Sunday 11th September 2016

INEC: Cost of Edo Governorship Election Shift Huge Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City The Independent National Electoral Commission yesterday lamented the heavy cost of the Edo State governorship election postponement in money and energy. The Deputy Director of

Voter Education and Publicity Department at INEC, Mr. Nick Dazang, said the poll shift announced on Thursday by the commission would cost it a lot in terms of material procurement, training, and allowances for staff.

The governorship election

earlier scheduled for September 10 was moved to September 28 following security concerns raised by the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services.

Though, Dazang did not mention any specific amount, he said the commission would incur enormous costs in extra

spending as a result of the election shift, which has also put a severe strain on the finances of the political parties.

Dazang told THISDAY by telephone yesterday that apart from the huge amount involved in the payment of allowances to staff already deployed for the

election, the commission will have to undertake procurement of fresh sensitive and nonsensitive materials for the exercise.

“The financial loss incurred could be put at millions of Naira.

For instance, INEC is now duty bound to pay the over 19,000

staff recruited and deployed for the Edo governorship election twice due to the sudden postponement," he said.

Dazang stated that by the time the request for postponement of the election was made the commission Continued on page 8

FG, States Adopt New National Health Policy...Page 12 Sunday 11 September, 2016 Vol 21. No 7807

N400

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

With 10 Major Security Operations Across the Country, Military Stretched Too Thin Military campaign ongoing in six geo-political zones Senator Iroegbu in Abuja More than any other period in the nation’s history, the Nigerian Armed Forces are engaged simultaneously in at least 10 major internal security operations across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

These major internal security operations include the war against terrorism, deadly herdsmen, cattle rustlers, kidnappers, oil

thieves and pipeline vandals, and the joint police/military security outfits against criminal activities such as armed robbery in the 36 states of the federation.

The various operations involve huge deployment of military assets and manpower and are being prosecuted simultaneously at a period of dwindling national revenue and protracted war against terrorism and insurgency that

has lasted six years, thereby stretching the military too thin.

In the North East, there is Operation Lafiya Dole, which handles the overall CounterTerrorism and CounterInsurgency Operations with expanded scope, scale and depth comprising three divisions and more than five states. This has dovetailed to other specialised operations like Operation Crackdown

to wind down the war against insurgents and clear the remnants of the Boko Haram sect in Sambisa Forest; Operation Gama Aiki, which serves same purpose in the northern part of Borno state; and Operation Safe Corridor, set up for the de-radicalisation and rehabilitation of repentant Boko Haram terrorists.

North Central has Operation Safe Haven stationed in Plateau State with

area of operation extending to Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara States to quell ethnoreligious conflicts and other criminal activities.

There is also Operation Sara Daji and Operation Harbin Kunama in the North West, established to battle the criminal activities of armed bandits, cattle rustlers and robbers operating particularly in Zamfara, Kaduna and fringes of Sokoto, Kebbi,

Katsina and Kano states.

Down south, the military has a major operation codenamed Operation Delta Safe which was formerly Operation Pulo Shield. It is now complemented by the Nigerian Army’s Operation Crocodile Smile, and Navy's Operation Tsera Teku. These operations are all aimed at crushing the resurgent Niger Continued on page 8

Muslims Set for Low-key Sallah Celebration Security beefed up nationwide

Our Correpondents

Muslim faithful nationwide are set for a low-key Eid el Kabir celebration tomorrow, no thanks to the harsh economic situation.

Just as the Islamic adherents are putting finishing touches to their arrangements, the security agencies have said there is adequate preparation to keep the believers safe and secure during the Sallah celebration in their respective states.

Some Muslims who spoke with THISDAY lamented that because of the prevailing hardship in the country, they could not afford to buy rams to perform the religious rites.

Continued on page 8

A

engaging policy makers

L-R: Member, Lagos Business School Management Board, Dr. Chris Ogbechie; Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa; and Vice Chairman, The Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Sola David-Borha, at the maiden edition of the Dialogue with Public Policy Makers organised by LSB Breakfast Club/NESG at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, in Lagos…weekend

weekly pull-out

11.09.2016

BERNARD BANKOLE

INSPIRED BY HIS PASSION

2

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

3

4

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

5

6

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

RC 103022

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

7

8

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

page eight With 10 Major Security Operations across the Country, Military Stretched Too Thin Delta militancy and other acts of criminality like oil theft, vandalism, and bunkering in the region.

In the South west, there is Operation Awase with a mandate to contain the criminal operations around Ogun-Lagos axis, particularly in Arepo where illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism are regular occurrences. South East has Operation Iron Fence to combat armed robbers, hooligans and kidnappers.

In addition to all these operations is Operation Mesa, which is a Joint Task Force (JTF) operation against all forms of criminal activities in all the states of the federation.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed that the military was currently handling not less than 10 such major operations but gave assurances that the Nigerian armed forces were capable of the assigned internal security responsibilities.

Abubakar however agreed that other security agencies must step up to assist the complementary roles of the military in the ongoing campaign to rid the country of all forms of internal threats and criminalities.

He stressed that the military in spite of all the limitations in the area of personnel, funding and support from relevant agencies would not sit back and allow the country disintegrate or drift towards anarchy.

He said: "There is no military in the world that can claim that it is overstretched when it comes to internal security challenges. This is our primary duty to ensure that our country is united.

Even though the military would have loved a situation where other security agencies step up and play their role to complement our supporting duties.

"There are certain security operations that could have rightly been carried out by other security agencies to assist the armed forces but in the event this were not done we cannot just fold our arms

to allow things to deteriorate.

This is our country, it is our duty to protect it and we are able and capable of defending our territorial integrity."

On the various operations across the country, Abubakar said,"so far we have over 10 major operations aimed to sustain tight security, peace and stability in the country."

He said: "You are aware of the most critical is 'Operation Lafia Dole' in the North East against Boko Haram, the other one is 'Operation Sharan Daji' against cattle rustlers and criminal activities in the North West. We also have 'Operation Safe Haven' located in Jos to quell ethno-religious crisis in the area. There is also 'Operation Delta Safe' which replaced 'Operation Pulo Shield' to crush criminal activities to protect the critical economic infrastructures in the Niger Delta “We have 'Operation Safe Conducts', which is to guide armed forces participation in electoral matters. This is to create a conducive atmosphere for elections, while 'Operation Iron Fence' targets armed robbers, hooligans and kidnappers.

This operation which is jointly done with other security agencies, armed forces across the country is mostly domiciled in the South East.

We also have Operation Gama Aiki which is a multinational operation with troops from the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) member states. This together with Operation Crackdown is an operation within operation aimed to mop up Boko Terrorists in the North East."

"Further down South, we have 'Operation Tsare Teku' guarding the Sea which was launched early this year by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

Its being spearheaded by Navy to secure the maritime environment and it has been very successful in reducing hijacking of ships and piracy.

There is also 'Operation Crocodile Smile' launched by the Army to support the larger 'Operation Delta Safe.

"In addition, there 'Operation Awase' in the

South West, it is equally meant to contain the criminal operations around Ogun-Lagos, especially in Arepo, which has been very successful and has restored confidence within the affected communities who can now sleep with their eyes closed. Added to all these is 'Operation Quick Response Squad', which is mostly against armed robbery, which is coordinated in various formations."

A security consultant, Mr. Max Gbanite, called for more funding as well as expansion of the resources and personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

Gbanite argued that with proliferation of internal insurrections in various parts of the country, the military needed serious attention for it overall improvement and modernisation.

He therefore, called for special funding for the security and defence sector in the form of National Security Fund.

He said: "Our military requires additional funding, mobilisation of human capacity or training because the amphibious force we have in Calabar, which part of them has been deployed to the Niger Delta for Operation Crocodile Smile and Delta Safe is not enough to handle the problem and vastness of that particular region.

"So there is a need to increase the capacity of the Army, Navy, Air Force because we are a big and serious nation. When you increase this capacity, it gives the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers the opportunity to build the infrastructure to address oil spill as its not only a civilian responsibility.

It however requires money to do that. So my clear answer is that we must increase the size of our armed forces. But if and when you do that, how do you fund it? You cannot fund it from the statutory allocation.

"There is a need for National Security Fund, where a deduction from all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for certain

percentage to be put aside to assist all military operations including Police, DSS, DIA and everything about security.

When it comes to funding we are actually lagging. It is easy for someone to actually raise alarm that $2.8 billion was allocated to the security sector, that is nothing compare to other countries.

"If you go and ask the US government how much did they spend on their Army you can't get an answer. They can only tell you that X amount is budgeted for military and that's all you will hear. You don't know what is given to the Air Force, Marine and other forces. At this particular point in time, the Nigerian Army is due to have an

A ram dealer in Jalingo who spoke to THISDAY at the Jalingo abattoir said sales has been generally low this year unlike previous years stressing that many people now breed rams and goats for their personal use.

"Market has been generally dull this year and one of the reasons is that many people, bred rams and goats which they use for Sallah though money is not much in circulation."

In Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the military have said they would allow free movement during this year's Eid El Kabir celebration.

But the military authorities, however, warned the residents of the restive state to be watchful and lawful during the celebration.

Astatement by the spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army Maimalari Cantonment Maiduguri, Major Salisu Ibrahim on Saturday read that the general public particularly the good people of Borno State should have a happy Eid el Kabir.

The statement also advised religious leaders to sensitise

their followers, to remain law abiding and not to engage in acts that could disrupt theSallah celebrations.

It enjoined the people of the state to report any suspicious persons or activities to security agencies.

In the statement, the people were reassured of the military's commitment to ensure hitch free Sallah celebrations in the state.

Similarly, security agencies in Kano have been reinvigorated to ensure crime-free Sallah celebrations.

A press statement signed by the spokesman of the police in Kano, DSP Magaji Musa Majia, said covert and overt operatives have been deployed to strategic places to maintain orderliness and peaceful celebration.

The statement also advised people wishing to spend time at recreational centres, as well as other places during the celebrations to be extravigilant by taking good cognisance of people, as well as objects around them.

Similarly, the statement advised Muslim faithful trooping to Eid praying

when he tried to establish a National Guard for internal security operations, similar to the one in the United States.

"We have been a very great nation that we have never had any issue with external aggression against our nation, instead we have always done interventionist force as exemplified in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali and Cote'd Ivoire. And under President Olusegun Obasanjo, our military was really downsized but if you look at our growing population that means there will be growth in internal insecurity," he said.

“Unfortunately,” he noted, “the Police are not properly equipped and trained to manage those things at this particular point in time.”

INEC: Cost of Edo Governorship Election Shift Huge had already gone far with preparations and deployment of men and materials for the election.

He said, "We had already mobilised the nearly 19, 000 staff that we needed to conduct the election. We had already recruited and trained them and the people had started moving to their duty posts at the local government areas.

“We also moved the nonsensitive materials to various locations. In fact, that Wednesday was the day we were are supposed take the custody of the sensitive materials from the CBN vault and take them to the local government areas under security escort and cover.

"If you look at the statement we issued on Wednesday, when we were addressing the stakeholders forum, we said that outofthe14itemsinthetimetable and schedule of activities for the Edo governorship election, we had already implemented 12.

In fact, the last decisive one that was outstanding was just the conduct of the election, because the two items outstanding were the end of the campaigns and the conduct of the election. The end of the campaigns did not affect us at INEC, it affected the political parties. So that was the point at which we had mobilised.

“Of course, you are aware that

Muslims Set for Low-key Sallah Celebration Besides, they noted the high cost of foodstuff and other basic necessities which they said were beyond their reach.

THISDAY findings along Warf Road, Police College Road and Kabala Doki, all within Kaduna metropolis revealed that a ram costs between N40,000 to N150,000 depending on the size.

At Dei-Dei, the popular cattle market, along Kaduna express road in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Chairman of the Market, simply referred to as Mallam Salisu, said in the history of the market, it had never witnessed such an insignificant low turnout.

The highest cost for the biggest ram goes for N150,000, while the smallest goes for about N30,000, depending on the seller. He added that the politicians who used to flood the market during the Sallah period are nowhere to be found.

While attributing the low patronage to the general downturn in the economy.

Ram sellers in Taraba are currently groaning due to low patronage occasioned by the recess in the nation's economy.

operating Aviation Wing, Navy does not have enough patrol vehicles for our waters, NAF does not have enough and operational aircraft for the internal security that we are faced with," he added.

Speaking further, Gbanite blamed the precarious situation in which the Nigerian Armed Forces found itself on the downsizing policy carried out by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who purged the military and drastically reduced the number of their personnel.

He also recalled that former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, had a wonderful proposal that could have solved the emerging security situation

grounds to only be armed with their praying mats.

THISDAY observed that the Police Command had embarked on motorised patrol of the metropolis, just as police presence is noticeable at strategic locations with random stop and search carried out on motorists in and out of the metropolis.

Also, the Kaduna State Police Command has beefed up security ahead of the Eidel-Kabir celebrations on Monday. Already several police checkpoints have been mounted at strategic locations within Kaduna metropolis.

Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Usman Aliyu, who disclosed this in an interview, said the command had taken all security measures to ensure prompt response to distress calls whenever they arise.

He warned that the Police would deal ruthlessly with anyone who attempts to disrupt the peace of the state and urged members of the public to be security conscious.

See the concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com

we have already accredited all the observer groups, foreign and domestic, that were to observe the election and almost all of them were on ground. TMG was on ground, the convener of the Situation Room, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, was on ground, too, as well as the convener of the Election Monitoring Group. All these observer groups were on ground with us in Benin. At the same time, all the journalists that were to cover the election were even being accredited at our headquarters in Benin before the election was called off.

"So we had reached a high level of mobilisation and preparation for the conduct of the Edo State governorship election and the last major engagement before the election, the stakeholders’ forum, was what we were holding when the news of request for postponement started trending.

"That is why we are saying that to demobilise is going to cost us a lot because all these people we have recruited and trained and we have sent out, we have to pay them their allowances.

In the same vein, when you are calling them back you have to pay them allowances again and we will have to devote a day or two to train and refresh their memories.”

On the issue of insecurity, which was the main reason given by the security agencies when they requested the postponement, the INEC spokesman said the election management body had as a matter of routine concluded its risk assessment and security mapping. From all indications, he said, all was well for the conduct of the election.

The public relations officer at the commission’s headquarters in Edo State, Mrs Priscilla Imoudu Sule, commented in a similar vein. Sule said INEC had spent huge sums to move staff and materials to the 18 local government areas and 192 wards in the state, stressing that demobilising them would cost it dearly. The political parties have also been counting the cost of the postponement.

The chairman of APC in the state, Mr. Anslem Ojezua, said the poll shift was announced without due consultation with the critical stakeholders, including his party. "Such an important decision as postponement of gubernatorial election, which had involved several months of active campaigning, would be done after extensive consultation with all the relevant stakeholders, as was done on the 7th of September 2016 when we all agreed that the election should go ahead; admittedly without knowledge of the very strong reservations expressed by the security agencies,” Ojezua said.

"We believe that the timing and

mode of communication by the security agencies could have been better handled, having regards to the very hard work and huge resources deployed towards the election by all concerned.”

According to Ojezua, "When a process has gathered momentum and all of a sudden there is a reversal, it is painful.

We cannot quantify that in monetary value."

The governorship candidate of APC, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, added that the postponement was not convenient, “But that is where we have found ourselves, we are okay with it if that is going to protect lives and property. We have to live with that no matter the inconvenience.”

The main opposition party in Edo State, the Peoples Democratic Party, described the shift in the date of the poll as a punishment. The PDP state chairman, Chief Dan Orbih, put the blame at the doorstep of the APC-led government in Edo State. Orbih said, "The cost is quite enormous, taking into consideration our lean resources because it is like starting all over again. But we have been assured by the people that if the election is postponed 10 times, they will vote PDP because they are tired of APC." The PDP national publicity secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the postponement had put a heavy financial burden on the party. Adeyeye told THISDAY, "We have lost enormous resources due to the last minute shift in the date of the election, no doubt about that. But we count on the support of the good people of Edo State to remain steadfast in backing us till the election is won.

"We intend to go on with our campaigns and to encourage the Edo electorate, which have resolved to vote out the APC government in the state, to come out on the new date to cast their votes."

On its part, the All Progressives Grand Alliance described the postponement as unfair and suspicious. The national chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Oye, said at the weekend that the postponement showed how unprepared the country was about democracy.

Oye said, "Our worry is that many of the youths that form the large chunk of our supporters will be involved in the GCE examination. So we are appalled that INEC and WAEC allowed both national activities to clash.

"Again, the postponement tells a simple story about our unpreparedness about democracy. How could the elections be postponed three days to the D-Day? The entire thing smacks of indecency, unfairness and hidden agenda.

There is need for all of us to sit up.”

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

9

10

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R

SUNDAY COMMENT

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

EDO POLL AND THE DASUKI OPTION The postponement of the Edo State gubernatorial election brings echoes of the ugly past

T

he security scare that eventually necessitated the postponement of the gubernatorial election in Edo State by two weeks falls within an ugly pattern that was inaugurated by the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd). In February last year, Dasuki caused to be postponed the 2015 presidential election by four weeks. Yet, as it has now become very clear with recent revelations, the period of that illadvised extension was devoted to things that had little to do with security of lives and property.

In the Edo gubernatorial election instance, the foolishness of the scare tactic by the police and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) in the fact that Even if the DSS lies the entire national and police had security apparatus is intelligence report, telling the world that as they claimed, it could not guarantee the ideal thing security in only one out would have been of 36 states in the counFor sure, there must to share such try. be some other unstated information with reasons why these agenINEC. Taking cies would ambush the to the podium Independent National cannot replace pre- Electoral Commission emptive deterrence (INEC) in such a cynical that raises a funin matters of manner damental question about national security the professionalism of but evidently, the the leadership of our intention was to security establishment. arm-twist INEC The sordid drama started on Wednesday when, citing security concerns, the DSS and the Nigeria Police publicly addressed a joint press conference where they “advised” INEC to shift the election to a future date. In a swift response, INEC said it had not been availed of any such security concerns and that it was going ahead with the election as scheduled. For emphasis, the INEC National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Solomon Soyebi, said the cost of postponing an election that had attained 97 per cent preparation would be too high for the commission to bear. A few hours later, Soyebi was forced to recant. The election has now been rescheduled for September 28.

Whichever way one looks at it, what happened has further reduced our country in the eyes of the world.

Letters to the Editor

W

The security agencies had no business advertising their incompetence through a press conference.

If they had credible intelligence on real security threats, their responsibility was to take pre-emptive action to deal with the problem. Moreover, an open press conference on a politically sensitive issue was more of a desperate partisan act than a specialised security measure. Even if the DSS and police had intelligence report, as they claimed, the ideal thing would have been to share such information with INEC. Taking to the podium cannot replace preemptive deterrence in matters of national security but evidently, the intention was to arm-twist INEC.

I S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R EDITOR TOKUNBO ADEDOJA DEPUTY EDITOR VINCENT OBIA 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 DIRECTORS 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

n the absence of police/security personnel to accompany the movement of sensitive election materials, man the polling booths and monitor the collation of results, there was no way INEC could have asserted its autonomy; so it could not have proceeded with the election under such circumstance. Yet, if all these critical agencies were working together, the election could have been postponed using a more plausible reason rather than the nebulous one that opens our country to ridicule.

We note particularly that thousands of students in Edo State scheduled to write their West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) yesterday had been in a quandary. Even when there were some arrangements that the affected students would be transported to neighbouring states to write the exams, nothing had been firmed up as at last week and there were threats of protests. Ordinarily, that would have made more sense as a reason to postpone the election but because the motive was not altruistic, a security excuse had to be invented to practically railroad INEC into submission.

If we look at the trends, elections under the current administration have come under substantial hitches even at state and small constituency levels. Some state re-run elections into the National Assembly and State Assemblies by INEC remain uncompleted after several months. In Kogi, the embers of a very untidy state governorship election are still smothering. That is why we believe that the postponement of the Edo State gubernatorial election signposts a dangerous omen as it deepens existing fears that future elections in Nigeria may be in danger.

We hope the authorities will work to ensure that when the rescheduled gubernatorial election in Edo eventually holds, it will not only be fair and credible, it would be seen to be so by all the contending parties.

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 (950- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive.com along with the email address and phone numbers of the writer.

PLEASE GIVE US CHANGE hat is your plan to get the Nigerian economy out of the reces-

to increase power generation to 10,000mw by 2018?

Ans: Look, if you know how much the Jonathan administration stole and misappropriated, you won’t be asking me these questions.

Q: How do you intend to #BringBackOurGirls?

Ans: If only the Jonathan administration had acted within two weeks of finding out about the kidnapping...

If we are going to keep blaming the Jonathan administration for the problems they bequeathed to us, maybe we should consider bringing them back to clean up their mess.

We elected this administration in acknowledgement

sion?

Ans: The Jonathan administration stole a lot of money...

Q: How do you intend

of the mess the Jonathan administration got us into, and we elected them to clean it up; not to sing daily to us about the corruption of the past.

It will soon be two years since the All Progressives Congress took over the reins of power and this administration is still singing about Jonathan. Haba!

We didn’t elect the APC to make a song and a dance out of the real and perceived corruption of the Jonathan administration, we elected them to bring about positive and real change in

our country.

It is respectfully submitted that at the moment, one sees very little change, the quality of personnel at the helm of affairs, with the exception of a few, does not inspire confidence; the lack of an articulate communication of the government’s economic plans (if it exists), and the assault on social cohesion by the “nationalistic nature” of presidential appointments has left this pro-Buhari “five percenters” disillusioned.

Dear Mr Garba Shehu, ones anger at the current

state of affairs is rightly channelled towards the current administration because yours is the government in power, and thus you are the “right quarters” for such expression and emotions.

The administration, nay its media managers are humbly advised to cease making a song and a dance of the GEJ era. That song is now worn out. Give us the CHANGE your administration and party promised, nothing more, nothing less.

––Ugochukwu Joseph Amasike, Lagos

11

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

Be flash without cash with Ecobank Masterpass™ QR From Ecobank and MasterCard comes a fast new way to pay.

• Pay using your mobile • No need to carry cash • Easy, safe and secure to use

For USSD, simply dial: *326# For Smartphones, download the Ecobank Mobile app from:

ecobank.com 6381_GRP_Masterpass_Ad_14x10in_P_EN_V3.indd 1

01/09/2016 10:14

12

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

SUNDAYNEWS

News Editor Abimbola Akosile E-mail: abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com, 08023117639 (sms only)

Navy Raids Illegal Oil Thieves, Arrest 7 Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

WACSOF FORUM L-R: Immediate past president of WACSOF Executive Committee, Nathalie Kone Traore; Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; acting General Secretary of West African Civil Society Forum, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani); former Member of WACSOF Executive Committee, Valnora Edwin, and High Commissioner of Ghana to Nigeria, Ambassador William Awinabo Kanyirige at the WACSOF 6th Biennial People’s Forum, held in Abuja...recently

FG, States Adopt New National Health Policy Paul Obi in Abuja and Martins Ifijeh

The National Council on Health (NCH), the highest decision making body in the health sector made up of the federal government and the 36 states of the federation, has approved the New National Health Policy.

In a communiqué released after its emergency meeting in Abuja which held on September 8 the body observed that the new health policy will help strengthen existing rules governing the administration of the nation’s health system.

The Council “noted the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health in fast tracking the operationalisation of the National Health Act 2014; it also debated

extensively and approved the Guidelines for the disbursement, administration and management of the Basic health care provision as presented.”

According to the NHC, “the guidelines would be shared with members of the National Assembly as part of the steps in ensuring the funds are released in the 2017 budget.”

The Council also “urged the Federal Ministry of Health to develop the second National Strategic Health Development including support for the development of sub-sectoral strategic health development plans to ensure timely finalisation and use as the compass for all investment in the health sector from 2017 onwards.”

It also “observed the progress

made by some states to develop their own strategic health plans, expressed the need for FMOH to support such states to ensure alignment with the second NSHDP when approved.

The body further “decried the recent outbreaks of wild polio virus in Borno State and Lassa fever in Delta, Anambra, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, Rivers and Ondo States, and also acknowledged efforts of Federal and State Ministries of Health in curtailing disease outbreaks and epidemics.”

It tasked all stakeholders “to maintain high level of vigilance and support all efforts to ensure the success of planned intervention to stop the on-going outbreak and eradicate polio from Nigeria as well as to ensure effective control of Lassa fever

across the country.”

The NHC likewise “directed all states further strengthen their existing surveillance and response systems including capacity building for epidemiologists and first responders as well as providing dedicated budget lines for outbreak and epidemic response.

They also commended “the support of the army medical corps in the struggle to ensure adequate vaccination coverage for all the hard to reach communities in Borno State and neighbouring states, the role of development partners in the health sector, the media and other relevant stakeholders.”

The Council reaffirmed its decision to convene the 59th NCH in Abia State

Eid el-Kabir: APGA, Atiku Preach Oneness • Fasua tasks Muslims on prayers Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar had urged the Muslim faithful and indeed all Nigerians, tolearntobeoneanother’skeeper.

Similarly, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Dr. Victor Oye, has urged Nigerian Muslim faithfuls to see the Eid el-Kabir as a feast of sacrifice and show of love to one another.

In a message to Muslims on the occasion of the celebration of this year’s Eid el-Kabir festival, Atiku called for sober reflection, prayers, cooperation and the display of solidarity among Nigerians so that no one feels left out.

In a press statement issued by his Media Office in Abuja, the former vice president congratulated Muslims on the celebration of the festival, urging them to use the opportunity to reflect on the situation in the country and lend one another a shoulder of support.

Atiku said Nigerians should go and celebrate like other people in the world in spite of the economic situation that has hit the country hard, assuring them that this storm will pass away. He added that rather than despair, the occasion calls for sober reflection, prayers, cooperation and the display of solidarity among

Nigerians so that no one feels left out.

He urged Nigerians to continue to work hard, persevere and pray for the success of the policies and measures being put in place by the APC government of President Muhammadu Buhari to restore the nation’s economy to good health and improve the lives of the people.

Atiku counselled Nigerians saying that the situation of things in the country will take some time to improve because a lot was left undone for too long by previous leaders of the country. He assured them that there is always a silver liningattheendofadarkcloud.

While wishing the Muslim faithful and all Nigerians a joyous celebration, he said, considering how challenging basic survival has become, “this is the time for all Nigerians without exception to invoke the spirit of brotherhood and communal fraternity to beat the reality of the hard times.”

He noted that with mutual help, everyone will come out stronger to see better days.

Similarly, the APGA National Chairman, Dr. Oye, has urged Nigerian Muslim faithfuls to see the Eid el-Kabir as a feast of sacrifice.

In a statement issued by APGA’s National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, the party exhorted them as they

celebrate as well as in the mood of happiness to use this period to deeply reflect spiritually and rejuvenate themselves accordingly with the cardinal teachings of Allah the most beneficent, which promotes peace, care, love for one another and the common good.

In the statement, APGA chairman urged Nigerians not to be disillusioned and hopeless about the myriad difficult challenges bedevilling the country but to be unfazed, up and doing, alive to their citizenry obligations, stop ostentatious living and life of self-delusion, never allow to be hoodwinked with falsehood, not to be complacent or ally when rights are being abused or under subjugation.

He advised them not to allow the current economic meltdown to dampen the symbolic importance and the spiritual essence of the celebration. Moreso, he called on the haves among them not to forget to share with the have-nots in their midst especially those in the camps of internally displaced persons (IDP). He also urged that all hands be the deck to steer the ship of state out of the turbulent waters.

Meanwhile, the Vice President of Supreme Council for Islamic, Affairs Alhaji Dauda Ajagu has called for sober reflection during the festivities.

In a statement issued yester-

day which was made available to THISDAY in Awka, Anambra state, Ajagu said: “Let’s stop blaming President Muhammadu Buhari for the present economic downturn we find ourselves.”

On the activities of herdsmen across the country, he counseled carefulness in the way their pastor their cows while in other peoples’ community, stressing that their provocative behaviour carrying sophisticated arms like AK47 and invading people’s farmlands with their cows are capable of igniting another tribal war in the country.

“Let them maintain the rules and regulations guiding peace and tranquility. We have fought a tribal war before; we don’t want to fight again. All we need at this point in time is absolute peace”, he said.

Meanwhile, Ondo State governorship candidate for the Citizens Popular Party, (CPP), Prince Peter Oyeleye Fasua, has described the Sallah period as a moment for sober reflection, “in view of the hydra-headed socio-economic and political problems facing Nigeria”.

Fasua, who spoke to journalists during a courtesy visit on Senator Bode Olajumoke in his Imeri, Ondo State country home, stressed that more time should be devoted to prayers at the Muslim praying grounds, in intercession for Nigeria.

The Nigerian Navy patrol team deployed by the Forward Operations Base (FOB) Escravos in Delta State, has in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s drive to eliminate all forms of economic sabotage in the maritime domain, raided Sara Creek near Escravos.

The Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Christian Ezekobe, in a statement yesterday, said the team conducted the raid on September 7, where they arrested six persons in connection with operating an illegal refinery.

Ezekobe said three Cotonou boats laden with un-quantified suspected stolen crude oil were destroyed in the process. He said the patrol team also recovered one speed boat and a Cotonou boat carrying 15 of 10,000 litres and two of 5000 litres GP tanks laden with suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

“Other items recovered are 3 outboard engines and four pumping machines. Similarly the patrol team deployed by NNS DELTA has arrested a Cotonou boat laden with 100 metric tonnes (MT) of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO. The boat was arrested on September 7, 2016 at Ogboro Creek in Warri South LGA of Delta State,” he stated.

In a related development, Ezekobe said a patrol team deployed

by NNS Delta on September 3, 2016 combed Benneth Island

situated in Warri South LGA of Delta State.

On arrival, he said the suspects fled as the team recovered 40 MT of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), one pumping machine and some hoses with which the criminals operated.

In the same vein, Ezekobe stated that the patrol team on September 2, deployed by FOB Escravos located and destroyed an illegal refinery as well as a large Cotonou boat laden with product suspected to be stolen crude oil.

He said: “In the course of the operation one Mr. Endurance Okogba Edirin was arrested for involvement in the operations of the illegal refinery and suspected crude oil theft in Ekpemu cooking camp at Ekpemu Creek in Warri South West LGA in Delta State.

“Some items recovered were 2 mobile phones, one pumping machine and hoses. In all the cases, investigations have commenced and the suspects would be promptly handed over to the prosecuting agencies for further action.”

The Naval Spokesman also appealed to the general public especially those with legitimate businesses in the maritime sector to avoid criminal acts as the service is willing, able and ready to carry out its constitutional mandate of protecting the economic assets of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ezekwesili, Amadi to Speak at CPJ Launch in Lagos Abimbola Akosile

Coordinator of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG), Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, and immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi are billed to be the guest speakers at the launch of a new faith-based non-governmental organisation named Catalyst for Global Peace and Social Justice Initiative (CPJ).

According to a release issued by the Executive Director of CPJ, Mr. Henry Onifade, Ezekwesili, a former vice president of the World Bank will be the chairperson at the launch of the NGO, which is taking place at the Golden Tulip Hotel, FESTAC, Lagos; while Amadi will deliver the keynote address titled,’ Christianity and the Struggle for Social Justice’.

The NGO, which was set up by credible Christian leaders in Nigeria who desire peace, prosperity and social justice for all nations, will focus on how human governance can protect citizens, punish those who do wrong and promote the general welfare of the people.

CPJ’s vision, according to the release, is to ensure a world of harmony and abundance, while its mission is to empower citizens to work for peace and social justice. Its areas of focus include activities on good governance, conflict resolution, social justice, humanitarian and welfare service, and social services.

The organisation intends to contribute to global peace initiatives and help provide social services in all crises-ridden nations of the world.

Foundation Empowers Youths

Delateur Youth Empowerment and Social Reforms Foundation (DYESF) has empowered youths with vocational and leadership skills in the 2016 edition of Young Entrepreneurs’ Workshop held recently at Dolphin Senior High School, Lagos-Island, and at Ideal Girls Junior School, Surulere, Lagos.

A statement signed by the Chairman of Foundation, Yemi Adeyemi-Enilari, noted that he participants were drawn from public schools in the Lagos Education Districts, adding that in 2016, they trained 106 students in District III and 116 in District IV. It noted that the vocational work learnt were in beads and wireworks, make-up gele tying ankara crafts, wallets, purses, belts, bags, necklaces, bow-ties, earrings, cinematography (Photography, Video Recording and editing), and hair styling. “Apart from the vocational trainings the students had, we also organised talks and seminars on leadership for them. The last day of the workshop was used as exhibition, where we had on display some of the products of the workshop, which the participants did during the training and workshop,” the statement added.

