Thursday 18th August 2016

THISDAY Newspapers Inaugurates New Board of Directors Davidson Iriekpen THISDAY Newspapers Limited, Nigeria’s premier media organisation of record, has inaugurated a new board of directors with the inclusion

of two new Executive Directors and three Non-Executive Directors to the board, a statement from the newspaper group’s management said yesterday.

The new Executive

Directors who were recently appointed to the board are Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, a former Editor of THISDAY, former Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the late President Umaru Musa

Ya’Adua and currently the Chairman of THISDAY Editorial Board; and Ms. Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, who is currently the Editor of the paper, Non-Executive Director of First Pension Custodian

Nig. Ltd. (FPCNL), and former Divisional Director, Editorial of THISDAY Newspapers.

The new Non-Executive Directors are Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi, an investment

banker and former Managing Director/CEO of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON); Mr. Hassan Ahmed Danbaba, Continued on page 8

Rio Olympics: Nigeria to Play Honduras for Football Bronze Medal… Page 55 Thursday 18 August, 2016 Vol 21. No 7783. Price: N250

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Defiant PDP Holds Convention, Extends Makarfi, Others’ Tenure Police deny sealing convention venue Fayose: I was under ‘house arrest’ in PH Abuja court affirms Sheriff’s ouster APC denies involvement in legal tussle

Tobi Soniyi, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday defied attempts by the police and the Department of State

Service (DSS) to scuttle its national convention, as delegates relocated to the state secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to hold the convention.

Continued on page 6

FG Approves Four Oil Wells, 13% Derivation for Lagos Says Aje 3 cannot be legitimately attributed to the state Gboyega Akinsanmi The federal government has said that four of the five oil wells discovered in Badagry legitimately belong to Lagos State, for which the state would be entitled to 13

per cent derivation from the Federation Account.

However, it disclosed that Aje 3 oil well falls beyond the 200-mile isobaths and therefore cannot be Continued on page 8

FG to Release N9.8bn to Fight Polio… Page 10

PDP LEADERS DEFY THE ODDS

L-R: Former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi; Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce; and Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at the state secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt, Rivers State… yesterday

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PAGE SIX DEFIANT PDP HOLDS CONVENTION, EXTENDS MAKARFI, OTHERS’ TENURE The police had sealed off the Sharks Stadium venue of the convention and barred delegates from gaining access to the venue.

But at the state secretariat of the party at Aba Road, the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, declared the convention open.

The convention approved the extension of the tenure of the caretaker committee led by Makarfi by 12 months and also increased its membership from seven to 13 through a motion moved by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and seconded by a former Minister of Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina.

The Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, pushed for the extension of the caretaker committee, which was unanimously approved.

The convention had earlier adopted a motion moved by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Leo Ogor, and seconded by the Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the PDP, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, to amend the agenda of the convention and step down the issue of election.

Markarfi, addressing the convention after the extension of his committee’s tenure, assured the delegates that his committee would effectively position the party for 2019 and would organise another convention within the period.

Markarfi had earlier inaugurated the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

Performing the inauguration at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Makarfi said the NEC included the PDP governors, National Assembly Caucus, Board of Trustees (BoT), National Caucus, the 36 state PDP chairmen and national officers of the party.

He said in the absence of the elected national officers, the National Caretaker Committee members would be part of NEC, adding that his committee members would cease to be NEC members once national officers are elected.

At the meeting were the PDP governors, National Assembly Caucus, members of the PDP BoT, National Caucus, 36 state PDP chairmen and National Caretaker Committee members of the party.

Also explaining why it did not conduct elections into its national offices despite its earlier insistence that the convention would hold, the Publicity Secretary of the caretaker committee, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, said the party did not want to create an atmosphere of chaos, so it opted for the extension of the tenure of the caretaker committee in place of elections.

He said some leaders of the party had mooted the idea of relocating to another venue to conduct the elections, but it was resolved that security operatives could still come to disrupt the exercise.

Adeyeye said the decision to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee also addressed the lacuna that

could have arisen if the convention had not held.

“The party inaugurated the new NEC today and it met and decided to go ahead with our national convention.

The convention relocated to the secretariat of the party in Rivers State.

“The place was big enough to accommodate all the delegates of the party and other leaders of the party.

The convention took some decisions that the tenure of the caretaker committee be extended by 12 months and be expanded from seven to 13. Its members are not to contest for any elective office of the party,” he said.

He said the security operatives ignored an interlocutory order from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to provide security for the convention, choosing to respect the Abuja High court order.

Adeyeye was of the view that the security operatives should also have complied with another High Court judgment in Abuja that held that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was not the chairman of the party.

He, however, expressed confidence that the party would come out stronger from the crisis.

“Thank God we had our convention and within the next 12 months everything will be settled. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt made very sensitive pronouncements that the convention should go ahead but they were ignored by security agencies. We have a judgment of court delivered

by Justice Mohammad Liman that gave legality to our convention,” he said.

Police Deny Sealing off Stadium As early as 6 a.m. yesterday, the police and operatives of the DSS had moved vans, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles to barricade all access to the Sharks Stadium in Port Harcourt.

At its entrance, sternlooking armed security personnel barred delegates, journalists and even security personnel from entering the stadium.

Even policemen who had on Tuesday evening assisted members of the party to arrange the venue turned hostile and threatened to deal with their “friends” of the day before.

Curiously, the police denied sealing off the Sharks Stadium.

Addressing journalists even when the stadium was shut to the public, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Odesanya, said the police did not seal off the stadium.

Odesanya said the police was only acting in compliance with a court order to provide security for the safety of lives and property.

When asked which of the court orders he was complying with, he simply said: “We are only obeying a court order. It is not my duty to interpret court orders.

You people are journalists and you got the court orders too. You are in a position to

interpret the orders.”

He also refused to reveal when the police got the order to seal off the venue of the convention, as the same police had said on Tuesday night that it was yet to get the order.

He said: “Our actions are in line with the court order.

It is not relevant when we got to the venue. The police have been there; we are always everywhere. We are always providing security everywhere. That is our primary assignment, to make sure that everywhere within the state is secure.

“The police did not seal off anywhere. We are merely providing security and ensuring that there is peace, security and order.”

He also said the reporters were not in any position to speak for and/or on behalf of the PDP delegates who could not gain entry into the venue of the convention.

“Journalists are not delegates and you cannot speak for delegates. You are journalists and you are not accredited,” he said.

Fayose Under ‘House Arrest’ In another development, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, yesterday cried out that he was placed under “house arrest” by the police while in Port Harcourt.

The governor, who was not sighted at any venue in Port Harcourt, lamented that he was not at the convention because he was placed under “house arrest” at the old Presidential Lodge, Rivers State Government House where he lodged.

Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said he was prevented from moving out, as the gate to the old Presidential Lodge was blocked by an armoured personnel carrier (APC).

He said all entreaties to allow Fayose to step out to attend the convention were rebuffed by the security personnel at the lodge.

But reacting to the allegations, the state Commissioner of Police Odesanya said it was unfair to make such allegations against the police.

He stated that there were other dignitaries lodged at the same venue and wondered how it was possible for others to have left the lodge while Fayose could not.

“That cannot be true. It is not to my knowledge. How did the other excellencies (governors) get out of the lodge?” he queried.

Fayose, in another statement by yet another aide, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, also said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wanted PDP dead because the former does not want a virile opposition to challenge its obnoxious policies and inability to tackle the problems confronting the country.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Fayose said such a development would not be in the best interest of the country and Nigerians at large.

He said a virile opposition was a vital ingredient for

democracy and necessary to make democracy thrive.

Fayose said the cordoning off of the Sharks Stadium by the police on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IG) had the input of the APC-led federal government, observing that the police only acted out the script written by the APC-led government.

“I witnessed what the police did early today in Port Harcourt, it is most unfortunate. It has shown that we are indeed in perilous times in the country.

“The APC is desperate to kill the opposition and silence others because they are afraid that their inability to properly govern the country and tackle the challenges facing us as a nation would be exposed by a virile PDP. “The Buhari government is dictatorial. There is tension everywhere. All sectors are down and they are focusing on killing the opposition.

What business has APC with PDP internal matters?

“If they said they wanted to act on court orders, why didn’t they act on more than four orders that were in favour of the Markafi group?

They don’t have answers to the terrible situation in the country but they know that an organised PDP will be emboldened to challenge them,” he said.

The governor wondered what would have happened if the PDP acted like the APC and refused to hand over to the APC last year.

Fayose said it was unfortunate that Senator Sheriff had turned himself to an instrument in the hands of the APC to destabilise the PDP. He appealed to PDP members from across the country who came to the convention not to feel discouraged, saying the truth would prevail in the long run.

Abuja Court Affirms Sheriff’s Ouster However, as the PDP licked its wounds over the absence of elections at its convention, some relief might have come its way, when Justice Nwamaka Ogbonna of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in no uncertain terms told Senator Sherrif that he is illegally parading himself as the chairman of the PDP. The court told Sheriff to stop parading himself as chairman and to stop acting on behalf of the party as chairman.

The suit seeking declaration on Sheriff’s status was instituted by a contestant to the position of the youth leader at yesterday’ convention, Danladi Ayuba, while the sole defendant was Sheriff.

When the case was mentioned, no counsel appeared for Sheriff. The plaintiff however presented to court the proof of service of the court process on Sheriff.

In her judgment, Justice Ogbonna said based on the judgment of Justice Valentine Ashi of the same court on June 26, 2016, which upheld Sheriff’s ouster and had not been appealed against at the

Court of Appeal, all actions taken since June 26th were a nullity.

“There is no evidence that the judgment of Ashi J. has been appealed against.

Therefore the judgment, which is a declarative one, must be obeyed.

“Anything done contrary to the judgment of Ashi J. delivered on June 26th is null and void and of no effect. The judgment of Ashi J. having not been appealed against subsists and is binding,” the judge held.

In the suit, which was heard two days ago, the plaintiff asked the court to decide among others whether having regard to the binding and subsisting judgment of Justice Valentine Ashi delivered on June 26 which nullified the purported amendment of the provisions of Article 47(6) of the constitution of the PDP by which the defendant was claiming entitlement to the post of the national chairman of the PDP, the defendant could legally continue to parade himself as the national chairman, act or do anything in the name or on behalf of the PDP. The plaintiff also asked the court to declare that the judgment of Justice Valentine Ashi was binding, valid and subsisting.

Sheriff Declares Convention Illegal However, a defiant Sheriff yesterday described the convention of the PDP as illegal, null and void, adding that the meeting breached Section 31 of the PDP constitution.

In a statement issued by Sheriff’s media aide, Mr. Inua Buala, the former Borno governor also described as illegal the extension of the tenure of the Makarfi-led caretaker committee.

The section provides that it is only the national chairman who can convene a NEC, after giving two weeks notice to INEC. “Even in an emergency situation, one week notice must be given to the national chairman, who has the sole responsibility to convene the NEC. “It is sad that in the face of obvious disregard for court orders, which halted the convention, some individuals are bent on perpetrating impunity by taking steps to install another contraption on the PDP,” he said.

Sheriff observed that the rule of law and constitutionality must prevail in all circumstances, as such “whatever decisions arrived at, are not binding and cannot stand in law”.

APC Denies Involvement in Legal Tussle Meanwhile, Mr. Olisaemeka Akamukale, a member of the APC BoT said yesterday that the ruling party was not behind the legal tussle in the PDP. Akamukale, while fielding questions from reporters at the APC national secretariat in Abuja said that the ruling

party had no reason to be behind the conflicting court orders and welcomed a vibrant opposition.

He said: “Ali Modu Sheriff was with us in ANPP until we formed APC. He left to PDP and was celebrated.

We have no reason to be behind it.

“The problem with PDP is that they want to put money where they did not harvest.

They should look for their founding fathers. It is better we have a strong opposition.

We don’t need crisis in the PDP to win landslide again in 2019.

“We don’t need Ali Modu Sheriff; he contested in Borno and lost even among the grassroots. We don’t need him, that umbrella is torn.

“They should go back and form a new party, not using a wasted pipeline. It’s a lesson for APC to learn.

“They became like emperors – undemocratic principles, the rule of law was trampled upon. See the Port Harcourt saga, they just disgraced themselves.

“Nigerians need a viable opposition. For us as it stands now, APC is the only party. It is not good for Nigeria; bury the umbrella and present a formidable opposition.”

The BoT member held the view that Sheriff was not a man “to be used and dumped”.

“When they brought him, they were happy, they used his money, and now they have used him and want to dump him. The Sheriff I know will not succumb.”

He urged all those who worked to make APC a reality, but are impatient with President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments into boards to be patient.

“I agree that people are impatient with the president and are still waiting out there to be compensated. I’m sure it would soon be addressed, but I urge that be patient.

“I do not think that it is because we do not have a BoT that we have problems.

The only thing I will agree is that the BoT is the only board inaugurated to settle conflicts within the party.

“For instance, this padding issue has nothing to do with the APC so as far as I am concerned, it should be investigated.

The party will not shield someone that commits a crime,” he said.

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Escaped Chibok Girl Says She Misses Her Boko Haram Husband In a classic case reminiscent of the Stockholm Syndrome, the escaped Chibok girl Amina Ali Nkeki has said she misses her Boko Haram fighter husband and still thinks about him three months after escaping the terrorists’ camp.

Amina Ali, who was held hostage by the terrorist group for more than two years, has also disclosed that she was married off a year into her ordeal and later had a baby girl, Safiya.

The couple and their daughter were found on the outskirts of Nigeria's Sambisa Forest in May. She said they fled the camp by themselves and were not rescued by the Nigerian military, contrary to initial reports.

Her husband, identified as Mohammed Hayatu at the time of their escape, told a witness that he too had been kidnapped by Boko Haram.

He was placed in military detention for interrogation

by Nigeria’s joint intelligence centre.

Amina Ali added that she had no idea where he is now but was keen to be reunited with him.

“I'm not comfortable with the way I’m being kept from him,” the painfully shy 21-year-old told CNN in her

first worldwide interview, at an undisclosed location in Abuja on Tuesday.

Addressing the father of her child directly, she said: “I want you to know that I’m still thinking about you, and just because we are separated doesn’t mean I have forgotten about you.”

Her statements came two days after the terrorist group released a grisly video showing the dead bodies of young women, taken in the aftermath of what Boko Haram claimed was a Nigerian airstrike.

Amina Ali said a dozen captives were killed in a bombing more than a year ago, suggesting that the footage was not new, according to a spokesman for the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The video also showed a Chibok girl reciting a scripted plea for the release of Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the kidnapped girls.

Amina Ali was one of 276 schoolgirls abducted at gunpoint from their boarding school in Chibok on April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram terrorists. As many as 57 girls were able to escape almost immediately, but 219 remained missing until

Amina Ali’s escape.

The kidnapping sparked global outrage and prompted global figures, including activist Malala Yousafzai and US first lady Michelle Obama, to support the campaign to #BringBackOurGirls.

Amina Ali refuses to talk about the attack, saying she alone cannot remember what happened that fateful day.

For a year after they were taken, the abducted girls were kept together, she said. Then some of the teenagers — including her — were “given” to the terrorists as wives.

She said she was desperate to see her mother again and that the thought gave her the courage and strength to flee the camp.

Asked how she felt about becoming a mother herself while in captivity, her face clouds over and, speaking through an interpreter, she insisted: “I don't want to answer.”

Her mother has spent the past two months staying with her in Abuja. But Amina Ali has still not been back to Chibok and added that she wanted to go home and return to school.

“I’m not scared of Boko Haram. They are not my

God,” she said.

The whereabouts of the rest of the girls remain a mystery, though they are believed to be somewhere in the Sambisa Forest, Boko Haram’s stronghold in the North-east.

The federal government has said via Facebook that it is in touch with Boko Haram and working to secure the girls’ release.

Over the past two years, successive Nigerian governments have been criticised for failing to rescue the young hostages.

“This is a government which is not only in denial mentally, but in denial about certain obvious steps to take,” Nigerian author Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, said of the Goodluck Jonathan administration when the girls were first kidnapped.

“It’s one of those rather child-like situations that if you shut your eyes, if you don’t exhibit the tactile evidence of the missing humanity here, that somehow the problem will go away,’ he said.

Amina Ali remains the only long-held hostage who has escaped.

But she has a defiant

Amina with her baby girl message for her “sisters” still being held: “Don't lose hope.” She managed to get away, she said, and one day they will be able to return to their families too.

“Be patient and prayerful,” she said. “The way God rescued me from Sambisa Forest, he will rescue you too.”

• Culled from CNN

THISDAY NEWSPAPERS INAUGURATES NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Adeniyi former Chairman of Legacy Pension Funds Limited and Special Adviser, Traditional Matters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo; and Mr. Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, a prominent Borno politician and former Presidential Liaison Officer (Senate) at the start of the Obasanjo administration.

The five new directors, the statement said, would be

Nwogwugwu joining Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of the THISDAY Newspaper Group, Mr. Eniola Bello, Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Komolafe, Deputy Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, and Mr. Israel Iwegbu, Group Executive Director, Abuja and Northern Operations, THISDAY

Chike-Obi Newspapers, on the board.

While congratulating the newly appointed directors, Obaigbena said: “These appointments will greatly assist in the plans we have to navigate the THISDAY Newspapers Group in the changing climate of print and electronic journalism as we know it.

“With the entrenchment of

Dan-Baba

Kashim-Imam

online media websites that deliver up-to-the-minute news, citizens’ journalism provided by news blogs and social media platforms, large-scale ‘leaks’ of electronic documents as the future of investigative journalism, and the rise of online television, movie and entertainment channels that can be accessed on mobile devices, the board will be

mandated to draw up and implement an aggressive but deliverable strategy that will keep THISDAY in lockstep with the digitisation of journalism.”

“These are exciting times for THISDAY,” he added.

“With this new board and the wealth of experience that all the members will be bringing to the table, I have no doubt that our media group will continue

on its strong growth trajectory,” Obaigbena said.

He expressed optimism about the future of THISDAY, adding: “These appointments show the strength of the talents within and outside THISDAY and demonstrate our commitment to the future of the organisation. We could not have put together a better team for the board of directors.”

oil and gas production in the country.

In his remarks, Ambode said that the commencement of crude oil production in the state would in no small measure enhance the economy of not just the state, but the nation in general.

He said it was significant for the Nigeria economy that the state had emerged as the first oil producing state outside the Niger Delta basin, describing the visit of the technical committee as remarkable in the annals of Lagos.

The governor said the working visit signalled the official step that has taken the state to the final destination that makes it an oil producing state. “We are very glad to receive this delegation,” he added.

“We thank the federal government, especially President

Muhammadu Buhari for making this happen very promptly. This has been the quickest action that has been taken by RMAFC since I have known the commission.

“I used to be the state accountant general. So I had a lot of transactions and a relationship with the institution called RMAFC. Within a span of about 60 days after we wrote our letter and even before we wrote the letter, this technical committee was set up.

“It gladdens me that the institution works and is working for the good of Nigeria,” he said.

Ambode commended members of the DPR and NBC, saying both institutions “have contributed immensely to the process of the discovery and production of crude oil in Lagos”.

He said the discovery of

hydrocarbon resources in Lagos had kick-started the path to the diversification of oil production in Nigeria, urging other states “to activate the mineral deposits in their domain as a means of boosting internally generated revenue (IGR)”.

He added: “It will also give us revenue independence in a manner that there would be equal growth in all the nooks and corners of Nigeria.

“I am happy RMAFC has taken this step. Other states should engage in activities that will allow them to activate whatever mineral deposits they have in the various states in conjunction with the federal government, so that we can start to diversify revenue and growth and then create balanced growth and development for the whole country.”

FG APPROVES FOUR OIL WELLS, 13% DERIVATION FOR LAGOS legitimately attributed to the

state.

The Chairman of the Indices and Disbursement Committee, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, disclosed this during a working visit to the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, at the State House, Alausa, yesterday.

Mohammed visited the governor alongside other members of the committee comprising Mr. Ken Kayama, Ambassador Polycap Azige, Alhaji Bello Usman Maitambari, Dr. Rafiq Ogunbambi and Mrs. Martina Odom.

Mohammed said the revenue allocation commission set up an Inter-Agency Technical Committee which comprised the commission pursuant to its constitutional mandate.

He explained that the main purpose of the working visit was to verify crude oil and gas production from the Aje oil wells for the purpose of disbursement of 13 per cent derivation to the state in line with the constitution.

The chairman explained that the commission and members of the technical committee had “to embark on this working visit to conclude its assignment”.

He added that the technical committee comprised representatives from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission (NBC) to determine the location of the Aje oil wells off the Badagry coast.

He said the technical committee recommended that “for the purpose of derivation

as spelt out under Section 162 (2) of the constitution, as well as the Allocation of Revenue (Abolition of Dichotomy in the Application of Derivation), Act, Aje oil wells 1, 2, 4 and 5 fall within the 200-mile isobaths and therefore should be attributed to Lagos State”.

Based on the findings of the technical committee, however, Mohammed confirmed that Aje 3 oil well falls beyond the 200-mile isobaths and therefore could not be legitimately attributed to Lagos State.

He added that the commencement of oil production from the Aje oil field by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited was the first time oil is being produced outside the Niger Delta basin and therefore of major significance in diversifying the source of crude

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NEWS

News Editor Davidson Iriekpen Email davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

US State Department Sought Eko Atlantic Land Deal with Nigerian Firm Tied to Clinton Foundation Shortly after Hillary Clinton left the President Barack Obama administration, the United States State Department quietly took steps to purchase real estate in Nigeria from a firm whose parent company is owned by a major donor to the Clinton Foundation, records obtained

by Fox News show.

On March 20, 2013, William P. Franklin, an “international realty specialist” at the State Department, emailed Mary E. Davis, an American diplomat stationed in Africa, instructing her to “put on Post letterhead” an “expression of interest” by the department in purchasing property at Eko Atlantic, a massive real estate development off the coast of Lagos. Franklin further instructed that the signed letter was to be “delivered to Ronald Chagoury.”

The draft letter, also obtained

by Fox News, was undated and addressed to Chagoury care of his firm, South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the larger Chagoury Group that is spearheading the Eko Atlantic real estate venture.

The State Department letter sought, among other things, to confirm that the department could proceed with “acquisition of the real property…(at) the asking price of $1,250 per square metre.”

Overtures to real estate developers from State Department officials scouting locations for embassies, consulates and other diplomatic facilities would ordinarily not arouse interest. But in this case, the budding transaction – never completed, the department now says – raised eyebrows because Ronald Chagoury is the brother and business partner in the Chagoury Group, of Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese-born

businessman whom federal records show has donated between $1 and $5 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Indeed, Gilbert Chagoury’s friendship with the Clintons can be traced back to the Clinton presidency. In the mid-1990s, Chagoury donated nearly $500,000 to a voterregistration drive designed to help Democratic candidates, attend a White House dinner for premium donors, and meet with high-ranking officials in the Clinton White House – including Susan Rice, now President Obama’s national security adviser – who were shaping US policy toward Nigeria.

More recently, the Chagourys’ close ties to the Clintons generated headlines when a separate series of emails from 2009 – between Doug Band, an aide to former President Clinton, and Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary Clinton – revealed the eagerness of the State Department to oblige a request for Chagoury to be granted access to senior officials working on Lebanon.

The State Department’s outreach to the Chagoury family, looking to buy property from the brothers, came less than a month after former President Clinton himself toured the Eko Atlantic project – for the second time. The first occasion was the ground breaking, in 2009, in which the former president participated. By all accounts, Eko Atlantic represents a staggeringly ambitious undertaking: the dredging of millions of tonnes of sand from the sea floor off Victoria Island and the creation of an estimated 3.5 square miles of new land, on which the Chagourys aim to establish what they call a “21st

century city … for residential, commercial, financial and tourist development.”

Mr. Clinton toured the Eko Atlantic site for the second time on February 21, 2013 – 23 days after his wife left the State Department – to celebrate the Chagourys’ reclamation of 5 million square metres of land, a critical juncture in the project.

Smiling and animated, Mr. Clinton was photographed conferring with Gilbert Chagoury and Jeffrey J. Hawkins, the consul general for the State Department in Nigeria.

Twenty-seven days later, when William P. Franklin would order aides to begin

exploring the acquisition of land from South Energyx, the Chagoury-owned company, Hawkins would be one of four State Department officials copied on Franklin’s email.

“A month after Mr. Clinton visits a Gilbert and Ronald Chagoury-run land project in Nigeria, the US State Department wants to buy the same land,” said David N. Bossie, president of Citizens United, the conservative advocacy group whose litigation against the State Department pried loose the Franklin email and accompanying letter.

“Who could be so lucky? A major donor to the Clinton Foundation, that’s who.”

Queried by Fox News about the matter, the State Department said its officials had “prioritised” the search for a new consulate location in Lagos back in 2011 – when Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state – and that an “independent international real estate firm” had identified Eko Atlantic as a potential site the following year.

“Our site search process … is managed by career real estate professionals in the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, with input from independent real estate firms and other department stakeholders,” said Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokeswoman, at a briefing for journalists last

Monday.

“The department has had conversations with multiple property owners and their representatives about the possibility of acquiring property for a new consulate in Lagos,” she stated Trudeau could not explain why a “prioritised” mission had dragged on for five years without success, noting only that “acquiring property that’s appropriate” for a diplomatic facility can be “a long process.”

Asked if Secretary Clinton had been aware of her department’s identification of the Chagouryowned land as a potential site

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DIPLOMATIC VISIT

L-R: Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Australian High Commissioner, Paul Lehmann; with Second Secretary and Consul, Kayzad Namdarian, during a visit to the minister’s office in Abuja....yesterday

Telecoms Operators Fret over Proposed 9% Communication Services Tax FG targets N240bn annually from ICT service tax

Crusoe Osagie in Lagos and Dele Ogbodo in Abuja The Organised Private Sector (OPS) has expressed concerns over the proposed plan by the federal government to impose a special tax of nine per cent for the use of communication services, noting that this move would only succeed in worsening the prevailing high cost of doing business in the country.

The operators under the telecommunications arm of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said the economic implications of this bill would affect consumer purchasing power which they say negates the principle of neutrality, maintaining that it would also discourage investment and impede development of the telecommunications sector.

They posited that the bill potentially creates and raises the issue of double taxation

since Value Added Tax (VAT) Act already imposes tax of five per cent on the supply of goods and services, calling for the suspension of the bill to allow for the rapid growth of the telecommunications sector in line with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan.

However, the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, stated that the bill which is before the Senate and House of Representatives, have commenced the legislative process to enact the bill which he said has passed its first reading.

The minister during the private sector dialogue session on the proposed communication services tax bill organised by the LCCI, stated that according to many schools of thought, the bill seeks to impose additional charges on users of electronic communication services in Nigeria.

He added that the proposed national ICT roadmap is poised

to set out the intent and commitment of the government to continue the development of the ICT sector and implement the sector policies and plans in an integrated, focused and innovative manner that aligns with the change mantra of the current administration.

Shittu pointed out that the present administration’s goal is to provide cost effective, ubiquitous ICT access for overall national development, stating that as government plans to increase revenue, makes the bill worthy of consideration.

“I have been reliably informed that the projected earnings from this effort is over N20 billion every month, which is an attraction to the government in funding our budget deficits. I must be quick to say that this government has got a human face twined around its decisions,” he said.

The president, LCCI, Dr. Nike Akande, acknowledged the fact

that the government is seeking to diversify its revenue base in the light of the dwindling oil revenue, but stressed that the private sector players would like to see an investment friendly tax environment, especially in the light of the prevailing high cost of doing business in the country.

She said the ICT sector is very strategic to sustainable growth and development, adding that the sector has witnessed an impressive growth over the last one decade.

She said according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria has become the largest telecoms market in Africa and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Partner, West Africa Tax Leader, PWC, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, said the timing and the concept behind the bill could have been better, saying that making decisions without empirical evidences will only lead to wrong decisions.

He added that engagement with stakeholders in the industry and the users of the services have not been taking into consideration, saying that stakeholders must give their views before such bill is passed into law.

In another development, Shittu has said government would realise N240 billion annually from the proposed Information Communications and Technology (ICT) service tax to be introduced by government.

The ICT service tax bill which is currently pending before the National Assembly will apply to voice calls, SMS, MMS, data and pay viewings channels.

While urging for support for the quick passage of the bill, he said, the money generated from the tax will be used by government in funding its deficit budget.

He said: “Our appetite as a government to increase revenue makes this bill worthy of our consideration.

“I have been reliably informed that the projected earnings from this effort is over N20 billion naira every month, which is an attraction to the government in funding our budget deficits.

“I must be quick to say that this government has got a human face twined around its decisions.”

This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Victor Oluwadamilare, on behalf of the minister, in Abuja, said the extra 9 percent tax to be paid by subscribers of telecommunications service.

While admitting that the proposed tax has generated some concern, he said: “The proposed bill said a section of the stakeholders have extrapolated that the bill seeks to impose additional nine per cent charges on users of electronic communication services which is to be remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), on a monthly basis.

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NEWSXTRA

N64.8bn UBE Funds: Education Ministry Takes 28 States to FEC for Sanction

Paul Obi in Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Education has reported 28 states which did not access the N64.8billion UBE funds in the country to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for possible sanction.

This was because of the states’ inability to access the Universal Basic Education (UBE) fund.

UBE Executive Secretary, Dr. Hameed Bobboyi, stated this yesterday evening in Abuja, during a meeting with th state chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

THISDAY gathered that only nine out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were able to access the funds in 2015.

According to a report, “28 states could not access the funds either because they failed to provide the matching grants or because they could not afford to pay counterpart funds required to access the money.”

The Executive Secretary expressed concern over the inability of some states to take basic education seriously even before the present economic challenges affecting the country.

Bobboyi explained that government was worried about the numbers of out-of-school children in the country and the poor quality of teachers in the basic education sector, which has continued to hamper the

country in education ranking.

Bobboyi said: “The Federal Ministry of Education and the relevant agencies have been doing quite a lot to ensure that the funds that are not accessed are accessed by the states.

This case is before ministry of education which is taking up the issue with the FEC and I think when FEC makes its decision, these things will be available for each and everywhere person to know just where we stand on this issue.

“There are two parties involved here and I think we should understand that the major reason for instituting the matching grant of the UBE Act is to ensure that you build sufficient resources for the basic education sector where whatever the federal government brings the state governments will also match those funds and that is how the funding formula was developed.

“The idea is for us to push and ensure that people understand the initial impact of having the matching grants but subsequently also to see what could be done to see policy changes which could come from government because it involves change in UBEC Act that will facilitate or institute a lower percentage of matching grants to enable a large number of states which may be in some difficulties to access the funds.”

Bobboyi said some states for failing to take basic education

seriously even before the present economic challenges affecting the country.

He said: “But unfortunately because of certain factors, even before the economic crisis that people are talking about, there are some states, perhaps who have not taken basic education very seriously. UBE has a road map for the development of basic education in this country.

Any Executive secretary who comes will look at this and see what the priorities of government at any moment are.

“This government from the discussions and mandate that was given to us when we were inaugurated is to look at such key areas and ensure those concerned areas are addressed.

“The worrying areas of out of school children, issues of teachers’ development are crucial to sustaining the quality of basic education in Nigeria because if we don’t develop the teacher it becomes very difficult for us to realize the quality we are looking for.

“You know the key area that concerns this government is that area of accountability

and transparency in the use of funds. And I think UBEC is going to improve its monitoring processes to ensure that whatever funds that come from UBEC are utilised in a transparent and accountable manner so that we can realise the core mandate of the organisation that has been put in charge.”

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, had earlier stated that the ministry was working on modalities to reduce or discard requirements for matching grants by states in order for them to have access to the funds.

“We at the ministry, we are doing our best to reduce or do away with the requirements for matching grants so that states can just apply to UBEC and get what is their share,” Adamu stated then.

The Executive Chairman/ Dean of SUBEBs, Prince Stephen Alao, confirmed that some states have been able to access 78 per cent of the funds due to dwindling funds at their disposal.

Alao said: “Most states as I speak today have been able to

access 78% of the fund for major infrastructural development across the nation and it is a continuous process.

“Most of the governors take basic education as a priority and the money that they have to pay for them to access is quite a lot of money and I am very happy, for example we have been able to access and we are working,” he observed Meanwhile, following the flagrant abuse of counterpart funding by respective states, the federal government, yesterday in Abuja handed a note of warning to states to desist from diversion and misappropriation of the UBEC funds, as such menace would no longer be tolerated.

The warning was given during an interactive session with the Chairmen of States Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) to sensitise the states on the imperative of quality and efficient education programmes.

Speaking at the session, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, cautioned against states’ perennial misappropriation of UBEC funds, which he said,

has continued to impede government’s desire to standardise basic education in the country.

According to him, “there is need for us to think as a team for improved service delivery in the basic education sub-sector as it is the foundation of development of all other sectors.

“For us to achieve the expected improvement, we need to deliberate seriously on the issues of sourcing, utilisation and accountability of funds, as it has been a major challenge in the implementation of UBE programme,” Bobboyi said.

The Executive Secretary informed the states that “UBEC places high premium on quality of basic education and will continue to do so for improved effectiveness and efficiency in line with global best practices aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Bobboyi explained that the session was geared towards providing “the opportunity to interact freely and share opinions on our collective goals and achievements as well as issues militating against the implementation of UBE programmes.”

Niger Delta Avengers Disown Contact Group, Says No Negotiation with FG Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa and Okon Bassey in Uyo The Niger Delta Avengers yesterday disowned a statement to the effect that the militant group had agreed to negotiate with the federal government to end the current crisis in the Niger Delta region.

