious reputation of holding inconclusive elections (Kogi, Bayelsa, et al); and working in cahoots with the ruling APC party, always eager to do its dirty electoral bidding, to commit daylight robbery of votes.

This they have just done to Adeleke’s votes to defeat the will and legitimate franchise of the good people of Osun State. I wholly condemn this ludicrous mockery of our electoral process and constitutionalism.

There is no basis whatsoever, whether in law, constitutionalism, or morality, to have declared the election inconclusive. The Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act ONLY recognise LAWFUL AND VALID VOTES in declaring a candidate winner of an election. This presupposes that some votes would be unlawful and invalid. Consequently, where votes are cancelled or invalidated for any reason howsoever, including for being invalid and unlawful, such votes are immediately and automatically cancelled, deducted and consigned to the dustbin of history. In any case, it was not wholesale results in the election that were voided and cancelled. Only votes that INEC had adjudged illegitimate due to irregularities were voided and cancelled. This cancellation and voidance of illegitimate votes effected all the political parties, not just APC and PDP, but especially Omisore’s SDP, whose two strongest fortes in Ife axis were badly effected. Such voided votes are ignored and unreckoned with, for they are a non sequitur. They are as dead as dodo.

Having failed to viciously intimidate and rig the elections as they did in Ekiti State, due

to the people’s courageous resistance, the APC has now used its electoral arm, INEC, to do the unthinkable, that which is clearly illegal, unconstitutional, immoral and a brazen assault on our sensibilities and constitutional democracy.

Section 179(2)(a)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (the grundnorm and supreme law of the land), is crystal clear and unambiguous that Adeleke and PDP have won and met the electoral requirements to be formally declared winners of the Osun State election. It provides: “A candidate for an election to the office of a governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates- (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State”.

Adeleke satisfied this provision.

In Osunbor v Oshiomhole (2007) 18 NWLR (part 1065) 32, cancelled votes had been counted and added to PDP/Osunbor’s scores. The courts, up to the Supreme Court, held that when votes are cancelled, they are not reckoned with in determining the outcome of such an election. The courts thereafter deducted the invalidated votes and this gave victory to Oshiomhole in the hotly contested election. To avoid disenfranchisement of eligible voters, only votes in areas where election did not hold at all are considered for the purpose of calculating total votes. Some people may argue, ignorantly, in my humble opinion, that Section 69 of the Electoral Act or other guidelines issued by INEC justify this electoral perversion. I will quickly remind such people that those provisions or guidelines are subject to the overriding authority of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, which is supreme. The Constitution is the Kabiyesi, Eze and Emir, in the hierarchy of Nigerian laws. All others are like Bales and Chiefs that must bow before this king. The provisions of the Constitution therefore

cancelled in Orolu, Ife South, Ife North and Osogbo LGAs. How can that affect the humongous votes garnered by Adeleke? PDP and Adeleke should immediately head for the courts to seek an order of mandamus, compelling INEC to declare him winner. Alternatively, he can approach the Election Petition Tribunal with all the votes cast, urging it to declare him winner. He has won his people’s hearts with his performance in the Senate and mesmerising dance steps of a teenager. INEC, I beg of you, don’t kill Collation of all the results in Osun had our hard earned constitutional democracy already been done by INEC in accordance on the altar of corruption and official comwith Section 27(1)(a)(v)) and (c) of the Elec- prise of the ruling party. toral Act, 2010,as altered. The State collation was completed under Section 27(d) •CHIEF MIKE OZEKHOME, SAN, OFR, and the results ought to have declared FCIArb, Ph.D Adeleke the winner under Section 27(f), having polled 256,219 majority votes to beat APC’s candidate who scored 255,309 votes. The provisions of Section 69 of the Electoral Act (which in any case, is inferior to Section 179(2)) of the Constitution were thus amply satisfied. The constitutional, legal and moral profanity that INEC has thus engaged by ordering a repeat election is to invalidate the people’s valid and Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief legitimate votes, in strange preference for legally voided illegitimate votes that no Ikeddy Isiguzo longer mattered or counted. The Returning Officer’s duty was simply to announce the Editor winner, having declared all the results, and not to usurp the role of the Election Petition Felix Oguejiofor Abugu Tribunal, by altering the texture and tenor of the outcome, through its order for a re- Deputy Editor/Head, Lagos Bureau run. What happens to the legitimate votes Sopuruchi Onwuka of the other candidates who will not participate in the rerun and their electors’ will, Head, Graphics & Designs one may ask?

By the way, why is INEC changing the goal Nnamdi Alex Chukwu posts and revising history because APC was roundly defeated in the election? Recall that Circulation Manager during the Kogi State bye elections of August 2018, over 19 000 votes were cancelled Felix Oti and voided. This tremendously outstripped the 12,000 votes difference between the two leading candidates.

Yet, in Osun State, only 3,498 votes were clearly override the provisions of the Electoral Act and any guidelines issued by INEC, by virtue of Sections 1 and 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution. They are consequently null and void to the extent of the inconsistency.

See the celebrated case of Nyesom Wike v Dakuku Peterside (2016) 7 NWLR (part 1512) 574.It is clear to me that INEC ‘s decision is more of a political hubris than one anchored on solid laws, whether the Constitution, or Electoral Act.

THE GROUP

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

Travel & Hospitality

26

Indians, Chinese top list, as NIS records 81,003 foreigners in Nigeria Stories by VICTOR NZE

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IGERIA Immigration Service (NIS) has declared that it recorded a total of 81, 003 foreign nationals resident in the country, of which those from India and China, Britain, the United States and Lebanon top.

The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, in a statement, Friday, signed by the Service’s Public Relations Officer, deputy comptroller of Immigrations (DCI), Mr Sunday James, said the disclosure is in line with agency’s ‘statutory mandate as enshrined in Section 2 (a) – (f) of the Immigration Act 2015 as amended,’ even as he assured that it will now provide a quarterly report of migrants resident in Nigeria.

The NIS also said data was obtained from the newly-introduced Visas on Arrival (VoAs) regime as well as the Temporary Work Permits (TWPs) issued from various international airports in the country.

“As at August 31st 2018, the Nigeria Immigration Service has recorded a total of 81,003 nonECOWAS foreign Nationals legally

resident in Nigeria.

“From available statistics, there were 2,694 United States citizens, 3,946 Britons, 17,995 Chinese, 31,660 Indians, 6,295 Lebanese and 1,295 Germans living legally in Nigeria.

“Also, there were 17,118 foreign nationals from 92 other countries resident in the country.

“Within the same period, 82,084 Visas on Arrival (VoAs) were issued at 6 International Airports in Nigeria and a total of 7,570 Temporary Work Permits (TWPs) were also issued by the Service.

“The breakdown for the TWP are 1,492 issued to Indians, 1171 issued to Chinese, 987 issued to Britons, 1006 issued to South Africans, 641 issued to Italians, 649 issued to Ukrainians while a total of 1,624 were issued to other nationals.

“The Service hereby restate its commitment to safeguarding and protecting Nigerian borders while discharging its administrative and operational duties in line with International best practices and respect for the rights of Migrants without compromising National Security,” read the statement.

Emirates woos Nigerian travellers to Lagos-Dubai route

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MIRATES has announced offerings for Nigerian travellers the opportunity to visit Dubai, available at a very special offer for Economy and Business Class round-trip, a free third piece of luggage.

Under the special offer, an Economy Class ticket from Lagos to Dubai costs USD $799 and Business Class USD $3199; while from Abuja to Dubai cost USD $599 on Economy class and USD $2799 on Business class.

The special offer is for a limited time only and tickets must be booked between September 13th and 27thSeptember 2018, while travel must take place between September 13th to 31st March 2019. The cost of the ticket includes airport taxes.

Emirates is also offering a 3rd piece of luggage of up to 23kg for Economy Class and up to 32kg for Business Class.

Dubai provides a great escape for visitors. Its year-round sun-

shine, world-class shopping and restaurants, stunning beaches and iconic buildings offers something for the whole family. Visitors to Dubai can enjoy some of the city’s must-see places like Global Village – multi-cultural festival park and shopping destination – as well as theme parks such as Wild Wadi Waterpark and IMG World of Adventures.

The city also offers a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets.

On all Emirates’ flights, customers can look forward to hours of entertainment on the awardwinning inflight entertainment system, ice, which offers over 3,000 channels of on demand audio and visual entertainment, from the latest movies, music, audio books and games, as well as family friendly products and services for children, including complimentary toys, kids’ meals and movies, priority boarding for families and the use of free strollers at Dubai International Airport.

Bangladesh, Egypt to exhibit at INAC expo

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ANGLADESH and Egypt have joined the long list of countries that have committed to showcasing their unique art and crafts in the forthcoming International Arts and Crafts Expo (INAC), organized by the National Council for Arts and Culture(NCAC) and slated for November in Abuja.

The Bangladeshi High Commissioner, his Excellency Shameed Ahsan assured the DirectorGeneral of NCAC, Otunba Segun Runsewe of his country’s total participation during a courtesy call to his office in Abuja.

The Ambassador stated succinctly that, “Your leadership role encourages us to partner with you”.

Runsewe responded thank-

fully saying that this year’s maiden edition of the International Arts and Crafts Expo promises to be the first of its kind in terms of packaging and organization.

The envoy equally accepted to host Bangladesh day during the event to promote the natural endowments of his country to world.

Runsewe has firmly resolved to make this year’s INAC a platform to network over thirtyfive countries that have indicated interest to participate.

Some of the countries include Venezuela, Tanzania, Spain, France, USA, Cameroun, Togo, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago, Syria, China, Pakistan amongst many others.

•Senior Customer Sales & Service Agent, Ivie Omojatolu; International Terminal Manager, Abuja, Mrs Hajara Musa; Emirates Regional Manager West Africa, Mr Afzal Parambil; CSO Abuja Airport, Mr M. Akewushola; Sales Manager Emirates, Eghe Ekhator; and Airport Service Agent, Foluke Olabode Segilola, at the launch and arrival of the Emirates B777-300ER to the Abuja route of the Emirates Airline held in Abuja.

Nigerian tour operators to mark WTD 2018 with fanfare

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MBRELLA body of tour operators in the country, the Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) is set to mark the 2018 World Tourism Day celebration in grand style.

Arising from its general meeting in Lagos, NATOP rolled out plans to commemorate the 2018 edition of the World Tourism Day celebrations with a roadshow in Abuja to mark the day and a media parley holding simultaneously with select media houses in Lagos.

President of NATOP, Hajia Bilkisu Abdul explained that, “the decision to do a roadshow in Abuja and Media parley in Lagos with select top media houses in the country is in line with the World Tourism Organisation’s theme for the 2018 which is Tourism and the Digital Transforma-

tion”.

She noted that the importance of digital technologies in tourism, providing opportunities for innovation and preparing the sector for the future is at the centre of World Tourism Day 2018.

World Tourism Day, celebrated every 27 September around the world, is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on tourism’s actual and potential contribution to sustainable development.

This year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) will help to put the opportunities provided to tourism, by technological advances including big data, artificial intelligence and digital platforms, on the map of sustainable development. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) sees digital advances and innovation as

part of the solution to the challenge of marrying continued growth with a more sustainable and responsible tourism sector.

Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General explained that, “Harnessing innovation and digital advances provides tourism with opportunities to improve inclusiveness, local community empowerment and efficient resource management, amongst other objectives within the wider sustainable development agenda”.

While the Nigeria chapter celebrates the day in Abuja and Lagos respectively, the WTD official celebration will be held in Budapest, Hungary, a country enjoying steady growth of tourism backed by consistent policy support and a commitment to the digital future.

activities happening at the MUSON centre and Terrakulture: concerts, stage plays, and many more. These activities are driving footfall to the theatres and consequently raising a huge amount of revenue for the owners.

“Aside from the revenue generation, lots of Nigerians have become employed through these theatres.

“These sufficiently prove that our government needs to redirect its attention to revamping and resuscitating our national theatre as this will undoubtedly generate tons of revenue for the tourism sector,” she said.

The Jumia chief further said, “The government is losing millions of Naira by neglecting this unique masterpiece. This is not good for the country because the theatre alone can generate thousands of jobs for Nigerians as well as serve as a source of revenue for the economy.”

Adagunodo urged the government to provide funds to, first of all, “fix the theatre.”

“If the facilities can be fixed, the National Theatre will become a

strong competitor to the likes of Terra Kulture and Jazzhole. Also, the theatre will become the destination of choice for Lagosians.

This will, in turn, enable the government to earn revenue from the theatre,” she said.

In a related development, management of the National Theatre (NT) complex in Iganmu, Lagos, has assured artistes planning to use its facilities for shows of pocket-friendly fees to encourage the promotion of entertainment and culture.

General Manager (GM) of the theatre, Dr Stella Oyedepo, who disclosed this in Lagos, Friday, alongside some of the management staff of the complex, said that the complex was a place where the public alongside their families and friends could relax because of the various forms of entertainment it could provide.

“We have at our hearts the interests of artistes who intend to use the National Theatre’s facilities to organise shows. That is why we have been putting in place measures that will ensure their optimal profits.

Nigeria losing revenue at National Theatre – Expert

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EDERAL government has been urged to redirect its attention to revamping one of Nigeria’s oldest tourism products, the National Theatre, emphasising that this will yield massive revenue for the tourism sector.

This was the position of an online travel agent (OTA), and Managing Director of Jumia’s hotel and flight booking services, Omolara Adagunodo.

The National Theatre, which was established in 1976 to promote arts and culture in the country, is currently in dire need of attention as it lies dormant.

Speaking in Lagos to some stakeholders within the industry at an event organised by tourism enthusiasts in the country, Ms Adagunodo cited the continuous progress and revenue generated by privately managed theatres like the MUSON centre and Terra Kulture as proof that if the government should consider restoring the theatre to its former glory, it will produce a lot of investment returns.

“We have witnessed in the last couple of months tons of

27

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

AVIATION Mixed reactions greet FG’s suspension of Nigeria Air project

By VICTOR NZE

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ITH barely three months to its planned commencement of operations in December, the Federal Government’s decision to halt the Nigeria Air project has elicited mixed reactions from operators and stakeholders alike in the nation’s aviation industry.

The Nigeria Air project has been shrouded in mystery in terms of mode of funding and administration with speculations rife on the planned farming out of the proposed airline to Qatar Airways for operations.

The option is against the backdrop of an expanded Bi-lateral Air Service Agreement signed between Qatar and Nigeria in February 2016 which many believed would be exploited or even activated by the FG to boost the birth of the Nigeria Air and strengthen the country’s hand in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) deal, in general, or the African Open Skies agreement, in particular.

According to Senior Special Assistant on Media to the President, Garba Shehu, the agreement on Bilateral Services Agreement, BASA ‘bears the imprint of Nigeria’s ambition of transforming into the international travel hub for West-Africa’s 400 million people.’

Shehu disclosed further that the Qatari Emir gave a prompt directive for support and collaboration with Nigeria on the plans to restart a national airline and a further development of airports infrastructure.

Many also posit that the $300 million reportedly committed into the project by the federal government covers the cost of name and logo design, said to have been handled by a Bahraini firm at a cost of $500, 000.

Sirika further affirmed that Nigeria will receive the first set of five airplanes for the airliner, December 19, adding that the proposed airline will make profit in three years after operations.

However, all that arrangement has now come come to naught as, Wednesday, Sirika announced via his Twitter handle, @hadisirika, at the end of a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting same day that the Federal Government has , in the interim, suspended the project.

“I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the National Carrier Project in the interim.

All commitments due will be honoured. We thank the public for the support as always,” the tweet read.

Reacting to the development, umbrella body of owners of domestic airlines in the country, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) described the concept of the suspended national carrier as ‘totally unsustainable and a drain pipe for wasting scarce resources,’ even as it commended the government for taking the bold step of halting it, a decision it stressed was ‘in the interest of the nation and in response to the many cries for reason put forward by the operators.’

Chairman of AON, Capt. Nogie Meggison in a statement, Friday, said: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for listening to our many calls for the idea to be suspended. In our opinion we believe the process was neither transparent nor did it clearly define the role of private investors in the entire process.

“At this time of our national limited resources and struggle to recover

from recession, AON would like to state that there are private Nigerian airline Investors ready to invest and already investing heavily on the sector and only asking for a more friendly operational environment and infrastructure support.

“Setting up of National Carrier will cost Nigeria at least $3billion (a single B777 as of today costs about $320m.)

Is it wise and our priority as a nation to take $3 billion from the Nigerian coffers today and put into a venture that will for sure go down the drain within a maximum of 5 years to establish a “National Carrier?” the group asked.

AON added that the national carrier will need an additional cash injection of $500 million subsidy per year on average for the next 10 years to keep the airline afloat while about 97 per cent of the 200 million Nigerian masses today are grappling for the basic necessities of life; food, shelter, electricity, water, education and good roads.

To buttress his point, AON chief quoted the Vice President (VP) Yemi Osinbajo, who said recently that, “The $3 billion strategic alliance contracts with the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NDPC) alone stolen under former President Goodluck Jonathan, which the promoters of the companies later made away with during the last administration, could have built seven (7) major roads across the country as well as the 2nd Niger Bridge.”

“The funds put into projects like these, no doubt, would have created jobs for our teeming youths than the few 2% of Nigerians that can afford to fly by air,” the AON Chairman argued.

Speaking further, he remarked that “national carrier is an obsolete just for ‘“EGO/PRIDE” idea, adding that business and pride don’t go together and that all over Europe South America, USA today, 90 per cent of them have been made private including Lufthansa, British Airways etc. Also, they are all flag carriers which are completely private entities.”

He informed that on September 12, 2018, there was a clear indication of what obtains in the true world, when Boeing financed a private Nigerian airline, Air Peace for purchase of 10 Boeing 737-8MAX airplanes in a deal valued at $1.5billion.

Pointing out that this is much more than the Nigeria national carrier and a clear indication of the future and where the world is today, the AON boss said that South African Airways has been termed in insolvent in the last 10 years and that it has been receiving from the government bailout of $400 million yearly to stay in business.

Kenya Airways, he also said has equally been struggling and that the airline is facing tough financial crisis that is threatening its very existence.

He stated that the airline recently got a $750 million bailout in the past year.

The AON Chairman noted It is a known fact in the industry that Ethiopian Airlines with over $35 billion exposure, is rushing to go public (Plc.) or may start to default in payments soon.

“During these tough economic times, why do we want to rush and spend $3 billion on an airline that we know will not make profit? We know how many Nigeria roads can be tarred with the funds. The truth is that the whole national carrier concept is totally unsustainable and will be a drain pipe that will lead to wast-

•Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah (right) addressing Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Michael Olufemi Abikoye (left) and other dignitaries during a visit to the airline’s stand at the Nigeria Charity Bazaar at Nigeria House, Accra. age of our scarce resources.

“Nigeria does not need a national carrier. Like what operates in advanced countries of the world, what Nigeria needs are strong private airlines that are allowed to operate in a friendly operational environment with a level playing field and policies that ensure their survival.

“Nigeria is a natural hub for Africa but that however, airlines don’t make a hub, adding that it is world-class infrastructure that makes a hub. Then the airlines and airplanes will come in.

“Today, Air Peace is Nigeria’s largest airline operator with 30 aircraft.

The Airline has acquired four (4) B777 with ten (10) B737Max on order. Medview has gotten B777 and B767, while Azman Air just received an Airbus 340. These are huge positive steps and the biggest growth in Africa this quarter that needs government support, better infrastructure, low interest rates , double, taxes fewer levies, better runway landing aids among others as well as encouragement.

“AON believes government should focus on governing and let the businessmen do the business!! Or, as I always say; “government has no business in business.”

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to go back to the drawing board and engage the private sector with transparency on how to position Nigeria as the hub for Africa to take advantage of her God given gift of geographical location.

However, reacting differently, President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilot and Engineers (NAAPE), Engineer Abednego Galadima expressed some disappointment at the suspension stating that the project would have provided employment for Nigerian pilots and engineers.

He however said NAAPE was all for due process and transparency and urged that it be followed if the project is to recommence.

‘It’s dashed hope for us at NAAPE and I hope government will reconsider as the project would have jump started a lot in the industry and provide fleet for our pilots and engineers to be employed on. We are always for due process and transparency, We hope the Minister finds time to explain everything to stakeholders and we hope government reconsid-

ers as soon as possible,” Galadima said.

In his reaction, Secretary General of Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), Comrade Razaq Saidu, said he has been vindicated stating that the Minister had no the moral justification to forge ahead with Nigeria Air. Saidu while expressing worry that the unveiling of the airlines logo in Farnborough Air Show was done in secrecy, explained that the Minister of State, Sirika got it wrong from the onset without calling for public bidding from interested technical partners for the rest 95 per cent stake since he claimed that 5 per cent stake would be owned by the Federal Government.

Saidu urged the minister to go back to the drawing board by first settling the ex-workers of the defunct Nigeria Airways before embarking on any other aviation projects.

He described as a waste the £8million purportedly used to unveil the logo of Nigeria Air in faraway Farnborough, London and not allowed the supposed technical partners who are to own majority shares decide on the logo and the name.

He further noted that barely three months to the supposed take off of the airline, technical crew, cabin crew, administrative staff, office accommodation cum office complex, aircraft and other supportive requirements are not on ground.

On his part, Deputy General Secretary, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), Mr Frances Akinjole, said that the project failed to materialise as planned due to lack of consultations by the government.