See News Extra on Page 82

13

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

REGENT SECONDARY SCHOOL ABUJA CONGRATULATES THE CLASS OF 2015/2016

• 97 % of the students achieved A* to C grades in 5 subjects • 96 % of the students achieved A* to C grades in at least 7 subjects • 75% of the students earned A*s, As and B grades • 50% of the total number of grades achieved were A*s and A grades The Regent Secondary School is pleased to announce the results of the prestigious Cambridge University IGCSE Examinations achieved by ‘The Class of 2016’. The Top Achievers were:

USMAN JIDDA AISHA 7A*; 1A

KHAN ALYNA 7A*; 1A

MUROVE TENDAI 6A*; 3As

ODE JOSHUA 4A*s; 3As; 1B

NZERIBE ULOAKU 3A*s; 6As

EBOHON ELLIS 3A*s; 5As

UKO ADAUGO 3A*s; 4As; 1B

KIDA AHMAD 3A*s; 4As; 1B

CARDILLO BRANDON 3A*s; 3As

OPARA MANUCHIMSO 3A*s; 2As; 3Bs

KADIRI AISHAT TOLANI 2A*s; 6As; 1B

LAMAI AFUOSINO 2A*s; 5As

ADEJARE MOYINOLUWA 1A*; 5As; 2Bs

ILOMUANYA GABRIEL 1A*; 4As; 4Bs

AWARA CHELSEA 1A*; 4As; 2Bs

MIKE-ETAREH JOSEPH 1A*; 3As; 4Bs

ADEBISI AISHA 1A*; 3As; 4Bs

BENT JACINTHA 1A*; 3As; 3Bs

BORISHADE OLANREWAJU 6As; 1B

UMAR KHADIJAT 5As; 2Bs

LAMORDE USMAN IBRAHIM 4As; 5Bs

W

armest congratulations to all the students listed above, and to the class in general! The students, their parents, and teachers and the Board of Directors can be justly proud!

The Regent Secondary School community is justly proud of the achievements of the Class of 2016. We acknowledge the achievements of the majority of students who worked hard to realise their full academic potential in the IGCSE Examinations. Sincere appreciation and congratulations to the academic staff for their significant role in encouraging, mentoring and cajoling students to do their best, and to the parents for their continuous and tireless support. The Regent Secondary School is committed to achieving “excellence in everything we do,” and look forward to maintaining the highest academic standards!

Respectfully yours, George A. Hickman, PhD, Prof.

Principal

The Regent Secondary School, Abuja Plot 858, Mabushi District, Abuja.

Tel: +234-807-229-3289 or +234-807-848-7966. Email: registrarsec@regentschoolabuja.com. Website: www.regentschoolabuja.com

Respect Reponsibility Resourcefulness

14

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

OPINION

Buhari and The Change Mantra

N

The ‘change begins with me’ campaign is belated, contends Folu Olamiti

ot too long ago, on March 17, 2009, to be precise, Nigerians were roused to a blistering campaign on attitudinal change. Its passcode was: Nigeria, Good People, Great Nation. And it was from the fertile ideas factory of the then Minister of Information and Communications, the late Prof. Dora Akunyili. May God rest her beautiful soul.

In her characteristic fashion, she plunged every fibre of her being into the campaign. She mobilised every resource to push the mantra. And in a jiffy, the airwaves, social media and the conventional media, especially print, were on fire with their news with the slogan. It was powerful; it was forceful. Ironically, the more people heard and listened to it, the more disenchanted they appeared to be.

A few years later, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) under Mike Omeri launched a fresh campaign anchored on the slogan: Do The Right Thing. Yet the effort met with similar indifference by Nigerians whose attention it was meant to catch. Indeed Omeri’s NOA initiative fell flat on its face as he failed to correctly judge the mood of Nigerians with the poor reflexes they seemed to be getting from the government of the day on economy and their general well-being. This forced the question: Why? The answer was not too far to locate. There was an apparent disconnect in the campaign between the people and those in government. It failed to psyche up the masses and they could not see or feel why they should feel good or key into the slogan. No sooner that the initiative was launched than it went into oblivion. It went with the enormous resources invested in it. Everything went down the drain.

The questions begging for answers: What did we learn from these moribund rebranding campaigns? What lessons have we brought to the table to guide our policy makers in their latest attitudinal change campaign? The initiative, launched in Abuja on September 8, 2016, has the theme; Change Begins With Me. It is good to galvanise the populace to be on the same page with the government in its various initiatives towards making Nigeria an utopian state (if there is any such thing) in all its ramifications, be it political, social and economic. But from my observation, the people that should have been mobilised to buy into these projects have always been inadvertently left out. Hence they are often dead on arrival. The reason is not difficult to locate: our policy makers love putting the cart before the horse.

Let the truth be told; the “Change Begins With Me” campaign came too little and too late. It is belated. For me, the change mantra started way back when President Muhammad Buhari was sworn in as the President of Nigeria. The people voted massively for him because they saw in him a renewal of hope, a rebirth of sort from their seemingly hopeless estate. The frenetic chants of Sai Baba almost

became the national anthem of Buhari’s fanatics who showed their loyalty in diverse forms. Some trekked hundreds of kilometres to Abuja while others gave their last coin to celebrate PMB’s second coming. To me, that was the point the build-up to the launch of the change slogan should have started. But from all indications, the organisers had no road map. No lesson was learnt from the Akunyili and Omeri’s experiences.

A change slogan like this should have started with a well thought out advocacy programme a year ago beginning with the rural populace, comprising farmers, traders, community leaders, traditional rulers and school children. It should have come with juicy and attractive welfare packages that will translate into training them how to fish. Had this been done, it would have been easier for the people to key into it. It would have been easier for the people to engrave into their hearts an undying love and commitment for positive change.

It is only after people have been properly and appropriately sensitised that the administration could then prepare for a grand take off like what we saw in Abuja on Thursday, even something much bigger than that. Such preparation should have seen the architects of the programme going round the country, mobilising the people at every stratum of society. For Lai Mohammed and his crew to now begin to take the campaign round, for what I suspect, would amount to a waste of scarce resources, and an inducement for corruption, trust me. And an economy in recession cannot afford that.

The government should learn how to put smiles on people’s faces - like the ongoing efforts for mass employment for the millions of unemployed- before dreaming of how to mobilise them for change of attitude. This is certainly a challenge for the government with its current advocacy campaign, to draw new people and new nation out of Nigeria.

However, hope is not completely lost as Mr. President, has pledged

The government should learn how to put smiles on people’s faces - like the ongoing efforts for mass employment for the millions of unemployed- before dreaming of how to mobilise them for change of attitude. This is certainly a challenge for the government with its current advocacy campaign, to draw new people and new nation out of Nigeria

personal commitment and leadership for the project. His apparent goodwill and honesty will definitely be an added advantage. The people must start seeing the reflection of change which they are noticing from the president. The cabinet members should cue in by conducting their affairs transparently. National Assembly members too should take a new attitude in which they put the interest of Nigerians first in their agenda and shun extravagant living. The judiciary too must begin to fight corruption within its fold and desist from trading judgment with money bags. The Nigerian Police that interface more with the public must be the show piece of this change.

This is absolutely necessary in order to encourage Nigerians to key into the change mantra.

Change must not be about mere slogans. As they say, talk is cheap. So, the architects of this mantra must show leadership by example. They must walk the talk. This must be expressed through some variations, including: showing strong leadership sensibility; establishing trust by proving practically to taxpayers and voters that as leaders, they are dedicated to the society, community and the people; restoring confidence and demonstrating strength and leadership through actions and programmes that beam strong rays of hope for the future. And of course, ensuring fairness and justice.

Even before President Buhari got to power, he had foreseen the enormity of the problems facing Nigeria and the Herculean task of changing the culture of governance. He mirrored this in an interview he granted THISDAY newspapers in 2014 during his electioneering campaigns. He said: “The priority will have to put the country in order first. In attempting to put the country in order, it is going to be a terrible situation for whoever wins and I pity whoever succeeds President Jonathan, even if it were to be myself. But this is what we can do; the practical way to tackle corruption is to draw a line, because institutions have been compromised. We cannot go on the way we did in the military in 1983 to fight corruption. This time around, you cannot do it that way because most of the institutions have been compromised. The person you will depend on as the auditor to go and check the CBN, maybe he has got some substantial part of the deal. These are facts on the ground. So, what you do is to persuade them to help to amend it. And that part of the amendment is for the people to have attitudinal change to the ills of this country.”

However, no matter how hard he tries, President Buhari cannot do it alone. For the campaign to succeed, all hands must be on deck.

Those charged with the implementation of his initiatives must put on their thinking caps, and endeavour to march his pace in his efforts at pulling the country out of the current recession. This is one battle we must win for our country.

Olamiti, a Media Consultant, wrote from Abuja

Wanted: A National Religious Conference

I

Chuks Akamadu argues the need for a religious conference to drag back the nation from the path of disaster

t’s exactly one year ago that I, alongside other classmates of mine at International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi visited a religious tourist centre in Tamil Nadu, where different religious faiths including Christianity, Hindi, Islam, Krishna, etc., took turns to recite portions of their respective Holy Books to a congregation of all religions present.

It was a pleasant sight to behold the orderly manner in which adherents of different religions in regular intervals ministered to members of their faith and non-members of their faith alike under same room and in healthy brotherhood. For me, proceedings there brought home the stupidity in religious intolerance, the oneness and universality of God and indeed the fragrance that comes with religious harmony.

As soon as I returned home, I had in the course of my post-mortem of my sojourn established – effortless, too - the nexus between the healthy religious orientation obtainable in India and the more than 35% the service industry contributed to that country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Further, I had also sought to see whether there was a correlation between the elevated place of religion in Nigeria and the distress our economy faced at that time.

The reason for the comparative analysis had been the obvious similarities between the two heterogeneous societies.

Like India, we are a densely populated nation; like India, Nigeria is multi-ethnic and multi-religious; like India, Nigeria is reasonably assailed by sleaze and assorted variants of corruption; and like India, we are a former British colony. But unlike India, “religion” enjoys a most regrettable premium in both our private lives as citizens and as a community.

Somehow, I couldn’t run away from the fact that unlike in India, we pray so hard for God to do for us what He had already given us the ability to fix. And the last time I checked the scriptures, God is not wasteful. He is not only prudent, he actually expects his creatures to diligently make the most of his endowments. So we end up praying amiss oftentimes.

Similarly as a nation, we have also allowed that which ought to strengthen us both as a component part of humanity and as one people under one God to divide us unnecessarily Religion. It thus becomes understandable why Indian youths

are busy doing exploits in the service industry and ICT environments whilst our youths are busy reading the Holy Books upside-down. Yet we hope to prosper! Otherwise, how can one satisfactorily explain the lingering Boko Haram madness in this country? And worse still, the growing spate of killings in the North on account of religious intolerance?

Yes, Nigeria has slipped into economic recession; we can also clearly see prospects of our going further southwards into economic depression, and ultimately end up, if care is not taken, in the cesspit of economic inferno. But that I can assure Nigerians is of lesser consequence than the hell certain Muslim elements appear set to visit on the nation. I will refrain from recounting the series of religion-motivated killings witnessed on our shores in recent times in order not to precipitate a resurgence of emotion, but suffice it to say that the height it has climbed to is, for want of a better word, alarming. Pray, does President Muhammadu Buhari know this?

It is even more nerve-racking because the general Christian public perception appears to be: a) That this phenomenon has grown much worse under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch; b) That there appears to be tacit endorsement or at least a certain level of conspiratorial tolerance by security and law-enforcement agencies; and c) That there is a grand plan to Islamise Nigeria.

Whilst I may not be in a position to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of these “claims”, it appears quite clear to me that the state is in breach of the constitution that clearly defines Nigeria as a “secular state”, by not addressing the legitimate concerns of Christians who are always – as in always – victims of religious intolerance in the hands of Muslims. Were late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (though a Muslim) to be alive today, I am sure he would have approached the Supreme Court to interpret the meaning of “secular state” as enshrined in our constitution.

I sure do have a more than average acquaintance with the Holy Qur’an and also have robust relationships with fine (I mean very good) Muslims as friends and colleagues, but the

excuse that these killings are being carried out by “misguided Muslim elements” is no longer tenable. The President Buhari-led administration has also failed in her duty to protect lives and property of innocent Christians living in Nigeria who have lost their lives to ungodly elements that call themselves “Muslims”. Islam, I am told, means” peace”; why then should Muslims (if they’re true Muslims) derive joy in cutting short the lives of their Christian brothers and sisters? God the One that I know and serve – does not glory in the spillage of blood of the innocent!

Reader, while we share thoughts on the fore-going which is the tragic situation we find ourselves in, pause for a second and read Mr. Chandran Nair, Founder and CEO of Global Institute for Tomorrow: “Back in the summer of 2015, the heart of a Hindu man was transported across Kerala for a Christian patient in dire need of a new one. Funds were raised by a Muslim businessman to pay for the operation, which was performed by the state’s top-heart surgeon: A Christian.”

Back to our matter. The times are evil. Nobody should pretend that all is well and nobody should lie to the president that the situation has not approached a highly combustible stage. With the way things are going, Christians – especially those living in the North are under some kind of siege due to this rising religious intolerance – made worse by the authorities’ failure or inability or refusal to nip such satanic plots in the bud. The worst thing the federal government will do is to persuade Christians, by action or inaction, to resort to self-help. With porous borders all over the place and the attendant mobility of abundant small arms within our territory as reported in the media as well as the current economic misery in the land, this is one scenario that the nation should not flirt with.

It is against the foregone backdrop that I wish to call on the authorities to immediately convene a National Religious Conference retrieve the nation from this path of unmitigated disaster. A stitch in time still saves nine!

––Akamadu is Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, The COLUMN Publishers Nigeria Limited

15

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

LETTERS ECONOMIC RECESSION AND PATH TO REDISCOVERY

N

igerians over the years had been treated to spirit-breaking economic phrases often coined by experts and authorities in their attempts to explain some economic realities. Yet, for decades they seemed not too familiar with the lexicon ‘recession’ and the forlorn hope it holds for their future.

Indeed, not a few Nigerians were thrown off balance when the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics recently affirmed that the country had romped into a full scale recession as the economy contracted rapidly in the last two quarters of the 2016 fiscal year. To many, the recession is a tell-tale that the rhythm of prosperity that the Africa’s largest economy had enjoyed for decades may have come to a stop.

Unwittingly, though, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seized the scope of the tension generated by the issue to throw darts at the ruling government.

With the familiar tone of mischief, critics also found excuses to dismiss the policies by the government on the economy, alleging that the economy has been tumbling because the government of President Muhammadu Buhari lacks

Buhari

the savvy on management while failing all the same, to assemble the right team to offer a compelling assistance.

In their haste to denigrate the government, critics very ruefully have kept shying away from the fact that the recession which the Buhari’s administration is toiling hard to contain, indeed, stemmed from the omissions and infractions by the past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeria, under Jonathan had an economy running on full throttle. Under it, crude

oil sold for $140 per barrel, opening the vista of instant prosperity to the government and its officials. Not too long ago, the head of Jonathan’s economic team, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala admitted that the era of economic bliss it enjoyed notwithstanding, the government was blindfolded, and all through displayed incapacity, failing to plan for the future. Yet, Jonathan’s government failed in more diverse ways.

Aside its failure to curb corruption, mismanagement, profligacy and open display of affluence

by members of its team and their surrogates, the Jonathan’s government exposed itself as bereft of ideas on how to tackle insecurity. The Boko Haram insurgents capitalised on that weakness to ride the government and the rest of Nigeria roughshod. All through, the insurgents demonstrated capacity, looking strong to annex the entire north-east zone with a mission to even advance towards the Nigerian capital city of Abuja. Nonetheless, the government attenuated the zeal by the military to fight terrorism and insurgency. It watched helplessly as monies earmarked for purchase of arms and ammunitions ended in private pockets. Along the line, frustrated troops had to stage a mutiny in protest against lack of weapons to fight. Analysts had no option than to conclude that the government was deliberately fuelling the aggression by Boko Haram as avenue by privileged officials to steal and amass wealth.

With the amnesty initiative, Nigeria was almost overcoming the Niger Delta question until the past government made another fatal slip in the management of crises from the zone. It ceded the security

OBIANO’S OUTING AT WORLD IGBO CONGRESS

T

he just ended 2016 World Igbo Congress at New York, USA, promises to stand out for the soul – searching mood engendered

by Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano’s address.

Obiano who is fast gaining reputation as a philosopher – king with his intellectually – steeped speeches and chain value policies, stirred the audience with an engaging agenda for Igbo renaissance.

Coming at a time of Nigeria’s economic recession and political crossroads for the Igbo, the setting could not have been more auspicious for Obiano’s intervention.

Governor Obiano essentially called for the reconstruction of the Southeast region in the wake of the various challenges to its development. The framework for this reawakening is both human and infrastructural.

In the human realm, the historical and cultural heritage of the Igbo race is to be harnessed and applied in the quest for modern civilisation. ‘Our story…stretches from what we know of the wise and rare kings of ancient Nri in Anambra to the Aro and the Long Juju in today’s Abia State.’ No doubt, the Igbo spirit of enterprise, courage and competition has implications for the present generation in the task of adapting to the demands of a global age. From Olaudah Equiano to the possible Biafran roots of Omar Bongo

Jr and from Chinua Achebe to Chimamanda Adichie, the lessons of perseverance, self will and identity cannot be lost.

Yet, a defining mark of the Igbo identity is under grave threat today. Aside the superpower status of English deriving from the West’s nationalisation of the language, the fortunes of the Igbo language continues to be eroded by a refusal of some Igbos to come terms with the phenomenon of split personality. In the winner takes all equation that defines much of Nigeria’s power game, fluency in the language of the ruling ethnic group could admit into the banquet hall. If the older generation who grew up in a vernacular climate is semi illiterate in Igbo, the case of the culturally alienated new generation is better imagined than experienced.

Concerted efforts are needed to save the Igbo language from falling into disuse. Top on the priority should be the compilation of a standard Igbo dictionary.

The lack of such a definitive reference book has rendered the language dormant.

The ratio of Igbo language air time to English language programmes in government owned broadcast stations presently stand at about 20: 80 per cent in favour of English. This lopsidedness cries out for urgent remedy.

States and local governments in the southeast as well as relevant local

governments in Rivers and Delta States can give the language a boost by making it the alternative official language at legislative and executive council sessions.

Translation of general and literary classics into Igbo should begin apace. It is regrettable that an Igbo translation of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was only achieved about the time the guru transited; and even at that, the translation is not in circulation for lack of funds.

The Igbo society should also throw into the bargain scholarships for studies in the language and endow prizes for brilliant literary creativity in Igbo.

On the economic sphere, Obiano proposed strategic cooperation among the southeast states and their neighbours as the path to sustainable growth.

Advocating combined efforts in crucial areas such as power, roads and security, he stressed the need for a railway line that connects the southeast to the rest of the country to boost trade and commerce. In the light of the region’s peculiar socio – economic condition, the Governor’s paper moved the motion for the introduction of a Marshall Plan; a strong industrialisation package to stimulate the zone’s economy.

There can be no doubt that collaborative ventures, including joint equity holding in companies, if well managed, would have positive economic implications

for the federating states. The southeast state governments will do well to gradually move toward joint economic planning and cooperation.

The comparable strength of their economies, the similarity of environmental and infrastructure problems and the obvious benefits of partnership as opposed to sole enterprise make the case for future economic integration.

Such concerted efforts paved the way for the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam airport, Enugu, to international status and with renewed resolve as the Anambra State Governor canvassed, greater result can be achieved.

Obiano’s entry on the subject of a political ark to save the Igbo from the deluge of Nigerian politics is a timely home truth. ‘We must come together and draw up a political plan that we shall all agree to invest in and pursue with the resolve of martyrs [emphasis mine.]’ For this writer, what immediately flows from the above submission is the elusive presidential crown.

The need to chart a political direction transcending party loyalty is crucial and the Igbo as bearers of the harshest brunt of presidential power cannot afford to be lukewarm about the project.

It is however imperative that Ndigbo come to terms with the nature of the Nigerian presidential contest.

––Ifeanyi Afuba, Nimo, Anambra State.

of oil pipelines to supposed repentant heads of militants who got enriched with contracts signed in billions of naira and foreign currencies. That seemed to be the root of the might by the Niger Delta Avengers and others, and their effrontery to destroy oil installations with intent to pull down the national economy to level zero, just for selfish reasons.

Although Nigeria is grappling with the worst economic condition brought about by maladministration of the past, the fact remains that the country is not the only one suffering from a bout of recession. Great economies, including US, China, Britain, France and others had suffered recessions repeatedly and came out stronger at different times. Nigeria’s case from indications will not be an exception.

Economic recession, at the moment, is wide spread among countries that operate monolithic economies built around oil resources.

Venezuela, Russia, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Yemen are currently the worst hit. Even Saudi Arabia is not left out of the pangs. In a seeming desperation, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other major oil producing countries have been soaking the pressure by increasing their oil production output. The effects have been devastating. It is pegging the crude oil price to an all-time low of $42 per barrel. With this development, each of the countries has been devising the means of managing the brand of recession they suffer.

In Nigeria, the govern-

ment of President Buhari is learning to approach the stiff challenge with courage, optimism and unflagging confidence. For the first time in history, Nigeria is instituting an economic diversification agenda meant to dwarf the over-dependence of the country on oil resources.

The Buhari administration is raising the banner of integrity as the fulcrum of the agenda to drive its change initiatives. It has been placing the fight against corruption on the front burner thus whipping cabinet members and bureaucrats into line. It has attained successes in the battle to contain terrorism in the north-east zone with the zest to enhance national security.

Thus far, hope has started blossoming for Nigeria with the government’s diversification agenda. The agriculture sector has taken the lead with preparedness to make Nigeria attain food security within a two-year period.

The motive by the government is to return Nigeria to the post-independence era when agriculture stood as the main stay of the economy, generating employment opportunities for both the young and old. Counting on the blue print on agriculture and the Green Alternative initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture, about 500, 000 youths are on the verge of being employed to produce food for Nigeria. Young graduates are already being engaged as agric extension workers in the scheme.

––Idowu Samuel, Abuja

SECURITY CHALLENGES IN KADUNA STATE

T

he level of security challenges in Kaduna State is frightening. The people of Kaduna State can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed as insecurity has become a very disturbing issue.

I like to use this opportunity to draw the attention of the state government to the current security challenges so that a lasting solution could be found. The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State also should please deploy his men to every corner of the state.

All the security personnel should be involved in tackling the current challenges. Cultism, robbery, kidnapping and the “one chance” boys are everywhere in Kaduna.

These are the strategic areas the boys operate from: 9.30p.m.-3.a.m from Abuja junction to Kakau through to Kaduna Toll Gate; from Command Junction

to Sabon Tasha, from Sabon Tasha through refinery to Maraban Rido; from Romi Junction to Trikaniya bye pass and from Kawo through Zaria Road. These boys station themselves to rob innocent people of their belongings.

There is no doubt that a lot of measures need to be put in place to tackle these challenges.

Security strategies need to be put in place and if possible the youths should be gainfully employed. Avenues should be created for skills acquisition. This will reduce the incidence of kidnapping, cultism, robbery and related crimes. For Kaduna State to be a peaceful place again, the state government and all the security agencies must be up and doing.

–John Mark, Dept of Mass Communication, Benue State University, Makurdi.

16

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

INTERNATIONAL

Globalisation at Bay: The Lessons from Berlin Wall and the Great Wall of Calais

G

lobalisation is essentially about the broadening of political influence and integration of national economies to the world economy, through removal of national barriers, interconnectivity, and digitisation of democratic governance.

This is why the whole world is at times referred to as a global village. Thanks to industrial and technological development, not only are businesses, goods, services, capitals, markets, spread throughout the whole world, they are also done with much precision, efficiency and positive result. The 21st Century is indeed that of international communications and technology.

Berlin Wall is also generally referred to as ‘the Iron Curtain.’ It was the wall whose construction started overnight on August 13, 1961 on the instruction of Walter Ulbricht of the East German Communist Party and whose deconstruction took place on November 9, 1989. Walter Ulbricht ordered the construction of a barricade to prevent East Germans from seeking defection to West Germany.

It should be recalled in this regard that Germany was divided in 1949: Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) which was administered by the victorious Allies, on the one hand, and East Germany, which was run by the former Soviet Union. Berlin, the then capital of Germany, was not only located in Eastern Germany, it was similarly also divided into two, the Soviets have one side, the allies (United Kingdom, United States, and France) also had one side. On the side of the Soviets, the inner German border was closed in 1952 officially and new passport laws were promulgated in 1957.

These developments prompted East Germans to want to emigrate to West Germany and not less than 2.5 million people fled to West Germany between 1949 and 1961. This was the background to the decision to build a wall covering 66-mile concrete section and a further 41-mile barbed-wire fencing, as well as over 300 manned look-out towers in Berlin in 1961. Thus, the Iron Curtain (Berlin Wall) effectively divided the people from 1961 to 1989. In 1990, however, the Berlin Wall was pulled down and the division of the Germans was thrown into the dustbin of history.

As regards the Calais Wall, which has been nicknamed ‘The Great Wall of Calais’ by the social media, its construction is scheduled to begin by end of September 2016 and completed by end of December 2016. It is not clear whether the reasons behind the construction are, stricto sensu, traceable to preparations for the emerging new Cold War or to Brexit. What is however clear is that the Police Commissioner, Patrick Visser-Bourdon had noted that there had been 22,000 breaches of the port road defences in June, compared to 3000 in January 2016 and that it is impossible for him ‘to put a policeman every ten meters in order to secure the route, as this would require mobilising ‘2000 officers every night.’

More important, the British are to fund the construction of the project to the tune of 2.7 million euro (£1.9million). The Calais Wall will also be built from smooth concrete to make it impossible for hardened migrants to pass through without ladders. Consequently, the wall is expected to replace the existing barbed-wire fence.

The relevant point of reflection here is that, when the Berlin Wall, which once existed and later ceased to exist, is compared to’ ‘The Great Wall of Calais,’ many problems emerge but are unattended to: Why is the construction of the wall taking place now? Is it in furtherance of the fall outs of the Brexit? There is no disputing the fact that many migrants want to quickly enter the UK before the processes of the Brexit are completed. In the same vein, the UK also wants to avoid illegal inflow of migrants for reasons of national security. This means that the factor of Brexit may not be set aside in understanding the need for urgent construction of the wall.

In this regard, the position of the UK in the European Union and the position of Nigeria in the ECOWAS are not in any way different. As such, can a situation in which, one day, there is Nigexit, that is, Nigeria would want to withdraw her membership of the ECOWAS, not arise? Is the purpose of globalisation served with Brexit, for instance? Will it be served with Nigexit? To what extent is the quest for regional integration consistent with the spirit of Calais Wall? This question is necessary because globalisation and regional integration are about networking. In fact, integration is an agent of globalisation while the building of walls does not help the objective of togetherness and networking.

Besides, to what extent is the quest to have European Union become a major centre of global power helped by anti-migration policies, such as the Calais Wall? Is globalisation not really at bay or on the path of being challenged with the renewal of nationalism in all its dimensions? What is the implication of the ‘Great Wall of Calais’ for the ECOWAS, in general, and Nigeria, in particular,

by January 1, 2017 by which time the wall would have been completed?

Whatever is the case, there is no disputing the fact that construction of concrete barriers is gradually becoming a major pillar of what we can call a ‘fence and wall diplomacy’ which is gradually becoming an important phenomenon, as virtually all countries of Europe are building walls against migrants, but without anyone seriously raising eyebrows.

The Case of the Great Wall of Calais

On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, the United Kingdom (UK) and France announced the building of a four-metre high wall at an estimated cost of $4 million at the maritime port city of Calais in France. The wall will cover one kilometre and will be funded

VIE INTERNATIONALE with

Bola A. Akinterinwa Telephone : 0807-688-2846

e-mail: bolyttag@yahoo.com

Hollande, French PM

by the UK. Work on the project is scheduled to begin this current month of September and be completed by end of December 2016.

As noted by the UK junior Minister, Robert Goodwill, in his address to a parliamentary committee, the UK ‘is going to start building this big new wall very soon. We’ve done the fence, now we are doing a wall.’ The main rationale for the construction of the wall is to prevent illegal migration from the French territory to the UK, especially those desperate migrants who not only want to stowaway on UK-bound trucks and ferries, but also want to violently attack the law enforcement agents at the maritime port.

In 2003, France and the UK signed the Le Touquet Treaty by which the UK was allowed the location of its border controls on the French side of the English Channel. On this French side, UK simply mounted a barbed wire to control unauthorised access and the UK now wants to reinforce the fence by strengthening the barbed wire with a tall concrete wall that will make any unauthorised access impossible.

This project has raised many interesting foreign policy issues and questions: renewal of the spirit of the Berlin Wall; emerging ‘fencing and wall diplomacy’ as an instrument of security management in international relations; and the extent to which there can be globalisation with the rivalry between increasing national authority and supranational authority. Is globalisation not at bay politically?

For instance, at the level of the Berlin Wall, it was constructed within the context of the East-West ideological rivalry or the so-called Cold War when Germany was sharply divided into West and East, in an attempt to prevent East German from crossing from East Berlin to West Berlin where the economy was more vibrant and freedom was lifestyle. Eventually, when the Cold War came to an end in 1989 and the war ceased to be cold but re-directed against development issues and in favour of reconciliation and reunification, all irritants and obstacles to unity were removed and Germany became one again.

In the case of the British fence and wall in the port of Calais in

With South Africa’s membership of the BRICS, the commitment of South Africa to‘priority for Africa’ is quite questionable. Egypt gives priority to anything Arab over that of Africa.Africa is also secondary for the Maghrebin countries.Their first priority is either the Arab world or Europe. Nigeria that has Africa as the centrepiece of her foreign policy is deeply engulfed in many internal contradictions.This is most unfortunate

northern France, the environmental context is quite different.

While the Berlin separates the same people, the same nationals, the Calais Wall is to separate British nationals from foreigners called migrants. By implication therefore, while it may be easier to remove obstacles to removal or destruction of the Berlin Wall, the same cannot be done in the case of the Calais Wall for various reasons.

First, French truck drivers and the local residents in Calais are protesting against the presence of large groups of migrants and large migrant camp outside the city. Secondly, the need to prevent on a permanent basis violence between the aggressive migrants and the local residents has become a desideratum. The aggressive migrants are located in a camp which is equidistant from London and Paris. It is inhabited by about 7000-9000 refugees most of who are Sudanese and Afghans who always create situations of insecurity in their attempt to force their way through to the UK. As a result, French drivers are protesting. Thirdly, Brexit seeks self-protection in terms of national security, national interest and self-preservation in terms of self-identity. There is the considered need to prevent cultural pollution and British tradition. Fourthly, many other countries are also constructing various concrete barriers against unwanted migrants. In fact, as explained by the British Home Office, ‘this measure is intended to further protect the Rocade (which is the access road leading to the port) from migrant attempts to disrupt, delay and even attack vehicles approaching the port.’

This project is currently generating a lot of controversies at home and abroad. Police Commissioner has explained that the border would not be abandoned and that the new wall would help protect truckers who are threatened with daily violence from armed migrants and the residents of Calais who are currently suffering ‘intrusion into their homes and gardens.’

However, Jean Lambert, a member of the European Parliament and the migration spokesperson for Britain’s Green Party has it that ‘the decision to build a wall in Calais is the latest wrong move in what is the ongoing scandal of the handling of the plight of refugees in northern France. The UK government must get its act together.’ But do we make of this for Nigeria?

The Lessons

The implications of the would-be Great Wall of Calais for Nigeria’s foreign policy not only raise critical questions but also require long-term strategic calculations. For instance, is Nigeria currently or likely to face violent migration of ECOWAS community citizens to Nigeria as the UK is at present facing? If we consider the geo-political and socio-economic situation in Nigeria of today, the answer can be no, because the environmental conditionings of life are not good enough. Nobody would want to go for hardship anywhere.

If we consider the new efforts being made by PMB to lay a new foundation for a better Nigeria, the future of Nigeria that will be great, strong, resilient and secure, cannot but be very great. As a result, Nigeria will be another el dorado where greener pastures can be sought. In this case, everyone may have to struggle and queue up in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions for entry visas into Nigeria. So the answer to the question will be yes.

Consequently, in both situations, there will be need to monitor developments on the Calais Wall, especially that the camp in Calais, where the refugees are kept, is meant to be a place of abode, a place of assistance, but it has also become a jungle and source of threats to national security of France and the UK. In fact, the French government is reported to be considering the possibility of closing down the camp. But if this is done, where will the refugees be taken to?