Yesterday’s rebuttal was sequel to a statement released earlier in Abuja by a purported spokesman for the Dialogue Group, one Mr. Ballantyne Agiri, which said the group had agreed to renounce its violent approach to resolving the under-development of the oil-rich region.

Agiri said the NDA had constituted a contact and dialogue group to engage the federal government in dialogue as part of the initiatives to resolve the crisis, adding that the group was determined to come out with results that would yield lasting peace, equity, justice and harmony among all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

However, while accusing members of the so-called contact group of being impostors, the NDA which commenced the destruction of oil and gas platforms in the region earlier this year, maintained that it would not enter into negotiations with the federal government.

“We are not ready for any negotiation or dialogue with the federal government,” the group

said, warning the said contact group members to stop deceiving the public.

“Who is Ballantyne Agiri, the acclaimed dialogue group spokesman?” the NDA asked.

“We don’t know you, and please stop fooling the But Agiri had said in his public statement that, “The body (NDA) has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and international community to dialogue with the federal government.’’

The purported contact group’s spokesman also urged Nigerians and the international community to follow developments on the issue closely and watch out for which side would violate the terms, rules and spirit of the dialogue.

“The federal government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly monetary inducement or stipend for the NDA. “The federal government should be ready for structural changes that should be human and development-oriented.

“Members of the avengers’ group (who will participate in the dialogue) have already been selected, each based on his integrity, forthrightness, honesty and life-track records.

“The names of members of the group for now shall not be made public for personal reasons until they begin functioning in few days ahead,’’ Agiri had said.

ANOTHER AWARD FOR SERVICE

L–R: Analytics Officer, Financial Inclusion, Diamond Bank Plc, Chioma Abia; Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Knut Ulvmoen; President, LCCI, Mrs. Onikepo Akande; and Vice President/Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Mr. Sola Oyetayo, at the 2016 Information Communication Technology and Telecommunication Expo organised

by LCCI where Diamond Y’ello was awarded The Product of The Year by LCCI...Monday

FG to Release N9.8bn to Fight Polio Paul Obi and Marvellous Okeke in Abuja In a drastic effort to tame the further spread of new cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV), the federal government yesterday said about N9.8 billion of the annual budgetary allocation for immunisation would be released this week to ensure that Polio is effectively tackled.

The Minister of Health, Prof.

Isaac Adewole, at a briefing in Abuja on government’s efforts to squarely address the challenges associated with the outbreak of the two new cases in Borno State, denied reports that the Federal Ministry of Finance withheld the release of the 2016 budget for immunisation.

Adewole told journalists that contrary to reports, government, through the ministry of finance, had earlier released about N6.5 billion for polio aimed at arresting the ugly incidents of new cases of polio as recorded last week.

He said: “By Monday, the N9.8 billion budgeted for immunisation

will be released to fight vaccine preventable diseases, particularly, Polio virus.”

Last week, Nigeria reported two WPV1 cases in Gwoza and Jere Local Government Areas of Borno State after two years without a single case.

The minister explained that “following the confirmation of the outbreak of WPV in Borno State, to ensure the containment of all the cases and prevent further spread of WPV to other states, I have approved the revision of the robust WPV outbreak response plan developed by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and its partners.

“The response plan includes five (rounds of polio campaigns, two of which are focused on 18 northern states and two to be conducted nationwide, one to be conducted in five states. These campaigns will be synchronised with the affected regions and provinces in Chad, Niger, Cameroun and Central African Republic.”

According to Adewole, “For

the sub-national campaigns, 31,540,054 children are targeted to be vaccinated each round with oral polio vaccines across states in the North-east, North-west and North-central zones of the country. For the nationwide response, 56,363,618 children will be vaccinated between October and November 2016.

“The revised plan was informed by factors such as historical data on WPV affected areas, pattern of transmission over the last five years, population displacements due to insecurity in the North-east, likelihood of spread of the virus to other neighbouring countries and population immunity.”

He informed journalists that “The justification for the expansion of the initial schedule includes the fact that, given previous history of exportation to other countries and the suboptimal routine immunisation coverage in several countries in the African region, the response requires that adequate protection be provided

to vulnerable children at the risk of infection.

“Report from the detailed investigation carried out by our team revealed that both cases came from security compromised areas of Borno State, which have had limited access to any form of health services including immunisation since 2011.

“The case reported in Jere Local Government Area was from a child who had arrived at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri (Muna camp in Jere council area, after trekking for two days following the provision of an escape corridor by the military authorities. The second case was detected in Gwoza Local Government Area. Both rural areas have had their health facilities destroyed by insurgents and accessibility was a barrier to service provision. Both cases have been linked to the polio cases detected in Bama in 2011.

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NEWSXTRA

NLC Warns against Hike in Fuel Price

Cautions NERC, Discos against abuse of court order To protest Al-Makura’s alleged impunity

Paul Obi and Marvellous Okeke in Abuja

Following the purported plan by the federal government to hike the price of petroleum products, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday threatened to

take drastic action over any move to further hike fuel price after the last increase.

Though the federal government has clearly denied any such plan, the NLC at the end of an emergency Central Working Committee (CWC)

I’m Ever Ready to Give Account of My Stewardship, Says Jang Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah David Jang, has expressed delight over the setting up of commission of inquiry by his successor, Governor Simon Lalong to probe his administration, noting that he was “growing weary of the inconsequential rantings, outbursts, threats, and sensational media trial of his illustrious time as Governor of Plateau State which the Lalong administration now leads to the fringes of nihility.”

In a press statement signed by his media aide, Clinton Garuba, the senator noted that “at the last

count, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry is the fifth committee Lalong has constituted, mandated, empowered, and inaugurated” to probe his tenure, adding that like the rest before it, nothing would be gained “except the visible characteristics of all associated with power acquired by accident.”

He said: “From the deputy governor’s committee to the others who engaged in arithmetic abracadabra to bamboozle people with figures which existed only in the minds of their apologists and praise singers, so much money has been expended in what is now a wild goose chase.”

meeting said congress is not taking such a plan lightly.

In a communique signed by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and Secretary General, Dr. Peter Ozo-Ezon, “expressed concern at the body language of the oil marketers which points to the process of yet another round of increase in the pump price of petroleum products, warning that another spate of increase in any form will not be acceptable.”

NLC further declared that “In view of the incalculable damage any further increase in the pump price of petroleum products will cause, marketers should not contemplate this option.”

They also “called on NERC and DISCOs to obey without further delay, the subsisting court order by reviewing downward the current electricity tariff.”

NLC noted: “that in spite of the subsisting court order declaring as illegal the electricity

tariff review, NERC and DISCOs are yet to comply with the court order.”

The organisation added that “in view of the growing difficulties in the economy associated with inflation and devaluation of the Naira, a new minimum wage is not only imperative but urgent as the current minimum wage cannot take the workers to the next bus stop.”

Meanwhile, the association said it would next week stage a protest against the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Tanko AlMakura, over alleged impunity and abuse of workers’ right.

To that effect, the NLC said it will “declare August 23, 2016 as national day of mourning in honour of the dead and injured workers in Nassarawa State.

“Invite Nigerian workers and civil society allies from across the country to Lafiaon August 23, 2016 to peacefully protest against the illegal actions, impunity and murderous

schemes of Al-Makura.”

The NLC explained that “even if workers were on protest, the right to lawful assembly and protest is guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, Labour Legislations and ILO Conventions to which Nigeria is a signatory.”

They also expressed “outrage at the concerted effort by the Nasarawa Police Command and the government of Nasarawa state at a criminal cover up.”

The body also described “the shooting as barbaric, tragic and saddening, noting that the absence of remorse by the Nasarawa Police Command or the Nasarawa State Governor shows it was a premeditated action.

“The mindless violence unleashed on workers is part of a calculated attempt by some governors to silence lawful and peaceful protests against their acts of impunity, unlawful and criminal conduct and will be resisted by workers

with everything workers have.”

They added: “There have been systematic and co-ordinated attacks on the rights of workers in some states such as Nasarawa, Kogi and Imo by way of non-payment of salaries and pensions; illegal whittling down of the workforce via declaration of workers as ghost workers; unlawful abrogation of working days and hours; and surreptitious sacking of workers.”

NLC further demanded for “full justice for the injured and the dead by way of unbiased investigation, appropriate punishment and full compensation for the victims of this senseless shooting “Put in place a series of actions to compel the government of Nasarawa State and Nasarawa Police Command to account for their actions,” the NLC stated.

EFCC Rearrests Achike Udenwa The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday re-arrested former the Governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, in connection with alleged campaign scandal at the last presidential election.

Udenwa, as a state coordinator for the Presidential Campaign Organisation in Imo State, was said to have collected N350million from the former Minister of state of Finance, Nenadi Usman.

The suspect, in his statement to the commission, admitted receiving the money via Diamond Bank account No.0058805692 and 005950791 respectively on January 14 and 28, 2015 in three separate installments.

He added that the money came from a company named Joint Trust Dimension Limited.

The same company was charged alongside Usman and the Media Director of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation,

Femi Fani-Kayode, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, on a similar allegation.

Investigation by the EFCC however revealed that Udenwa and Viola Onwuliri, a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who was his deputy at the Presidential Campaign Organisation, were the two signatories to the Diamond Bank account that received the money.

Upon his arrest, Udenwa was immediately granted administrative bail by the commission with condition that he should be reporting to the commission at an appointed time.

But while enjoying his administrative bail, Udenwa chose to deliberately skip reporting, thereby compelling the commission to revoke his administrative bail pending his arraignment soon.

Udenwa was governor of Imo State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 1999 and 2007.

Unconditional Freedom for Kanu or Nothing, IPOB Insists David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has stated that nothing short of unconditional release of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, will be accepted.

The group said it was a waste of time for the federal government to think that they can soften Kanu by depositing him in prison, thereby making him beg them for freedom.

A statement made available to THISDAY by the group’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, stated that: “Instead of our leader to renounce Biafra, he would renounce Nigeria publicly, mark our words!

“We are not after securing bail for our leader, we are after his freedom and freedom for the people of Biafra. Even a child born today knows that any attempt to tamper with Kanu’s life will bring the sort of calamity too horrible to imagine in Nigeria.”

The group warned that should anything happen to Kanu, Somalia will be a paradise compared to what will happen in Nigeria.

They reiterated that they are not asking for bail for Kanu, but demanding his immediate and unconditional release as ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

REVENUE MATTERS IN FOCUS

L-R: Chairman, Indices and Disbursement Committee, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; members of the committee, Dr. Rafiq Ogunbambi; and Mrs. Matina Odom, during the committee’s courtesy call to the governor at the Lagos House, Ikeja....yesterday

Bishops Condemn Health Minister over Alleged Plan to Legalise Abortion Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti The Catholic Bishops Conference of Ibadan Ecclesiastical province has condemned the alleged subtle plan by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in collaboration with foreign organisations to increase the culture of contraception among Nigerian women, describing this as an anti-life policy.

The bishops also warned the political parties participating in the Edo and Ondo State governorship polls to desist from violence and align with the guidelines stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to avert chaos in the system.

They praised President Muhammadu Buhari for exposing corrupt Nigerians in his anti-graft war, advising that the president must institutionalise the fight for it to outlast his administration

and in the system.

A communique issued at the end of the three-day second plenary meeting of the province held in Akure, Ondo State, yesterday “condemned the recent move by the Minister of Health, Prof. Adewole, in collaboration with the foreign agencies to commit the federal government to increasing the culture of contraception and subsequently, abortion among our people.”

The communiqué signed by its President and Archbishop of Ibadan, Gabriel Abegunrin and Secretary, who also doubles as the Catholic Bishop of Ekiti State, Bishop Felix Ajakaye added: “The policy is being done all in the name of providing better maternal health and empowering our people.

“We see such moves as deceptive to our people and harmful to moral values and we ask Nigerians

to reject them. Our youth and women need better power supply, potable water, good roads, better health and educational institutions more than these contraceptives.

“Our country must reject this relentless offer of anti-life incentives under the guise of foreign aid in order not to destroy our beautiful culture,” they advised.

The clerics urged INEC to be fair and allow the people to elect candidates of their choices without hindrances in the Edo and Ondo governorship polls.

“As the elections in Ondo and Edo States draw near, we urge all who will contest the elections to commit themselves to non-violence and fairplay.

“Our country by now has some years of democratic experience and so must be seen to be gaining positively from the experience. We urge

the electoral umpires to be truly independent and fair.

“Since democracy is fundamentally about the people, we call on all our people to stand up for what is good and beneficial to the common good. Let everyone votes according to his conscience and shun corrupt practices for the sake of our dear country.

While lauding the Buhari’s anti-graft war, the bishops appealed to the state and local governments to join the fray and to increase the tentacle of the fight to the grassroots.

The bishops canvassed for the return of Catholic schools under the care of governments in the province, so that they can effectively manage them and ensure moral rehabilitation of teachers, pupils and other stakeholders in the education sector, the measure they described as long overdue.

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COMMENT

Editor, Editorial Page PETER ISHAKA Email peter.ishaka@thisdaylive.com

THE ROAD TO ERADICATING POVERTY

A

The youth should clamour for a restructuring of the country’s governance architecture, urges Emeka Anyaoku

ugust 12, 2016, was the official United Nations International Youth Day and the theme of this year’s event is “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption.”

The significance of this year’s theme lies in the role of youth in actualising the global aspiration of eradicating poverty by 2030.

While acknowledging the importance of the Nigerian youth as part of the global youth movement, I would want to address the role of our young people in tackling the challenge of massive poverty in our country both now and as we progress towards 2030.

There are three areas of essential national action if we are successfully to reduce the high level of poverty presently existing in our country. And our youth must seek to play active role in the three areas: in politics including governance, in social change including societal values and ethics, and in economic activities including especially entrepreneurship.

In politics, from my close experience over 10 years of governance in over 50 countries, I remain strongly of the view which I began to express in 2005 that Nigeria cannot attain political stability and its deserved level of national socio-economic development unless it restructures its existing governance architecture. There is no way the country can mitigate its current ethnically and religiously destabilising competition for control of the all-powerful federal government if we retain the existing unitarist federal structure of 36 largely economically and financially non-viable federating units. To enable the country to move away from “do-or-die” politics and to unlock its socio-economic development potential, we should restructure the polity by devolving more powers to a less number of federating units. Such federating units would provide more viable basis for economic planning and development with each federating unit developing at its own pace.

In my lecture of January 31, 2016 at the Ibadan School of Public Policy and Government, I spoke about how the now recognised six geo-political zones should be adopted as the federating units, how powers should be devolved to them from the centre, and about how the federally generated revenue should be allocated to the federal government and

TO EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THE CHALLENGE OF YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND INDEED TO PROGRESS TOWARDS POVERTY ERADICATION NOW AND BY 2030, OUR YOUTH MUST EMBRACE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

the federating units.

The 2014 National Conference is not the answer to the restructuring that Nigeria needs. Although some elements of its recommendations such as those pertaining to state police and fiscal arrangements are a step in the right direction, the proposal that there should be 54 states completely negates the idea of a vibrant federalism for a country with its history and is as ethnically and religiously diverse as Nigeria.

The restructuring that I am advocating should pose no threat to Nigeria’s unity; on the contrary, it is the continuation of the ongoing agitations in different parts of the country which are encouraged by the present governance structure that will most probably lead to the undoing of the country’s unity.

And now the tasks for Nigeria’s youth. Our young people should mobilise themselves and channel some of their youthful enthusiasm and activism into clamouring for a restructuring of the country’s governance architecture in order to realise a truer federalism that will give the country greater political stability and faster socio-economic development.

The Nigerian society in its present state is in great need for social change. Corruption pervades all levels of the society starting from examination malpractice in our schools and educational institutions, through bribery and seeking of gratification before performance of one’s obligatory duties, to outright embezzlement and stealing of public and private funds. All this happens primarily because the Nigerian society now worships wealth and has put its possession over and above the possession of good character. Hard work is no longer recognised as the only path to success in every human endeavour.

I urge our youth as powerful agents of positive change to be in the vanguard of a campaign for the restoration of the societal values and ethics that guided people’s behaviour in the days of my parents and of the growing up of young men and women of my age.

There is no doubt that the massive poverty in our land today is closely linked to the unacceptable level of youth unemployment which is a disaster waiting to happen to the fabric of our society.

Excerpts from Chief Anyaoku (CFR) remarks as chairman of the event to celebrate UN International Youth Day, Lagos

REVIEWING ARCHAIC LAWS TO SAVE BUSINESSES

T

Yusuph Olaniyonu writes on what the Senate is doing to create a conducive business environment

he major challenge facing a troubled economy like that of Nigeria is how to attract new investors and sustain the old ones in business so as to create employment opportunities for the populace. It is for this reason that the major objective of the eighth Senate as enunciated in its legislative agenda is to reform the business environment in the country through a comprehensive review of legislations that affect the ease of doing business. The plan is to make Nigeria investors’ preferred destination choice and thereby create employment and enhance socio-economic development.

In the bid to achieve this objective, the Senate held a Business Round-table Dialogue in which it engaged with the private sector, international financial institutions, development partners, the academia and professional groups. The result was the identification of a number of priority laws which are believed to be essential for creating a conducive environment for the growth of businesses.

The plan is to make these laws comply with international standard and global best practices. The Senate has continued to work on the identified laws.

One of such priority laws already reviewed and passed is the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, 2016 which repeals the Bankruptcy Act No.16 of 1979. The new law was sponsored by Senator Barnabas Gemade and worked on by the Committee on Banking and other Financial Institutions led by Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim.

Bankruptcy, according to the report of the committee, is a term used to describe a state of insolvency regulated by statute

providing for “the equitable distribution of available assets among creditors in such a manner that a honest debtor is discharged from future liabilities”.

This then gives the debtor in financial difficulty an opportunity to make a fresh start.

To update the old law, the committee invited memoranda and also held a public hearing in which all stakeholders gathered to make contributions. It also initiated research on bankruptcy and insolvency in other jurisdictions as well as examined other relevant issues necessary to have an all-inclusive law.

The objective is to create an efficient and effective bankruptcy and insolvency regime that are necessary for the smoothrunning of a modern economic systems and guarantees the fundamental rights, privileges and responsibilities of individuals and corporate entities engaged in contracts and financial relationships.

The law is also expected to facilitate the remodelling of the financial and administrative structure of debtors in financial distress in order to allow the rehabilitation and continuation of the business. The law also seeks to enable the use of technology to analyse data, thereby accelerating procedures on bankruptcy and insolvency.

The new law also aims to create a balance of interest between debtor and creditor by allowing both a bankrupt regime and an effective re-organisation procedure. It also makes possible the ranking of all claims thereby ensuring an improved delivery of insolvency services and administration. Again, the protection of small and medium scale industries which constitute the bedrock of

a developing economy like ours is a key objective of the new law.

As the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki advised the committee, the new law becomes a tool for better credit risk management and helps to make available credit. The new law is also aimed at changing the mindset of individuals who see loan from governmentowned institutions as their own share of the national cake. The process of loan recovery, protection of rights of debtor and creditor, fair distribution of debtors assets among various creditors, regulation of insolvency as a profession and rehabilitation of the insolvent debtor are the other merits of the new law.

To achieve all the above, the new Bankruptcy and Insolvency act makes provision for corporate and individual insolvency, provide for the rehabilitation of the insolvent debtor and create the Office of Supervisor of Insolvency. Also, its Clause three makes the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to take over all the roles previously assigned to the Minister of Finance because it was reasoned that the entire process of establishment and regulation of business organisations in the country including bankruptcy and insolvency is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments.

Also, the mention of the high court as court of first instance was replaced with the Federal High Court in line with constitutional provision. Even reference to Registrar of the Supreme Court in the old law was amended and replaced with “Registrar of the Federal High Court”. Also, Clause 4 (1) which defines what constitutes acts of

bankruptcy was expanded to include two new sub-clauses: “when a debtor disposes any item of plant or machinery funded by the creditor in parts or wholly where such items are collateral without prior notice and express agreement of creditor” and “when a debtor relocates his business from known and unknown address without prior notification of the creditor with the intention of avoiding his obligation”.

Also, clause 71 (2) increased the number of days which a claimant shall be deemed to have abandoned or relinquished all his rights to or interest in the property to the trustee from 15 days to 30 days because the earlier period was too short for any meaningful transaction to be actualised. Similarly, publication of notice will now be in three national dailies to give it wider reach as provided in clause 93 (5) instead of “local newspaper” mentioned in the previous law. The Exclusion Clause 267 was also brought in accord with AMCON Act 2010 which provides for the supremacy of the latter law over any other enactment or law that may be inconsistent with its provisions.

While Part V of the law is designed to facilitate the rehabilitation and reorganisation of companies in financial difficulties, Part VIII provides for counselling services and examination of bankrupt companies. Part IX creates the office of the Supervisor of Insolvency and Licensing who would be obligated to assist in the formulation and implementation of the plan of re-organisation and claims of creditors. Part X provides for cross-border insolvencies.

Olaniyonu is Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President

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EDITORIAL FIVE WEEKS, THREE JAILBREAKS

A

Prison staff who connive with the inmates should be prosecuted

t a time our country is facing serious security challenges, it should worry those in authority that we have experienced, within a period of five weeks, three jailbreaks. The latest of such jailbreaks, at the Enugu prisons, came barely a week after that of Koton Karfe where many of the prisoners who escaped are still on the loose. And that itself was just three weeks after another jailbreak at the Kuje Maximum Prison in Abuja, in the course of which two notorious suspects escaped!

Last Tuesday, the federal government responded by dismissing 23 prison officers for alleged complicity in the three jailbreaks and the escape of prisoners. The officer in charge of Nsukka Prison, Mr. Okonkwo Lawrence and 10 others were also suspended following the escape of 15 inmates from the prison last week. However, from every indication so far, it would take more than suspension or dismissal of some bad eggs to contain this dangerous trend.

Across the country, the prisons where THE SOPHISTICATION convicts and suspects WITH WHICH SOME OF are sent for punishTHESE ARMED GROUPS ment or custody have CARRY OUT THEIR over the years become ATTACKS ALSO SEEMS TO sources of internal OVERWHELM THE PRISON security threat thanks GUARDS WHO MIGHT to fire incidents, NOT HAVE BEEN WELL jailbreaks and armed TRAINED IN INTELLIGENCE terrorist attacks. While GATHERING AND WEAPON jailbreaks are not HANDLING new phenomenon in Nigeria, the rate at which they now occur is becoming disturbing. In one particular incident three years ago, gunmen invaded Oko Prisons in Benin City, Edo State and reportedly freed about 12 inmates many of whom are still at large, thereby constituting grave security

Letters to the Editor

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EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITORS BOlAJI ADEBIYI, JOSEpH USHIGIAlE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OlUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUkA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEl IWEGBU, EMMANUEl EfENI, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU GROUP FINANCE DIRECTOR OlUfEMI ABOROWA DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS pETER IWEGBU, fIDElIS ElEMA, MBAYIlAN ANDOAkA, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS HENRY NWACHOkOR, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOlA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUkA MOSERI GENERAL MANAGER pATRICk EIMIUHI GROUP HEAD fEMI TOlUfASHE ART DIRECTOR OCHI OGBUAkU II DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUkS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

risk to the country. At about the same period, some armed hoodlums invaded Koton Karfe Prisons, Kogi State, and freed 119 inmates. Only 43 of the lot reportedly were re-arrested.

As we have repeatedly argued on this page, the rise in prison attacks could be traced to the increasing wave of crime in our country—from armed robbery to kidnappings and of course the Boko Haram insurgency. The prisons which have been neglected over the years are now in a sorry state as they are congested and with little or no infrastructural development.

However, the most dangerous development is the complacency or connivance of some prison staff in aiding these criminals to execute their evil acts with military precision. That is why we believe that dismissal or suspension of some officials cannot serve as enough deterrence.

Anybody found to have colluded with prisoners to escape should face criminal prosecution. Indeed, what the dismissal of 23 officials last Tuesday has proved very conclusively is that jailbreaks are difficult without some form of internal collusion.

Incidentally, a former Interior Minister, Comrade Abba Moro, had alluded to this ugly trend when he warned after the Koton Karfe’s prison break three years ago that comptrollers of prison would henceforth be held responsible for jailbreaks in their respective commands. Moro observed that the officers were not doing enough to safeguard the prisons, and pointed out that the ease with which inmates in Enugu, Bauchi, Port Harcourt and Koton Karfe were set free by hoodlums posed serious challenge to the service.

However, the sophistication with which some of these armed groups carry out their attacks also seems to overwhelm the prison guards who might not have been well trained in intelligence gathering and weapon handling. To that extent, we call on the authorities to equip and retrain those who man our prisons. Since most of the jailbreaks are both a reflection of the growing sophistication of criminals and the apparent inefficiency of prison officials, it is time to find a lasting solution to the problem.

TO OUR READERS Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-200 words) and straight to the point. Interested readers may send such letters along with their contact details to opinion@thisdaylive.com. We also welcome comments and opinions on topical local, national and international issues provided they are well-written and should also not be longer than (9501000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

ADENIRAN AND PDP’S CHAIRMANSHIP RACE Professor Tunde Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and one-time Nigerian Ambassador to Germany is one of the contenders for the national chairmanship position of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Supporters of Adeniran, a political scientist and product of the University of Ibadan, and Columbia University in the United States of America, see him as the most qualified among those seeking to occupy the highly exalted seat of the PDP. Associates of the Ekiti-born professor believe that he has what it takes to be in the helms of affairs of the PDP, considering his level of education, exposure, experience in politics and governmental matters.

For instance, in throwing their weight behind the educationist turned politician, a group of political leaders in Ekiti State, under the auspices of Ekiti Integrity Forum (KIF), maintained that of all the competitors for the chairmanship seat, Adeniran stands out as a man of integrity and is much more positioned to restructure, reorganise and reform the PDP for greatness.

According to Otunba Dayo Olanrewaju, the spokesperson of the group, “Without mincing words, if you check the records, Prof. Adeniran stands tall among the contestants. Undoubtedly at this crucial stage of the party and nationhood, PDP needs a personality of his calibre to steer the ship of the party. It is incontrovertible that he has no criminal record or ugly history whatsoever. If we want PDP to once again appeal to the majority of the electorate, we need to choose wisely, we need

the right person to lead us, and that person is no other than Prof Tunde Adeniran.”

Continuing, Otunba Olanrewaju said, “It is on the premise of his enviable personality and outstanding qualities that Ekiti Integrity Forum, a group of Ekiti political stakeholders who have distinguished themselves in their various professional callings and of good character in the society, has resolved to support a thoroughbred, responsible, honest and detribalised Nigerian as the next chairman of the PDP.” Adeniran, while calling on the delegates for the PDP national convention not to allow anybody to deceive them as they elect the new national officials of the party, said: “This a unique opportunity, a very unique chance to elect their leaders, those who will serve them in the next few years; who will reposition the party; who will take away the burden of autocracy, of lack of internal party democracy. This is the time to get people who have compassion for the masses; who have commitment and loyalty to the party and who believe in the rule of law; who believe in due process; who believe that indeed this is a party that is great; this is a party that will achieve for Nigerians particularly, the coming generations, the type of legacy that will be self-sustaining and that will consolidate democracy within the party and consolidate democracy generally within the nation.”

Adeniran, a founding member of the PDP, was chairman of the Electoral Panel for the party’s 2011

National Convention. He was Minister of Education from June 1999 to January 2001; Nigerian Ambassador to Germany between May 2004 and January 2007, Chairman of the Governing Board of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) from 2009 to 2011, and Chairman and Director of the Directorate for Social Mobilisation (MAMSER) between 1987 and 1993.

He was a staff of the United Nations Organisation in the mid-1970s and lectured in some USA-based universities before taking up appointment at the University of Ibadan where he worked for 20 years and retired to join forces with other prominent Nigerians to found the PDP in 1998 preparatory to the entrenchment of democracy in 1999. The PDP chairmanship hopeful, who bagged the American Medal of Honour (bestowed upon men and women of exceptional distinction) in 2001 was member of the University Senate for 15 years; Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (1980-81); Sub-Dean (Post-graduate, Faculty of the Social Sciences), 1981-83 and Head of the Department of Political Science, May 1994 to April 1997.

Others in the PDP’s national chairmanship race with Adeniran include, Bode George, Jimi Agbaje and Raymond Dokpesi. Dokpesi rejected the micro-zoning of the national chairmanship position to Southwest by the southern caucus of the party, after the zoning committee had originally zoned it to the entire South.

Michael Jegede, Abuja

LIFE IS GETTING HARDER, MR PRESIDENT Life is becoming so hard that Nigerians are stealing pots of soup just to survive. Nigerians are going through tough times in all ramifications of life especially when it comes to feeding.

The hike in the price of foodstuff has risen to the point that some Nigerians can no longer afford even a meal per day. It is hard for civil servants to feed their families when the rise in price of foodstuff is not proportionate to the stipend they earn.

Mr. President, you are doing your best. But I suggest that you work with people who have the brightest ideas. Please discard the relatives, in-laws and close family associates around who have no solution to proffer to the hunger in the land.

Ovie Assurance, Aneej, Benin-city

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2016

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POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Olawale Olaleye Email wale.olaleye@thisdaylive.com 08116759819 SMS ONLY

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Ohakim: Why I’m on Sabbatical from Politics Immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim recently announced his temporary withdrawal from active politics. He later spoke to some Journalists in the state at his country home, Okohia, Isiala Mbano, where he gave the details. Amby Uneze presents the excerpts: because PDP primary threw up a candidate that did not resonate with the people.

Today, the situation has become worse. He has ruined the state and the people. He has destroyed every governance institution he met.

The civil service has been destroyed. You know of the third tier government that was dead on arrival and now the reduction of working days from five to three. The traditional Institution has been destroyed. He has destroyed the local government system. He has promised local government election four times and nothing happened. He has even destroyed homes.

Right now, many married couples living in Owerri are at loggerheads because Okorocha has rendered their families homeless in pursuit of his so called road expansion project. Every place in Owerri the state capital is in shambles.

Days ago, you announced a temporary withdrawal from active partisan politics and a lot of people were taken aback. Why this decision?

I believe you have read the press statement I issued on the matter. The reasons are precisely as I stated there. The atmosphere has become such that it is now a clear distraction for those of us, who believe in law and order and life outside politics. We cannot spend all our time running from pillar to post in the name of playing politics. There is so much recalcitrance and ambivalence in our political environment and for purely selfish interests. When I left office as governor in 2011, I thought I would have time to look into other things even though I did not like the circumstances under which I left. But unknowingly, we got engrossed once more and there is no progress.

Does it not suggest you are taking this decision out of frustration?

That is out of it. I am successful in politics. Even though as I said, I did not like the circumstances in which I left office as governor, the truth is that I achieved politically what many people are still struggling to achieve today. Becoming a state governor may not be the ultimate but it is a great privilege, and I could not ask for more from God Almighty. I ran the best administration so far in the state. Go around and ask the people. Outside politics, I was successful in my career and business before I became governor. God gave me a wonderful family. I have a fantastic wife, who gives me total peace of mind. My children are among the most brilliant in the world.

May be not on a personal account but unable to see that your party does things better as you had advocated in your numerous write-ups.

Even at that, I am not the owner of PDP. I

My latest move does not in any way mean that I have abandoned that project. I am only withdrawing from partisan politics temporarily. In any case, there is no proper politicking going on now. We have close to three more years to go…My followers respect my judgment. Mind you, I have not said we are quitting politics for good. We are only withdrawing from the current madness.

Why do you think Imo people wanted you back in 2015?

Very simple! One, they have seen that I won the 2011 election. It is no longer a secret. Even the clergy men and the politicians in the then ACN they used against me have confessed. Two, the people have seen the difference between what I did and what the current governor is doing. I can tell you, Imo people are ready to give me another mandate if they are allowed to exercise their franchise.

Ohakim...can’t deal with the prevailing madness

was not born a PDP member. I had belonged to two political parties before PDP came. I even won my governorship election outside the PDP. And there is still a future outside the PDP. My concern has been that PDP has come a long way and has become very mature, so I think that Nigerians should reap the benefits of its exposure, either in or out of power. But there is always an alternative.

But this can be interpreted to mean you are preparing the grounds for your exit from the PDP. That is speculative even though it should be expected. But I do not operate that way.

I could as well announce that I am leaving now. I do not need to rigmarole. If you read my statement, it is not only because of the PDP that I am taking the steps I am taking.

The general polity has become unconducive for people like me to operate, at least for now.

I might have done something in politics but even at less than sixty, there are things I still owe myself outside politics.

In fact, I am now beginning to believe that we are doing it the wrong way here in Nigeria, wherein after holding public office for even twelve years, people still scramble for public office to occupy as if their life depends on it. I believe that people should take their experience from politics or public office to outside politics. But there is still so much distraction even outside office. So many people need mentoring outside politics.

But you also still sought to return as governor in 2014.

That was to seek for another opportunity to complete my tenure and also the programmes I had started which would have comprehensively benefitted the good people of my state and erase clannish politics. The framers of our constitution knew what they did when they gave eight years for governors and the president. It has become a norm to do two terms of eight years. And

I had a very good chance. You people were here. You saw that the people were angling for my return because of the poor performance of Governor Okorocha. But unfortunately, I was denied the ticket for reasons I would not like to go into here since you already know them.

Are you abandoning that ambition of getting another term?

Not, at all. My latest move does not in any way mean that I have abandoned that project.

I am only withdrawing from partisan politics temporarily. In any case, there is no proper politicking going on now. We have close to three more years to go.

But the lead up to 2019 has already begun.

Is that not why all the jostling has started even in the APC? Who says? Nobody is God. You can jostle for ten years and still achieve nothing at the end.