According to him, the unveiling of the name and logo of the new national carrier at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK on July 18 was done without the input of critical stakeholders.

Akinjole said that if the national carrier was to be named Nigeria Air, then other major aviation stakeholders must partake in its formation.

He said that the unions in the sector had earlier raised some concerns with the way and manner the minister was approaching the implementation of the national carrier.

“We have raised serious concerns

about the way and manner the minister was approaching the implementation of the national carrier. The minister wanted it done at all cost but the way he was going about it was not the approach he ought to have taken because it was like a decision he took single handedly.

“The minister has a good intention for the project which we all support but he was doing it without considering every other stakeholder in the industry about how a national carrier should be carried out,” Akinjole said.

He said that the issue of national carrier cannot be successful without settling all the entitlements of the former Nigeria Airways workers still clamouring for their N45 billion severance package.

“There are still serious issues on the ground about the liquidation of Nigeria Airways. We have told the minister that if the payment of the former Nigeria Airways workers is not settled, the government should forget about the issue of the national carrier.

“However, the minister was doggedly pursuing the project thinking that nothing could truncate it but is now obvious that our position on it has now come to pass,” he said.

Akinjole said that after the unveiling of the logo and name, Sirika had made mention that the government was going to invest only five per cent in the Nigeria Air project, noting that it remained unclear what stake the government would hold in the carrier when compared with the funds it had planned to invest on the project.

Also, the President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr Gbenga Olowo, said that ART was not surprised about the suspension of the project.

“We saw the abortion coming right from conception. We issued all professional advice on questions bordering on the need, start-up process, government and private ownership.

Others are the competing need for limited funds on aviation infrastructure and the unpaid entitlements of ex-Nigerian Airways workers.

“I congratulate government on the bold move to stop now and cut its losses rather than start, embarrass the flag for a while and disappear like others in less than 10 years,” Olowo said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

INSURANCE & PENSION 15 states commence CPS implementation – PenCom Stories by VICTOR NZE

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ATIONAL Pension Commission (PenCom) disclosed that out of the 24 states that have enacted Laws on the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), 15 of them have commenced implementation of key provisions of the scheme.

This is also the commission lauded the efforts and support of states of the federation and other stakeholders in achieving the objectives of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

Acting Director General Haija Aisha Dahir-Umar who said this Wednesday, at the third quarter 2018 consultative forum for states which held in Lagos, affirmed that the scheme has provided a platform for a more efficient and transparent administration of pensions in the Federal Public Service, private sector and Public Service of the States.

The DG who was represented

by Mr. Dan Ndackson, Head, State operations, PenCom, added that the scheme has also led to the generation of long term investible funds that already have significant impact on the Nigerian economy.

She said that so far 24 States have enacted Laws on the Contributory Pension Scheme, three States have enacted Laws on the Contributory Defined Benefits Scheme and six others are at various stages of adopting the Contributory Pension Scheme.

According to her, while two states are at final bill stage of a Law that is neither Contributory Pension Scheme nor Contributory

Defined Benefits Scheme, while 1 has continued with the Defined Benefit Scheme, adding further that out of the 24 States that have enacted Laws on the Contributory Pension Scheme, 15 of them have commenced implementation of key provisions of the Contributory Pension Scheme, which include the following: establishment of Pension Bureaux/Commissions/ Boards; Conduct of Actuarial Valuation; Commencement of remittance of pension contributions; Funding of accrued rights of the employees; and putting in place Group Life Insurance Policy for the employees. ”This Forum has also been designed to encourage the exchange of ideas between participants with a view to proffering solutions to many salient issues in the Administration of Pension in States.

“This edition of the Forum is indeed special as we have, for the first time in our midst the Compliance Officers of the PFAs, who are here to address issues and queries that might be raised by the participants with a view to resolving them. This Forum has also been designed to encourage the exchange of ideas between participants with a view to proffering solutions to many salient issues in the Administration of Pension in States,” she said.

On her part, Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Adesoye commended the management of PenCom for the excellent quality of leadership it has continued to provide to the pension administration family nationwide.

She also called on participates

to work towards comprehensive guidelines aimed at ensuring the full implementation of the contents of trasfer window; guarantee minimum pension and the pension protection fund.

These issues, she said, border on the welfare of the retirees in old age and should guarantee comfort whilst out of office.

Depositors, customers’ funds safe with Polaris Bank -- NDIC assures The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has moved to assure depositors and customers of the deregistered Skye Bank PLC that their funds are safe, just

software and hardware are transforming ‘big data’ into information that gives enough insight into the future for decision makers to take action.

“As the Insurance Industry reaps gains from the most recent wave of automation, new technologies are significantly enhancing operational efficiencies, increasing revenue opportunities and improving customer experience. How do we maximize the potentials of Insuretechusing tools like blockchain technology among others?

We need to ensure persistence, respect, integrity and passion by way of ethics in the industry to boost the confidence of customers.

“The need to promote an industry where good work and life balance is fostered is important to the long term success of an organization. Positive mental health and well-being leads to positive life outcomes for staff and better results in the workplace. How do we ensure this?

“What excites me the most about this year’s forum, are the professionals who have been assembled to do justice to the topics penciled down for the program.

There will be thoroughly enlightening sessions for everyone present and ultimately it will be an extraordinary experience for everyone involved,” the CIIN chief said.

While noting that active participation in all the sessions of this

forum remains the only way to guarantee that the efforts of the organizing committee in putting together a well packaged platform for knowledge sharing are not in vain.

“We are charting a course aimed at positioning the Insurance Industry as a key contributor to economic growth. It is pertinent to reiterate that the theme of my presidency, ‘Advancing Insurance Education and Professionalism’ is driven by the realization that we must consistently strive to improve the quality of our human resources in order to turn the change enveloping the Insurance industry into opportunities. “In line with our statutory role as the educational arm of the industry, my tenure will actively focus on education and professional development. “The clarion call is for everyone to embrace Insurance and I’m sure we are all aware of the strides being taken to promote the acceptance of Insurance in the country.

“We are making progress but are nowhere near our desired goal. However, I believe that with the efforts of the Institute coupled with the support of Insurance Professionals, Practitioners and regulatory bodies, we shall achieve the Insurance Industry of our dreams which will contribute meaningfully to the country’s GDP,” he stressed.

•From left: Head of Service, Lagos State, Mrs Folashade Adesoye; Head, State Operations, National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr. Dan Ndackson, and Zonal Head, South-West Zone, PenCom, Babatunde Phillips, at the eventin Lagos

Embrace new ideas, technology to market insurance – CIIN charges operators

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PERATORS in the insurance industry in the country have been called upon to embrace the use of technology and evolve new ideas to market the industry.

President of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Eddie Efekoha who made this call at the just concluded 27th edition of the professionals’ forum, maintained that the collective goal of members remains to explore opportunities for the growth of the Insurance Industry globally.

The forum held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, under the theme of; “The Insurance Industry: Beyond Limits.”

“We all know that the balance of power is heavily tilting towards the consumers and new and ongoing social trends are shaking traditional business patterns in the Insurance Industry. Definitely, the relentless march of online and mobile technology will continue to fuel the constant change in customer expectations.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, online social networks are becoming pooling mechanisms for insurance and whether we like to admit it or not, Insurance companies are fast changing roles from being product manufacturers to administrative service providers. The evolution is here and we must embrace it,” he said.

He noted that the advances in

as it encouraged them to continue to transact their normal banking business with the new Polaris Bank Limited.

A statement by NDIC, released in the aftermath of Friday’s revocation of the operating license of Skye Bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria and its subsequent replacement with the new Polaris Bank, NDIC said: “In continuation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervention in the distressed Skye Bank Plc., on the 4th July 2016, which was aimed at protecting depositors of that bank, the NDIC, in the exercise of its statutory powers, under the NDIC ACT, 2006, and in consultation with the Central Bank of Nigeria, has organized and incorporated a Bridge Bank known as Polaris Bank Limited to assume the deposit and other liabilities of the Skye Bank Plc and acquire its assets.

“Consequently, Polaris Bank Limited, has been issued operating license by the CBN and shall commence banking business from the 21st of September 2018; while the operating license of Skye has been revoked by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the NDIC has commenced the processes for its liquidation.

“The capitalization Polaris Bank Limited (The Bridge Bank) is been

done by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) through the injection of 786 billion Naira to return the bank to soundness and profitability to enable its subsequent sale to credible and financially sound third parties acquirers.

“The NDIC carried out the Bridge Bank option to resolve the Skye Bank Plc. in order make certain that its depositors are fully protected as their deposits with Polaris Bank limited remain insured under the NDIC Act and the customers of SKYE Bank Plc. can also continue to transact their businesses with Polaris Bank Limited thereby ensuring the non-disruption of their banking transactions.

“Furthermore, the adoption of the Bridge Bank model for the resolution SKYE Bank Plc., guarantees that most of the employees of that bank will not lose their jobs and they will continue their employment with Polaris Bank Limited under fresh contracts of employment.

“The NDIC, as Deposit Insurer, acted to ensure the continued safety of depositor’s funds in furtherance of the regulatory authorities resolve to proactively manage potential threats to financial system stability.”

Health Insurance: Kaduna to commence enrolment of new clients Q1 2019

K

ADUNA Government says it will begin enrolment of new clients in the State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS) in the first quarter of 2019.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr Paul Dogo, disclosed this during a quarterly interactive forum, tagged “Open Kaduna Health Sector’’, on Friday in Kaduna.

Dogo said progress has been made in ensuring that all residents in the state are covered by the scheme.

“One major impediment to residents accessing healthcare is lack of financial protection as payment of money is made at the point of service, which often leads to catastrophic expenditure with its attendant consequences,’’ he said.

The commissioner said the state government took a number of steps, including passage of the contributory health insurance scheme law, to address the challenge.

“We conducted a readiness assessment which was a qualitative study to generate evidence and identify options to support the design of the scheme,’’ Dogo said.

He assured that work has reached advanced stage on the design of the insurance scheme.

“Sensitisation on the scheme has commenced with the informal sector across the three senatorial zones and would be escalated to the formal sector,’’ he said.

According to him, a director general for the agency had been appointed to manage the scheme.

29

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

INSURANCE & PENSION

Global Insurers upbeat on new investment risks

Stories by VICTOR NZE

D

ESPITE challenging market conditions, insurers are in a relatively upbeat mood and ready to increase their risk exposure, according to a study from investment advisor BlackRock.

Almost half (47 per cent) of insurers surveyed plan to increase portfolio risk exposure over the next one to two years, compared to only nine percent who planned to do so in 2017, according to BlackRock’s Global Insurance Report that surveyed of 372 senior insurance and reinsurance executives in 27 countries.

The survey finds that overall, insurers appear open-minded, with asset allocation intentions spanning across all asset classes. Alternatives remain attractive: there is continued high interest in private markets, along with a desire to selectively take advantage of emerging market opportunities including China.

Survey findings also point to the growing relevance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing across the insurance sector, with 83 percent of insurers, led

by European insurers indicating the importance of ESG investment policies to their firm. Yet, despite growing recognition, 70 percent of insurers reported a lack of in-house expertise to model ESG variables.

“Insurers have broadly expressed their intentions to grow risk assets within their portfolios, across leveraged finance, emerging markets, infrastructure, real estate and other alternatives,” said Zach Buchwald, head of BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group

for North America, “These survey results are in line with BlackRock’s experience serving insurance companies in the Americas. Insurers are also taking care to diversify risk factors and overall portfolio risk as they increase exposure to these sectors.”

Risk Concerns Abate In contrast to 2017 findings, concerns about geo-political and other macro-risks have subsided in almost every case – suggesting, according to BlackRick analysts, that insurers are generally more sanguine about the macro-environment. Despite issues such as fraught international trade relations, increased populism and geopolitical tensions, levels of concern about geo-political risk (30%) have receded since 2017, when 71 percent cited it as a key concern.

Meanwhile, levels of concern about most other market risks (liquidity, asset price correction and interest rate risk) have all also declined. The exception to this trend, however, is credit risk which scored 45 percent vs. 31 percent in 2017, highlighting concerns that the credit cycle is becoming extended.

Moving forward in light of a more positive sentiment, almost half of insurers expect to increase risk exposure with a significant portion looking to do so in order to increase their return on capital.

Forty percent (40%) of respondents expect to increase their weighting in cash, while 34 percent expect to increase in investment grade fixed income.

Within the fixed income universe, expectations across most sub-sectors are far stronger than last year.

Corporate governance key to pension’s growth

T

HE concept of sustainable investment is becoming more essential daily as an effective means of achieving desired impact on the global environment.

The sustainable investment approach considers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors, as well as the long-term health and stability of the economy as a whole.

These were the assertions of the Pioneer Director-General, the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Muhammad Ahmad, at the conference of Directors of Licensed Pension Operators in Nigeria, in Lagos.

The event, with the theme: “Consolidating the Nigerian Pension Industry through Sustainable Investment and Excellence in Corporate Governance Practices, attracted sector operators and stakeholders.

According to him, sustainable investment recognises that generation of long-term returns is dependent on stable, wellfunctioning and well-governed social, environmental and economic systems.

It also allows for the inherent social, environmental and economic risks in every investment to be correctly determined and priced.

He however, noted that the Nigerian pension industry is yet to develop a policy document on ESG principles, which would

have been mainstreamed in the investment regulations to guide operators in deploying the pension assets in environmentalfriendly assets.

Ahmad stressed that a lot was yet to be done in the integration of ESG factors into investment decisions of Nigerian pension funds, particularly at policy level and capacity building.

The expert stated that notwithstanding the challenge, the pension industry appears to have embraced the global trend on sustainable investments through the window of FGN securities allowed in the current regulations.

He pointed out that the investments by the pension industry in the Sovereign Green Bond, which was in excess of 70 per cent, amounting to N7.19 billion, shows the pension industry’s acceptance of sustainable investments as it ventures into the future.

According to him, efforts have been made in institutionalising ESG Principles in Nigeria, under the auspices of the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee (FSRCC).

He noted that the Central Bank of Nigeria has developed a Framework for banks and an internal Framework as a corporate, while the Securities and Exchange Commission has completed work on a draft ESG Framework that is yet to be approved.

This is particularly pronounced in government bonds, where 37 percent expect a higher weighting in the next 12 to 24 months, up from nine percent in 2017. Insurers also plan to significantly up their allocations to other sectors, for instance, high yield bonds (33%), as well as municipal bonds (35%), bank loans and collateralized loan

obligations (33%).

With the growth potential of Asian markets, particularly China, in mind, many of the larger insurers that participated in the survey reported taking strategic steps to ensure they are well positioned to take advantage. With this year’s inclusion of China A-shares in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index as

a proxy for asset allocation, the report found that more than twothirds of insurers either already have an overweight allocation to A-Shares (13%) or are considering it (53%). As such, appetite among insurers globally to increase their equity exposure to mainland China appears robust.

•From left: Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Fatai Adegbenro; Council Member, Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr. Edwin Igbiti; NCRIB Deputy President, Mrs. Bola Onigbogi; NIA Chiarman, Mr. Tope Smart; NCRIB President, Mr. Shola Tinubu; NIA Director General, Mrs Yetunde Ilori; Deputy Chairman, NIA, Mr. Ganiyu Musa; Hon. Treasurer, NCRIB, Mrs Ekeoma Ezeibe; Hon Auditor, NCRIB, Mr. Tunde Oguntade; and Past Chairman, NIA, Mr. GUS Wiggle at the official visit of NIA Management to NCRIB, in Lagos

Embrace contributory pension – PenCom urges States

N

ATIONAL Pension Commission (PenCom) on Thursday advised the state governments yet to key into the Pension Contribution Scheme (CPS) to do so for effective pension administration.

The Acting Director-General of PenCom, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar, gave the advice at the third Quarter of 2018 Consultative Forum in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum was organised by the commission for states’ pension heads and compliance officers of Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs).

“The objective of the consultative forum was to make the participants brainstorm, exchange ideas and proffer solutions to salient issues in the administration of Pension in states,” Dahir-Umar.

According to the PenCom’s acting DG, only 15 states have commenced the implementation of

key provisions of CPS. Dahir-Umar explained that the 15 states had established their respective Pension Bureaux, commissions or Boards; conduct actuarial valuation and commenced remittance of pension contributions.

“The states have also started funding the accrued rights of their employees and put in place a Group Life Insurance Policy for them,” she said.

She stressed that other states needed to embrace the scheme for effective and transparent administration of pensions as achieved in the Federal Public Service, public and private sectors of the states.

Dahir-Umar, who was represented by PenCom’s Head, States Operations Department, Mr Dan Ndackson, said three states had enacted laws on CPS while six others were in various stages of adopting the CPS. She alsio said two states were at bill stage of a law that was neither

Mutual Benefits loses N1.39m to marketer

A

34-year-old, Dan Ismaila, was on Thursday docked at an Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly forging receipts and stealing N1.39 million belonging to his employer, Mutual Benefits Life Assurance Ltd. The accused is facing a threecount charge of forgery, false representation and stealing.

According to the prosecutor, ASP Sunday Eigbejiale, the accused committed the offences between July 2015 and April 2017 at Panseke in Ibara area of Abeokuta.

Eigbejiale said the accused, a marketer with the company, forged the statement of account dated April 2017 with the name, Avovome On-

ize Saudat.

“The accused, being a marketer, forged the company’s payment receipts on several occasions with different cash payments received by him which he did not remit to the company.

“The accused forged and stole the sum of N1.39 million which is the total money he has been stealing for years before he was caught,” the prosecutor told the court.

The offences contravened Sections 363, 390 and 465 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Chief Magistrate Adeola Adelaja granted him bail of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.

CPS nor Defined Benefits Scheme (DBS) while one had continued with the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS).

Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye, commending PenCom at the forum said the states’ objective of providing pension benefits to retirees as and when due, had not been defeated.

She stressed that the modest achievement of the scheme in Lagos was as result of commitment of the state government towards the pension welfare of its workers and retirees.

She explained that Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had been releasing budgetary allocations promptly to meet the pension demands of the workforce as well as the states’ pensioners.

She, however, stressed there were areas in the Pension Reform Act of 2014 yet to be implemented.

She itemised the areas to include “transfer window, Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) and Pension Protection Fund(PPF) in the PRA 2014.

“Transfer window that would allow an employee to change from one PFA to another if he or she deemed it fit has remained outstanding since 2005.

“Also the issues of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) and Pension Protection Fund (PPF) are outstanding,” she said.

She said the issues bothered on the welfare of retirees in old age, which should guarantee comfort in retirement.

“There is the need for urgency to deliberate on the outstanding issues and stakeholders must work towards comprehensive guidelines aimed at ensuring the full implementation of the content of the law,” she said.

30

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

EQUITY & Capital Market

NSE suspends trading on Skye Bank shares Stories by JEROME USHAKANG

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last weekend announced the suspension of trading on Skye Bank shares following the revocation of its operational license by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Exchange in a statement notifying the investing public, however said that the suspension on Skye Bank shares would commence on Monday September 24, as trading activities for the week were already closed.

The NSE in statement co-signed

by Head, Corporate Communications Mr. Olumide Orojimi, and Mr Godstime Iwenekhai Head, Listings Regulations, explained that the action was taken following the recent regulatory action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoking the banking license of Skye Bank.

According to the NSE, the decision was pursuant to the “Rules on Suspension of trading in listed securities, Rulebook of the Exchange (Issuers’ Rules).” It also stated that further developments would be communicated as appropriate in due course.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a news conference in Lagos over the weekend announced the revocation of the of the banking license of the Bank, and transferred its assets and liabilities to a newly licensed bridge bank called Polaris Bank.

Emefiele, stated that the reason for the corporate action by the CBN was due to failure of its shareholders to recapitalise the bank.He added that the purpose of the CBN’s intervention in Skye Bank on July 4, 2016 had been achieved.

According to the CBN Governor, the focus of the action then was to save depositors’ funds and to ensure that the bank continued as a growing concern, being a systemically important bank.

“Part of our intention was also to stem the imminent job losses to staff if a liquidation option had been adopted.

“These objectives have been fully achieved and the bank has been able to meet customer obligations, having curtailed the liquidity hemorrhage and restored depositor confidence. Indeed, the bank’s performance has improved considerably compared to the pre-July 2016 era”, he said.

Emefiele said that the result of its examinations and forensic audit of the bank showed that the bank required urgent recapitalisation. According to him, the bank can no longer continue to live on borrowed times with indefinite liquidity support from the CBN. He added that the bank’s shareholders were unable to recapitalise it.

“As a responsible and responsive regulator and in consultation with the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), we have decided to establish a bridge bank, Polaris Bank, to assume the assets and liabilities of Skye bank.” Emefiele stressed.

“The strategy is for the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) to capitalise the bridge bank and begin the process of sourcing investors to buy out AMCON,” Emefiele said.

However, he assured all depositors that under the arrangement, their deposits shall remain safe and that normal banking services shall continue in the new bank on Monday September 24, 2018.

The CBN governor said the arrangement was to enable customers to transact their businesses seamlessly. He said that all customers of Skye Bank shall be automatic customers of the new bank and their accounts and records duly purchased by Polaris Bank.

Impeccable sources closed to the regulator authorities have revealed that NDIC has sold Polaris

Bank to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) with the mandate to stabilise the bank as well as return it to profitability for the purpose of selling it to interested Investors.