Explained differently, the way Nigeria spearheaded the establishment of the ECOWAS in collaboration with Togo is not in any way different from the way France and Germany also spearheaded the establishment of the European Economic Community in 1957. To ensure peace and promote mutual trust, a quarterly Franco-German Summit was instituted in 1963. With Brexit and with mounting pressure on the French government to review its membership of the European Union, there is nothing to suggest that there will not be a Frexit, and therefore that Nigeria cannot opt out of the ECOWAS if need be. But if that happens, what are the likely scenarios? Is Nigeria thinking along this possibility line?

Additionally, Brexit is a rejection of the supranational authority of the European Union and also an expression of self-reaffirmation. With the increasing threats to national unity and security, how should, and to what extent, can Nigeria reassert herself in international relations? Is Nigeria not playing the disintegration card as wanted by the speculators?

Without doubt, the foregoing questions are raised for the purposes of the lesson to be learnt from both Berlin and Calais Walls. At the level of the Berlin Wall, if the Germans could be disunited, essentially as a resultant of international politics, there can be no big deal about the indivisibility of Nigeria, especially that some unseen hands do want the fragmentation of Nigeria by predicting it. For now, there is nothing to suggest any seriousness of purpose on the part of government that it has any interest or concerns about the prediction, or the need to investigate what led to the prediction. Boko Haram and the Niger Delta crises might have domestic origin, however, the strength of the two of them cannot but have foreign dynamics.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

17

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11 , 2016

BUSINESS QUICK TAKES Oil Price

Crude oil prices on surged about four percentaftertheUnitedStatesinventory data showed a drop in stocks to nearly a two-decade low as crude importsintotheUSGulfCoastslidlast week due toTropical Storm Hermine.

ThisiscomingastheSecretaryGeneral of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Mr. Mohammed Barkindo, will today in Paris, France, meet the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Algeria as part of the renewed efforts to secure a global agreement to cut crude oil production to ensure the recovery of prices.

US crude stocks dropped 14.5 million barrels last week to 511.4 million barrels, the biggest weekly drop in stockpiles since January 1999, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Brent crude oil neared $50 a barrel for the first time in two weeks.

It rose $1.84 to $49.82 a barrel, a 3.8 per cent gain, while the West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.83, or 4 per cent, to $47.33 per barrel.

External Loan

CEO, NSE, Oscar Onyema, and other officials of the Stock Exchange interacting on the trading floor

Stock Market Loses N61 Billion in One Week Kunle Aderinokun

Activities on the floors of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) last week dropped as the NSE All Share Index (ASI) and market capitalisation declined by 0.65 per cent to close at 27,577.52 and N9.473 trillion respectively. For the NSE ASI, the stock market depreciated 179.15 having moved down from 27,756.67 it stood the previous week while for the market capitalisation, the bourse lost N61 billion dropping from N9.534 trillion it closed the previous week.

Similarly, all other Indices finished lower during the week, with the exception of the NSE Main Board Index, NSE Insurance Index, NSE Consumer Goods Index and the NSE Pension Index that appreciated by 0.01 per cent, 0.12 per cent, 0.50 per cent and 0.26 per cent respectively while the NSE ASeM Index closed flat.

In terms of volume and value of trading, a turnover of 1.183 billion shares worth N10.300 billion in 16,522 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of

MONEY

the exchange in contrast to a total of 1.115 billion shares valued at N13.817 billion that exchanged hands last week in 16,083 deals.

A breakdown of trading activities revealed that the Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.015 billion shares valued at N7.136 billion traded in 11,012 deals. The figures represented 85.83per cent and 69.28per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed from a distance with 69.777 million shares worth N473.308 million in 564 deals.

The third place was occupied by the Services Industry with a turnover of 42.223 million shares worth N75.881 million in 202 deals. Trading in the top three equities namely – United Bank for Africa Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and FBN Holdings Plc (measured by volume) accounted for 444.004 million shares worth N4.958 billion in 4,153 deals, contributing 37.53per cent

and 48.13per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively.

For the Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), traded during the week were a total of 943 units of ETPs valued at N1.357 million executed in 28 deals, compared with a total of 29,242 units valued at N283,495.57 transacted last week in 42 deals.

Meanwhile, a total of 9,140 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N9.198 milFor the week under review, 24 equities appreciated in price, lower than 28 equities of the previous week Thirty-eight equities depreciated in price, higher than 31 equities

lion were traded in 6 deals compared to a total of 4,470 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N4.313 million transacted last week in 8 deals.

Analysis of trading on Friday showed that at the close of trading, the NSE ASI inched up by 0.01 percentage points to close at 27,577.52, bringing the year-to-date return to -3.72per

cent (-6.37per cent - over the last one year on an annualized basis).

Friday’s trading was driven by; Conoil (+10.19per cent, N23.79), 7UP (+4.61per cent, N146.45), PZ Cussons (+4.07per cent, N18.65), Stanbic IBTC (+3.38per cent, N15.00), UBA (+2.50per cent, N4.51), Guinness (+2.20per cent, N100.00), Oando (+1.41per cent, N5.00), Access Bank (+1.10per cent, N5.53), Unilever (+0.57per cent, N40.27), and Total (+0.45per cent, N241.08). Gainers numbering 22 dominated trading as against 17 that were losers.

For the week under review, 24 equities appreciated in price, lower than 28 equities of the previous week. Thirtyeight equities depreciated in price, higher than 31 equities of the previous week, while 118 equities remained unchanged lower than 121 equities recorded in the preceding week. May & Baker was the highest gainer for the week having risen 22.22 per cent in share price while Wema Bank was the highest loser with 12 per cent drop in share price.

TheFederalGovernmenthasapproved plansforexternalloansfromtheWorld Bank, China and Japan.

It specifically said Nigeria would take loans from institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank,JapanInternationalCooperation Agency, and Export-Import Bank of China Bloomberg reported.

Thiswillincludelow-costandlong-term loans with interest rates of 1.25 per cent and maturity of 20 years, according to comments posted on its Twitter.The Federal Government said that details of a proposed Eurobond duelaterthisyearwouldbeannounced “in due course.” According to the Presidency, the government is now waiting for lawmakers to approve the plans.

President Muhammadu Buhari had announced N6.1tn($19.4bn)spending planaimedatstimulatingtheeconomy this year. The economy contracted in the first two quarters as oil revenue plunged. Buhari said he expected the Federal Government to raise about $5bn from the Eurobond market and multilateral and bilateral lenders.

The Debt Management Office had last month asked banks to place bids

by September 19 if they wished to manage a $1bn Eurobond sale.

MTN Bond

MTNGroupLimitedplanstoraisedollar denominatedbondthatwouldhelpitto pay for dividends, capital expenditure and the N330 billion ($1 billion) fine levy imposed on it by the Nigeria Communication, NCC. The MTN has mandated Barclays Bank Plc, Bank of AmericaCorp.’sMerrillLynch,Citigroup Inc.and Standard BankGroup Limited to arrange a series of fixed-income investor meetings in the U.S. and the U.K. starting last Friday, September 9, 2016.AccordingtoReutersreport,the MTN, which disclosed this in a statement, stated that the dollar-denominated bond offering “is expected to follow subject to market conditions.”

MTN’s move to attract funding comes after the company reported its firstever half-year loss this month, partly caused by an agreement to settle the fine with NCC.The subscriber base of 233 million didn’t grow during the six months through June, while MTN is struggling to repatriate 15.4 billion rand ($1.1 billion) tied up in its Iran unit.“Pre-dividendfreecashflowwon’t cover payments of dividends and the fine in Nigeria this year and in 2017,” AlexandreDray,anemerging-markets credit analyst at Gimme Credit LLC in Tel Aviv, said in e-mailed comments.

18

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/ENERGY

L-R: Fomer Group Managing Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Engr. Funsho Kupolokun, Engr. Abubakar Yar’Adua, Engr. Lawrence Amu, Chief Odoliyi Lolomari, Incumbent GMD, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, His Eminence, King Dr. Edmund Daukoru, Mingi XII, Amanyanabo of Nembe, Dr. Thomas John, Dr. Joseph Dawha and Dr. Jackson GauisObaseki Brainstorm on way forward for the NNPC at Abuja

When Former NNPC GMDs Met over Oil Industry

Recently, former helmsmen of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, the state oil firm, met with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and incumbent head of the corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, in Abuja where their conversation focused on the state of Nigeria’s oil industry. Chineme Okafor, in this report, takes a look at their decisions

A

fter a one-day meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, 13 former GMDs of the corporation declared that Nigeria’s petroleum industry was losing its competitiveness, and could collapse if nothing urgent was done about it.

They said the industry was going through significant challenges and suggested ways to get it out of the challenges. Identifying the challenges, they made suggestions for recovering the industry’s fortunes.

The former NNPC bosses who attended the meeting, which had Kachikwu represented by his Senior Technical Assistant, Engr. Johnson Awoyomi were HRM (Dr.) Edmund Daukoru, Chief Odoliyi Lolomari, Dr. Thomas John, Engr. Lawrence Amu, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, Engr. Funsho Kupolokun, Dr. Abubakar Yar’Adua and Dr. Joseph Dawha.

Chief Festus Marinho, Dr. Chamberlain Oyibo, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo, Engr. Austen Oniwon and Engr. Andrew Yakubu were absent but reportedly endorsed the meeting.

The erstwhile bosses made suggestions that eventually raised suspicions amongst Nigerians as to their intents. Expectedly, they got some hard-hitting reactions mainly from their position of fuel pump price.

During the meeting, Baru presented

to the meeting, the operational status of the NNPC and the country’s oil and gas industry. He also presented to them the 12 business-focus areas he intends to pursue during his time as the head of NNPC. These 12 business-focus areas, Baru said will help put the corporation back on the path of growth and profitability, suggesting that the NNPC might have been rudderless.

Together, they reviewed the current state of the country’s oil industry, deliberated on ways to resolve the issues militating against its progress and recommended progressive measures.

During the brainstorming session, they expressed serious concerns on the declining oil production level and its attendant consequences on the country – its environment and revenue.

They agreed that if the current situation remained unchecked, it could lead to the crippling of the NNPC, and Nigeria’s oil industry.

Because the sector is the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, their concerns were not taken lightly, and their meeting was immediately followed with visits on Monday to the president, Muhammadu Buhari by Kachikwu and Baru, as well as another meeting between Kachikwu and key stakeholders in the sector on Wednesday at his office in Abuja.

The GMDs Deliberation During their meeting, the GMDs deliberated on some obvious challenges to the

sector. While these challenges could not be said to be entirely new because they had existed for a while now, getting them solved has however proved to be somewhat knotty to Nigeria, hence, their escalation in most cases.

They talked about insecurity which is by far the most threatening challenge to oil production in the Niger Delta which environment is equally impacted.

According to them, there is the urgent need for government and security agencies in the country to refocus as well as engage the various host communities, established social and traditional structures; and to develop an actionable partnership framework on which a lasting solution to the present unrest in the Niger Delta could be built.

From February 2016, militants in the Delta have confined oil production from facilities in the region to volumes far less than the country’s average daily production at tranquil periods. From about 2.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) of production, the government through Kachikwu said output has dropped to about 1.6mbpd or even less.

Finding a lasting solution to the actions of the militants has also defied the government whose actions to restore normalcy in the region and production have yielded very minimal results.

The GMDs suggested that the government should now begin to think out of the box on the insecurity challenges, having failed with its conventional approaches.

The former GMDs also deliberated on

NNPC’s corporate reputation which they said was a huge source of concern to them, in that, a company’s corporate reputation contributes to its competitive edge.

They said they were concerned about the increasing negative perception of the corporation by Nigerians especially in terms of opaqueness and accountability. They therefore called on NNPC to embark on an honest image laundering exercise, which will include educating Nigerians on its activities as a commercial entity managing the nation’s assets in trust.

The NNPC has had a chequered history of accountability, the suggestion of its former heads that it comes clean on its operations with proactive education would perhaps advance the accountability processes that Kachikwu initiated in his one year of managing its affairs.

Kachikwu had during his time at the corporation instituted a monthly publication of the NNPC’s operations. He also pledged to conduct a forensic audit of NNPC’s account, saying a corporation like it should come to the international oil market square squeakily clean to attract the kind of investments it needs for its expansion.

On the state of Nigeria’s refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Warri, the former GMDs advised that the refineries be rejuvenated using the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

They added that when this is done, the refineries should be restructured to oper-

19

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Analysing Nigeria’s Q2 Foreign Trade Report

The news of improved foreign trade appears to be a soothing relief to the bitter taste of recession, even though it may well be taken with cautious optimism, reports Kunle Aderinokun

A

mid negative sound bites of recession came the cheery news last week of upward movement in the value of Nigeria’s foreign trade.

Specifically, data from the National Bureau of Statistics, which released the second quarter of 2016 Foreign Trade Report, showed that the value of export trade totalled N1.872 trillion in the period under review, representing an increase of N725.6 billion or 63.3 per cent over the value recorded in the preceding quarter.

The significant improvement in the trade value, analysts posit, may be a sign of good things to come in the economy if the streak is maintained.

NBS said the improvement in export value in the review period was largely due to the depreciation in the value of the naira.

It pointed out that, “the structure of the export trade is still dominated by crude oil exports, which contributed N1,493.2 billion or 79.7 per cent to the value of total domestic export trade in 2016 (estimate figure). Exports by section revealed that Nigeria exported mainly mineral products, which accounted for N1,735.2 billion or 92.7 per cent of the total export value.

“Other products exported by Nigeria include “Animal and vegetable fats and oils and other cleavage prod.” at N55.7 billion or 3.0 per cent, “Base metals and articles of base metals” at N28.4 billion or 1.5 per cent, and “Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco” at N16.2 billion or 0.9 per cent.”

The bureau explained that, “the export by direction showed that the country exported goods mainly to India, United States, Spain, Netherlands and South Africa whose values stood at N402.7 billion or 21.5 per cent, N235.0 billion or 12.5 per cent, N215.2 billion or 11.5 per cent, N133.3 billion or 7.1 per cent, and N119.9 billion or 6.4 per cent respectively.

According to the agency, “The natural liquefied gas recorded N198.0 billion of the total export value during the period under review. Export by continent, showed that Nigeria mainly exported goods to Europe and Asia, which accounted for N611.7 billion or 32.7 per cent and N606.4 billion or 32.4 per cent respectively, of the total export value during the period under review.

Furthermore, Nigeria exported goods valued at N265.9 billion or 14.2 per cent to the continent of Africa while export to the ECOWAS region totaled N86.9 billion.”

On the other hand, NBS revealed that, the nation’s import trade stood at N2.069 trillion at the end of the second quarter, showing an increase of 38.1 per cent from the N1.498 trillion recorded in the preceding quarter.

Just like it was for the export trade, the bureau attributed the increase in import value to a decline in the value of the naira. It pointed out that, “The structure of Nigeria’s import trade by section was dominated by the imports of “boilers, machinery and appliances; parts thereof” which accounted for 34.9 per cent of the total value of import trade in Q2, 2016.

“Other commodities which contributed noticeably to the value of import trade during the review period were “Mineral products” (15.8per cent), “Vehicles, aircraft and parts thereof; vessels etc.”(14.7per cent), “Products of the chemical and allied industries” (7.6per cent) and “Base metals and articles of base metals” (5.1per cent).

The import trade classified by broad economic category (Table 7) revealed that “capital goods and parts” ranked first with N663.6billion or 32.1per cent. This was followed by “Industrial supplies (nec)” with the value of N421.2billion or 20.4 per cent, and “Transport Equipment and Parts” with N356.1billion or 17.2per cent. The value of motor spirit stood at N296.1 billion.

Assessing Nigeria’s import trade by direction,

Lagos Central Business District ... Nigerians commercial capital NBS showed that the country imported goods mostly from China, Netherlands, United States, India and the United Kingdom, which respectively accounted for N493.5 billion or 23.9per cent, N285.7 billion or 13.8per cent, N199.0 billion or 9.6per cent, N124.9 billion or 6.0per cent, and N119.3 billion or 5.8per cent of the total value of goods imported during the quarter.

Further analysis of Nigeria’s imports by continent revealed that “the country consumed goods largely from Asia with import value of N886.1 billion or 42.8 per cent. The country also imported goods valued at N813.9 billion or 39.3per cent from Europe and N255.3 billion or 12.3per cent from America. Import trade from Africa stood at N89.1 billion or 4.3per cent while imports from the region of ECOWAS amounted to N20.8 billion.

Generally, Nigeria’s merchandise trade grew slightly in Q2, 2016 as trade deficit reduced with rising exports value.

According to NBS, “The total value of Nigeria’s merchandise trade in Q2, 2016 was N3,942.0 billion. This was 49.0per cent more than the value of N2,645.5 billion recorded in the preceding quarter.

This development, the bureau pointed out, arose from “a rise of N725.6 billion or 63.3per cent, in the value of exports (largely due to exchange rate gains) combined with a rise of N570.8 billion or 38.1per cent, in the value of imports against the levels recorded in the preceding quarter.”

Accordingly, “the current trade position brought the country’s negative trade balance to - N196.5 billion during the period under review. This shows a N154.8 billion reduction in the country’s trade deficit over the previous quarter.”

Essentially, with this kind of report coming out at this period, the expectation in some quarters is that economic activities may soon pick up and the economy would be better for it.

Meanwhile, the Q2 Foreign Trade Report has attracted the attention of economic analysts and market watchers, who welcomed the report, highlighted grey areas and advised the government on the way forward.

The Director General, West Africa Institute of Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Prof. Akpan Ekpo, welcomed the report, however frowned on the fact that crude oil exports dominated the foreign trade.

But Ekpo was of the expectation that, “if the structure of our economy changes, the economy would export refined petroleum products or some item in the value chain.”

Pointing out that, “The devaluation of the Naira has not resulted in the export of items that are generally imported,” the renowned economist said, “The same report highlighted the increase in imports of goods and services.”

Going forward, Ekpo advised that, “an environment should be created that would encourage the export of finished goods to at least countries in the West African sub-region.”

“Let us have a productive and not a consuming economy. Devaluation and/ depreciation or weakening of a domestic currency makes sense if the economy has something to export.

Furthermore, we need to examine the trade balance holistically,” he added.

Similarly, an analysts and investment manager, Adetola Odukoya, who was not surprised about the report, noted that, “what this suggests is that, for this current structure to be reversed there is an urgent need to put in place – and execute - policies that will not only encourage but equally strengthen and grow domestic production across all the sectors of the economy.”

He added: “Whilst one acknowledges that some of these policies are being executed as we speak, we must however bear in mind that it will take time for the effects to filter into the economy. This will in turn reverse the current trend as will be indicated by several key economic activities, statistics and indicators to reflect the desired benefits thereof to the real economy.”

“Therefore, amongst other key factors, focus and policy consistency is of utmost importance if the country is to derive any benefits in the medium-to-long term as a result of the redirection of the current economic situation,” he proffered.

Aligning with Ekpo and Odukoya, Executive Director, Corporate Finance, BGL Capital Ltd, Femi Ademola, stated that, “the increase in export trades in the second quarter of 2016 is very commendable.”

While saying “this is largely due to the depreciation in the value of the Naira”, Ademola believed “the improvement in the country’s trade balance is the many benefits of the flexible exchange rate policy.”

But he added that, “It would however be good to know the volume of the products exported and imported to compare them to the preceding quarter to determine the contribution of increased exporting activities to the value of trades.

Ademola also noted that, “since our main export products is still crude oil, it is not surprising that crude oil exports accounted for the biggest share of the exports.”

He, however, believed “the increase in the value of exports (although not so in dollar terms), which also include other non-crude mineral exports will encourage more exporting business while importation would be limited to only essential materials; leading to a boost in local production.

“If this is achieved, the most important objective of a floating exchange rate mechanism would have been achieved.”

In the same vein, former Managing Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Seni Adetu, noted that, “The revelation in the Q2 foreign trade report relating to the increase in export value over the preceding quarter is good news, and a positive trend.”

He, however, cautioned that, “we mustn’t get carried away.”

According to him, “First the logic is clear – with devaluation, there is every motivation to focus on export drive. Therefore, this out-turn in reality is a matter of course – more of a default than design of our policies.

“Secondly, the export trade expansion was still dominated by crude oil exports – so what has changed? Our bigger joy would come from export of non-oil products.

“Thirdly, with our manufacturing sector suffering serious capacity under-utilisation, we need be careful that our export drive is not geared towards creating scarcity of the relatively small percentage of locally available raw materials for manufacturing through exportation, in the name of earning forex. That would simply imply robbing Peter to pay Paul, with the resultant effect of a further stifling of the manufacturing sector.”

Adetu, who is also director in Fidelity Bank, argued that, “in short, the trend whereby trade deficit narrowed in Q2 as our value of exports surged on the back of further devaluation of our currency is the norm and is nothing spectacular in my view.

20

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/INDUSTRY

Addressing Impact of Economic Challenges on Drug Procurement

Against the backdrop of the desire of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy to help redress the economic and other challenges in the Nigerian pharmaceutical sector, Kunle Aderinokun ponders the feasibility of such move

A

nyone, who has had close dealings with Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry will realise that it is a sector that is literally gasping for breath. Last week, the council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) released a communiqué in which it warned that the cost of drugs procured at the on-going forex exchange rates might become so prohibitive that it may lead to a massive resurgence of the fake drugs problem.

The fake drug problem, though still a big issue in Nigeria has been reined in with some degree of success such that it is not quite as threatening as it was years ago.

PSN therefore warned that the current situation in which drugs are inevitably priced so high that they become unaffordable by the average Nigerian my erode all the gains so far made with regard to the fake drugs problem. This is because when genuine drugs are for some reason, such as the current problems with forex, priced beyond the reach of majority of citizens, manufacturers of fake drugs are often quick to spot the opportunity and flood the country with cheaper though fake and adulterated versions of the drugs. The Pharmaceutical Society asked government to kindly intervene to help make forex more accessible to the pharmaceutical companies.

But why is forex of such importance to the pharmaceutical industry when there are several indigenous and multinational pharmaceutical companies domiciled and operating in Nigeria?

The truth, as industry insiders would tell you, is that more than 70 per cent of the drugs on the shelves today are imported. Only some 30 or so percent is manufactured in Nigeria. But even those drugs manufactured in Nigeria rely virtually exclusively on imported materials both for the active components of the drugs as well as the fillers. For instance, a 500 milligrammes tablet of Paracetamol contains 500 milligrammes of Paracetamol as well as other additives such as starch. In the case of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry, both the paracetamol and the starch are imported, which essentially means that the industry is bound to catch a cold whenever the forex regime in the country sneezes.

This in part, probably explains why, according to Publisher of Pharmanews, the pharmaceutical newspaper, and Vice President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Ifeanyi Atueyi, there is a bit of excitement currently in pharmaceutical and industrial circles on account of the progress being made in the Dangote Refinery. This is because the Dangote Refinery project has announced that the petrochemical segment will be a core part of its focus. This is a marked departure from the approach of the state-owned refineries whose sole interest has been the refining of fuels.

According to Atueyi, the petrochemical industry will help to provide not only for the pharmaceutical industry but other industrial sub-sectors key manufacturing ingredients, many of which are currently imported.

But if lack of a petrochemical industry is blamed for the inability of Nigeria to produce active chemicals like Paracetamol locally, who do we blame for our inability to produce pharmaceutical grade starch locally? Why do we still need to import starch and practically all other drug additives?

Atueyi blamed the current situation on a prolonged systemic lack of focus on research and development. “As a country, our economy has been so import-dependent for so long that we have subordinated even the things we can produce locally to importation especially because we have been too laid-back to embark on aggressive and purposeful research and development.”

Many of those who have embarked on research, he says, have done this at huge cost and inconvenience to themselves because not only is infrastructure lacking, generally, but government support is

A drug store

just not available. Practically all of the research institutes are today, crying for government attention including funding.

This, he said, was one of the reasons that led to the formation of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy.

“A number of key stakeholders in Pharmacy and the Pharmaceutical Sciences both in Nigeria and elsewhere in the world came together and took a holistic look at the profession and the industry.”

Atueyi said stakeholders in the profession sought to take matters into their hands after examining the prevailing state of affairs. “Having thoroughly reflected on the state of research and development in the profession especially in the light of its being a scientific discipline, we resolved to do something tangible to redress its slide.” Scientific research, said Atueyi, was the very basis of the profession itself. “It is through research that medicines are discovered and developed.” The need to encourage research and development was perhaps the most underlying driver for the formation of the Academy which eventually debuted in 2014.

The emphasis on pharmaceutical research by the Academy, Atueyi said, was multipronged. “We want to elicit more attention towards the funding of scientific research whether in the universities or the research institutes by government. We know that government is grappling with several issues at the same time but we believe that from a futuristic point of view, every forward-looking country must take research and development seriously.” Enhanced understanding by government of the imperative of better funding for research and improved funding will lead to better quality researches from the universities and research institutes, he says.

“Imagine the cost-savings to Nigeria for instance, if all of the additives used in drug manufacture were locally made, if for instance we didn’t need to import corn-starch.”

He added that the cost savings could have been deployed to other vital areas of the economy. Besides, the task of providing these drug additives could have created a massive industry that would have generated thousands of jobs for Nigerians.

Atueyi added that besides the economic aspect which could have been of a huge benefit to Nigerians, there is also the health benefit. “Perhaps, a lot more progress could have been made in our quest to

find newer and better remedies for diseases if we paid more attention to scientific research.” He adds that interestingly there are several disease conditions that are predominant in this part of the world and which Africans are best positioned to find solutions to. “Sickle cell disease for instance, is peculiar to black people. Malaria is endemic in Africa. Even HIV/AIDS is more prevalent in developing countries like ours whereas in developed regions of the world, prevalence is gradually on the decline,” said Atueyi.

The Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy is therefore not only providing specialist advocacy for the revival of scientific and pharmaceutical research in particular, but also encouraging wealthy individuals and public-spirited foundations to fund research and even endow professorial chairs in these areas.

According to Prof. Fola Tayo, Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Caleb University who also serves as General Secretary of the Academy, “endowments of professorial chairs in our universities is a key area we are looking at because we recognise that typically, a well-endowed professorial chair in the sciences can be very productive because it would usually lack only very little.” With adequate resources to carry out researches, impact could be very dramatic, he said.

Another key area of concern for the Academy said Prof. Tayo was the curriculum for the training of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists in Nigeria’s universities. “Considering that the profession of Pharmacy is very dynamic, the Academy has been very concerned that such training must continue to be in line with evolving trends in the larger society such that the pharmacist continues to deliver optimal value to Nigerians.” Doing this, he said, had led the Academy to engage all of the universities in Nigeria with accredited Faculties of Pharmacy, in conjunction with the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and consultants from the UK and the United States among others with a view to reviewing the curriculum. “This is not to say that there is anything fundamentally wrong with the current Pharmacy curriculum.”

Rather he said, “All we are doing is searching for maximum value. We want the training to be as dynamic as it is in the developed countries of the

world and the products of such training to deliver just as much value to society as they deliver in developed countries.”

Tayo said one of the fallouts of this focus on the training of pharmacists, was that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has approved a clinically-focussed degree, the Doctor of Pharmacy, or Pharm.D for the profession. “Training of pharmacists used to be centrally focused on drugs and medications, but today, that focus has shifted. Across the world, the patient rather than the drug is now the centrepiece of the training of pharmacists.” The shift of focus from drug to patient, according to Tayo, also implied that the training would have a far more clinical focus than hitherto. “It means that pharmacists will have to spend more time engaging doctors and nurses and other members of the clinical team than they used to.” The benefits to society of this enhanced engagement among these professional groups are huge. It means that rather than practice in isolation as was the case in the past, the pharmacist is now in a better possession to avail other healthcare professionals of his specialist knowledge even while learning more about diseases and their manifestations from his doctor colleagues. Such engagement, Tayo pointed out, could only mean better quality care for the patient and of course better inter-professional harmony.

Membership of the Academy, Tayo noted, comprises “Fellows” who have gone through a rigorous selection progress and found to have distinguished themselves in their areas of practice while also possessing the enthusiasm to contribute to helping the Academy achieve its mission. According to him, on September 15, six additional fellows will be inducted to join the ranks of the current ones. “We are confident that this addition will even further vitalise our efforts at the Academy at creating real value for Nigerians and mankind in general using science.”

For an Academy that is barely two years old, the sound bites from the professionals are inspiring and reflect a commitment to dramatically impact the country in the both the economic and health spheres. It remains to be seen if the Academy will stand the test of time and by how much it will indeed, achieve its objectives in the years to come.

21

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

INTERVIEW

Venn: Communication Tax Law will Reduce Revenue from VAT

Managing Director of Spectranet Limited, David Venn, comes to the table with a lot of experience, having worked in four different continents. In this interview with Olaseni Durojaiye, Venn identifies indices that favour Nigeria to become a great ICT country as he also shares his thoughts on the proposed telecommunication tax law, highlighting the implications

H

ow has it been running Spectranet in Nigeria?

good acceptance towards what we provide.

It’s been almost two years since I came in here and the business has come a long way, likewise the market. When I first got here not many people had broadband and certainly have not heard of Spectranet; but now a lot of people would love to have broadband and fast internet access because people use the internet for all sorts of things in this country.

Spectranet has also grown substantially since then. We have expanded the network into different cities across the country and we have taken on a much bigger customer base; we’ve also grown the network in terms of capacity. As a business it is also growing very well.

The federal government is keen on diversifying the economy of the country away from over-reliance on the oil sector.

Does the ICT sector have the potential to get a look in, in terms of revenue generation for the country?

One expects that Spectranet would have expanded its coverage area beyond the four markets in which it currently cover…

We had plans to expand to another 10 cities in 2016 and probably form association with banks as well. But what we’ve had is that we can’t buy equipment from overseas or even open letters of credit with the banks, that’s the major issue. But we managed to get some equipment ordered towards the end of last year and that arrived towards last December and we used that to launch our Port Harcourt operations in January this year.

Again, what we’ve decided to do in the meantime is to reserve the equipment that we have for our existing markets and to keep building capacity and that is why every month we keep putting up more base stations to cope with the demands from more and more customers. We can’t afford to allow the demand become more than the capacity; so we decided that this year we should just focus on the existing markets apart from the Port Harcourt market that we launched.

The Central Bank of Nigeria recently mandated banks and FX dealers to sell 60 per cent of foreign exchange traded in the country to the manufacturing sector.

How do you see the directive impacting your business?

Nigeria has enjoyed a huge amount of foreign investments over the past 10 years into the telecommunications industry; in dollar terms, it will be tens of billions of dollars, people who are bringing in money to invest.

However, if 60 per cent of available FX goes to the manufacturing sector, the remaining 40 per cent will go to other categories of which the telecommunications sector is one. Everything that we need is brought into the country from global suppliers. If we’re constrained by that directive, then we cannot roll out as much as we should; we will be limited.

The problem then is if the telecoms sector is denied of facilities to import equipment that is needed to provide the services, we cannot offer the services.

The capacity of the networks is linked to the amount of equipment that we could bring in.

We offer services based on capital expenditure of the equipment that we need to offer the services.

A couple of established telecommunications firms are revving up to play big in that space. How geared up is Spectranet brand for competition?

There is always the risk of being the first; everyone else is going to follow. There is no doubt that Nigeria needs a lot more broadband operators. We came in first, we’re leading; at

Venn

least we have the advantage of a head-start but we’ve always expected other companies to come in, and other companies have got their licences already even though they are not as big as we are and not growing as fast as we are, while many others will get 4G and broadband as well. But we like to think we used these past years to know how to provide fast broadband and internet services to Nigerian consumers and I think we’ve got it right, and we’re always learning; others may come in but they won’t have the same experience that we have. Running a mobile phone company is very different from running a broadband company.

Buffering is a major problem for internet users, how can downtime be minimised when using internet service?

You tend to measure the quality with video by watching the buffering wheel, if it is buffering that means it is slow. Ideally, you want to watch video without buffering, normally when you open a video, it buffers for a few seconds that it needs to catch up and play ahead. And what you want is you should never see that buffering signal again because it starts running faster so that you can watch it; that’s why you need a broadband connection.

Again, that is the difference between the normal 3G mobile phone connection and the modern 4G broadband connection.

So buffering happens because you need a lot of capacity to watch a video, the speed has to be consistent and coming ahead of the video so that you can watch without it returning the buffering sign.

Earlier this year, Netflix announced to the world that they are opening up service in about 100 new countries, including in Africa countries and that includes Nigeria. A lot of people here watch Netflix; that’s not a service that we offer but a lot of people use our service to connect to Netflix, they use our data because we can

do high volume, speed and data quality.

What are your thoughts on the proposed communication bill?

My understanding is that it is a proposed tax on the consumers. It’s going to push up the cost on the consumer, based on usage.

What I’ve seen in other countries that have done that is the operators will push the tax on their customers so users will pay more; so at the end of the day, customers pay more not the telephone companies.