It is not about who stays longer making noise.

Some people have spent the last twelve years wanting to be governor. They have become professional governorship aspirants. Every election they come out and at the end, they achieve nothing.

Did you carry your followers along in taking this decision?

Yes, of course. My followers respect my judgment.

Mind you, I have not said we are quitting politics for good. We are only withdrawing from the current madness.

You think you could have defeated Okorocha if you had been given the ticket?

Definitely, I would have beaten Okorocha. Go to the streets and markets here in Imo and ask.

Okorocha performed so badly in his first term and the people were fed up with him. By November 2014, he knew he was going to lose the election.

Because of Okorocha’s abysmal performance, Imo people didn’t want to experiment with another untested person. Okorocha survived

Governor Okorocha is fond of saying he would retire all key Imo politicians in the PDP before 2019. With this development, don’t you think he will feel he is beginning to achieve what he boasted about?

Well, you know Governor Okorocha is known for trivializing issues. He thinks everything is a joke and I believe he has demonstrated sufficiently that he is a big joker. Anyway, give it to him. He knows how to retire things. What has he not retired in Imo state? He has retired the local government system. He has retired the traditional institutions. He has now retired the civil servants in the state by asking them to work for only three days. Yes, Okorocha will retire the entire state and be the only man walking on the streets of Owerri.

Imo people now know that if you allow Okorocha he will convert the entire state to his private estate and ask everybody to go home.

It is left for the people to determine whether or not that is the type of thing they want to hear from their governor. School boy and beer parlour jabs. Imo people are too sophisticated for such pedestrian talks. In any case, Okorocha does not know what it takes to nurture a political party.

He went to APGA, where he was given a ticket free. That was after he had been in and out of over four different parties including the PDP. When they founded APC, he was not even there. He was in APGA. Even in the APC he is an outsider. So, a fellow who has never been part of building a party can talk the way Okorocha talks because he doesn’t know what it means to nurture a party.

He retired APGA that gave him ticket. He killed the party before he dumped it. The very fellows that gave him ticket, you saw how he treated to them. He is doing the same with APC by running it as a one man show. I agree, Okorocha will soon retire all the politicians in the state and convert it into a social club, where he will be doing his comedy shows.

Go back and read my statement. The reason I took my decision has nothing to do with how Okorocha is running Imo. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

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INTERVIEW

Jegede: If I Can’t Make a Difference, Nobody Will Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, was last week in Lagos to talk about his dream and vision for the state and also clear insinuations about his candidacy. Shola Oyeyipo presents the excerpts: What’s your impression about the belief that public office holders are corrupt?

All of us are not corrupt. That is the truth.

So this perception of saying everybody in the public service is a thief is not right. There are people who went there and remained untainted. Seriously, I am saying this because we must learn to help our leaders. We should not categorise all of them as people, who are fraudulent. I’m not saying some public office holders are not; they are! But we should not paint everybody with a black brush and I think it is only fair and the Bible recognises it that you should pray for your leaders.

Do you agree that there is crisis in the PDP? I agree that there are challenges in PDP leadership now especially at the centre, and it is a contention for power. It has always been there. I hold the view that it is still a dispute within the party.

First as a legal practitioner, I can confidently say that this won’t be the first time that there would be disputes or crisis within a political party. It’s not going to be the last but then I also believe that each of the political parties has a means of resolving its disputes and that is the legitimate way to resolve political disputes.

Now, speaking as a professional, as a senior lawyer, I hold the view that intra-party disputes are best left for the leadership to resolve. I also hold the view that in intra-party contentions, the courts generally have no jurisdiction. In other words, the court ordinarily should not interfere except, of course, where you have specific provisions in the law that gives an inroad to courts to resolve the disputes and that is where you have election petition cases; the election matters that are specifically provided for in the Electoral Act. Even when you do primaries, it is only those who participated in the primaries that under the law have the right of access to court. Now, the principal observation that I made, the courts have no business interfering with politics and that is what is happening now. The courts are interfering in politics.

So, I believe that the matter will be resolved within. If it cannot be resolved within, it would be resolved somewhere and I concede that because of the timing, only because of that, there is need to accelerate the resolutions. I am confident that the law is not likely to change now ultimately and I also do not see it as dangerously affecting my chance running on that PDP ticket because it would be resolved at the end of the day.

Why do you want to be governor?

All along as we progressed in governance since 2009, I made up my mind that if I am going to contest at all, it will be for the governorship seat or nothing. And when I was Attorney-General, it was not as if there were no suggestions that yes, you can contest for Senate or shift to another Ministry but I was never excited with it because I know exactly what I want and that will answer your question; yes I want to be governor.

So, since when did you start to nurse the ambition?

Specifically, since about a year and a half into the Mimiko administration and I said yes, if I have something to offer, perhaps I can give it a shot if the atmosphere is okay, if the whistle is blown. Some people have seen my trying to operate within the rules as an indication of reluctance and I said I am not prepared to do it the way everybody does it.

Before I resigned my appointment even though a lot of people knew that I was a major contender for the post of the governorship seat, you were not likely to hear me talk about governorship seat and secondly you were not likely to see my poster anywhere in the state, yet you will hear, you will perceive that he is positioning himself to run for the governorship.

So, I’m in this race because I want to be governor, because I want to serve, because I want to bring some little bit of difference into the way it is done, I want to do more of governance and less of politics and if I can’t do it, I don’t think anybody can do it. And I am not saying this to scale up myself; I’m saying this because I know my nature, I also know that some of these things you talk about that are very important are not important to me. I can tell you if God says it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.

And I have few ideas about what I think I should do and I know that if you take the politics out of it and do it the way it should be done, our society would be better for it. And like I said before, it’s going to be triumph of integrity over partisan politics; it’s going to be

Jegede...I’m nobody’s lackey

triumph of merit over partisan politics. We must learn to understand this, the fact that you don’t make so much noise or the fact that you say look, you want to do things your own way, because of your nature does not make you a weakling.

I cannot be Mimiko, Mimiko cannot be Jegede; he is a doctor, I’m a lawyer. He is from Ondo, I’m from Akure. He is a professional in politics; I am a technocrat in politics. So, we have quite a lot of differences. But at the same time, we have the same visions; just a matter of style.

So, if I don’t do it your own way, if I don’t escalate, if I don’t dramatise it, it does not mean I’m not interested. It only means I have a different approach to it. And if my approach is effective, then by all means let it be.

Is this what you really want or you are doing this because someone wants you to be his lackey?

The notion of somebody saying somebody is a lackey, you know it is also contrived by those who believe that Mimiko has no right to support a person to be governor. First, Mimiko is a delegate in the PDP primaries. He is a delegate, so he has the person that he will likely vote for. Now, for God’s sake, why should Mr. A who is a delegate say I prefer Kayode and don’t want Mr. B who is the governor to say I prefer Tayo? For God’s sake, Mimiko is the governor; he has the right to express himself.

And at my level, at my age, I’m not a young man, I think it will also be insulting to say that you are somebody who is a lackey or you are somebody who is hushed. I’ve seen that written about me on a number of occasions in the new media and I said that well, each person is entitled to his own opinion. Mimiko has a right to want good governance for his people. He has a right to say look, I will support someone I know will sustain the vision of the

Mother and Child Hospital, someone who will preserve those globally compliant Mega schools that dot the landscape of Ondo State.

About two years ago, I on my own, was trying to look for a site where we would build shopping malls and I was talking to some people who are developers about Shoprite and I drove round and I did this for about three months until I met the governor who said he had also been thinking about it.

Today, the Mall is a reality and apart from the revenue it gives to government, it also opens a vista of employment and later on, it will revert and become Ondo State property.

The story of the Mall is just by the way but I raised that because my concern is for us to have an improvement in the way we design and implement our policies. I am saying this so that people will know that I am not anybody’s lackey; I have added value to this administration.

Also, look at the International Events Centre.

This is an uncommon edifice in this part of the world. I also played a huge role in its conception and implementation.

I played a role in arranging special flights with Overland Airways to provide services for our people. No one can doubt the fact that I have positively contributed to the success of this government.

So, it is not right to say I’m somebody’s lackey. I am not. Not as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. I cannot be a lackey. I have no desire to be a lackey. I have a desire to run a transparent government – a government that is accessible, a government that would engender growth, a government that would do some other things that have not been done

by Mimiko. I’ve been there so I know the weaknesses, I know the strengths.

So, I want to build on it and that’s that’s why I am in this race to do more of governance.

Somebody said Mimiko’s administration has not done much, especially in his second term and that could affect you. How do you react to that?

That Mimiko has done well is not in doubt.

Some people asked me sometime before the second term of the administration what could be credited to Mimiko as achievement. I mentioned the community development programmes that affect the people at the grassroots directly. I told them about how many things he has done for each community. As a resident, you cannot pretend not have been affected by the Mimiko Caring heart programmes.

Unless you don’t have your child who is attending school or you don’t have a child who is paying little amount of money, or you don’t have a small baby who goes to nursery school. And I gave examples, unless your wife does not trade because when we came in 2009, all these markets were slumps. At the end of my discussion with that group, they started reminding me of other intervention in health, sports, urban renewal and security among others.

Mimiko as far as I am concerned has done so well. Nobody can beat his record in the health sector, not in this country. So if anybody says Mimiko has not performed, take health sector and tell me any state in the 36 states which has done half of what Mimiko has done and I say so with all pride. It is not only because people like us judge; it is also because we’ve been judged by other international organisations and it is not a fluke.

In terms of production, what are you going to do to boost the industrial base of the state and taking into consideration, the fact that you equally have some measure of oil in your state? Also, what do you make of the statement by a former governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala that he does not envy anybody that wants to be governor now?

Yes, you talked about industries. This has been an issue that has been on for some time.

My take on this is that the problem is not in establishing industries; it’s in sustaining them and making them to run. To build an industry is a very simple thing; it is easier than to build a school. Just build a warehouse, import machines, and then get people who are technical to start operating it but you need power, you need the raw materials, you need to sell at a competitive price before you can sustain the industry.

That is why I said well, as a civil service state, we are going to disconnect financially from the centre hopefully. It will take some time but it can be done and the industrial base will also be created in the southern belt. This government, already, we are talking about free trade zone, we are talking about Olokola.

It has been there for a number of years; it has practically failed. But we now have Ilaje industrial zone. There was a license that was given to the government in May 2013. So, we must concentrate heavily on where we think the industrial base of the state should be and it is in the southern belt; it is because they have the longest coast line.

NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

20

THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Promoting Women's Status in Logistics and Transport Women in Logistics and Transport recently gathered in Lekki, Lagos, where they brainstormed on mentorship. Femi Ogbonnikan who covered the event, reports that participants were mentored on promoting women's status this all important sector

U

ndoubtedly, the debut of womenfolk in logistics and transport business is a novelty step, which Nigeria has played a leading role and it is marked as a model which other countries have emulated.

Recently, participants and resource persons from 32 countries converged at Oriental Hotels and Towers, Lekki, Lagos, for the 4th Nigeria Day 2016 conference organised by the Women In Logistics and Transport (WILAT). WILAT has establishment in Sri Lanka, Ghana and other countries.

The major thrust of the conference was to promote the status of women in logistics and transport, to bring together those who support talent and career development of women and to provide support network and mentoring opportunities for women in their sector.

In her welcome address, WILAT Founder/ Chairperson, Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, charged the womenfolk to support their own in various enterprises and also to encourage them to always shoot their ways up to the topmost ladder of their career.

Setting the tone for discussion, Mrs. Gayani De Alwis, Chairperson, WILAT Sri Lanka, in her keynote paper, ‘Mentoring: The Irreplaceable Ladder to Sustainable Development’, made references to the WILAT global strategic thrusts adopted at its 2015 Dubai Conference where leadership, mentorship, entrepreneurship and empowerment, the four hidden potential, have come to play dominant roles.

According to her, four countries, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Singapore, adopted mentorship globally out of 18 countries. Specifically, she said progress has been made as far as mentoring is concerned.

Mentoring, she stressed, is a leadership experience which allows someone to see hope in his or herself. Other stages of a mentoring relationship identified, include goal attainment, working together, setting expectations and pairing.

"It is our responsibility to support our women. A good leader is like a candle. It

I am a product of mentoring. Let us open our hearts to mentoring, to pull the young generations together. It is very key to us, as women.

In my task as the MD, NPA, I will open my heart to women in my organisation.

I will still remain a mentee. Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim has supported me through the years. So, let us reach out to our women. WILAT is the first umbrella body of women in logistics and transport

Participants at the event

L-R Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim and MD, NPA, Hajia Hadiza Usman, at the event in Lagos

removes darkness. You will need to recognise your mentors," said Alwis.

In her own remarks, Hajia Hadiza Usman, Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), lauded the initiative of the WILAT Founder/Chairperson, Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, noting that the 4th WILAT Nigeria Day 2016 conference would be her first public event to attend, since her assumption of office.

She said mentoring is very close to her heart as it has allowed her to attain the position she has found herself today.

"I am a product of mentoring. Let us open our hearts to mentoring, to pull the young generations together. It is very key to us, as women. In my task as the MD, NPA, I will open my heart to women in my organisation. I will still remain a mentee.

Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim has supported me through the years. So, let us reach out to our women. WILAT is the first umbrella

body of women in logistics and transport. I have been informed about the roles WILAT play. And I commend you. Your efforts, dedication and commitment are noticed.

I will give you my support wherever it is needed. I will provide you with logistics you may require," Usman said.

In the same vein, Mrs. Chinwe Ezenwa, Managing Director, Lelook Nigeria Limited, in her paper, ‘The Role of Logistics and Transport in Trade Facilitation’, said Nigeria is a trade dependent country and hence, the issue of trade facilitation should be of immense concern to it.

"The need for better trade facilitation is recognised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as an essential system required in today's business environment. In general business sense, logistics is the right of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption, in order to meet requirements of customers or

corporations. Logistics supplies are driven by customer demands that require goods to be delivered to where they are needed on time and in good condition." she said.

Not left out, Princess Vickky Haastrup, Chairperson/CEO, ENL Consortium, who said, due to the tenacity of purpose and insistence of Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim, that she must attend the conference, which conflicted with her travel plan to overseas, that she had no option than to oblige to honour the invitation and reschedule her travel, at a great cost.

She, however, commended Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim's resolve to sustain the growth of the organisation, which is fast expanding into other countries and for throwing up more women in the commanding height of the sector.

In recognition of these giant strides, Haastrup pronounced Hajia Aisha Ali-Ibrahim as a Life Patron/President of WILAT.

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• T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

R-L: Governor Obiano and former Governor Obi...they should put their political differences aside to move Anambra forward

The Peace Overture in Anambra

Oliver Okpala

T

he recent amiable encounter between the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano and the state’s former Governor Peter Obi during the burial ceremony of a former Principal of Christ the King College (C.K.C), Onitsha, speaks a lot about the statesmanlike disposition of Obiano.

The remains of the former Principal of

Anambrarians can only accept leaders who have burning desires to take the state to the next level. Anambra needs leaders who are humble, plain and ready to sacrifice everything, including their ego, to ensure improvement in their welfare

C.K.C Onitsha, Rev. Fr. NicholasTagbo, a foremost teacher, educationist and theologian, was laid to rest on that occasion.

Both Governor Obiano and ex-governor Peter Obi are by the way, renowned exstudents of C.K.C. Onitsha.

At the funeral obsequies, Obiano seized the opportunity of the encounter to apologise to Mr. Peter Obi “for whatever wrongs he could have done to him, if any at all” by his singular action. Governor Obiano in his action portrayed his good upbringing, strong Christian background, uprightness, piety, strong Christian virtues and unsurpassable leadership skill.

Our political space in the country today, is filled with some politicians who are notorious for their poor public relations, crass insensitivity to the plight of the governed, contrived aloofness and exhibition of empty airs and graces.

Some of our leaders in the recent past have, by their un-political behaviour and comportment, distanced themselves from the people whom they are meant to serve.

This is the bane of our politics today and that is why the political space for moment is suffused with, inefficient and purposeless leaders who are not on the same page with the people.

Many years ago, the late literary guru and legend, Professor Chinua Achebe identified the problem of this nation as squarely that of bad leadership. There is no gain saying the fact that unqualified leaders who regularly mount the high horse cannot appreciate what their constituents need and desire. They will be far from the people just as the people will not be in a position to access them.

This gap will deprive the leaders of the benefit of cross-fertilisation of ideas between the leaders and the people they are leading.

The lesson and morale of Obiano’s gesture to Mr. Obi is that a leader must be humble.

A leader must acknowledge mistakes and remedy them. A leader must be able to take stock and forge ahead.

Governor Obiano’s action reveals what has for long been in the public domain to fact that Obiano is a great leader with a large heart. It shows that Obiano is the man truly suited to be a leader as he is not blinded by the pomp and pageantry and other paraphernalia of office.

He is not one who is carried away by the aura, attraction of others.

It has now been shown beyond any shadow of doubt that the Governor has all the qualities and attributes of a leader.

Little wonder, then, that in so short a time in office as Governor, Chief Obiano has been able to achieve so much and has radically transformed Anambra State.

The most important ingredient of successful leadership is peace. Peace is pivot for the development of any politics. It is when there is peace that dividends of democracy can be distributed across the state. Peace is indeed the catalyst for development and transformation.

Obiano has demonstrated that he is a peaceful man and that he loves peace.

Anambra State can only forge ahead in an atmosphere of peace devoid of spite, blackmail, discrimination, bitterness and spite. All Anambrarians must unite and stand solidly behind the peace-loving governor of the state so that together we can access the land of promise.

By this singular show of courage and absolute commitment to peace, unity and oneness of all, Obiano must be a man with a pure heart, a broad mind and a true Christian.

He is the man who should steer the ship of Anambra State to a safe anchor. The olive branch which he has extended to the opposition must be accepted in good faith.

Anambra State needs peace to trudge on and to continue to exist. The only way to move the state forward is by a deliberate effort to create peace, unity, and stability in the state. Politicians should sheathe their swords and embrace true peace in Anambra State. This is the surest path to the development of Anambra State.

It is well that the governor as the number one citizen in the state has set the ball rolling. All other leaders should key into this and ensure that politicking in the state is devoid of immorality, political bigotry and bankruptcy.

The political space is large and big enough to accommodate all and sundry.

There should be no bitterness in politics.

The driving force for politicking in Anambra State should be service and more service nothing less will do.

Anambrarians can only accept leaders who have burning desires to take the state to the next level. Anambra needs leaders who are humble, plain and ready to sacrifice everything, including their ego, to ensure improvement in their welfare.

Obiano fits the bill. He is a great leader who has sacrificed everything to improve the welfare of Ndi Anambra. Anambrarians should stop at nothing to support him for the peace, unity and progress of the state.

22

IMAGES

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

Apostolic Faith Church Choir and Orchestra performing on stage at their 2016 Camp Meeting Concert with the theme: ‘Heaven on Earth’ at Apostolic Faith Tabernacle, New Campground, Faith City, Igbesa, Ogun State...recently KOLAWOLE ALLI

L-R: Group Head, HCM & Diamond Bank Academy, Mrs. Isima Ogodazi; Managing Director/CEO, Digital Jewels Limited, Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa; Dean, Lagos Business School, Dr. Enase Okonedo; and Director, CDNET, Leap Africa, Dr. Nadu Denloye, during a breakfast forum and unveiling of Learning & Development Benchmark Survey on Nigeria, in Lagos... recently KOLA OLASUPO

L-R: Founder, Nigeria and Entrepreneurship,Summit & Honors (NESH), Emeka Ugwu-Oju; Governor, Central Bank of Seychelles, Ms Caroline Abe; and Board Director, Afrexim Bank, Ronnie Ntuli, at the 23rd African Export-Import Bank annual general meeting and related events in Seychelles...recently

L-R: Vice-Principal, Grace School, Gbagada Lagos, Mr Phillip Balogun; Administrator, Mrs Tokunbo Edun; and Head, Grace Children School, Gbagada, Mr John Ibe, at a media briefing on recent activities of the school in Lagos...recently

L-R: Franchisee, UAC Restaurant (UACR), Titilayo Adeojo; Marketing Manager, Eustesia Ogunnusi; franchisee UACR, Funmilayo Olukogbon; Human Resources Manager, Bola Olatinwo; and franchisee UACR, Pauline Nwana, during the Mr. Biggs 30th anniversary shout-out, at their Marina office, in Lagos...recently SUNDAY ADIGUN

Kwara State Governor, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed (left), receiving the administrative panelís report on alleged illegal recruitment in the State Teaching Service Commission from the Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf Kawu Daibu, at Government House, IlorinÖrecently

L-R: Brand Building Director Foods, Unilever, Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe; winner of Knorr Taste Quest Season 4, Nahvi Ifode; Brand Manager Knorr, Unilever, Jennifer Okpoyo; and Category Manager Savoury, Unilever, Nnenna Osi-Anugwa, at the grand finale of Knorr Taste Quest Season 4...recently

L-R: General Manager, PW Offshore Nigeria Limited, Mr. Peter Walsh; Chairman, House Committee on Local Content, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon; General Manager, Project Development, Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, Mr. Luca Bai; and Chairman, Dorman Lious, Dr. Timi Peters, during a public workshop on Nigerian Content for Zebazaba Development Project ñ FPSO EPCI package in Abuja...recently ENOCK REUBEN

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

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Group Business Editor ChikaAmanze-Nwachuku Email: chika.amanzenwachukwu@thisdaylive.com 08033294157, 08057161321

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Quick Takes HP Endorses Yudala Zero Gravity

Global information and communication technology (ICT) giant, Hewlett Packard (HP) has officially endorsed Yudala Zero Gravity as a Platinum Partner, which is the highest partnership cadre. With this, HP will occupy prominent position in all Zero Gravity concerts this year including the roadshows that will precede each concert.

Yudala Zero Gravity is powered as a mega three-city dual concert featuring the best trending artistes in contemporary Nigerian hip-hop and Rock Gospel, with other side attractions in store from Africa’s pioneer composite e-commerce outfit, Yudala and New Concept Media Group (NCMG).

HP’s endorsement of Yudala Zero Gravity is a major boost in confidence not just for Yudala but for Nigeria as a country. This endorsement at this point in time is undoubtedly critical to the survival of the e-commerce sector of the Nigerian economy.

Recently, Yudala addressed a press conference where the Zero Gravity concept was unveiled to the media.

The inaugural edition of Yudala Zero Gravity will hold in three cities - Lagos, Abuja and Enugu, with each city hosting two concerts.

As an initiative to reward customers, free tickets will be delivered to Yudala customers for purchases made from August 1 2016 online or in any Yudala Experience store nationwide.

A NEW BEGINNING FOR NIPOST

L-R: Deputy Postmaster General, Mails, Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Mr. Bala Wambai; Postmaster General/Chief Executive, Asiwaju Bisi Adegbuyi and Deputy Postmaster General, Technical Services, Mr. Joseph Uwabor, during the familiarisation visit of the Postmaster General to NIPOST facilities in Lagos...recently

US Congress Moves to Deepen Internet Access in Nigeria Stories by Emma Okonji Efforts by the Nigerian government and stakeholders to deepen internet access across the country, has received a boost as the United States Congress has promised to assist in this direction.

There are 97 million mobile internet users in Nigeria and 149.8 million active mobile lines and teledensity of 107.01 per cent as at June 2016 but a mere 10 per cent broadband penetration.

However, the US Congress has assured Nigeria of its readiness to boost broadband penetration and further deepen internet access across

ICT the country. The United States Senator, Edward Markey, gave the assurance in Lagos when he led the US congressional delegation to Lagos.

Markey had introduced a proposed legislation in the US Congress entitled: ‘Driving Innovation and Growth in Internet Technology And Launching Universal Access to the Global Economy, tagged DIGITAL AGE Act, aimed at promoting public-private partnerships, and expanding internet access with policy tools that will encourage improved support for investors, strengthened and shared infrastructure,

better spectrum allocation, and creation of public internet access facilities and affordable devices.

In order to achieve the proposed DIGITAL AGE Act, Markey led the US congressional delegation on a global tour and they were in Nigeria to drive the initiative.

Having met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend, the US congressional team visited the Co-Creation Hub in Yaba, Lagos, where they held a press conference with technology start-ups in attendance, to proffer measures of attaining increased and affordable internet access in Nigeria.

According to Markey, Nige-

rian government must make internet access a priority for its citizens and ensure they have access to affordable internet.

He therefore suggested the need for government to consider its policy and regulatory positions as they relate to internet access and penetration.

Speaking on the importance of affordable internet access, Markey said: “In the 21st Century, digital access is key to small and big organisations, including individuals in order to grow their businesses and meet up with their personal life styles. We therefore need Continued on page 24

Presidency Tasks NCS on Technology Innovation The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella body for all information technology (IT) professionals in the country, has been enjoined to come up with new technology solutions and innovation that will drive technology development across all sectors of the economy.

At its 26th national conference, which held in Abuja recently, the computer professional body was asked to come up with technology solutions that are innovative and could address the challenges faced by Nigerians on a daily basis, since they belong to a group of IT professionals that is recognised in the country.

The Special Assistant to the Vice President on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Mr. Ife Adebayo, who gave the challenge, said Nigerians can-

IT not continue to suffer from technology underdevelopment when the country has a group of IT professionals that could design technology solutions to address individual and organisational needs across all sectors of the economy.

“Nigerians are faced with a lot of challenges ranging from the over 50 million unbanked Nigerians, delays at registration with Corporate Affairs Commission, delays in the registration of driver’s licence, delays in traffic, to challenges with online services.

We therefore need simple and basic solutions to address all these issues and the NCS should rise up to the challenges,” Adebayo said.

Responding, NCS president, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, who

is a lecturer at the Computer Science Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, said NCS is aware of the challenges facing the country. He agreed that locally developed technology solutions could address the challenges. He, however, explained that NCS had already begun the processes that would address innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

“NCS is trying to put up several innovation hubs in the country that will groom technology start-ups into developing technology solutions that will help address the challenges of the country,” Aderounmu said. According to him, the innovation hubs, when established, would ease the challenge of unemployment. He added that NCS had concluded arrangements to provide schol-

arships for Nigerians studying technology courses at various universities in order to bridge the gap between the industry and technology graduates.

Disturbed by the challenges facing the country, which can be solved with technology solutions, NCS has set up a Business Start-Up Facilitation Initiative (BSFI), to address some of the challenges.

According to NCS, the initiative would facilitate the fast tracking of IT-flavoured businesses conceived and contemplated by any member of NCS. In order to give effect to the initiative, NCS has called for expressions of interest from interested NCS members.

Participation is open to three categories of members, which Continued on page 24

Lagos Harps on Leadership, Accountability

Leadership effectiveness across all strata of the public service is essential to the delivery of government plans and programmes to the citizenry, Director-General, Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC), Mrs. Olubunmi Fabamwo, has said.

Speaking during a presentation on the Essence of Leadership at the third Technical Meeting of Directors/Heads of Accounts in the Lagos State Public Service, Fabamwo explained that successful governments all over the world thrive on leadership and that financial leadership and re-engineering had been a critical aspect of the success.

While noting that true leaders influence and motivate others, she charged participants to resolve to influence their followers positively so that Government financial decisions would help drive the achievement of a Lagos that works for all, adding that “the essence of leadership is results that grow both the business and the people”.

She further charged them to look into the ways they could lead change, empower and inspire people in their various organisations, adding that the ability to “envision and communicate a compelling picture of a preferred future” is a major criteria for effective leadership.

The Accountant-General/Permanent Secretary, State Treasury Office, Mrs. Abimbola Umar, emphasised the importance of leadership in service delivery. She informed that Head of Accounts are both leaders and change agents in the unfolding of government aspirations for the citizens of the state.

New Horizons Sponsors IT Contest

Nigeria’s information technology training organisaton, New Horizons, is taking Nigeria to a global information technology (IT) contest by fully sponsoring another Nigerian Secondary School boy, Master Oluwatobi Adetula, from Woodland Hills High School to represent Nigeria in the 2016 Certiport Microsoft Competition.

New Horizon is also sponsoring the chaperon or guidance of Adetula to accompany the award winner to the event holding in Orlando Florida later this month.

New Horizon said the sponsorship would be in furtherance of its corporate social responsibility towards youth empowerment and information and communication technology (ICT) penetration in Nigeria.

Adetula emerged top in the final of the Nigerian national edition of the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) competition that saw the participation of 200 students from different secondary schools across the country.

There is no better time than now for players in both private and public sectors to leverage Public Relations to deepen their relationship with stakeholders Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos chapter, Segun Mcmedal

24

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, AUGUST 18 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

US CONGRESS MOVES TO DEEPEN INTERNET ACCESS IN NIGERIA

Jumia Lists Gains of e-Commerce, Harps on Service Quality

good policies that will drive broadband penetration in Nigeria and Africa. Africa missed the Agrarian and Industrial revolutions and cannot afford to lose in the technology revolution that is currently sweeping across globe.”

He explained that without access to the internet, Nigeria as a country and Africa as a continent, cannot scale up, adding that this means that the regulatory policy must be right and encouraging to entrepreneurs.

“The US is working to achieve global digital inclusion and ensure equal and efficient distribution of spectrum licences and as well encourage migration from 3G to 4G, promote infrastructure sharing to boost internet connectivity and growth, and these are the reasons we had to embark on the global tour,” Markey said.

He called for greater collaboration between government and private sector in order to advance enduring and transparent policies and regulations in Nigeria.

Emma Okonji

PRESIDENCY TASKS NCS ON TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION include Prospective Investors/ Shareholders in any of the contemplated business venture; Membership of Steering Committee; and Individuals or groups with innovative ideas that are well suited for fast tracking and transformation into viable business ventures.

The BSFI was articulated to provide a platform for the canvassing and collation of innovative IT-flavoured ideas that are capable of being transformed into business ventures, develop and popularise mechanisms and processes that will promote collaborative relationships among prospective entrepreneurs, facilitate relevant and appropriate acquisition of skills and skill sets that may empower and enhance capacities for subsequent management of operations, and provide avenues for the engagement of prospective start-ups with potential sources of venture capital.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Linda Eroke (Labour) Eromosele Abiodun (Cap Mkt) Ejiofor Alike (Energy) James Emejo (Nation’s Capital) Obinna Chima (Money Mkt) Reporters

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Maritme)

With barely four years of operation in the Nigerian eCommerce space, Jumia, one of Nigeria’s online shopping solution companies, said eCommerce has revolutionised shopping in Nigeria, with lots of economic gains for governments at all levels.

The Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Mrs. Juliet Anammah who made the disclosure during a media tour of Jumia facilities in Lagos recently, said the online shopping company is ready to further deepen eCommerce in Nigeria through new initiatives that would open vista of opportunities for Nigerians.

According to her, the initiative would come as innovative partnership that would be launched in few weeks to support the development of businesses that manufacture or assemble locally. Under this new initiative, Jumia will partner and invest heavily in supporting Nigerian brands in order to help boost an ecosystem that creates local jobs and keep more profits within the Nigerian economy.

During the facility tour, the media team visited the company’s training and customer service facility in Yaba, Lagos as well as the warehouse and fulfillment centre in Ikeja, Lagos.

At the warehouse, the global CEO of Jumia services, Indrek Henloo, explained the processes involved in transferring tested and approved products from vendors and sellers, through the fulfillment centres to the final consumers.

Addressing the team shortly after the facility tour, Anammah

gave insight into how Jumia has steadily impacted eCommerce in Nigeria by focusing on quality service delivery, customer satisfaction, innovation and enhanced logistics.

Giving a detailed narrative of Jumia’s operation, Head of Customer Operations, Chidinma Ifepe, presented various innovative programmes and customer centered activities that have energised the Jumia brand to its present level. Ifepe explained how the team’s constant focus on improvement in customer relations grew from a level

where about 60 per cent of Jumia’s customers expressed full satisfaction to the current satisfaction level of over 80 per cent.

Ifepe also revealed that the 2015 e-commerce customer service award won by Jumia was a positive industry nod, which reflected the high level of customer satisfaction achieved collectively by the entire workforce. She cited the persistent customer focus in taking company decisions, and swift handling and resolution of customer complaints as key

factors behind the company’s outstanding customer service delivery.

Partner Relations Manager, Omolara Awoyemi, spoke on various payment options that have kept Jumia top of mind with online shoppers in Nigeria.

She explained how innovations like cash-on-delivery, and free returns within 7days changed the face of online shopping in Nigeria.

Awoyemi stated that what drives her team and indeed the massive acceptance of the Jumia brand is the consistent pursuit

of convenient and secure payment options through a secure server. She revealed other new payment options like Jumia pay- direct which is a payment plan where once authentication is done once, revealing account details subsequently becomes unnecessary.

The Book on hold plan is another option where orders can be made online and then payment via Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or other payment forms can later be used to pay within an agreed space of time.

COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Mr. Iyola Ayoola; President, Prof. Adesola Aderounmu; Chairman Conferences Committee, Mr. Jide Awe and Chairman, Education and Manpower Committee, Mr. Rogba Adeoye, at a press conference organised by NCS in Lagos...recently

Subscribes Task NCC Board on Service Quality, Unsolicited SMS Emma Okonji In a proactive move, telecoms subscribers under the aegis of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), have called on the incoming board members of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to consider quick improvement on service quality as well as the elimination of unsolicited text messages, as soon as they get the nod of the National Assembly.

President Muhammadu Buhari had last week, forwarded the seven names as members of the Board of NCC to the National Assembly for ratification, but the lawmakers are yet to respond to the list that is currently before them.

They are: Mr. Sunday Dare, Mr. Aliyu Saidu Abubakar, Mr. Clement Obeiza Baiye, Chief Okoi Ofem Obono Obia, Pastor Ezekiel Yissa and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume with Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye serving as Chairman of the Board.