Based on this, AMCON will inject N786 billion into Polaris Bank to bring it’s net value to zero. The defunct Skye Bank has been on CBN’s lifeline since July 2016 and the apex bank says it can no longer continue to intervene to keep the balance liquid.

Prior to the revocation of its license, the defunct Skye Bank authorised capital of stood at N25 billion. Although, the detailed shareholding in the bank is not publicly available as at the time the bank license was revoked by CBN. However, in February 2008, it raised capital by way of Rights Is-

sue and Public Offer. The Rights issues were sold at N12.50 per share and 321,577,293 units of shares were allotted while the Public offer was sold at N14.50 per share and 2,140,787,034 units of shares were allotted.

Although the bank was willing to raise additional capital but the shareholders were not interested because they felt cheated during the bank’s share reconstruction process that negatively affected the value of their investments.

Since then, there has been no shareholder having up to 5 percent shares in the Bank since December 31 2008.

The implication of the revocation of Skye bank license is that the investment of the Ordinary Shareholders in the defunct is now, completely lost.

Meanwhile, the Group Man-

aging Director (GMD) of Polaris Bank ( successor) to the defunct Skye Bank Plc) Adetokunbo Abiru has written to both staff and customers of the bank, informing them of the new changes.

However, Abiru reassured all depositors of the defunct Skye bank that they are now depositors of Polaris Bank which has been fully capitalized and has the support of the CBN and NDIC. He stated that depositors are entitled to make withdrawals.

But are strongly encouraged to maintain their deposits and banking relationships with Polaris Bank Limited.

Abiru stated that all staff of the defunct Skye Bank Plc will transit to Polaris Bank Limited. According to him, the human capital management team would communicate the transition process.

• Defunct Skye Bank corporate headquarters, Lagos.

...All depositors funds are safe – Emefiele

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

T

HE Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has assured all depositors of the defunct Skye Bank of safety of their deposits, and that normal banking services shall continue in the new bank on Monday, 24th September, 2018, to enable customers to transact their businesses seamlessly.

Stressing further he said that all customers of Skye Bank shall be automatic customers of the new bank and their accounts and records duly purchased by Polaris Bank.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has sold Polaris Bank to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the strategy according to the regulator is for the AMCON to capitalize the

Bridge Bank and begin the process of sourcing investors to buy out AMCON, thereby revoking the licence of the defunct Skye Bank. AMCON has been saddled with the mandate to stabilise the bank as well as return it to profitability for the purpose of selling it to interested Investors. In this regard AMCON will inject N786 billion into Polaris Bank to bring it’s net value to zero.

Emefiele praised the board and management of the bank adding that the bank’s performance has improved considerably compared to the pre-July 2016 era, the objectives of taken the bank over by CBN has been fully achieved and the bank has been able to meet customer obligations, having curtailed the liquidity hemorrhage and restored depositor confidence.

The Governor further said that the CBN shall retain the board and management of the bank

due to the good performance, and all employees of Skye Bank shall be absorbed by Polaris Bank under a new contract unless any

employee decides to opt out.

Emefiele however assured the general public that the Nigerian banking industry remains safe

and resilient and that the CBN will continue to live up to its responsibilities of promoting stability in the banking and financial system.

E-payments in Nigeria: Improved efficiency amid stiffer regulationsd

T

HE Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) recently released its e-payment fact sheet for the first half of the year. As at June 2018, the total number of active individual banking customers accelerated to 67.7 million from 59 million recorded as at December 2017.

Furthermore, the number of corporate and individual accounts inched higher by 25 percent and 9.5 percent to 7.5 million and 102.1 million respectively between December 2017 and June 2018. What’s more, the volume of cheques processed by the agency over the first half

of the year, diminished by 10.6 percent to 4.7 million units when compared to the same period last year, while the volume of transactions via NIP (Internet Banking, Mobile ATM, POS, USSD, and bank branches) platforms spiked by 105 percent to 36.9 million.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank if Nigeria (CBN) recently issued regulations for the efficient operation of instant electronic funds transfer services in Nigeria effective 2nd October 2018. Among others, the regulation requires that banks and other providers of e-funds transfer services must submit an annual enterprise risk

management framework to the CBN, maintain an approved robust anti-fraud management framework, permit transfers from all its services channels and are liable to a sanction of N10,000 per item for every failed NIP transaction not reversed to the customer’s account within 24 hours.

Analysts at United Capital however Juxtaposing the data trend with the freshly released CBN regulation and sanctions, they expect financial services institutions to ramp up the efficiency of their electronic platforms for service delivery, hence, ultimately adding value to customers.

30

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

EQUITY & Capital Market

NSE suspends trading on Skye Bank shares Stories by JEROME USHAKANG

T

HE Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last weekend announced the suspension of trading on Skye Bank shares following the revocation of its operational license by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Exchange in a statement notifying the investing public, however said that the suspension on Skye Bank shares would commence on Monday September 24, as trading activities for the week were already closed.

The NSE in statement co-signed

by Head, Corporate Communications Mr. Olumide Orojimi, and Mr Godstime Iwenekhai Head, Listings Regulations, explained that the action was taken following the recent regulatory action of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoking the banking license of Skye Bank.

According to the NSE, the decision was pursuant to the “Rules on Suspension of trading in listed securities, Rulebook of the Exchange (Issuers’ Rules).” It also stated that further developments would be communicated as appropriate in due course.

The CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a news conference in Lagos over the weekend announced the revocation of the of the banking license of the Bank, and transferred its assets and liabilities to a newly licensed bridge bank called Polaris Bank.

Emefiele, stated that the reason for the corporate action by the CBN was due to failure of its shareholders to recapitalise the bank.He added that the purpose of the CBN’s intervention in Skye Bank on July 4, 2016 had been achieved.

According to the CBN Governor, the focus of the action then was to save depositors’ funds and to ensure that the bank continued as a growing concern, being a systemically important bank.

“Part of our intention was also to stem the imminent job losses to staff if a liquidation option had been adopted.

“These objectives have been fully achieved and the bank has been able to meet customer obligations, having curtailed the liquidity hemorrhage and restored depositor confidence. Indeed, the bank’s performance has improved considerably compared to the pre-July 2016 era”, he said.

Emefiele said that the result of its examinations and forensic audit of the bank showed that the bank required urgent recapitalisation. According to him, the bank can no longer continue to live on borrowed times with indefinite liquidity support from the CBN. He added that the bank’s shareholders were unable to recapitalise it.

“As a responsible and responsive regulator and in consultation with the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), we have decided to establish a bridge bank, Polaris Bank, to assume the assets and liabilities of Skye bank.” Emefiele stressed.

“The strategy is for the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) to capitalise the bridge bank and begin the process of sourcing investors to buy out AMCON,” Emefiele said.

However, he assured all depositors that under the arrangement, their deposits shall remain safe and that normal banking services shall continue in the new bank on Monday September 24, 2018.

The CBN governor said the arrangement was to enable customers to transact their businesses seamlessly. He said that all customers of Skye Bank shall be automatic customers of the new bank and their accounts and records duly purchased by Polaris Bank.

Impeccable sources closed to the regulator authorities have revealed that NDIC has sold Polaris

Bank to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) with the mandate to stabilise the bank as well as return it to profitability for the purpose of selling it to interested Investors.

Based on this, AMCON will inject N786 billion into Polaris Bank to bring it’s net value to zero. The defunct Skye Bank has been on CBN’s lifeline since July 2016 and the apex bank says it can no longer continue to intervene to keep the balance liquid.

Prior to the revocation of its license, the defunct Skye Bank authorised capital of stood at N25 billion. Although, the detailed shareholding in the bank is not publicly available as at the time the bank license was revoked by CBN. However, in February 2008, it raised capital by way of Rights Is-

sue and Public Offer. The Rights issues were sold at N12.50 per share and 321,577,293 units of shares were allotted while the Public offer was sold at N14.50 per share and 2,140,787,034 units of shares were allotted.

Although the bank was willing to raise additional capital but the shareholders were not interested because they felt cheated during the bank’s share reconstruction process that negatively affected the value of their investments.

Since then, there has been no shareholder having up to 5 percent shares in the Bank since December 31 2008.

The implication of the revocation of Skye bank license is that the investment of the Ordinary Shareholders in the defunct is now, completely lost.

Meanwhile, the Group Man-

aging Director (GMD) of Polaris Bank ( successor) to the defunct Skye Bank Plc) Adetokunbo Abiru has written to both staff and customers of the bank, informing them of the new changes.

However, Abiru reassured all depositors of the defunct Skye bank that they are now depositors of Polaris Bank which has been fully capitalized and has the support of the CBN and NDIC. He stated that depositors are entitled to make withdrawals.

But are strongly encouraged to maintain their deposits and banking relationships with Polaris Bank Limited.

Abiru stated that all staff of the defunct Skye Bank Plc will transit to Polaris Bank Limited. According to him, the human capital management team would communicate the transition process.

• Defunct Skye Bank corporate headquarters, Lagos.

...All depositors funds are safe – Emefiele

By KAYODE OGUNWALE

T

HE Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has assured all depositors of the defunct Skye Bank of safety of their deposits, and that normal banking services shall continue in the new bank on Monday, 24th September, 2018, to enable customers to transact their businesses seamlessly.

Stressing further he said that all customers of Skye Bank shall be automatic customers of the new bank and their accounts and records duly purchased by Polaris Bank.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has sold Polaris Bank to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), the strategy according to the regulator is for the AMCON to capitalize the

Bridge Bank and begin the process of sourcing investors to buy out AMCON, thereby revoking the licence of the defunct Skye Bank. AMCON has been saddled with the mandate to stabilise the bank as well as return it to profitability for the purpose of selling it to interested Investors. In this regard AMCON will inject N786 billion into Polaris Bank to bring it’s net value to zero.

Emefiele praised the board and management of the bank adding that the bank’s performance has improved considerably compared to the pre-July 2016 era, the objectives of taken the bank over by CBN has been fully achieved and the bank has been able to meet customer obligations, having curtailed the liquidity hemorrhage and restored depositor confidence.

The Governor further said that the CBN shall retain the board and management of the bank

due to the good performance, and all employees of Skye Bank shall be absorbed by Polaris Bank under a new contract unless any

employee decides to opt out.

Emefiele however assured the general public that the Nigerian banking industry remains safe

and resilient and that the CBN will continue to live up to its responsibilities of promoting stability in the banking and financial system.

E-payments in Nigeria: Improved efficiency amid stiffer regulationsd

T

HE Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) recently released its e-payment fact sheet for the first half of the year. As at June 2018, the total number of active individual banking customers accelerated to 67.7 million from 59 million recorded as at December 2017.

Furthermore, the number of corporate and individual accounts inched higher by 25 percent and 9.5 percent to 7.5 million and 102.1 million respectively between December 2017 and June 2018. What’s more, the volume of cheques processed by the agency over the first half

of the year, diminished by 10.6 percent to 4.7 million units when compared to the same period last year, while the volume of transactions via NIP (Internet Banking, Mobile ATM, POS, USSD, and bank branches) platforms spiked by 105 percent to 36.9 million.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank if Nigeria (CBN) recently issued regulations for the efficient operation of instant electronic funds transfer services in Nigeria effective 2nd October 2018. Among others, the regulation requires that banks and other providers of e-funds transfer services must submit an annual enterprise risk

management framework to the CBN, maintain an approved robust anti-fraud management framework, permit transfers from all its services channels and are liable to a sanction of N10,000 per item for every failed NIP transaction not reversed to the customer’s account within 24 hours.

Analysts at United Capital however Juxtaposing the data trend with the freshly released CBN regulation and sanctions, they expect financial services institutions to ramp up the efficiency of their electronic platforms for service delivery, hence, ultimately adding value to customers.

32

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

FEATURES

On 2 September 2018, a victim of hit-andrun commuter bus reportedly died at LUTH gate. What really happened?

The victim who has been identified as Mr. Segun Ogunjobi, a 24-year old man did not die at our gate. The true story is that he was seen, registered and promptly treated. He was brought into LUTH at 6:43pm on Sunday, 2 September 2018, in a public vehicle upon referral from Navy Hospital, Ojo. Information at our disposal indicated that he was hit by a commercial vehicle. He was brought to LUTH from LASUTH where he was initially referred from Navy Hospital, Ojo. Our findings at LUTH indicated that the victim did not receive any form of initial resuscitation at the hospitals of first and second call after the accident. Other medical findings were: •Altered sensorium/level of consciousness following the accident • Tachycardia (raised heart rate) •Bruises on the face An assessment of moderate traumatic brain injury was made by the attending Triage Doctor who saw him within five minutes of arrival. Staff on duty said resuscitation was immediately commenced even while he was in the vehicle with intravenous fluids administered through two venous accesses sited on arrival in LUTH. Also the neurosurgical team was informed about his case and a Computerised Axial Tomography (CAT-scan) was requested to determine the extent of his brain injury. His family however could not provide funds for the CT-scan.

Our team continued to monitor his level of consciousness. Eventually, a bed was provided. Some 90 minutes after arrival, his level of consciousness depreciated and attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation were not successful.

He was admitted and was being actively resuscitated by our teams of emergency doctors and neurosurgeons till he passed on.

This particular case was a bad one before he got to our hospital for intervention. His care, which should have commenced several hours since injury, was delayed till he got to LUTH very late.

With just 500 beds, with Lagos’ estimated 8 million people, mostly depending on government healthcare services, how are you coping?

With population growth, pressure and time, the attrition of ‘wear and tear’ on facilities in use will overstretch their capacities. The institution has commenced a hospital-wide renewal of its 56-year-old ward blocks, starting with the B Block. Expectedly, withdrawing 120 beds from service has created some bed constraints. On rare occasions we arrange with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital to accommodate some patients in line with world’s best standard practice.

Will you ascribe the situation to inadequate funding or manpower shortage or both?

Truly, the government cannot solely be responsible for funding the health sector, even when huge resources are being massively invested in the sector. This informed the ingenuity of the management at LUTH to embrace the Public Private Partnership – PPParrangement to provide some projects with direct impact on services and the patients, in line with what government encourages us to do now. For instance, out of the N60.9 million appropriated for LUTH in 2015, only N30 million was released for the year; in 2016, we got N83.9 million out of the N130.3 million budgeted and in 2017, the total release was N161.3 million of the N322.7million appropriated.

With the 3.48-MW PPP-financed LUTH Independent Power Project, we are enjoying uninterrupted electric power supply. We now provide uninterrupted electricity to operation theaters, Neonatal Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Labour Wards and each has a backup generator that is seldom used now due to constant power supply. We also have the private Synlab, another PPP-funded project that has been on for several years which is an ISO-certified laboratory.

The LUTH Staff Housing Project at Pakoto, Ifo, Ogun State is under construction.

The Federal Mortgage Bank supports this

At 56, LUTH upgrades for challenges The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, at Idi Araba, Lagos, was established in 1962 to offer tertiary health services and engage in teaching and research. Presently, it attends to 2,000 outpatient cases and 120 new emergencies daily - 50 new patients are admitted every day. The Chief Medical Director, Prof.

Chris Bode, explains how the nation’s foremost tertiary health facility is coping with overstretched physical and human resources.

•LUTH’s new Eye Centre and below the equipment

scheme. The first set of houses will be ready in October. No fewer than 500 staff were sponsored to training programmes with some offered sponsorships or support to attend local or international conferences in 2017. In addition, job description handbook for Consultants has been produced while efforts are in progress to do the same for all cadres of LUTH workers. The Hospital Information Management System is also awaiting funds for its execution. All Eight Endoscopes have been fully repaired in Germany and are in use. However, efforts are ongoing to further improve efficiency of service delivery in

the hospital – the 60 Outpatient Consultation Rooms; the expansion of the Accidents and Emergency Department; new wards, including Stroke, Burns, Child Psychiatry; more Operation Theatre Suites, modernisation of the Anatomic & Molecular Pathology Department; equipment and facilities, especially, new dental chairs, new CSSD equipment and new lifts.

Some years ago, there was a policy to strengthen Primary Health Care to ease pressure on tertiary health institutions.

Have we abandoned that policy?

The PHC policy is on course. We have to take

cognizance of Nigeria’s rising population and the fact that migration from the rural areas to the city has continued unabated. The National Primary Health Care Development Agency is doing a lot. It is worrisome that many Nigerians will rather come to a tertiary facility as LUTH rather than go to the general hospital for minor ailments like malaria.

What strategies did you use in the last three years to cope with the rising demand for services?

Part of what we have done is the addition of the new Blood Bank, a new Accidents & Emergency Laboratory, Optical Workshop & Laboratory, Acute Stroke Care Centre, Endo-

33

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

FEATURES NEWS

High cost of politics denies many access – Ezeala

By Malachy Ugwo, Lagos

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•More modern facilities in LUTH, still more constructions

•Dr. Chris Bode CMD, LUTH laser Surgical Suite which were built from scratch.

We successfully rehabilitated the Modular Theatre, Accident and Emergency Department, Psychiatry and the Dental Outpatient departments. Water is very important to our operations. Our 44,000 gallons per hour water treatment plant is very functional, in addition to being connected to the Lagos State Water Corporation pipeline. Our industrial incinerator is working.

All eight endoscopes that became dysfunctional from overuse have been fully repaired in Germany and returned to LUTH for use.

Presently, we stock more than 80 per cent of prescribed drugs and we have enough stock of medical consumables at all times.

Within this same period, the School of Biomedical Engineering, the Advanced Fertility Centre, the Interns’ Hostel Accommodation, Olikoye Ransome Kuti Children’s Emergency Building, Infectious Disease Isolation Unit, have all been completed. Similarly, the Student Nurses’ Hostels & Nurses’ Seminar Rooms have all been repaired and currently functional.

Every ward and building in LUTH now enjoys adequate water supply.

The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority’s recent $10 million investment will upgrade the Radiotherapy Unit and build an Advanced Cancer Treatment Centre,

equipped with three new Linear Accelerators, a Brachytherapy Machine, Treatment Planning System and other facilities to treat cancer patients. The LUTH/NSIA Centre is at an advanced stage ready for commissioning in January 2019. It would also have seminar rooms and teaching facilities.

Another is the Radiology Department which is also being re-equipped through a PPP initiative with Messrs JNCI to provide 3 new digital X-Ray machines, Fluoroscopy, Mammography, MRI machine, Mobile X-Ray machines, ultra-scan Machines, Picture Archiving Machine and many more. This project will also be ready for commissioning by January 2019. LUTH is building a Treatment Centre for over 8,000 HIV-AIDS patients. The project will also be ready for commissioning in January.

The Eyeware Laboratory is now equipped to test and issue new pair of eyeglasses under an hour. IVF services of our Advanced Fertility Centre are recording successes. Seven of nine infertile women, recently became pregnant in one cycle of infertility treatment.

Through the Suicide Research & Prevention Initiative, (SURPIN) LUTH has been able to save over 100 lives nationally, using our SURPIN Hotline Service where calls were received that prevented suicide in 16 States of the Federation in past 18 months. This novel initiative prompted the West African Health

Organisation to understudy the LUTH model for replication in other West African countries. A number of institutions have understudied our models of service delivery.

The Blood Bank has been transformed into yet another sphere of excellence. It is one of the best in Nigeria.

LUTH recruits up to 100 new nurses every year. Many also leave the system for greener pastures. LUTH has close to 700 nurses, though its peak bed capacity is about 500.

he monetisation of politics in Nigeria has denied electoral access to a growing number of credible and competent but financially-weak people, former National President of the National Association of Catholic Lawyers Mr. Chukwuma Ezeala told The Oracle Today in Lagos on the occasion of the commencement of the Legal Year by the Catholic Lawyers Association of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos.

Mr. Ezeala said the present trend whereby virtually all the political parties were in the habit of insisting on the payment of millions of Naira as nomination fees by aspirants contradicted all sound logic.

“There is no justification for the millions of Naira been demanded by the political parties for nomination forms for all political positions,” Mr. Ezeala said.

“The development,” he said “has ended up excluding quiet a number of people especially those who have all it takes except money to diligently serve the nation.”

He argued that the monetisation of the electoral process had exposed the different tiers of administration to what he described as the unrealistic manipulation of a section of the political class.

“All governance challenges can be adequately handled by Nigerian professionals and experts in the different fields. But the truth is that the self-seeking full-time politicians have shut them out of politics. Some of the full-time politicians neither have careers, professions, nor vocations; so they have no experience to fall back on in order to govern well.”

He urged Civil Society Organisations to mobilise Nigerians to bring pressure to bear on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to compel political parties to effect a downward review of the high nomination fees in order to save the nation’s democracy from destruction.

“Civil Society Organisations should wake up from their slumber and work with Nigerians to make INEC to direct the political parties to do away with the present trend whereby elective offices are now for the highest bidders.

This is one major way to sustain Nigeria’s democracy,” Mr. Ezeala said.

Are you optimistic these measures can stand the test of time amidst increasing population of Lagos?

At LUTH efforts are ongoing to further improve efficiency of service delivery in the hospital. Going round, you have seen the renovated Triage Area of our Accidents and Emergency Department. New wards for services are now in high demand and we need a Stroke Rehabilitation Unit, Burns Ward, and a Ward for Child Psychiatry. We have plans to build and equip more Operation Theatre Suites, modernise the Anatomy and Molecular Pathology section, get new equipment and facilities including new dental chairs, new CSSD equipment and new elevators.

All these plans are subject to availability of funds.

We will not rest on our oars.