I understand the whole purpose of it in Nigeria is to generate revenue for government but volumes will decrease because people here tend to work on fixed budget. So, if I’ve got N3000 per month to spend on phone calls, I’m still going to spend that amount, but with the tax, it means I’m going to make less calls.

Eventually, what government will gain with introduction of the tax, it will lose on VAT because volume will decrease and there is an existing tax on telephone use.

Of course there are people in the country who don’t have fixed budget for telephone calls, they just make calls, but they are not in the majority. Majority of people tend to work with a budget.

What has the market reception been for your business?

You can win one award and you think you’ve done well; but when you win two, three awards in one year as the best broadband service provider in the country in the same year, it sends a message that what we’re providing is very good and people appreciate it.

We know that our customers are watching videos, in fact that is the way that the world is going, that’s the way Nigeria is going and we adapt our service offerings to what our customers want and ensure that we serve them well for video use and they have shown very

What I see in this market is that the country has a high level of education, much more than I have seen in a lot of other countries that I have worked in. You also have very hard working and entrepreneurial people that want to make money, and also English speaking; that fits very well with internet entrepreneurship.

That’s not the case in many of the countries that I’ve worked in.

Most things on the internet are in English.

For a country like Nigeria I think there is a lot of potential for ICT. Fine, you need to bring in a lot of equipment not just computers; apart from that, there’s not much raw materials that is needed apart from brain power to create software and business.

Nigeria is pretty well connected to the rest of the world now in terms of fibre optic cables.

Within the country it’s not so good but the country has got about six underwater cables that is connecting it to the world and that’s a lot better than what you have in many other countries. In fact, better than some of the countries that have very stronger ICT industries.

So, we are very much aligned with the government policy to diversify the country’s economy.

We believe that rolling out our broadband service will have a huge impact on society the same way rolling out mobile telephones did. 20 years ago, when we didn’t have mobile phones most parts of the country were cut off from the rest of the world and the rest of Nigeria; we see broadband having the same effect.

Some say the industry is underachieving.

Why is this so?

There is a lot of opportunities but there is the need for encouragement. The country needs to encourage education that is targeted at the technical university type and then encourage entrepreneurs in that sector.

What would you attribute the success of the brand in this market to, considering that it’s not been in the market for a long time.

I think it boils down to the very good marketing communication plan that we adopted; of course you must deliver a very good service before you can have a brand.

Sometimes ago, we conducted a survey and part of that survey revealed that most people have not heard of Spectranet. Those that have heard of the name were already customers and they spoke very well about the brand, but most people haven’t heard about it. So, about 18 months ago, we decided to focus more on the marketing side and get our messages out there that we exist and that was what we did, and that had translated to benefits for us.

That has worked well for us. Many people now know us, they now know what we do and that we exist, which weren’t the case about 18 months ago.

Another thing that has worked for us is word of mouth. When people buy a service they give recommendations to their friends and family members, we’ve found out that that is part of the culture here and it has really worked for the Spectranet brand, people tell their friends and families about us, who we are, what we do and the quality service that we offer.

(see concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

22

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/ MEDIA

‘Why Add More’ during Economic Recession?

Ugo Aliogo

T

hat Nigeria’s economy is experiencing economic recession may not be news to many citizens again. The basic economic parameters used in measuring the welfare of the populace have all caved in to the pressure from the aggregate economy.

The value of the nation’s currency, naira, has dropped drastically such that goods and services have now become more expensive compared to what they were sold for in the corresponding period last year.

In order to survive the hardship brought about by the prevailing economic situation, many people and even organisations have resorted to adopting survival strategies.

While some have revised their priority list, others are adjusting their consumption in such a way that their meagre income could sustain them.

To many, the phrase “Less is More” contradicts the basic principle of arithmetic and therefore has no substance at all. However, the reasoning behind the statement has been brought to the fore by the new radio and digital commercial of Amstel Malta, the premium malt drink produced from the original formulation that is made with less sugar by the Nigerian Breweries Plc. The campaign, “Why Add More?” is built on a strategic platform, “Less is More.”

The digital version of the commercial uses the case of a best man at a wedding reception, who attracted a round of applause from the audience for his brilliant toast to the couple and decided to spice it up by adding a joke and a dance that went flat. The simple summary of the commercial is that the consequences of adding to an already excellent outcome can be awry.

The lesson cuts across every aspect of human life. In a job interview for example, if you are asked a question and you ramble on after making a point, the takeaway is either you’re not prepared or you lack the ability to be precise. In a sales presentation, you can talk yourself out of a deal by over-explaining rather than listening to the client across the table. If it is not necessary, why add more?

Even in writing, there are consequences of not being brief. When the point isn’t made obvious in an email you feel you can’t deal with it right away so you put it aside. A brief email, on the other hand, with a strong subject line that explains the purpose of the email and grabs the reader’s attention is more likely to be read and taken more seriously.

Amstel Malta also used fashion to illustrate

L-R: Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Ruth Osime, Editor, ThisDay Style; Mrs. Ngozi Princewill-Utchay, CEO, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants; Chidike Oluaoha, Senior Brand Manager, Amstel Malta; at the official launching of Amstel Malta’s new campaign, Why Add More held in Lagos… recently

the strength of the strategic platform, “Less is More”. That brings us to the question: Do clothes make a person or does a person make the clothes? Whether you love to sew your own threads or prefer to place order for your choice from a store does not matter.

What is important is that your wardrobe reflects your personality.

Impressed by the focus of the commercial, Ruth Osime, Editor, THISDAY Style, said: “Your inner confidence is a reflection of how you look outside. You do not have to wear large overbearing accessories before you can tell your fashion story. It is important you stay happy inside you.”

Osime emphasised the need for people to build internal confidence rather than placing too much emphasis on the outlook. She noted that the brand did not only appeal to the people to be conscious of their ways of life but also to understand the fact that getting the right mix from everything is more important than heaps of quantity without real value to the beneficiary.

She sees fashion as a popular style or practice, especially in clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup or furniture. To her, fashion is a distinctive and often habitual trend in the style in which a person dresses.

It is the prevailing styles in behaviour and the newest creations of textile designers.

Meanwhile to others, fashion is an art; while some will say it is almost like a religion. For most people though, fashion is a method of utilising clothing, accessories and grooming to show or hide something about yourself.

Fashion can be an extension of your personality, allowing you to introduce parts of your personality to the world without saying a word. Conversely, the way you dress can also conceal parts of your personality or allow you to play a role.

People usually have diverse opinions about the concept of fashion. For Osime, you can have anything you want in life as long as you dress for it. She stated that fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life since the way one is dressed will determine how the person would be addressed.

CEO, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants, Ngozi Princewill Utchay, highlighted the danger associated with over indulgence as a result of affluence, comfort eating and show off.

She stated that the truth of the matter is “our body knows when we have had enough, but many people do abuse their bodies.”

She therefore said simplicity is the key word of all fashion.

Utchay was of the opinion that one should not get sucked into the lure of the restaurant menu when you’re hungry and everything looks good. You don’t have to order for pounded yam, eba and semovita together with okro, vegetable and egusi soups because you are hungry. Yes! You are at the liberty to order for anything that would satisfy your need, but always balance the meal out with other nutrients. Healthy, nutrient-rich foods will keep hunger at bay, help maintain stable blood sugar levels, minimise cravings, and help your brain perform well. Once you get these benefits from your food, Why Add More?

She related this to the new radio and digital commercial of Amstel Malta. “It is like most things in life, when you add something unnecessarily to what is already considered excellent, the results aren’t always what you hope for. The secret is in knowing when too much will upset the balance.” Utchay added that people need to be more conscious in their choice otherwise; the purpose of the goal would be defeated.

Ruth and Utchay pointed out that Amstel Malta’s campaign educates consumers on the intrinsic benefits of less sugar contained therein.

LMdb: Promoting Locally Manufactured Goods in Nigeria Oladipupo Awojobi

T

he over-reliance of Nigerians on imported goods, and the neglect of locally manufactured goods has become a source of concern to many people and organisations in the country.

It is quite obvious that local manufacturing companies have struggled to stay in business due to the lack of appetite for locally manufactured goods and Nigeria as a country has been saddled with a huge import bill in terms of balance of payment, no wonder the value of naira is dwindling on a daily basis.

The painful effect of this addiction has been the creation of an import-based economy with little footprints in the local manufacturing sector.

In the days of oil boom, the Nigerian economy was able to cope with the huge import bill and the resulting demand for the dollar. With the recent drop in the global price of crude oil, the government has been struggling to cope with the demand for the dollar because Nigeria’s income stream is based on proceeds generated from the sale of crude oil.

As a way of reducing the demand for the dollar, the government has come up with strategies such as the ban on importation of some goods and the exclusion of some other goods from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s foreign exchange purchase portal.

With the current ban on some imported goods, Nigerians have resorted to patronising locally manufactured products. This is definitely good for local manufacturers and the Nigerian economy at large.

Prior to the restriction on the importation of foreign goods, various reasons such as quality and pricing had been adduced for the lack of appetite for locally manufactured goods. Thus, there is an assumption that for locally manufactured goods to sit well with the Nigerian consumer, the goods should be affordable and be of good quality.

However, after a careful investigation of goods made in Nigeria, it was observed that there are a lot of good quality locally manufactured products but Nigerians still prefer to patronise foreign products because, either they doubt the quality of the product or they are unaware of the existence of affordable local substitutes.

It is this gap that LMdb.com.ng intends to bridge. LMdb.com.ng is owned by LMdb Limited (a privately owned Nigerian company) and is aimed at increasing the

awareness of locally manufactured goods to the Nigerian public as well as interested customers and consumers abroad.

The company offers an online service (web-based and mobile apps) that provides a platform for the quality review of locally manufactured products by consumers.

Consumers of these products are encouraged to rate them as well as comment on their experience while using the products.

These ratings would enable other customers make a decision in terms of purchasing the product. Manufacturers of these products would also be aware of areas, where they need to improve based on consumer reviews. This would help small and medium scale producers acquire a wider reach.

LMdb.com.ng also organises an annual event, where local manufacturers with outstanding products would be acknowledged.

According to the co-founders of LMdb Limited, Obinna Ukwa and Ashimizo Afadameh, adding products to the website takes a few seconds and users are encouraged to add products they are sure are locally made as well as rate and comment on them based on their personal experience for potential consumers to see.

“It is important to note that anybody

can add any product as long as they have a picture(s) and details of the product.

Producers and well-wishers can share LMdb product pages to their social media page so their friends can see a direct link to review these products.

“We encourage state and local governments to work with us by providing an upload centre in states and local governments with a lot of local manufacturing companies (from small to large scale). These upload centres would provide an avenue for producers with no access to internet, get their products uploaded to LMdb.com.ngfor free,” the duo had said in a statement.

They made it clear that producers would be encouraged to bring their products or a picture of it as well as specified details of these products.

With this development, Nigeria has finally found a platform where locally made products are made available to the public, and where the consumer’s voice regarding a product can now be heard.

There is no doubt that this is one of the ways the country can save itself from the serious economic crisis it is currently experiencing and a good way forward for the country to attain its much pronounced development goals and aspirations.

23

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

South-east Stakeholders Chart Way Forward on Economy Major stakeholders in the South-east zone recently converged on Enugu to consider the effects of the current economic and social conditions in the country on the region and the way out. Christopher Isiguzo reports

W

orried by the effect of the fall in the prices of crude oil on the economy, major stakeholders in the Nigerian project converged on Enugu recently to brainstorm and find ways to diversify the economy and embrace agriculture, particularly. The occasion was the Zonal Forum on Agricultural Transformation in the South-east as well as the launch of the 500/1 Youth Agripreneur training programme and Agric Start-up Kits Initiative with the theme, “Increasing the Participation of the Nigerian Youth in Agriculture: Towards Employment Generation, Food Security and Environmental Sustainability.” It was put together by the Agric Information Centre and Community Radio Project (AGRICOOP), which is an endeavour of the Africa Youth Rehabilitation Initiative in collaboration with the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

The training initiative was the highpoint of the forum organised for stakeholders to dialogue on the challenges and prospects of engaging in agriculture in the South-east. The aim is to alleviate the socio-economic crisis affecting the youth by equipping a minimum of 500 youths as agripreneurs from each of the five states of the South-east.

The forum attracted notable stakeholders, including governors from the zone and their Commissioners for Agriculture, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, heads of some federal agencies, including NBBRI, Bank of Agriculture, PRODA, NTA, SMEDAN, and the National Directorate of Employment, institutions of higher learning, including ESUT, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, and Enugu State College of Education.

Potentials The gathering took time to explore the potentials in agriculture. While it was generally observed that over the years, efforts had been made by governments and donor agencies to revive the sector without much success, the gathering noted that the major problem with past interventions was the approach of implementing agriculture as a development programme instead of a business.

In his opening remarks, the AGRICOOP chairman, George Akwada, said the forum became imperative in view of the place of agriculture in the lives of the people of the South-east. He noted that the time had come for the zone to replicate the feat in agriculture achieved by the defunct Eastern Region government under Dr. Michael Okpara as premier. The region had emerged as the fastest-growing economy as result of the huge investments in agriculture.

Akwada said the sector possessed the capacity to address several problems facing the country, especially by ensuring food security and creating employment opportunities. According to him, there is now a paradigm shift from perceiving agriculture as a development programme to seeing it as a multifaceted business with focus on food security and the agricultural value chain development.

Knowledge Gap The AGRICOOP chairman stated that, “global advancement in information and communication technologies has opened up various avenues for information dissemination to farmers. The application of these technologies in the agricultural sector ensures the fast tracking of national development and food security. Thus, it is against this backdrop that agricultural information and

Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, ESUT, Prof Martin Anikwe and the Provost of Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Prof. Mgbada at the event . . . recently communication management becomes very much essential to the productivity sector.

“In the past two decades, there has been a burst of research activities in agriculture from universities and research institutes. Innovations with capacity to boost production and kick-start the economy have been discovered. Also, high-yielding crop cultivars and improved practices have been created to ensure increased productivity. However, the greatest undoing of all these inventions and innovations is the existence of a knowledge gap.

These innovations do not reach the farmers.”

The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, ESUT, Prof. Martin Anikwe, who is also a member of the management board of AGRICCORP, gave an overview of the scheme.

He demonstrated some of the facilities available at the university’s farm and urged the youth in the South-east to take advantage of the training and get equipped to become successful agriculturists.

In his goodwill message, Ogbeh said the theme of the forum and the training programme were not only key to the country’s socio-economic development concerns but also central to one of the challenges facing the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The minister, who was represented by Dr. Uche Nwafor, gave a number of reasons why youths must engage in agriculture at different levels, adding that the ministry had initiated different programmes that would go a long way in boosting the country’s agricultural potentials.

Strategy On the theme of the forum, which focused on youth participation in agriculture, Ogbeh listed the critical issues to be tackled to include redesigning the university curriculum to develop business entrepreneurship for agriculture, and bringing together training in agriculture and business to create a new cadre of agripreneurs in the country. Others include breaking the walls separating faculties of agriculture and business administration; rapidly mechanising agriculture, which is particularly necessary “to overcome the image of drudgery that discourages many youths from getting involved in the sector.”

The minister lamented that available data

showed that the country had less than 20, 000 functioning tractors, one of the lowest tractorisation rates in the country.

Other key areas that must be addressed, according to Ogbeh, include creating a market for contract tractor service providers to not only mechanise the sector but also present job opportunities for many industrious youths. There is also the need to design a comprehensive system that would facilitate a strong relationship between financial institutions, tractor manufacturers, tractor vendors and all other relevant parties to make it easier to afford, own or lease tractors, the minister said.

He also talked about designing simple processes that would make it easier for youths to access finance to grow their businesses.

Noting that the agricultural sector requires new skills, younger and more entrepreneurial farmers that would be able to compete at the global scale, the minister said such persons must be versed in business in order to be able to run sound agribusiness that will make Nigeria’s agriculture modern, commercial and profitable. He said the federal government was implementing the Youth Empowerment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP) to facilitate food security and nutrition, rural income generation and improved livelihoods for the youth along area-based agricultural value chains.

Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Ngige who was represented by the Enugu State Coordinator of the NDE, Mr. Iroegbu Eke, commended the initiators of the forum and the ESUT family and pledged his support for the growth of the project. He said agriculture should be the business of everyone, both the educated and non-educated, saying it is a veritable option for developing the youth and also boosting the economy in the place of oil.

500/1 Scheme The AGRICCORP managing director, Dr Nelson Abila, took time to present a technical brief on the 500/1 scheme. He explained that the Youth Agripreneur Training programme involved the training of 500 youths from each of the five states of the South-east zone and listed the three major areas of training to include livestock manage-

ment, crop production and entrepreneurship and agribusiness management. He said within the three key areas, there will be sub-modules dealing with various agricultural enterprises.

According to him, module A, livestock management deals with piggery, poultry, fishery, beekeeping, farming, goat and sheep keeping, grass cutters rearing, quails farming, and feed mill and formulation. He noted that module B involved crop production, including vegetable, cassava, maize, horticulture and ornamental plants, crops multiplication, rice and mushroom productions as well as greenhouse farming and economic trees cultivation. Module C has entrepreneurship and agribusiness management, he said. Abila said the sub-modules were Agricultural mechanisation, agripreneurship, value adding, and post-harvest management, ICT application in agriculture and agribusiness and agribusiness marketing and supply chain management.

Abila announced a scholarship for two participants from each of the five states that would be enrolling in the Youth Agripreneur Training Programme, which covers tuition for participating in the three-months training. He said there would be study visits to the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan and the Songhai farm based in Benin Republic as part of the training programme.

Going Forward Enugu Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said a return to agricultural had become imperative, noting that his administration has already gone back to the drawing board to come up with plans to make the sector the mainstream of empowerment in the state. Represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mike Eneh, the governor said the state government had also commenced a programme aimed at training youths in agriculture. He explained that by next year, 500 women and youths would have been trained. He said at the end of the programme, each trainee would receive a minimum of N2 million to start-up their agribusinesses, adding that with the right support to farmers cultivating rice, production increased from 1.5 to 5.6 metric tonnes just within a year.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

24

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

The Return of Rail Transportation for Livestock

The gradual return of rail transport services between the north and south of the country could just be a big boost for farm-to-market scheme and a revival of the agriculture value chain, reports Olaseni Durojaiye

O

ne of the challenges of meeting the food needs of any nation and ensuring food security especially in a growing population like Nigeria is the ability to move livestock and perishable farm produce from farm to market in timely and seamless fashion. This is not an area that the country rates highly but a handful of factors are responsible for this.

Two major factors responsible for this are movement of such produce to the markets and preservation of the items. Across the northern part of the country, perishable farm produce waste away annually largely because the farmers are not able to transport the items to the markets in the southern parts of the country, and lack adequate preservation mechanism.

In the case of livestock, many cattle breeders and dealers rely on road transportation for the movement of their cattle to the southern region, while others who cannot afford the cost of transporting same depend on herders who move their cattle around the country on foot.

THISDAY checks revealed that before independence and until the mid-1980s, movement of cattle and farm produce from the north to the south used to be by rail. Special carriage wagons of the then active Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC) were deployed for ferrying cattle from places as far-flung as Maiduguri and Sokoto among others and conveyed to states in the south of the country by rail. Besides, railways worked with clock like precision, they arrived destinations on time and the cattle and perishable farm produce in good conditions, still retaining their freshness and nutrients.

However, the narratives changed when the NRC began to lose its famed efficient service before it eventually went comatose in the late 1980s. That led to the rise of moving livestock and farm produce in trucks through Nigerian roads.

Recent Movement of Cattle by Rail However, the good old days may be on its way back with the re-introduction of movement of livestock by rail. The 30-year jinx was broken two Saturdays back when a 15-wagon train carrying cows and rams arrived Lagos penultimate Saturday. The train, which left Gusau, capital of Zamfara state, with stops in Minna, Niger State, Ibadan, Oyo State and Ifo, Ogun state, arrived Lagos by 3:30 pm. The train travelled for approximately 36 hours, compared to about three days with haulage trucks.

The initiative, which is planned as a weekly shuttle was as a result of the partnership between NRC, Connect Rail Service, Zamfara State Association of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and funded by NIRSAL. Managing Director of Connect Rail Services Limited, Edeme Kelekume, expressed delight at the successful maiden operation and thanked all the stakeholders for believing in the initiative, adding that without the confidence reposed in the initiative the success that was recorded would not have been possible.

Though the major driver of the process was Connect Rail Services Limited, the initiative was midwifed by an intervention agency of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Incentive-based Risk Sharing for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL). Other stakeholders in the initiative include the NRC, partner deposit money banks and microfinance banks, insurance companies and the umbrella body of cattle breeders in the country, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and Zamfara State government among others.

Reacting to the development, the Managing Director, Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) described it as a good omen.

“We are indeed happy to hear that the wagons have arrived ahead of schedule. We are very delighted that the historic train has arrived earlier than projected. It is a good omen and a further source of encouragement as we strive towards improving and deepening our farm-to-market Scheme”.

While the NRC deserves commendations for

Scene of the arrival of the maiden train shuttle at Oko-oba Agege, Lagos keying into the initiative by making available its carriage wagons that are far suitable for the cows and rams, helping to preserve their body mass and nutritional values in the process, it is hoped that the corporation will extend the gesture by providing equally suitable, refrigerated coaches for the movement of perishable farm produce including tomatoes and onions between the two regions.

The benefits go beyond revenue generation for the corporation. Observers contended that making available such coaches will help to reduce if not outright elimination of wastage of perishable items like tomatoes and onions among others. The end result of that will be wealth creation among the farmers.

It is also believed that frequent rail trips would breathe life back into commercial activities along the rail routes and railway towns along the route between the two regions.

NIRSAL’s Mandate NIRSAL was conceptualised as an intervention agency for the agriculture sector and created by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with a mandate to restore the agricultural value chains with a view to providing a platform for de-risking agricultural lending.

The agency’s objectives include: to mobilise financing for Nigerian agribusinesses by using guarantees to address the risk of loan default, provide technical assistance through capacity building across the value chain, reduce cost of borrowing by producers in the agriculture sector from commercial banks as well as provide technical advice to agribusinesses.

According to entries on the agency’s website, in line with the vision,“NIRSAL seeks to proactively identify, adopt, pilot and promote all promising research from local and international research agencies, the academia, and innovative agricultural entrepreneurs that meets NIRSAL’s technical and commercial criteria and have the capacity to address agricultural challenges for enhanced productivity and food security,”it stated.

Stakeholders’ Reactions While the partners in the initiative are still basking in the euphoria of successfully executing the maiden shuttle, the first since 1986, stakeholders have harped on sustainability, cost and the need

to fine-tune logistics that would make the initiative a lasting success.

Speaking to THISDAY at Oko-Oba, Lagos during the offloading of the cattle for onward movement to the Oko-Oba Agege abattoir, an official of the Lagos State Veterinary Service lauded the initiative and explained that if the initiative could be sustained, it would reduce the need for quarantine services for cow meant for slaughter at the abattoir given that they will arrive in better condition compare with when they arrive in truck.

Similarly, a cow and ram dealer, Raheem Bello, who spoke to THISDAY also lauded the initiative and stated that he preferred rail to road for the movement of his cattle and hinged his preference on convenience, timeliness and added that he would prefer that the cost is further reduced to attract more dealers.

Bello told THISDAY that,“Movement of cattle and Sallah rams by rail is better than by road. One of the advantages is that rail gets to Lagos faster than the trucks that we normally use. By road, we sometimes spend three days on the road; for this trip, we left Gusau around 4:00 AM on Friday and arrived Lagos now. The train is also more convenient for us and the cattle.You can see they are looking very healthy just like when we put them on-board; if we’d come by road some of them would have been sick or looking lean by now,”he stated.

Continuing, he added that,“Though rail is cheaper compare to trucks and can move more number of cows, I think the cost is still high, may be because of the Sallah season. I want a further reduction of the amount we pay,”he stated.

Also speaking with THISDAY, Director of Operations, NRC, Niyi Alli, stated that the initiative was a welcome development and added that the NRC had put in place every necessary logistics to facilitate smooth, reliable and safe transportation of cattle, rams and other agriculture produce from the north to the south in record time. He also stated that the operation met the targeted travel time of 36 hours.

He, however, disagreed that the cost is high, arguing that the haulage truck charge minimum of 20 per cent more than what it cost by rail. He argued that transporting cattle to the south through the rail service was cheaper compared to when

the road is used, adding that it also ensures that the cattle arrive the destination in good shape as against when they are transported by road and lose at least 20 per cent of their biomass.

“This is a welcome development and the Nigeria Railways Corporation is pleased to be a part of it.

Transporting cattle from the North to the South through the rail service is the ideal. We’ve have put in place every logistics needed to ensure a smooth shuttle operations. Our target travel for this trip was 36 hours, which is what we’ve achieved. The train took off in Zamfara around 4:00 AM on Friday, and arrived in Lagos by 3:30; even with the stops it has to make to carry out routine check, we still met the target.

“We did market survey, the charges by rail costs 25 per cent less compared with road transportation.

By rail also helps to preserve at least 20 per cent of biomass of the cows because they were comfortable in the coaches; I enjoin other cattle breeders in other states to key into the initiative,”he stated.

Also speaking, Kelekume expressed delight at the success of the maiden operation and thanked all the stakeholders for believing in the initiative adding that without the confidence reposed in the initiative, the success that was recorded would not have been possible.

“The management of Connect Rail Services is happy with the success of this maiden shuttle. It underscore the expertise that we have been selling to members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and hope other state chapters of the association will key into the initiative. With this maiden shuttle, we’ve re-launched transportation of goods by rail and we’re committed to sustaining it.

“Beyond livestock, Connect Rail Services Limited also have the capacity to move perishables from the North to the Southern parts of the country.

We also have capacity to move petroleum products across the country and de-emphasise moving it by road. We have refrigerated coaches meant for transporting perishables and dairy products from farm to market, and to the seaports in the case of agriculture produce that are meant for export. We also have coaches that are suitable for exporting petroleum products across the country which will,” he concluded.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

25

BUSINESS/ENERGY/PERSPECTIVE

Why Africa’s Lion Economies Actually Need Lions Kaddu Kiwe Sebunya

A

frica’s labor productivity is rising, and trade between Africa and the rest of the world has increased by 200 percent since 2000. At least a dozen African economies have expanded by more than 6 percent per year for the past six years, earning the nickname, “Africa’s lion economies.”

Meanwhile, massive infrastructural developments are planned on the continent, with some already underway to facilitate national and regional trade.

Major corridors for infrastructure, agriculture and more are being planned and set aside. The Priority Action Plan of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (or PIDA) has identified approximately 50 projects that will require about US$360 billion in investment in this sector.

Africa’s current economic development has the potential to improve the livelihoods of millions of people in poverty across the continent. As Africa develops, however, its wildlife and wild lands are being impacted significantly— resulting in a loss of ecosystem services and the related goods they provide.

Ecosystem goods and services are those benefits provided by nature, such as food, water, clean air and more. Economic development and all life depend on ecosystem goods and services… and Africa’s wild lands represent the last places capable of providing the ecosystem goods and services necessary for Africa’s continued development.

Wild lands, for example, provide critical water catchment services to Africa. A third of the 100 largest cities of the world, Nairobi and Cape Town included, depend on protected areas for their water supply. More than 40 per cent of our citizens still lack access to safe and affordable drinking water,

Chairperson , African Union Commission , Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma

and we know demand for water will increase in the future. Africa needs agriculture to feed its rapidly increasing population and to contribute to feeding the rest of the world. Here, too, wild lands play an important role, supplying water, pollination, soil protection and pest control. For local communities who practice subsistence agriculture, the environment ensures food security

When Former NNPC GMDs Met over Oil Industry ate as an Incorporated Joint venture (IJV) similar to the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) model with credible partners having requisite technical and financial capabilities. This position was adopted by the former GMDs adopted.

But what threw up some sort of worries amongst Nigerians was their assertion that the current price modulation policy for petrol practised in the country was uneconomical and as such the pump price of N145 per litre was not sustainable.

In their commendation of NNPC’s efforts at resolving the fuel supply shortage the country experienced in the first and second quarters of the year, the past heads argued that the vital indices used by the government to determine its price modulation on petrol are not at parity with extant realities.

While urging the NNPC to emplace measures that will ensure sustenance of seamless supply of petroleum products nationwide, they noted that the price cap of N145 per litre for petrol was not congruent with the liberalisation policy especially with the foreign exchange rate and other price determining components such as crude cost, and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) charges remaining uncapped.

Notwithstanding their position on this, the government through the acting Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, said it was not contemplating any adjustments in the pump price of petrol.

Iyoyo noted that to PPPRA, the role of

and supports their other livelihood needs. Africa’s wild lands will also continue to provide opportunities for sustainable natural resource extraction to meet shelter, cooking fuel and other needs for a majority of the population, especially in rural areas.

Finally, as we witness other continents suffering air quality issues from rapid development, Africans can rely on the

Congo Basin forests, which acts as the world’s “second lung” after the Amazon.

But the reductions experienced by Africa’s large mammal populations in the last four decades are indicative of the continuing state of deterioration of the continent’s biodiversity. The health of Africa’s wildlife species is a visible natural proxy, a measure for our ability to live in balance with our natural environment. If we cannot solve this very visible problem, how will we learn to solve more hidden problems like climate change and ocean acidification?

Our continent is therefore at a critical crossroads: The decisions we make now—around how we develop the continent and ultimately how we will manage our natural resources—will have lasting impact on future generations. And let us not mistake what we have at stake: The African continent is home to one quarter of the world’s 4,700 mammal species, more than 2,000 species of birds (one fifth of the world’s total) and at least 2,000 species of fish and 950 species of amphibians. The African mainland harbors 40,000 – 60,000 plant species and about 100,000 known species of insects and arachnids. One eighth of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots are in Africa. The thousands of valuable plant and animal species found in African wild lands represent natural capital whose loss in economic and ecological terms is not easy to fathom.

It is increasingly clear that Africa’s wildlife and wild lands are central to the continent’s economies. If we want our “lion economies” to continue to roar for decades to come, we must make sure that wildlife and wild lands remain central to the decisions we make around Africa’s future.

– Sebunya is President, African Wildlife Foundation. AWF is Africa’s oldest and largest conservation organisation.

Cont’d from Pg. 18

the one-time NNPC bosses on this was merely advisory.

The former GMDs also advised that funding of joint venture operations by the NNPC should be the first line charge to oil revenue to ensure sustainable production and reserve growth. This is because of the shortfall in joint venture cash call request which the NNPC finds difficult to meet up with.

Kachikwu had initiated measures to pay off arrears of NNPC’s cash call to its joint venture partners, which is reportedly at $7 billion.

Other Issues Apart from the challenges of insecurity, unprofitable downstream operations, NNPC’s corporate image, and funding for joint venture operations, the former GMDs also threw their weight behind Buhari’s decision to continue the country’s search for oil in other parts of the country, especially the north.

They explained that sustained exploration activities in the frontier basins particularly the on-going efforts in Chad Basin and the Benue Trough where promising prospects had been recorded was the right thing to do as it would add to the country’s reserves if oil is found in commercial volumes there.

They also noted that for effective functioning, the National Petroleum Investments Management Services (NAPIMS) being the technical component of Nigeria’s exploration and production, and not just

an investment vehicle, must remain with and managed by the NNPC. According to them, taking NAPIMS out of the NNPC will make NNPC an ineffective national oil company. They opined that such technical component must be integrated as part of NNPC. The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) had proposed the incorporation of NAPIMS and separation from the NNPC. They said the NNPC also needs to improve on its relationship with its key stakeholders such as the federal government, National Assembly, host communities and its international partners, to get the best in its interactions with them.

On revenue, the former GMDs expressed serious concerns about the continued dwindling of NNPC’s revenue and advised that it should pay particular attention to its revenue-generating entities such as the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), its retail outlets and the refineries to return it to profitability.

The refineries have however remained NNPC’s loss-making outlets.

Because the corporation has reportedly maintained a poor revenue profile, the former GMDs said they were worried about its debt profile, and advised that it urgently establish the true state of its financial status and immediately decide on the most appropriate capitalisation model it would adopt for growth.

But Labour is Suspicious Reacting to the position of the GMDs

on petrol pump price, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said it was suspicious of the group’s intention.

It kicked against the position, in a statement that was signed by its president, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama.

“In case the management of the NNPC has forgotten, the economy is in crisis and life has become very difficult for the common man who now can hardly afford two square meals per day.

“The present minimum wage can longer purchase a bag of rice. Businesses are shutting down leading to millions of job losses, which of course have accentuated increased cases of crime and other vices.

“If all the members of the NNPC team can offer as recipe to contain this scourge of economic downturn is to hike the price of petroleum products, then they are not fit to manage the sector and should throw in the towel.