Although they are yet to get the nod of the assembly members, NATCOMS said it would be proper to intimate them of the challenges of the telecoms sector and prepare their minds towards addressing the issues, as they await the approval of the National Assembly.

President of NATCOMS, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who spoke on behalf of telecoms subscribers, said the issue of

poor service quality and unsolicited text massages may likely ground telecoms operations in the country if not nipped in the bud. He said telecoms services are deteriorating across networks and subscribers are debited for poor voice clarity and undelivered text messages.

He also expressed worry over the incessant broadcast of unsolicited text messages, despite several complaints from subscribers and subsequent warnings from the NCC. Ogunbanjo therefore called on the incoming board members to take the issue of poor service quality and unsolicited text messages very seriously as soon as their appointments are ratified.

The board, he said, must enforce the use of the CODE 2442 in order to stop unsolicited text messages to subscribers. Aside service quality and unsolicited text messages, Ogunbanjo also called on the incoming board members to look into the issue of price cap regulation for possible amendment.

“The NCC has been operating the N50 Price Cap Regulation since 2001 to date. The board should, as a matter of urgency, reduce the current unrealistic and exploitative price cap of N50 per minute,” Ogunbanjo said.

He also said there was need for the new board to address the issue about restoration of land lines by the national carriers, backed by a low inter-connect rates in line with international best practices.

“The current land line inter-connect rates, does not encourage the use of land lines.

In order to reduce cybercrime, the new board should interface with the Police and other law enforcement agencies in order to make mobile

phone/cybercrime reporting process, easy and less cumbersome. The current mobile phone/ cybercrime reporting process is very stressful, cumbersome and excessively engaging,” Ogunbanjo said.

Ogbeh Lauds Ooni onYouth in Agriculture The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has described the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi as very passionate about agriculture and matters concerning the youth. The minister made this assertion in Abuja during the visit of the king to talk about agriculture. Ogbeh described the Ooni as “a patron of the young agriculture graduates associate, from all the parts of the country.”

He said: “The Ooni brought them first to talk to me about what they are doing, what they intend to do and what the government can do, joining hands together.

His particular concern was on the situation with fertiliser.

That the prices have gone so high that urea is selling now in some areas for N20,000, which is a concern we too have raised here, because, after the disruption of the distribution channel early in the year, we have never been able to recapture that flow. And the manufacturers who claim to have capacity to meet our demands don’t seem to be meeting the demands.

“One major company says

their bagging machinery is faulty, which is what has made it difficult for them to have fertiliser for distribution,” the minister continued. “Some people have suspected that they are exporting instead of selling in the local market.

The other had a period of shutdown when they were doing their turn-around maintenance; all that has resulted in exploitation by the distributors.”

Ogbeh expressed concern that “at N20,000 per bag of urea, that definitely is not good for agriculture, as the effect of that on production will definitely be felt.”

He expressed optimism about a bumper harvest, stressing that “it may not be as great as we should have had if fertiliser distribution was flowing.”

The other issue he mentioned was that of the agrodealers. He added: “We inherited a debt of N87 biillion. If you compare that to our total budget of N34 billion, it means that even our entire budget in the ministry cannot settle that debt, especially because state governments also reneged on their counterpart funding issue.

“So, we got stuck. These are the problems we are dealing with. We are hoping to get beyond that.

The federal government has paid N20 billion out of that N67 billion. We are looking for money to pay the balance. We are also looking for money to implement our own budget. So, everything has got cut down in this whole business of financial constraints facing us.

These are the issues he came to raise with us. He suggested that we may have to look at options. But, over and above that, he is very passionate about agriculture or youth issues and he keeps encouraging us to carry on.”

The minister disclosed : “We are going to have a programme for youth in agriculture. One of them mentioned that the universities of agriculture were set up to train young farmers.

Unfortunately, they are dealing more with issues of accounting, law, pharmacy and medicine, which we are trying to redress now, because that is not their mandate. But government is working on that.

We should have that sorted out shortly.”

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Bridging Skills Gap with Technology Innovation The need to boost technology innovation and bridge the existing skills gap in the ICT sector has become an imperative, writes Emma Okonji The dearth of technology skills in the country is being addressed through the process of on-the-job training and re-training of young school graduates so as to equip them with the requisite skills needed for today’s job market.

Many seminars, symposiums and workshops are being organised across the country but some technology experts believe that, in addition to those trainings, exposing Nigerians to latest technologies and innovations will go a long way in addressing the skill gap.

Connect Marketing, one of the drivers of technology innovation in the country, is currently doing that through TechPlus.

The idea of TechPlus was conceived in 2015 primarily to address the technology innovation gap in the country. The organisers saw an opportunity to build a technology platform which technology innovators could use to develop technology in the country, through the creation and showcasing of technology products and services.

Since its inception, TechPlus has been able to add value to technology innovation in the county and several of such platforms must be encouraged by government.

Smart cities and tech innovation Recent reports have spotted cities like Lagos in Nigeria and Johannesburg in South Africa as upcoming smart cities that the world should look up to. At the recently concluded GSMA Mobile 360 Africa in Tanzania, attention was drawn to Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in the area of smart city development. The forum called on African governments to consider their policies and regulations and ensure that they do not stifle technology innovation and growth. The forum encouraged Africans to focus more on technology innovations that will drive development on the African continent.

Last month in Lagos, Connect Marketing used the TechPlus platform to bring technology experts together to showcase latest technology solutions that will help bridge technology skills gap in the country.

The TechPlus forum focused more on technology innovation and smart city development.

At the forum, a lot of discussions were centred on smart city and how technology will help drive the smart city initiative of the Lagos State government.

Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services, Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, organisers of TechPlus, said: “We are aware that Lagos has signed a deal with some companies to develop the state into a smart city state, and TechPlus offered ample opportunities for governments at all levels to tap into new technology ideas for smart city development at the forum. We brought speakers from Spain, who have wealth of experiences in smart city development, to speak and we invited state governments to be part of our event, to enable them take advantage of the opportunities that TechPlus offers in today’s digital world.”

Nigeria’s future in a connected world Speaking at the TechPlus forum, the Chairperson, Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), Dr. Omobola Johnson, who is also the former Minister of Communications Technology, said that Nigeria and Africa must step up technology innovation in order to attain a state of technology connectivity.

According to her, “We live today in a world that is more connected than ever before. In the relatively short time since its invention, the Internet has revolutionised our world and has radically altered the way we work, play, and live. With little more than the touch of a button or the swipe of a screen, we can connect with friends, even if they are halfway across the world. We can check the news and the latest football scores, watch videos and play games, search for jobs, engage in political processes, prepare for natural disasters, access financial services, buy and sell goods and services.”

She noted that connectivity has become so indispensable to modern life that last year, the United Nations set a new global goal: Universal, Affordable Internet access for all by the year 2020.

Oyagbola (right), discussing with Adeyinka at TechPlus innovation forum

She said: “This ambitious goal underscores the importance of internet access to global development and empowerment. But the reality is that we have a long way to go to achieve this goal. Today, over half of the world’s population is still offline. That’s more than 4 billion people, unable to take advantage of the connectivity and opportunities that come with internet access. Across our continent, just one in five people is online today. What’s more, growth is slowing and recent statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have shown that over the past year, internet use in Africa grew by just 1.8 per cent.

At this rate, it will take decades for Africa to reach the internet usage levels currently seen in Europe. This gap becomes all the more real when you consider that it will exclude an entire generation from the benefits and potential of an internet connection.”

Issues with broadband Citing high cost of broadband access as a major impediment to technology innovation, Johnson called for affordable internet access in Nigeria to enable more people have access to the internet, which she said, would improve innovation.

“The inability to afford even a basic broadband

TechPlus offered ample opportunities for governments at all levels to tap into new technology ideas for smart city development at the forum. We brought speakers from Spain, who have wealth of experiences in smart city development

connection remains one of the biggest obstacles to wider internet access and use across Africa.

In some African countries, basic broadband costs as much as 58 per cent of average income whereas in the US or Europe it is a very small fraction.

Expanding connectivity and securing Africa’s future in the connected world of today and tomorrow, requires us to take bold action now.

The good news is that we already have the tools and know-how to tackle this challenge, but there is however need for us as a country Prioritise, Collaborate and Create,’ she said.

Collaboration In order to boost innovation that will bridge technology skills gap, governments at all levels have been called upon to work together with service providers, with civil society and other stakeholders to develop and put into place the policies needed to make affordable, universal access across the continent a reality.

According to experts, these policies must take into consideration local barriers to access and affordability. They must set out and work toward an ambitious new target to cut down on the cost of broadband in the country.

The experts were of the view that governments must work hard to collaborate with the private sector to create environments that encourage continued growth and investment, and continued commitment to the development of local economies.

Local content Local content development is key to technology innovation as identified by experts present at the TechPlus forum.

According to them, securing the country’s digital future will require the development of local contents, rather than consuming from other nations. They cited the lack of relevant local content as a main reason for not using the internet.

Gaming competition As part of measures to boost technology innovation among Nigerian youths, organisers of TechPlus used the 2016 TechPlus forum to organise gaming competition, where nine winners emerged from over two thousand gamers that contested in the gaming tournament at the Techplus 2016 conference and exhibition.

Describing the competition as healthy for technology innovation in Nigeria, Adeyinka said the competition was a brilliant opportunity for young people to sharpen their gaming skills. “Gaming is on a growth trajectory and Nigerians need to plug into the play not just as consumers but also as game-makers,” Adeyinka said.

He noted that the competition offered young people the desired digital skills, knowledge and industry connections they needed to become the next generation of game makers.

“This year, we are proud to display games made by Nigerians that are available online.

Techplus has come at the right time to tap into the potential that exists in technology for job creation. We see our platform as a catalyst which will bring together the entire ecosystem. When we started we were hoping to create a platform that would allow companies, individuals and businesses in the tech space to bring together customers, clients and for all players to showcase their products and services,” he said.

MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, while highlighting the importance of the Techplus conference to technology promotion and adoption in Nigeria’s ecosystem, said the platform promotes technology debate, interaction and sharing of ideas that would benefit everyone in the technology space.

“As a technology company, MTN is always at the forefront of promoting any idea that supports technology discussion and its merits to business at all level,” she said.

In the FIFA 16 Soccer gaming category, Bamigbola Oluwadare emerged as the overall winner after defeating 1,467 gamers, to win grand cash prize of N500,000. Tari Ikoli Travis and Henry Andrew went home with N300,000 and N200,000 as second and third place winners respectively. The Mortal Kombat gaming category saw Richmond Boampong from Ghana grab the first place prize of N300,000, while Micah Dipsy and Abdalah Abubakar were rewarded with N200,000 and N100,000 as second and third place winners respectively. Obinna Akpen, Nonso Anumbo and Bolarin Olawadamilola won prizes for their skills in the Call of Duty gaming category, which was described as the best first-person shooter video game.

Governments at all levels must continue to support technology innovation, in order to achieve fast economic development.

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Of Social Media and Online Opportunities for Youths Emma Okonji writes that a trending new social network, Swag.ng, targeted at youths, is a pointer to the new vista of opportunity that brands can tap into and build a strong community of loyal customers Nigeria is in technical recession. The power sector reforms anticipated to accelerate economic growth is still battling with teething challenges.

The worsening state of insecurity of lives and property in the country is a major source of concern for the generality of Nigerians.

All the macroeconomic indicators are not looking good, resulting in outflow of portfolio investments.

These present a picture of challenging times for businesses and brands in Nigeria, who in these lean times have to explore new and more efficient ways of doing more to serve customers and stay afloat.

Critical to building customer loyalty and grow businesses is building a brand community.

A brand community is a group of passionate people who are bound together by a common lifestyle, similar or complementary needs, activities, and values that also resonate with a brand.

Enabled by robust technology, marketers in different industries across the globe are busy trying to build communities around their own brands, more so following the success some companies have made of it.

Making a strong case for branded communities, Luca S. Pardeni and Shar VanBoskirk, in ‘Predictions 2015: Marketing Leaders Mix Data, Content and Insight to craft brand experiences,’ posited that “marketing leaders will also come to terms with the fact that their brands’ Facebook and Twitter messages simply don’t reach or engage their audiences and that communities can support every part of the marketing plan.”

In order to leave above the current economic challenges, Nigerians have been advised to take advantage of the social media, and online marketing, where lots of opportunities abound.

Building strong online platform In today’s world with its many challenges people, earnestly desire a sense of connection in the things that matter most to them, to share ideas, and have a sense of community.

Also in challenging economic times as these, every company needs new ways to do more with what it already has.

A new online community that understands this need and poised to fill this gap, Swag. ng is emerging to be Nigeria’s authentic and growing brand community for the youth.

Created by marketing communications expert, Charles Odibo, who has led the Corporate Communications and brand transformation of three banks – Standard Trust Bank (now UBA); Platinum/Bank PHB (now Keystone); and Fidelity Bank, shares insights about Swag.ng According to him, Swag.ng is an authentic Nigerian site where young people create their own content, invite people of like minds, and share several content that appeal to them all.

“We have also created engagement that caters to different demographics – campus students and youth; style for ladies; and those who seek to explore sights and sounds of Nigeria, all under one platform.”

According to Odibo, as an interactive forum, if a brand is identified with a strong community, what it does is that its customers are made to feel they are part of a special group, which reinforces their support for the brand and fuels resistance to rival brands.

He also posits that a brand that associates with or identifies with a strong community will build loyalty, not necessarily by pushing or driving sales transactions but by helping members of the community meet their needs.

Research studies A 2009 Harvard Business Review case study

by Susan Fournier and Lara Lee, based on their combined years of researching, building, and leveraging brand communities revealed among others that a brand community exists to serve the people in it not to serve your business, because, according to them, your customers are individuals with many different needs, interests, and responsibilities.

They noted for emphasis that people participate in communities for a wide variety of reasons – to find emotional support and

Odibo

encouragement, to explore ways to contribute to a common good, and to cultivate interests and skills, etc. It is interesting that they made this conclusion – “Brand community is a means to an end not an end in itself, for the members.” So, what are forward looking brands waiting for?

Building strong relationships Understanding the power of personal relationships, Swag.ng has built a growing community that can strengthen brands. Given that people have strong one-to-one relationships with others who have similar or complementary needs such as campus students and youth, Swag.ng has content and groups such as Campus SWAG; Sights and Sounds of Nigeria for those who love to explore; and Style, among others.

A core bottom line of the online platform is also the identification of the need to create a strong community where everyone plays a role to ensure that they stay involved and also consistently add value. The content and narratives on Campus Swag, for instance, is provided by students and students alone, so they have a complete sense of ownership.

With Swag.ng partnership, non-competing brands will increase customer loyalty, lower marketing costs, authenticate brand meanings, and yield an influx of ideas to grow their businesses One of the world’s leading fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) conglomerate Procter and Gamble, which has made a success of brand community has this to say about its online brand community, “Being Girl” – “as a marketing tool, this site is now four times as effective as comparatively priced television advertising.”

At a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing programmes, the Swag.ng brand community can be used to also conduct market research

with very quick turn-around; generate and test ideas for product innovations; strengthen the attachment that existing customers feel towards a Swag-partner brand; and increase good publicity through word-of-mouth.

According to Odibo, brand communities would play great roles in shaping the future of brand engagement.

“Some of the factors that are envisaged to shape the future include the following: – lifestyles will become less planned, more immediate and volatile; people become reliant on technology and brands to facilitate their lives; and consumers expect to be able to get what they want and when they want it. As you can see, these are already manifesting, and an online community like swag is central in facilitating these trends,” Odibo said.

With brand communities being useful to consumers for trouble-shooting and sharing success stories about a product or service, brand communities are turning into a more voyeuristic reality show that underscore the aspirational spirit of today’s consumer rather than a town hall meeting.

Expert view The CEO of Spot.IM, Naday Shoval, a developer of embeddable social networks for publishers, stated recently that there is a growing shift in the concept of community from being something that exists solely on Facebook or other external networks, to something that a brand creates around its content and products, and which can exist on an owned platform.

Overall, every brand, every product, every business, big or small, has to re-adapt to the future because from time to time the future is becoming or pointing the brand in different direction from the past. No brand wants to be a copy of yesterday, but to be a jumping point for tomorrow.

Youths as future leaders The nation’s demographics show that the future is the youth. Nigerians between 16 and 35 years account for 40 per cent of our population. Seventy per cent of our population is under 35 years.

How do brands appeal to them today and serve them with the tools that will shape our tomorrow? How can brands enable them to make their dreams come true?

The behavioral economic insights of young people reveal the following - they desire creative disruption; the youth want to participate and be involved; they want to participate in purposeful campaigns; and they prefer innovative transactional methods.

The insights also reveal that the youth want their content and service anytime anywhere; they prefer real-time content; they are obsessive about discovering and sharing; and they are excited with ephemeral stuff.

Above all, many youth that follow brands have clear expectations – they want material gain, some free products, good discount or perhaps a winnable competition, or they want to be entertained. Young people like brands that make life easier for them.

In a digital world filled with adverts and other marketing content, people are natural skeptics, so when they are able to make emotional connection online they are more comfortable spending more time there. A brand community gives people a feeling of belonging, which people crave, making them feel connected to other people who not only share common interests, but have similar behaviours, perceptions and values.

Marketers seem to have learned all these lessons on social media, but with the emergence of a site like Swag.ng, it may be time to take those lessons and apply them to branded communities, and reap the benefits.

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Ojo-Bello: Apps Targeted at SMEs Will Spur Economic Growth The MD/CEO, Matt O’ Bell Ltd, Dare Ojo-Bello, spoke with Emma Okonji on the need to develop tailored-made software applications that will drive growth of small businesses and make them globally competitive. Excerpts: Matt O’ Bell Limited just launched a software application called OdooSME that will support growth of small businesses in the country.

What value will it add to small businesses?

OdooSME is an object oriented enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution designed specifically for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is simply a business application that allows SMEs to run their businesses more transparently, efficiently and ultimately helping them improve productivity and profitability.

OdooSME is coined from two names: Odoo and SME. Odoo is a business application that was initiated over 11 years ago, and SME, means Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

Traditionally, organisations have followed after accounting-centric software such that the activities in the various departments and units, are reported in a computerised accounting system.

So you have sales, procurement, warehousing, human resources, marketing, manufacturing activities feeding into an accounting system.

While the accounting system was computerised, the individual operations were not. Overtime, it became necessary to computerise procurement, warehousing, manufacturing, inventory, marketing operations, among others and the result was that we then had several individual computerised operations but which still had to provide inputs manually to the accounting system because those individual systems were not directly connected to the accounting system.

The benefits of computerisation could not be realised under this scenario as the accounting system was unable to report transactions on real time and accurately too. This was what gave birth to ERP solution, a single database that integrates all the functions and strategic business units of an organisation.

Unfortunately, ERP by design was not originally built for SMEs due to their complexities, steep learning curve, huge cost of deployment and the time required to implement the solution.

With improvements in technology, several ERP solutions have emerged specifically targeted at SMEs and Odoo has been a clear leader in this market for over a decade, bringing affordable yet robust ERP and business productivity tools in one single application to SMEs. The pricing model for OdooSME comes relatively cheap. Can this be sustained over a long period of time?

Yes the pricing model for OdooSME solution is very cheap and the reason is obvious. We want to be highly competitive and we have looked at retail solutions that are not ERP based, yet they are quite expensive in the range of N50,000 to N60,000 per annum, for 10 users, which is about N5,000 per month. But Odoo solution, on which OdooSME rides on, is doing about $8 per user in Africa, which is about N2,400 per user, and we are offering OdooSME to our Nigerian SMEs at N500 per user per month.

We are sure of sustaining the pricing model because we are offering the solution as Software as a Service (SaaS), which is a scalable solution.

Do you have the capacity to withstand the expected surge in terms of traffic that will be generated by the time SMEs begin to rush the solution because of its low pricing model?

We have the capacity to withstand sudden surge and large traffic that will be directed to our website. This is true because our solution is scalable and allows users to always scale up and increase capacities based on demand.

Resources can be expanded from the server angle, but beyond that, we have multiple servers that can be distributed, such that if one server has redundancy, the next server automatically picks up without delays, and the user will not notice ant hitch in operation. So the infrastructure cost, which is huge, will be part of our investment into the business, and we are not desperate at recovering cost from day one of the business, because it is a long term business plan.

Our motive is to accommodate as many SMEs as possible and help them boost growth and become globally competitive. So our calculation is that as the users increase in number with time, the cost of infrastructure and maintenance

benchmark market competition and this has helped in widening the gap between SMEs and big corporations. So the OdooSME solution, which we are introducing, can bridge the gap between SMEs and corporate organisations.

The ERP solution we are offering to SMEs will provide them the information that they need to grow their business.

So the OdooSME is cheap and affordable and it is easy to use because the user interface is very friendly. Information drives profitability for SMEs and OdooSME enables SMEs to generate business information. A good ERP will provide accurate inventory of stocks and ensure that the business owner does not go out of stock for any reason.

Ojo-Bello

will keep reducing. Beyond the hosting of our servers in the US, we do not have any offshore cost, so we are sure of maintaining the low pricing model of our solution.

Does the solution allow for interoperability and integration?

Yes, our solution gives room for interoperability and integration with other software apps. Most organisation may be running a particular ERP solution and wants to have a handshake with OdooSME for specific modules. Our solution can perfectly integrate with existing solution. Some clients want legacy system and do not want to discard the initial solution, even when the client is asking for another solution. In such situation we will not be able to offer such integration as a solution but we can do it through consulting, where we will propose a project for the client.

For us to sustain OdooSME at its low pricing model of N500 per user per month, we must dissociate from those kinds of special projects.

What could be responsible for the failure of most SMEs that tried to come up in the past?

The major reason why SMEs fail in business is lack of information, and that is what OdooSME has come to address. There are prospective clients that have good business ideas, but do not have business information on how their businesses are supposed to be run and this becomes difficult for equity position takers to take decision on that kind of business.

Small entrepreneurs need to take advantage of technology to drive SME business. What makes advanced countries thick in their economy is SMEs, so there is need for Nigeria to support SMEs growth and our solution will enhance such growth and make them succeed in business.

How can your solution assist government in repositioning SMEs for economic development?

By the time SMEs embrace the solution, it will address those issues that make them go under incessantly. We are aware that most SMEs do not last long because they do not have the right information to grow their business, and this of course will discourage venture capitalists and Angel investors from investing in the business.

Investors use information from data to decide whether to invest in a technology startup or not. Government is beginning to be interested in supporting SMEs with seed funds, but government also wants to see traces of judicious use of the money made available to SME. So government will like to release money in tranches and will not provide additional money without having records of how the customer spent the money in the first tranche. Based on best practices that are built into ERP solution, the SME using OdooSME would be at advantage position to generate relevant information that will boost

You currently launched the solution in Lagos.

Are there plans to launch outside Lagos?

We have a website, www.odoosme.com and people can log on to the site from any part of the county, because it is a web-based solution. We have clients in several states.

We are into social media campaign as well, using Google, Facebook, and we have email marketing platform such that people can send us mail and we can engage them until they buy into the solution. So because the solution is web-based, anybody can sign on to our website from any location within and outside business growth. So when government has such the country and get connected to the website. information, it will be able to provide funding for the next level of the SME business.

Do you intend to have any partnership with government?

What percentage of local content development For now we do not have any partnership with is in OdooSME solution? government. And again, the solution is new in OdooSME is a locally developed software for SME the market and specifically designed for SMEs. and it is an off-shoot of Odoo software, which is We have, however, made the solution known a foreign software developed in Belgium, with to Small and Medium Enterprise Development presence in other countries like India, Hong- Agency (SMEDAN), which is an agency of Kong, and the United States. Odoo has about government that supports SMEs. 700 partners across the globe. So OdooSME is one of the leading partners of Odoo in Nigeria. The software industry in Nigeria is still We use the tools available to Odoo to build the searching for opportunities that could launch OdooSME platform, which is our local solution it into limelight. Do you see that opportunity that we sell to SMEs in Nigeria. coming soon?

When you talk of making use of opportunities, How will OdooSME solution address issues you must not forget that opportunities are of corporate governance in the country? only meant for the prepared. There has been A lot of corporate organisation use ERP solu- huge clamour for government support for local tion because it enforces corporate governance, software industry, but my take on that is that best practices and control of the business, and we need to reach a point where we need to OdooSME is an ERP solution for SMEs, with all the know that creating enabling environment is more qualities of ERP solution. The OdooSME solution important than supporting the industry with addresses the challenges of multi branches and seed money. In India, for instance, every family locations of any business. So it uses one database knows about one programming language, and seated in a particular location, and monitor the this is so because government has created the operations of all branches of an organisation. enabling environment where people were given Again, the OdooSME can address a situation opportunities from the beginning to support where a company has several other companies their careers. So today China has a cheap labour that are not in the same line of business. in software because virtually all families have knowledge of software programing. So the idea What has been the market response to OdooSME of people calling on government to shut out since it was launched? the inflow of foreign software into the country, OdooSME was launched on June 6, 2016, and is not necessary. What matters for us is about since then, it has generated a lot of interest capacity building. When several people are well among SMEs, because ERP solution used to be trained in software development, there will be specifically for big organisations because of its competition even with the foreign software. several features, but today we are using OdooSME as an ERP solution, to offer the same quality for So how can government drive software SME operations. We came up with this solution, development in the country? because most banks had approached us, asking Most software in the financial sector are foreign us to build ERP solution for the SME platform. software, even most government organisations We spent about nine months to successfully run foreign software, but the best way to build the solution. Since the launch there has discourage this is to build local capacities and been a lot of interest from people who really encourage increase in local content practice want to confirm that ERP solution could be in the country. deployed for SMEs. So what we did was to offer prospective users 30 days trial to experience How secured is your network when it comes how the solution works and many of them to vulnerability? decided to implement OdooSME solution after Security is the key but could be easily comthe 30 days trial. promised when people are careless about it.

However, our network is robust with strong How can OdooSME help to bridge the gap security features around the infrastructure. between SMEs and big corporate organisations? So we are one step ahead of attacks and we The software tools that have made big organisa- have systems that are proactive and we have tions great are not affordable by SMEs, and this security team that constantly sends information has been one of the reason why huge gap exists on patches that could prevent cyber-attacks between SMEs and big organisations. The situ- on data and the server. We also encrypt all ation had always placed SMEs at disadvantage transactions that take place on our platform, position from the inception. Again, SMEs do and this makes it difficult for people to read not have information that they could use to transactions on the platform.

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GreenHouse Capital to Invest Invest in ICT for Economic Growth, SystemSpecs Tells FG $10m in 13 Tech Startups minister of communication still being owed its one per to a large extent.

Stories by Emma Okonji GreenHouse Capital, a venture capital firm, has commenced the implementation process of investing $10million in 13 technology startups that have great solutions developed locally, but with global appeal and with the ability for global scale up.

Although the venture capital firm plans to invest the money in two tranches of $5 million each, it has already spent well over $3 million, spread across the 13 startups.

One of the founding partners of GreenHouse Capital, Mr. Bunmi Akinyemiju who made the disclosure, while showcasing the 13 startup companies at a technology show in Lagos, weekend, said “the future is about virtual technology and no longer oil and gas, and that is the reason we are investing in tech startups. We have invested over $3 million out of the $5 million that we planned to invest in the first tranche. In all, we plan to invest a total of $10 million in the next two years.”

Giving reasons behind the zeal to raise seed funds for tech startups, Akinyemiju said the VC firm decided to invest in them in order to support young entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas, who do not have the right funding to scale up.

The list of top global companies today by market capitalisation, is made up of technology companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple. Gone are the days when oil and gas companies used to top the list and that is the direction of the world today, so we need to guide and support Nigerian tech startups in that global direction, Akinyemiju said.

We are investing big in technology startups companies,

because the financial gain is going to be exponential in the future. A VC firm like GreenHouse only needs about three successful startup companies, out of 20 sponsored companies to settle the amount of money spent promoting 20 tech companies, and still make huge turnover, Akinyemiju added.

Speaking on the vision and mission of GreenHouse Capital, its Managing Partner, Nichole Yembra said the mission is to promote and support tech entrepreneurs in Africa that have great talents but do not have the encouragement and funding to actualise their dreams.

Big entrepreneurs that are behind big brands like Uba, Google, Microsoft, among others, started as very small entrepreneurs and they got support to arrive at where they are today. So we want to replicate that kind of success out of Nigeria and Africa, Yembra said.

According to Akinyemiju, “We need to scale-up their business but all the money needed for scale-up will not come from Nigeria, because we will source for funds from outside Nigeria and Africa, from places like the US, UK, China, Hon Kong among others. But the money from these countries will not be made available unless African investors are able to support the initial funding and that is exactly what GreenHouse Capital is doing by investing in 13 technology startups.”

Among the 13 startups that were showcased at the Lagos technology show, some are into solar energy solution, financial solutions for banks, micro finance solutions, logistics solutions, and gifting solutions.

Intel Launches Fresh Campaign on PC Adoption Determined to empower Nigerians with affordable laptops with fast speed internet connectivity, designed to deepen personal computer adoption and ownership in the country, Intel West Africa, has officially unveiled a new media campaign tagged “With A Computer, You Are Powerful”.

Speaking on the importance of PC to every Nigerian and the reason behind the renewed campaign, at a forum in Lagos recently, Country Manager, Intel Nigeria, Bunmi Ekundare, said PC adoption is increasingly becoming a necessity to create wealth for the country.

“Nigeria is a booming economy with a vast array of talent, wealth, and brain-power.

Intel is proud to launch this campaign to encourage information and communications technology (ICT) growth, and ensure that the power of technology is felt across all platforms in Nigeria.

The campaign speaks directly to the relevance of having a computer. Inarguably, there are endless opportunities to be gained through the use of a computer, and we want Nigerians to know that. We believe that indeed- with a computer, you are powerful,” Ekundare said.

According to him, the campaign is in sync with Intel’s continued commitment to the socio-economic development of the average Nigerian.

Marketing and PR Manager, Intel West Africa, Adim Isiapkona, noted that while a smartphone or tablet may afford the user of internet access and mobility, there are some things only a laptop can do, making it a necessity and not a luxury.

“The variety of content you can create through applications such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Word is unimaginable. From editing photos and videos to creating music and art, a laptop can help you do it whilst on the go. You simply carry your office with you,” he said.

Adding that, “unlocking your ability to get online any time, read, research and explore different concepts that spur creative ideas for your business and/ or lifestyle is just a snippet of the kind of power a computer offers you.” According the Intel, Nigeria has the largest number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) business in Africa and they need to be well equipped with the right tools like the computer that will help them scale up their business.

Indigenous software developer, SystemSpecs, has urged the federal government to refocus its attention on information communication technology (ICT) for speedy economic growth in light of dwindling oil prices on the international market.

Executive Director of the company, Deremi Atanda, who was a guest on CNBC Africa’s mid-belt programme Power Lunch recently, observed that there was a gap between ICT and government’s fiscal policies, which the current administration’s implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) had addressed

He, however, added that there was much room for improvement in the face of ongoing developments locally and internationally.

Nigeria is reportedly lagging behind in the global ICT market share considering that the sector contributes over 10 per cent to the nation’s GDP and can potentially overtake South Africa as the continent’s largest ICT market with more investments.

“There is still a dearth of information, as well as the challenge of connecting information technology (IT) with governance and national economic policy.

But I am glad the current

has the path charted already.

Things are being put in place, the industry bodies are also getting to be better structured and we are just very hopeful.

Now that Nigeria is out of oil, technology is the next best thing,” he said.

SystemSpecs invented the Remita software, which powers the federal government’s acclaimed TSA policy, said to have instilled fiscal discipline and accountability, and returned over N3 trillion to the national coffers since it was adopted by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration on September 15, 2015.

However, SystemSpecs is

cent service charge, to be shared in an agreed formula with Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Despite the setback, Atanda maintained that SystemSpecs remains undaunted considering the positive changes that its software has made in Nigeria’s financial landscape.

“We have taken this challenge upon ourselves for the sake of other IT entrepreneurs.

It has not been easy going ahead without being paid for several months, but we know that once this is sorted out, it charts the path for others coming into the market,” he said.

ENHANCING TECH DEVELOPERS’ SKILLS

L-R: CTO, OLX SSA, Stephen Ballot; Country Manager OLX Nigeria, Lola Masha, and Product Owner, OLX SSA, Stephen van der Hejiden, during the partnership of OLX and TechCabal product masterclass for developers in Lagos...recently

LOC to Host Forum on ITU OneCard Introduces Lower Telecom World 2016 Denomination of Recharge Cards

The Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for Nigeria has put in place plans to host a stakeholders’ forum, in preparation for this years’ ITU Telecom World 2016.

The forum which is slated for Monday, September 5, 2016 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, is expected to enlighten and throw more light on the benefits that will spring from participation of stakeholders.

The forum is for policy makers, regulators, telecommunication operators, service providers, equipment vendors, banks and financial institutions, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), innovators, software developers, original equipment vendors, value added service providers among others.

Keynote speakers will include: the Minister of Communications, Chief Adebayo Shittu; Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.

Umar Danbatta; Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone,

Mr. Yusuf Kazaure; his counterpart at Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Ms. Abimbola Alale; Acting Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, among others. This year’s ITU Telecom event will hold in Bangkok, Thailand fromNovember 14 – 17, 2016.

ITU Telecom World 2016 will provide participants the opportunity to network and showcase their innovations and tap new business models in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) terrain.

Participants will explore importance of collaboration with the digital economy through best approaches, business models and technologies to forge flourishing inclusive ecosystem.