•Ezeala

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

Feature

An Abuja boy’s nostalgia for a city without public libraries

By Omoniyi Ibietan

I

am bothered, and thus, I bemoan the fact that Abuja - Nigeria’s burgeoning Federal Capital Territory is painfully bereft of a befitting PUBLIC LIBRARY. I got to this city in 1986 when I accompanied my mom to the new capital city, following the relocation of the then Federal Ministry of Trade – where she was an employee – from Lagos to Abuja.

In 1987, the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) rented an apartment near Area 2 Shopping Centre and commenced operations, I was so happy and proud of Abuja and my country, considering the centrality of public libraries to the culture of reading and generally about people’s heritage. It was a pretty small facility for a public library but it sufficed because Abuja was at that time a small city. Agura Hotel was the only befitting hotel and the notable city centres were, Area 2 Shopping Centre and UTC at Area 10, both in Garki District. Wuse District 1 was not as lively, save for the Central Market, which it hosted and which had moved four times before returning to its present location in Wuse. Off course Wuse II District, which is today a cynosure of activities was bare.

Anyone who wished to hang out would either go to Area 2 Shopping Centre, UTC at Area 10, Eddie King Burger, also at Area 2 or the ‘Tiv Corner’, equally operating at Area 2 – just a stone throw from the first noticeable Cherubim and Seraphim Church in the FCT. Anyone who desired impeccable grilled peppered chicken would have to go to the Tiv Corner. Otherwise, people go to the hotels (Agura or NICON NOGA Hilton) – Sheraton was in incubation and the present NICON Luxury structure was designated as Hyatt Regency Hotel but it never took off. We also hung out somewhere behind the Area 2 Shopping Centre where we gathered to play scrabble in turns. There were really no commercial sex workers on the road as you would find today – and certainly not an emboldened phenomenon as it is today but a circumstantial epiphenomenon. Those - particularly visitors - who needed to ‘crack’, had to go to Garki village, the only RED LIGHT zone in the city.

When NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel NNHH - (now Transcorp Hilton) was commissioned in 1987, it became another huge point of activities patronised by many fun-seeking residents and visitors. My Mom used to have a triangular movement schedule: HOME-OFFICE-CHURCH-HOME. But I ‘forced’ her to adjust the schedule for my sake shortly after the NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel became operational because for two years, the hotel ran an hourly daily programme between 6 and 7pm - it was tagged HAPPY HOUR, and during that hour all items are sold at half their prices.

So, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (the days mom had no church programmes), my mom and I would go to NNHH for HAPPY HOUR. The hotel’s Swimming Pool area was the best place to get a great ice cream – possible the very best in town – presented with a touch of artistry in crafted scoops of Vanilla, Strawberry and Chocolate, and sold at the African hut near the Swimming Pool. The Pool – as well as its precincts – was usually 90 percent

•Transcorp Hilton

•National Library, still under construction

populated by the Caucasian folks, especially Germans, most of them working for Julius Berger, the construction giant. I always looked forward very enthusiastically to savour the NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel ice cream. My Mom would sit in the precinct of the Pool as if she was permanently fastened to the chair – reading the Bible and sparingly staring at the crowd – while I enjoyed myself exploring the hotel and whatever I found captivating. Our attendance at HAPPY HOUR ran religiously for those years and whenever I wasn’t in the school. It was indeed a great fun to be at NICON NOGA Hilton Hotel, especially whenever my siblings came on holidays.

That was basically my personal ethnography prior to full blown scientific social activism, and the urban sociology of the city of Abuja until December 12, 1991 when the military president, Ibrahim Babangida, finally relocated to Abuja - a city that experienced power outage for only 30 minutes in 5 years. The outage took place on September 30, 1991, and announcements were made repeatedly by NEPA for 72 hours prior to the date. There were also apologies and explanations emphasizing that the outage was planned to enable power sector workers to undertake maintenance of a section of the city’s

electricity installations in preparation for the October 1 Independence anniversary celebration.

Importantly, as IBB moved in from Lagos with huge crowds of public servants - and other galaxy of persons relocated to Abuja with him – Abuja residents began to experience increase in prices of commodities, especially food items and of course a rise in tempo, frequency and sophistication in criminal activities.

To return to the central narrative on public libraries, many of the people I met in Abuja who became my friends, got acquainted to me at the National Library or perhaps lived around Area 2. I remember at a particular time, my friend, Eze Nwachukwu and I would go to the library to read from 8am to 5pm, and would only take an hour break to snack on something or chat some girls. Or we would engage Razaq Oladosu Obasola - my brother and comrade who was a staff of the Library - in some discussions, usually on Marxism and Pan-Africanism. It was he (Razaq) that introduced me to Pan African Youth Congress (PAYCO). Really, everyone who is used to the public library culture would attest to the fact that libraries are a melting pot of cultures and interaction, the same way they are a repository of literary cultures in print, audio and visual

genres.

Regrettably, as I write, the library at Area 2 is still there but sadly in the same rented building it got 31 years ago. It is practically a pitiable sight, a substantial reversal of what it was in the 80s and early 90s, yet that is supposedly the headquarters of the National Library of Nigeria. The new and befitting National Library of Nigeria head office project, which the Obasanjo Administration started in the year 2000, and located in the Central Business District, remains an uncompleted project. I recently drove by the project site and I walked into angst. The angst explains precisely why I chose to undertake this narration. The story of public library culture and particularly the management of National Library of Nigeria is such a shame. It speaks to neglect and wrong national programmes prioritization. This is regrettable because any city or society without a consciously built and sustained public library culture is not only doomed, it deceives itself if it ever laid claim to engineering social development.

Sometimes, when we agonized about the challenge of development in Nigeria, the story of the public library culture reminds me of an anecdotal dictum among the Yorubas – the micro Nigerian culture

where I derived my ancestry – the anecdote states that when a man with a challenged lower limb carries a load that’s crooked and you tell him his load is crooked, he would respond that if you had looked below you would have noticed that the crookedness emanated right from the limbs. So, if we reflect deeply at the devastation, reproach and contempt upon our country, we would see where the problems emanated from. There was never a time I visited the United Kingdom without going to a new public library, I now know many of them, thanks to my friend and brother-comrade, Oluwadare Lasisi.

Even in South Africa, where I am reasonably travelled, there’s hardly a city or a Provincial capital without a befitting public library. I remember when I first visited Soweto in 2008, I found that Mandela’s old home had become a public library. It is so strategically located, very close to the Orlando High School, the academy that came onto the historical map on June 16, 1976 when Hector Pieterson, a schoolboy, was shot by the police during a student protest, sparking a major uprising at Soweto. So, that library serves both the school and the general Sowetan public. Importantly, for Nelson Mandela to convert his personal home to a public library speaks to the significance of public libraries as critical resource centres and underscores the strategic importance of public libraries to civic culture and social development because indeed, nothing liberates the mind like reading and it has been stated that reading and knowledge have liberated more people in human history than guns.

In totalising, we cannot do without befitting public libraries in Nigeria, even in this age of digital public communication culture because even in the Western hemisphere where the Internet originated, their public libraries are up and running. Now, for Heaven’s sake! Can we retrace our steps in a reverse to establish how we got here, so we can begin a new process of renaissance? We are too far behind the rest of humanity to treat this matter with levity. May the sleeping giant be awake and never goes into slumber again!

Ibietan is a student at North-West

35

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

PERSONALITY

How I developed my talent into a viable pastry business--student entrepreneur How I developed my talent into a viable pastry business--student entrepreneur Efiong Joseph Enobong, 21, the chief executive officer of Little Sweet Things, is a 400-level student, studying for a degree in medical laboratory sciences in the Rivers State University (RSU). He spoke to NATH OMAME Jr. on how he turned his talent and passion for cooking and proclivity for munching cakes into a commercially rewarding enterprise.

How did you get into the making of pastries?

I’ve always loved cakes as a child. Once I got the opportunity to help a family friend bake them, I so was thrilled and appreciated that each time she had a contract, I was invited over to help.

All I wanted to do was help make what I loved consuming. I wasn’t thinking of making a business out of it at the time; that’s how I dabbled into making cakes...other pastries came in later on, mostly learnt from video tutorials online.

In an era of growing unemployment, has the making of pastries created a worthwhile vocation for you?

Were you inspired by anyone or it’s a matter of natural talent that grew over time?

I love cooking, getting items raw and turning them into something people would love. I was inspired by mostly videos I watched, the sugar craft, the perfection of their pastries. Trying to replicate that pushed me further, coupled with the fact that I had cooking as a hobby. I guess the actual answer to that question is in between getting inspiration from video tutorials and of course the lady who called me to help out and a natural talent that I developed over time.

Considering the allure of crime to many of today’s youth, would you advise that youths identify and pursue positively creative hobbies to make them constructively engaged?

I would advise that...but people don’t develop hobbies over night. I think youths who have been lured to crime can also be lured to positively creative hobbies. The first thing is to identify the luring factor. Most of them are in need of money for different purposes, others want a sense of recognition. It differs from person to person. In the end, I believe if given the right opportunity, our youths have so many prospects and can excel in astonishing fashion across different endeavours.

Do you have problems finding clients?

At first, yes it was hard. Just starting business with no sort of publicity, funding or professionalism (at the time I started I wasn’t really perfect and things were most times messed up). So, it was, yes, difficult getting clients.

However, things changed with time; I’ve still not attained perfection but I’m obviously sure things aren’t the way they used to be when I started.

Yes, it has.

What’s your academic background? Where are you studying or, where and what did you study?

I’m a student, in my 4th year studying Medical Laboratory Science at the Rivers State University.

Do you operate from Rivers State, or some other state?

I operate at any region once I get the contract and we’ve settled on price and everything. I can operate anywhere.

How did you get your first client and has your first client turned into a launching pad for the growth and development of your business.

I used to go about telling people that I bake, they’d acknowledge and that was it. I realised they needed something substantial.

So I went ahead and made a cake and informed members of my class that I’d be bringing something I made for them to taste and they would support the business in return. I didn’t have too many expectations but when I got to school the next day, the amount of support I got both in cash and advice was thrilling. From there, I got enough money to get some equipment and was able to start selling cupcakes. Later on, a few orders came in and boom, it went up from there.

What would you want government to do to encourage youths with innate abilities to develop and blossom into entrepreneurial success?

I do not hold the government responsible for youths. Maybe I’m wrong but that’s my opinion. Everybody should be responsible for him/herself. You can’t keep waiting for government to do this and do that. Everybody has to pave and make a way for himself. These days, you can’t be so sure of anything. If the government however wants to do anything to enhance, develop or aid youths with innate entrepreneurial skills...I think the first step should be a counselling stage, where these youths can be advised and where they can express their hopes and prospects for their future before any sort of entrepreneurial scheme is set up.

I have heard of entrepreneurial schemes being set up, people would attend and come out then return to their former lines of living. If these counselling stages are put up and they are well ad-

•Efiong Joseph Enobong vised and counselled well, I’m pretty sure the youths would come out better.

How was your business at the beginning?

I started small. And it was rough

at the beginning; things were tough, as tough as they were discouraging but with time, it went away slowly. I don’t think anything good comes easy and without a lot of hard work, but when it comes, it lasts long.

36

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3 2018

News

Okonkwo blames FG, states, councils for economic hardship

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RESIDING Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Bishop Mike Okonkwo has blamed the current economic harship bedevilling Nigerians on what he described as the failure of government at levels in the country.

Speaking at Ekwueme Square in Awka the Anambra State Capital during the inauguration of the Anambra State Chapter of Pentecostal Federation of Nigeria (PFN) Bishop Okonkwo observed that in most cases people apportion blame to the federal government forgetting that both the State and local governments have major roles to play in governance and should also be blamed for failure of leadership in Nigeria.

He said “I agree that things are not working well and the citizens are feeling bad about the situation they find themselves but I don’t like the situation where people blame the federal government alone, governance in Nigeria is not in the hands of federal government alone, we have three tiers of government, the Federal, the State and Local government and all of them have roles to play for the welfare of the citizenry “Both the Federal, State and Local government receive allocation every month but if you look at the system you will find out that State and Local government are not making adequate use of the money being allocated to them every month, so they also should be blamed for failure of governance in the country He charged Ministers of God to arise and deal with the current situation with everything they have in their disposal noting that it is time for the children of God to take over the helm of affairs and enthrone righteous leaders who are equipped with the fear of God to provide the desired leadership which the people have been yearning for.

While commending the members of PFN in the State, for ensuring a peaceful transition of power from a set of leadership to another, he called for continued unity and love among members and total support for the new administration led by Bishop Moses Ezedebego to enable the new administration thrive on a fast lane to achieve their set goals

and the meet the yearning of the people In his inaugural speech Bishop Ezedebego assured that he will continue where his predecessors stopped in delivering quality service in the areas of health care services, education and all inclusive governace informing that he will upgrade the Mission Hospital built

by PFN at Awka and establish Mission Schools in all parts of the State.

The new PFN boss thanked all the members for given him the opportunity to serve them for the next four years and thanked Bishop Okonkwo and other visiting Men of God along with the traditional ruler of Awka His Majesty Obi Gibson Nwosu, the Obi of Nnewi His Majesty Igwe Kenneth Orizu among others who were in Awka to witness the inauguration ceremony.

In his goodwill message the governor of Anambra State Chief Willie Obiano represented by the State Head of Service Chief Udu thanked PFN for their support to the State government through prayers and otherwise assuring that the State will continue to work with the Church for interest of good governance that always guarantee service delivery to the people.

•A cross section of dignitaries in attendance at the Thanksgiving Service held to commemorate the 31st anniversary celebration of Akwa Ibom State.

Traders protest closure of 400 Nigerian-owned shops in Ghana

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ATIONAL Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) partially paralysed activities at the ECOWAS Secretariat, Abuja, on Monday as they protested the alleged closure of more than 400 shops belonging to Nigerians in Ghana.

The protesters carried placards, some which read: “We need ECOWAS intervention,” “Ghana re-open Nigeria’s shops now,” “ECOWAS, the situation in Ghana is totally unacceptable,” “Ghana wants AfCTA secretariat but clamps on African traders.”

President of the association, Mr Ken Ukaoha said that the association was protesting the alleged victimisation of Nigerian businessmen in Ghana.

According to him, the association has written petitions to the President of ECOWAS, Jean-Claude

Brou and President Muhammadu Buhari before embarking on the protest.

He said that the development had gone so bad that a law was recently passed by the Ghanaian Government seeking to make the business environment hostile to foreign investors.

According to him, since Ghana is a signatory to the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of persons, goods and services, there is need for the Commission to call the government of Ghana to order.

He said the association was giving the commission one week ultimatum to intervene in the matter, adding that if nothing was done, the association would deploy all its members to occupy the premises of ECOWAS. The petition, dated Sept. 24, also stated that the ECOWAS secretariat should tell the Government and

people of Ghana to stop xenophobic attacks on Nigerian traders.

It alleged that more than 400 Nigerian-owned shops under lock and key in Ghana should be opened.

The petition, made available to newsmen, states that it was a “Save Our Soul (SOS)” call.

“Urgency of this protest is to inform you of the state of fear, uncertainty and insecurity that Nigerian traders are currently subjected to in the hands of the government and people of Ghana in different cities under the coordination of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

“You are very much aware that we wrote you, raised alarm and reported to the commission several times, of the discriminatory and unfair treatment meted on Nigerian traders and Nigerian-owned small businesses in Ghana.

“The Ghana Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a public notice and gave an ultimatum that all Non-Ghanaians should move out of markets on the 27th July 2018.

“In August, 2018, the Ministry, in a joint operation with Ghana Union of Traders Association, established a task force with specific mandate to clamp down on Nigerian traders. ”This eventually resulted in the closure of over 400 Nigerian traders’ shops and lawfully established businesses in Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana.

“Our members are shut out of their business premises in pursuance of the eviction order dated July 27, 2018 and demanding that we must have one million dollars as minimum foreign investment capital to do business in Ghana.”

The protesters also took their grievances to the Ghana High Commission, in Abuja.

FRSC screens 300,000 applicants for 4,000 jobs

I’ve no regrets kidnapping APC Chairman’s son – Suspect

EDERAL Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has begun recruitment and physical screening for about 324,000 applicants who applied for 4,000 jobs in the corps.

Corps Marshall Boboye Oyeyemi made the disclosure when he paid a visit to the two screening centres in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday.

The centres are the Sani Abacha Barracks, Asokoro and the National Stadium Abuja.

The screening was for various cadres, including Officers, Marshal Inspectorates and Road Marshal Assistants.

Oyeyemi said “We are working with about 324, 000 applicants nationwide out of which we have about 105, 000 graduates.”

He said those that would be recruited at the end of the exercise “won’t be more than 4,000.“ “Out of the 4,000 slots, 400 is for the officer cadre. Inspectorate has 1,000 and Road Marshal Assistants, 3,200 slots. It will be a keenly contested exercise that is why they

female kidnap suspect, Fatima Muhammed, says she has no regrets kidnapping the four-year-old son of Bukar Dalori, the Borno Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fatima made this known when she was paraded before newsmen shortly after her arrest in Maiduguri on Monday “I committed the crime because I am in love with money. I have no regrets over the crime I committed and even if it is my own child I will kidnap him for money. I know he is the son of the APC chairman; I took him because I want money to go and enjoy myself somewhere. Why should I regret anything,’’ Fatima said.

Earlier, Mr Damian Chukwu, the Commissioner of Police in Borno, said Fatima, was delivered of a baby boy when she was arrested at Albarka Hotel in Maiduguri on Sept 21.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fatima allegedly abducted the boy and two

F

will go for aptitude test to be conducted by JAMB. “Those being screened from today (Monday) to Tuesday are graduates and you can see their level of discipline. The exercise started early today and tomorrow nationwide, it will be for the graduates, I believe with the planning put in place, everything is okay.

“After the aptitude test, they will go for interview then drug test; then the final screening with the corps marshal,” Oyeyemi said.

He commended the smooth conduct of the exercise which he described as having being okay and was not hectic.

“There is orderliness. The exercise began since six o’clock in the morning. This shows the level of planning. The officers conducting the exercise are going by directive of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“He has given directive that we must ensure the planning is much better than the previous exercises,” he said.

Oyeyemi commended the Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and Director-General, and Department of State Services for providing the security.

The corps marshal said there were some irregularities during the exercise, including some pregnant female applicants, over-aged applicants, those short in height and married persons.

The age limit for the officers’ cadre is 30 while the height limit for females is 1.63m while that of the males is 1.68m.

One of the applicants, Mr Solomon Abubakar from Niger who said he had been looking for job since three years, expressed hope that he would to get the job after the screening.

Miss Ifeoma Benjamin, another applicant from Anambra said she had applied severally for Federal Government jobs without success but expressed joy that FRSC accorded her another opportunity to try her luck in securing government job.

A

others from a school and demanded for N20 million ransom.

Chukwu said the woman and the child were in good condition at the time she was arrested by men of the Federal Special AntiRobbery Squad.

“It is pertinent to mention that the Fatima Mohammed was pregnant at the time she kidnapped the minor and gave birth to a baby boy in a Guess Inn while keeping the victim on Sept. 2,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that two suspects, Muhammed Musa and Muktar Ali-Shaibu, both from Bulumkutu Area in Maiduguri were arrested in Kano at the point of collecting the ransom.

He explained that the suspects, who admitted the crime, said they did it for the love of worldly things.

Chukwu said that the command was also investigating involvement of an army major who paid the two days accommodation for the suspect to keep the child at the hotel, adding that the manager was also arrested.

37

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT

With Douglas Omoyooma

My husband doesn’t get jealous when I kiss in movies – Dakore Egbuson-Akande Dakore Egbuson-Akande has definitely made a name for herself as far as Nollywood is concerned and her exploits as Remi on the set of EbonyLife TV’s, Castle & Castle have been generating much controversy.

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n the recent TV series, she shares a couple of scenes with ageless hunk, Richard Mofe Damijo where they are locked in deep romantic kisses. As a married woman with kids, doesn’t her husband get jealous?

Her response: “Well, it comes with the job. I have really tried to stay away from those kind of scripts but I can’t keep avoiding them and find myself out of business. My husband and I have an understanding. He is amazing. He understands and knows that at the end of the day, he is the one I love, he is the one I’d come home to. He is the one I have children with; my world revolves around him.

However she adds: “I did give the part of kissing RMD deeply a second thought, when I saw it on the script, I did; I won’t lie, I thought about it. Then I said to myself ‘well, do you want to do this? Do you love the script? And my response was Yes’ and I went ahead.

When I spoke with RMD he said he was fine with it too and when we came on board we have a connection. RMD and I have been close friends. Our first film together, Caught In The Middle was a very successful one.”

As Castle 7 Castle continues to generate controversy and win rave reviews, Dakore opens up on her role in the TV series: “Remi is a woman who is dealing with a lot of things, she is joggling a lot as most women do. She has a succesful law firm which runs with her husband. So, you can imagine the dynamics of that relationship.

And then she is been pitched against her dad whom she loves dearly, but because the dad doesn’t like her husband, she is torn between both men. Remi had to try to maintain her sanity while running all of these. Remi’s character stressed me, yet, it was fun. I drew inspiration got the

role from my life as a woman that has to joggle lots of things. My children, my husband and my career; I hasn’t been easy.

Balancing the home front In order to succeed and give her best for the shoot and also her career as an actress, Dakore stays away from home for long stretches. In fact, for Castle & Castle, it was a breezy three months. How was she able to reconcile that with her role as wife and husband.