“If the country had other sources of forex or produces most of what it imports, the economy would not be what it is now. What stops the government from building more refineries and diversifying the economy? The federal government should maintain some stability of forex, taking into cognisance the fact that Nigeria is an import-dependent country,” the statement said.

It stressed that, “The congress will resist further hike in the price of petrol if that is what it will take to get the government into thinking out of the box. We do hope it doesn’t get to that.”

26

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

NIGERIA’S TOP 50 STOCKS BASED ON MARKET FUNDAMENTALS

CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC: Rise in key financial markers despite prevailing macro-economic conditions

C

ustodian and Allied Plc (Custodian) recently released its financial statement for period ended, 30th June, 2016 which shows an impressive growth in gross revenue and profitability for the period.

Custodian delights its investors by consistently paying dividend every year; usually paid at the end of the financial year. For the full year ended, December 2015, Custodian paid a total dividend per share (DPS) of N1.18 billion (on the basis of N0.20 per share) for every 50 kobo share.

Custodian and Allied Plc is the ultimate holding company that resulted from the successful merger of Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc and Crusader (Nigeria) Plc in 2012. Custodian and Allied Plc was incorporated in 1991 as a Private Limited Liability Company under the name, Accident and General Insurance Company Limited which was changed to Custodian and Allied Insurance Limited in 1993, and later converted to a Public Limited Liability Company (PLC) in 2006. Again, by a Special Resolution the Company’s name was now changed to Custodian and Allied Plc, approved by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on March 20, 2013.

SIGNIFICANT GROWTHS IN GROSS REVENUE AND OPERATIONAL COSTS For the period ended, June 30th 2016, Custodian grew gross revenue by an impressive 26.54% to N17.13 billion from N13.53 billion in the corresponding period of 2015. The rise in revenue was largely on the back of significant increase of 27.99% rise in gross premium income to N13.47 billion from N10.52 billion recorded in the preceding period ended, June 2015. Gross revenue also reflects massive rise of 225.03% rise in other operating income to N797m from N245m over the same period; as well as investment income and fees and commission which grew by 4.43% to N1.61 billion from N1.54 billion and by 2.21% to N1.25 billion from N1.23 billion respectively during the period under review.

The company’s strict adherence to prudent underwriting guidelines led to successful bolstered relationships with existing and new clients which drove the growth in premium income over the period. The insurance company continues to leverage on its trusted brand, responsive service to clients, and development of mutually beneficial partnerships to deliver quality insurance services to clients.

The Company’s earnings was further

WE EXPECT THAT CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC AS A HOLDING COMPANY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCT INNOVATIONS, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPANSION TO DEEPEN ITS MARKET WHICH WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY BOOST PERFORMANCE BEYOND CURRENT RESULTS

buoyed by an extraordinary increase of 9079.54% in net realised gain from financial assets which climbed on the backed of positive changes in fair value of quoted investments. However, loss realised on the disposal of equity securities stood extensively at N25m compared to the corresponding period of 2015.

With respect to insurance benefits and claims paid out, the reinsurer’s insurance claims, net claims and underwriting expenses for the period form the operating expenses which increased by 38.34% to N11.16 billion from N8.07 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2015. Further insight into the company’s financial statement reveals that net insurance claims grew considerably by 168.14% to N5.79 billion in June 2016 from N2.16 billion in June 2015. Consequently, underwriting expenses increased by 23.99% to N1.47 billion from N1.18 billion. Contrariwise reinsurance expenses declines by 17.38% to N3.90 billion from N4.72 billion over the period.

PROFITABILITY SURGES DESPITE DEBILITATING FACTORS Finance cost for the period ended, June 2016 increased by 8.72% to N71m from N65m recorded in the corresponding

period of 2015. Impressive growth in gross earnings and other assets over general cost upsurge led to rise in the Company’s profitability as pre-tax profit rose by 8.87% to N3.63 billion in June 2016 from N3.34 billion in June 2015. Income tax deduction for the period ended rose moderately by 3.72%, to N744m from N717m in the corresponding period of 2015. Hence, a spike in net income as it records 10.27% growth to N2.89 billion from N2.62 billion over the same period.

ASSET QUALITY REFLECTS PROFITABILITY GROWTH The Company’s balance sheet shows sizable positive changes in total assets, net assets and total liabilities as at June 2016, when compared to year ended December 2015. Total assets grew by 9.29% to N62.27 billion from N56.98 billion in December 2015. The key drivers of the Company’s total assets includes a 59.07% increase in deferred acquisition costs to N600m from N377m; 90.34% increase in financial assets to N27.17 billion from N14.27 billion and a 10.59% rise in reinsurance assets to N6.64 billion from N6.00 billion as at December 2015.

In terms of obligations, the Company’s total liabilities recorded a notable growth of 11.33% to N34.41 billion for the period ended, June 2016 from N30.91 billion as at December 2015.

Liabilities key drivers entails insurance contract liabilities which increased by 24.19% to N23.37 billion from N18.81 billion; trades payable which rose by a significant 19.99% to N3.11 billion from N2.59 and a 27.96% rise in other payables to N1.81 billion from N1.41 as at December 2015. Expectedly, the company’s net assets grew by moderately 6.86% to N27.86 billion from N26.07 billion during the peiod under review.

Moreover, with respect to returns, the company’s return on average equity (ROAE) stood at 10.36% from 10.04% as at December 2015 while return on average assets (ROAA) followed suit as it rose slightly to 4.64% from 4.59% in December 2015.

WE PLACE A BUY RECOMMENDATION AS POTENTIAL REMAINS VAST We expect that Custodian and Allied Plc as a holding company has an opportunity to deliver high level of product innovations, operational excellence and create an opportunity for expansion to deepen its market which would significantly boost performance beyond current results.

Also, the Company’s management

Valuation Metrics 9-Sept-16 Recommendation

BUY

Target Price

4.61

Current Price (N)

4.00

Outstanding Shares (m)

5,881.86

Market Cap (N'm)

23,527.46

Rolling EPS (N)

0.76

Rolling PE Ratio

5.26x

Forward EPS

1.11

Forward PE Ratio

3.60x Source: BGL Research, NSE Data

Half-Year June 2016 Unaudited Results Turnover (N’m)

17,126

Profit Before Tax (N’m) Profit After Tax (N’m) Pre-tax Margin (%)

3,631 2,887 21.20%

Source: Company Data 2016, BGL Research

FYE December 2015 Audited Results Turnover (N’m)

29,793

Profit Before Tax (N’m) Profit After Tax (N’m) Pre-tax Margin (%)

5,732 4,200 19.24%

Source: Company Report 2015, BGL Research

Shareholding Information Shareholders

% Holding

Chief Michael Ade Ojo

18.01%

Mr Wole Oshin

15.75%

Mr Ravi Sharma

5.92%

Stanbic Nominees Nigeria Ltd Free Float

5.21% 55.11%

Source: Company Report 2015, BGL Research

must effectively manage its growing expenses to curtail such impact on further earnings towards a better shareholders return.

Based on our review of the Company’s financials, we revise both our projected gross earnings to N56.28 billion and net earnings to N6.14 billion for financial year end, December 2016. This leads to a forward EPS of N1.11. Using a relative Price to Earnings Valuation (PE) and Net Assets Valuation method, we arrive at a 6-month target price of N4.61. Since this represents an upside potential of 15.20% on the current price, we therefore place a BUY recommendation on the shares of Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc.

27

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

NIGERIA’S TOP 50 STOCKS BASED ON MARKET FUNDAMENTALS

National Salt Company of Nigeria Plc: Increased activity within core business areas crucial to company’s performance

N

ational Salt Company of Nigeria Plc (NASCON) engages in the refining, processing and marketing of varied salt products used for industrial and domestic purposes.The company enjoys the household brand name of Dangote for its salt products, tagged Dangote Salts. It recorded years of misfortune due to poor choice of locations and other operational bottlenecks.

Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) consummated a reverse acquisition of the ailing salt company in 2007, which ultimately led to the voluntary liquidation of Dangote Salts Limited following the transfer of its assets, liabilities and other business undertakings to NASCON. In return, 2.12 billion ordinary shares were issued as purchase consideration to DIL, the largest shareholder with about 62% controlling interest.

Consequently, NASCON became a subsidiary of the Dangote conglomerate.

Expectedly, installed capacity initially ramped up to 400,000 tonnes per annum for 25-50 kg bags of salt and 100,000 tonnes per annum for smaller sachets but later increased to 600,000 metric tonnes cumulatively.The turnaround also led to a substantial gain in market share, now estimated at over 60%, and surpassing the company’s aged long rival, Union Dicon Salt Plc that boasts of 700,000 metric tonnes capacity.

IN LINE WITH OUR REVIEW OF NASCON’S CURRENT OPERATIONS, WE BELIEVE THAT THE COMPANY HAS THE CAPACITY CONTINUE TO BOOST ITS PERFORMANCE WITH INCREASED ACTIVITY WITHIN ITS CORE BUSINESS AREAS IN AN INDUSTRY WITH HIGH GROWTH POTENTIAL

GROWTH IN REVENUE ONTHE BACK OF CORE BUSINESSES NASCON’s revenue shows an extensive growth as it increased by 30.03% to N8.60 billion in June 2016 from N6.61 billion in June 2015 as a result of increase in the sale of edible, refined, bulk and industrial salt; as well as seasoning, tomato paste and vegetable oil over the period to its wide range of distributors and customers.

Sales of its core products rose by a substantial 33.93% in the half-year 2016 to N7.50 billion from N5.60 billion reported in the half-year 2015. Income from freight services increased by 8.39% to N1.09 billion and covers 12.72% of total revenue.The Company provides freight services to customers by transporting refined salt purchased to their destination.

Cost of sales grew notably to N5.58 billion from N4.54 billion over the period; representing a growth of 22.95%.The increment rose from the combined effect of rises in various components of operational expenditures especially: direct material cost, direct labour cost, manufacturing expenses, external haulage, depreciation and loading which increased by 25.92%, 6.06%, 20.37%, 25.98%, 11.19% and 51.31% respectively, which we believe shows partly the inflation changes caused by prevailing macro-economic headwind in the economy.

Expectedly, due to the higher growth in generated revenue over cost of operation, gross profit grew considerably by 45.62% to N3.01 billion in the half-year 2016 from N2.06 billion reported a year earlier.

The Company’s management increased activities towards income generation by investing its large liquid funds in money market instrument – fixed deposit; hence leading to an unexpected enormous rise in investment income of 4272% to N11.28m in June 2016 from N0.26m in June 2015. Nevertheless, other income as anticipated reduced by 98.44% to N1.36m from N86.92m in June 2015.This resulted from reduction in profit generated from asset disposal as well as the absence of insurance claim and profit exchange differences recorded in June of the prior year.

Management of expenditures was adversely affected by the Company’s extensive rebranding programme as it consumed N421.97m in the six-month ended, June 2016 from N26.04 billion in the corresponding period of 2015; hence indicating an enormous increase of 1520.48%.

Therefore, a significant increase 908.81% was recorded in administrative expenses which grew to N456.01m in June 2016 compared to June 2015 figure of N45.2m. Administrative expenses grew by 4.50% to N614.90m from N588.44m recorded over the same period.

Also, net financial cost increased to N74.72m which represents 100% increment when compared with June 2015 figure and a rise of 272.37% when compared to December 2015 of N20.07m.

NASCON recorded a significant growth of 23.40% in profit before tax to N1.87 billion in the half-year ended, June 2016 over N1.52 billion reported in the corresponding period of 2015. Nevertheless, despite the same per cent change in income tax which grew N599.47m from June 2015 figure of N485.79m, profit after tax recorded similar feat as it grew by 23.40% to N1.27 billion in June 2016 from N1.03 billion reported in June 2015.

PROFITABILITY INCREASES DESPITE UPSURGE IN COST

KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS REFLECTS IMPROVED PERFORMANCE

The Company’s balance sheet shows positive changes in total assets, net assets and total liabilities which grew by 18.47%, 14.80% and 20.63% respectively as at half-year ended, June 2016, when compared to half-year ended, June 2015.Total asset currently positions at N19.24 billion while total liabilities stood at N12.34 billion; and N6.90 billion marks shareholders’ value.

Moreover, with respect to returns, the company’s return on average equity (ROAE) improved to 18.21% while return on average assets (ROAA) stood at 7.17% as at June 2016.The Company’s liquidity ratio - current ratio – improved to 1.13x from 0.99x at the corresponding period 2015.

NASCON’s management shows effectiveness in its operation cycle with an average of 97 days before payment.

Valuation Metrics 2-Sept-16 Recommendation

BUY

Target Price (N)

8.44

Current Price (N)

8.10

Market Cap (N'm)

20,931

Outstanding Shares (m)

2,649

EPS (N)

0.89

PE Ratio

9.14x

Forward EPS (N)

0.95

Forward PE

8.55x Source: NSE Data, BGL Research

Unaudited Half-Year 2016 Financial Turnover (N’m)

8,590

DESPITETHE OPPORTUNITIES,THE VALUE CHAIN IS YETTO BE FULLY OPTIMISED Findings reveal that the country spends more than US$2.3 billion on salt importation annually despite the country’s abundant endowment of the natural resources required for salt production. Raw salts can be derived mainly from two sources; the brine lakes and rock salt, which are readily available in the country. Brine lakes are water containing high concentration of salt flows heavily in Imo, Plateau, and Ebonyi states while Rock salts also known as crystalized salts is available in Benue state. In fact, Nigeria is estimated to have reserves of at least 1.5 billion tonnes of rock salt deposits. However, given that the players in the salt industry act as packaging companies as opposed to producers, the country remains an importer of raw salts.The industry is yet to adopt backward integration despite the presence of a huge market for its outputs. Nigeria is a high consumer of salts with estimated annual consumption of 600,000 metric tonnes (from household, animal, and industry) while the per capita consumption (PCC) is between 2.2g and 6.3g daily.The reasons for the failure of the industry to take advantage of the opportunities that the abundance of raw salt in the country presents are unclear.

However they may include inadequate support from the government and the low capacity of the operators. Also, we observe that regulatory oversight in the industry is weak despite the existence of a mineral and mining ministry and related agencies.

support to the local operators to promote platforms for real production.The backward integration process comes with multiple benefits amongst which are job opportunities, foreign exchange earnings, FDI, development of local communities and most importantly, GDP growth.

AVOIDING ANOTHER ROUND OF SALT SHORTAGE REQUIRES DOMESTIC ACTIONS With the success of electric vehicles that will run on batteries instead of fuel in Japan and the US, a global shortage of raw salt appears imminent as salt is used for lithium, a primary raw component for producing batteries. Furthermore, rapid population growth and industrialisation in the Asian countries as well as Brazil and Australia is also a threat to sustainable salt supply.The sophistication of the nuclear power plants which are persistently being introduced in Asia also appears to contaminate sea salt production.

It therefore becomes even more vital for the local industry to open up since even our packaging activities are import-driven.

Government needs to intervene to give active

WE RECOMMEND A BUY In line with our review of NASCON’s current operations, we believe that the Company has the capacity continue to boost its performance with increased activity within its core business areas in an industry with high growth potential.

We therefore project growth in net earnings to N19.34 billion for the full year 2016 and a net income of N2.25 billion, leading to a forward EPS of N0.95.

Using a combination of the adjusted price to earnings multiple (P/E) valuation model, we forecast a weighted 6-month target price of N8.44, which represents a 4.25% upside on the current stock price. We place a BUY recommendation on the shares of National Salt Company of Nigeria Plc.

Profit Before Tax (N'm) Profit After Tax (N'm) Pre-tax Margin (%)

1,873 1,274 21.81%

Source: Company’s Data 2016, BGL Research

Audited Year End 2015 Financial Results Turnover (N'm)

16,178

Profit Before Tax (N'm) Profit After Tax (N'm) Pre-tax Margin (%)

3,018 2,106 18.65%

Source: Company’s Annual Report 2015, BGL Research

Shareholding Information Shareholders

% Holding

Dangote Industries Limited

62.19%

Public Float

37.81%

Outstanding Shares (m)

2,649

Source: Company’s Data 2016, BGL Research

28

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/TRIBUTE

Olorogun Michael Ibru: Exit of a Business Colossus No one who knew Olorogun Michael Christopher Onajirevbe Ibru will ever forget him; millions who never met him but felt they knew him will remember him for what he was worth: a humanitarian and successful business magnate who lifted himself by the jockstraps to confront poverty, the affliction of his childhood and conquer it. As the nation mourns the demise of the billionaire philanthropist and businessman, Lanre Alfred examines the life of this illustrious son of Delta

O

lorogun Christopher Onajirevbe Micheal Ibru’s story resonates with an inspiring peal in whatever tenor or language it is recounted. It speaks to the diligence and eventual rise to eminence of a hard worker from the backwaters and then there is some tinge of hilarity attached to his story; the colourful contradictions that enriched his life were wholly captured in his good-natured. The dirge of life resonates again, this time in the household of Ibru. Death, the dreaded dialogue between the spirit and the dust, has finally manifested like a dark pall, shielding the late billionaire’s mortal soul from the beams of life. Ibru is dead; the billionaire philanthropist has gone to sleep where earthly crusts weigh upon the eyelids, keeping it closed six-feet underground.

He died on Tuesday in the United States of America.

Though he was 85 when he passed on, his death served as a rude shock to his friends, family and business associates. Many of the sympathisers, who thronged his residence to commiserate with his family, expressed their regrets at the death of a man widely acknowledged as a fair and compassionate philanthropist.

Predictably, his death threw Delta State into mourning that so clearly contrasts with his infectious mirth and boisterousness while he was alive. There is no gainsaying Ibru was a man who impacted positively on everyone that came in contact with him.

Thank God for Ibru, public and private lives intersected with the verve of humaneness and growth, for that was indeed what he symbolised to many while he was alive. But somewhere along the line the magic departed and the demons moved in; after he fell ill, his fate was determined.

Michael was the first child of Peter Ibru, a missionary, who also worked at the Igbobi Orthapaedic Hospital, Lagos.

He attended Igbobi College from 1948 to 1951, spending less than four years in the five-year secondary education at the time. He was the head boy of the prestigious Igbobi college. Interestingly, however, his brothers, Bernard and Felix Ibru, also led the college as head boys. After secondary school, he joined the United African Company, as a management trainee. In 1956, a few years after joining U.A.C, he dropped out of the company and started a partnership, which he called Laibru.

The corporate entity was in partnership with an expatriate, Jimmy Large. After engaging in general trading with some success, in 1957, Michael Ibru discovered that the frozen fish market was a fertile market with the potential to deliver returns above the market rate. However, it was a tough market to penetrate, at the time, many expatriate firms and Nigerian traders were lacking and some were not interested in the market. But he felt he could put extra effort communicating with general traders, who played key roles in products acceptance. To trade in seafood, he established an importing company, he also rented and built cold storage facilities across the country. By the mid-1960s trading in fish had become the traditional money maker for the Ibru organization. Though he had other profitable interests such as transportation and construction, fish trading helped him secure financing and other forms of capital to engage in large scale trading. He established a partnership with a Taiwanese company, Osadjere Fishing Company, which provided Trawlers and other

Ibru

accessories for trading. By the end of the 1960s, he branched out fully into other areas of the economy.

Like a lot of his contemporaries, he established a transportation company, called Rutam. He also invested in palm oil production. Over the years, the Ibru Organisation has expanded into other areas such as Tourism, real estate, Brewery, Timber

and Poultry. In the Timber business, he acquired Nigerian Hardwoods, a logging and sawmilling and wood processing company, Ubiaruku, at a low price from the Lathem Group He was known as an entrepreneurial figure, who created one of the largest modern Nigerian owned groups with other figures such as the low key

By the end of the 1960s, he branched out fully into other areas of the economy. Like a lot of his contemporaries, he established a transportation company, called Rutam. He also invested in palm oil production. Over the years, the Ibru Organization has expanded into other areas such as Tourism, Brewery, Timber and Poultry…. Ibru captivated and intrigued the world like few privileged humans has. His grace and charm substantiates his irrepressible image as the ordinary boy who became an extraordinary icon for generations of Nigerians, irrespective of class, gender and ethnicity.

Olorogun managed to enthrall us with his ingenious philanthropy and business exploits

Bode Akindele.

Ibru indeed, lives on. He resides in the memory of family and friends, in the recollection of his amazing manhood and his touch by those who felt his presence as the self-appointed angel to the downtrodden. He echoes on videotape, newspaper pages and the memories of lives made worthier by his direct and indirect impact outlining worthy paths to be tread by successive generations of Nigerians in his mould. His astounding lifestyle is repetitive and often self-explanatory.

Ibru, the Otota of Agbarha-Otor Kingdom, was a member of the Business Advisory Council of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and served as council member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nigeria-United States Business Council.

With his death departs the hopes of a world that had turned his life into part of its own projected unforgettable history and experiences. Ibru captivated and intrigued the world like few privileged humans has. His grace and charm substantiates his irrepressible image as the ordinary boy who became an extraordinary icon for generations of Nigerians, irrespective of class, gender and ethnicity.

Olorogun managed to enthral us with his ingenious philanthropy and business exploits. Sadly he had to depart this mortal world at the age of 85.

29

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

BUSINESS/TRIBUTE

LIFE AND TIMES OF OLOROGUN MICHAEL IBRU

L-R: Olorogun Michael Ibru with his late wife, Elsie Ibru

L-R: Cecilia Ibru, Olorogun Michael Ibru and a guest

L-R: Olorogun Michael Ibru , a guest, Oba Sikiru Adetona and Oskar Ibru

L-R: Late Mrs Elsie Ibru, late Gbegi Ojora , Oskar and Wanda Ibru, Olorogun Micheal Ibru and Wanda’s Mother

L-R: Olorogun Michael Ibru with his son, Obaro Ibru

R-L: Olorogun Michael Ibru with Late Alex Ibru

L-R: Olorogun Michael Ibru , Mrs Maiden Alex-Ibru and a guest

Olorogun Michael Ibru

Olorogun Michael Ibru as a young man

30

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

A

WEEKLY PULL-OUT

11.09.2016

BERNARD BANKOLE

INSPIRED BY HIS PASSION

32

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

COVER

BERNARD BANKOLE

INSPIRED BY HIS PASSION It is not uncommon for individuals and corporate bodies to sum-up their entire character and personality in a given animal, which they hold up as their mascot. Often these creatures with the assumed good luck charm are those that conjure images of strength, agility and smoothness. But Vanessa Obioha discovered an out-of-the-ordinary trade symbol represented by a little known but colourful bird that inspired a weird, albeit, good business sense

I

n more than one way, Bernard Bankole shares striking similarities with the bird species his company is named after. Finches have colourful feathers. Bankole goes around with a visage of vibrancy and cheerfulness.

Finches are known to occupy a great range of habitats. They have a worldwide distribution. Like his mascot bird, Bankole is striving to establish a presence everywhere for his trade. When he started his travel agency Finch Glow in 2006, he was little known in the industry. With just five employees in a small office at Falomo Plaza, Ikoyi, there was no guarantee that he would swim past the big sharks in the industry.

But like the finch, his humble beginning was just a sign of glad tidings in the future. Seated behind his desk in his modest office in Ikoyi, he still looked like a banker in his crisp white shirt and red tie under a black suit. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of spectacles. The wooden desk in front of him was a cluster of aircraft artifacts, awards, magazines, newspapers, files and of course a laptop which he frequently stared at. A wooden shelf stood at the corner of his office. It also boasted of more awards and journals.

Once in a while, he looked at the window where construction

workers were busy with their shovels. The road was under repair. It was the first time the street was undergoing major renovation since he moved in six years ago, he told this reporter and his publicist Niran Adedokun who were seated opposite him. The white and blue building is his second office in a decade.

How time flies, he mused. It still seemed like yesterday when Bankole took the leap of faith that turned his life around. A leap that most people feared would lead to a great fall. But Bankole’s decision was more of a call to action, fueled by an undying passion. With a definite help, Providence charted a new course and perhaps, a new life for him. Those who knew him then assumed the worst may happen to him.

They couldn’t fathom how he would leave his lush banking job to become a travel agent, particularly when he occupied the lofty position of a bank manager. It seemed insane that he would migrate to an industry that had little acknowledgement from the government.

But Bankole’s mind was made up. His travel business had been in the pipeline for a while. He had discussed it with his supportive wife who is also an image consultant. It seemed easy but for some unknown reason, the plan was stalled.

Looking back now, he can say with certainty that his consideration for what his friends and loved ones’ said about travel agency made him tip toe for a while. They had a limited understanding of what travel agency really is, even he would find out more. It was more than booking airlines and

Cont’d on pg.57

WITH A DEFINITE HELP, PROVIDENCE CHARTED A NEW COURSE AND PERHAPS, A NEW LIFE FOR HIM. THOSE WHO KNEW HIM THEN ASSUMED THE WORST MAY HAPPEN TO HIM. THEY COULDN’T FATHOM HOW HE WOULD LEAVE HIS LUSH BANKING JOB TO BECOME A TRAVEL AGENT, PARTICULARLY WHEN HE OCCUPIED THE LOFTY POSITION OF A BANK MANAGER. IT SEEMED INSANE THAT HE WOULD MIGRATE TO AN INDUSTRY THAT HAD LITTLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT

T H I S DAY, T H E S U N DAY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

57

COVER

Bankole

reservations as he would later find out.

For now, he recalled his good days in the bank, when everyone called him ‘my bank, my bank’ (a weird corruption of his name). It was during Charles Soludo’s era as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

At the time, he worked with First Inland Bank. He worked previously with Ecobank where he kicked off his career, before moving to Metropolitan Bank. Anyone who was close to him could tell from a distance Bankole’s undying passion for the financial industry. However, that zeal and lure died during the tenure of Soludo as governor of the apex bank in Nigeria. Things appeared lacklustre for the banker. There were no more innovations or new ideas. With an uncanny desire for new things, the new regime certainly was a killjoy. It was at this stage that he toyed with the idea of floating a travel agency.

To be sure, Bankole’s interest in the travel industry did not spur from a pecuniary need, rather from a passion for travels and meeting new people. There was never a time he considered himself being anything than a banker. “I have always wanted to be a banker. I was enjoying banking to the point that my friends used to call me ‘My bank, my bank’ because when I talk, I personalised my things. I had a very strong passion for banking then.

“I started my career at Ecobank and moved to Metropolitan bank, then to First Atlantic bank that later became First Inland bank. It was at that point I left because the zeal and lure I had for banking had died.

There were no innovations anymore. When I started my banking career, there were innovations, new ideas, new ways of doing things, but when Soludo came in, everything just died off. I got bored. I didn’t sign up for this. I asked myself if I leave banking, what will I do next? I love travelling because I love to see other people with different cultures, languages, food, what makes them who they are. It stimulated my interest. I developed this culture for travel. I said to myself, I will float a travel agency considering that it is the smallest part to entrench my love for travel.

Travel agency is the downstream sector of the aviation industry.”

Even though his job as a banker availed him the opportunity to travel to the UK and America, it didn’t prepare him for the

journey ahead. He compared himself to a novice when he joined the industry. And as a rookie, he spent his first two years studying the industry to determine where his strength lies.

“I started going to travel exhibitions and trade shows. It was after attending those exhibitions that I realised that I need to know what I really want to become in the industry.

Do I want to be a travel agency, a tour consultant, a travel management company?

I realised that with the kind of brain I have, I will do well in business travel. I started following up on global travel market companies that focus on business travels.

I approached the likes of HRT, BCD and others. Unfortunately, they had been taken up by other companies. I searched for the one that was untaken. That’s how I laid my hands on FCM Travel which is a subsidiary of a flight centre management that is based in Australia. They were represented in over 80 countries.”

Bankole was able to acquire the franchise and today thumps his chest as the only local travel agency that FCM can use to handle business travels. The partnership also came with additional values such as technical knowledge. Little wonder that his company introduced the electronic ticketing and was among the first to start the Billing and Settling Plan. Apart from that, his new passion allowed him the time to travel the world. He has been to every continent and is currently the National President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA).

Presently, he has eight offices in Nigeria spread across Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos. There are plans to open another branch in Aba. At a time when airline booking and reservations are done online, Bankole found himself being questioned on his reasons for establishing more offices across the country, particularly in Lagos where he already has five offices.

His answer: “Lagos is such a busy place that you can spend the better part of your time in traffic. And Nigerians love to see who they are dealing with. Nigerians do not love to go online because they need to be educated. They are not like Europeans. They want to ask questions, why is it like this or that and the computers cannot answer those questions. That created a need for me to

put offices in all those places. So there’s an office in Ikeja, Ikoyi, VI, Apapa, and Lagos Island to take care of the people in those environs. Each office performs optimally and contributes to the common growth.”

Another thing he found out about Nigerians was their eagerness to explore the world. This he explained while debunking the myth that Nigerians are the most travelled in the world.

“We are a kind of people that are creative. We buy into foreign ideas quickly.

Once we find out that people are doing something, we get engaged. Everybody wants to get exposed in Nigeria and travelling is the only thing that can give you that exposure. That’s why Nigerians really imbibe travelling. In Turkey, 60 per cent of the population travel. And when you look at it, the only reason Nigerians are travelling a whole lot is because if you look around, you won’t find anything exciting so to speak. It is in the nature of human beings to migrate.

Travel is about migration, not that you are relocating completely. People tend to travel in Nigeria because they want to see new places and discover new things.”

Despite his growth in the industry, he is saddened that tourism is given little spotlight in Nigeria. He bemoaned the lack of agencies to promote the cultures of Nigeria to the outside world. He believes that Nigeria has abundant tourism products to make a golden statement in the world.

Perhaps, our abundance is our problem, he argued. For Nigeria to make the most of tourism, he advised that government has to first of all show keen interest, and the right man for the job must be put in place to man the ministry.

It is easy to assume that the road has been very smooth for Bankole going by his meteoric rise in the industry. That’s far from the truth. Like every other business, he had his fair share of challenges. For instance, he didn’t have most of the resources needed to kick-start his travel agency. He was quick to correct the impression that resources must be available before one floats a business.

“People always believe that one must have all the capital before starting up business. No, that’s not what makes a business successful. You just need to have the commitment to start and sell yourself.

Anytime you want to sell a product, the first

HIS HAT-TRICK IN LAUNCHING HIMSELF TO THE INDUSTRY WAS TO USE THE ROBUST NETWORK HE HAD BUILT DURING HIS BANKING DAYS. WITH THAT AND LITTLE SACRIFICIAL PERKS AND ADDITIONAL VALUE, HE ETCHED HIS NAME PROUDLY AS A LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY. THIS IN A WAY REFLECTS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BIRD HIS COMPANY IS NAMED AFTER. APART FROM IT BEING SYNONYMOUS TO ITS BUSINESS, IT DESCRIBED WHO HE WAS TEN YEARS AGO thing you sell is yourself. People want to pay for what they can see. When they see there’s a quality in you, an intellectual capacity in you, that’s what they are paying for. That’s what most people lack.”

His hat-trick in launching himself to the industry was to use the robust network he had built during his banking days. With that and little sacrificial perks and additional value, he etched his name proudly as a leader in the industry.

This in a way reflects the characteristic of the bird his company is named after. Apart from it being synonymous to its business, it described who he was ten years ago.

“The fact that the bird happens to be a small one but makes louder noise than the bigger ones was the attraction to launch my service. When you are going into an industry that you are a novice, you are more like the smallest which means that it all depends on how you are able to position yourself.

That small bird will now turn up to be a big bird that it will no longer be small but can be heard everywhere and that has been our story in the last 10 years.”

58

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

EVENT

Children of the deceased at the funeral service

For Elizabeth Nwogwugwu, a Solemn Service of Songs Nseobong Okon-Ekong was part of a recent solemn rite that marked the passage of Mrs. Elizabeth Chinyere Nwogwugwu, a top retired civil servant

M

uch of the buzz on that sober evening was for the attentive in the gathering.

It was echoed in every passage from the scripture and given further verve in the hymns. The priests minced no words about it: everyone in the assembly still had a chance to mend their ways and perhaps fashion it after the

Late Mrs. Nwogwugwu

exemplary life of Mrs. Elizabeth Chinyere Nwogwugwu whose passage pooled her children, friends, family and members at the Church of the Resurrection (Anglican Communion), 1004 Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos for the Wake Keep Service last Thursday, the first activity for her obsequies.

Some hymns conveyed images of

‘pleasant courts above’ with happy birds that sing and fly. At other instances, the congregation sang heartily of a time ‘we shall gather at the river…flowing from the Throne of God. Yet another hymn created a yearning for ‘Jerusalem on high…the centre of my bliss’. With such reflections on paradise, no one wore a long face. The first prayer from Psalm 90 which everyone intoned after the priest about the ‘Lord being our home before He created the hills or brought the world into being’ may have instilled the stoic resolve.

The prevailing melancholy was deepened further when Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, Editor of THISDAY and daughter of the deceased read from Ecclesiastes the scripture that says ‘everything in this world happens at the time God chooses. He sets the time for birth and the time for death….’