Nigeria has adopted “Smart Communities: the key to a digital Nigeria” as theme. The general theme for ITU Telecom World 2016 is “Collaboration in the digital economy”.

OneCard Nigeria, a fast moving consumer goods company has introduced N20 and N50 denominations of its multi-purpose recharge card nationwide, which are the lowest denominations of recharge cards in the country.

OneCard is the first of its kind in the globe with unique ability to recharge multiple services. The N20 and N50 variant recharges all mobile networks with one single code *979*PIN#.

Chairman OneCard Nigeria, Mr. Tunde Odulaja, while speaking on the development, said the company is committed to providing easy and convenient recharge solutions for all Nigerians in all cadres of society.

According to him, “OneCard is excited to be providing more flexible recharge options to Nigerians with the small denominated cards.”

Also speaking on the N20 and N50 cards, General Manager, OneCard Nigeria, Mr. Femi Muka, said the introduction was also a response by the company to demands for

lower denominations from the market. He explained that the N20 and N50 denominated recharge cards will be useful for both voice and data needs and complements the efforts of various operators in serving every Nigerian.

He said in the OneCard picture, every Nigerian counts and if there is a recharge need anywhere, OneCard will be very delighted to meet this need just like it has done with the launch of these cards.

OneCard Nigeria is a technology based fast moving consumer goods company that provides top-up solutions on multiple platforms for various services like mobile phones, toll fees, pay television, electricity and a lot more nationwide. OneCard offers unique, secure top-up solutions for individual, corporate and retail customers via online channels, as well as java enabled or android handheld direct top up devices and the innovative multi-purpose recharge card.

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PERSPECTIVE

Kachikwu: What Next for the Game Changer Nantim M. Joseph writes that the new NNPC helmsman should build on the achievements recorded by his predecessor, Ibe Kachikwu, and sustain the momentum and dynamism of the past eleven months On July 4th 2016, the long speculated change in the top management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) finally happened. President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Dr. Maikanti Baru Group Managing Director of the Corporation. The immediate consequence of the decision which was predictably highlighted in breathless media reports, was that Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who had been running the NNPC as well as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources portfolio for the previous eleven months, was now to squarely face the ministry job. But Kachikwu, respected industry oil industry veteran, manager and thought leader is far from finished with the NNPC. The President also approved the composition of the board of the corporation, to be chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum.

It is no surprise that the latest development at the NNPC had been the subject of heated speculation within and outside the oil sector.

Kachikwu’s eleven months at the helm of the NNPC was rich in important milestones, some of which can actually be described as unprecedented, even revolutionary. In spite of the well-known problems of the Nigerian oil and gas sector, Kachikwu who is fondly known as the Game Changer by admirers, managed to slay a few dragons in the process of carrying out President Buhari’s mandate to achieve a turnaround in both the operations and fortunes of the NNPC. No doubt, the new NNPC boss has very big shoes to fill. Let us consider a few of the key accomplishments of Kachikwu when he held sway at the NNPC. First, with the political will and support of the President, NNPC under Kachikwu broke the deregulation jinx. He successfully implemented the full deregulation of the downstream oil sector by removing the infamous petroleum subsidy. By doing this, he saved the country N1.4 trillion that the country was spending yearly in funding the wasteful initiative that benefitted a few at the expense of investments in social infrastructure. With subsidy gone, the savings will hopefully be re-directed towards financing more critical development projects like power, roads, rehabilitation of hospitals and other social initiatives that will have more profound and wide ranging impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians while in the process strengthening the economy. In addition, as a result of this development queues have literally disappeared in the filling stations across the length and breadth of the country. It’s been a sea change from long hours trying to fill up to a drive in, fill up and drive out experience for Nigerian motorists.

Another spin off of deregulation is that it has reduced the cost of running the corporation by 30 percent, taken pressure off the country’s finances while opening the sector to prospective investment – local and foreign.

The second significant achievement of the Kachikwu months is that he successfully turned the corporation from a position of persistent loss and set it on the path of sustained profitability and improved operational efficiency.

For instance, a comparison of the April results of the downstream group with May results show a massive turnaround from about N19 billion in loss to some modest level of profitability. In May 2016, for the first time in history, the NNPC made a profit of N270m.

This is a significant achievement considering that when he took over eleven months ago, the corporation’s losses were in excess of N150 billion. This is a lot to achieve within eleven months.

Thirdly, under Kachikwu, the NNPC, infamous for its opaqueness of its operations, was opened up. For the first time in decades, a significant level transparency was introduced into the finances of NNPC and the oil and gas sector. In keeping with the promise he made soon after his appointment as GMD, he introduced a new culture of transparency, accountability and public engagement. To underscore that the new culture of transparency was beyond talk, he initiated the practice of publishing full monthly operational accounts

Kachikwu

of NNPC and giving Nigerians a weekly peep into the inner workings of the corporation through his weekly podcasts. This was an unprecedented act in every respect given the secrecy with which earlier managements ran the corporation. With this act, Kachikwu signaled a new era in which Nigerians could ask questions and get answers about the operations of an industry that is the backbone of the Nigerian economy. Given the well known facts of NNPC’s history, the idea that a Nigerian citizen can have access to the NNPC’s Operational Account is a modern day miracle given the legendary opaqueness of what was generally considered Nigeria’s most corrupt state run agency.

As a result of Kachikwu’s efforts in boosting efficiency, profitability and transparency in NNPC, the corporation has recently being able to contribute 100 per cent cash call contributions to FAAC. This marks a significant improvement from the 60/70 percent that obtained under previous administration.

The fourth legacy that Kachikwu has left at the NNPC is setting up a structured and sustainable financing scheme that will enable the downstream sector to adequately fund itself without putting pressure on the federal purse.

Only recently during a roadshow in China, he signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several Chinese firms for over $80 billion new investments, spanning five years, in the oil and gas industry covering pipelines, refineries, gas and power, facility refurbishments and upstream financing to bridge the infrastructure funding gaps in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. In addition, Kachikwu also got commitments from Sinopec and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to commit to further investments in Nigeria’s upstream oil sub-sector to the tune of $20 billion, which would be concluded within the next few months. This would cumulatively bring

the total amount of prospective investments

by Chinese firms over a five-year period to over $100 billion. This interest also reflects the growing international confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector following major reforms that Kachikwu has implemented under the support and leadership of President Buhari.

Other key achievements of Kachikwu include reducing the upstream contracting period from the average of between two and half years to between six and nine months, rehabilitating the refineries and getting them to work after over ten years, re-structuring the NNPC and breaking it into more efficient profitable units.

For local and foreign stakeholders in the oil and gas industry including the Independent Oil Companies (IOCs), the big question is what happens next. This is because in the oil sector as in other aspects of Nigeria the lack of stability and predictability has been a major challenge for businesses for the simple reason that without stability it is difficult to plan and when planning is done in the breach profitability and other priorities tend to suffer.

The hope is that with the appointment of Dr. Maikanti Baru an experienced industry player who also worked with Kachikwu the stability and dynamism of the past eleven months will be retained in the interest of the Nigerian economy. This is because the oil sector, in spite of current challenges not least of which is the long-standing fall in oil prices remains Nigeria’s goose. And if the initial comments of the new helmsman at the NNPC are anything to go by, there is indeed a basis for that hope.

At the handing over event, Dr. Baru promised to work to deepen the on-going reform in the NNPC that Kachikwu had started. He said he would implement the new business model and follow on with Kachikwu’s plan to grant

needed autonomy to the Strategic Business Units (SBUs) with the Autonomous Business Units (ABUs) providing relevant directions and control that would ensure their growth and profitability. It was also assuring to hear the new GMD promise that he would continue to explore ways of relieving government from the burden of cash calls obligations as well as address and defray the agreed cash call arrears to the IOCs. Kachikwu has in a short time span of eleven months as GMD NNPC undoubtedly made a huge mark on the oil and gas landscape. Now that he is focused on his job as the Minister of State Petroleum Resources and Chairman NNPC Board, he is still in a key position to ensure that the vision of President in the industry is fully implemented and that the promise for the country to stop fuel importation by year 2019 comes to pass.

He is currently playing a strategic mediation role in resolving the problem of renewed activities of militants in the Delta. Hopefully, a peace accord will be reached and Nigeria will go pass the incidences of pipeline vandalization by militants which will shore up already challenged national revenues.

However, the big question on the lips of many is: now that Kachikwu is fully ensconced in the ministry as Minister of Petroleum Resources what more can we expect next for the restless high achieving technocrat?

While Nigerians wait for the answer to that question, there is no doubt that as a result of all the many important initiatives started by Kachikwu as well as the milestones achieved, the oil industry is in a much better place than it was before the coming of Kachikwu.

- Joseph is a policy analyst based in Abuja, Nigeria

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BUSINESSWORLD

ADVERTISING

Demystifying the Myths around Milk and Adults Raheem Akingbolu unravels the misconception about consumption of milk by adults and the need for consumers to embrace the active lifestyle as against being sedentary Milk and other dairy products command respect in every household and they are as old as man. But despite the acceptability of milk, controversy has continued to trail its consumption, especially among some school of thoughts that are always eager to argue that it is not good for adults because of high concentration of cholesterol. In recent times, many experts have however dismissed the argument as mere conjecture and weak position that lacks scientific prove.

Early in the week, two eminent nutritionists, Professors Tunde Oguntona and Tola Atinmo, dismissed the argument and pointed out emphatically that both children and adults need milk for healthy lifestyle.

Prof Oguntona, a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria told THISDAY in a telephone conversation that adults need milk to sustain their body system. To support his position, he stated that some countries of the world that have the highest population, consume milk more than it is consumed in this part of the world.

“Milk is good for both children and adults because the two classes need calcium. Considering the fact that milk is a good source of calcium for the body, it is then a good food for all. The argument that milk is not good for adults is baseless because it has no place in science,” Toeing the same line, Professor of Human Nutrition at the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, Atinmo said is high time Nigerians distanced themselves from beer parlour arguments that could deny them of enjoying what would make them live a healthy life.

“Milk is known for its richness in calcium and thus its importance for bones. Protein is important to fight diseases, renew cells, build muscles and maintain healthy hair and nails. That is why your diet should provide enough proteins. Milk is an important source of protein, since each glass contains almost eight grams. To now conclude that milk is not good for adults is like denying them of protein and all other benefits,” he said.

Meanwhile, global advertising campaigns from the dairy industry have brought certain phrases into popular use, such as “Milk: it does a body good” and “Got Milk?” The presence of these slogans in mainstream media has further propelled the notion of milk being a healthful choice.

Low Cholesterol Milk as option To avoid controversies that often trail consumption of milk by adults, not a few experts have recommended low cholesterol milk for them. To this end, many dairy food manufacturers have therefore up the ante in the production of low cholesterol milk in the interest of consumers that are willing to avoid cholesterol.

Milk, according to the Dairy Council, a non-profit organisation which provides science-based information on the role of dairy foods as part of a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet has argued that milk is not high in calories when it’s low fat or 0% fat.

“If you are on a diet, concentrate on lowering the amount of fat within your diet. So, don’t remove milk totally from your diet, but choose low fat or 0% fat milk since it contains all the nutrients found in full cream milk except for the fat,” the body stated in one of its findings.

It further disclosed that it is important to know that not all milks are the same, adding that fortifying milk with vitamins and minerals is a very delicate process, and that the quality and quantity of the added nutrients have a direct effect on health.

It was established that milk, cheese and yogurt all provide many beneficial nutrients in varying quantities. For instance, calcium is said to be good for healthy bones and teeth while protein and phosphorous are good for growth and energy release respectively.

To this school of thought, one glass of

Milk

consultants have argued that dairy products provide calcium, which is essential for bone growth and development. Because of the argument that bone growth is at its highest during childhood and the teenage years, it has been concluded that it is important that teenagers consume dairy products.

It is believed that optimising bone mass in this age group can help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis (a debilitating, brittle bone disorder) in later life.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole

milk alone can make a contribution to the daily recommended intake of many important nutrients for all age groups; including children and adults.

Of all the nutrients in the food supply, fat and cholesterol probably receive the most attention from health professionals and the public alike.

Dietary recommendations from health experts advise lowering the total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in consumers’ diets. The scientific evidence is clear that a high-fat diet relates to chronic health problems such as heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Meanwhile, consumption of low fat dairy products has been linked to a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, studies have found that each extra portion of low fat dairy consumed each day is associated with increasingly lower risk.

A consultant and advocate of healthy living, fitness and lifestyle, Dr. Bisi Abiola, while recommending low cholesterol milk to Nigerians two years ago, said that adequate intake of milk fortifies the human body against diseases and supplies essential nutritional requirement for healthy living.

The nutrition expert who spoke at the official launch of the rebranding campaign of a dairy company in Lagos, described milk as a wholesome food that is highly rich in calcium, Potassium, riboflavin, magnesium, Zinc, protein, iodine, phosphorus and vitamins B2 and B12,” adding that milk, “is nature’s wellness gift to mankind.”

Bone Health Specifically, many scientists and health

Teeth Dairy products have also been proved by experts to contain calcium and other tooth friendly nutrients, which help teeth, grow and keep them healthy.

It is said to be the only drink -excluding water which is recommended by dentists to be safe to consume between meals.

Obesity Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that people who consume milk and dairy foods are likely to be slimmer than those who do not.

Recent research has also established that milk is also not a high fat product. Whole milk is believed to contain 4% fat, semi-skimmed milk contains 1.7% fat, 1% fat milk contains 1% fat and skimmed milk contains 0.3% fat.

Studies have also found that consuming milk and dairy as part of a calorie controlled diet can help consumers to lose weight -especially from the abdomen, where fat deposits are associated with the greatest health risks.

Active lifestyle As the controversy over consumption of milk by adult continues, the popular advice being given at various fora is that Nigerians should try to embrace active lifestyle as against being sedentary.

Recently, Kunle Aledare, a Medical Consultant at the Kogi Ministry of Health, urged Nigerians to avoid sedentary lifestyle and engaged in regular exercise to keep a healthy heart. The consultant spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja.

He said that the call was necessary to create public awareness on the high rate at which people die of heart related diseases.

Aledare advised that people should endeavour to engage in at least 30 minutes regular exercise daily to burn down the accumulated fats that could obstruct the coronary artery.

According to him, the coronary blood artery is the vessel that carries the flow of blood

to and from the heart.

He explained that blockage in the blood artery weakened the muscles and that it would lead to shortage of blood supply, which could result into heart attack.

The expert said that those who were in the habit of sitting down all the day should desist from such lifestyle, stressing that it was dangerous to their health.

“Adequate exercise or trekking for at least 30 minutes per day is one of the most preventive measures against heart attack. People should also avoid tobacco smoking and inhaling of generator fumes. We must avoid an environment with excessive generation of smoke; we must keep and maintain a well ventilated room,” Aledare said.

The expert also urged people to check their blood sugar regularly, adding that 50 per cent of those that have diabetes were at higher risk of having heart related diseases.

He advised people to go for general medical checkups at least once in three month for blood pressure, cholesterol level, and sugar content in the blood.

According to him, high blood pressure or hypertension, high blood sugar (diabetes), and high cholesterol level are among factors that can predispose people to heart conditions.

“People should eat more of fishes, fruits, vegetables, and low salt intake to create and keep heart-healthy environment. It is better to take adequate measures and precautions to prevent heart related conditions; prevention is better than cure,” the expert warned,” The expert, however, urged the federal government to raise more awareness and educate people on the need to create and maintain heart-healthy environment.

“The federal government should put stringent measures in place, and formulate policies to avoid air pollution which will promote the health of individuals. These policies must be implementable at all levels of government.

“The federal government should also commit adequate funds to health sector to make available modern equipment in federal teaching hospitals for the corrections of heart conditions,” he said.

He said that most people with heart conditions basically complained of pains at the centre of the chest, adding that people sometimes mistake it for ulcer.

He explained further that in some people, the chest pain might later extend to the neck, arm, shoulder, wrist and other parts of the body.

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MINILS Management Seeks Govt’s Intervention in Leadership Crisis Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Some members of the top management of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency intervene on the hurried handing over of reigns of power by the immediate past Director General of the institute, Dr. John Olarenwaju to the fourth senior officer of the institute, Mr. Ishaq Alabi as the acting Director General of the institute.

Such move, they said negates the laid down rules that had been producing the past head of the institute.

THISDAY checks revealed that, the immediate past DG of the institute, Olarenwaju was said to have handed over to the acting DG of the Institute in a controversial manner towards the end of last year without following the laid down procedures in the institute.

Investigation also revealed that the extant rules of hierarchy, which had been religiously effective in the labour institute up till the tenure of the immediate past DG were flagrantly ignored as the fourth officer to the then outgoing DG was appointed as the acting Director general.

It was gathered that, apart from this, it is believed that a serious case of gender biase was in the appointment as the next officer to the then DG, Dr Madinat Folorunsho was said

to have been unjustly retired.

Again, Director of Admin, Mrs. Ebun Olalere, another female staff, was also said to be a senior person in rank to Mr Alabi.

The development has however caused a lot of crisis in the institute and has been affecting the peaceful co-existence and development of the institute.

Meanwhile, four top directors of the institute, Director, Trade Union Education, Dr. Fatai. B. Onaeko, Dr, S.O.A Ajakaye, Mr. C.A Madamori and Dr. S.S Adamade in a letter dated 2nd May, 2016 addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, have appealed to the ministry to act promptly by setting the necessary machinery in motion to allow for a fairly competitive, inclusive and transparent process aimed at getting highly qualified personnel with capacity to head such an important institution as MINILS. According to the letter, which was obtained by journalists in Ilorin, “To dispel all doubts of this being a hatchet job intended to unfairly unhorse him, the Acting D-G should be deemed eligible to participate in any fair selection process.

“It’s improper of the D-G handing over the mantle of authority for the office without recourse to the supervisory powers and authority of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment”.

CONSUMER

Wema Bank Empowers Young Entrepreneurs Raheem Akingbolu The grand finale of this year’s Nigeria Student Fashion and Design Week (NSFDW) was held recently at the University of Lagos, with Wema Bank rewarding the most creative designer with startup funds and SME packages for the other participants.

Wema Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s longest surviving indigenous commercial bank and the leading sponsors at the 2016 edition, used the platform to enlighten participants on some innovations that afford convenience and safety of transaction while banking with Wema Bank. These include *945#

convenient banking operations, Purple Connect and Wema Card Control among others. The 2-day event showcased over 30 designers to enthusiastic audience that include invited dignitaries, students from the school and other universities across the country.

Speaking on the bank’s involvement in the students’ activities, Head of Brand, Marketing Communications, Mrs. Odili Onome, underlines the organisation’s consistent commitment to sustainable development of its resident communities.

“As a leading financial institution in the country, the student campuses represent

a major part of our resident communities and we are proud to identify with the core passion the Nigerian students that constitute a good percentage of our loyal customers across the country.”

She added that “Wema Bank is passionate about empowering the creative youths in the country and the Nigerian Student Fashion And Design Week provides the right platform for the bank to support young entrepreneurs in the Nigerian fashion industry, a sector that is evolving quite rapidly and to encourage improved saving culture among the youth of the country.” As a build up to the grand finale, the organisers had

earlier gone on a road show to selected campuses that include Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU); Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH); Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka and Covenant University. Others are; Babcock University; Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB); Oduduwa University; Redeemers University; Caleb University; and University of Lagos. The Wema Bank’s branch network extends to most of these schools.

There were also online activations that include the Fashion Designers’ Contest and General Public Contest for Most Stylish Student.

Peak Drives New Food FACTS AND FIGURES The Chief Operating Officer, International Breweries Plc, Ilesa, Mr. Andrew Ross; Chairman, Otunba Michael Daramola; the Campaign on Consumption L-R: Company Secretary, Mr. Muyiwa Ayojimi; Directors; Mrs Afolake Lawal and Mr. Akintoye Omole during the 2016 Annual General For most Nigerian homes, milk is usually given a prominent place on the breakfast table because of its richness and nutritional benefits. But still, despite its near daily use as breakfast, its consumption is still very limited.

According to statistics by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Nigeria ranks low on global milk consumption chart. Nigeria’s per capita milk consumption in 2007 was only at 8.1kg as against 8.28kg in 2006 (do we have recent data?). This is even as 30kg is considered low by FAO standards.

But over the years, as Nigerians began to acquire more education and understand the health benefits of milk and its importance to their physical and physiological well being, milk has gained more acceptance in many more homes as there are new ways of using milk across their diets.

Spearheading a more versatile use of milk while deepening its consumption, Peak milk, Nigeria’s number 1 milk brand, has committed to increasing the awareness of the many usage opportunities of Peak milk.

With its Pecadomo – Peak can do more initiative- a concept which highlights and focuses on driving new usages for Peak milk, the popular milk brand continues to find ways to nourish Nigerians even in these tough times.

PeakCanDoMore campaign is set to drive, even more aggressively milk consumption in Nigeria by exploring newer and more innovative ways in which the product can be used other than the known traditional consumption patterns. The brand believes that this is an important intervention to continue to nourish Nigerians.

As part of the initiative, PEAK MILK launched the ‘Art of Milk’ cooking competition which provided a unique platform for students in different secondary schools in Lagos to create different kinds of milk based meals.

This campaign is already gaining ground. Very modern and adventurous mums are already experimenting with Peak milk in foods other than the regulars.

Specifically, the Peak seafood fried rice which is a combination of rice, vegetables, seafood &new ingredient “Peak milk”.

The meal is not only healthy but easy to prepare and is beginning to gain acceptance in some Nigerian homes.

It’s basically entails stir-frying rice cooked with milk with vegetables, seasoning & spices.

It is a delicacy every member of the family would love as the inclusion of peak milk makes it richer & creamier.

The seafood can also be substituted with chicken or tofu for people allergic to seafood & vegetarians respectively.

Meeting of the company in Ilesa...recently

Int’l Breweries Grows Profit Despite Economic Challenges Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo Despite the economic downturn that has made most companies to declare less than impressive results, International Breweries Plc has recorded an improvement in its earnings in this half year compare with it performance last year.

Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, Otunba Michael Daramola, said the company has contributed positively to the nation’s economy in his submission at the 39th annual general meeting (AGM) of the company held recently According to him; International Breweries recorded an improvement in its earnings in this fiscal year over the last one with a 12.7 percent increase from N20, 649,295.00 to N23, 269,364.00. He said the company also made a profit of 18.2% while earnings per share increased from 59kobo in 2015 to 81kobo in 2016, an increase of 37.3%, courtesy its excellent improvement in Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA).

Daramola, who said within the year under review the company continued to focus on investing for the long term

and building on their established brands strong position in the South West, said they also expanded their portfolio with the launch of Eagle Lager, 1960 Rootz and Miller Genuine Draft all of which have been exceptionally well accepted by consumers.

The chairman also noted that the company continues to expand its offering of existing brand to leverage occasions and to satisfy consumers’ needs as they have done with the phenomenally successful launch of the Trophy 375ml pack.

Promising customers to always get best out of products coming from the company, Otunba Daramola stressed the company’s readiness to keep the business focused, saying they would not deter from stretching the corporate scorecards in spite of the deteriorated economic situation. He said: “the year under review has been both exciting and challenging with our country facing an extremely tough economic landscape. We have experienced inflationary pressures, foreign exchange liquidity issues and consumers have also been faced with severe fuel shortage and long power outages.

IDL Refreshes Farm Fresh Milk Integrated Dairies Limited, makers of Farm Fresh Yoghurt have launched a new package for the brand.

The new package according to the company complements the quality of the content and also gives the brand a look that can make it compete on the global stage. It was further stated that the objective of the new pack of the milk, which was said to is rich with nutrients, like Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 & B12 and C among others, was to offer greater value for Nigerians at affordable prices Speaking during the launch in Lagos, Managing Director of the company, Sheyin Roy Shekarri said the new package was in reaction to marketers’ complaint that the previous package berates the quality of the product.

He explained that the company “had over the past 14 years, changed packing once.

Though we have been able to get what can be compared to an international product, we never got it right with the package.

“We kept getting complaints from the market that the packaging doesn’t complement quality of the product. It took us some time to work on it and finally we have come out with a packaging that can stand out

anywhere.”

Speaking on the uniqueness of the brand and the benefits of the new package, Shekarri said the product is purely made of natural milk and the new package gives it an additional 3 days shelf life, adding that the product combines the major criteria of genuine yoghurt.

His words: “For yoghurt to be yoghurt, it has to be alive.

But what is mostly obtained in Nigeria is thetrapack packaging; UHT yoghurt (Ultra High Temperature). Anything you produce under this condition has nothing living inside; everything has been killed. And that is not yoghurt because it is not life. We don’t make use of UHT. We keep it under four degrees from point of manufacturing to the outlets.

“Another factor that differentiates our product is that it doesn’t include any preservatives. The new packaging extends our products shelf life from the previous 18 days to 21 days. And it is 100% natural.”

He also disclosed that the company operate on 550 acres of land in Jos, Plateau State, with 600 cattle from which they get the milk to produce yoghurt.

And the company also cover the whole value chain of the production process.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Andrew: To Boost Agriculture in Nigeria, Govt Must Attract Foreign Investments As the Federal Government renews focus on agriculture as a viable alternative to crude oil, international wealth advisor, chairman of the Advisory Board of the African Wealth Report (AWR) and investor, Mr. Olusegun Paul Andrew, in a recent chat with select journalists in Lagos, outlined the huge potential in agri-processing to generate huge foreign revenue, create employment and contribute to the economy, which is still reeling from a fall in global oil prices and revenue. Abimbola Akosile captures his views Can you tell us about yourself and the potato farm project in Kaduna and Plateau States, with its potential impact on the Nigerian economy?

I work for BlackPace, an investment firm in the Netherlands and Switzerland. What it has done is to partner a local brand called Vicampro Group. Vicampro currently owns 7,500 hectares of land in Manchok, Southern Kaduna and Vom in Jos. Jos potato farm is 800 hectares fully and privately owned by Vicampro Group and they have planted 220 hectares potatoes and are increasing that. We also have a processing plant to be set up in Manchok which is going to be on five hectares of land. The processing plant is going to be the largest in sub-Saharan Africa with a capacity to produce close to 60,000 tonnes per annum of French fries and potato flakes.

That will apparently handle local consumption in Nigeria and will export to neighbouring countries as well as other countries within the sub-Saharan region.

We have arranged the investment plan, and the total cost to put the facility in place is 35 million Euros (about $45 million) which is already signed. The plant is being manufactured by Kiremko. It is one of the largest potato French fries, flakes plant manufacturing firms. So, what they do is that they manufacture the industrial plant and they also support the manufacturing chain by supplying all the technical bits you need in the process. So, we have reached an agreement with them to manufacture this plant.

The plant is industrial in scale. Vicampro has already started planting the potatoes in readiness for when the plant is set up. It will take one and half years to build. The plant will do 5,000 kilogrammes of potatoes, French fries a day up to 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes per annum as a turnkey project which is what we are looking at.

But in the initial first year, beginning from late 2017 to early 2018, we are looking to produce 15,000 to 20,000 tonnes.

Currently, what is imported into Nigeria is between 40,000 and 60,000 tonnes. Because, actually what we eat here, about 90 to 99 per cent of all the French fries are imported from South Africa, Belgium and the Netherlands as well. And I know it is like an annual importation of close to $250 to $300 million which definitely we will save for the government and that also will increase the foreign exchange earnings.

The revenue stream from what we do; I mean, we’ll earn foreign exchange to the tune or excess of $60 to $70 million per annum, at least, in the first two, three years. And that will increase as we increase the capacity and that also will create additional jobs to 500 direct hands and 5,000 indirect jobs immediately within the next 18 months from now. The potato value chain is actually what we are after and that is why we bought into the farm; 100 per cent owned and (acquired). So, it is our own way of changing the economic landscape of Nigeria.

While making Nigeria a robust agricultural economy, we are lending support to government’s economic blueprint for a sustainable and diversified economy. Vicampro Farm project will in the long run, inject about 50,000 jobs into the economy and also increase economic activities in the retail end of the economy.

Why do you think agriculture it is the way to go at this moment?

Agriculture was a very serious venture in Nigeria before we discovered oil. The west was known for cocoa; the North for groundnut; the East for palm oil. That was actually what Nigeria was surviving on until Shell discovered the black gold and we all abandoned agriculture. And unfortunately, we have not

is needed to be done to make our economy robust. Things must be properly put in place to attract foreign investments. I am into the potato farming project because I have seen what the local people are doing and I want to support their drive. I personally signed the MoU with other partners. I guaranteed the loan for the investment.

How do you protect the farms from the herdsmen and their cattle?

What we have done to secure the farm is simple and common sense. We dug about 5-6 feet trench round the farm. Someone suggested we should use electric barbed wires to get the herdsmen to pull back, but you know that by the time 10 or more of their cattle plunge and die in the trench, they will be forced to pull back. It is common sense. That’s what we have done stretching up to almost 15 to 17 kilometres and it is cost-effective and also of huge benefit to us in the irrigation system.

How long does it take potato to mature?

Well, we harvest four times a year; that means every three months. Whatever is planted is harvested for instance, one is going to be harvested this August.

Can we know the cost implication of your investment in the farms?

In Jos, currently we have done close to $20 million. Kaduna is going to do, with the processing plant and the farm, we are looking at additional $60 million, so, on the whole, we are looking at $80 million.

Andrew

been fortunate with quality leadership; they killed the transportation system that could have supported agriculture, and other critical sectors that should be allowed to take root.

Right from independence in 1960 down to the present moment; we’ve been struggling to get it right. Leadership has remained an issue but that has to change. So our approach to the potato project is unique and strategic to the economy.

Government has been mouthing agriculture, but it appears things are not even done the right way to achieve the desired result.

What do you think should be the proper approach to drive the policy?

There is no project that does not require foreign investment. What is required is to have the right people with the right mind to drive such policy. It also requires people to have investment appetite; people who understand what

How do you protect your investment, especially when the processing plant is in place?

We have asked the government of Kaduna State to provide a kind of security. The state also will help in the area of power because we’ve got to tap into the grid. We are in touch with General Electric and they said they have a place in Kaduna, so they are advising on that, including the use of solar system. You know Southern Kaduna is a hot spot; so they’ve got to reassure us of adequate security and protection for our investment there, and the government has made a commitment in that regard.

RANDOM THOTS

Auditing Corruption There are many secrets in this country; some of them have the potential to tear apart the fragile fabric holding the society together, and some are far more mind-blowing than the startling allegations that the very top military brass who were in charge of stopping Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east were allegedly the same ones who pocketed the federal funds allocated to buy sophisticated imported arms to outgun the terrorists and end an unnecessary distraction to national development.

At a recent development pro-

gramme which took place in Ghana, this reporter caught some snippets of information from an open discussion among some informed Nigerians who were in Accra at the same time. One recurring point from the discussion was that corruption has spanned several administrations in Nigeria and is even now more virulent under this present regime of a President who has made the fight against corruption one of the cardinal strategies of his government of change.

According to the angry citizens, who freely expressed themselves in a foreign land, to reveal the true

extent of corruption in Nigeria, all the President needs to do is to order an audit of choice properties in Abuja, F.C.T. Their argument is that many looters have invested their stolen funds in buying mansions and building estates in the federal capital territory; many of which have no tenants or occupants because the owners prefer them empty rather than sell or collect any rent. The beauty of it is that this audit can easily be done and it would go a long way to turn the tide against corrupt public officials. A useful tip…

Abimbola Akosile

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEvELOpmENT/ISSUESINBOx

Members of WAI Brigade, back to restore sanity

Can New WAI Initiative Help Restore Nigeria?

Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, has announced that the Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari has re-launched the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade in Abuja, to help gather civil intelligence in this era of insecurity, violence, and kidnapping. Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had said WAI will be rebranded into Change Begins with Me (CBWM). Can this re-launched initiative successfully help curb corruption and restore Nigeria to her former lofty height?

Abimbola Akosile * Re-launching CBWN is a good idea. The problem with anything Nigerian is the implementation. Launching for launching sake without strong budgetary support will not turn the country around. We should ask those who have disciplined citizens how they achieved it. Government should put money where her mouth is.

- Prof. Kate Nwufo, mni, Abuja * Yes, it is going to at least give some little hope in terms of restoring sanity back into the country.

- Mr. Amwe Habu Anche, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna State * Yes, it can, in view of spate of violence, insecurity, corruption, robberies, e.t.c particularly considering our current economic challenges.

CBWM will lead us out of the woods, if handled properly.

- Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos * The new WAI initiative should ennoble this great country if implemented correctly. Indiscipline straddles the greatness of a people; so, it must go. However, our human rights are sacrosanct and must remain this way.

- Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R. Associates, Apo, Abuja * This Government needs serious prayers.

- Mr. Matthew Osilama, Lagos State * The people that made the law are the first culprits in breaking such laws e.g. in employment and corruption. The same people who crippled the previous government are still directing the affairs today, since it will be tagged Change Begins With Me (CBWM). Nigerians are watching not to throw away the baby with the bath water.

- Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna * There are too many initiatives with limited resources to fund them. Why not just concentrate on improving and equipping our para-military and military forces to do their jobs in partnership with communities and their trusted leaders?

Nigeria needs to step up its game.

- Miss Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos * For the WAI or CBWM initiative to achieve its purpose, the politicians and those in government must be sincere, transparent and honest in all their dealings and character while the National Orientation Agency should wake from its sleep

THE FEEDBACK Yes, it will:

8

No, it won't:

3

Others:

13

Radical tip:

Start with Ministers!

Total no of respondents:

24

Male:

18

Female:

6

Highest location:

Lagos (13)

and educate the Nigeria populace on the need to live upright lives.