“It wasn’t easy I must confess. Taking the kids to school, trying so hard to get to location on time, sometimes I don’t even see my kids. I get home late when they have slept off.

By the time I get up early in the morning to leave, I don’t see them; it was really tough. That’s why I tend to take time off whenever I finish a production so I can spend quality time with my family. I need to be at home, be a mother and also a wife to my husband.

This is the joggling we are talking about.”

What should fans expect from her for the rest of the year?

“The first half of Year 2018 is gone.

Yes, I’m working on my own project at the moment. It is going to be something big, I mean mind blowing! I obviously took a long time to get to that point. You know I like doing my things perfectly.Very well. I must say I’m so blessed and I thank God for the gift of life every single day, especially when you think about what has been happening in Nigeria lately.

“I’m wearing black today because I’m mourning for Nigeria and also mourning a dear friend that I lost. Entertainment seems to be the only thing that elevates and makes people happy.

Our music, our films and our sports unite us and bring happiness. So, I keep thanking God for everyday as it comes.”

“I did give the part of kissing RMD deeply a second thought, when I saw it on the script, I did; I won’t lie, I thought about it. Then I said to myself ‘well, do you want to do this? Do you love the script? And my response was Yes’ and I went ahead. ”

• Dakore

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS Southern APC stakeholders demand equitable allocation of political offices From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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takeholders from the Southern senatorial district of cross river state under the auspices of the Concerned APC Stakeholders have kicked against the present system of allocating political offices in the state and demanded a reversal of the status quo in the interest of the party.

The stakeholders who spoke under the auspices of the Concerned APC Stakeholders in the Southern Senatorial District said the present situation where the allocation of political offices is skewed in favour of the central district does not augur well for the party.

The stakeholders who spoke through Hon. Aloysius Ene, alongside over 30 leaders from the seven local government areas that make up the district in the state said the southern leaders said the central district of the state is already saturated with appointments and there is a need for political offices particularly the governorship to move to other districts of the state.

According to them, “The southern Senatorial district of the state without any sentiments is politically overloaded as the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, the state chairman of the APC, the chairman of the NDDC board, the special adviser to the president on prosecutions, the auditor general of the federation are all from the district and are exclusive of all other professional positions occupied by the district.

“Secondly, Senator John Eno as well as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani from the same central have audaciously picked and returned nomination form and people of the district will not sit down and watch this unjust aspiration go on”.

The stakeholders resolved that in the light of the above, the governorship position of the state should be zoned to another district, so as to give a sense of belonging to the other geo-political zones of the state.

He maintained that the position of APC in the southern senatorial district is that “no party in Nigeria has ever assigned the chairman of the party in a particular zone and also produced a governor and it has never been done.

“If the chairman of the party is from the central, the governorship position should go to either the North or the south, we are talking about being fair and every other zone should be considered in the allocation of political offices”, he said.

The southern stakeholders said most the problems bedevilling the party in recent times stem from the activities of people in the central district of the state and called on the leadership of the party to call the protagonists of the crisis who are in the central senatorial district to order.

“All the crisis we are having in the party today is from the central, the Minister is looking for a chairman and the senator who comes from the PDP is looking for the chairman and they are now in court. That is the crisis we are facing today and if both of them are not in the game today, there will be peace in the APC and that is why we are in a dilemma and having problems”.

Foundation’s hospital project nears completion in Aguata

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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n continuation of its free medical examinations, treatments and donation of medical equipment to all the 14 communities of Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra state, the John Bosco Onunkwo Foundation (JOF) has added a hospital programme to ensure effective actualization of the target.

The multi-million naira structure which has a theatre, over-head water tanks, a standby generator and a high fence wall is currently at the plastering stage, after which it would be painted and equipped with modern state-of-the-art hospital equipment for effective take off.

Founder of JOF, Chief Johnbosco Onunkwo who disclosed this at the weekend, during an inspection tour of the hospital project, confirmed that the hospital was named af-

ter his father, Late Chief Simeon Onunkwo Memorial Hospital.

Onunkwo, a Port Harcourt-based oil mogul and philanthropist par excellence, also disclosed that the foundation from the onset had mapped out strategies for achieving security of lives and properties, health and road infrastructures as some of its cardinal objectives.

He added that having tackled the security issue at Umuchu, in collaboration with government agencies and Umuchu town union executive, it would now be more appropriate for the foundation to embark on the hospital project as the second phase, after which the foundation would enter into the third phase which is roads rehabilitation in the area.

Onunkwo, who also used the occasion of the hospital inspection to host members of All Progressives

Congress, APC Aguata Chapter at his Umuchu hometown, as an APC elder statesman in Anambra state, as part of his celebration of this year’s New Yam Festival, met with his foundation members before embarking on the hospital project inspection.

He also visited the Umuchu Civic Center where the traditional ruler of Umuchu, Igwe Godson Ezechukwu performed the official new yam cultural festival (Iri Ji Ndigbo) for the community and later paid a courtesy visit to Igwe Ezechukwu at his palace.

He stated that when the hospital is completed, it would be used as a preventive, predictive and corrective healthcare facility for the down trodden, to complement the ongoing free medical tests and treatments being given to an average of 500 patients in each of the 14 com-

• (From left): Minister of Labour and Employment, Chief Chris Ngige; Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Deputy Governor, Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, at the Government House, Asaba after the Vice President’s visits to one of the holding camps for displaced persons in Asaba, Oshimili South local government area as a result of flood.

Party chieftain to EFCC: Investigate APC for selling exorbitant forms From BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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chieftain of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Ambassador Chidike Ukauwa, has lambasted the party for selling its nominations forms at cut-throat prices. It is a conspiracy to exclude youths from vying for elective offices in 2019, he said.

Ukauwa argued that the prohibitive cost of the forms negates the party’s fight against corruption and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after aspirants who bought the forms but have no credible source of livelihood.

The Umuahia-based businessman who spoke during an interaction with newsmen in his campaign office in the Abia State capital, sternly warned against imposition of governorship candidate on the Abia chapter because of its dire consequences.

The oil magnate, who entered into the Abia governorship race over a year ago, however announced his dramatic withdrawal from the race, citing the entry of another business mogul, Dr Sampson Uche Ogah, as

the major reason.

Ukauwa dismissed rumours that the humongous cost of the nomination forms forced him out of the race but took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC leadership for hiking the cost of the forms beyond the reach of youths.

He noted that while the Not Too Young To Run Act rekindled the hopes of youths for active participation in politics, APC “discouraged every young man in this country” through the high cost of its forms, adding that he decided to fight corruption by declining to buy the governorship form.

“In fact, people I have helped in life offered to buy this form for me and I said no, don’t buy, I want to fight corruption. For Mr. President and the party to hike the cost of forms to such an outrageous price when they party said it is fighting corruption, I am asking Mr President and my party what kind of corruption are they fighting,” he said.

He suggested that EFCC should investigate aspirants who afforded the cost of the forms but lack any credible source of livelihood which

suggests that such politicians may be looters He warned against imposing any governorship candidate on the party in Abia, as well as zoning the position to any part of the State to avert the death of the party in the state.

He alleged that members of Abia APC from Ukwa/Ngwa were busy canvassing for the zoning of the governorship slot to their area inorder to exclude governorship aspirants from other parts of Abia and insisted that zoning was not enshrined in the APC constitution.

He said there must be level playing field for all aspirants so that the party’s candidate would emerge through free, fair and credible primary election.

Ukauwa argued that Ogah was the most credible of the aspirants, stressing that if he is allowed to fly the party’s flag; he would not only win the 2019 elections, but would transform Abia.

“I did not quit from this race simply because I was settled. Nothing was given to me; but because I have already found Ogah credible,” he said.

munities in Aguata Local Government Area tagged: “Aguata Free Medical Tour 2018”.

Responding, two illustrious sons of Umuchu, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, a social critic and Anambra state chairman of Civil Liberties Organization, CLO and Comrade Obi Egbeji, a member of Umuchu town union transition committee, commended Onunkwo for establishing a foundation for the empowerment and free medical treatment of the less privileged ones in the society and urged him not to relent but to sustain the tempo as reward awaits him at his corridor.

Meantime, the ongoing free medical tour of 14 Aguata communities, including Amesi, Mkpologwu, Isuofia, Umuona, Ezinifite, Umuchu, Achina, Ekwulobia, Uga, Igboukwu, Oraeri, Ikenga, Agulezechukwu and Akpo is getting to its final stage as the medical experts handling the free medical tour, under the supervision of the Health Project Coordinator of Johnbosco Onunkwo Foundation and the President of Clem-Fid Health Foundation, Dr. Ejike Ibeanusi stormed Oraeri community at the weekend in continuation of the free medical treatments.

At the Oraeri town hall, so many patients trouped out enmasse and underwent free medical tests after which they were given various drugs relating to their ailments.

Among the beneficiaries was Hon. Robinson Chukwuma Kelechi (RCK) Ezeilo, former member of Anambra State House of Assembly who represented Aguata II Constituency between 1999 and 2003.

Ezeilo who said he was suffering from high sugar, Diabitis, Atritis and eye problem and had just been given various drugs relating to all the ailments, expressed gratitude to Onunkwo for towing the part of philanthropy and called on other personalities who are well to do to emulate him Also commending him for his philanthropic deeds, an Anglican Priest, Rev. Dr. Chukwukaodinaka Oragu attached to St. Paul’s Anglican Church Agbalagwu in Abia state described Onunkwo as a true friend who passionately founded the foundation, adding that he is not the richest but just passionate, adding that it is this type of acts that is always pleasing to God. Oragu admonished individuals and group to always endeavour to combine charity work with personal relationship with their God in order to make heaven because according to him, neither charity work alone, nor personal relationship with God alone can take one to heaven, except when effectively combined.

Receiving some medical equipment from the foundation as the free treatments were still ongoing, the President-General of Oraeri Town Union, Manager Okey Atueyi, described the free medical treatment as an innovation, adding that Onunkwo has shown that he is truly blessed by God. Atueyi in a bid to demonstrate his joy, pledged that a Johnbosco Onunkwo infirmary would be established in Oraeri town where the town union would employ medical experts to operate the medical equipment donated to the town union by the Onunkwo foundation and at the same time procure drugs as part of efforts by the union to continue with the free medical treatments, maintained that Onunkwo’s memory would remain ever green in the minds of Oraeri people.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS Extra A’Ibom North West pick Nsima, Akpabio as consensus candidates From Ini Billie, Uyo

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takeholders of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom North West senatorial zone have unanimously adopted Nsima Ekere, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and Senator Godswill Akpabio as governorship and senatorial aspirants for the party in the 2019 elections.

With this decision, Mr. Inibehe Okori, who is one of the contenders for the senatorial seat has stepped down for Akpabio while the two aspirants will be officially presented to the people at a later date.

Speaking, Monday in Etim Ekpo to party faithful after the senatorial district caucus meeting, leader of the party, Otuekong Don Etiebet, said the decision was reached for the common good of the Akwa Ibom people.

“We leaders have decided tonight that Obong Nsima Ekere, be our governor in 2019, we have also decided to endorse Godwill Akpabio to represent the Ikok-Ekpene senatorial district.

“After individual experimentation, we have decided to work to take the decision for the common good of the people of Akwa Ibom state.

“We are going to work for our collective interest; we recognize the importance of contributory arrangements that between us the leaders, all of us are known in the country and that if we go to Abuja, we can get something working together.

The state party chairman, Mr. Ini Okopido, also expressed satisfaction that the leaders were able to work out an amicable resolution that is binding on all parties.

“I thank God that we have arrived at definite decisions: one of which is to support Obong Nisma Ekere, for the governorship position of the state, support Godswill Akpabio, because when the national leaders of our party came here, they respected him and we have decided to respect him too so that he would not be like the proverbial prophet who is not respected in his home town” Okopido stated.

Also speaking, Mr. Inibehe Okori, assured the people that the decision of the elders would remain binding on all the parties involved.

“I must admit that we have a tough meeting that lasted for over four hours, but I thank God we were able to resolve it and all of us as gentlemen will abide by the resolutions of the meeting.

“The progress we have made is that we have decided to support Obong Nisma Ekere for Governorship and Akpabio for the senate.

In their responses, the two aspirants, Nsima Ekere and Godswill Akpabio, collectively promised not to betray the confidence reposed in them and assured that they would carry everybody along.

IFAD-VCDP trains Ebonyi farmers on importance of adequate nutrition

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he International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) on Monday trained 25 farmers in Ebonyi on importance of adequate nutrition in households.

IFAD-VCDP State Programme Coordinator (SPC), Mr Sunday Ituma, at the training said that the programme realised the importance of adequate nutrition to the health and productivity of farmers.

“IFAD-VCDP realizes the gap in mainstreaming nutrition in its programme implementation and that is why its national office organised this training.

“The training is for selected participants in five benefiting local gov-

ernment areas of the state as it is one of the interventions advocated during the last midterm review of the programme.

“The trainees are expected to propagate this message at the grassroots to ensure that nutritional gaps are adequately filled in their respective areas,” he said.

The programme coordinator urged the participants to take the training seriously to acquire requisite knowledge.

“I never knew before now that obesity is a form of malnutrition as most people believe that being overweight is as a result of feeding,” he said.

Rural Institutional Gender Youth Mainstreaming Officer (RIGYMO)

of IFAD-VCDP in Ebonyi, Mrs Fransisca Anya, said that the trainees were expected to train 30 farmers in each of the five benefiting local government areas of the state.

Anya listed the benefitting LGAs as Afikpo South, Ikwo, Izzi, Ishielu and Ohaozara.

“The local government areas should ensure that the trainees are capable of executing the task so that at the end of next IFAD-VCDP mission assessment, we will be rated high in the nutrition aspect.

“The importance of adequate nutrition in households cannot be over-emphasised because farmers who feed adequately are healthy and ensure high production of crops and other agricultural prod-

ucts,” Anya said.

The lead Consultant at the training, Mrs Nkiruka Nnaemego, offered tutorials on the need for household to ensure that varieties of nutrients are contained in the food they consume.

Nnaemego said that tutorials were also offered on the need for farmers to engage in healthy living, family planning and antenatal opportunities, especially by pregnant women and ascertain their Human Immune Virus (HIV) status.

NEMA donates relief materials to Anambra flood victims

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• Director General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Osita Aboloma, represented by the Anambra State Coordinator of SON, Nwaoma Olujie, inspecting the exhibition stand of Vino Vegetable Oil Nigeria Limited, at Anambra SON office in Awka, shortly after presenting the company with its MANCAP certificate

Aspirant makes case for special empowerment of Abia constituents BONIFACE OKORO, Umuahia

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ormer Commissioner for Information in Abia State, Sir Don Ubani, has said that the people of Ukwa West need a special scholarship programme to compensate for the loss of their land to environmental degradation.

Ubani who is aspiring to represent Ukwa West State Constituency in the Abia Staten House of Assembly has, therefore, promised to champion efforts geared towards addressing environmental challenges facing the constituency if elected into the state legislature.

Ubani who recently resigned his position as the Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abia State Chapter, also advocated a special empowerment scheme for his constituents to enable them cope with economic limitations engendered by environmental pollution occasioned crude oil exploration and exploitation.

Ubani said he would work for the establishment of a special scholarship scheme that would facilitate

the intellectual growth of his constituents to make up for the loss of their arable land.

“There should be special education scheme for the people of Ukwa West. As an oil producing area, there is need for our people to be offered a scholarship programme because our economic environment is being devastated as a result of oil exploration and exploitation and the only thing you can do to replace this devastation is through intellectual empowerment so that as we lose our agrarian viability, this intellectual growth can replace them,” he said.

The aspirant, popularly known as Okwubunka of Asa, said he has the urge to contribute to the legislative growth of the state because he has the capacity, and the intellectual wherewithal to be a lawmaker, adding “I thought that having gathered experience over the years, I guess being there will be a plus to the state.”

The immediate past Abia PDP image maker said that he was the right man for the job now, stress-

ing “my people require effective representation at this moment of their political history. So, I just have to be there to make sure there are positive changes on the side of my people.”

“If I am there, a lot of things will change. Our constituency is the only oil producing area of the state, even though oil and gas are in the exclusive legislative list, but I believe with my presence there, we can also think of how to get things amended.

“My area suffers a lot of environmental degradation because of oil pollution. We will also handle that.

So, a lot of challenges abound.

Above all, there is also need for special empowerment for the people of Asa. Through legislative inputs and ingenuity, we can also make sure that the government treats them a lot better,” he added.

He contended that his aspiration to represent Ukwa West would bring about positive changes both in the constituency and the state at large.

ational Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has donated relief materials worth several millions of naira to victims of flood disaster in Anambra.

Coordinator of NEMA, South East Zone, Mr Walson Ibarakuno-Barandon, handed over the materials to Executive Secretary, Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Mr Paul Odenigbo, weekend, in Awka.

The materials donated were food and non-food items like: 600 bags of rice, 300 bags of garri, 600 bags of cement, 200 cartons of Milo, 300 bags of beans, 1,000 cartons of OMO and 300 cartons of tin tomato.

Other items were: 2,000 pieces of treated mosquito nets, 1,000 pieces of toilet soap, 1, 500 pieces of printed wax, 150 kegs of vegetable oil, 150 bags of salts, 150 bags of sugar and 150 kegs of red oil, among others.

Ibarakuno-Barandon said that the materials were meant to alleviate the sufferings of victims of the flood disaster in parts of Anambra.

Nine out of 21 Local Government Areas in Anambra located close to the River Niger were named among places that would possibly witness flood disaster this year by weather experts.

The NEMA chief said that NEMA Emergency Assessment Team would commence on-the-spot assessment of the areas hit by flood by Sept.22.

“The assessment by our team would enable the agency have adequate account of the impact of the disaster to enable us make proper recommendations to the Federal Government for further actions’’, he said.

Ibarakuno-Barandon urged the state government to see the relief materials as symbolic, showing that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari shares the pains of the flood victims in Anambra.

“No amount of relief materials given to victims of disaster would be enough to take care of their losses but the Federal Government is trying to give succour to the victims through this donation’’, he said.

Odenigbo, who responded on behalf of Anambra Government, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for the prompt intervention.

“What they have brought would go a long way in assisting the flood victims in the various camps. We have made a case to the Federal Government and what NEMA brought today, if we add it to donations from other organisations, people in the various IDP camps will not go hungry, ’’ he said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS Extra Anambra community sets up burial, last ofala committees for late monarch

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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n their determination to ensure a befitting Christian burial for the late traditional ruler of Oba community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra state, Igwe Peter Ezenwa (Eze Okpoko I of Oba) who joined his ancestors on May 16, this year, at the age of 92, the community has set up two high-powered committees for his burial and last Ofala cultural festivals.

Specifically, the committees were set up by the late Igwe’s first son, Prince Noel Ezenwa who was recently elected as the regent of the community, shortly after his father’s demise, in collaboration with the Oba royal cabinet.

The burial committee, which is coordinating both the last ofala and other sub-committees, has Dr. Emmanuel Emelumadu, a private medical practitioner as it chairman with Chief Guy Okeke as its secretary, while the last Ofala committee is headed by Chief Boniface Onyeka, just as Chief Ben Chibueze, former President-General of Oba Patriotic Union (OPU) is vice-chairman of ofala committee and chairman of publicity/publications committee for the ceremonies.

Inaugurating the committees at the royal palace, Ezenwa charged them to work out modalities that would guarantee a peaceful, befitting and memorable burial and last ofala ceremonies scheduled for between December 2 and 10, this year.

According to Ezenwa, “there is nothing else we can do for our late Igwe in appreciation for his enormous contributions towards the development of Oba community than to give him a befitting, Christian burial.

Responding, the burial committee chairman, Emelumadu commended the regent for the confidence reposed on him and assured him that the committee would work out modalities for giving a world class burial to the late Igwe who was a first class paramount ruler.

The late Igwe Ezenwa, one of the oldest and longest reigning monarchs in Igbo land, had joined his ancestors, thus creating a vacuum within the Oba royal cabinet, which prompted the cabinet to elect a regent to lead them till the last Ofala, before the process of selecting a new monarch could be established, according to Oba constitution.

However, during a keenly contested election conducted by the leadership of Oba Patriotic Union (OPU), for the royal cabinet members, Prince Ezenwa who defeated one Ichie Anichebe, one of the prominent royal cabinet members and became the regent pending his late father’s burial and last Ofala cultural festivals scheduled for December 2 to 10, this year.

In his post-election speech, Prince Ezenwa who regretted the demise of his father at this stage, however assured the royal cabinet members that his election as the regent would further cement the existing peaceful atmosphere in the community, which his late father worked hard to earn and maintained throughout his years of reign as the royal father.

2019: C’River APC set to harmonize rival party structures, processes From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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ross River State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has pledged to harmonize its structures in the state as it prepares to conduct primaries ahead of the next general elections.

This follows the recent court judgment which dissolved the Mathew Achigbe led executive which emerged following a congress conducted in August this year and affirmed the Etim John led executive who emerged earlier in May. It would be recalled that an Abuja High Court had last week dissolved the Dr. Mathew Achigbe led APC Exco in the state which has the support of Senator John Owan Eno and affirmed as authentic, the Etim John led exco backed by Pastor Usani Uguru Usani.