Her siblings Obi, Ugo and Nnenna took turns, as well to read scriptures that implied that ‘it is a foolish mistake to think that righteous people die and that their death is a terrible evil’. Another one read from 1Thessalonians a scripture that uses sleep as a metaphor for death.

Speaking of her mother, Ijeoma described her as a fiery, passionate, hard working and industrious woman who loved the Lord Jesus. She said she was happy to note that her mother ‘lived to the Biblical 70 years plus four’. Her companion, Mrs. Juliet Okafor said she would remember her for always urging people to give their live to Jesus Christ and being quick to forgive.

To many in the gathering who never knew the deceased, Revd. Silas Okoh recalled her as an active member of the church who used her time to serve God. For her dedication and apparent relationship with God, he concluded that it was not a time for mourning, but an opportunity to rejoice for Nwogwugwu’s worthy legacy which he urged everyone to emulate. But the departed was not the only one who had done a commendable deed, the Vicar of the church, Ven. Ife Okupevi lauded the children of the late Mrs. Nwogwugwu for taking very good care of their mother.

Other priests who also officiated at the service were Revds. Iyanulouwa Amoo and Canon Kehinde Olajide.

The Nwogwugwu family were in the company of their friends, colleagues and esteemed guests like the former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi and his wife, Margaret; Mr. William Anumudu and his wife, Nkiru; former Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Reuben Abati; Chairman of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko Disco), Mr. Charles Momoh; Publisher of Abuja Enquirer, Mr. Dan Akpovwa and his wife, Doris; Chairman of THISDAY Editorial Board, Mr. Segun Adeniyi; Deputy Managing Director of THISDAY Newspapers, Mr. Kayode Komolafe; Executive Editor, THISDAY Style, Ms. Ruth Osime; Peter Iwegbu; May Mbu; Ziggy Azike; Bode Opeseitan; and several relatives of the deceased who came from far and wide.

59

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

entertainment

with nSeobong okon-ekong 08114495324, nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com

79 Clubs, 70-Member Troupe for King Sunny Ade’s Four-Month 70th Birthday Celebration Nseobong Okon-Ekong

T

he teeming crowd of journalists at the Lagos Airport Hotel were not kept waiting for too long. It was just a couple of minutes past the scheduled time, when multiple award winning music icon, Chief Sunday Adegeye, better known as King Sunny Ade or KSA walked into the meeting room.

Apparently, surprised at the large turnout, he moved quickly into the space separating the seated journalists - who were standing by this time - to shake their hands. Formalities done, he took his reserved seat with his publicist, Clement Ige by his side.

KSA, who had recently returned from a twomonth tour of the United States of America where he performed in 36 states, began the interaction by thanking the Nigerian media for preparing the ground for the warm reception that he was accorded abroad.

He said his birthday celebration will be different from previous years. Whereas he was used to a one-week festivity, which normally began on the day he was born, September 22 till the end of that week, this time he announced that the merriment was kick-started on September 1 when the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye hosted a special session of prayers for him.

Laughing and cracking jokes throughout the session with the media, he joked that it was the first time he would witness a birthday fete that began long before the actual date.

September 21 has been set aside as Gospel Music Night. The assembly will continue until the clock strikes midnight, leading into D-Day. A mid-morning gathering of his patrons and matrons on September 22 at his private chapel in his Igba, Ondo East country home will dove-tail into an exclusive family party hosted by his children and grand-children. He said his fans should expect two or three albums from him to celebrate his attainment of becoming a septuagenarian.

The next day will see KSA on a tour of duty to different charities in Ondo including the prisons, orphanages and old peoples’ homes.

September 24 is set aside for festivities with members of his extended family. On September 27 which is World Tourism Day, there will be a lecture at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in honour of KSA. The jubilation train moves to the palace of the Ooni of Ife where KSA will be in company of royalty and other eminent persons.

Debunking the notion that he might have had a crush on Onyeka Onwenu when they collaborated on the song, ‘Wait for Me’ sponsored by John Hopkins Institute of the USA to promote safe sex, he said it was a

OONI PARTNERS MOTHERLAND BECKONS ON NIDO The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has formally opened the Motherland Beckons - Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO) office at the Enuwa Palace, Ile-Ife. The ceremony was performed by the Ooni, who is also the grand patron of Motherland Beckons, an organisation founded by Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, which is dedicated to the promotion of Africa and enhancing linkage between the Diaspora and Africa, Motherland.

Speaking at the occasion, Oba Ojaja II enunciated an ennobling vision of uniting Nigerians in the Diaspora, adding that he has a responsibility towards them as he sees them as one of his primary consistencies in his grand design of fostering the peace, unity and development of Nigeria as well as Africa.

The monarch also emphasised the significant role of the Diaspora in the development of the nation. He said even America was developed by immigrants from Europe and not the native Red Indians. The Chairman of NIDO America, Samuel Gbenga Adewusi, said he was delighted by the warm reception accorded his team by the monarch with respect to opening a befitting office for NIDO. He announced a donation of 400 e-books on information technology, amounting to about 10,000 pages to the new NIDO office by NIDO America while promising to follow up with

King Sunny Ade

successful gimmick deployed to draw attention to the message. KSA who was known to be in liaison with many women before he took his spirituality seriously said emphatically that there was no chance of him taking another wife.

“You need to see my grandchildren. I often refuse to go out with some of them as many people view them as my young wives. Marrying a new wife is not on my agenda at all”, he explained. A major feature of the celebration of KSA who is one of the two Nigerians (the other is Femi Kuti) nominated for the Grammy is a concert in South Africa on October 8 and

9. Another international concert in Nigeria showcasing world renowned artistes is in the pipeline.

Three different books on the life and times of KSA are scheduled for launch. The first of books will be presented to the public on October 27 at Ibadan. On the same day and in the same city, there will be a concert organised by Walex International. On the bandstand will be KSA with other musicians whose music cut across a variety of styles.

A past president of the Performing Musicians Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN),

multi-levels of concerts have been lined up by the different strata of the organisation at the level of Ondo State, the western zone of PMAN and the national PMAN to celebrate KSA. The Chairman of the Western Zone of PMAN and notable juju musician who is also a past president of PMAN and a long-standing friend of KSA, Chief Dele Abiodun was at the press conference.

He agonised over the state of music in Nigeria, saying that all musicians are struggling to survive and that this has affected the quality of music. “How many musicians can afford to buy musical instruments? They are very expensive; those of us who keep a big band are struggling. Even the young musicians are struggling. There are quality studios. Everybody is just having small studios in their rooms or basement.”

Refusing to compare the present generation of musicians with those of his generation, KSA said a similar comparison was made when he was emerging with those who were ahead of him. He advised the new generation of musicians to do what they did in their time.

This is in addition to various parties planned by some of the 79 social clubs in Nigeria and abroad to which the King of Juju Music belongs. Some of the notable ones which he readily mentioned include the Island Club, Lagos Country Club, Ikeja Club and Ibadan Tennis Club. Another unprecedented novelty is the plan to have a group of 70 children, drumming, dancing, singing and playing on various other musical instruments in celebration of KSA.

… KSA on stage more material, physical and monetary donations on behalf of NIDO Europe and Africa that were also represented at the event.

STAR MUSIC TREK RETURNS Star Lager Beer has revealed plans to kick off the 2016 edition of the annual nationwide concert, Star Music Trek holding in five cities around the country - Makurdi, Abuja, Calabar, Owerri and Lagos.

In an exciting online unveil, artistes performing on the Star Music Trek made the official announcement, as they took to their individual social media platforms to share this news with fans. The show kicked-off yesterday in Makurdi.

Among artistes billed to perform across the five cities are Africa’s music icon, 2face Idibia, Koko Master - Dbanj, delectable Tiwa Savage, Davido, Falz, Olamide, MI, Tekno, Wande Coal, Chidinma, Burna Boy, Darey Art Alade, Mr. Raw, Cynthia Morgan, Runtown, Kcee, Ice Prince, Ycee, Humblesmith and Flavour.

On board the Star Music Trek with spinning Deejays are DJ Neptune and DJ Big N, while the hosts will be Lafup and Comedian of the Federal Republic - Gbenga Adeyinka, cracking up the revelers at various city concerts.

THEATREMANIA AFRICA FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AMBASSADORS TheatreMania Africa Festival (TAF) has announced ambassadors for the event billed

to take place in Nigeria. TAF is the first allencompassing All Africa Theatre Production/ Creative Industry Awards and Festival aimed at re-writing the African story in a positive way. The theme for TAF 2016/17 is ‘Peace in Africa’.

The names unveiled by the organisers of the awards include Akin Lewis, Norbert Young, Doris Simeon, Owen Gee (Nigeria), Thandekile Grace Maseko, Sibongile Maria Phakathi (South Africa), Zani Michelle Chiumia a.k.a Zani Challe (Malawi) and Uncle Ebo Whyte (Ghana).

The CEO and Co-founder of TAF, Mr. Alayande Stephen added that “The lineup of the Ambassadors shows a repertoire of seasoned entertainment practitioners whose field range from theatre to screen, music and even comedy. They are not just lovers of stage production but they are passionate about the African culture and story. Interestingly, they are also a mixture of experienced and young at heart.”

TAF is a system to appreciate African Thespians who have slaved tirelessly for the theatre. The award is expected to pool a constellation of stars to celebrate and be celebrated.

In the words of Malawian actress, singer and On Air Personality (OAP) Zani Challe, who spoke about the diversity of the ambassadors, said “I feel really honoured to be picked as one of the ambassadors for the

festival. Seeing how diverse we are in culture and tradition will in no small measure create a reverberating effect on the journey we are about to embark on.”

MAIN CONCERT UNVEILS IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP MaIN Group, a collaboration of private sector organisations who are putting together the much-talked-about Made-in-Nigeria Festival (MaIN), have unveiled an impressive line-up of performers for the maiden edition of the Supremacy Concert to hold on October 1 at the Eko Atlantic, Lagos.

The music concert will feature the King of World Beats King Sunny Ade (KSA), internationally recognised songstress Asa, the Kokomaster D’banj, African Queen crooner 2Baba, and Star Boy Records Boss Wizkid.

This would be the first time these entertainers would grace the same stage in the history of music concerts in Nigeria and fans are already blown away by the choice of these artistes churning out hits on the same stage.

For people who have been following music for more than 30 years, KSA is their obvious choice. For the younger generation of music fans and enthusiasts, the choice of 2baba, Asa, Dbanj and Wizkid is welcome any day. The Supremacy Concert will be the climax of a seven-day event.

AFRICAN STARS READY FOR MAMAS 2016 African stars Yemi Alade, Nasty C and

60

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT Babes Wodumo will dazzle fans with electrifying performances at Joburg’s first ever edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards Johannesburg 2016 (MAMA).

The MTV Africa Music Awards Johannesburg 2016, brought to you by Joburg Tourism in partnership with Absolut and Google and in association with MTN and DStv, will take place at The Ticketpro Dome, Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday, October 22.

Highlighting the ‘gold standard’ in contemporary music, creativity and achievement, The MTV Africa Music Awards Johannesburg 2016 promises to be the biggest and best ever, with more than 15,000 fans expected to fill out the Ticketpro Dome for the unique celebration.

The definitive annual celebration of African and international talent and achievement, MAMA 2016 recognises and rewards musicians and achievers who have made the most impact on African music and youth culture over the previous year. The ceremony will feature stunning performances from African and international artists along with the show’s signature cross-genre and crossborder collaborations.

MAMA 2016 will celebrate African talent across 18 award categories, including Best Male, Best Female, Best Song and Best Collaboration in partnership with Absolut.

The contribution of artists from Portuguese and French-speaking Africa will also be recognised in the Best Lusophone and Best Francophone categories. Additional categories include the Africa Re-Imagined Award and Personality of the Year. The nominations for the awards will be revealed in two parts: on September 21 in Johannesburg, and in Lagos on October 2.

Celebrating the pan-African scope of the MAMA, the awards will encompass two stunning Road to MAMA events featuring MAMA nominees and superstar DJs, to be held in Durban and Lagos. Another muchanticipated element of MAMA 2016 will be a music industry workshop for aspiring musicians held on the day prior to the awards.

ENTERTAINMENT, HUMOUR HERALD AMSTEL MALTA CAMPAIGN One of the leading malt brands from the stable of Nigerian Breweries Plc recently launched a new credential campaign tagged ‘Why Add More.’

The Campaign which is currently storming the airwaves and billboards across the country was introduced to re-inforce the brand’s positioning as the premium malt drink, with an original formulation that contains less sugar and is enriched with essential vitamins and minerals.

The campaign leverages relatable metaphors and humour to portray the idea that adding more unnecessarily, could spoil the balance.

The TV commercial shows a wedding reception scenario, where the best man gives an eloquent speech which should have ended with a toast to the bride and groom but instead decides to add more, unnecessary entertainment, which did not go well with the celebrants and guests.

The Portfolio Manager - Non Alcoholic Drinks, Nigerian Breweries, Mr. Olayinka Bakare said “The Why Add More campaign, touches on a fundamental truth about our esteemed consumers and the Amstel Malta Brand. The campaign is truly world class and will further re-enforce Amstel Malta’s place as the Premium Malt Drink, with an Original formulation that contains Less Sugar and is enriched with vitamins and minerals,” he stated.

Through this campaign, Amstel Malta educates consumers on the delicate balance of its original malt formulation, which contains less sugar but with all the full taste they can enjoy. It also strengthens the brand’s positioning, of “Being the Best One Can Be”, in a unique and truly distinctive way.

Analysing the campaign message, as it relates to everyday fashion, Ruth Osime, Editor, THISDAY Style expressed the imD’Truce portance of building

Aramide

Nigeria Leads Africa with 44 AFRIMA Nominees With 44 nominations in various categories, Nigerian musicians top the nominees list for the continental categories of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), recently released by the organisers of Africa’s leading awards project. Public voting for the nominees in the different categories of the awards opens on Monday, September 12 and ends Saturday, November 5.

Nigerian contenders shone brilliantly in the Best Artiste/Duo/Group in Africa RnB Soul in which she garnered seven nominations from songs performed by Aramide, Iyanya, Kiss Daniel, Korede Bello, Niniola, RicHassani and Tjan. The Producer of the Year category is also dominated by Nigeria with four nominees including DJ Coublan, Don Jazzy, Mastercraft and Yung John.

South Africa comes a distant second with 28 nominations, while Morocco and Ghana tie in the third place with 20 nominations each. Uganda and Kenya also make a good showing with 14 and 10 nominations respectively.

With 40 countries listed in one category or another, AFRIMA is moving towards achieving one of the objectives of its founder, Mike Dada who is passionate about uniting the peoples of the continent through music and the arts. internal confidence rather than placing too much emphasis on the outlook.

Osime said: “Your inner confidence is a reflection of how you look outside.

You do not have to wear large overbearing accessories before you can tell your fashion story. It is important you stay happy inside you.”

CEO, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants, Ngozi Princewill-Utchay, advised against over-indulgence or excessive eating. She opined that “our body knows when we have had enough…but many people do abuse their bodies by over-indulging.”

In her concluding note, she emphasised that less is indeed more and there is no need adding more unnecessarily.

D’TRUCE MAKES HIS OWN KIND OF MUSIC He calls it ‘feel good music’. He feels good listening to good music, eating good food, playing video games and seeing happy people. Thus,

The 2016 AFRIMA continental nominees’ list includes different music genres, as well as coveted categories of ‘Artiste of the Year in Africa’, ‘Best Video in Africa’, ‘Best Producer in Africa’, ‘Best Songwriter in Africa’ and ‘Revelation of the Year in Africa’.

This year also saw the introduction of an innovative category by the International Jury of AFRIMA titled ‘African Fans Favourite’, which has D’banj’s ‘Emergency’, to recognise African artistes who create chartbusting, anthemic songs that propel the artistes to great popularity within and outside their respective countries and regions.

The Regional Categories which featured Best Female Artistes and Best Male Artistes of the five regions, nominated 65 artistes while 184 nominees make up the newly released continental categories.

In partnership with the Africa Union Commission and the Official Host City, Lagos State, the 2016 edition of AFRIMA holds between November 4 and 6. Some of the events include the Africa Music Business Summit on Friday, November 4, and the AFRIMA Music Village, an open concert-style festival featuring nominees and other top billed music stars. The grand awards ceremony holds on Sunday, November 6 in Lagos. he wants his music to evoke similar emotions from his listeners.

Music means a lot of things to the X3M label artiste D’Truce. One thing is certain; he never planned to be a musician. He dreamt of playing basketball for the NBA. With a few inches above six feet, he possesses the right physique for such sporting activity. Somehow, the dream never turned to reality.

D’Truce instead found himself in love with music. He refused to use the cliché that music found him, because of the circumstances that surrounded his advent into the industry.

At a very low point in his life, D’Truce explored the dynamic world of rap music.

It was an outlet to vent his anger. His parents had just divorced and this affected him mentally. Most of the times, he kept to himself, hardly allowing anyone to come close. This gave his classmates the impression that he was a quiet person.

But in reality, D’Truce was only looking for a channel to express his emotions. Luckily for him, rap music provided the elixir to his wounded soul. He found himself expressing his thoughts and emotions by penning down rap verses. Moreover, the likes of MI, 50Cents and other good rap artistes had a major influence on him.

This new-found skill launched him into the music industry six years ago. From competing in talent-hunt music shows to signing a record deal with X3M music label in 2014, D’Truce is now one of the strong voices in the rap industry. His style is peculiar to him: a fusion of different genres and rap music. He described it as an extension of himself.

“Basically, my music an extension of myself in the long run. My interactions with the people influence my style. Sometimes I listen to music that I recorded and I don’t even realise I’m rapping in pidgin.

I’m trying to make good music. I’m not trying to force a sound. If I feel sad today, I’m making a sad song. Because I wasn’t trying to fake my sound yesterday, it would be easier for me to sound the same way today. It’s like meeting someone for the first time and you speak phonetics, then you run into the person the next day and you speak pidgin. It sounds weird. So I’m trying to be as natural as possible.”

Born Chukwuebuka Dusten Anyasie, the graduate of electrical engineering sees music as a passion and not a job. For him, it is easier to enjoy music as a desire than as something that foots the bill. Moreover, his job as a creative person in X3M Ideas Advertising Agency bolstered his creative skills. He gave an example with his followup to his 2013 mixtape, an EP titled Eden.

“Working at an advertising agency opened my eyes. The extended play EP I’m working on, it has already been concluded, and I’m just putting finishing touches to it. It’s called Eden, so now I’m thinking of how to market Eden. It’s not just about putting out the EP; it’s like ‘what’s the plan?’

I think of it as a campaign rather than just release. How long is it going to run, what are the touch points? What brands am I trying to market it to, to put money back into what have done, what channel do I use to get to my audience and all that? Music is a business at the end of the day, so if you think of it as just something you are just doing, you are playing with your business.

It might be fun but the real work starts after the music is ready.”

Good music however for D’Truce goes beyond lyrics. Not one to use extravagant lines, he believes good music is more of composition. This explains his love for artistes like MI and Jesse Jagz. His latest hits include ‘Better Days’ which featured his label mate Praiz and ‘Live Your Dreams’ with Simi, also a label mate. D’Truce also features in the award-winning TV drama series, Tinsel.

L-R: Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Kufre Ekanem; Editor, THISDAY Style, Ruth Osime; CEO, Artelier Lifestyle Consultants, Mrs. Ngozi Princewill-Utchay, and Senior Brand Manager, Amstel Malta, Chidike Oluaoha, at the official launching of Amstel Malta’s new campaign, Why Add More held in Lagos…recently

61

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

A Gloomy Summer for Hollywood Vanessa Obioha

N

ew Bloomberg reports indicated that Hollywood blockbusters didn’t have a glowy summer after all. The reports revealed that top movies in the industry lost a staggering $1bn, compared to last year’s deficit: $546.3m. The loss is hugely blamed on top movies not breaking boxoffice records such as the worst-hit film BenHur (estimated loss $120m) than small films unable to attract much attention.

Critics also imputed the falling figures to sequel fatigue, the rise in popularity of streaming and small-screen programming, bad reviews and other factors.

Other major falls include the rebooted Ghostbusters, Pete’s Dragon, Star Trek Beyond, Alice Through the Looking Glass, among others. Only films like ‘Me Before You’, ‘The Conjuring 2’, ‘Central Intelligence’ and few others were rated best performance of the season.

NEW DESIGN FOR NEW ARTS CENTRE IN WORLD TRADE CENTRE UNVEILED In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre, US, the New York Architecture Firm, REX has unveiled a design for the new Arts Centre.

The plan to build a performing arts centre at the World Trade Centre was proposed in 2003 by architect Daniel Libeskind as part of his master plan for the site’s redevelopment. The centre was considered to be an important feature, however, it was stalled. In June, billionaire businessman, Ronald O. Perelman donated $75m to revive the project, thus the edifice will be named after him.

The building is estimated to cost $243m.

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has committed $100 million in federal funds while a new round of fund-raising was being started for the centre, which aims to open in 2020.

The new design by the architecture firm consists of three small theatres that can be combined in various configurations to produce and stage theatre, dance, music, opera and experimental works, and can serve as a space for the Tribeca Film Festival each spring.

The exterior will be an unusual cubeshaped 90,000-square-foot building, to be wrapped in thin sheets of translucent white marble encased in glass, giving it a solemn look in daylight but an amber glow from within at night.

There will also be an all-day cafe in the lobby and spaces for the neighbourhood that could be used for activities like yoga classes or voting during elections, while allowing companies to create works.

Singer and actor Barbara Streisand will be in charge of the project. She said in a statement that the centre would vibrate with theatre, music, dance and film, and bring life to this hallowed ground.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES AUTHOR FACES LAWSUIT Author, Seth Grahame-Smith is been sued by his publisher Hachette for a breach of contract. The $4m deal was made in 2010, a year after the author released his 2009 zombie mashup book. GrahameSmith was paid an initial $1m to submit two new works. He was able to submit the first book, The Last American Vampire, a sequel to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter that was published in January 2015. He however delivered the second in June 2016.

But Hachette claims that the deadline for delivery of the second was extended from June 2013 to April 2016. The company further accused the author of not submitting his original work, rather “an appropriation of a 120-year-old public-domain work”.

Jack Hutson in Ben-Hur

“By delivering a manuscript that varied so materially and substantially from that described in the agreement he is in breach of contract.”

The company is suing Grahame-Smith and his company Baby Gorilla for at least $500,000 - half of the advance it paid him six years ago, plus interest.

JANET JACKSON FACES HIGH-RISK PREGNANCY Since announcing her pregnancy on May, 50-year-old singer Janet Jackson has reportedly been staying at home on doctor’s orders. OK! magazine reported that the singer’s pregnancy is at risk for serious complications.

The baby will be her first child although her ex-husband James DeBarge alleged in May that Janet hid pregnancies from him in the 1980s and gave the children up for adoption.

Nevertheless, Janet is being taken care of by her Qatari billionaire husband Wissam Al Mana whom she married in 2012, and will be staying off the limelight while consciously trying to keep fit.

21ST CENTURY FOX SETTLES LAWSUIT WITH GRETCHEN CARLSON In a surprising move, the Fox News company on Tuesday issued an apology to former anchor Gretchen Carlson and agreed to settle her lawsuit against former boss Roger Ailes to the tune of $20 million.

Carlson had in July filed a lawsuit against Ailes, accusing him of sabotaging her career and making the workplace environment hostile for her because she declined his sexual advances.

The accusation cast a suspicious light on the network where Ailes was greatly revered. It prompted the network to investigate Ailes and further led to his dismissal.

In a statement, the company said: “We sincerely regret and apologise for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”

Carlson on her part is “gratified that 21st Century Fox took decisive action after I filed my complaint.” Also accompanying the settlement is the dismissal of one of the network’s high-profile news anchor, Greta Van Susteren who defended Ailes strongly.

Janet Jackson Gretchen Carlson TYGA JOINS KANYE WEST’S G.O.O.D. MUSIC Kanye West may not have had a glamorous review at the ongoing New York Fashion Week but he knows how to keep his music business growing. He recently welcomed his sister-in-law’s boyfriend Tyga to his record label in an impromptu concert.

Tyga, who is dating Kylie, was formerly signed to Cash Money Records. He left the record due to financial dispute between him and Birdman, the owner of the record label. To mark the new signing, Tyga debuted his Designer collaboration ‘Gucci Snakes’ at the event.

UBER INTRODUCES RIDER MUSIC A new feature that allows Uber riders to choose music they want to listen to by streaming Pandora or Spotify through their Uber app was launched on Thursday.

Riders who want the service must be matched with a driver who has a ‘connected music’ icon. The service can be accessed by tapping a bar in their Uber app, and then log into Pandora or Spotify.

The selected music will start playing when their trip begins. The songs can be previewed by riders who use Pandora, but Spotify Premium users will pick up with whatever the rider was last listening to.

Rider Music is the latest technology from Uber Technologies Inc. and will be officially launched in the upcoming weeks.

JOHNNY DEPP TO PLAY DETECTIVE RUSSELL POOLE IN LABYRINTH After a messy divorce scandal with ex-wife Amber, Johnny Depp will be returning to the big screen in a biopic movie, ‘Labyrinth’.

He will play the controversial role of Detective Russell Poole, the officer who exposed the corruption in Los Angeles Police Department while resolving the murder case of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. The film is an adaptation of Randall Sullivan‘s novel ‘Labryinth’ where he highlighted details of detective Poole’s findings on the case. Producer Miriam Segal and Furman are hoping to begin production on Labyrinth later this year.

DANNY DEVITO MAKES BROADWAY DEBUT Comic actor Danny DeVito is set to his Broadway debut next year in ‘The Price’.

The drama is a revival of one of Arthur Miller’s play and is set in Manhattan. The plot revolves round a man who returns to his childhood home to sell off his parents’ property.

DeVito will portray Gregory Solomon, an antiques dealer, described as “antic” by the playwright in a 1999 essay.

The Price, which was first staged on Broadway in 1968, has been revived three times previously; this next revival will be presented by Roundabout Theatre Company, and directed by Terry Kinney. It will also feature John Turturro, Tony Shalhoub, and Jessica Hecht. Performances will begin on February 16, 2017 and to open March 16, 2017 at the American Airlines Theatre.

DeVito Off Broadway shows, ‘Shakespeare in the Park’, London and Los Angeles stage production of ‘The Sunshine Boys’, in 2012 and in 2013 respectively.

Danny DeVito

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

62

ENCOUNTER

Why Biodun Okeowo Stopped Playing Armed Robber Biodun Okeowo took up acting as a career to follow the footsteps of her father. The sultry actress has since produced eight films and acted in over 100 others. Tall and elegant Biodun was the famed ‘Tolani Osinrin’. Her role in ‘Folashade’, a self-produced film also gave her leverage. She spoke with Oladipupo Awojobi about her one decade in Nollywood

W

hen the delectable lady eventually ventured into acting as a profession, the first major role she played was that of an armed robber, and she was made to repeat the same role in several scripts that came her way in torrents.

Sporting a multi-coloured evening wear, the mother of two and a single parent retorted that she felt that this had to stop as she looked straight into the eyes of the interviewer in the modest room, where the interview took place.

“I don’t like being stereotyped at all. I was once stereotyped as an armed robber because I started with the role as a budding actress, and they started casting me for the same role and everybody began to wonder why I was always carrying guns in films. I had to reject the role and I started acting other roles.

“There was also a time they stereotyped me with the role of a prostitute. I had to complain again, and by the time I started acting armed robber role again people were wondering why I was doing that since I did not fit into the role anymore. Stereotyping is not challenging at all, an actress should be challenged, your leaders should challenge you to be dynamic,” she said.

But the light skinned beautiful actress would not mind wearing any kind of dress in films, while also alluding to the fact that sometimes African culture does not support indecent dressing and with a proviso that this is a new era. “I can cover my head, without putting on earring. Also, I can dress seductively and I can also dress decently depending on the role I am playing,” she said, adding emphatically that she would not act nude.

The sensational actress revealed that she had rejected a role she didn’t like in the past not minding the financial cost.

“I acted the role of a lesbian in a film I produced, but which was yet to be released and another producer wanted me to act something close to that in another film, but I said I could not do it because my own movie on the role had not come out then.”

Though Biodun is being celebrated today as a successful actress to the delight of her parents, family members and associates, she would have been prevented from achieving this dream by her mother, who didn’t want her to be an actress as she felt actresses were diabolical and that the profession was meant for reckless fellows and never-dowells.

“But my father was an actor with the likes of Prince Jide Kosoko

Okeowo

in ‘Awarawa Theatre Group,’ so acting is in my blood. The drive to become an actor was not motivated by anybody, but it was something I have love for,” she said with a smile, as she recalled her sojourn that has lasted 10 years.

Pressed to comment on her low moment, she paused for a moment before revealing that she once had problems with marketers such that jobs were not coming her way anymore.

“I felt like leaving the industry, but prayers kept me going. I remember that even if I played a lead role in a movie, marketers would not put me on the jacket of the movie and if they tried to put my picture there at all, they would put it in a very small place at the back of the movie jacket.

“You can imagine this for someone that had been there before and who had hit covers of movie jackets in the past, but who was relegated, I felt like quitting and I wondered what was happening to me. I felt like quitting the industry, but my prophet in the Celestial Church, which I attend, told me that it would be fine, and glory be to God, things became better later,” she narrated.

For the wave-making actress, her films such as ‘Folashade’ and ‘Ore,’

which was her last movie produced in 2014, are her favourites.

She added: “The reason I have not produced another film since 2014 is because I don’t want to produce anything below the standard of ‘Ore.’ It is a movie that people love and I don’t want to disappoint my fans.”

As a producer, Biodun has experienced many ups and downs from marketers, who she said still owe her millions of naira till now and she said she has also been dealt with by piracy, which she maintained marketers use as an excuse to owe producers, stressing that this is not actually the point.

Going down memory lane, the screen goddess recalled that she took part in a film titled; ‘Oro Oka,’ which was produced by her boss, Lasun Ray, and with laughter she said; “I wasn’t paid for the job because I was under training then. But the first film that fetched me money was the one produced by Bimbo Oshin entitled; ‘Temi Yemi.’

“She paid me N5,000 and it was huge money to me then in 2007 because I earned money for my sweat for the first time in the movie industry. I actually sneaked to the set because while training, we were not permitted to go to any location without permission from our boss.

“After that, I finished my training and the money started coming.

But, I won’t disclose what I earn now because in the Yoruba movie industry, we have family ties, so we bend our rules sometimes for people that are close to us,” she said.

Notwithstanding her talent and ability to express herself in English Language, the actress has not given crossing over to English sector of Nollywood a thought.

Charity, she said, begins at home, and she doesn’t even see herself as a star or a celebrity, and she believes she still needs some experiences to go out there.

“I believe I am still at home in Yoruba Nollywood. I don’t want to go to the English speaking sector of the industry and someone would send insult back to where I am coming from and castigate me as a Yoruba actress. I still want to have more confidence in myself, so when the time comes, I could go out there and cross over,” she explained.

Scandals have actually been fair to the actress as she could recall only two, one with an upcoming actress and the other one was about a story that was written by a reporter for a magazine, but the writer had to write a rejoinder because she sued for publication of a false story about her.

Biodun was proud to declare that she is a business woman with a beauty shop, and a beauty spa, and she said she used to have a wine shop, which she is planning to reopen soon.

On her achievements, Biodun gives all glory to God, saying that she has achieved a lot. “God has been very good to me. I didn’t come to the industry with cars, properties, fame, and all that. But I have achieved those things to the glory of God,” she said.

Coincidentally, her daughter is showing interest in acting, but she would not encourage her to dabble into the profession until she finishes her education.

assistant editor nseobong okon-ekong senior correspondent funke olaode correspondent vanessa obioha designer ibirogba ibidapo CONTRIBUTORS onoshe nwabuikwu, temilolu okeowo, kelechi nduka THISDAY ON SUNDAY editor adetokunbo adedoja deputy editor vincent obia STUDIO art director ochi ogbuaku jnr THISDAY NEWSPAPERS editor-in-chief & chairman nduka obaigbena managing director eniola bello deputy managing director kayode komolafe

ARTS & REVIEW A

PUBLICATION

PATORANKING: POP ACTIVIST?… PAGE 66

11.09.2016

ISIDORE OKPEWHO

THE EXITOF ANOTHERTITAN EDITOR OKECHUKWU UWAEZUOKE/ okechukwu.uwaezuoke@thisdaylive.com

64

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\TRIBUTE

ISIDORE OKPEWHO: EXIT OF ANOTHER TI

With inspiration from the titles of the works of the late writer and scholar, Professor Isidore Okpewho, Yinka Olatunbosun pays tribute to the award-winning author who died on September 4

Okpewho

O

nce Upon A Kingdom, there lived a writer; one of the leading literary scholars and novelists, Isidore Okpewho who died on September 4, 2016, just about 40 years since he won the African Arts Prize for Literature. He reportedly died at a hospital in Binghamton, New York where he had lived and taught since 1991.