- Mr. Ojogbede Olusola Kenny, Abuja, FCT. * Sure. It will restore sanity into the system.

- Mrs. Mary Adeola Tehinse, Lagos * If the title ‘Change begins with me (CBWM) is received by Nigerians, it would be great. In most cases, however, change usually starts from those in authority e.g. in Singapore. In Nigeria, the leadership want the masses to change and ‘do the right thing’ but they are not willing to change themselves. Only God can change the Nigerian way of thinking.

- Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State * Instead of this government to implement policies that would put food on the table for the common man and find a way out of this unprecedented mess, Buhari government is busy dishing out irrelevant and crude projects. We need food, water, power, good transport and health facilities, not WAI. - Mr. Sonny Okobi, Lagos * The re-introduction of WAI is the final proof that the Buhari administration is bereft of ideas on how to move ahead. It is a jaded initiative.

- Mr. Utibe Uko, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State * WAI is a good one to check the activities of those who disobey laws. But what Nigerians want is food on their table because of the current economic crisis. WAI coming back is long overdue to checkmate ugly acts in our society.

- Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State * Apparent clowning. QED. - Mr. Femi Adenaike, Lagos State * I think there are more serious issues to

address than this unnecessary force group.

The Federal Government should address the herdsmen issues as an example and then his party should re-screen its members because all the party members are not saints as regards corruption.

- Miss Nana Opoku, Lagos

* Hasn’t the President been examined thoroughly?

From the ear problem and WAI there seems to be some kind of dysfunctional damage. Why would you use a cane when you can use a camera? This is analogue system of running a country.

- Mr. Kelvin M. Udoh, Lekki, Lagos

* The president should take time to discipline the people he appointed as his functionaries/ ministers who are thoroughly dishonest in their jobs and who he has direct control over before launching the WAI against citizens.

- Mr. Carl Okafor, Abuja

* PMB’s first tenure in the 80s is quite different from the present regime. In those days, there was great discipline by Nigerians, but today corruption has eaten deeply into all organs of the society. Nothing can help restore Nigeria as long as our differences are there lingering and moreso as majority do not know the God they serve.

- Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna

* Is indiscipline the core issue that the administration should address now? This government should stop deceiving itself. They should address the national issues facing us as a nation. Our economy is at brink of final collapse and the hardship in the country is increasing by the day.

- Mr. Aliogo Ugochukwu, Lagos State * It is a wake-up call. Nigerians will know what to do when this initiative takes effect.

- Pastor Bass, Abuja * No, WAI wasn’t really a success during the previous tenure of Muhammadu Buhari. Many people doubted the government for being too harsh to the citizens and so sabotaged it. The current social and economic realities demand soft treading to avoid rebellion, violence e.t.c. It may succeed under a better economic condition in future, not now please. We must act wisely.

- Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos * Indiscipline is Nigeria’s major problem. It is indiscipline that makes a petrol attendant cheat customers; that makes a policeman ask for bribe or demand money for bail; and makes politicians embezzle money after the salaries, security votes and furniture e.t.c. allowances they receive. This initiative will go very far.

- Mr. Feyisetan Akeeb Kareem, President, Change Makers Forum, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State * This real economic war started long time ago but the cosmetics by past administrations gave us false impressions in various sectors of the economy. Economic war causes scarcity, job loses, hunger, strife, death etc. We must take up our ammunition, which includes WAI, moral, ethical, physical and financial discipline e.t.c. both individually and collectively. God bless Nigeria.

- Mr. Oyekanmi Oladele, Lagos State

* I believe WAI or CBWM is a good step in the right direction. Since indiscipline breeds corruption and vice versa, then this initiative will help raise many whistle-blowers against crimes and corruption. Peer review will also begin in earnest and people will learn to behave cautiously and sensibly.

- Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

Next Week: Is the Present Administration Meeting Your Expectations? many Nigerians are complaining that the present administration under president muhammadu Buhari has failed to fulfil their campaign promises, and that life has even become more difficult for the people.

However, others argue that it will still take a longer time to correct the mess left behind by previous administrations, to pave the way to deliver the expected dividends of democracy.

To you, has this administration met your expectations yet or disappointed you? please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (Aug 18 & monday, August 22) to , AND abimbola.akosile@ thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to and/or and/or . Collated responses will be published on Thursday, August 25

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T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

HARD LABOUR TO SURVIVE IN AN AILING ECONOMY

World Bank Board Approves New Environmental and Social Framework Abimbola Akosile The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) that expands protections for people and the environment in Bank-financed investment projects.

The safeguards review included the most extensive consultation ever conducted by the World Bank. It concludes nearly four years of analysis and engagement around the world with governments, development experts, and civil society groups, reaching nearly 8,000 stakeholders in 63 countries.

The framework, according to a press release by the global financial body, is part of a far-reaching effort by the World Bank Group to improve development outcomes and streamline its work.

Nigeria is a beneficiary of several World Bank-assisted development projects, especially in the northern part of

the country where development challenges are more pronounced.

“The World Bank Group’s mission is to end extreme poverty and reduce inequality in the world, and this new framework will be a critical factor in helping us reach those goals,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “These new safeguards will build into our projects updated and improved protections for the most vulnerable people in the world and our environment. We also will substantially increase our financing of the safeguards to make sure this works as intended – with enough funding for both implementation and building capacity in countries so that they can play a more active role in protecting people and the environment,” he added.

The framework brings the World Bank’s environmental and social protections into closer harmony with those of other development institutions,

and makes important advances in areas such as transparency, non-discrimination, social inclusion, public participation, and accountability – including expanded roles for grievance redress mechanisms.

In order to support the new framework - and meet additional oversight demands - the World Bank is on a trajectory to substantially increase funding for the safeguards.

Strengthening national systems in borrowing countries is recognised as a central development goal by the World Bank and most of its shareholders. In line with this goal, the framework places greater emphasis on the use of borrower frameworks and capacity building, with the aim of constructing sustainable borrower institutions and increasing efficiency.

“The new framework embodies the World Bank’s commitment to environmental and social protections and responds to new and varied development demands and

challenges that have arisen over time,” said Alex Foxley, World Bank Executive Director for Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, and Chair of the Committee on Development Effectiveness, a committee of the World Bank Board that oversees policy matters.

“The experience and capacity of many borrowers has improved and our requirements have been updated to reflect the realities of today.

The framework is designed to boost development outcomes in Bank projects by placing strong emphasis on sustainability, responsible use of resources, and monitoring and evaluation.”

The approved Environmental and Social Framework introduces comprehensive labour and working condition protection; an over-arching non-discrimination principle; community health and safety measures that address road safety, emergency response and disaster mitigation; and

a responsibility to include stakeholder engagement throughout the project cycle.

The new framework will promote better - and lasting - development outcomes. It provides broader coverage and access, and will benefit more people, especially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. It will also strengthen partnerships with other multilateral development banks, development partners, and bilateral donors.

The World Bank now begins an intensive preparation and training period (12-18 months) to prepare for the transition to the new framework. The framework is expected to go into effect in early 2018.

Implementation will focus on supporting and strengthening the capacity of borrowers; training Bank staff and Borrowers to implement the framework; strengthening the Bank’s Environmental and Social Risk Management System; and strengthening strategic partnerships with

development partners.

The World Bank’s current safeguards are expected to run in parallel to the new ESF for about seven years to govern projects approved before the launch of the new ESF. Assessing and managing environmental and social impacts in World Bank financed projects has been a core concern of the institution for more than 40 years.

The Bank’s current policies, issued nearly 20 years ago, were for years viewed as setting the standards for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in protections for people and the environment.

The current safeguards review began in July 2012.

Responding in part to a 2010 report from the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG), the Board instructed management to revise the existing safeguards policies to increase coverage, social inclusion, and harmonisation across the Bank Group.

FG Commences Urban Water Sector Reform Programme George Okoh in Makurdi Governor Samuel Ortom has commended the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for kick-starting the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project in Benue state.

Ortom who received the ministry’s delegation led by Fashoyi Adewale Olabode at Benue People’s House recently, assured stakeholders that his

administration would give full backing to the project which covers 12 states.

The governor said the state government has demonstrated commitment to all the projects being handled by the federal government and development partners, adding that N5 billion was being spent on such projects; with education taking a lion share of N3.8 billion.

According to him, the N3.8

billion attracted a counterpart fund of N3.8 billion from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), bringing the total to N7.6 billion, which is being spent on the development of primary education in the state.

The governor further stated that development partners that left the state because of the problem of counterpart funds have all returned, with N1.2

billion released as counterpart fund for the projects being executed by them in the areas of water, health and so on.

He said unlike other projects, the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project does not attract counterpart fund and directed the Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr.

Nick Wende, to ensure that the committee for the smooth implementation of the reform

project was set up.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Acting Project Coordinator of the National Urban Water Sector Reform, Mr. Olabode, had told the governor that study for the reform started in 2012 and that two states were chosen from each of the six geo-political zones. Olabode said the project has a consultant who carries out diagnosis of the states’

water boards in the aspects of political commitment to the reform, water reform policy and commercialisation, cost recovery and policy implementation as well as capability of the water board.

He announced the donation of a Toyota Hilux vehicle to the state and added that a grant has been extended to the federal government for the water reform project.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“There’s no question at all that if we get agriculture right, we will get our economy right. You cannot have a policy of encouraging local production of food and on the other hand, have a high tariff on imported agricultural equipment. There’s no way that we can encourage local production when we allow unbridled importation of the same thing that we are trying to produce” - VICE PRESIDENT, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO SAN, SPEAKING IN ABUJA Rotary Unveils New Intervention Programmes for Communities, Youths Seeks strategic partnership with govts

Gboyega Akinsanmi

JCI Donates Classroom, Materials to LEA Nomadic School Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja To complement the efforts of the Federal Government in attaining Goal four of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which harps on quality education, the Junior Chamber International (JCI), Abuja Unit has donated a block of two classrooms, learning materials and furniture items to L.E.A Nomadic Primary School, Dutse Sokale, Abuja.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the 2016 President of JCI Abuja Unit, Mr. Sylvester Oshode said the reason behind the intervention programme, which was done in collaboration with Books and GEMS Initiative, and SAM Empowerment Foundation, was aimed at improving the standard of education at the primary school level.

He noted that the intervention made would ensure an increase in the standard of early child care education in the school, adding that the pupils of the school would graduate into the primary level in a better fashion.

Oshode stated: “The reason behind the programme is for us to key into the SDGs goal number four which talks about quality education. We notice there are gaps of facility and learning materials in this school, we came in to do our own quota to better the lot of these children and to improve their learning condition.”

He explained that JCI identifies the community that is most disadvantaged as the main criteria used in identifying the school where the project would be carried out.

“JCI usually looks for disadvantaged communities to make her impact. We believe that these are people whose plight should be brought to the fore and we are just standing as the middlemen to bring the challenges of this school to the fore,” Oshode noted.

He revealed that other school intervention they had embarked on this year include, planting of over 100 trees at Government Secondary School, Gwoza, Abuja.

The Headmistress of the School, Mrs. Chinyere Nwayawu commended the effort

A dilapidated school in Nigeria of JCI for coming to the rescue of the school at such a critical time.

“They have given us a surprise no one has given us ever since I came as headmistress in this school. It is a timely intervention because the building is about collapsing and to the glory of God they came at the peak of time, they renovated and beautified it.

“I am asking for more structures; if they can just give us a block of two classrooms it would be more wonderful, because some of the children we combine them in one class like primary 5 and 6 are in a class ; Early Child Development Centre (ECC) and primary one are in a class and it is not supposed to be so. If they can just help us with a classroom,

we will be more appreciative,” she added.

The headmistress said though they had written to the appropriate quarters not once, and not twice, but nothing has been done, despite their promise to see to the needs of the school.

Meanwhile, the project supervisor, Mr. Daniel Johnson noted that the renovated classroom was already falling apart when the school sought for help, stressing that the inhabitable condition of the classroom spurred them into action.

“What you are seeing here should be a model to every public school. We also donated instructional materials, textbooks, exercise books, and furniture,” he also stated.

Rotary International, District 9110, has unveiled social intervention programmes, which it said, would empower hundreds of youths; develop mega water projects in communities and ensure that Nigeria was completely rid of polio virus.

The district, whose jurisdiction covers Lagos and Ogun States, disclosed that it sought strategic partnership with governments, corporate organisations and individuals in order to successfully implement its social intervention programmes.

The District Governor, Mr. Patrick Ikheloa unveiled the programme at a session with journalists in Lagos, noting that all strategic actors “need to partner in developing Nigeria because governments cannot do it alone.”

At the session, Ikheloa explained the district’s agenda “to ensure that Nigeria has been declared polio-free. But we still have three years to be declared a completely polio-free country.

“We are in the front burner to eradicate polio in our society. Nigeria has been declared poliofree. But we have three years to be declared a completely polio-free country. We are in the third lap.”

The governor noted that the third lap “is the critical period. We want to ensure that we sustain the momentum with which we started so that by 2017, Nigeria will be declared polio-free.”

Ikheloa, who was installed as the district governor last month, disclosed the plan of the district “to empower hundreds of youths.

Already, we are planning to how actualise this dream. In the coming year, these are our dreams.

“Before now, for instance, clubs each sponsored one or two persons. The clubs trained and equipped the beneficiaries. But we are not taking it as a district. We are giving opportunity to each club to provide two persons from their communities, who will require this assistance.

“By the time we take two persons from each club, we are having about 178 candidates. The district on its own will source from other avenues to make it about 350 youths – male and female.

What we normally do is to train and equip.

Rotary has never trained and dumped.

“That is the area where we want governments to come in.

The more funds we have the more opportunities to increase the number of beneficiaries. We also want to move a step further by partnering governments to give our youth vocational trainings,” Ikheloa explained.

He cited the effort of the district to provide water for scores of communities in Lagos and Ogun State, noting that Rotary “is now graduating from sinking boreholes to developing a mega water project that serve a whole community.”

According to him, “that is what we call big bolder better project. That is an area the zones we have created are going to work. Clubs within a zone can identify a community where they can site such project. It comes from Rotary Foundation Fund and other sources.”

At large, Ikheloa pointed out that the district used the fund from these sources “to execute water projects; implement skill acquisition programmes; carry out youth empowerment and give scholarship grants to indigent students.

We are training nine students in different universities.”

36

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

Acting Features Editor Charles Ajunwa Email: charles.ajunwa@thisdaylive.com

Terrorism, Malnutrition and the Re-Emergence of Polio The inability of the health authorities to move polio vaccines to Boko Haram strongholds in the North-east, and the compromised immune system of malnourished children in the region, have been fingered as key reasons for the re-emergence of the wild polio virus, setting the country several years back in the eradication of the dreaded disease. Martins Ifijeh writes

W

hen in January this year, an ambitious new partnership was launched in the Northern part of the country, led by the co-Chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, President of Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, six Northern governors (from Kaduna, Sokoto, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe and Kano), it was in a bid to sustain the delisting of Nigeria from polio endemic nations for at least the next one and a half years, such that

by August 2017, Nigeria would have earned for itself a polio-free status.

In the partnership, which resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding in Kaduna State, all the players were enthusiastic that no new case of the virus will be reported in the North, a region most endemic to the disease in the country. It was a time to lay bare concerns, discussions on areas to strengthen, amount of funds to be needed, as well as how to create further awareness on immunisation, which then led to a unanimous decision that the government at all levels, health workers, traditional and religious rulers, as well as politicians and other well respected citizens must scale up interventions in their respective localities in order to finally defeat the highly infectious disease.

True, many stakeholders led campaigns for a final push against polio. In some instances, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, Alhaji Dangote, respectable Islamic and traditional leaders and a lot of other well-meaning Northern Nigerians spearheaded immunisation campaigns in respective areas where apathy was noticed due to religious, traditional or cultural beliefs.

Some used the media in demystifying the beliefs about polio vaccines. The reason being that, for those community leaders, parents and guardians who believed there was no need to subject their children and wards to immunisation because they do not trust the substances being given to their children, when they see these leaders spearheading campaigns for it, they would most likely listen and open their doors for the immunisation exercises against diseases like the polio virus. While the various strategies embarked on for a final push against the disease was on course, there were worries. How will areas regarded as Boko Haram strongholds be accessed? Who would agree to spearhead advocacy to these regions, which at that time were still much under the control of the terrorist group.

Specifically, a virologist, Dr. Adeniran Azeez, posed the question while analysing how the last lap of general immunisation programme against polio could be the solution needed to sustain Nigeria’s status as a non-polio endemic nation until the country is finally certified polio-free, leaving behind Afghanistan and Pakistan as the only two countries of the world still battling with the highly infectious disease.

Fast forward six months later, just a day shy-away from marking exactly two years without any case of polio in the country, the most feared happened. Two cases of wild polio virus were reported, and this time, the concerns of every stakeholder, health officials and Nigerians who are familiar with the geography of the North-eastern region of the country were not only awakened, but came with a dawned reality.

The cases were from Borno State, and specifically from regions once occupied by the dreaded terrorist group, which at that time would most likely pose a security risk to any health worker who dared to carry out immunisation programmes in those areas.

THISDAY gathered that the first child suddenly went down with paralysis in the Gwoza camp of the internally displaced persons, which prompted medical experts to isolate other children in the camp who may have had contacts with him

How long should our children wait until they are free from poliomyelitis?

Only a thorough vaccination exercise can truly eradicate polio

for the purpose of immunising them. Also, the second child from Jere Local Government Area was reported to have been previously immunised with three doses of the oral polio vaccine but his presentation of polio now showed that the vaccines used during the immunisation exercise may have been impotent.

Vaccines are said to be impotent if they are not kept under a cold chain at very low temperature. Vaccines die or become impotent if kept under heat condition. Gwoza and Jere LGAs are territories once under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, and even while they have been said to be ‘liberated’, sporadic

attacks still occur there with killings recorded in large scale.

The terror group has publicly denounced the vaccination campaigns as a Western plot, killed immunisers and made it difficult for government health officials to access some parts of the North-east, especially during the heat of the insurgent’s reign.

Recall that on June 1, 2016, Senate Leader Mohammed Ndume, who hails from Gwoza LGA called on the IDPs from the local government to return to their homes while claiming that the area had been liberated by the Nigerian Army, but in a swift response, the Emir of Gwoza,

Alhaji Muhammadu Idrissa Timta, advised all IDPs, including his family not to return to the local government, adding that Boko Haram still has a strong footing in the area. Same advise had also been given to people from Jere LGA by traditional leaders from the local government.

Years ago, the former caretaker chairman of the Jere LGA, Alhaji Mustafa Baale, and hundreds of indigenes were killed by Boko Haram It is in the light of this that a Programme Manager with Project Africa, a non-governmental organisation, Dr. Ben Nkwoma, while analysing Continued on next page

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NEWS

JCI Embarks on Nine Months Advocacy Campaign to End Stigmatisation Against Leprosy Patients Urges government to make laws to protect their rights Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Baffled with the lack of attention and support from the government to persons living with leprosy, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) said it was embarking on a nine-month advocacy campaign to stop stigmatisation against persons suffering from the ailment. It added that the campaign was also meant to end discrimination against people affected with leprosy, as well as ensure that government make laws to protect the rights of people affected with the disease.

The 2016 National President of JCI, Mr. Olatunji Oyeyemi, disclosed this in Abuja at the Gala night of the Northern Conference of the group with the theme, ‘Lafiya Dole, Peace is Possible’, where he stated that over time, people living with leprosy have been neglected by the government, thus allowing them to rot away.

According to him, “If you look at all our environment today across the country, people living with leprosy cannot stay within the city, for other illness you can stay with your family and they will take care of you, but for people affected with leprosy, even when they are cured, they are seen as outcast, they are sent out of the communities, they live miserable lives, and government is not paying attention, community is not paying attention. We should regard these people as one of

us that should not be thrown away especially when they are cured.”

He added, “We are using this campaign to tell government to make laws to protect the rights of people affected or living with leprosy because they are also human, they have the right to life, good medical care, their children which most times are being neglected to stay with them in camp have the rights to go to school, this campaign is sustainable, we are going to be doing this for nine months and we will take this message to the nooks and crannies of the country.”

Oyeyemi expressed optimism that the campaign that started in July and would end in March 2017 is achievable, stressing that JCI was partnering with the Nigeria Medical Association, the Nursing Council, the Nigeria Bar Association, as well as international partners and donors to make the campaign a success.

He emphasised that the network of JCI members across the country would be running the campaign, noting “we are not going to be running this campaign just because it is a campaign to end leprosy, but we are running this campaign to end stigmatisation of people affected with leprosy, what we are saying is that when a leprosy patient is cured people should not have any fear to relate with them.”

The president revealed JCI has adopted two strategy;

“one, we are working with the press, we have a jingle that we have already finish the production to be running in different languages and on different radio stations across the country; we have a documentary to highlight the plight of people affected with leprosy in Nigeria, the documentary will be taken to

major T.V channels in Nigeria so that they can run it on daily or weekly bases.”

Aside this, Oyeyemi said JCI would train over 10,000 youths on the effect of leprosy in the community, noting that they are going to be picked across the country.

He said further that the campaign would be executed

in phases and a sum of $53, 000 would be required for the campaign, adding that JCI already have $17,000 to kick start it.

Meanwhile, the 2016 President, JCI Abuja Unity, Mr. Oshode Sylvester said the campaign being a national programme would be executed through the local organisa-

tions, adding that his chapter would be participating in the execution of the programme.

To set the ball rolling, he noted that his team had already visited the leprosy camp in Abuja which currently has 120 persons, stressing that the affected persons were happy that JCI is bringing their plight to the fore

ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE HEALTH SECTOR

L-R: Director, Primary Healthcare Systems Development, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Nnenna Ihebuzor; CEO, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, Dr Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr. Amina Bello Shamaki, and CEO, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation, Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, during the closing ceremony of the Leadership Enhancement and Accountability for the Public Sector (LEAPS), held in Abuja ,..recently

TERRORISM, MALNUTRITION AND THE RE-EMERGENCE OF POLIO what must have gone wrong in the efforts at sustaining the non endemic polio status of the country, stressed that the new outbreak of wild polio virus was a direct consequence of the ability of Boko Haram to control some parts of the state. In 2014, Boko Haram announced that it had taken over government in 20 out of the 27 Local Government Areas in Borno State, including Gwoza and Jere LGAs. “While everyone was waiting patiently for next year until the country is certified polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO), I was one of those who believed it wasn’t time yet to celebrate, because for obvious reasons, we all know the immunisation that was done about three, four, five or six years ago, would most likely not have covered everywhere, especially in areas where Boko Haram was controlling.

So it was just a matter of time before cases would be reported in those areas. There is no two ways about it, immunisation didn’t reach those areas. Obviously, no health worker went to these flash points during the heat of those periods when the terrorist group was seizing territories,” Nkwoma added.

Collaborating his claim, some members of Journalist Against Polio (JAP) who reside in Borno confided that truly no much immunisation took place in Gwoza and other towns overran by the terrorist group.

JAP has been a key campaign group that actively raised awareness on the benefits of vaccination and the need for families and communities to immunise their children. But like the health workers, their media campaign later stopped in Borno due to insecurity.

Also, the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, fingered the activities of Boko Haram as the causal factor for the recent outbreak of the disease, describing the development as an embarrassment to the state and the nation. “The Boko Haram activities made

some communities in the state inaccessible for polio vaccination between December 2013 and the end of 2015; as well as the earliest part of 2016.” Shettima said further, “back in November, 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation even awarded Borno State for being the most committed to fighting polio in the North-east despite our insurgency. It is however unfortunate that last week, fresh cases of polio were identified in Borno. While this is officially painful and personally embarrassing to me, as an award winner in polio eradication, the basis of the recent outbreak of polio is largely due to the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.

“I have seen one commentator saying Borno was dragging the country backwards on polio eradication. From December 2013 to the end of 2015, we had hundreds of communities in 20 local government areas seized by Boko Haram; many roads were practically under their command; citizens including young children wandered for months around the deserts and forests, scampering for safety in the wake of attacks by Boko Haram on their communities; thousands of citizens were trapped in communities around the Sambisa forest, around the shores of the Lake Chad and around territories being administered by Boko Haram; thousands, including pregnant women and children, were held captive by Boko Haram while hundreds of children were even born in captivity,” the governor noted.

While expressing optimism that the problem was only a temporary setback that would be surmounted, he said the new cases were because some citizens, especially children, who were held captive had now been freed.

He said it was impossible for the Government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunisation under such an atmosphere where some territories were being controlled

by the terrorist organisation, adding, he said the new diagnosis was made because most communities were now free, hence easier to identify persons with medical challenges.

“We all know that a problem identified is a problem half solved. Our communities are mostly free and this makes room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign in Borno. Unlike before, we don’t envisage the killing of health workers administering polio and other preventive vaccines in most of our communities which they couldn’t access since 2014. The tide has now changed. In the past, our people were those running but today, it is Boko Haram that is on the run,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), while x-raying what must have gone wrong, said malnutrition, in addition to the displacement caused by the terrorist group was already a handful of discomfort for the children leaving in the North-east, urging the government to find an immediate solution to all three issues; terrorism, malnutrition and polio re-emergence.

Role of malnutrition in the re-emergence of polio While the causal factor for the re-emergence of the disease largely tilts towards the lack of accessibility by health workers to provide vaccination in Boko Haram strongholds, Nkwoma, believed the role of malnutrition must not be wished away, adding that, a malnourished child who has been vaccinated may not get the full potential in the vaccines.

“Studies have shown that polio vaccination is about four per cent lower in malnourished children than the healthy ones. And we all know that due to the unrest in the Northeast, several children are malnourished. What this therefore means is that a malnourished

and vaccinated child may still end up being infected with polio because of the lowered immunity,” he noted.

Way forward As part of efforts to tackle the new challenge head on, the federal government, through the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, has announced an emergency mass polio vaccination campaign in the North-east, which will be done under military presence Though termed a late response by experts, it is believed that if all the children in the affected areas and neighboring states are accurately vaccinated during the renewed exercise, there were likelihood that the federal government would have ended up securing a guarantee in areas once inaccessible by health workers. “The priority is to boost immunity and ensure that no more children are affected by this terrible disease. Also, we are currently investigating the situation to find out where the virus has spread,” Adewale said.

Meanwhile, Nkwoma said while the government, UNICEF and WHO are on top of the game to find a quick response to the outbreak, the malnutrition issues in affected areas must not be taken for granted. “As vaccines are being carried to these places, food as well should accompany it. There should be plans as well to flood those areas with food because if you visit these areas yourself, you will discover that virtually every child there is suffering from malnourishment. How can the immunity of the children respond positively to vaccines,” he added.

While it’s a known fact now that some vaccines used in some areas in Borno State were impotent because they were not preserved in the right temperature, it is imperative that all measures are put in place to provide potent vaccines this time.

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HEALTH

‘Acupuncture, Endoscopy, Counselling Can Improve IVF Treatment’ Martins Ifijeh As part of efforts to improve success rates in fertility treatments among Nigerians, the Managing Director of Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, has stated that acupuncture, endoscopy and counselling are known to improve fertility among couples needing Invitro Fertilisation.

He said stress, anxiety and other discomforts to the body could play a negative role during IVF, hence the introduction of acupuncture which reduces stress, as well as cause the

release of endorphins, which are natural pain killers than eliminate pain and relaxes the body, adding that this could prepare the body for positive outcome from the treatment.

Dr. Ajayi, who spoke during the Nordica Open Forum, tagged: Improving IVF Success Through Ancillary Services held in Lagos recently, said while acupuncture was been practised in developed countries, there was need for its use in the treatment of IVF. According to him, the role of counselling in fertility treatment cannot be over

emphasised, stressing that counselling comes in different stages, depending on which level of treatments the patients were undergoing. “It is important that couples going into fertility treatment must understand some things before hand.

They should be counselled on best approaches, what to do when a circle succeeds or fail, as well as best chances and options available to them.”

He said maximum success of IVF treatment was possible by thorough preparation of the couples prior to undertaking

treatment options, adding that one of those preparations was endoscopy. Endoscopy is the assessment of the inside of the womb, its related organs and the pelvic organs.

Dr. Ajayi also stressed that even though there was difficulty in accessing foreign exchange and the economic situation in the country, he has, however not increased his fee for treatment.

“We are loosing money by the day because we try not to compromise on quality.

Daily we also use power, while the cost of diesel has

gone up. We understand this is not peculiar to our industry alone,” he added.

Lending his voice, the President of the Fertility Awareness Advocacy Initiative (FAAI), Mr. Omoz Evborokhai, said babies gotten through the assistance of IVF treatments were normal babies, adding that couples who have been successful in the treatment should not shy away from bringing the light to other women who may be needing such information as well.

“There is nothing ethically wrong about fertility treat-

ment, it also doesn’t offend God. But when those who have benefitted from the treatment don’t talk about it, those who needs the service would most likely not know what to do because informations about the services are scarce out there.

“Since this information is not public, we then find some people using illegal means to acquire children.

I had my daughter through IVF treatment and I am proud to talk about it so that those who also needs the service can know the right thing to do,” he added.

Foundation Urges FG to Adopt Balance Diet Template to Tackle Acute Malnutrition in IDP Camps Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Yellow Jerrycan Save a Child Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the federal government to adopt a balance diet template in order to tackle the problem of acute malnutrition currently ravaging various Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the country.

It warned that if the federal government refuses to move swiftly to put a template in place to savage the situation, malnutrition may not be the only problem, but outbreak of crimes The Initiator of the foundation, Ms. Adaora Onyechere disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, with the theme,’Rice is Not Enough Nutrition Project.’

She noted that a template and a structure were essential in the fight against malnutrition, stressing that there was need to depoliticise the issue and see it more as a time bomb waiting to explode.

Onyechere stated: “The structure and the template

should begin with one camp at a time, it is not enough to take 70 truckloads of food to each of the IDPs camp. They need to know what they were being given.

They need to know what are the intervention plans given, what are the age categories, to what extent are these food going to be distributed and what is the template to be adopted for every other camp.

“We need to harmonise, the federal government is doing all it can, what about citizen participation, what about coordination with institutions like NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency); I believe that certain duties could overwhelm NEMA as an agency, the federal government should begin to adopt templates that are being posted by either NGOs, or well tried research organisations to be able to intimate all of these templates across board, so that in the time interim, we can have a referral and say this has worked for one camp and we can actually duplicate it in other camps,” she noted.

Chevron Donates Surgical Theatre, 60KVA Generating Set to Ekpan General Hospital Martins Ifijeh In a bid to access quality and affordable healthcare around its communities, the people of Uvwie Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, are set to take delivery of the Ekpan General Hospital Surgical Theatre/Consultation Rooms and a 60KVA generating set, donated by Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL).

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of the surgical theatre and consultation rooms, the General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Relations, CNL, Deji Haastrup, said the project, which was made possible with the support of the Ekpan Development Committee would improve the lives of the people and empower young Nigerians in the development of the country.

He also revealed that in addition to the projects, Chevron has also donated a 60KVA generating set to the

Ekpan General Hospital to help solve its power problem, adding that the project was in line with Chevron’s efforts to contribute to that of government to raise the quality of healthcare of the people of Delta State.

“At Chevron, we take our social corporate responsibility seriously. Everywhere we operate across the world, we always try our best to be a welcome member of the community.

We try to forge partnership that supports economic social development of the people. Let me assure that the NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture will continue to extend the frontiers of our partnership in Ekpan community and the institutions in the state to support programmes in our immediate environment,” he said Also speaking, Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, appealed to youths in the community to provide the enabling environment of peace and ensure that the projects were

L-R: Brand Ambassador, Pumoh Exclusive Online Service, Kehinde Bankole and the Managing Director, PEOS, Mrs. Umoh Adingwupu, during the launch of Maison De Beaute, promoter of Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatment and other beauty care, held in Lagos ...recently

Maison De Beaute Helps People Shed Excess Fat Millions of Nigerians who are uncomfortable with their body structure, or are battling with overweight and obesity now have the opportunity to get rid of any form of unwanted body fat through non- surgical cosmetic treatment.

This is being made possible with the introduction of Maison De Beaute, a one-stop shop for beauty care, which is a subsidiary of Pumoh Exclusive online Services Limited that utilises the innovative V9 and the V11 machines.

Speaking at the official launch of the facility and the unveiling of a nollywood actress, model and TV host, Kehinde Bankole, as the new Brand Ambassador of the beauty spa, the Managing Director of the company, Mrs. Umoh Adingwupu, said the machines were the first in Africa. “The V9 is for professional use while the V11 which is smaller can be used in salons and by individuals at home.”

She said the Spa was equipped to offer sophisticated health, beauty processes and all non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as tightening of post pregnancy sagging, dark circles, eye bags, wrinkles, facial lifts, stretch marks, skin discolouration among others.

“Nigerians eat a lot of oily foods which sometimes affect the colour of their teeth. These Nigerians and others who smoke as well as those whose teeth have been affected due to age can be assisted without involvement of any surgical operation, except cosmetics.”

She said Bankole was chosen as the face of Pumoh.com, being a young talented actress whose ideology fits that of the company. Adding that to ensure quality care for clients, the staff that include expatriates were experienced and skilled on all the procedures.

On her part, Bankole who noted that her unveiling as an ambassador of Pumoh gives relevance to her career.

“I am happy to identify with something innovative because they are creating brands that are essentially needed in our environment. Their interest into non surgical cosmetic treatments would save the country cost of capital flight for such treatments abroad. “It is the beginning for Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”

As Ambassador, she promised to spread information and give opportunities to Nigerians who may need their services. “Already online, we

had a short competition and 10 people won free services.

Nigeria is very stressful, there is need for opportunities for people to rest or relax under a massage without having to worry about how to pay for

them.