Ruling in a suit No. FCT/HC/ BW/W/106/2018 and Motion No. FCT/HC/BW/M/274/2018, the presiding judge, Justice O.A. Musa, had

on September 20, 2018, declared as “null and void, the congresses held in Cross River on August 23 and 25, 2018, and of no effect.”

Justice Musa added that “this order is meant to instil or ingrain discipline into political parties, and for it to follow the rule of law, and that they should know better and any nomination made in disagreement of this order shall be void.”

The plaintiffs to the suit include Mr. Sylvester Ekpo, APC southern senatorial district, Mrs. Eugenia Takom, Ex officio I, and Mr. Charles Asim, APC Cross River youth leader.

Speaking with journalists in Calabar yesterday, the State Secretary of the party Chief Francis Ekpenyong said the judgment has put an end to the embattled state chapter of the party and his exco legalize all the processes initiated by the previous exco and work in concert with them.

He said, “Based on the judgement, it is only my exco that has the capacity to file candidates and

whatever they are doing is illegal.

We are not going to fight whatever they are doing but we are going to call all them in. I know the screening committee for house of assembly is in Calabar and we will talk to them and ask them to return to the authentic secretariat of APC cross river state so that we can normalize those processes because we want to win elections.

“We have not won anything for now and I want to plead with my people to receive them as brothers and I want to apologize for whatever embarrassment they have caused our aspirants in their offices.

We are not here to fight anybody “We are going to legalize whatever process they did even though they did it with impunity we will forgive everybody and work with them because we have nothing against them”, he said.

Giving some details about the order, he said the Achigbe exco has been nullified by the court and the Independent National Electoral

Commission have been duly notified about this as the Etim John led Exco remain the authentic APC Exco in Cross River State.

“The judgment in Abuja has set aside the purported state congress that produced Dr. Mathew Achigbe and his exco and declared it null and void, illegal and unlawful as it was against the court order. Secondly, we have been declared the authentic exco and INEC has been joined in the order that on no account should INEC receive anything or recognize them in any meeting concerning Cross River state APC. “The order joined INEC and I have so served them at their national headquarters because both INEC chairman, commissioners and staff of INEC have been barred from dealing with any of them as we are here, al actions taken by them in the screening of candidates and the sales of form has been declared null and void”, he said.

However, the Dr. Mathew Achigbe, led exco has urged all party members in the state not to be distracted by reports about any renewed crisis or faction in the leadership of the state chapter but that they should remain united and fixed on the single goal of winning the 2019 elections in the state.

APC suspends LG party chairman in Ebonyi

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• (From left): Director General, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Richard Borokini; Managing Director, Sterling Insurance, Mr FK Lawal; Mr. Jeremy Mullen CII UK Assessment Manager; Mr Wddie Efekoha, CIIN President; Dr, Mrs Tonia Smart, CII UK Ambassador and another member of the governing council of CIIN during the visit

Asogwa, APC chieftain in Nsukka joins PDP

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hieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nsukka, Enugu State, Chief Joe Asogwa, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Asogwa at a ceremony organised to receive him at PDP Enugu North Zonal office in Nsukka, weekend, said he decided to join PDP because of APC’s led Federal Government failure to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians as well as good performance of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

“My decision to dump APC is because the party has failed Nigerians in all its electoral campaign promises.

“The good performance of Ugwuanyi in Enugu State also `seduced’ me to join PDP because even a blind man can see his good works in the state,’’ he said.

The former APC chieftain predicted victory for PDP in 2019

presidential election, explaining that many people have left APC to PDP and more aggrieved members would leave the party before next year’s general elections.

“With the gale of defections across the country from APC to PDP, I have no doubt that PDP will return to Aso Rock in 2019,’’ he said.

In a remark, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the Senate, said Asogwa is a respected elderly statesman and prolific writer.

He said that his joining PDP means that APC had suffered serious setback in 2019 general elections in Enugu State.

“Today PDP in Enugu State has added another feather to its red cap.

“Enugu State people are happy for your decision to join the party so that you will join hands to move the state to the next level,’’

he said.

Mr Michael Onyeze, PDP Chairman in Nsukka Zone, who spoke, said that stakeholders and PDP faithful had gathered to receive Asogwa to let him know he had taken a wise decision.

“Asogwa is a respected elder statesman and celebrated writer who had been in the forefront in the struggle for the creation of Adada State for Nsukka people.

“This former APC chieftain was governorship candidate of Great Nigeria peoples Party (GNPP) in 1979, as well as close friend of Chief Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu, the Ikemba Nnewi of blessed memory.

“On behalf of PDP, I hereby welcome you, the party umbrella is too big to shelter everybody in Nigeria.

“We know your worth and the party will accord you respect that a statesman deserves,’’ he said.

ll Progressives Congress (APC) in Onitcha Local Government area of Ebonyi, has suspended its party chairman, Mr Uchenna Agwu, for alleged anti-party activities, indiscipline and insubordination.

Onitcha Local Government Secretary of the party, Mr Kenneth Nwali, announced this in a statement in Isu, the Headquarters of the Council at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting.

Mr Ifeanyi Ezeka, the Vice Chairman of the party, was appointed as the acting chairman of the party in the area.

Nwali said: “His suspension follows adoption of a motion sponsored by Mr James Okafor, Organising Secretary, urging the local government executive committee of the party to adopt an earlier report submitted by a disciplinary committee set up to look into the allegations.

“Executive Committee after a critical study of the report of the disciplinary committee, upheld the report.

“Also the chairman‘s refusal to honour series of invitations extended to him by the disciplinary committee to defend himself is a further prove of guilt.

“In the light of the above, the vote of no confidence earlier passed on Agwu is hereby sustained and accordingly he is hereby suspended from the party indefinitely.

“According to the scribe, the party has taken the decision in the interest of APC to serve as deterrent to others, instil party discipline and loyalty in the area.

“APC wishes to assure every member of the party of its support, cooperation and equal opportunities to achieve individual and collective ambitions and the development of democracy.

“We reiterate our commitment to the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and other candidates of our great party in the 2019 general elections,” the statement added.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS 2023 Presidency: Don tasks Ndigbo on national integration

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political scientist, Dr Kenneth Agajelu, says for Ndigbo to achieve `Nigeria President of Igbo extraction project’, they must improve their knowledge on principles of national integration.

Agajelu, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal College of Education, Umunze, Anambra, made this known in a Keynote lecture he delivered at a `Political Summit’ in Umuchu on Monday.

The summit was organised by the Aguata Local Government Area chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The lecture was entitled, “National Integration and Political Participation: The Role of South-East Zone’’.

According to him, it is the poor knowledge of national integration that Igbo people have continued to complain of marginalisation by other sections of the country after the civil war.

Agajelu said that in politics, people bring their areas of advantages to form alliance with others in politics with a view to achieving human and environmental developments.

He said it was for this reason that nation state was first formed in Germany before it spread to other parts of the world.

“If the Igbo people can apply the principles of national integration which places premium on working with the government at the centre, they can achieve president of Igbo extraction by the year 2023,’’ he said.

He noted that it was the impact of the civil war that affected the Igbo people in the national integration formula, but insisted that such challenge could be redressed.

Dr Innocent Eme, a lecturer in the department of Public Administration and Local Government, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said that massive participation of the people in electoral process especially voting was imperative.

Eme, who spoke on the topic, “The Imperative of Effective Participation in Politics’’, blamed the support to a regional political party to reasons for the political woes of the South-East zone.

“The APC has key role to deliver people of the South-East to the centre; already states in the north and the South-West are in the mainstream and we must join if we hope to achieve the 2023 presidency,’’ Eme said.

Chief Barth Nwibe, a former governorship aspirant of APC during 2017 election in Anambra, said the party had bright chances of winning in the state because of the calibre of persons being positioned to contest for various offices.

Nwibe, however, advised APC supporters to be transparent in their support for candidates of the party during the 2019 general elections.

“If APC supporters show sincerity in their support, we will win and deliver all our party’s candidates’’.

Mr Paul-Chuks Umenduka, Chairman of APC, Aguata LGA, said the conference with the theme, “Political Participation and National Integration: The Role of South-East’’, was to educate people at the grassroots on achievements of the party so far.

Umenduka, who described the conference as “a novel idea’’, said it was the first of such event in the area.

According to him, it will provide a platform for political interaction between the elite and people at the grassroots.

He said that he organised the event to also arm supporters of APC with the tools to market President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates during 2019 electioneering campaigns.

Illicit use of social media undermines defence policy, Navy charges personnel

From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar

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he Nigerian navy has warned its personnel against illicit use of social media maintaining that it undermines the nation’s national defence policy.

The new Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral David Adeniran gave the charge to personnel of the Eastern Naval Command at the NNS Victory while completing a familiarization tour of the command in Calabar.

He charged the personnel to remain apolitical in view of the upcoming general elections, create favourable environment wherever they find themselves and also desist from intol-

erance and acrimony in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Speaking with personnel who mounted a guard in his honour after the familiarization tour, he said, “The improper use of social media by personnel could have an untold effect on military activities and operations and I am sure you all are aware of the existing official secrets act the defence headquarters policy on the use of social media.

“Therefore you must be careful when using, collecting or posting on social media. Hate speech and fake news are capable of negative the contributions of the armed forces of Nigeria to nation building thus you must run away from such vices.

“When you see personnel posting official media of certain operations, including weapons that are being handled, at that operation, you are divulging certain things which are not permitted by our security classification. An enemy could identify your location and the kind of weapon you are carrying so that is not allowed and is a very grievous offence.

“Also social media people spread fake news and it is very easy so the armed forces should not be part of that because our contributions to the nation building over the years will be eroded when you use the social media in such a way.

“Let me warn that you must remain apolitical especially in view of

the forthcoming general elections in the country”, he said.

He enjoined personnel to work in concert with sister agencies to secure the nation’s maritime environment stressing that the continued collaboration with sister agencies will be sustained and assured that concerns noted in the course of his tour will be appropriately addressed.

“While we are constitutionally charged with the protection of maritime assets, we must work in collaboration with other sister agencies and security agencies to attain security for the nation. I assure all maritime stakeholders operating within the eastern naval command area of responsibility that the existing interagency relationship shall be vigorously pursued and where necessary improved upon”.

“Sincerely, I must commend all those that have kept the command up to this standard. A lot has been done and all we have to do is to sustain the standard and possibly improve upon them. All challenges that have been identified have been passed to the appropriate quarters”.

Prices of garri crash in Enugu markets

P • Delta State Governor, receiving Flag Officer Commanding NNS Logistic Command Oghara, Rear Admiral UB Onyia and his entourage who paid a courtesy call to the Government House, Asaba

Nwaoboshi denies allegations of illegal asset acquisition

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enator representing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta North constituency, Sen. Peter Nwaoboshi has denied allegations of illegal asset acquisition, which formed the basis of a warrant of arrest secured against him by the Federal Government.

His reaction came in a statement issued by Mr Philip Elueme, Secretary-General of the Senator Peter Nwaoboshi Campaign Organisation, in Abuja.

The warrant was issued by a Wuse Zone 2 Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, at the instance of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property.

The panel is accusing Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North in the Senate, of fraudulent acquisition of property and embezzlement of contract sum to the tune of N3.48 billion, among others.

It said the decision to seek the warrant followed the lawmaker’s “refusal” to honour its invitation for questioning on the allegation by the panel.

But, Elueme dismissed the allegations as “spurious and contrived machinations” of one of Nwaoboshi’s political opponents in Delta North.

“On the face of the allegations,

Sen. Nwaoboshi and the campaign organisation would not have been perturbed.

“But, the fact that the Judiciary is involved, especially with the purported issuance of warrant of arrest by a court, we are constrained to state that we are alarmed by the development.

“Nwaoboshi is unaware of such allegations against him, and was never invited by the panel to any session on such matters as conspiracy, diversion of public funds and official corruption, alleged against him by the Panel,” he said.

Elueme said the political opponent, whom he did not identify, had boasted at different fora that he would do the senator in and ensure that he did not participate in the 2019 election as a candidate.

Describing the unnamed opponent as an “election-season politician”, Elueme reminded him that what was currently in Delta was a reformed PDP that emphasised integrity and commitment.

“We advise that as an aspirant, rather than pay ‘agents’ to cast smudge on Nwaoboshi, the politician should market himself to PDP delegates, who will decide the candidate of the party for Delta North Senatorial District in the 2019 general

elections.

“He should grow up and embrace the new spirit of PDP where nobility and responsibility and other desirable virtues have eclipsed blackmail and the like, which have become unfashionable and highly abhorred in the party,” he added.

Meanwhile, reacting to the lawmaker’s allegation of political witchhunt, Spokesperson of the panel, Lucie-Ann Laha, advised Nwaoboshi to come forward and aid the panel in its investigation rather than politicise the matter.

“The senator should be reminded that members of the panel are public servants, not politicians. Our operations are purely professional.

“We are acting based on information provided by a whistleblower whose identity I don’t know.

“He cannot say we didn’t invite him because our operatives travelled all the way from Abuja to his house in Asaba to serve him letters of invitation.

“He even threatened to shoot them if they didn’t leave his house.

“All we are asking is for him to come forward and dispel the allegations against him, and if it turns out that we are wrong, we will apologise to him,” she said.

rices of garri, a stable food on Nigerians table, continued to crash in some Enugu markets.

A market survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in some major markets in Enugu metropolis on Saturday revealed that the prices of the white and red garri nosedived by about 36 per cent.

Some sellers said that the fall in price was due to massive production of cassava by farmers in the state.

Miss Eby Ofor, a garri seller at Akwata market, said that the price of a 4.5 litres bucket of white garri which was sold at N450 now sells at N280.

Offor added that the red garri is now sold at the cost of N350 as against the old price of N550.

“For almost four months, I have been selling a measure of white garri and red garri for N450 and N550 respectively, but now as I am talking the price has further gone down. As at around May, it used to cost between N1,200 and N1,100,” she said.

Mr Jude Ugwueze, another garri dealer at Garki market, said that a bag of garri is now sold at N5,000 as against the previous price of N8,000.

A buyer at Ogbete Main Market, Mrs Joy Solomon expressed joy that the prices of garri has continued to fall as there was not much money in circulation.

“At least with the fall in prices of foodstuff like gari and with the little amount someone has, one can manage to feed his or her family,” she said.

Chairman of the Cassava Farmers Association, Enugu Branch, Mr Romanus Eze, said that mass production of cassava has contributed to the reduction in the price of garri.

Eze said that cassava farming activities increased tremendously in all part of the South-East States in 2017 leading to fall in the prices of garri in various markets in 2018.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS

2019: Abia/Imo traders in Enugu endorse Ugwuanyi

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ndigenes of Abia and Imo States, who are traders in Enugu State, under the auspices of Njiko Imo/ Abia Traders Association, have unanimously declared their overwhelming support for Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s re-election bid in 2019.

They said their decision was because of the governor’s peopleoriented programmes that have favoured both indigenes and nonindigenes in the state.

The elated traders, who trooped out in their numbers to the Government House Enugu on a solidarity visit to Gov. Ugwuanyi said they were grateful to the governor for the Traders Empowerment Scheme he initiated to assist traders in the state grow their various business, irrespective of their state of origin, religion and ethnicity.

Speaking on behalf the group, the leader and general coordinator, Gantito Nnadozie, stated that Gov. Ugwuanyi was not only a leader, who does not discriminate but also the only governor that has taken the welfare of the trader into high consideration in the state.

They stressed that the endorsement for the governor’s re-election was borne out of their conviction that he has entrenched peace and good governance in the state, saying: “We wouldn’t have come today to declare no vacancy in the Lion Building in 2019 if you are not doing well”.

According to them, “we conducted series of meetings and called our elders and they all agreed that we should come and see you, pray for you and give you this ‘ofo’ (insignia of authority ) to urge you to move on, and reassure you of our firm support and where Imo and Abia people stand”.

Explaining further the significance of the decision, the Enugu non-indigenes noted that the last time they endorsed a governor for a second term in office was during the administration of late Chief Sam Mbakwe of Imo State, assuring Gov. Ugwuanyi that they will stay in Enugu State during the general election to vote for him.

Other speakers also applauded Gov. Ugwuanyi’s humble disposition and commitment to the wellbeing of the masses, recalling how he identified a physically-challenged woman selling sachet water in the midst of a mammoth crowd at a public function and empowered her with a reasonable amount of money to start a better business.

They equally appreciated the governor for the prompt assistance he offered traders of Kenyatta Timber Market, Enugu, when their shops were gutted by fire, among other sundry interventions.

The traders expressed delight that Gov. Ugwuanyi has continued to entrust Enugu State into the hands of God in all his private and public dealings, assuring him that “the God you trust and bear His name will continue to fight for you and enable you to conquer”.

According to them “we invoke the spirit of the first governor of Eastern region, Francis Akanu Ibiam, the first Premier of Eastern region, Dr. M.I Okpara, the spirit of the Igbo General Leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu to give you the authority for you to move forward and conquer”.

Declare state of emergency on federal roads in S’East/S’South - CD tells FG

By IBE NWACHUKWU

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ights group, Campaign for Democracy (CD) has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on major federal roads within the South East, South South and South West geopolitical zones of the country.

CD noted that the present high level of decay on our roads in the three zones has become too inexplicable that they have have become death traps to the users, to the extent that an average of five lives are lost on daily basis as a result of carnages along the roads.

In a press statement issued to

newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra state yesterday, after their emergency meeting in Enugu state, CD specifically asked President Muhammad Buhari to as a matter of urgency do the declaration.

In the statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Dede Uzor A. Uzor, CD lamented that all the Federal roads in the three zones without an exception were so deplorable that an average of five lives are lost on daily basis through road carnages.

Uzor who mentioned some of the deplorable roads as Enugu/Port Harcourt, Enugu/Onitsha, Onitsha/ Owerri, Owerri-Port Hacourt roads,

Nnewi/Amichi/Uga/Akokwa/Orlu, Orlu/Arondizuogu/Okigwe, Ihiala/ Orlu/Umuahia, and Enugu/Abakiliki roads.

Others, he mentioned, were 9thMile Corner/Opi/Makurdi, Onitsha/Adani/Nsukka road, Agbor/ Auchi/Okene, the yet to be completed East/West road, Onitsha/Benin/Lagos Road and many others in the South West region.

CD lamented that the recent palliative work on the Onitsha/Enugu Expressway and Onitsha/Oba/Owerri Road was too half-hearted to make any meningful impact on the roads, demanding that Federal Government should immediately

commence the rehabilitation of the roads before February 2019 general election.

Wondering what the Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Raji Fashola, has been doing to improve on the roads, CD called for immediate splitting and separating of the Ministry of Works from Housing and Power and the appointment of competent Nigerians hence the three ministries joined together is too big for an individual minister to handle and to pave the way for effective supervision and optimal performance, in line with the expectations of many Nigerians.

Air Peace restarts Asaba operations October 8

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• (From left) United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Official, Mohammad Rafiq Nasry, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. RoseMary Archibong, SA to the Governor on Cocoa Development, Dr. Oscar Ofuka and Head of Local Government Administration, Ikom LGA, Mr. Julius Adie as Panelists for the “The Conversation” in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State

I support transparent primary for peace in APC - Akpanudoedehe From Ini Billie, Uyo

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, has said only transparent primary for the position of governor in the state can guarantee peace in APC. Speaking on Sunday in Uyo, Akpanudoedehe who said that he came into the party with 250,000 members, noted that he laboured to build the party and his membership there is akin to a burden placed on his neck.

He said he can only stand down from contesting for the office of governor if he goes for the election and the people he is fighting for reject him at the polls.

He revealed that his interest in the position of governor of Akwa Ibom state is to address the problems that previous and the current administration has not achieved, particularly in the area of alleviating poverty, provision of water, housing and entrenching an effective system of mobility within the state.

He expressed disappointment over the running of the state, saying since the state was created 30 years ago, there has not been effective and efficient formulation and implementation of policies to address the housing needs of the people.

Noting that he is in support of restructuring of the country, the former minister of state for FCT, said Nigeria requires restructuring

to move forward in terms of employment and other developmental projects.

“I am always prepared for elections; you should be worried about those who are thinking of hijacking the process, but if we are talking about democracy by the people and for the people; we have adopted as a party in Akwa Ibom State direct primaries.

“We expect the party to display the registers of members transparently, the cards given so that the best man that wins, we will all join hands to work with him. If I win, the others are expected to join hands to work with me. Anything short of this you have yourselves to blame.

“I don’t believe we are a cursed people. We are blessed in this state.

How can we have the kind of revenue that we are having, people are still languishing in poverty. There is absolute poverty in the land, the youths have been disregarded.

“The best employment for Akwa Ibom youth is to be a PA or PA of a PA. Akwa Ibom, we are yet to become a destination. Why should other people give testimonies of goodness of Akwa Ibom State, we the indigenes don’t; are we not serving the same God? Is a terrible thing, so I feel that I have something in me to offer the state others don’t have.

“I also worry about Uyo city as the state capital of Akwa Ibom State where we live. Having being a Minister of FCT, I realise that if you come

to Uyo, it is like you are coming to the market.

“Most of our people are living in Calabar. They populate Calabar by weekend, everybody is going to Calabar, why people don’t enjoy this place. With the kind of money we are having, we are still drinking borehole, talking about a treatment plant of chlorine.

“You are talking about the live span of the people, why should we live long when we are drinking the corpses that we buried in the ground, why should we talk about live expectancy when everybody is digging borehole. We are still talking about pit toilet system, poor sewage system with the kind of money we have.