He drew global attention when he received the prestigious Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Literature for Best Book in 1993. The Tides in intellectual waters was favourable for him that year although Longman Publishers had earlier published two novels of his, The Victims and The Last Duty for him.

His award-winning piece, The Tides has a theme rooted in the injustice of tribalism. Two professional male journalists, Tonwe and Dukumo are fired from the national newspaper, The Chronicle. Both from Niger-Delta, the older of the two, Tonwe goes back to his riverine village while Dukumo remains in Lagos and starts freelancing.

The environmental pollution in the

Delta caused by the activities of foreign oil companies becomes a serious threat to life in their hometown. The journalists are forced to make tough decisions to save their community. They have to declare their stand in the contest between public welfare and personal interest; state security and professional ethics as well as national agenda and ethnic goals.

The story in this classic novel is set in contemporary Nigeria in epistolary form using a series of letters exchanged between Tonwe and Dukumo. The writer presents an objective moral and political analysis of Nigerian society. Tonwe, who had a nationalistic outlook at first, had his ideals ruptured by injustice whereas Dukumo, who strikes a reader as a man of integrity, is too attached to ethnic sentiment.

“Call Me By My Rightful Name”, Okpewho declared in 2004 in a book title and that was respected by his scholarly colleagues as his contributions in non-fiction publications by various international university press.

Though he held a PhD in Comparative Literature, his works cannot be compared to the works of contemporary writers who have recently won the same literary prize in terms on thematic preoccupation. He

touched on African Oral literature and mythology.

His academic feat is enviable; beginning with his academic excellence that led to his first class degree in classics from University College, Ibadan and till date University of Ibadan, as it is now known, is the only university in Nigeria where the course is taught.

First class honour in that course is also a rarity. It involves the study of classical period, specifically Greek and Roman, with Latin as a compulsory course of study. Great Nigerians such as Bola Ige and Soyinka had studied this course in their undergraduate days with the latter holding his first Bachelors degree in it. Naturally, the Abraka-born writer learnt Latin; for his background hinged on languages.

His mother hailed from the Ibospeaking part of Delta while his father hailed from the Urhobo-speaking part.

His early career began with the Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of External Affairs and Longman Publishers where he served as an editor for eight years.

Subsequently, he pursued a doctorate

in English at US before his first novel The Victims was published.

His second novel, The Last Duty seems to have out lived its colonial themes of national unity and patriotism. The novel focuses on the casualty of war, deprivations, hardship and the will to survive.

One of the central characters is Aku, wife of a man who is wrongfully imprisoned for suspected pro-rebel activities. Major Ali Idris, a federal commander assigned to protect the village and its citizens and Toje, a selfish local chief and rubber farmer who is a war profiteer. Moral virtues were debased as the novelist used the dramatic monologue to set the tone for the conflict.

The novel treats the psychic effect of war more than the physical. The novel remains a reference point in literary reviews and discourses based on gender, sex and domestic violence. Some reviewers even perceived its Marxist thrust in the writer’s treatment of economic being; a very relevant topic for any committed social-realist writer from Nigeria.

Any literature student who is yet to read his classic novels is yet another victim of widespread book reading deficiency. In the study of literature, certain

65

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

THE ITAN

themes are universal which accounts for why they are usually on the reading list in most institutions. For instance, polygamy occupies the plot of The Victims. Polygamy is considered to be an African way of life. It is accepted in the traditional African culture for a man to have more than a wife. But the post-colonial African adopts the European perspective of one man-one wife, authenticated by Christianity. The conflict in a polygamous African family constitutes the plot of this well-rated literary piece.

Okpewho’s earliest seminal academic monographs, The Epic in Africa: Toward a Poetics of the Oral Performance (1979) and Myth in Africa: A Study of its Aesthetic and Cultural Relevance (1983) he established himself as a reputable scholar and proponent of oral literature in Africa. He was honoured with the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) in humanities in 2010. He also served as President of the International Society for the Oral Literatures of Africa (ISOLA).

Undoubtedly, Okpewho’s literary legacies will remain engraved in the minds of readers and critics of African literature.

ARTS & REVIEW\\TRIBUTE The Inverted Pyramid; Adapted from a novel by Emeka Dike

66

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

ARTS & REVIEW\\MUSIC

PATORANKING: POP ACTIVIST? Oris Aigbokhaevbolo

I

t is not enough that Patoranking is having the time of his life, he is also having the best of two worlds.

Nigeria; Ghana. Jamaican patois; Nigerian pidgin. 90s’ Nigerian music; today’s sound. Let’s say he is having the best combination of several worlds. It’s a great formula for a pop artist: hard work + greed.

Several songs since his breakout single “Alubarika” and his star hasn’t dimmed.

How has he done it? First, consistency. In today’s climate of an avalanche of songs per week, he has released new music almost constantly. His management seems to understand that the songs have to be there to be played, and the name hovering near the lips of a pop enthusiast.

Nowadays, lengthy contemplation is the enemy. The popular phobia of oversaturation now long over, risk is overbalanced against the vacationing pop star.

“Put it out and do so now” is the pop zeitgeist. Disregard it and witness your own slide into irrelevance.

Second, variation. Patoranking is well served by an upbringing with as much pop-Nigeriana as it had Ghanaian influences. He has made a curious remark about the music scenes in both countries, declaring Ghana’s scene richer. It is the kind of statement that can be made only by an artist sure of the statement and of his own craft. However dubious his judgement, his music has maintained a uniform listenability. Even the songs that failed to become hits gathered enough attention to be modestly rewarded with airplay.

If his statement about the Ghanaian and Nigerian music scenes was divisive, on the new song “No Kissing Baby”, he finds a way to bring both West African countries together. He has been to Ghana before, back when his reggae-dancehall colleague Stonebwoy had him on the remix to “Pull

Up”. There, however, the dominant sound was Jamaican. This time, with the excellent Sarkodie, the sound is very clearly African.

There’s that pidgin hook: “If you no gimme I no go take o” [If you don’t give me, I won’t take it] There is Sarkodie’s Twi-flow; the Ghanaian rapper includes the Nigerian slang, “I no go look Uche face” in his verse.

There’s the GospelOnTheBeatz denselypercussive, Afro-popped dance-ready production.

What has been levelled as criticism—Patoranking’s penchant for pidgin over patois while claiming reggae—is actually a skill, one that has pop utility: the ability to insert a novel content into an old form. Or vice versa. What this means practically is that the artist is walking the path to the hearts of two groups of fans. If he hasn’t already, he will in time make fans of both Jamaicans and Nigerians. Purists will be pissed, but that can be chucked off as collateral damage.

As for the lyrics, it is hard to think of any song in recent mainstream pop that has made a delightful tune from a lady’s rebuffing of a man’s amorous overtures.

Wizkid declaring “I want your body sleeping in my bed”, Banky W’s pledge to make a woman “hit high notes”, Lil Kesh’s mocking “Is it because I love you” are the models for a slew of songs with a male and female protagonist. Patoranking bucks the trend with his never-mind acceptance of his lady’s wishes. This rather agreeable approach to wooing rubs off on Sarkodie whose working genre is not known for tenderness. The rapper actually asks, “Can I touch you?”

Surprise, surprise? Maybe not. Over the course of their careers, both Patoranking and Sarkodie have telegraphed a somewhat decent core. “No kissing, baby,” the lady says. “Alright,” Patoranking appears to say in the music video, “Let’s take a walk.” So man and woman are seen in friendly but not quite intimate terms in the video. (It is a semi-love song; but that “if

Patoranking

you don’t give me, I won’t take it” line is quite a definitive anti-rape statement. Who would have thought that this era of profane lyrics might provide a catchy slogan for rape activism?) Directed by former American athlete, the UK-raised Dapo Fagbenle (aka Daps), the video is a pleasant, colourful throwback to hip hop videos of the 90s, its bright and sunny façade emphasising the song’s light-heartedness.

One last note. “No Kissing Baby” is being sold as the first track from Patoranking’s forthcoming debut album, God Over

Everything. Imagine this: first fruits from Nigerian and Ghanaian ingredients with a side-serving of Jamaica, plus a video showing the shoki dance, a variation of the azonto dance, and retro outfits from the West. Best of two dishes? Not even.

More like, Mister Patoranking has the continent on a fork—and the world on his plate.

-Aigbokhaevbolo, Entertainment Journalist of theYear at the 2015 All Africa Music Awards, is west African editor at Musicinafrica.net

BRACING FOR ANOTHER MUSON FESTIVAL Yinka Olatunbosun

T

Vice Chairman, MUSON, Sir Louis Mbanefo SAN

he year 1996 means a lot to music lovers in Lagos for one reason: it was the year the MUSON festival was born. Though it was a mini-festival at the outset, its maiden edition which lasted three days featured performers from Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow.

Twenty years after, the story has changed.

Whilst retaining the classical musical tradition, the festival incorporates other performing art genres such as dance, drama and performance poetry.

Inside the Mobil hall, MUSON Centre, this year’s edition was recently announced to the public with several participating artists and organisations in attendance.

The Vice Chairman, Louis Mbanefo SAN recounted how the festival has fast become institutionalised in the city’s cultural calendar.

“The events featured in the first festival were two piano recitals; a children’s concert, an art exhibition, drama presentations; African and classical music appreciation lectures; Nigerian traditional music and dance as well as two concerts by MUSON artists and choir. Each successive festival has adopted basically the same format, but with variations, depending on the available material,” he disclosed.

The exciting news is that this 20th edition is being packaged to give the festival a broad appeal. The Chairman, 20th MUSON Festival Planning Committee Kitoyi Ibare-Akinsan, declared that the festival will run from October 14 till October 30, beginning with a visual art exhibition.

There will be a musical, “FELA- Arrest the Music”, which will last for three days;

two shows per day. A very intriguing part of the festival this year is that most of the events occur both in the afternoon and evening. In previous editions, most performances hold from 6 pm. but in order to include the younger audience whose bedtime is 7 or 8 p.m., the 3 p.m. matinee has been initiated for the musical.

The Chevron festival drama for this edition is J.P. Clark’s The Wives’ Revolt which is directed by Ben Tomoloju while the Total Festival Opera for the year is Bedrich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride which is directed by Sir Emeka Nwokedi.

Both performances will hold on October 22 and 23 respectively.

The Jazz night scheduled for October 28, will feature Lanre Kunniji, an alumnus of the MUSON School of Music, currently based in South Africa where he studies jazz performance at Masters’ degree level.

He will share the stage with Debbiesoul, a classic soul and jazz vocalist as well as Perpie, a smooth jazz and soul saxophonist.

THEOSOLITES, an all-male jazz band will also be in the spotlight for the night that will be opened by School Big Band, conducted by Col (Rtd) Odujobi.

The classical concert which is the grand finale on October 30 will be conducted

by Walter Michael-Vollhardt. It will be preceded by the performance poetry and music concert directed by Efe Paul Azino on October 29.

Asides the youth concert and music discussions, the festival’s traditional entrée, tagged “My Kind of Music” will be featuring Banke Ademola, Ifeoma Fafunwa, Yemisi Shyllon and Benson Idonije.

Akinsan also acknowledged the contribution and support of the Society of Performing Arts of Nigerian (SPAN) as well as Treasure House limited.

67

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

ARTS & REVIEW\\SOUNDING OFF

DISTRIBUTION DISRUPTION

“Patrick (Whitesell) and I have always had an idea that distribution is going to disrupt our business. Television, books, the movie business, music — for content creators, the value proposition is going to increase. So in our move from Endeavor to WME, WME to IMG, you’ve seen the expansion of our list of things that create content,” - Ari Emanuel (Super Agent, Co-CEO WME)

W

hile we have for years screamed from the rooftop for anyone who cares to listen, how Nigeria is the hub of entertainment in Africa, Nollywood is the second largest producer of films or movies in the world and how we are second to none in matters that no one dares dispute on with us; if you ask the average artiste or actor or film producer why with all these great strides, accolades and achievements that the Nigerian creative industry has achieved, we haven’t made a fifth of what Hollywood generates in terms of revenue? I can bet my last penny that their response will be ‘Piracy is killing us’ or ‘there’s no structure’.

Shall we touch on each response; dissect it to its simplest form? Well, since you answered in the affirmative, I will gladly oblige your request.

Piracy in Music

In a situation where a new artiste in trying to garner popularity, gives his/her music out for free to ‘the fans’ especially on digital platforms. Do you know if your fan(s) likes the music your produce, they will gladly pay a fee to enjoy it. Case in point, do you know how many people have TY Bello’s ‘Greenland’ as their ringback tone? They don’t even get to hear this song, but they pay for it diligently every month. Human nature, we value what we pay for more than if it handed on a platter of gold!

Dear Artiste, stop selling your birthright for a mess of porridge, now more than ever you need to be creative with how you sell your craft; there aren’t a lot of shows, no one is paying artistes

exorbitant amount to come and perform with backing tracks for fifteen minutes!

Make your music work for you. If you invested in it, you shouldn’t be too eager to give it all away (only if there is a cogent reason for it)

Piracy in Film

Ehen! For a population of a hundred and eighty million (pending the next census exercise), there are just twentyseven (27) cinemas to cater to this population! Even when you go to ‘cinema’, you cannot afford the one thousand Naira to stay inside AC to watch film; How wont people prefer standing in the second and have Mike by the roadside, download movies into their 16GB flash, where they can buy a cold drink, let fan blow dem better breeze and watch these movies in the comfort and privacy of their homes on their laptops (if PHCN no gree) or their second-hand flat screen TVs in peace.

Or as a producer, you advertise a ‘must-watch’ movie all over the country, whetting people’s appetite and forget to mention to your eager audience where or how they get to watch this movie, they will take the easiest available option to them; often one that you never planned offering.

My point is, once you can get the content to the innermost parts of the country whether by setting up community theaters, or a fool-proof distribution network (find out how do the newspapers and fuel retailers do it?) where you get the product into the hands of the people, as the demand arises.

Lack of Structure

This will take a whole week to discuss, however we need to have policies that create an enabling environment for the industry to thrive, enforceable laws, infrastructure to meet the demands as stated

above. The solution for this problem will be to set up the necessary infrastructure to carry the weight of the demand.

Employment and investment opportunities abound in the area of distribution of content, and it is an area that hasn’t been fully explored and exploited. However very few have the formula; ask the Alaba boys. They have event progressed into a complimentary business of selling mobile phones, you think they don’t know that mobile/digital is the next big thing in terms of distribution? Almost everything happens on your phone.

I am not saying piracy doesn’t exist but the same people crying and pulling hair about it are the ones who have enabled it over the years. Less than a decade ago, marketers will buy the masters of an album off an artiste, make more than the amount paid for those masters through sales of physical copies of the album and they own the rights to these albums! I have watched in total amusement the reaction of professionals in the music industry internationally, when this story is shared. Immediately what comes to mind is how can you give out your intellectual property for pittance? I know musicians, writers, producers (internationally and a few Nigerian ones) who aren’t as active as they used to be, who are enjoying residuals from work they put in years ago, there is always a cheque in the mail.

Technology has helped in expanded the market in terms of distribution of content, and content owners need to protect and pay attention to how they want to put their content out there, without leaving most of it on the floor.

Popular Distribution platforms: 1.

Retail: CD & DVD Sales 2.

Downloads 3.

Online Streaming: Youtube, Spotify, Shazam etc.

4.

Theatre (Cinemas) 5.

Digital on-Demand platforms: Netflix, Hulu, Iroko etc.

6.

Television: Broadcast syndication 7.

Rentals 8.

Live Events

Just last year, online distribution revenue surpassed physical distribution internationally, the good news is that Nigeria is still a market that both forms of distribution (physical and digital) can both thrive, with the challenges in stable and fast internet and the fact that majority of those in the rural areas, prefer their physical cassettes (yes you read right) and plastic (DVD and CDs or even VCDs).

You see, regardless of the fact that Asia generated 790 Billion Dollars in revenue from the creative industry, there is still piracy but it is infinitesimal compared to the legitimate channels of selling content.

Distribution is a numbers and reach game; the bottom line is, proper distribution will curb the supposed bane of piracy that a lot of industry professionals complain about. Once there is an adequate and timely supply to meet the gnawing and available demand, everyone (or most of them) will be happy!

An artiste, coder, film maker, writer and everyone involved in the production of intellectual property, can be successful in Nigeria alone if they can tap into how to service 1% of the entire population.

Imagine if you sold one million copies of an album at the rate of one hundred Naira each? Am I being too ambitious? Okay try five hundred thousand copies of an album or a DVD at the same amount, or same five hundred thousand downloads of a song at thirty naira only. Don’t tell the telcos that I let you in on this secret.

––Emem is the CEO of ONE Management. A Nigeria-based media strategy and support company. dealmaker@ one1mgt.com.

68

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 T H I S D AY

69

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO

Editor Vincent Obia Email vincent.obia@thisdaylive.com, SMS: 08054681757

IN THE ARENA

The‘Change BeginsWith Me’Campaign President Muhammadu Buhari and officials of his government must be the best advertisement of the change they preach for the campaign to make the right impact on the citizens. Vincent Obia writes

A

long-time advocate of national reorientation and discipline, President Muhammadu Buhari is passionate about the role of individual citizens in the effort to achieve a better Nigeria. On Thursday in Abuja, Buhari launched the “Change Begins With Me” campaign.

The essence is to emphasise the place of citizens in the attempt to address the decadence of present-day Nigerian society and enthrone the positive change that the country craves. A throwback to the War Against Indiscipline of the then Buhari military regime in 1984, the new campaign seeks to use suasive – rather than coercive – means to achieve attitudinal change in all facets of society. This is certainly a step in the right direction.

Change was the fulcrum of the All Progressives Congress and Buhari’s message to Nigerians while they were campaigning for last year’s general election, which they won overwhelmingly.

But one year after that victory, Nigerians are almost despairing of seeing any change in the attitudes and circumstances that had caused them to reject the Peoples Democratic Party government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The “Change Begins With Me” campaign has come at a time when Nigerians have almost stopped having any hope that the missteps and misdemeanours in high places – and among the masses – that reduced the country to abject weakness and vulnerability will ever change. The onus is on Buhari and his team of officials, first and foremost to restore the citizens’ hope and confidence in the Nigerian project. This they can do by raising models that the rest of the population can look up to. Leaders of the APC in the three arms of government have a responsibility to give the people examples to follow. Every Nigerian is an integral part of the movement to change the country’s situation, but leaders of the people in the executive, legislature, and judiciary must lead the way.

Those in positions of authority must guard against irritating mannerisms that dampen the spirits of patriotism among the people. The utterances and attitudes of Buhari and his officials would always be critical metrics for gauging the progress of the change campaign. In recent times, the image of the government has often been tinged by a strange display of reticence by some officials and insensitive interventions of others on sensitive issues. All these need to change for the message of the new campaign to really sink in.

Buhari will also have to factor in the credibility of his own economic and social policies as well as their popularity among the people. He must be seen to be pursuing policies that serve the interest of Nigeria,

P O L I T I CA L N OT E S

ezeibe.aguwa@thisdaylive.com 08093842953

rather than some narrow sectional or political objectives. The president should avoid policies and outlooks that amount to thwarting the people’s will.

Over the past year, Nigerians have witnessed lots of brazen attempts to stymie the popular will. One that has caused national bewilderment is the case of the killer herdsmen. The federal government has been too slow to respond to the killings by herdsmen in different parts of the country. The cattle tenders have killed and maimed hundreds of people, destroyed communities, and wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of farmers.

They have operated with extraordinary effrontery, fuelling suspicion that they may be getting cover from the highest levels of the political and security authorities in the land.

Being predominantly from Buhari’s ethnic Fulani, all eyes have been on the president to rein in the recalcitrant cattle breeders. But he has been finding this difficult to do. And his government has shown a largely ambivalent attitude towards calls for the adoption of modern methods of animal husbandry, like ranching, which would eliminate the misunderstandings that often cause the bloody clashes between crop famers and cattle breeders. Blocking the people’s will in this manner and disrupting their lives would produce the opposite of the change that the government is pursuing.

Dangerous Incoherence in the Antiterrorism War

T

Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar

Fiscal federalism and return of captured resources to their owners in the federating units to encourage grassroots development is another area many Nigerians have been looking to the Buhari government for change. Buhari and his APC have the numbers to influence a return to the truly federal structure that guaranteed all-round progress in the federating units of the First Republic. What they have lacked is the political will to look beyond immediate benefits or inconveniences and focus on the big picture. In the era of change, Buhari needs to put his mind back in time and look at the achievements of the yesteryears under true federalism and the grave dislocations that came with the imposition of the pseudo-federal structure, and then lead the way back to the good old system.

This would be a crucial way for the president to demonstrate that, indeed, “the change begins with me.”

Nigeria is passing through difficult times. But, perhaps, more worrying is the fact that the capacity of the government that promised to change the situation is increasingly being called into question. For the Buhari government, this is a most auspicious time for the “Change Begins With Me” campaign, which seeks to restore faith in the country and the administration.

But while every Nigeria must rise to defend this campaign, Buhari and his team should give the people good reason to remain patriotic.

he news last week that the Defence Headquarters had no knowledge of the arrest of a journalist declared wanted by the military over alleged connections to Boko Haram terrorists, Ahmad Salkida, highlights a terrible lack of coordination among the security agencies involved in the antiterrorism war.

Salkida’s arrest had grabbed the headlines on Tuesday. He was said to have been apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services on Monday at the Abuja airport on arrival from the Middle East, where he had lived since the outbreak of the Boko Haram insurgency.

Declaring Salkida wanted recently, alongside one Ahmed Bolori and a lady, Aisha Wakil, the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, had alleged that they had information on the whereabouts of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok in April 2014.

“The Nigerian Army hereby declares the two gentlemen and

the lady wanted for interrogation,” Usman stated. “This becomes necessary as a result of their link with the last two videos released

by Boko Haram terrorists and other findings of our preliminary investigations. There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram terrorists and have contacts with them.

“They must, therefore, come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them.”

But following the news of Salkida’s arrest on Monday, the Director of Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, told THISDAY, “Honestly speaking, I read it just like any other person read it online some days ago. And I believe if there is anything like that the Defence Headquarters must know. So, actually, I don’t know anything about this and I am honest about it.”

Disjunctions like this happen all too often, and this is the bane of security in Nigeria. The relevant authorities should be awake to the dangers of this anomaly and move to fix it urgently.

– Vincent Obia

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

70

CICERO/EDO POLL POSTPONEMENT

Inspector-general of Police, Ibrahim Idris

DSS director-general, Lawal Daura.

Edo Governorship Poll: Marred by Security, Socio-political Intrigues Senator Iroegbu, in Abuja, writes on the new twists in the Edo State governorship race

T

he request by the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police that the Independent National Electoral Commission should postpone the September 10 governorship election in Edo State due to security concerns has unsettled political players in the country. The odious security advice, which came as a shock to most Nigerians, especially the people of Edo State, was swiftly rejected by INEC, which made many to wonder if they were consulted in the first place. But the commission also did a fast U-turn that same Thursday and acceded to pressures for postponement of the election. It shifted the poll to September 28.

Security Alert

Citing security concerns, the DSS and the police had advised the electoral umpire to consider shifting the election to a future date. That was after a meeting behind closed doors between the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, and the DSS director-general, Mr. Lawal Daura, in Abuja on Wednesday.

“Credible intelligence availed the agencies indicate plans by insurgent/extremist elements to attack vulnerable communities and soft targets with high population during the forthcoming Sallah celebrations between 12th and 13th September, 2016,” the security agencies said in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don Awunah, and Mr. Garba Abdullahi of the DSS. But INEC had in a swift response to the ominous request coming barely 72 hours before the scheduled election, expressed surprise at the advice and said it was unaware of any security threat to the election, particularly when it had just been assured by the Inter-agency Security Committee on the ground in Benin City, the state capital, that all was well.

INEC National Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, through his chief press secretary, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, told THISDAY upon hearing the request from the security agencies that the commission whose national commissioners were already in Benin City for the election, would meet to consider the security agencies’ request.

Oyekanmi told THISDAY by telephone on Wednesday, “As regards the position of the police and State Security Services, we like to say that we were not informed and,

therefore, not part of that decision in Abuja. Nobody told us, the INEC chairman is here along with all the national commissioners and we were not informed about it. We just heard the news like every other person.”

Oyekanmi said contrary to the fears over security, the inter-agency committee on election security had given an undertaking to secure the exercise. According to him, “The funny thing is that we are still in Benin City, we have concluded a final stakeholders forum during which the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Joshak Habila, gave his word that everything was ready; that the police were ready and that they were going to deploy about 25,000 men for the Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State.”

He wondered why the police raised concerns about security moments after giving guarantees through Habila.

Feeling at lost, he queried why the security agencies made the request when their representatives overseeing security for the election in the state had rest assured it that they were ready to secure the poll on Saturday.

Oyekanmi stressed that some in the INEC leadership, including the national chairman, Amina Zakari, Muhammed Leky, Ambassador Lawrence Nwuruku, Soyebi Adedeji, representatives of the police and DSS and the 19 candidates contesting in the election.

“He gave assurances about adequate security for the election, only for us to hear of news filtering in that security agencies addressed a press conference in Abuja, saying that they cannot guarantee security for the election.

As I speak we are planning to meet with the civil society organisations and other stakeholders to determine how we are going to respond to it,” Oyekanmi said.

He disclosed that the DIG who represented the IG on the inter-agency committee on election security and the new Commissioner of Police in Edo State attended the stakeholders’ meeting and gave assurances that security agencies would provide security.

Objection

Expectedly, many stakeholders, including the Peoples Democratic Party, the main challenger in the contest, opposed the proposition by the security agencies and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to put them in check.

“President Muhammadu Buhari should caution the security agencies to desist from doing anything that will

jeopardise this forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State and direct them to provide security for the exercise,” publicity secretary of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said on Wednesday.

Adeyeye insisted there was no way the state, which successfully hosted the president during the APC rally without any hitch, could now become as insecure as to warrant a postponement of the election. He went ahead to puncture the security excuse by the police and DSS as hogwash having regards to the fact that INEC recently conducted a hitch free senatorial by-election in Borno State, which is troubled by insurgency without objection from the security agencies. “It is lamentable to hear from these same security agencies that the election cannot be held in a state where in less than 24 hours, the president and all the APC leaders and members had an uninterrupted rally.”

Surprisingly, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, whose All Progressives Congress was rumoured to be favourably disposed to the request, opposed the postponement move, as he told INEC “not to shift the defeat of the PDP by shifting the date of the election.”

According to Oshiomhole, “The APC is ready for the election this Saturday and that was why we held our mega rally on Tuesday and after that rally our people across the state became more committed, more dogged and ready for the Saturday election.”

He was, however, reported to have clarified that security being a critical factor in an election must be taken seriously. “If on their own they are calling on INEC for postponement, I am sure they must have their reasons because they are experts in it. If you recall, we raised the alarm that the PDP had planned to import thugs from neighbouring states to help them unleash mayhem on our people because they are not prepared for the election,” he said.

U-turn

From the reactions of the major stakeholders, it was clear that the proposal by DSS and the police was unpopular. But INEC reversed its stand Thursday night and acceded to the advice by the DSS and the police to shift the poll.

Continued on Pg.72

71

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO/EDO POLL POSTPONEMENT

Ize-Iyamu

Obaseki

Edo Election Postponement: APC, PDP Trade Blames Adibe Emenyonu, in Benin City, writes on the accusations and counter accusations that have followed the postponement of the Edo State governorship election

I

t all started like a rumour.

Attention was shifted to some postings on the social media that the September 10 governorship election may not hold as scheduled.

Earlier, there was assurance from the Independent National Electoral Commission that the election will go ahead as planned, the security implication notwithstanding. On the morning of Thursday, September 8, the electoral body confirmed that the governorship election in slated for Saturday will still go on as scheduled.

Announcing the decision to go ahead with the election, INEC’s National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity, Solomon Soyebi, said the commission by the decision exercised its constitutional rights. He said, “We cannot shift the election on the basis of security report. We have weighed all the parameters and consequences of postponing the election. This commission will not mortgage its independence for the sustenance of democracy. We have made 99 per cent preparation for the elections and we have also weighed the political atmosphere.”

Soyebi added that INEC had come out with a decision to go ahead with the election after meeting with stakeholders and security agencies.

Against this backdrop, there was jubilation by PDP supporters who had accused the APC of masterminding the proposed shift.

About-face

But the jubilation was short-lived. In the evening of same Thursday, INEC came out with an announcement postponing the election. It was the same Soyebi that made the declaration.

According to him, “The Independent National Electoral Commission has postponed the scheduled Saturday

September 10 governorship election in Edo State for two weeks.”

Making the pronouncement about 7.55 pm Thursday night at the commission’s state headquarters in Benin City, Soyebi said the election will now take place on Wednesday, September 28. He attributed the postponement to security issues raised by the police and the DSS. He stated, “About 6pm today, we received official communication from the police and DDS drawing our attention to the need to postpone the Edo governorship elections. Such a postponement, the communication indicates, is necessary in view of threats of terrorist activities in Edo and other states of the federation during the election and over Sallah period.”

Although the INEC spokesman did not disclosed the nature of theh security report available to it, the two security agencies had few days ago written a report, expressing security concerns and had to advice that the election be put off because of what they termed a plot by members of the Boko Haram sect to bomb some states, including Edo, especially during this Sallah period. That was the major reason adduced by them.

Desperation

THISDAY gathered that the desperation exhibited of late by the two major parties in the election to win at all cost might have contributed to the security report sent by the police and DSS. They might, apparently, have sought to douse tension before the poll.

Just before INEC announced the shift, there were accusations and counter accusations by APC and PDP alleging plans by the other to rig the election. Apart from the verbal accusations, there was physical assault on loyalists of the two parties.

About three weeks ago, there were

two reports of attack on the campaign teams and supporters of Godwin Obaseki, the APC candidate, and one reported case of attack on supporters of the PDP. There were also allegations of plans to recruit Niger Delta militants from through Delta, Ondo, Bayelsa and Rivers states through the creeks to cause mayhem on the election day and enable the PDP candidate to emerge victorious. A pointer to this, APC supporters alleged, was a meeting held some months ago in Asaba, the capital of Delta State, where the governors of the South-south , who are all PDP members, except that of Edo converged and boasted they will reclaim the state for PDP to complete the circle.

On the other hand, there was accusation by the PDP that APC was planning to recruit thugs from neighbouring Kogi State to rig the election.

Blame Game

As soon as the postponement was announced, APC and PDP began another round of blame game. Reacting to the postponement, Governor Adams Oshiomhole condemned it, saying the new date may clash with the planned coronation of Oba of Benin on September 26. Speaking on a television programme, Oshiomhole said the Oba’s coronation was a big event that every Edo person celebrates and has a role to play.

He said, “We have a big event in Edo on September 26, which is the Oba’s coronation. Before that day, there are other events that must be done.

It will not be proper to hold election during that period. Why not postpone the election for one week?”

On whether the APC was afraid of defeat, Oshiomhole said the APC defeated the PDP in 16 local governments in the last election held in the state. He added that his party was

ready for the election and that Edo was not a war zone.

“We will win the election. The PDP has no credibility in this state,” Oshiomhole alleged.

Director of Publicity, APC Campaign Council, Senator Domingo Obende, said the PDP was angry over the postponement of the election because they will not be able to perpetrate their violence any more.

According to him, “I think we have two feelings and reactions, first and foremost we have prepared so hard and we believe and we know that the voters are behind us and we are going to win. Secondly, we are also happy because Edo has not been known to be a state where violence is the order of the day.

“So if actually for security reasons, as stated by both the police and the DSS, this shift is realised then I think I am happy for it, It means any time they decide to fix it, election will be peaceful. That is why I said I have mix feelings.

“PDP is saying rubbish because they have imported thugs, again because they brought aliens to come and register in Edo State.”

Reacting also, the state chapter of APC said it regretted the postponement of the election by two weeks. Mr Anselm Ojezua, the state chairman, stated this in a press conference in Benin on Friday. Ojezua regretted the postponement, lamenting the failure to consult critical stakeholders before announcement of the postponement. He regretted the time and resources that had been expended on electioneering in the past weeks.

The chairman alleged the infiltration of militants into the state and accused the opposition PDP of being behind it.

Ojezua stated, “It will therefore Continued on Pg.72

72

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO/EDO POLL POSTPONEMENT • EDO ELECTION POSTPONEMENT: APC, PDP TRADE BLAMES • Continued from Pg. 71 be fair to admit that the decision has adversely affected us somewhat. However, having regards to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, we are obliged to defer to the decision of INEC particularly when ‘security threats’ have been cited as the reason for the postponement.