Bankole noted that the introduction of the services would bring more job opportunities for Nigerians. She also urged Nigerians to take care of their bodies.

28 Couples to Get Fertility Grants from Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation As part of efforts to tackle infertility and raise awareness about fertility treatments in Nigeria, the Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF) has awarded financial aid to 28 couples who require fertility treatments.

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Mrs. Ibidunni Ighodalo, said the grant offered by the Foundation was borne out from the desire to provide couples with the financial aid to actualise their dreams of starting a family.

“We understand the challenges many couples face in their time of wait and it is for this reason we are committed to going with them on this journey and together, we believe their hopes will be turned to happiness,” she said.

Speaking further Ighodalo said, “application for this first phase of the grant ended 31 May with the selected couples emerging from different states across the country. These couples will meet with a team of medical experts to ascertain their medical viability through a series of assessments and pretests, following which we will work with them in organising payments to a certified fertility clinic in the country for fertility services received.”

The Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation grant award funds towards fertility treatments such as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Frozen Embryo Transfer and Intrauterine Insemination through donations and strategic partnerships with fertility clinics.

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HEALTH

How Hospitals ‘Kidnap’ Mothers, Kids, Over Debts Odimegwu Onwumere The harsh economic times in Nigeria is currently forcing humanitarian organisations to do the absurd. For instance in the health sector, all the good virtues of Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing, have been thrown into the abyss. Medical doctors act on patients no matter how critical the condition, based on the colour of their currency bill.

Kidnapping, which was used by the Niger Delta militants to pursue their course, has become a big business even for hospitals across the country.

Virtually on daily basis news reports from the media assault our collective conscience of hospitals, and health centres taking their patients hostage due to their inability to settle their bills.

The most piteous is the agonising sight of mothers and babies being held captive by health organisations because of their inability to pay bills on time.

Findings by this writer showed that many mothers have been detained by hospital officials they were delivered of their babies in, for failure to pay hospital bills popularly known as Awaiting Bill Settlement (ABS).

They were billed money ranging from N500, 000 to N200, 000 as the case may be, checks have revealed, whereas many of the mothers were housewives and their husbands had little or no means of resources.

Government hospitals charged between N11, 000 and N40, 000 for antenatal alone, while private hospitals charged between N25, 000 and N100, 000, said editors of a leading newspaper.

They said the monies exclude charges for birth “either through normal delivery or by Caesarean Section (CS) and post natal care including the use of phototherapy and incubator for babies with jaundice and premature respectively.”

In some cases, the women’s husbands eloped or stopped picking calls from their wives or the hospitals authorities when they had exhausted all avenues to raise money and get their wives out of the hook.

The biting wit in most cases was that many of the women had to feed themselves and their babies, when those who were supposed to be bringing food to them from their homes, stopped bringing food on ground of scarce resources to afford food.

Solicit for public help In June 2016, Gloria Okore was under arrest by the authorities of a private hospital in Lagos she was delivered of her set of triplets in, for her incapacitation to offset her medical bills of N35, 000, which was a fraction of N120,000, she was supposed to pay at the hospital.

“A disturbing but common practice in many developing countries is the detainment of women who have recently given birth and who cannot afford their hospital charges.

“Contrary to policies aimed at encouraging women to deliver in health facilities, this practice is an abuse of their rights and has implications for wider maternal and neonatal health,” reported researchers Delan Devakumar and Rob Yates, June 2016.

Narrating what transpired, Okore said that although she had her babies without complications except that they were born prematurely.

It was learned that one of the babies died after, due to lack of incubator in the hospital to keep the children warm.

She appealed to government to assist redeem her of the hospital cost since her husband was a roadside trader with modicum income.

Okore later gave out her bank details, soliciting for financial help from the general public. Many Nigerian mothers undergo the same fate as Okore’s. On October 28 2015, a similar occurrence occurred to a 23yr old B. Godwin, from Eket L.G.A in Akwa Ibom State. When she was admitted in the labour room on that day at about 6pm, little did she know that she would be delayed by parturition, hence the suggestion by the hospital that she be transferred to an upgraded hospital.

The VOC News could testify that Godwin recounted her puzzlement at Ilasamaja health center, saying, “I was stranded because there was no cash on me.

“My husband and I stayed from 11pm to 4:30 am the following morning, before we could get assistance to take us to Isolo General Hospital.”

She was not saved at the Isolo General Hospital, either. With fear narrated by a nurse on duty that her unborn baby might die in her womb if she delayed, she was moved to Mater Christi: A specialist hospital located at 8, Bishop Okogie Street, off Ago palace way, Balogun B/stop Okota

Antenatal ward

citizens, especially the poor, have access to antenatal services should be the prime consideration in the review of the fee. Already, most of the pregnant women who use public hospitals are complaining that the new fee is too much for them. With the increase, most of these women who cannot afford private hospitals would be shut out of care as most are not gainfully employed,” said the editors.

Resort to putting to bed at home In spite of efforts to encourage pregnant women to seek help in the hospital, some of them wouldn’t, because of what they go through, as a result of precipitous hospital bills.

“In spite of efforts by the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government to ensure that all pregnant women

dutifully attend antenatal care as well as deliver their babies in hospitals under the close supervision of well trained health workers, many women in the state still deliver at home,” exclaimed Christiana T. Alabi, a journalist based in Kaduna.

Doctors arrested Some doctors have been either arrested or taken to court for detaining mothers in their hospitals.

This was the fate of Dr. O. Afolabi, medical director of Afolabi Hospital, located at 78, Oworo Road, Oworonsoki in Bariga Local Council Development Area of Lagos, which was uncovered for detaining mothers and their babies by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, in collaboration with the Office of the Public Defender, after

a tip off.

P.M. News informed that on December 2, 2013, seven nursing mothers and their babies who could not pay the hilly bills the hospital gave them were rescued from the hospital by the government officials. Afolabi, who delivered women of their babies through caesarian operation for a minimum of N150, 000 or more depending on their cases, was arrested by the Task Force and later released on bail after writing a statement, the source added.

People/government don’t know their rights “This is happening because people don’t know their rights or where to go when such happened,” the then Director, Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Rotimi Omotola said; but the arrest may not deter unruly doctors from the practice.

“Criminal charges will be filed against the owner of the hospital if he is found guilty in the course of our investigation,” the source added.

Mary Kimani from Africa Renewal, said that mothers are experiencing this because government at all levels has refused to overcome the decline in government financing hospitals, therefore many hospitals and clinics began asking patients to pay more for services.

“The government also needs to extend the National Health Insurance Scheme so it goes to the grassroots,” experts have said. “Only government workers and some private workers are entitled to it.”

Onwumere is award-winning journalist based in Rivers State. Email: odimegwu@ journalist.com

NCDC New Boss Charges Staff on Achieving Mandate The newly appointed National Coordinator, Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Andreas Ihekweazu has charged the staff of the Centre to work toward achieving the mandate of the organisation.

Ihekeazu made the call earlier in the week in Abuja while taking over the mantle of leadership from Prof. Ab-

dusallami Nasidi who is now the acting Executive Director, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Regional Surveillance and Disease Control Centre (RCDC).

In his words: ‘’Today is the beginning of the journey; I invite you to join us with open minds so that we can deliver our mandate. I am not interested in anything

else rather than the mandate Mr. President gave me.’’

He charged the staff to be more alive to their responsibilities, stressing that they should brace up to the challenges of the times so as to be able to tackle emerging diseases as well as to take NCDC to greater heights.

He assured that he would operate an open door policy

and be impartial to all the staff of the Centre irrespective of religion, tribal and political leanings.

Dr. Ihekeazu assured that he would consolidate on the achievements left by his predecessor, adding that he would not leave any stone unturned to making sure that the gains achieved so far are sustained.

While commending Prof.

Abdusallami Nasidi for his leadership qualities and the active role he played in establishing the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, he assured him that the Centre would continue to tap from his wealth of experience having been the founding father and the pioneer National Coordinator of the Centre.

Earlier, the outgoing National Coordinator, Prof. Abdusallami Nasidi thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing capable hand to take over the leadership of the NCDC. He however urged the staff of the Centre to extend the same kind of cooperation and support they gave him to his successor.

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INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Turkey Dismisses More than 2,000 Police

Turkey issued two decrees under emergency rule yesterday in which it dismissed more than 2,000 police officers and hundreds of members of the military and the BTK communication technology authority over last month’s attempted military coup.

Those dismissed were described as having links to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the failed putsch on July 15. Gulen denies involvement in the coup. The decrees, published in the country’s Official Gazette,

also included a decision to close the TIB telecoms authority and another decision under which the president will appoint the head of the armed forces.

Under previous emergency rule decrees, Turkey had already dismissed thousands of security force members as well as ordering the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions suspected of links to Gulen.

The latest dismissals included 2,360 police officers, more than 100 military personnel and 196

staff in the BTK technology authority, according to the decrees, issued under a three-month state of emergency which came into force on July 21.

Alongside tens of thousands of civil servants suspended or dismissed, more than 35,000 people have been detained in a massive purge since the failed coup, when a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, warplanes and helicopters in an attempt to overthrow the government.

South African Opposition Says Some Coalition Talks Fail South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) will not form coalition governments in two key municipalities, a DA party executive said yesterday.

Since the ruling African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in major municipalities this month, in its worst electoral performance since it came to power at the end of apartheid, South Africa’s main parties have been attempting to assemble coalitions.

Failure to reach alliances in Johannesburg and Tshwane, which includes the capital Preto-

ria, could lead to policy paralysis and dampen investor confidence in two of South Africa’s economic hubs, analysts say.

“The EFF decided it didn’t want to go into coalitions with the DA or the ANC,” James Selfe, who has led the DA’s coalition negotiations, told Reuters. An EFF spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the party would make an announcement later on Wednesday.

The DA does, however, expect to be able to form minority governments in the two urban districts with the tacit support of the EFF.“We are confident they

will support us to form minority governments in Johannesburg and Tshwane,” Selfe said.

But he said the DA would be able to form a coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay, which includes the manufacturing hub Port Elizabeth, and several other municipalities without the support of the EFF. The DA, which is pro-business and has a largely white support base, has a sharply different political ideology to the EFF, which wants to nationalise mines and banks and redistribute land from whites to blacks without compensation.

Australia Agrees to Close Refugee Detention Centre Australia and Papua New Guinea yesterday said they had agreed to close a controversial Australianfunded asylum seeker detention centre on Manus Island, although the ultimate fate of 800 refugees held in the camp remained unclear.

Under Australian law, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps on the tiny Pacific island of Nauru or to Manus Island off Papua New Guinea (PNG). They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia.

Some asylum seekers have spent years in the camps, which have been criticised by the United Nations and human rights groups, with numerous reports of abuse and self-harm amongst detainees, including children. Some in PNG are unhappy with the prospect of hundreds of asylum seekers being

resettled into their country and there have been reports of asylum seekers being attacked by locals.

“Both Papua New Guinea and Australia are in agreement that the centre is to be closed,”Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said in a statement. “A series of options are being advanced and implemented. It is important that this process is not rushed out but carried out in a careful manner.”There was no mention of a closing date.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who met with O’Neill on Wednesday to discuss the camp, reiterated Australia’s position that it would not accept any of the refugees detained in Papua New Guinea.“It has been the longstanding position of this government to work with PNG

to close Manus and support those people as they transition into PNG or return to their country of origin,” Dutton said in a statement.

“Our position, confirmed again today with PNG, is that no one from Manus Island Regional Processing Centre will ever be settled in Australia.”The announcement came after a newspaper published leaked documents detailing more than 2,000 incidents of sexual abuse, assault and attempted self-harm, reported over two years at the Nauru detention centre.

The harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse at the camps have drawn wide criticism at home and abroad. Australia says the policy is needed to stop asylum seekers dying at sea on the dangerous boat journey from Indonesia to Australia.

UN to Investigate Peacekeepers’ Response to South Sudan Hotel Attack United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon launched an investigation on Tuesday into accusations peacekeepers in South Sudan failed to respond properly to an attack on a Juba hotel by uniformed men who killed a journalist and raped several civilians.

Ban was “alarmed” by the findings of a U.N. fact-finding mission into the attack on

the Hotel Terrain on July 11 during an outbreak of fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing former Vice President Riek Machar.

The secretary-general was “concerned about allegations that UNMISS (the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan) did not respond appropriately to prevent this

and other grave cases of sexual violence committed in Juba,” Ban’s spokesman said.

Ban has launched an independent special investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incidents and evaluate the overall response by the U.N. peacekeeping mission, the spokesman said in a statement.

46

T H I S D AY •TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Skye Bank Neither Distressed, Liquidated, CBN Insists Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday reiterated that Skye Bank Plc is neither distressed nor liquidated.

The central bank said its attention was drawn to the content of a malicious message urging customers of Skye Bank to withdraw their deposits or transfer them to other banks based on the vile allegation that the commercial bank had been liquidated by the CBN. To this end, the CBN in a statement signed by its acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okorafor, stated emphatically “that it has not liquidated Skye Bank or any other Deposit Money Bank for that matter.”

“The Bank also wishes to reiterate its earlier assurance that Skye Bank is not in distress and remains a healthy bank in the Nigerian banking system.

Indeed, the health of the Nige-

rian banking system remains strong, all banks in Nigeria are safe and depositors have no cause to fear over their deposits.

“While it will be recalled that Skye Bank had corporate governance challenges, the CBN has since taken proactive steps to resolve the issues identified.

Indeed, the CBN is satisfied with the efforts of the new management to reposition Skye Bank for effective service delivery.

“Accordingly, customers of Skye Bank and other stakeholders are advised to disregard any message purporting a liquidation of the bank,” it added.

Meanwhile, shareholders and public affairs analysts have commended the CBN, for ensuring the stability and safety of Nigerian banks through proactive measures.

President, Renaissance Shareholders’ Association, Mr. Olufemi Timothy, who spoke on the stabilising role of the CBN, said the central bank had acted

responsively and proactively in the last couple of years to protect the shareholders.

According to the shareholder activist, who urged Nigerians to decry negative rumour making the rounds, said the interventions of the CBN over the years had ensured that no single Nigerian bank is distressed or in danger of collapse. He said such interventions have preserved shareholders’ interest and value.

“I can tell you authoritatively that our banks are strong and safe. Despite the global economic recession, and the attendant effect on the financial system, our banks are robust and healthy. The apex bank’s interventions have strengthened our banks”, he said.

Similarly, an economist, Dr. Biodun Adedipe praised the resilience of Nigerian banks in the face of a tough operating environment.

Nigeria Imports $227m Sugar in Seven Months Nigeria imported $227million worth of sugar in the first seven months of this year, according to the central bank.

The highest monthly value of imports of $79.1 million was recorded in June, a Central Bank of Nigeria monthly compilation of funds used for sugar imports obtained by Bloomberg News showed Wednesday.

The amounts are for raw sugar as well “chemically pure glucose and glucose syrup not containing fructose,” according to the document. The central bank ditched its 16-month old peg on the naira in June and introduced a flexible exchange rate regime to allow the currency to trade freely on the interbank market. But dollar liquidity has remained a concern in the system with periodic intervention

by the central bank. The central bank has told lenders to set aside extra provisions against their dollar loans.

While the naira closed at N314.14 to the dollar on the interbank forex market yesterday, on the parallel market, the nation’s currency went for N394 to the dollar yesterday.

The central bank on Tuesday resolved to raise the amount of weekly foreign currency which banks are authorised to sell to Bureau de Change operators (BDCs) to $50,000 from the initial $30,000. Speaking at the Bankers’ Committee meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Kennedy Uzoka, said following the feedback from the market, the committee decided to effect an upward review in

dollar sale to BDCs. He said the increase would make more cash available to BDCs and increase the supply which would help to drive down price.

Accessing forex had been a topical issue for Nigerians in recent times and the CBN had been evolving various methods to douse the situation.

Oil currencies have been hammered since crude prices crashed in mid-2014, and none more so than the naira, according to a Bloomberg report. It’s lost almost half its value against the dollar, the most among the currencies of OPEC members and more than Russia’s ruble, which is down 47 percent. For foreign investors, that may be a cue to re-enter the West African country as a weaker currency makes its bonds and stocks cheaper.

Our Activities Not Influenced by Presidency, Says AMCON The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) yesterday described the news making the rounds that its activities are being influenced by the presidency as false.

AMCON contended in a statement yesterday that a letter published by an online medium on the matter was a routine correspondence between the office of Chief of Staff to the President and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government including AMCON to seek clarifications and enable

briefings to Mr. President on issues considered as having strategic national importance.

It explained: “Our attention has been drawn to a story in an online publication purporting that AMCON is being influenced to make business decisions by the presidency.

“The said letter, which the story brandished, is routine correspondence between the office of Chief of Staff to the President and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government including AMCON to

seek clarifications and enable briefings to Mr. President on issues considered as having strategic national importance.

“There is nothing in the contents of all our correspondences to suggest an influence on AMCON in its business decisions or translate to prospecting business on behalf of any individual, group or organisation as the earlier correspondence on the subject matter clearly required AMCON to exercise due care in the overall interest of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

FCMB SupportsVisually Impaired First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited has donated 15 Braille machines to the Federal Nigeria Society for the Blind (FNSB) at its Vocational Training Centre (VCT) located at Oshodi, Lagos state. The Braille machines (comparable to a typewriter) were designed to aid the blind in reading and writing, with a view to assisting them get sound education. The donation of the machines, according to a statement was part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which

focus on poverty alleviation, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability.

The gesture, it further explained, was aimed at effectively supporting the efforts of the FNSB towards enhancing the standard of teaching, as well as learning of the blind, who are students of the VCT. The centre was established 60 years ago and so far, over 2,000 visually impaired men and women have benefitted from the various training programmes at the centre. Speaking at the

presentation ceremony last Friday, in Lagos, the Group Head, Corporate Affairs of FCMB, Mr. Diran Olojo, said that the bank recognises the importance of every segment of the society.

He added: “As a corporate organisation, we believe that it is necessary to constantly extend the hand of fellowship, support and love to the physically challenged and other less privileged groups through charity programmes like this.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

MARCH 2016 Broad Money (M2)

20,470,436.00

-- Narrow Money (M1)

9,040,817.68

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,441,365.03

---- Demand Deposits

7,599,452.65

-- Quasi Money

11,429,618.32

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,551,714.27

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,918,721.73 22,664,815.74

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC) ---- Credit to Government (Net)

3,782,578.01

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

4,991,246.39

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-1,208,668.38

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

18,882,237.7

--Other Assets Net

-7,746,094.02

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,758,634.07

--Currency in Circulation

1,811,090.48

--Banks Reserves

3,383,756.72 • Source - CBN

MANAGED FUNDS Initial Price (N) Stanbic Balanced Fund

Buying Price(N)

Selling Price

1,660.29

1,685.29

Stanbic IBTC NEF

1,000.00

11,002.32

11,326.67.11

Stanbic SIBond

20

120.47

120.47

Stanbic IBTC Ethical

1

1.10

1.13

Stanbic IBTC GIF

142.90

143.38

UBA Balanced Fund

1.2563

1.2493

UBA Bond Fund

1.3443

1.3443

UBA Equity Fund

0.8205

0.8074

UBA Money Market Fund

1.1510

1.1510

ARM Aggressive Growth Fund

N13.0544

N13.4480

ARM Discovery Fund

N288.2515

N296.9425

ARM Ethical Fund

N22.5268

N23.2060

ARM Money Market Fund

13.1030 (Yield % ) • Monetary Policy Rate - 14%

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY 16, AUGUST 2016 The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $45.03 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $43.92 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela) SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

47

T H I S D AY • thurSDAY, AuguSt 18, 2016

Nigeria’s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

17-Aug-16 16-Aug-16

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators

01 Dangote Cement Plc

183.00

183.00

0.00%

3,118,412,855,115.00

9.56

19.14

5.76

4.37%

4.58

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

134.55

134.40

0.11%

1,066,860,524,480.40

4.50

29.93

3.56

2.68%

6.55

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

25.00

24.59

1.67%

735,779,480,600.00

3.38

7.40

2.47

7.08%

1.70

825.01

824.00

0.12%

653,949,334,462.52

19.41

42.50

3.94

3.52%

18.59

05 Zenith Bank Plc

15.00

15.25

-1.64%

470,947,406,790.00

3.33

4.50

1.12

12.00%

0.76

06 Lafarge Africa Plc

55.30

55.00

0.55%

251,886,070,093.00

-6.71

-8.24

1.13

5.42%

1.80

07 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

11.48

10.56

8.71%

210,652,847,948.20

0.23

49.97

0.39

5.40%

0.35

161.30

161.30

0.00%

210,090,201,913.90

4.22

38.22

1.42

2.14%

4.90

09 United Bank for Africa Plc

4.25

4.31

-1.39%

154,187,986,868.50

1.65

2.58

0.50

14.12%

0.44

10 Access Bank Plc

5.33

5.41

-1.48%

154,186,088,793.23

2.48

2.15

0.45

10.32%

0.40

11 Presco Plc

36.96

36.96

0.00%

146,748,831,583.20

0.86

42.77

2.07

3.52%

3.42

12 Guinness Nig Plc

93.50

93.50

0.00%

140,800,545,578.00

3.70

25.29

1.25

0.00%

3.17

13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc

Table 4 Top 5 Losers

13.95

13.90

0.36%

139,500,000,000.00

2.04

6.85

1.18

0.72%

1.24

Stock

14 Unilever Nigeria Plc

36.75

36.75

0.00%

139,036,137,187.50

0.46

79.47

2.28

0.14%

15.61

240.00

240.00

0.00%

132,794,475,120.00 -14.43

-16.63

1.42

6.63%

0.35

3.13

3.12

0.32%

112,352,266,438.96

0.30

10.27

0.22

4.79%

0.18

251.00

248.00

1.21%

85,219,981,087.00

31.13

8.06

0.35

5.58%

4.04

6.54

6.51

0.46%

78,480,000,000.00

1.05

6.23

0.65

7.65%

1.32

109.00

109.00

0.00%

69,824,349,567.00

11.12

9.80

0.90

2.02%

2.91

48.39

48.39

0.00%

63,874,800,000.00

0.24

199.88

0.62

3.10%

2.85

5.29

5.30

-0.19%

63,663,133,949.26

-3.46

-1.53

0.34

14.18%

0.46

19.00

20.00

-5.00%

62,590,736,320.00

0.17

108.92

2.51

1.32%

5.07

169.67

169.67

0.00%

61,182,198,103.54

17.69

9.59

0.74

4.24%

3.56

19.60

19.60

0.00%

51,435,048,865.20

6.81

2.88

0.14

10.20%

0.51

1.10

1.09

0.92%

42,593,097,167.50

-0.37

-2.95

0.94

0.00%

0.56

26 U A C N Plc

19.00

19.20

-1.04%

36,496,423,353.00

2.44

7.79

0.51

5.26%

0.49

27 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc

08 Forte Oil Plc.

15 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd 16 FBN Holdings Plc 17 Total Nigeria Plc 18 Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc 19 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc 20 Julius Berger Nig. Plc 21 Oando Plc 22 International Breweries Plc 23 Mobil Oil Nig Plc 24 Flour Mills Nig. Plc 25 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

36.25

36.25

0.00%

34,579,237,500.00

4.60

7.89

2.81

0.28%

2.22

28 Fidelity Bank Plc

1.00

0.99

1.01%

28,962,585,692.00

0.39

2.57

0.20

16.00%

0.16

29 Sterling Bank Plc

1.00

1.04

-3.85%

28,790,418,126.00

0.31

3.24

0.27

9.00%

0.34

14.15

14.10

0.35%

26,576,558,866.00

3.21

4.41

0.79

9.19%

2.57

31 Wema Bank Plc

0.67

0.70

-4.29%

25,844,892,274.27

0.06

10.62

0.52

0.00%

0.55

32 Diamond Bank Plc

1.08

1.11

-2.70%

25,013,220,085.44

0.11

9.79

0.12

0.00%

0.11

33 FCMB Group Plc

1.23

1.20

2.50%

24,357,334,260.63

0.61

2.01

0.15

8.13%

0.14

34 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.90

3.90

0.00%

22,939,270,360.50

0.76

5.13

0.69

3.59%

0.82

35 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc

18.50

18.50

0.00%

22,123,715,028.00

-2.54

-7.28

0.76

1.62%

2.42

36 Mansard Insurance Plc

2.10

2.10

0.00%

22,050,000,000.00

0.27

7.73

1.15

2.38%

1.04

37 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc

8.14

8.05

1.12%

21,566,428,396.92

0.89

9.19

1.19

6.76%

3.12

38 Cap Plc

27.30

27.30

0.00%

19,110,000,000.00

2.49

10.99

2.71

4.21%

12.57

39 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

18.00

18.05

-0.28%

18,000,000,000.00

4.14

4.35

1.36

0.56%

0.54

40 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.03

1.00

3.00%

10,683,926,641.36

0.33

3.13

0.52

11.65%

0.55

41 Unity Bank Plc

0.91

0.91

0.00%

10,637,297,527.22

0.54

1.68

0.17

0.00%

0.12

42 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

1.32

1.34

-1.49%

10,467,860,908.56

-0.40

-3.27

0.22

12.12%

0.64

43 Skye Bank Plc

0.66

0.68

-2.94%

9,160,998,930.60

-2.93

-0.22

0.06

45.45%

0.09

44 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

6.01

6.60

-8.94%

7,552,633,373.66

0.96

6.29

0.58

1.66%

0.74

45 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

3.90

3.90

0.00%

6,703,124,980.50

-0.05

-74.80

1.99

17.95%

0.19

46 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

6,691,369,126.00

0.11

4.62

0.88

6.00%

0.43

47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.62

3.62

0.00%

5,879,671,875.00

0.15

23.47

0.73

5.52%

0.95

48 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

4.68

0.11

0.02

0.00%

1.89

49 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.67

0.67

0.00%

4,643,237,001.60

0.28

2.42

0.14

7.46%

0.48

50 Fidson Healthcare Plc

1.59

1.65

-3.64%

2,385,000,000.00

0.31

5.19

0.35

3.14%

0.37

30 Cadbury Nigeria Plc

TOTAL

8,853,928,468,541.17

TOTAL MARKET CAP

9,423,306,055,493.12

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

93.96%

NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

Open 17-Aug-16

Close 16-Aug-16

Change %

27,389.02 9.41

27,437.25 9.42

0.18% 0.18%

113.53 8.84

113.71 8.85

0.16% 0.16%

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

Open Close Change % 17-Aug-16 16-Aug-16

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated Continental Reinsurance Plc FCMB Group Plc Guaranty Trust Bank Plc Total Nigeria Plc

10.56

11.48

8.71%

1.00 1.20 24.59 248.00

1.03 1.23 25.00 251.00

3.00% 2.50% 1.67% 1.21%

Open Close Change % 17-Aug-16 16-Aug-16

Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc International Breweries Plc Wema Bank Plc Sterling Bank Plc Fidson Healthcare Plc

6.60 20.00 0.70 1.04 1.65

6.01 19.00 0.67 1.00 1.59

-8.94% -5.00% -4.29% -3.85% -3.64%

NSE ASI further appreciates by 0.18% Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today – Wednesday, August 17, 2016 closed on a positive note as market ends in the green zone due positive . This was further highlighted by positive performances from the NSE sub-sectors: Banking, Insurance and Oil & Gas (Save Consumer Goods). Trading activities increased in volume as 297.48 million shares worth N2.29 billion in 3,438 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from the 235.89 million shares worth N2.23billion in 3,512 deals exchanged on Tuesday. Topping in volume terms was Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc while Access Bank Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms.

The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with a 0.18% (+48.23) increase to close at 27,437.25 from 27,389.02 the previous trading day. Market Capitalization depreciated in tandem to N9.42 trillion from N9.41 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index also followed suit with a increase of 0.16% to close at 113.71 from 113.53 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N8.85 trillion from N8.84 trillion of the previous trading day.

A total number of 22 stocks gained on the bourse today while 17 stocks declined, 60 leaving stocks unchanged. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated emerged the day’s toast of investors as it topped the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainers’ list with a gain of 8.71% to close at N11.48 per share. It was followed

by Continental Reinsurance Plc with a gain of 3.00% to close at N1.03 per share. Others on the gainers list include: FCMB Group Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Total Nigeria Plc, while on the decliners’ list; CCNN Plc led with a loss of 8.94% to close at N6.01 per share. It was followed by International Breweries Plc with a loss of 5.00% to close at N19.00 per share.

Others on the losers list include: Wema Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and Fidson Healthcare Plc.

REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY •TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2016

48

MARKET NEWS

GTBank Posts N91bn Profit, Declares 25kobo Interim Dividend Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie

primarily by growth in fee and commission income as well as foreign exchange income.

Net interest income fell marginally from N80.1billion to N79.1billion, while impairment charges surged by 530 per cent from N6.0billion to N37.5billion.

However, non-interest income improved by 160 per cent from N38billion to N91.4billion in 2016. Non-interest income was the major catalyst for the upsurge

in earnings, after benefiting from foreign exchange revaluation gains.

Consequently, profit before tax rose by 45 per cent to N91.38billion, up from N63.1billion in 2015.

The bank’s loan book grew by 14 per cent from N1.373 trillion recorded as at December 2015 to N1.562trillion in June 2016 with corresponding growth in total deposits which increased

by 23 per cent to N2.008trillion from N1.637trillion in December 2015. The bank is proposing interim dividend of 25 kobo per unit of ordinary share held by shareholders.

Further analysis revealed that the bank closed the half year with total assets and contingents of N3.42trillion and shareholders’ funds of N453billion, while non-performing loans remained low and within regulatory

threshold at 4.39 per cent and with capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of 18.25 per cent..

Commenting on the results, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of GTBank Segun Agbaje, said: “Going into the year, we knew it would be a challenging year and we prepared for it by focusing on effective management of the balance sheet and adapting our business model to changing

market variables. The quality of our past decisions enabled us navigate the challenges that persisted in the business environment most of the half year period.”

While expressing appreciation to customers for their loyalty, and to staff for their hard work and commitment, Agbaje noted that the current economic realities present some challenges to growth.

DAILY STOCK MARKET REPORT

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc yesterday reported its audited financial results for the half year (H1) ended June 30, 2016, showing positive growth across performance indicators.

Gross earnings rose by 37 per cent to N209billion from N153billion in 2015, driven

T H E

N I G E R I A N

STO C K

E XC H A N G E

T H I S D AY THURSDAY AUGUST 18, 2016

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NEWSXTRA

Budget Feud: Court Declines to Hear Abdulmumin’s Suit Tobi Soniyi in Abuja

A Federal High Court in Abuja has declined to hear two cases filed by a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee, Jubrin Abdulmumin, to stop the House from suspending him and to enforce his fundamental human rights.

Justice Okon Abang said Abdulmumin failed to comply with the provisions of Order 46 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009 which requires a litigant who wants his case heard during vacation to first apply and get the leave of court.

The court rules state that a plaintiff who files a suit during the court’s vacation must file an ex parte application showing facts that makes hearing of his case a matter of urgency.

Justice Abang said a new date for the hearing would be fixed as soon as the plaintiff files his motion seeking leave for his matter to be heard during vacation.

Effort by Abdulmumin’s lawyer, Mr. Abdulhamid Mohammed, to persuade the court to hear him out failed as Justice Abang stood his grounds.

The judge said: “A matter filed during court vacation is

not heard as a matter of cause.

“The applicant is expected to apply and obtain the leave of court to have his matter herd during the court vacation in line with the provisions of Order 46 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009. I so hold.

“This applicant did not do so. I do not have jurisdiction to even grant an adjournment of this suit.

“It is expected that the applicant will do the needful to comply with the provisions of the rules of this court.”

Abdulmumin had filed two separate suits. The first suit FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2016 is against the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun and other principal officers of the lower chamber.

He asked the court to stop the plan to suspend him from the House.

In the other suit FHC/ ABJ/CS/595/2016, which is for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, the plaintiff sued the Police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Federal Capital Territory’s Commissioner of Police, Dogara, and other principal officers of the House as well as the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Other principal officers of the House sued in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit are Lasun, Alhassan Dogura and Leo Ogor.

He urged the court to stop the respondents from violating his rights in the course of investigation of the alleged budget padding.

Abdulmumin’s lawyer told the judge that he intended to withdraw the fundamental human rights suit and urged the court to strike it out yesterday on the basis that “it has been overtaken by event.”

But the judge said the leave to have the matter heard during vacation having not been obtained, he lacked jurisdiction to strike it out.

“The court must have

jurisdiction to entertain the matter first before it can have jurisdiction to strike it out.

“The applicant must do the needful to confer jurisdiction on the court to enable the court to take the application to withdraw the suit.”

In the suit FHC/ABJ/ CS/595/2016 filed on August 9, 2016 and which the plaintiff wanted to sustain, Abdulmumin is asking the court to restrain the House and its principal officers from giving effect to their alleged plot to suspend him as member of the House.

He also seeks a declaration that the defendants are bound to comply with the provisions of sections 49, 54, 56 and 60 of the 199 Constitution and the

Standing Orders of the House of Reps, regulating its sitting, procedure and other matters in the conduct of its legislative functions as provided in the Constitution and the Standing Orders made pursuant to the Constitution.

He also wants the court to declaration that the decision taken by the defendants at a meeting held on August 3, 2016 to suspend the plaintiff as a member of the House of Reps without granting him the right to fair hearing is unlawful.

Abdulmumin, an All Progressives Congress legislator, representing Kiru/ Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, also filed an exparte motion, seeking among

others, an other restraining the defendants from taking steps to suspend him pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The plaintiff stated in a supporting affidavit that immediately the 3rd -14th defendants (Dogara and other principal officers) got wind of the petitions he presented against them to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector General of Police, and others, they held meeting on August 3, 2016.