“No drainage system. As it rains people panic. We are saying that the city is not properly planned in term of meeting the millennium development goal of sanitation, housing in Akwa Ibom you cannot key into basic thing of life.

“There is supposed to be a housing scheme or loan facility for civil servants to retire and be independent. We are being squeezed by human beings who think that they can give us succour because they are politicians.

“I am coming with a message of deliverance. There is no scheme for housing, there is no scheme for mobility, and there is no system to sustain civil servants after retirement from active civil service work,” he said.

ndigenous carrier, Air Peace has disclosed plans to restart its daily Lagos-Asaba-Lagos flight operations on October 8.

The airline, which pulled out of the route more than two years ago due to safety concerns with respect to the runway of the Asaba Airport, said it would also add Abuja-AsabaAbuja flights to the service.

A statement signed by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the airline decided to return to the Asaba route to end the nightmare of air travellers seeking to connect the Delta State capital, Anambra and other adjoining cities.

Air Peace, the statement assured, was going to offer unparalleled ontime, convenient, safe and affordable flight services on the Lagos-Asaba-Lagos and Abuja-Asaba-Abuja routes.

“We are pleased to announce our return to the capital of Delta State, Asaba starting October 8, 2018. Air Peace had to suspend flight operations to the Asaba Airport more than two years ago due to safety concerns with the facility.

“Since we suspended our operations to the airport, members of the flying public have inundated us with calls and appeals to return to end their nightmare on the route. While we could feel their pain, there really was not much we could do about it since our decision to pull out was anchored on safety, an issue we could never compromise.

“We are, however, thankful that the Delta State Government had to intervene to give the airport a facelift. We have been assured that the airport is now safe to operate into and we cannot but move in immediately to end the woes of members of the flying public wishing to travel to Asaba, Anambra and other connecting cities.

“We are not just restoring our daily Lagos-Asaba-Lagos service, we are also adding Abuja-AsabaAbuja flights to the offering to meet the yearnings of members of the flying public. It promises to be quite an exciting time once more on the Asaba route beginning from October 8”, the statement said.

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

NEWS

Citizens, Group demand better representation in Onitsha North Constituency Two

By Oliver Udeogu

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cross-section of concerned Landlords and residents of Onitsha North Constituency Two in Anambra State have expressed grave concern over the poor representation of the plight of the people of the area in the State House of Assembly.

Briefing newsmen during a press conference organized by a Civil Society Organization (CSO), Concerned Youths of Onitsha North Constituency Two (CYC2) , the group called for

the recall of the member representing the constituency at the Anambra State House of Assembly , Hon Edward Obiefuna Ibuzo for abysmal performance.

The group Coordinator Chief Innocent Azuka Ajuluchukwu lamented that the Onitsha North Two Constituency have not had it so bad in terms of benefitting from dividends of democracy , with nothing on the ground to show for their unflinching support and total loyalty to the Gov Willie Obiano led APGA party in the state.

The group also disclosed that it has been established that the Legislator concerned has done nothing with the constituency fund accruable to the constituency , only embarking on his personal building of Hotels in Awka and Asaba respectively , to the detriment of the welfare of the people of his constituency.

The concerned youths further called on the corruption watch dog the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as other constituted authorities to investigate how the said Legislator

acquired a massive expanse of land at Okpanam in Delta state allegedly with the constituency fund.

The CYC 2 decried the present lack of basic amenities such as refuse dump and disposal sites, non installation of street lights, water Boreholes as well as dilapidated condition of access roads in the area. The group further noted that more than three years after his election into the State House of Assembly, the said legislator was yet to move a motion or sponsor a bill on the floor of the House talk less of having a Town-hall

meeting with members and Stake holders of his constituency who voted overwhelmingly for APGA during the 2015 election. They also regretted that members of his constituency could not have access to him due to the fact that he was residing in Asaba and his mobile telephone always unavailable.

The group alerted Governor Obiano and APGA National and State Executives that the party stands to lose the constituency in the 2019 elections if the said Legislator is fielded for a Second term.

2019: Again, Okowa heads PDP convention committee From JONATHAN AWANYAI, Asaba

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ational Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised an 86-member National Convention Planning Committee to organise its special national convention slated for October 5 – 6, 2018.

It is headed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who had similarly served in that position on a number of occasions since the party was ousted from power.

The deputy chairman of the committee is Governor Darius Isyaku of Taraba State while Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi is to serve as its secretary.

The committee membership is

drawn from across the federation with new returnees to the party including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, making the list.

All serving governors elected on the platform of the party are members just as numerous members of the party’s BoT, members of the National Assembly led by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, some former governors, former ministers and other party stakeholders.

According to the national organising secretary of the PDP, Colonel Austin Akobundu, who signed the statement, the committee will be inaugurated on Monday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Buhari willing to grant presidential pardon to late Ambrose Alli – Obaseki

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resident Muhammadu Buhari has expressed willingness to grant presidential pardon to late Prof. Ambrose Ali, former Governor of Bendel State (now Edo and Delta), according to Edo Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

Obaseki made the disclosure at a memorial service held in honour of the former governor, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Emaudo, Ekpoma, Sunday.

“I had an audience with President Muhammadu Buhari while in China and discussed the issue of a presidential pardon for late Prof.

Alli.

“The president asked me to meet with the Attorney-General of the Federation. This I have done and I have also written to him.

“The president has subsequently instructed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process,” he said.

The governor said he was optimistic that at the next meeting of

the Council on Prerogative of Mercy, the president would officially grant the pardon.

Obaseki also gave the assurance that he was working with his Delta counterpart to ensure that pension due to late Alli was paid to his widow and the family.

The governor lauded the former governor’s development strides in defunct Bendel, noting that the feats were intimidating and accomplished in just one term.

On his part, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta said the state would continue to remember Alli for developing it, adding that the people had a lot to thank him for.

“We are grateful, as his developmental strides can still be seen years after his death,” he said.

Eldest son to the former governor, Mr Andrew Alli, the Ezomo of Ekpoma, regretted that his father was still termed a criminal despite his contributions to the development of Delta, Edo and Nigeria.

THE ORACLE BUSINESS ARENA

• (From left): Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chief Chris Ngige; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano when the VP toured flood-ravaged parts of Delta and Anambra states

China, Korea partner Ubah for establishment of Nnewi varsity

By Oge Onyeanusi, Nnewi

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hairman of Capital Oil and Gas Industries ltd., Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, has reached an understanding with the Chinese and Korean governments for the establishment of a university in Nnewi, South East Nigeria, as part of efforts to ensure human capital expansion and development.

In the agreement reached on Saturday, September 16, at Nnewi, the founder of the university, Ubah, said the partners would commit 20 Million Dollars for the establishment of the institution, while the FC Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium would be staked as collateral.

He said the institution to be called Ifeanyi Ubah University (IUU), would develop, build, and incorporate multidisciplinary programmes in innovative fields that will form leaders, professionals, and scholars

of competence, conscience, and compassion as agents of positive change to bring about a more just, fair and prosperous society; adding that the institution would be the first in Nigeria to have Faculty of Sports as part of efforts to ensure overall human development.

“Apart from Law, Mass Communication, Engineering and a host of other major disciplines, IUU will also be graduating students in sports areas like Sports Science and Health Education, Sports Coaching and Development, Sports Business Management as well as Exercise and Fitness Management”, he added.

In his own remarks, one of the partners, Mr. Noh Kyu-Duk, Korean Ambassador to Nigeria, said his country reposes full trust in Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, because “he is a resolute entrepreneur, an incisive technocrat, times tested phi-

lanthropist, and a steadfast sports promoter, who sits on the board of many flourishing companies”.

According to him, the university project will be executed in six phases: phase one, according to him will include faculties of Management, Social Sciences, Pure and Applied Sciences and Sports; and will be completed in 2020; phase two, Faculty of Law and Legal Studies will be completed in 2022; phase three, Environmental Sciences, will be completed in 2024; phase four, Faculty of Engineering, will be completed also in 2024; phase five, Basic Medical Sciences, will be completed in 2026; while phase six, Clinical and Health Sciences, will be completed in 2028.

He further said that IUU will create a research-based academic community that will form the entire person to uphold sound values and engage global challenges.

CHANGE OF NAME

I Formerly known as EZEIGWE EBERE ANGELA now wish to be known as EZEIGWE AZUKA EBERE ANGELA. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public take note

I formerly known as UZOCHUKWU LOVETH OLUCHI now wish to be known as AKACHUKWU LOVETH OLUCHI. All former documents remain valid. Banks and General public take note.

NWAOKO CHIEMELA EMEKA and NWOKO IFEANYI, is one and the same person but wish to be addressed as NWOKO IFEANYI, banks and general public please take note

I formerly known as ILOSO OSINAKA MADU now wish to be known as AKACHUKWU OSINAKA GERALD. All former documents remain valid.Banks and General public take note.

I formerly known as EJIOFOR OBINNA now wish to be known as EJIOFOR OBINNA JACOB. All former documents remain valid.Banks and General public take note.

THIS SPACE IS FOR SALE

44

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3 2018

News

Obiano, Obi Achebe to lead public presentation of Anambra Compendium

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NAMBRA State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano of Anambra and the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, will lead other prominent personalities in the public presentation of Anambra Compendium on Oct.1, a statement has said.

The statement signed by Special Assistant to Governor on Media, Mr Emeka Ozumba, Monday in Awka, said that Obiano would be the chief host an Achebe the Chairman of the programme.

Ozumba said that the compendium, which he described as a landmark documentation, covered 25 years of the state’s creation.

According to him, the 800-page document is a historical compilation in glossy images of the life, culture and achievements of the government and people of Anambra State since its creation on May 27, 1991.

Quoting the Editor-in-Chief of

Anambra Compendium, Chief Emeka Okonkwo, Ozumba said the unveiling of the compendium would attract the crème de la crème of Anambra and admirers from across the country.

“All the people who played prominent roles in the life of the state would be attending the allimportant event scheduled to mark the 2018 independence anniversary of Nigeria.’’

He said that the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, would unveil the compendium, adding that former Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Peter Ejiofor, would be the book reviewer.

According to him, prominent sons and daughters of Anambra will make their voices heard in appreciation of the role of the founding fathers, and “everything that defines us as a people and as the light of the nation”.

Ozumba said that the compen-

dium consists mainly of properly captioned photographs and illustrations and easy to read explanatory notes.

“The book opens with the history of Anambra, the political and communities’ governance structure represented by the traditional institutions.

“Snippets of the compendium

include chapters highlighting achievements of Anambra people in the spheres of religion, education and medicine.

“The compendium also recorded the breathtaking, rich tourism potentials of the state,’’ he said.

Furthermore, he said that three other chapters profiled the ‘icons and beacons’ of Anambra, espe-

cially those who had distinguished themselves in the areas of education, entertainment, commerce, enterprise, sports and literature, among others.

The Anambra Compendium, 1991-2016, was published by Great Source Investment Limited, in conjunction with the state government.

AfDB launches first Africa-to-Africa (A2A) Investment Report

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PPORTUNITIES for investment in Africa outweigh the obstacles, according to a report by leading African companies covered in the African Development Bank’s new Africa-toAfrica (A2A) Investment Report, the first ever report on inter-African trade published by the Bank.

The report unearths the realities African companies face when investing in the continent, the emerging trends in A2A investment and the steps African policymakers can take to accelerate intra-African investment.

Africa-to-Africa Investment Report: A first look (https://bit. ly/2Q3p3kh), finds that more African companies are investing in Africa. These companies have confidence in the continent’s long-term growth potential; they are at the cutting edge of their industries, and are capitalizing on their knowledge of local markets to generate higher returns and impact.

In line with the Bank’s High 5s (https://bit.ly/2kiTUgj) for transforming Africa and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the A2A Report aims to take the conversation on investing in the continent a step further. It shows what African multinationals are doing to drive investments in Africa, d how they are expanding their African footprint, and gives insights into how to scale-up investments more widely.

“As global foreign direct investment to Africa falls, intra-African investments are picking up pace,” said Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group. “Africa’s big companies are increasingly on the move and expanding their African footprint. It is through more investments that the continent can build inclusive, sustainable growth and development.

We have made this our collective commitment in the High 5s”.

The A2A Report features eight publicly-listed and privatelyowned African companies operating in consumer services, finance, industry, media and di-

versified portfolios and investment, with home bases in North Africa (Morocco), West Africa (Nigeria, Togo), East and Central Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya) and Southern Africa (Mauritius, South Africa).

Highlights from the Report’s intra-African investment stories include the importance of having a clear long-term vision, getting upto-date investment facts, building local partnerships to deliver on the ground and tapping into talent in the local labour force.

The business case for A2A investment is strongly connected to the continent’s integration, growth and prosperity. Although challenges remain, the A2A Report is the start of a broader discussion to fast-track investments, move beyond the wish list and make deals happen. The continent’s policymakers can inspire a greater level of confidence and promote A2A investments by highlighting their role as dependable business partners for African investors.

The Report is part of the Bank Group’s continued championing of investment across Africa, along with the first Africa Investment Forum (AIF) (AfricaInvestmentForum.com), scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 7-9 November 2018.

•Akwa Ibom State Royal fathers; Paramount Ruler of Okobo Local Government Area, Ita Edet Okokon and the Paramount Ruler of Uyo Local Government Area, Edidem Sylvanus Effiong Okon, JP, accompanied by their wives during their swearing-in and presentation of Staff of Office by the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, at the Banquet Hall of Hilltop Mansion, in Uyo, Monday.

APC expels Dep. Chief Whip for anti-party activities

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EPUTY Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr Pally Iriase, has been expelled from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for alleged anti-party activities.

The lawmaker who represents Owan Federal Constituency, in Edo State was expelled by his ward and ratified by the Local Government.

The expulsion letter was signed

by Zuberu Shabah and Theophilus Aigboje, Chairman and Secretary respectively, of Owan East Local Government and made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday.

Allegations leveled against Iriase included defection of Ward eight and nine APC executives to the PDP on the orders of Iriase, presenting his Personal Assistant, Hilary

Ozogo, to contest under the PDP platform and refusal to attend APC meetings.

In the letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole through the Edo Chairman of the party, Mr Anselm Ojezua, the Owan East APC said it ratified the decision of APC members of Ward nine to expel Iriase.

The letter said all laid down rules and procedures as enshrined in article 21 of the APC’s constitution were followed in reaching the conclusion to expel Iriase.

It said the APC in Owan East has since moved on without Iriase and the evidence would show in the forthcoming elections.

According to the letter, “I humbly invite Mr. Chairman to kindly note the decision of the Owan East chap-

Active mobile lines drops to 160.5m in August – NCC

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IGERIAN Communications Commission (NCC) says active mobile telephone lines in Nigeria decreased marginally to 160.5 million in August from 161.42 million in July.

NCC made this known in its monthly subscribers’ operator data posted on its website on Monday, saying the lines decreased by 904,767 in August.

The communications regulatory body added that the Mobile Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) for active mobile lines in August was 119,008 as against 125,444 recorded in July, a decrease of 6,436.

The report said the number of fixed wired/wireless for ac-

tive mobile lines in August was 140,806 compared with its July figure of 140,582 lines, recording an increase of 224.

According to NCC, the number of Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) was 105,678 in August compared with 101,131 recorded in July, representing an increase of 4,547.

It also revealed that Teledensity reduced by 0.65 in August to 114.92 as against 115.57 in July.

Teledensity is the number of telephone connections for every 100 individuals living within an area and it varies widely across the country.

NCC also said that the number of connected lines in August stood

at 240,432,680 million as against 238,219,577 million in July, showing an increase of 2,213,103 million.

The CDMA for connected lines for August, was 247,983 as against 246,126 recorded in July, indicating an increase of 1,857, the subscribers’ data said.

The report said the number of fixed wired/wireless for connected lines in August was 351,103 compared with its July data that had 350,998, indicating an increase of 105 lines.

It also showed that the number of VOIP for connected lines in August was 690,042 as against 667,763 in July rising by 22,279 lines.

ter of the APC and grant it the very urgent attention it requires.

“The APC leadership and members in Owan East have already moved forward without Pally Iriase as we are growing in numbers every day. This will be evident in the results we post in the forthcoming elections.

“Iriase refused to officially inform the APC of his defection because he wants to continue to enjoy the benefit of the office of the Deputy Chief Whip.”

Attempts made to get the lawmaker’s reaction on his expulsion were unsuccessful as his two mobile numbers were switched off.

Iriase had last weekend confirmed that there was intense pressure on him to move to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but added that he remained focus and committed to the APC. He noted that the rumour about his defection to the opposition may have been informed by his decision not to contest for any political.

According to him, “I have made my direction politically very clear, am not contesting the 2019 general election.

“I’m a member of APC, people who do not want to be in APC anymore have defected. It is a personal thing; you don’t do it by surrogate.

Any politician of note that is considered to have electoral value is likely, under the kind of circumstances we find ourselves in Edo state, to be under severe pressure from poachers.

“But what you make of that pressure is the real issue, am calm. From rumour flying around, I remain who I am.”

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The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

SPORTS

•Gianni Infantino

NFF Elections: Involve stakeholders, Chukwu tells Pinnick

Arsenal lacked belief under Wenger – Cazorla

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•Says Domestic League key to football development

By MADUABUCHI KALU

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ORMER national team captain and coach, Christian Chukwu has charged re-elected Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick to see his reelection as opportunity of righting the wrongs of his first tenure by carry all the stakeholder along in the discharges of his duties.

Chukwu stated this in exclusive interview with the Oracle Today Sports at the weekend. It is recalled that the much publicized NFF’s elections held last Thursday in Katsina where Amaju Melvin Pinnick defied all odds to return as the egghead of the country’s football governing body, the NFF. “I don’t really know what is happening with Dalung’s declaration that he does not know about the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF’s) elections that took place in Katsina but be that as it may be, I wish to congratulate Amaju Melvin Pinnick on his success at the polls,” Chukwu began.

“Amaju has broken the jinx of sitting boss of the NFF not returning to office after serving their first term, I say congratulations.

“Having said that I would want to use this opportunity to ask him to carry all stakeholders along. I believe that he has learnt his lessons and his time round he should endeavour to carry everybody along in the running of the game.

“Amaju should realise that one person can do it alone. He should open up the space to accommodate every stakeholder because every well-meaning individual in Nigerian football wants the game to develop and he cannot claim that he is the only person that has the interest of the game at heart,”

Chukwu explained.

Continuing the former Enugu Rangers captain said: “I want him to see his victory at the poll as victory for football. He should embrace all stakeholders; he should bring all aggrieved individual on board. Nigerian Football is big enough to accommodate everybody and if he does that, I believe there will be relative peace in the administration of the game in the country.

“Like I said earlier; he should see his victory at the poll as victory for Nigerian Football and as a result try as much as possible to appease aggrieved individuals and interest groups. He shouldn’t see his victory as a person thing rather he should see it from the point of view that his victory at the poll is for Nigerian Football,” Chukwu advised.

He described those periods as the golden era of our domestic league unlike what obtains now where one can count the number of fans that turn up for local league matches except for venues like Enyimba International Stadium, Aba, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu and Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano.

“What I would like Amaju to do this time is to pay adequate attention to our local league. He should focus more on the development of the domestic league. He must make sure that our league is revived.

“There is no serious country football wise that neglects its domestic league to the extent that no single home-based player makes their national team. It is aberration. It does not happen in civilised clime.

“It is not done. It is absolutely wrong. We must find solution to that and reviving the league is the answer,” Chukwu declared.

“Again, Amaju should find a way of reviving the Principal’s Cup. There is need to revive school sports. He should liaise with the Education Ministry to revive school sports that is where the talents are.

“Many of us are products of school sports. So, there is need to revive sports in the schools if only the NFF can partner with Education Ministry so that sports could become a major part of our Curriculum.

‘I would love to see our league return to golden era of 70’s, 80’s and

•Amaju Pinnick, NFF President

• Christian Chukwu early 90s when in every match day, the venues used to fill to capacity even before 12 pm and that was the type of thing we enjoyed during our time as domestic league players.

“I did not play abroad because our league was okay. it was not that some of us did not get offers but there wasn’t need for it because what we were getting was okay for us and the fans were there to cheer us. But you cannot say the same today in our league.

Our remuneration was good because our economy was also good, so what we were getting was enough for us to have a decent living.

“For me; I would like that period to return and it is very possible to replicate those periods because the talents are still there to be harnessed.

“As far as I am concerned Amaju has done well internationally, therefore, he should devote more of his time this time to ensure that

there is improvement in our local league and if he does that he will never be forgotten in the annals of Nigerian Football.

“Of course I commend him for the good works he did for our international football including playing the politics of the game which has seen many Nigerians getting Confederation of African Football (CAF) appointments and Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) appointments as well. I commend him seriously for that particularly as those before him couldn’t influence such appointments for our people.

“Having done well in the international arena, I would love to see him replicate his achievements in international football to our local league. This is the time he should think home by reviving our local league so that our domestic football will return to its golden era when fans look forward to match days,” Chukwu said.

RSENAL lacked belief under Arsene Wenger but will have “a great season” under new manager Unai Emery, says former midfielder, Santi Cazorla.

Cazorla left the Gunners in the summer to return to Villarreal and is playing again after long-term injury problems.

“We needed to believe in ourselves more,” he told Football Focus.

“To believe that we were capable of competing with the big sides in the Premier League and not just settling for third or fourth.”