He stated that Dogara and others allegedlyresolvedduringthemeeting to suspend him immediately as member of the House.

Jonathan, Saraki, Bello Congratulate Babangida at 75 LaleyeDipoinMinna

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Niger State Government and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have congratulated former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) on his 75th birthday anniversary, describing him as a great leader and statesman who has displayed ample commitment to the nation’s unity and growth.

In a letter of felicitation personally signed by Jonathan, he noted that Nigerians would continue to pray for Babangida’s good fortune because of his exemplary service to his fatherland.

“You served your nation in various capacities as a distinguished officer and military head of state to the best of your abilities for which Nigerians would continue to pray for your good fortune.

“May the Almighty God grant you more fulfilling years as an eminent statesman in order to continue to lend your experience, knowledge and wisdom to our dear nation as it seeks to make progress in all facets of national development.

Happy birthday Your Excellency!”

Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said Babangida’s contributions to the socio-economic development of the country remains legendary and visible across the landscape.

“From the political engineering that his administration introduced into the country which encouraged many young people, particularly, professionals, those in the private sector and Nigerians in the diaspora, to join politics, to the two-party system which sought to eliminate ethnicity in politics and encourage

manageable political platforms with national spread, the foot-prints of Babangida remain visible everywhere.

On his part, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, in a statement described Babangida as L-R: Head of Marketing, Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc (SBC), Norden Thurston; Managing Director, SBC, Sunil Sawhney; 7Up Harvard Business Scholarship recipient, Chidozie Ibekwe; and General Manager Human Resources, SBC, Yinka Adesina, at the presentation of “an indispensable leader.”

The state governor whose the Harvard Business Scholarship to Ibekwe in Lagos...yesterday statement was signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Jibrin Ndace, said the former Nigerian leader “will continue to remain relevant in the “What informed the Alternate Chair, NBA technical facing the country.

Tobi Soniyi in Abuja Nigeria project.

He said: “This is why we committee on conference conference theme is that there “Babangida has remained a good man, a father, a role model and a The Nigerian Bar Association have chosen as our central planning, said this year’s are more economic challenges pride to Nigerlites in particular and (NBA) has expressed concern theme for our national edition to be held in Port in the country today than over the nation’s troubled conference, ‘Democracy and Harcourt, Rivers State, last year. The conference will Nigerians in general.

“The roles he has been playing economy and its impact on Economic Development.’ We between August 19 and address, among others, how want to discuss the economy 26 would examine how democracy can deliver on an towards the consistent growth the populace.

The association of lawyers in the context of democracy. institutions could foster improved management of our and development of this country How can democracy make the economic growth in a economic affairs. in general and Niger State in has also called on “This year’s conference experts in and outside the economy grow better? The democracy. particular are unquantifiable.

He explained that the will feature 28 sessions in His dogged commitment to the country to suggest ways to economy is quite challenging conference, to be attended all, including three showcase corporate existence of Nigeria as revive the ailing economy presently.

“There is a concern on how by about 13,000 lawyers both sections. Communique will be one indivisible country has been and ensure that democracy democracy constitutes a heavy from and outside the country, issued at the end of the event, works for the people. unique and unparalleled.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria burden on our Gross Domestic would feature Rwandan which will contain summary In his remarks, the state Chairman of the PDP, Tanko Beji, said (SAN), Oladejo Lamikanra, Product (GDP). We want to President, Paul Kagame, of all that transpired.

“Some of the resource Babangida “is a patriotic leader.” who spoke for the association explore how democracy can who is expected to share the in a statement, said: “Babangida in Abuja, said the NBA was be used to further grow country’s success experience persons being expected include the Governor of the Central is a committed patriot; a lover and planning a gathering to give the economy. The average with Nigerians.

He said the decision to Bank of Nigeria (CBN), former believer in one Nigeria and a soldier experts, both lawyers and Nigerian is feeling the pinch, non-legal practitioners, the he is feeling the crunch. We invite Kigame was informed NBA President Olisa Agbakoba per excellence ‘ IBB, as he is fondly called, has opportunity to engage in critical have been dependent on oil by the fact that the economy and Yunus Usman (SAN),” been a stabilising force in the assessment of the economy and alone. How do we diversify? of his country has continued Lamikanra said.

He added that the conference project Nigeria, his advice to suggest ways out of the current The practice of democracy to grow despite the challenges would also witness the should improve the economy. facing the world economy. various generations and the situation.

He said the Minister for inauguration of the executive According to him, Nigerians Democracy and economy are political leadership of the country Solid Mineral and other of the NBA and the swearinghas assisted not only to entrench including lawyers are suffering not mutually exclusive.

“We want to see the government officials would in of officials elected at the democracy but brought about under the present economic economy can grow. We want be at the conference to share association’s last elections. peaceful coexistence and less situation.

Lamikanra said the new He explained that lawyers to see Nigerians live better. with Nigerians information rancorous politicking in the land.”

Special prayer for the good had decided not to sit down That informs our choice of on what the government was NBA President would utilise health of the former military and fold their arms while the theme. How can we make doing to revive the economy the conference to enunciate on president was offered at his workers continued to lose sure our economy sustain our and diversify it to ensure his programmes and plans of residence in Minna while people their purchasing power and population growth. We need multiple streams of income his administration and how for the country as against the he hopes to improve the from all walks of life also joined had decided to examine some actions now.”

Lamikanra, who is the current over dependence on oil. association. of the critical economic issues him in the celebration.

REWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

NBA Expresses Concern over Parlous State of the Economy

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CRIME&PUNISHMENT

Navy Acquires, Deploys 39 Gunboats, In Brief One Locally Built Boat to Fight Militancy Housewife Commits Suicide Chiemelie Ezeobi The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, yesterday in Lagos deployed the 39 newly produced gunboats and the second indigenous Seaward Defence Boat built locally by the Nigerian Navy (NN), to fight militancy and other maritime criminalities.

Asides the boats, the navy also inaugurated 45 operational vehicles to be shared among the commands and units of the navy to aid operational efficiency.

The acquired maritime platforms included 30 Epenal boats, three Wave Riders, six Arrow Heads, as well as NN pride, NNS Karaduwa, a 28.9 metres SDB, fabricated and built indigenously by personnel of the navy.

The Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen. Mohammad DanAli, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Ambassador Danjuma Sheni, inaugurated

the boats and the vehicles at the Naval Dockyard Limited and Western Naval Command respectively.

According to him, the emerging security challenges in the country have had great consequences on the polity in the North-east and the Niger Delta region of our nation.

He said: “These challenges have continued to demand a great deal of human and material resources to surmount, which in the light of dwindling revenue would be sustainable only with generous innovations and incorporations of home grown solutions. ``The Epenal Boat Yard, Port Hacourt was contracted to construct 30 by 8.2m boats for the navy in 2015, which was delivered earlier this year. These were immediately inducted into the service and used for rigorous patrols in the Niger Delta.

“Their availability has helped to stem the tide of criminal activities in the area. Encouraged

by the success of the venture, the contract for a further 50 was immediately awarded which has yielded the additional 30 boats being launched today and the remaining 20 will be delivered subsequently.

“The boats were fitted with appropriate weapons than the former as they benefitted from a better antiballistic protection and other facilities being an improvement promised at the launch of their precursors.

“I am hopeful that the boats being launched today would further boost the ongoing patrol efforts in the various rivers and creeks of the country to the immense benefit of the nation’s maritime security.”

In his speech afterwards, Vice Admiral Ette-Ibas said: “These boats no doubt, have boosted navy maritime operations.

“However, as part of the efforts to continue to achieve unchallenged dominance of our maritime environment, the navy within a space of six months has launched another

39 specially built patrol boats into her fleet.

“This number is an improvement over the 30 referred to earlier. These efforts, both then and now, represent navy’s modest contribution to enhance national security and prosperity.

“Of the 39 boats launched, nine were acquired from Sri Lanka and would be greatly helpful for patrol of territorial waters and the contiguous zone.

“The decision of the navy to consider to take such bold steps of building 60 boats locally from the two delivered lots.

“And with 34 more to join shortly, could be considered as part of the resolve to look inwards in the production of our naval hardware.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Isa Aman-Isa, said the committee was doing everything possible to ensure the navy gets the necessary resources to tackle maritime insecurity to the fullest.

in Ogun

A 35-year-old Mrs. Omolola Atejioye on Tuesday evening committed suicide by hanging herself to a ceiling inside her apartment at Ago-Iwoye area of Ogun State. The state acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, yesterday confirmed the story, saying that the incident was discovered by the deceased’s husband, Mr. Ayodele Atejioye, who returned from work at about 5.30p.m and found his wife dangling in the room. The husband of the deceased said she did not leave behind any suicide note. It was gathered that the deceased’s husband reported the case to police while her remains were said to have been deposited at Babcock University morgue, where her husband’s works. Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told journalists that a post mortem would be carried out on the deceased to determine the cause of her death.

Lagos to Enforce Street Trading Ban

As part of efforts to implement the law against street trading, the operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) Brigade, the law enforcement unit of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has clamped own on illegal street traders and hawkers obstructing free flow of vehicular movement along major roads and highways in Lagos. Speaking on the enforcement operation, the KAI Marshal General (KMG), Mr. Jimoh Amusat, reiterated the determination of the present administration to enforce the law and intensify the ongoing campaign against the illegal act, vowing that a situation where illegal street traders and hawkers defy the order of the state government would not be tolerated any longer. He maintained that tough action would be taken against present and future offenders caught in its renewed efforts at combating the menace in the metropolis, imploring all residents to support and cooperate with the state government in its efforts to uphold the law and protect the lives of the citizenry. The government, he added, has reaffirmed its position to prevent another incident similar to that which occurred in Maryland area of the state, where a street trader lost his life while fleeing from personnel of KAI and LASTMA on law enforcement duties and the subsequent destruction of many BRT buses estimated at N139million by infuriated members of the public.

Gunmen Burgle Warri NUJ Secretariat

FOOD FOR THE NEEDY

Wife of the Oyo State Governor,Mrs.Florence Ajimobi (second left) and Wife of the state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Janet Adeyemo, presenting food items to woman in Atiba Local Government Area during the distribution of Ajumose Food Bank held at Atiba Local Government Area of the state...yesterday FELIX ADEMOLA

Suspected gunmen in the early hours of yesterday invaded the secretariat of the Warri Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), carting away property worth millions of naira. The hoodlums scaled the fence into the compound at about 2a.m., cut the burglary proof to gain access into the ground floor and removed property worth millions of naira including a 43 inch Plasma television, handsets, tablets and chargers. It was gathered that the gunmen had concluded their first assignment and were about to cut the burglary proof at the other floor of the duplex when members of the community vigilante group sighted one of them and raised the alarm. Occupants of the guest house wing, Sylvester Idowu of THISDAY, Bolaji Ogundele of The Nation and Dele Fasan of Galaxy Television were woken up and immediately joined the vigilante men to ward off the invaders. THISDAY observed that the three journalists and the vigilante men stood guard until the arrival of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of B Division, CSP Anniete Eyoh. After preliminary briefing and inspection of the crime scene, the DPO led his men along with the vigilante to comb the black spots in the area at about 6 a.m. where four suspects were apprehended.

Army Institutes Board of Inquiry to Try Soldiers Police Arraign Ebonyi Council for Brutalisation Chiemelie Ezeobi For attacking and brutalising some of the residents of Makoko area, the 81 Division Headquarters of the Nigerian Army (NA) yesterday instituted a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to investigate the incident and recommend necessary punishment.

Following their alleged misdemeanor, policemen attached to Yaba Police Division had arrested two of the 16 soldiers that invaded the community, Privates Ihama Osaretin and Okpor Ray. Although they were not the only ones that stormed the waterside community to attack the residents, they were however the only two arrested.

Addressing journalists yesterday at 81 Division Headquarters, Victoria Island, Lagos, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Edeth Isidore, said the army would go after other soldiers who participated in the attack.

The GOC, who spoke through the Assistant Director Army Public Relations (DAPR), Lieutenant Commander, Kingsley Samuel, said the board of inquiry would kickstart investigations.

Eddy who was reacting to a THISDAY report of the act carried out by the soldiers at the Makoko waterside community, said the findings would determine the punishment to be meted out to the soldiers.

The board, according to him, would seat for three weeks within which it is expected to also find out, among other things, whether the soldiers were on official duty in the area where the incident occurred, before turning in its report to the army authority.

General Isidore, who said the alleged incident was a highly regrettable one, added that it was particularly worrisome now that the division, in conjunction with other security agencies, with full cooperation of the civil populace were consolidating on the gains of successfully dislodging pipeline vandals and criminal elements in Ibafo and Arepo areas of Lagos and Ogun States.

He said: “81 Division

frowns at this unfortunate incident and wishes to assure the general public that this unlawful act will not go unpunished if the soldiers are found culpable “The demonstration of the existing inter-agency cooperation between the Division and other security agencies, Lagos State Police Command has handed over the two soldiers allegedly involved in this unlawful act for investigation.

“Both soldiers are in 81 Division custody after they were handed over by the police.

One of them who sustained injury is receiving treatment

Boss, Five Others for Beating Orphan

The Ebonyi State Police Command yesterday arraigned the Coordinator of Ohaozara West Development Centre, Ogbonnaya Ene Odii and his two brothers, Enekwachi and Martin at the Magistrate Court in Ohaozara for an alleged stripping and beating of a 15-year-old orphan, Uzoamaka Chukwu while naked. Also arraigned were three police officers who were allegedly involved in the crime. They are Paulinus Nwadonwe, Monday Nweke and Irondi Obinna. The three officers were said to have been dismissed by the police. The six suspects were arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on indecent assaults on female, abduction, deprivation of liberty and publication of defamatory matters; forcing her to lie on broken bottles and hitting her with cables and electric wires. The suspects were also alleged to have recorded the video clip of Uzoamaka’s nude and sent it to the social media with the false claim that she was caught making love in her father’s house with a man, a publication that injured her reputation, exposed her to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

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NEWSXTRA

Kogi Governor Denies Allegation of N11bn Funds Diversion Says his government remains transparent, focused

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yayaha Bello, yesterday said the allegation that he squandered N11 billion was not true.

Bello described the allegation as not only mischievous, but baseless.

Addressing journalists in Lokoja, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Strategy, Mallam Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, said he wondered where such an information emanated from, stressing that the governor had been prudent in managing the resources of the state.

He noted that the allegation was an embarrassment to the government and the people of the state, adding that the Commissioner for Finance recently gave details on what came to the state government and how it was spent.

He said it was unfortunate that people sit down in the comfort of their homes and dish out lies.

He said contrary to allegation of financial recklessness, he had repositioned the state in line with the tenets of fiscal responsibility and financial discipline since assuming office January 27.

According to him, the state was among the league of states that have put their feet down

on transparency, accountability, prudence and fiscal-tailored financial management.

“The administration of Governor Bello has remained the first in the history of the state to publicly declare the income and expenditure of government with copious references to state government accounts at different banks. This is the opium of transparency.

“We have no reason to respond to the allegations as we have set the record straight on many occasions. But the public must begin to see the character of those who aspired to lead them. It has become crystal clear that they do not love Kogi State.

“Today, Bello has mobilised contractors to rehabilitate our roads in all of the senatorial districts. Today, over 200 utility vehicles have been procured for delivery to security agencies to make Kogi people safe.

“The achievements of Bello and their own failure, have formed a chemistry of hate and a delicate determination of the enemies of the Kogi people to wage a relentless war against the people.

“Aside the political desperation to intimidate the judiciary, it is also instructive to note that the decision of the Kogi State

Government to look into why high-class contracts failed in the state has no doubt jolted the incurable accusers.

“There has been multi-faceted pressure on the governor to rescind the decision. But in his characteristic way, he has decided to stick with the people and protect their commonwealth.

No amount of propaganda and falsehood can derail the good work the governor is doing in the state.

“We make bold to say that every contract awarded by the present administration in the state went through due process. The selling point of our dear party is transparency which is the bulwark of good governance.

There can’t be development when resources are siphoned by people who are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding those resources for the common good.

“The ongoing projects in the state are speaking for the government. We are silencing our detractors with solid performance. A number of approvals have been given by the State Executive Council for more projects to be executed across the state. After four years, our performance would have done enough damage to the 16

years of locust under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“With improved security across the state, those who celebrated our security challenge

are now shifting ground to peddling falsehood. Bello should be judged by his achievements.

“All we have for the group called the Egalitarian Mission for

Africa is pity. They have acted on a report built on falsehood and malice. Now they have become a subject of scorn for their incoherent, false petition,” he said.

US State Department Sought Eko Atlantic Land Deal with Nigerian Firm Tied to Clinton Foundation for a consulate, Trudeau replied: “I’m not aware she was.”

The Clinton campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Mark Corallo, a Washington-based spokesman for Gilbert Chagoury, said in a statement that given the project’s “state-of-the-art urban design,” including advanced telecommunications and security features, “it should come as no surprise that the United States government and other governments from around the world are considering Eko Atlantic as a new opportunity for locating their offices that operate in Lagos.”

John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Fox News contributor, said the entire series of events involving the Clintons and the Chagourys appeared, at a minimum, poorly handled to insulate Secretary

Clinton from conflict of interest charges.

“The impression left is that there’s favoritism involved,” Bolton said. “And it’s just very unusual in State Department real estate and housing transactions overseas to have this kind of focus on someone with such clear financial connections to even the departed secretary of state. Normally, there’s much more competitive activity involved, (of) which we haven’t seen any evidence from the State Department.”

Experts agreed the March 2013 email from William P. Franklin to Mary E. Davis, triggering the State Department’s letter to Ronald Chagoury for a possible real estate transaction, would likely have formed only one set of documents in a longer trail that would have dated back to 2012 – the year the State Department said Eko Atlantic had been identified

as a potential site for a new consulate.

Such a trail would presumably include internal correspondence addressing the suitability of the Eko Atlantic site and, perhaps, flagging the potential conflict of interest that could be cited, given the longstanding ties between the Clintons and the Chagourys.

But Citizens United said no other documents on the consulate-scouting effort were turned over by the State Department. The group filed its initial Freedom of Information Act request with the State Department for records relating to Gilbert Chagoury back in 2014, and, receiving no reply, filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in April 2015.

•Culled from Fox News

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THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Rio Olympics: Nigeria to Play Honduras for Football Bronze Medal

Nigeria Under-23 football team’s failure to reach the Rio Olympics Gold medal final after the defeat to Germany last night in Sao Paulo has left the team to compete against Honduras for the consolatory bronze medal match on Saturday.

The winner, Germany will now face hosts Brazil in the Gold medal game after the third place match.

Against the expectation of Brazilian fans at the stadium yesterday, Germany created the better chances, while African champions Nigeria hardly troubled the opposing defence, who adopted the offside tactic to curtail their offensive threat.

The Germans deserved their lead after nine minutes through big defender Lukas Klostermann, who steered home a low cross from the right.

But they left it late to double their advantage a minute to full time through substitute Petersen, when he turned in a pass from

an acute angle.

Nigeria were gifted a big chance by the German goalkeeper Timo Horn to equalize three minutes after the opponents went in front when his poor clearance fell to Sadiq Umar inside the box, but he somehow blocked the effort.

In the 20th minute, Nigeria goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel made a point-blank save off Lars Bender to keep his team in the game.

And on half of the hour, Sadiq Umar and then Mikel could not capitalize on another slip by the German defence.

But Germany created the better chances in the first half – skipper Meyer saw his shot from outside the box miss target not by much and two minutes later, Davie Selke’s shot from top of the box was firmly held by the Nigeria goalie.

In the 42nd minute, Selke failed to get a good touch to another low cross from the right with

Ajagba Ends Amateur Boxing, Heads to Canada for Pro Career Duro Ikhazuagbe in Rio He was Nigeria’s lone qualifier for the boxing event of the 2016 Olympic Games here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Efe Ajagba had so much prospect of an Olympic medal in just his first outing. But On Tuesday night, Kazakhstan’s world number two super heavyweight boxer, Ivan Dychko, ended the dream for the gangling Nigerian with a 10-9, 10-9, 9-10 victory.

Ivan was the better boxer of the two but Ajagba banked on his strength to knock him out. The Kazakhstan amateur boxer with two previous Olympic experiences under his belt, appeared to know what to do to progress to the semi final stage.

He did not allow Ajagba the type of luxury he got in his quarter final clash with Trinidad and Tobago’s Paul Nigel. Ivan maximized his longer reach due to his height and body mass. His jabs were spot on and the only way the Nigerian boxer could have won was through a knock-out.

“I tried my best against Ivan but it was not easy. I know that it was his two other previous outings at the Olympic that helped him,” gushed Ajagba moments after he

climbed down from the squared ropes at Arena Six Rio Centro venue of the boxing event of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Just like every other Team Nigeria athlete here, Ajagba partly blamed his failure to reach the semi final where he would have been sure of at least a bronze medal, on the poor preparation that trailed the contingent to Brazil.

“I know that it was going to be a tough fight because it is not easy to beat such highly rated boxers in the Olympics. I prepared myself to go against all odds to get a medal of any colour to tell those other boxers behind me in Nigeria that there is future for them. But I had only one coach to support me. He was the same person doing sparring sessions with me unlike boxers from other countries who had full complement of staff managing their affairs,” he revealed.

The Delta-born boxer who told THISDAY that he was done with amateur rank admitted that he already has a contract in Canada to go professional immediately after the Games in Brazil.

“I have finished with amateur boxing. I have a contract to go professional in Canada,” stressed the super heavyweight boxer.

End of gold chase as Nigeria’s Ekong Udo and Sincere contend with reality while German trio celebrate the second goal last night in Sao Paulo Troost-Ekong breathing down his neck, before Serge Gnabry failed to make the most of another good chance minutes later.

In first half stoppage time, Sadiq Umar put Aminu through on goal, only for a German tackle right inside the box put the ball out for a corner.

Germany curtailed the attacking threat of the Africans, who failed

to step up their game for all 90 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Neymar scored after only 14 seconds - the fastest goal in Olympic football history - as Brazil thrashed Honduras 6-0 to reach the men’s final in Rio. Barcelona forward Neymar dispossessed Johnny Palacios to put the hosts ahead.

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus scored twice, Marquinhos and Luan both netted from close range and Neymar completed the rout with an injury-time penalty.

Brazil began their campaign with two goalless draws against South Africa and Iraq and were booed by their own fans after their second match.

MEDAL TABLE COUNTRIES United States

G S B 28 30 28

Britain

19 19 12

China

17 15 19

Russia

12 12 15

Germany

11

8

9

Maryam Usman: It’s Time for Change in Nigerian Sports Duro Ikhazuagbe in Rio After a post-mortem of her outing here at the 31st Olympic Games ending tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nigeria’s female weightlifting star, Maryam Usman, is thinking of calling it a day in the sport that she loves with passion.

Maryam who competed in the 75+ category finished 9th overall at the Rio2016. Her performance was a far cry from London 2012 when she narrowly missed the bronze medal because of an injured wrist in the clean and jerk.

Speaking with THISDAY on Tuesday night at the sprawling Games Village which housed over 10,000 athletes from all over the globe, Kaduna-born lifter Maryam insisted that she cannot go on like this without a medal to show for her efforts at the Games. The

outing in Brazil was her third try to get an Olympic medal.

Specifically, Maryam believes that she, just like the rest Team Nigeria athletes did not have the type of grooming needed to get podium placements.

“We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. If our sports authorities want Nigerian athletes to begin to win like the rest athletes from around the world, we must begin to do things differently to get the type of results others are getting,” stressed the lifter in an emotion laden voice.

The three-time Olympian who is a member of the board of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) revealed that she was really determined to make an impact here in Brazil. “It hurts a lot when you know that you

have the capacity to do better but because certain things are not right in our preparations for the Games, one then fails to meet set target.”

“I don’t want to sound as if I am giving excuses for my inability to make the podium. What I am saying is that we should not go to the next Games in four years time in Tokyo, Japan and also be in this same state of poor outing.

I am appealing to whoever will be in-charge of Nigeria sports not allow things again turn lout like this. There should be better preparations, more encouragement for Nigerian athletes. Those other athletes (from other countries) that we competed against had everything as in everything to succeed. It just does not make sense to expect good result from Nigerian athletes who are

competing with those who have been preparing in the last three years. We Nigerian athletes are just competing with tears and blood. It is through sheer personal determination to succeed that is driving Nigerian athletes. It just does not add up like that,” she said as a matter of fact.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist insisted that the girl that won the bronze was her training partner in the United States of America whose preparation was boosted by her country. “But her country took her out of USA to somewhere else to fine tune her preparation for the Olympic Games. She got all the preparation she needed before coming here for the Games. That prepared her for the podium. I got little or nothing.”

Total Named as Official Sponsor of CAF The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Total have reached an agreement under which the Group will become the official sponsor of African football for the next eight years.

Total will support CAF’s 10 principal competitions, starting with the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which has a global audience. Renamed the Total Africa Cup of Nations, the tournament will be held

in Gabon from January 14 to February 5th, 2017.

“This partnership is a major milestone in our ongoing search for additional resources to accelerate African football’s development, bring its governance up to date, upgrade its sports infrastructure and advance its performance globally,” commented Issa Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African

Football.

“As a leading multinational in its field, with strong ties to Africa, Total will make a significant contribution to CAF’s initiatives to foster personal and professional growth for young Africans.” Football is equal parts enthusiasm, sharing and team performance, concepts that resonate across cultures. “We are delighted to partner with CAF, because Africa is part of

Total’s makeup,” commented Patrick Pouyanné, President and Chief Executive Officer of Total.

“Through this commitment, we hope to strengthen ties to our stakeholders and customers through exciting, celebratory events that are always popular, including within our own teams.”

The scale and duration of this sponsorship reflect Total’s strong roots in Africa.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

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MISSILE Modu Sheriff to Justice Watila “On Thursday, the judge gave exparte motion. The next day, he converted that exparte motion to interlocutory order. On Monday, he sat and heard the main case to give a ruling or judgement today at 2pm without allowing us to defend ourselves. This morning, when our lawyers went to court, the judge authorised all the registry staff to run away” – factional PDP National Chairman, Ali Modu Sheriff, on Justice Ibrahim Watila of the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Question Buhari Should Ponder About

“W

hen some Nigerians were executed in Indonesia yesterday, and I started reading about their ordeal, I stumbled on the picture of one of those who were killed last year. I was shocked to discover I had met him before in Mali during one of my efforts to cross into Europe in 1994. His name is Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise although we knew him back then as SON. He was a footballer, working in an Indian shop and playing for an unregistered football club at Mopti. I am not saying he was innocent because I do not know the fact of his case but I am just very sad to see him among those who were executed. My fear is that, going by what I witnessed in those places, some of those killed might actually be innocent of the offence for which they were charged, especially knowing those people hardly provide interpreter in the course of their interrogation. Once you are arrested, you are deemed guilty and only God can help you. I feel very sad and since there are still several Nigerians on death row in many of these countries, going by the report, if there is anything in your power to help get the authorities to assist them, please do it, Sir.” I got the foregoing mail about three weeks ago from my younger brother who I spoke about in my Platform Nigeria lecture on 1st October last year titled “If we stay here we die”. It is one of those tragedies of our country where many young men and women believe the only way to make it in life is to travel outside the country.

Incidentally, following the feedback I received after that presentation and the interest shown by many Nigerians in the story, I encouraged my brother to write on his experience. He sent me the draft about four months ago and not only do I find the story gripping, I believe the authorities will have to do something to discourage the dangerous mindset that is pushing many of our young men and women into suicide missions on the erroneous belief that the grass is greener on the other side.

I know things are hard in our country today but if we must be honest, this particular problem predates the current challenge we face as a nation and it will take concerted efforts to address. Ever since I can remember, I have always encountered young men and women who, when asked what their ambition was, would say “I want to travel out”. There is no career prospect or profession in mind, the ambition is just to cross to Europe, America or Asia on the assumption that once they did, their problems would be solved. That is the mindset that is driving many to their death on the Mediterranean Sea or becoming prostitutes in Europe.

However, the challenge that we face in our country today, especially regarding our young people is beyond what government alone can handle. It would take each one of us helping to sensitise them that there is no shortcut to success and that they must take responsibility for their future. It is also important to inspire in them the hope that no matter how tough the situation may seem, they can still reach their goals.

That was the essence of the Teens Career Conference held last Saturday in my church for which we had the Governor of the Central

Ali Baba Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele; the former Chairperson, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and current chair of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru; the Director General of PenCom, Mrs. Chinelo Anohu-Amazu; ace comedian, Mr. Atunyota Alleluya Akporobomerere (aka Ali Baba) and Pastor Eva Azodoh, a medical doctor (consultant urologist) and retired colonel of the Nigerian Army.

In his statement read by Mrs Sarah Alade, CBN Deputy Governor who represented him, Emefiele counseled the teenagers on the virtue of hard work and dedication to their studies. “When I look back at some of my peers in school who focused on other things besides hard work and

dedication to excellence, I see a different turn in their life cycle relative to mine. For this and many other reasons, I remain eternally grateful to God and my parents for the principles they imparted in me”, said Emefiele.

Interested readers will find Emefiele’s speech on my web portal, olusegunadeniyi.com along with seven new offerings from the past. Meanwhile, in the course of fielding questions last Saturday, Mrs Alade challenged the teenagers to always go the extra mile. “Think outside the box. Surround yourself with people who will add value to your life by lifting you up rather than those who will bring you down”, Mrs Alade admonished.

Second to speak was the PenCom DG, AnohuAmazu, who began by posing a question to the audience: “How many of the things you are doing now can fit into what you will do in ten years time?” Then she told a story of what inspired that question. She said in her first encounter with the current Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, then the Director General of Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), he asked her: “Where do you see yourself in ten years time?” But before she could respond, el-Rufai added: “Don’t reply me now, go and think deeply about it.”

In the interactive session that followed her presentation, Anohu-Amazu told the teenagers: “Making money is good. But if your only goal in life is just to make money, you will end up with a miserable life.” She also reminded them of what they need to do to succeed. “You must not settle for being average and please remember,

if your work is good, it will speak for you”.

Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, who came with her husband, adopted a different format by posing questions to each of the participants and using their responses to drive home her message. To the charge that there are no jobs, she said it is something she hears all the time. “Yes, many young people moan that there are no jobs, but what they mean is there are no government or bank or oil company jobs. But I am also aware that where some people see problems, that is where others see opportunities”, she said as she challenged them to be more creative.

For a man used to sending people to roaring laughter, Ali Baba took the topic literally and delivered his message in a manner that would convince the children that life indeed is not a laughing matter. Aside telling his personal story, Ali Baba also reminded the teenagers of the reasons why they must work, the first one being: “To put food on your table because if you are jobless, you are helpless.”

Finally, the host of the event, Pastor Evaristus Azodoh, spoke about choices. He enjoined the teenagers to take responsibilities for their lives, the same line of argument by my boss, Ms Elizabeth Ekpenyong, Head of the Children Church, in her opening remark. And at the end, the teenagers spoke freely while two of them rendered poems.

It was altogether a fun programme for which some parents brought their children from Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states...

NOTE: This piece continues in the online edition at www.thisdaylive.com

OJ Abuah: A Tragic Loss

W

hen I got an SMS from a State House staff on Sunday afternoon with a terse message, “afternoon Sir, we just lost Mr. Abuah”, I nearly froze.

When I called the person and she was crying, I also could not hold back my tears. Presidential spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina could not have put it any better, when, in announcing the death of Mr. Onuorah Justin Abuah, known simply as OJ, he wrote: “His many colleagues, friends and admirers will fondly remember him as the man behind several presidential statements and speeches; and he demonstrated a rare sense of calmness and candour in service”.

With 30 years working experience in public communications at Nigeria’s seat of power, OJ Abuah had considerable expertise in writing, editing and information management. He also had joined the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in requisite managerial skills and experience from 1983 as a Reporter/Sub-Editor, before he was several years of assisting in the running of the posted to the State House in December 1986 State House Media Department, managing the as a Senior Information Officer. He would later over 100 strong State House Press Corps and rise through the ranks (Principal Information serving as a member of the State House Top Officer, Assistant Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Officer, Assistant Director, Management Committee.

The late OJ read Mass Communications at Deputy Director) until he became the Director the University of Lagos and graduated in 1981. of Information in January 2014, all in the office After completing his NYSC primary assignment of spokesman to Nigerian leader.

In working under eight leaders of our at Radio Kwara, Ilorin where he worked as a writer, News & Current Affairs Department, he country (former and current), OJ assisted 12

spokespersons: Chief Duro Onabule, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, Mr Emma Agu, Chief David Attah, Dr. Doyin Okupe, the late Mr Tunji Oseni, Mrs Remi Oyo (also now of blessed memory), this reporter (Olusegun Adeniyi), Mr. Emma Niboro, Dr Reuben Abati and Mr. Adesina/Mallam Garba Shehu. And I doubt if any of us can have a bad word to say about OJ. He was a thoroughbred professional and a good man.

My own case was peculiar. I had a special relationship with OJ dating back to the early nineties when I was a State House Correspondent during the military era and he took me like a younger brother. A very reserved man with an incredible sense of humour, especially when among people he trusted, OJ had given me a “present” on my first day as presidential spokesman in June 2007. He handed back to me my old (1992) State House Correspondent ID Card. It was OJ’s way of reminding me where I was coming from so that I would not get carried away. Despite that, he did not only give me the respect my office deserved, he was also very supportive of me throughout my stint at the Villa.

I pray God to grant his lovely wife and three brilliant sons the fortitude to bear this painful loss.

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