The 33-year-old Spaniard won two FA Cups in six seasons with Arsenal but the closest he came to a title was a second-placed finish in 201516, when Wenger’s side finished 10 points adrift of champions, Leicester. Arsenal finished 5th in 2016-17 and 6th last season.

Cazorla rejected the notion that Arsenal were in “a comfort zone” under former manager, Wenger who was replaced after 23 years in charge by Emery in May - but feels that they could have come closer to success in the Premier League.

“We needed to have made that leap to try and battle it out for the title. There were seasons where you felt like we were in with a shout but then through various circumstances it wasn’t to be,” he said.

“But I think it’s all about having that self-belief, that right mentality.

To say ‘We believe in this team, we know we have a great squad and we can go toe to toe with the big English clubs.’

“I believe that they will do that and for sure they will keep on improving in the future. They are going to have a great season, they have a great team and I wish them all the best.”

Cazorla has never played under Emery, but spoke to the former Sevilla and Paris St-Germain manager this summer before he took charge at the Emirates.

Emery asked Cazorla for his insight on Arsenal’s medical set-up, nutrition and also what else he may need to adapt to the Premier League.

“I think it’s a club that can improve quite a few things,” Cazorla said.

“I gave him all the information I could to try and help him out during his period of settling in and I think he’s very happy and I think he’s a great manager for Arsenal.

“But everyone really does have to be patient, when you think you’ve had the same manager for 23 years, a manager who became a real symbol for the club on a worldwide scale and the fans have to show a little patience with Unai, and the team because there has been a lot of changes.

“I believe that if they do things in the right manner, Arsenal have everything required to be a massive club. I’m sure that in the coming seasons Arsenal will be making that step up in quality which will hopefully enable them to be on a level playing field and able to fight for the title and other big trophies.”

46

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

SPORTS Pliskova stuns tearful Osaka to win Tokyo crown

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Joshua’ll fight either Wilder or Fury – Barry Hearn Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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NTHONY Joshua will face the winner of December’s fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury “subject to terms, without a problem in the world”, says Matchroom Sport chairman, Barry Hearn.

Joshua on Saturday retained his world heavyweight titles with a seventh-round stoppage of Russian Alexander Povetkin.

He will return to Wembley in April

to face a yet to be named opponent, with Dillian Whyte also in the frame.

IBF, WBO and WBA champion Joshua confirmed after beating Povetkin that his No1 choice would be Wilder”.

“We have sent Wilder a signed contract already to fight on 13 April.

We will agree terms with Wilder to fight on 13 April if he beats Tyson Fury - if he does not beat Tyson Fury, we have got to look around as we have got a business to run,” Hearn told Sportsweek on BBC Radio 5

live.

“Tyson Fury will not be in a position to fight on 13 April in my opinion. If he is, I would love to see it.”

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren refused to confirm whether there was a rematch clause in the contract with Wilder, leading Hearn, whose son Eddie promotes Joshua, to say: “There has to be a rematch clause.

Deontay Wilder is not going to risk his title without a rematch clause.

“I know Anthony Joshua has made his shopping list of who he would like to fight next and that is

NFF Elections: Infantino congratulates Pinnick

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IANNI Infantino, President of World Football ruling body, FIFA has sent a congratulatory message to Amaju Pinnick on his re-election as the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in the polls conducted by the NFF Electoral Committee in Katsina, Pinnick swept aside three other contestants, polling 34 votes.

The second –placed Aminu Maigari’s get eight votes, with former international, Taiwo Ogunjobi getting only 2 votes, while there was none for club owner Chinedu Okoye.

In the letter addressed to the NFF and copied to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Infantino congratulated Pinnick and the other executive members who were elected and wished them the best of luck for the challenges ahead.

“Dear Pinnick, allow me to extend to you my warmest congratulations on your re-election as President of the NFF for the 2018 – 2022 period, at today’s NFF Elective Congress in Katsina State.

“Also convey my congratulations to all your colleagues of the Executive Committee who were

•FIFA President, Gianni Infantino with NFF President, Amaju Pinnick

elected with you.

“I wish you and your team the best of luck, strength and every success for all the challenges that lie ahead.

“I look forward to continuing to work with you and seeing you soon to congratulate you in person,” Gianni Infantino, said.

Deontay Wilder, but that is not to say the deal can be done.”

Warren insisted former champion Fury would demand a 50-50 split of the purse for a fight with Joshua.

“It is subject to terms because you (Warren) will ask for a ridiculous amount of money and it won’t be made,” responded Hearn.

“It is not a 50-50 split against the number one heavyweight in the world - you can forget that completely.”

‘If I was you Joshua, I would avoid me’ Fury has fought, and won, twice since making his comeback in June after two and a half years out of the ring. During his spell on the sidelines, he gave up his world titles and focused on mental health issues.

He has vowed to regain the titles “which are rightfully mine” having outpointed Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to become WBA, IBF and WBO champion in November 2015.

“I think it is safe to say that neither Team Joshua or Matchroom will fight the Gypsy King. They mentioned if it is not Wilder, it will be Whyte, but there was no mention of Tyson Fury, the lineal champion of the world,” Fury said in a video on social media.

“It is all right fighting men 39-yearold and half your size. (This) is the best evidence that I am fighting the best heavyweight out there in Deontay Wilder, Joshua is not even close. He is slow, methodical, ponderous at times, powerful yes, but they all are.”

ORMER world No1, Karolina Pliskova stunned Japanese tennis sensation, Naomi Osaka in straights sets to capture the Pan Pacific Open on Sunday.

The fourth seed took just 63 minutes to complete a clinical 6-4, 6-4 victory over the newly crowned US Open champion in Tokyo, bringing Osaka’s 10-match winning streak to a shuddering halt.

“I’m just happy it didn’t go to three sets,” said the Czech, who had been taken the distance in her previous three matches.

“My serve is my biggest weapon and it was key today,” added Pliskova after scooping an 11th career title.

“Naomi was maybe a little bit tired, you could see that. But the future is bright for her and congrats to her for an incredible few weeks.”

The players had split their previous two meetings, but Osaka started the final as the favourite after her historic New York triumph.

And the third seed began in menacing fashion, thumping an ace down the middle on the first point and holding her first two service games to love.

But Pliskova slowly turned the screws and broke for 3-2 with a fizzing backhand which her opponent swished well wide.

The world number eight was soon a set to the good after unleashing another brutal drive. Osaka was caught flat-footed and dumped it into the net.

Osaka, the runner-up in Tokyo two years ago, climbed to seventh in the rankings after becoming Japan’s first grand slam singles champion but she looked lost for ideas against Pliskova.

The 20-year-old buried her head in a towel during the changeover and things barely improved in the second set, Osaka whacking her racquet against her sneakers in anger at her wastefulness.

As the strain began to show, a dejected Osaka called for Coach Sascha Bajin and groaned: “I feel so stressed out!”

Sensing blood, Pliskova broke for 5-4 after a poor Osaka drop shot gifted her an easy put-away. Moments later she delivered the coup de grace with a sixth ace which Osaka barely wafted her racquet at.

“I didn’t want to try to overpower her because she just has more power than me,” said Pliskova.

“I just wanted to be patient and wait for my chances.”

For Pliskova, it was a first tournament victory since Stuttgart in April — and the first since wedding longtime partner Michal Hrdlicka in the summer.

“The first one this year was before the wedding,” smiled the Czech, who reached the top spot in women’s tennis in July 2017.

“I’m just happy that I also have a title as a married woman.”

2019 AFCON Qualifiers: CAF shifts date for Nigeria/Libya match

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ONFEDERATION of African Football (CAF), have agreed to shift the home game of the double header Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers game between Nigeria and Libya next month.

Super Eagles of Nigeria were originally billed to host Libya on the 10th of October at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna but the game will now hold two days later, which is on Friday

the 12th of same month.

The return leg tie which is yet to get a stadium will take place in Tunisia as against Algeria earlier proposed by coach of the Libyan side Adel Amrouche, will now take place on Monday the 15th of October.

Democratic Republic of Congo FIFA badged referee, Jean Jacques Ndala Ngambo will be the man in the middle and he will be assisted by his fellow countrymen in Olivier Safari Kabene

and Nabina Blaise Sebutu.

The Super Eagles are presently one point behind group leaders Libya, who are on same point with second place South Africa although they have a better goal difference. South Africa will host Seychelles same weekend when Nigeria take on Libya as the battle for qualification for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nation which will hold in Cameroon all things being equal.

•Karolina Pliskova and Naomi Osaka.

47

The Oracle Today Wednesday October 3, 2018

SPORTS

CAF Confed Cup: Enyimba trash Rayon 5-1 to zoom into semis Stories by MADUABUCHI KALU

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NYIMBA on Sunday zoomed into the semifinals of this year’s CAF Confederation Cup after trashing visiting Rayon Sports of Rwanda 5-1 at the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba, their home ground.

The interesting thing about Enyimba’s 5-1 victory over their visitors is that the five goals they scored came from five different players. It is recalled that the Abia State financed club are the only Nigerian club remaining on the continent and they are doing the country proud even as they start preparation for their semifinals.

The two time CAF Champions League winners had earlier drew goalless in Rwanda in the first leg of the two legged encounter but showed class in the reversed fixture in Aba in front of their supportive fans who throng the stadium to cheer them up on Sunday.

The country’s most successful club started the game on a very shaky note but shrugged it off to ultimately cruise into the final four 5-1 on aggregate over two legs, and will now await to see who they come up against for a place in the final.

Stanley Dimgba opened the scoring for Enyimba as early as the 12th minute. The forward pounced on a defensive blunder before firing an expert finish into the back of the net to send the home fans into delirium.

Their joy, though, was short-lived as Rayon levelled matters against the run of play in the 25th minute through Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana.

Enyimba regained their lead four minutes later as fullback Ikouwem Utin powered a left-footed shot into the back of the net to duly hand the Peoples’ Elephant a narrow advantage at the interval.

Enyimba came out firing following the break and doubled their lead in the 48th minute as Dimgba teed up Sunday Adetunji for an easy finish following a devastating attacking move.

Joseph Osadiaye strengthened Enyimba’s grip on the hour mark as his deflected free-kick found the back of the net to ease tension in Aba. The Nigerian giants made it five with 10 minutes of regulation time remaining. Isiaka Oladuntoye provided the cherry on the cake – heading home after Abouba Bashunga had fumbled Osadiaye’s initial effort.

FIBA Women’s W/Cup: D’Tigress record 1st victory; beat Turkey 74-68

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IGERIA’S D’Tigress Women Bassketball team, D’Tigress on Sunday made history as they record their first ever victory at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Tenerife Spain beating Turkey 74-68 in a Group B encounter at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife court on Sunday.

They had earlier lost 86-68 in their opening game to Australia on Saturday.

The D’Tigress, who had lost 8951 to Turkey in a warm-up game enroute the tournament, trailed 15-7 in the first quarter to the Turks but bounced back strongly to win the second quarter 22-17.

Otis Hughley’s girls extended their lead from five in the second quarter to 13 to win 23-10 before losing 22-26 in the fourth quarter.

Celta de Vigo forward, Sarah Ogoke, the stared for Nigeria as she accounted for 22 points, four rebounds, three assist and two blocks.

Meanwhile, former Dallas Wings forward, Evelyn Akhator bagged a double racking in 13 points and ten rebounds as the Nigerian women surprised the world by defeating Turkey to record their first victory in the ongoing FIBA Women Basketball World Cup in Tenerife, Spain.

• Enyimba of Aba celebrating a goal against Rayon Sports of Rwanda in Aba.

Tiger Woods records 1st victory in 5 years

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IGER Woods won the seasonending Tour Championship by two shots to claim his first victory in five years. The American, 42, shot a one-over 71 in Atlanta for his 80th PGA Tour title.

It marks a remarkable return to the top for Woods, who was ranked world number 1,199 less than a year ago after having spinal fusion surgery.

England’s world No1, Justin Rose

‘I don’t understand coach’s claims –Serena Williams

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erena Williams says she wants to move on from her controversial US Open final defeat by Naomi Osaka.

In the final, the American was given a code violation for coaching, incurred a point penalty for racquet smashing and was docked a game for verbal abuse.

Williams denies she was being coached from the stands, despite her coach Patrick Mouratoglou saying he was sending her signals.

“I just don’t understand what he was talking about,” Williams said.

Williams, who was aiming to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, said she had not received any tactics from Mouratoglou, telling the umpire she would “never cheat to win and would rather lose”.

Speaking to The Sunday Project on Australia’s Network Ten, she added: “I asked him (Mouratoglou) ‘what are you talking about you were coaching? We don’t have signals, we’ve never had signals’.

• D’Tigress of Nigeria against Turkey at the on-going FIBA World Cup in Tenerife, Spain.

England in verge of losing another player to Nigeria .As Sheyi Ojo sets to dump Three Lions for Nigeria

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IGERIA born England Under-20 World Cup winner, Sheyi Ojo has disclosed that he would consider playing for Nigeria at senior international level if offered the opportunity by the country.

The 21-year-old, who is on loan at French club, Reims from Liverpool, is eligible to play for the Super Eagles because his parents are Nigerians.

Under FIFA rules, Ojo can switch allegiances because he is yet to play for the English senior team.

And, despite having bagged 43 England caps from Under-16 to Under-21 level, Ojo is keen to fly with the Eagles.

“To be honest, I don’t know

much about it (Nigeria interest), but if they call me I’d be honoured to go to Nigeria,” he told BBC Sport “It’s obviously a massive nation. I’m just really focused on club football at the moment, but I’m excited for the future, both club and country. “My parents are originally from Nigeria as well, so they know a lot about it. They’ve always been keen on the idea (to represent Nigeria) but so far I’ve mainly been focusing on club football.

“It’s starting to get to the time where I have to start thinking about my future. And of course, if Nigeria were to call me now, it would be an honour.”

finished tied fourth to secure the overall FedEx Cup which determines the season-long PGA Tour champion.

Rose birdied the 18th at East Lake for a 73 to finish on six under and seal the top-five finish he needed to win the $10m (£7.6m) bonus on offer as FexEx Cup champion.

“I had a hard time not crying on the last hole,” Woods, who finished at 11 under, two clear of compatriot Billy Horschel, told NBC. “I had to suck it up and hit some shots. Once I got the ball on the green, it was done. I could handle it from there.”

The 14-time major champion’s last tournament victory was in August 2013 in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

“It was just a grind out there,” Woods added. “I loved every bit of it, the fight, the grind and the tough conditions.

“At the beginning of the year, it was a tall order but as the year progressed and I proved I could play, I knew I could do it again.”

He came into the final day of the tournament – the last of four FedEx Cup play-off events – with a threeshot lead over Rose and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, who faded from contention with a 74 to finish on five under in tied seventh.

Woods birdied his first hole – one of two birdies and three bogeys – with his place at the top of the leaderboard in little danger during the final round.

“I just can’t believe I pulled this off after what I’ve gone through,” added an emotional Woods. “It’s been tough. I’ve had a not-so-easy last couple of years. I’ve worked my way back. I couldn’t have done it without the help of all the people around me.

“Some of the other players knew what I was struggling with. It was really special to see them at the green on 18. It’s just hard to believe I won the Tour Championship.”

‘He’s looked world class again’ The win for Woods, who is part of the United States team for next week’s Ryder Cup in Paris, means he is now two short of Sam Snead’s all-time PGA Tour title record of 82.

It comes less than a year since Woods said he might never return to competitive golf following multiple back operations.

In April 2017 he had his third surgery in 19 months to try and cure pain in his back and leg.

He returned to competitive golf in November 2017 and admitted he was “winging it” as he waited to see if his back would hold up.

“I’ve been in bed for about two years and haven’t been able to do much,” Woods said before the Hero World Challenge, where he would finish ninth in the 18-man field.

Back on the PGA Tour in 2018, Woods missed the cut in his second event but crucially felt fit enough to add tournaments to his schedule and the results soon followed, most notably when he led the Open Championship at Carnoustie with eight holes to play and then finished runner-up in the US PGA Championship.

“All year long he’s looked like winning,” said Rose about Woods.

“He’s played some great golf and he’s looked world class again.

“It was just a matter of time and I’m so happy for him.”

•Tiger Woods

WEDNESDAY October 3, 2018

The

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racle Today

VOX POPULI SACRUM

ISSN: 2545-5869

Agenda for my President, today, beyond N

IGERIANS need a President who would understand that we behind and need to run faster than we have ever done, if we are to make anything meaningful out of Nigeria and its peoples. My President has to rescue Nigeria.

Programme • War Against Corruption • Food Security • Accelerated Power Supply • Integrated Transport Network • Free Education • Devolution of Power • Accelerated Economic Growth • Affordable Health Care Agriculture & Food • Revamp the River Basin Authorities • Reclaim the desert by tree planting programmes and growing alfalfa grass, and other legumes for livestock nutrition Transportation • Embark on a National Infrastructural Development Programme as a PPP that will ensure the construction of 4,000 kilometres of super highways • Build up to 200km of modern standard railway lines annually • Renovation and modernisation of the ports to enable them cope with growing traffic • Encourage maritime cruises and pleasure boats for recreation and tourism • Complete the dredging of River Niger Power supply • Expansion of electricity generation and distribution of up to 40,000 megawatts in four years • Make power available from renewable energy sources such as coal, solar, hydro, wind and biomass for domestic and industrial use, wherever these prove viable Education •Reinstate Teacher Teaching Colleges •Target up to 10% of annual budget for this critical sector • Offer free and qualitative primary and secondary education to all but to tertiary level for women •Establish at least six new universities of science and technology with satellite campuses in various States •Support education for persons living with disabilities.

• Establish six centres of excellence to

address Special Education • Re-introduce Nigerian History and Civics in all secondary schools Health • Prioritise the reduction of infant mortality rate by 2019 to 3% • Reduce material mortality by more than 70% • Reduce HIV/AIDS infection rate by 50%, other diseases by 75% • Improve life expectancy by additional 10 years on average • Increase the number of physicians from 19 per 1000 population to 50 per 1000 • Increase the quality of all Federal Government owned hospitals to world class standard within five years • Provide free ante-natal care for pregnant women, free health care for babies and children up to school going age and for the aged and free treatment for those afflicted with infectious disease such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS •Boost the local manufacture of 70 percent of pharmaceuticals and make drugs for HIV/AIDS available Access to capital Create at least five new development banks: • Bank for Construction and Infrastructure • Bank for Education • Bank for Commerce and Small Enterprises • Bank for Health and Social Services • Bank for Agriculture (Strengthened and

Expanded) • The interest Rates of these Banks will not exceed a single digit.

Oil & Gas • Make the industry and Nigeria one of the world’s cutting edge centres for clean oil and gas technologies, scientist, mega structure installation drilling, progressing, production engineers supported with best services and research facilities •Speedily pass the much-delayed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) and ensure that local content issues are fully addressed •Make Nigeria the world’s leading exporter of LNG •Encourage the emergence of modern modular refineries products and reduce importation • Promote optimal domestic gas utilisation for LPG and CNG Environment •Desert/encroachment control • Erosion and afforestation programmes • Bush burning prohibition • Industrial pollution as well as oil and gas pollution legislation •Pollution from house hold generators • Noise pollution and flooding control • Dredging of our major rivers. For special achievement of these and other sanitations we shall establish a National Environmental Marshall corps.

Housing • Emergence of one million housing units

per annum both by direct social housing programmes • Programme will bring into place about 30 million jobs nationwide annually.

Human Rights • Uphold and enforce the Fundamental Human Right as enshrined in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.

• Abide by the United Nation and African Union Charters on Human • Guarantee the independence of the Judiciary Media Respect the fundamental rights of Nigerians to freedom of speech and submit to the provisions of the freedom of Information Act. The Niger Delta • Mitigate the environmental degradation of the Niger – Delta areas, occasioned by oil exploration and gas flaring activities • Construct navigational bridges across big rivers and swampy lands to link isolated islands in the Niger-Delta • Gas flaring in the course of mineral oil mining activities shall be discontinued • Special focus on the funding and operational efficiency of the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Persons living with disability • No Nigerian suffers any form of discrimination as a result of disability • Disability will be considered when constructing public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, railways, airports, marine transport facilities, public buildings, transport terminals, etc; and when designing working tools and other equipment, including sporting equipment, to be used by the physically challenged.

• Create National Commission for persons with disability in Nigeria National Security & defence • Establish a well-trained, adequately funded equipped and goals driven Serious Crime Squad to combat terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy ethnoreligious and communal clashes nationwide.

• Begin widespread consultations to amend the Constitution to decentralise the police command and expand local content by including community policing • Establish a National Coast Guard to protect our coastal waters Conflict resolution, national unity & social harmony • Establish a conflict Resolution Commission to help prevent, mitigate and resolve civil conflicts within the policy • Ensure Nigerians are free to live and work in any part of the country irrespective of ethnic and religious by removing State of origin, afflictive tribe and replace these with State of residence When my President deals with these areas, he would have Nigerians eating off his hands.

The Nigerian is tried of the talks; he wants to see the works.

A President who does all these would have touched all parts of Nigeria, and taken the country notches out of the present despondency.

PS: If the agenda reads too familiar or political, do not despair. All the items were taken off the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2015 election. These promises, and more, are still on APC’s website. Any President, who can do just some of these, gets my vote in 2019.

•Herdsmen and the cattle, remain a majoy challenge

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.