“Although we do not have the details from the security agencies, we have in the past drawn attention to the influx of militants into Edo from neighbouring states during the Continuous Voters Registration exercise. As a matter of fact, some of them were arrested at Ologbo in Ikpoba Okha LGA and charged to court but a host of others made it without detection; those ones must be lurking around various locations within our state, even as we speak.

“Data capturing machines were found to have been given to unauthorised persons to carry out illegal registration; a case in point is that of Alhaji Nakowa, a known PDP chieftain in Etsako Central, who was arrested with some unscrupulous INEC staff while engaged in illegal registration acts in a private residence in the middle of the night.

“All these, taken with the reported threat by the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, to the effect that the APC people should go and write their will should be a source of concern to any right thinking person.

“You recall that the last time the same man issued the same threat in Port Harcourt several people lost their lives, including youth corpers who had been deployed to assist in the exercise in that state.”

The APC chairman added, “The postponement, therefore, provides an opportunity for the security agencies to address these concerns in addition to whatever other threats they may have discovered.”

But in its reaction, the PDP accused Oshiomhole, INEC, and the security agencies of the plotting the postponement. In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Chris Nehikhare, PDP described the security report given by INEC for shifting the election as phantom.

“For us, the move by INEC to put off the election

Foreign Observers

Yakubu

is shocking and unacceptable. We are taken aback by the rash security advice a day after the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was present at the final campaign rally of the APC in Benin City, which was concluded without any security hitch,” Nehikhare stated.

The statement described the INEC’s action as “lamentable, inexcusable and shameful.”

However, the British High Commission and the European Union on Friday, in Benin City, sued for the conduct of a peaceful governorship election in Edo State. Political Counsel at the British High Commission, Mr Ben Jones, and Deputy Head of Delegation, EU, Mr Richard Young made the call after meeting with some stakeholders in the election. The two institutions, which are among the foreign observers for the poll, appealed to all stakeholders, including INEC and the security agencies, to prepare well for the new date. They also called for increase in communication between the political actors, security agencies and INEC. According to Jones, “Our concern is that the elections on the 28th of September are held peaceful, conclusive and credible. And that all the institutions, the parties, INEC, the police and other security agencies do everything they can to make sure the people of Edo can decide who the next governor would be.

“We, members of the international community, are very keen and sure that the 28th of September should be peaceful, free and fair and should be supported.

I think the important thing is that the institutions prepare themselves for the new date and tensions are coming; there are some tension we have seen them ourselves.”

On his part, Young said, “It is important that the people respect leadership and the leadership preaches peace. Peace is very important. We came here to discuss the postponement of the governorship election and to make a number of appeals for the increased contact with the political parties and INEC and the police and the security agencies.

“They should ensure that a careful ground is laid for the election to take place smoothly and calmly in a democratic and credible manner on Wednesday 28the of September. The need to have a sense that good communication between all those different actors, political parties, INEC, police and security services is paramount, to ensure that the election takes place smoothly and calmly in a peaceful manner on September 28.”

• Edo GovErnorship poll: MarrEd by sEcurity, socio-political intriGuEs • Continued from Pg. 70 INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of voter education and publicity, Mr. Soyebi Solomon, said the decision to postpone the election was reached at a security meeting held with security agencies on Thursday evening. He said that the commission had successfully implemented 12 of 14 conditions required for a successful conduct of the election before the advice from the police and DSS to consider postponement of the election.

Solomon said, “About 6pm on Thursday, the commission received official communication from the police and DSS drawing its attention to the need to postpone the Edo governorship elections. Such postponement, the communication indicates, is necessary in view of threats of terrorists activities in Edo State and other states of the federation during the election and over the Sallah period. “ The deployment of security personnel countrywide to secure lives and property would overstretch their capacity to at the same time provide adequate security for the election.

“Consequently the commission notes the request of the security agencies and considering the security implications of proceeding with the election, the safety of eligible voters, electoral officials, including ad-hoc staff and other stakeholders, has decided to reschedule the Edo governorship elections to Wednesday, 28 September 2016.”

Security Scare and Sense of Deja Vu

There is no doubt that the request by the DSS and the police, urging INEC to postpone the Edo State governorship elections, has remained controversial and has stoked fear among Nigerians. Many have likened it to the situation before the last general election, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, when the poll was shifted by six weeks due to security concerns. The then National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), while speaking earlier as a guest at Chattam House, United Kingdom, hinted on the plans to postpone the elections, thereby causing apprehension within the ranks of the then opposition APC and their supporters that the former president and his party might have planned to scuttle the elections they were bound to lose.

Though the former NSA and his principal were able to improve the apparent precarious state of security at the time, many are not convinced that the situation is the same now.

The former national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Maxi Okwu, captures the mood of many in his Facebook wall, thus, “The security scare being thrown by the security agencies in Edo is a repeat of the tactics used by GEJ in 2015 to buy time. It’s now obvious that the APC has realised they are in trouble in

Edo. “The problem is that as a nation we have a very bad affliction of national political and historical amnesia. Just last year the scaremongering did not help GEJ and PDP. Please, what makes APC believe it will work this year? Na wah for this our Naija.”

The security agencies, however, insist that Edo State is one of the states targeted by extremist elements for attacks around the proposed election date. They say similar threats were made during the Labour Day and Democracy Day celebrations in May as well as the Ed-el-Fitr holidays in July but the security agencies were able to disrupt and thwart the insurgents’ plan. They recall that the DSS had last month uncovered plots by Boko Haram elements to attack Edo and Kogi states.

The DSS had in a statement signed by Mr. Tony Opuiyo said that it was further to their on-going tactical and counter-terrorism operations to degrade the capabilities of criminal gangs/syndicates in their hide-outs across the Federation.

Opuiyo had stated, “Following threat messages against some members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja and Lagos, the Service responded and subsequently apprehended one Aikhoje Moses, on August 19, 2016, at Azagha by-pass off the Benin–Asaba Expressway in Edo State.”

He was quoted as saying, “On August 12, 2016, at Auchi in Edo State, three members of the ANSARU terrorist group hibernating in Kogi State were apprehended by the Service. Usman Abdullahi, Abdulmumuni Sadio and Ahmad Salihu were arrested while making arrangements to launch attacks on some selected targets in Edo and Kogi states, before escaping to join ISIS in Libya.”

Accordingly, the joint statement by the two security agencies said while they recognised the importance of the election, the security agencies would not take the issue of security lightly.

“It is in regard of these that we are appealing to INEC, which has the legal duty to regulate elections in the country, to consider the need for possible postponement of the date of the election in Edo State in order to enable security agencies deal decisively with the envisaged terrorist threats,” the police and the DSS said.

From the foregoing, it seems the police and DSS have genuine reasons for the call for postponement of the elections, despite the fact that the timing may be wrong.

Political Minefield

The stakes are high in Edo State for both the ruling APC and the main opposition PDP at the state and national levels. With all eyes now focused on the 2019 general election, each party is strengthening its base and alliances

for maximum political harvest in the election.

Analysts say Edo State is the ground zero and ultimate springboard with which any victorious party can consolidate its position ahead of 2019. To political watchers, Edo State and Imo State are strategic states for APC in the South-south and South-east, respectively, from where it hopes to make inroads into the geopolitical zones. And for PDP, the calculation is that winning the Edo election would send a strong message to party faithful and supporters that the party is still a force to reckon with and a potential winner in the next general elections. In the same vein, losing the state may signal the weakening of APC in the South-south and ultimate end of any inroads in the zone where it appears to be facing a lot of hostility.

For APC and PDP, therefore, Edo seems to be a “do-or-die affair”.

The coming of Buhari and other APC heavyweights at the last campaign in the state as well as the gathering of PDP governors and top party leaders have helped to increase the political tempo in the state. However, some in the state were said to be angered by the involvement of the president whose rating has dropped drastically in recent times, especially within the zone.

Analysts had noted that should the election hold as scheduled the ruling party might lose.

Incidentally, the PDP governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, had predicted a shift in date of the election, saying the ruling APC plans to hinge the postponement on the Sallah break. Ize-Iyamu had said a few weeks ago that there were plans to postpone the election, although he cited the Muslim Sallah as the probable reason. He further alluded to the fact that it was a ploy by the APC to destabilise things and put the PDP at a disadvantage.

He alleged a few weeks ago, “There is the possibility that INEC may postpone the election from September 10. Although this is not official, we have it on good authority that the date may coincide with this year’s Muslim Salah and if that is true, the postponement might be inevitable. But no one has mentioned or communicated this to us yet.

“But we have it on good authority that the other side already knows about the development and are trying as much as possible to conceal it from us, so that by the time the postponement is announced, we would have outspent ourselves and you know what that means.”

The political intrigues on the road to the governorship election in Edo State have created doubt among Nigerian. And this may seriously affect the credibility of the election result, no matter the winners.

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

73

CICERO/INTERVIEW

Owolabi: Nigerian Government Disenfranchising Adventists by Conducting Elections on Saturdays Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi is President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Western Nigerian Union.

Owolabi says the Independent National Electoral Commission is marginalising Adventists in the country by conducting elections on Saturdays. He also speaks on the challenges faced by the Church of God in Nigeria, in this interview with Olakiitan Victor. Excerpts:

A

s a church, how would you assess your contribution to the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians?

It is even one of the reasons why we held the five days conference in Ado Ekiti. We believe so much in dialogue in settling all differences. We believe in peaceful engagement and the authority of God, and that is what we want for Nigeria as a nation. We have been going about our gospel in several ways. We have been going about our gospel through teaching and learning and under this we have established many educational institutions, like the Babcock University, and very soon, we will establish another university, which will commence operation after completion. We are also planning to establish a College of Biomedical Science in Otun Ekiti in Ekiti State, among other numerous primary and secondary schools we have across Nigeria.

We also publish books and communicate with the people to shape their hearts and thinking to be able to follow the righteous path. Also in the medical unit, we established Adventist Hospital in Ile Ife to provide quality health services to the people. We also have the Adventist Relief Management Agency, which has been collaborating with the government to provide relief materials to victims of disasters.

We have spent hundreds of thousands in providing relief materials for internally displaced persons in the north-eastern part of the country. Even some time ago, when there was flooding in Lokoja, Kogi State, I think the Adventist Church was one of the organisations that first provided relief materials as part of our service to the people. Even during the Tsunami crisis in Asia, we also contributed to give relief to the victims. If we could go this far at the international level, I think we have also done well in ensuring peace in Nigeria by employing the weapon of dialogue in resolving all issues in whatever situation we find ourselves.

How do you feel about the practice of conducting elections on Saturdays, your day of worship, in Nigeria?

We are not feeling happy at all, because I believe the rights of our members are being abridged by this. That is why I always appeal to the Independent National Electoral Commission to accede to our request that it should stop conducting elections on Saturdays. If you notice the trend of elections in Nigeria now, it has become a practice for INEC to conduct elections on Saturdays, the day the church recognised as its Sabbath or worship day. But we are of the view that doing so is not in the interest of our large followers because we are part of Nigeria and it is our right to participate in the electoral system. It is part of our obligations, that is right to vote and be voted for. I am not particularly happy about how our members are being disenfranchised during every successive election in the country, because of their religious beliefs. We are not feeling comfortable because we are being disenfranchised.

We have written many letters to INEC on the need to shift elections from Saturdays and I know that it will accede to the request one day. We have seen a situation whereby a governorship election was conducted in this country on Tuesday and I think the country recorded the highest turnout of voters in history. So we are begging INEC to put the interest of our people at heart. I know that this request will be looked at one day and our people will participate actively in elections. But our not participating in the electoral process would not affect our support for whoever God has chosen to lead us. We owe it as a moral and constitutional obligation to support our leaders at all levels. But we believe in politics of peace and not that of violence and blood-sucking and this we will continue to preach as part of our collaboration with the government to bring development to the people.

Let me assure that the Church will continue to play a complementary role to whoever emerges as the leader of the nation, either he is from the APC or PDP, despite that its members are being largely insulated from elections.

be involved. It has to be a holistic approach. Relying on religious institutions alone may not be proper, because we are also part of the society and operating in a society where evil is being perpetrated.

If you look at those perpetrating this corruption, they are called David, Simon, Jamiu, Yaqoub or Solomon. They are either Christians or Muslims, so this shows that the churches and mosques have crucial roles to play in fighting corruption. I want to tell my colleagues across religious divides to always reflect on attitudinal change in their sermons. They should let the people know the evil corruption poses to any society. Let us look at our nation. Nigeria, in spite of enormous resources, has refused to grow because of the evil intentions of a few. So, we are worried about the corruption that has become the greatest challenge to our people and we support every action being taken by the government to tackle the menace.

But I want to emphasise that whatever the government will do should be a holistic measure that will outlast this present government. Also, the pastors and Imams should be good examples to their followers.

Owolabi

What is your reaction to the budget padding saga rocking the House of Representatives?

Every right thinking Nigerian must be worried by the development. But I appeal to Nigerians not to be disillusioned by the shame the controversy surrounding the issue of alleged padding has brought to Nigeria. The exchange of verbal abuses between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, and Hon Abdulmumin Jubrin has further accented the fact that things are wrong with this nation.

But padding has remained for long with us. The unwholesome conduct had been in existence for long, but nobody seemed to be interested. But the time has come for the country to collectively reject such sordid practice. We know we are facing so many challenges, but I am optimistic that there is a great future awaiting this country, irrespective of the challenges we are going through. As a church, we won’t support any budget that is not transparent or not open or constitutionally done because we have to be fair and open to the people that voted the leaders at all levels.

How do you see the level of corruption in the country and the actions taken by the present government to tackle it?

My own view about corruption is that it is demonic. Corruption has permeated and debased every facet of our country, including the house of God. I quite appreciate the fact that the men of God have a crucial role to play in fighting the scourge, but let me reiterate that the government must embrace holistic approach to be able to win the war.

The government must engage every institution to fight the scourge. The family that raised the child must be involved. How can a child carried in corrupt and bewitched womb and raised in a fraudulent family grow up to be a good child? So, family values must change for Nigeria to make headway in this regard. Then, the educational institutions where the child was taught on how to be relevant in a society also has a role to play in this matter, because the children who came from good homes and were raised through the proper channels ended up being corrupted by friends they made in schools.

Then community and religious institutions must

What is your take on the suggestion that government should start taxing churches?

The activities of some churches and the ostentatious lifestyles of some church leaders brought about such agitation. Many of the churches have become shopping malls, where buying and selling take place. But I want to advise any government intending to implement this to study every church operating in the country and examine critically its mode of operations before embarking on the proposed imposition of tax on religious institutions.

Government must not see churches as money making ventures. Let them examine the churches very well and know those that are established for profit.

In actual fact, churches should not be places where you display opulence, but places for purification, transparency and accountability. Churches should help in waging war against corruption. Let me just say this for the sake of emphasis, as far as the Adventist church is concerned, we are not established for money making but for service to humanity.

Some of the educational and health institutions we established attest to the fact that we are out to give joy to the people and contribute to the development of any community we find ourselves and these we have been doing. Even the church and government are the same in the real sense of it. The old Church of England and the British government are the same.

Even the government used to pay the wages of the men of God during that period. So, it shouldn’t take much begging for churches to collaborate with government for development and that has been our thinking in the Adventist Church.

Are you worried by the persistent crisis in the Christian Association of Nigeria?

There is no way there won’t be crisis, because CAN itself is a human institution and in any human institution, there will be disagreement. But how you resolve it is very essential. CAN as a spiritual organisation must be a spiritual movement where critical issues of national interest are addressed.

Whatever that will happen in the association must be handled with the fear of God. But let me just say this, we are not part of CAN, Adventist Church is just an observer in CAN, we belong to the Bible Society of Nigeria. But the crisis in CAN does not mean people there are evil. But everything they do there must be spiritual. We should allow God to guide us at all times, because we represent light and we must really be the light to the world. We must be spiritual and seek God’s guidance in whatever we do in any spiritual body. If we are to conduct elections, we must allow the will of God to prevail, we shouldn’t fight over who becomes what or fight over money. So, as much as I am worried about the crisis, being a member of a spiritual church, I also hold the view that crisis is very difficult to prevent in human society because of individual thinking and actions.

But whatever happens, we should also seek the face of God.

74

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO/ONTHEWATCH

OndoAPCPrimary:TheOutcome,theImplications The governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has come and gone, but the intrigues that played out during the exercise may haunt the party for some time to come. James Sowole, in Akure, reports

A

critical prediction that came to pass at the recent governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the November 26 election in Ondo State was the one made by the winner of the election, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN. Akeredolu, who did not hide his position on the reported endorsement of one of the aspirants, Dr Olusegun Abraham, by the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said before the election that Tinubu would be shocked by the results of the election.

The former president of the Nigerian Bar Association had during the controversies over the endorsement of Abraham said Tinubu had lost his leadership position by taking sides with one aspirant after the leaders had assured them of free and fair primaries.

Apart from Tinubu, Akeredolu also had a running battle with the state chairman of APC, Mr Issacs Kekemeke, who was accused of making attempts to actualise the wish of the national leader of the party.

Kekemeke was alleged to have made attempts to use the party machinery to ensure that Abraham won the primary. This had also caused some executive members of the party to pass a vote of no confidence on him.

As expected, Akeredolu’s position was considered

by Tinubu’s loyalists as an affront on the leader of the party and the last man standing when the coast was very tough in the South-west in the camp of the progressives.

Affront

Moreover, the very visible role played by Tinubu before, during and after the 2012 governorship election of the then Action Congress of Nigeria in Ondo State, when Akeredolu was the candidate, came to mind, as many people saw him as an ungrateful person.

Despite the support allegedly given to Abraham

by Tinubu against Akeredolu, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria defeated his major rival and 21 others. Specifically, Akeredolu scored 669 as against 635 scored by Abraham.

For some of the aspirants, the deed had been done with the defeat of Abraham at the primary and they did not hide their feelings about it right inside the hall after the announcement of the winner. “We thank God. We have been delivered from the hands of Tinubu. We don’t want to be colonised,” one of them said.

To these people, Abraham was not the only one defeated, but also his political godfather, Tinubu.

The result of the election did not shock only Tinubu, it also shocked was the state chairman of the party.

Ominous Victory

As the Yoruba saying goes, “When a blind man threatens to cast a stone on anyone, the person must be very careful because the blind man may have instructed somebody to act on his behalf. “ Akeredolu displayed utmost confidence few days to the election, boasting that he would win the exercise if a level playing ground was provided. The election has been won and lost, but several allegations after the declaration of the results point to the fact that the contest is not yet over and all is not well within the party. The general opinion in the state is that the crisis over the primary may definitely have negative effects on the governorship election.

Demonstrating his displeasure at the results of the primary, the APC Central Senatorial chairman, Mr Adegboyega Adedipe, resigned from his position and joined the chairmen of Ondo East and West local governments, Mr Akintunde Samuel and Mr Adeola Ademulegun, respectively, to petition the Primary Election Appeal Committee, calling for the nullification of the results of the exercise.

In the petition, the leaders urged the appeal committee to conduct a fresh primary and alleged that the exercise was characterised by malpractices. They also alleged that a strange delegates’ list was introduced on the eve of the election after they had all gone to sleep and that it was the doctored list that was eventually used for the primary election.

The petition read in part, “Names of 47 per cent of the delegates in Ondo East were either deleted or substituted with people who are unknown to the party as executive members. Some of the injected names are not even aware of the development and so did not come for the primary.

“We wrote a petition to the primary election committee chairman on the morning of the election and it was reiterated that only people that had been

Officials of the party during the vote count after the APC governorship primary election in Ondo voting in previous primaries would be allowed to vote with a promise to stand down the voting process for Ondo East and West local government areas. We were shocked that the committee never honoured the pledge.

“In all, a total number of 64 names were injected into the delegates’ list. The names were unknown to the party. For instance, somebody who never contested any election and some even unknown to the party suddenly became ward chairmen in wards four, six, two and seven of Ondo East local government.

“Our total valid delegates are 135 out of which 64 were disenfranchised, meaning, 47 of the delegates on the unlawful list were illegal voters.”

They stated that fake delegates were brought in, in the process of moving them between the accreditation centres and the voting centre.

The petitioners said if the exercise was cancelled, the appeal committee should order that accreditation and voting should take place at the same venue during re-run primary.

Similarly, first runner-up in the exercise, Abraham, who was the common enemy of other aspirants before the primary has rejected the results. Abraham, who had earlier conceded defeat, declared in a statement that the result was unacceptable to him “considering the plethora of staggering facts of anomalies that have since emerged to the demerit of the exercise.”

In the statement by the director-general of his campaign organisation, Chief Olu Adegboro, Abraham said he was baffled by “the gale of allegations and facts of malpractices that have since rocked the conduct and process of the Ondo gubernatorial primary election.”

He said though in the spirit of sportsmanship he had congratulated Akeredolu, but “the news however is that sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised.

“It is now beyond doubt that the delegate list used on the day of the primary election was doctored and strangely injected with a mind blowing number of delegates who are neither executive members of our party nor statutory delegates.

“To say the least, the manipulation of the delegate list, highly skewed accreditation process, and the entire processes leading to the conduct of the primary election has cast the darkest stain on the result of the primary election held on the 3rd September, 2016.

“Against this background, coupled with the change and integrity that our party preaches and practices, and having widely consulted with my numerous supporters, I have reached the hour of decision to fall back on the

internal mechanism of our great party to seek redress so that the end of justice will be served and more importantly, our democracy may endure.

“To this end, the outcome of the September 3rd APC governorship primaries in Ondo State is unacceptable and I hereby appeal against same.”

Unless the reconciliatory moves being made by the party yield positive results, the APC may not realise its dream of producing the next governor of Ondo State after Mimiko. This is because some aggrieved aspirants were said to have started discussions with political parties that had not conducted their primaries.

Also, the people of Akokoland were said to have been embittered about the non-emergence of the candidate from the area because of their belief that it is only a governor from the area would help to redress their infrastructural challenges.

Traditional rulers in the Akokoland were reported to have held a meeting before the primary that the people of the area would support any party that fielded an Akoko man as his flag bearer. As part of the fallout of the primary, protests erupted at Ikare, the headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government Area against a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Stephen Olemija.

Olemija, who represents Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency, was accused of working against the interest of Abraham, who is his kinsman. The lawmaker was said to have worked for the senator representing Ondo Central at the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Tayo Alasoadura, who scored 206 votes during the primary.

2019 Politics

THISDAY gathered that the events that unfolded at the governorship primary of APC in Ondo State were not only about the election in the state, but also part of the calculations towards the 2019 presidential election. According to findings, Akeredolu got support from some governors and people in the presidency in order to weaken Tinubu’s influence ahead of the next presidential election.

The APC leader was said to have lost the control of the party machinery in Ogun, Oyo, Edo and Kogi states while the control of Osun State hung in the balance, as the party leadership in the state was said to have worked for another aspirant against Abraham.

With the outcome of the primary election, many doubt if APC would be able to put up a challenge strong enough to wrest power from the ruling PDP in Ondo State.

75

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO/ISSUE

Salvador: PDP Will Take over Lagos in 2019 It has been the ambition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State to win the governorship election of the state. But much as the party tried, controlling the government of the cosmopolitan state and the commercial nerve centre of the country has been an elusive venture for the party, which ruled the country at the centre for 16years. For a factional Chairman of the PDP in Lagos State, Moshood Salvador, however, the time is ripe for the party to take over the mantle of leadership in the centre of excellence. Oladipupo Awojobi recently engaged Salvador in an interview, where he spoke on issues affecting the party, the state and Nigeria in general

M

oshood Salvador, factional PDP chairman in Lagos State, declared during a recent chat that it was so clear that Lagos State could be won by the PDP, recalling that the party won six seats at the Federal House of Representatives, and eight seats at the state House of Assembly in the 2015 general elections.

This, he maintained, serves as an elixir, and stressed that the party was waiting for the forthcoming local council elections in the state to further prove its mettle with an assurance that they would win the bye election of the House of Reps coming up in Ifako/Ijaiye area of the state with the recent death of the lawmaker representing the constituency, Dr. Adewale Elijah.

The politician added that it was glaring that the PDP could still control the central government provided the managers of the party manage it right.

“Good enough, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has started cleansing the PDP. Some people call it persecution, the government calls it prosecution, but I call it cleansing of my party. If you can have it in mind that if I misbehave somebody is there watching me, then you would adjust,” he said.

Salvador does not agree with those who say that the PDP is factionalised, but admitted that there are crises in the party.

He accused the media of magnifying the issues in the party, while admitting that there are factions within the party, but that when a party is really factionalised, they will have different secretariat in all the states of the federation and at the national level.

“But nothing of such is happening in the PDP. You were in this country in the early days of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), when Abdulkadir was used by the PDP against Mamman Yusuf of AD then. The faction was supported by the government of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdukadir’s faction had secretariats in Abuja and all over the states of the federation, that is what we call real faction.

“In politics, where you have 10 offices, and over 1,000 people are vying for the offices, you would see the losers protesting that they were rigged out.

We are never honest in this country, so we have no confidence in one another.

“Do we even have confidence in the government not to talk of individuals. I don’t blame anybody for that. I would appeal to the media to help solve the problem in the PDP rather than aggravating it. Some people are aggrieved in the party, but the best thing is for us to make sure we reconcile and solve the problems,” he said.

He cautioned that the fight against corruption by the government of President Buhari could not work, and accused the ruling party of chasing thieves and leaving the remaining goods, adding that other people would steal the goods.

According to him, it was wrong for the government to concentrate on fighting corruption, while other areas are suffering.

“You can fight corruption, protect what you have and hand over any culpable person to the antigraft agencies, it is not for you to be fully involved in fighting corruption and leave economy, security, healthcare and others to suffer, I would not agree with them on that.

“Everybody agrees with him on the fight against corruption, it is a way of cleansing my party too.

You cannot see my name on the list of corrupt persons. I didn’t collect a dime from the PDP in Lagos State, not to talk of at the federal level. I contributed my money for the success of the party, I gave N5million to Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe to assist the party in the last general election,” he said.

Salvador does not see the current probe by the federal government as giving his party a negative

Salvador

image, adding that the whole thing boils down to the fact that those are the people they have exposed, and that there is no government without corrupt individuals.

His words: “Who can convince you that there is any government without thieves, when you can wake up one morning to see someone that came to beg you for N1,000 having all the money two months after getting to power and driving a Rolls Royce without anybody asking questions.

“It can only happen in Nigeria. We were in Lagos, when somebody went to Dubai to celebrate his first N1 Billion less than six months of getting to a public office. I mean just a Special Adviser to the Governor.

“It happened in Lagos State and instead of condemnation, we celebrated him, only God knows how many billions of naira he has stolen now.

Immediately they stole all these money, they would come to say they want to be governors or senators.

“This is why it is difficult to correct anything because 80% of the people that are now governors or senators are guilty of corruption. They made their money in such a funny and nasty ways and use it to buy power.”

The issue of budget padding that recently rocked the Federal House of Representatives also came to the fore during the interview and Salvador disclosed that this is another matter of concern, saying that “it was unimaginable that the Speaker of the House of Reps, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara could have the gut to say that budget padding is not a crime.”

“This is a man that does not have much experience in legislative services, a greenhorn. This year, they would pad the budget and make N100 Billion, another year, it is N200 Billion, the following year, it is N400 Billion and so on like that. By the time they leave office, they would have made so much money that they can ever manage.

“They are not even trained to manage, they don’t have any experience to manage things properly.

Even if you fill a building with N1 Trillion, they would waste it. That is why I am recommending life

imprisonment for anybody that is found guilty of corruption.

“The reason is that they are killing some people.

Innocent people are losing their lives, I have a team of doctors I give money to regularly so that they could treat indigent people in the society. I give money to people to eat and it is affecting my pocket too. I almost shed tears, when someone told me he had not eaten for three days, I had to put N20,000 in his account to assist him, “he said.

He accused the incumbent government of not going in the right direction on the economy, and said that they were not even prepared, or experienced to handle power, while advising that they should have hired experts to help them.

He made reference to what former president Olusegun Obasanjo did, when he got to office in 1999.

“How much did he meet in the coffers of the country, but he went ahead to bring the likes of now Governor Nasir El Rufai to develop the FCT, Abuja as minister, he brought former finance minister, Mrs. Okonjo Iweala, Ezekwesili and others.

“Didn’t you see the effect of Iweala, she was not after money, she was just after a cause. Buhari is old, he could not jump the way ex-president Goodluck Jonathan was jumping then, he cannot jump the way former president Olusegun Obasanjo was jumping because he was younger, when he got to office in 1999.

“We have to pity Buhari, he needs assistance and he should open the windows of assistance for experts to come in. Now, our industries are dying, industrialists are leaving the country, many airlines have left.

“The next thing was for him to approve N179 per dollar for pilgrims, when those in the productive sector buy it at N400 per dollar, I see this as a big problem,” he stated.

On the Edo State Governorship election, the PDP chieftain emphasised that all the crowd in the campaign grounds of the two leading parties; PDP and APC could not translate to votes, alleging that they are hired crowd.

“Go to the electorate and ask questions, they condemn the APC government in Edo State. The PDP is prepared to win, though we don’t have police or military power, we just need to protect our votes. We want the people of Edo to do that, it is difficult for the APC to win in Edo State again,” he said.

The issue of state and community police, he said, were addressed in the AD many years back as he said that they are the ones that can protect the people better, while making reference to the architecture of a house, which he said belongs to the owner before the architect is called to design it.

“So, nobody can know the corners of my house more than I do. You cannot just bring someone to come and take care of my area and police it. In a particular area, we know what they do in the compound without entering the place.

“We know their culture and tradition, there are some compounds we know that they deal in masquerades, we know, where they are Osun worshipers and others. So, nobody can deceive you about what they do in those places. So, all these can be handled by state or community police,” he said.

The veteran politician was part of the delegates at the 2014 Constitutional Conference organised by former president Goodluck Jonathan and he felt the report of the conference is one of the things that could turn the nation around. He made it clear that if any government thinks the report should not be implemented, then they should have other ideas.

“Now, it is obvious that they don’t have any other idea, they would still go back to the report of the conference because there is nothing you want to do that is not there. If they have the money to waste, they can organise another one, but the money is not even there for them,” he stated.

76

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

CICERO/FOCUS

Makoko: Thirsting for Good Health Facilities For pregnant women and children in Makoko Community of Lagos State, only the fittest patronise the Primary Health Centre across a double-lane road on Yaba Road. Rebecca Ejifoma writes on the sordid state of health facilities in the community

I

t was about 8a.m. that Friday morning. I had dressed up purposely, in a casual manner, for Makoko Community, a town on the outskirts of Yaba in Lagos State. It is a suburb of people living the carefree lives of our forefathers - on awful, black water full of fish, crab and crap.

Makoko is a place you enter and realise your spoken English sucks; you lose words to explain yourself or communicate with the inhabitants effectively. They speak and understand Yoruba, Egun and French languages and the pidgin English, as Makoko dwellers are the Ijaws, Ilajes and the Eguns, who hail from Badagry - another far suburb of Lagos.

Their homes are levelled both on land and on the black water clustered with dirt of various dimensions including human waste. There are queues of canoes and young boys beckoning you to their crafts whilst ferrying fisherwomen and their hand woven baskets full of fish like tilapia, mackerel and even crab among others.

Funnily enough, at every turn you take there is a wooden structure, where a young wife is roasting fresh fish and exhibiting them on hand woven baskets in a beautiful order. The stunning thing about the women is how they sit amid the thick gray smoke exuding from the fire woods and sawdust grilling the fish. Even little children of ages two and above perched beside the smoke, unfazed by its discomfort.

On a one-day investigative tour around the town, I observed a riot of dirt in square-shaped structures at various junctions in the small town, waiting to explode. And each had both perishable and non-perishable things.

Iwaya or Eko. So, I visited Simpson PHC on foot. It takes about 20 minutes to get there excluding the long walk out of the slum.

Now, since Simpson is on the other side of a major road, a pregnant woman crosses at her own risk.

True, most vehicles do not halt for pedestrians on the Zebra crossing let alone a busy road without one. Hence, pregnant women from Makoko will have to wait until the road becomes vehicle-free before going across.

However, it is a five-minute-drive after a long walk out of Makoko community by bus. Then a pregnant woman will alight from the bus and cross the two-lane highway to the other side of the road to board yet another bus and then wait for it to be filled with passengers.

A resident of Makoko, Mr. Agbeba Solomon, explained that they enjoyed electricity more in the community. But he lamented that they ought to be enjoying other basic amenities like potable water and good health facilities from the state government.

Sadly, all efforts to speak with the Lagos Ministry of Health for several days proved abortive. At the Simpson PHC yet again to see how things are done in the rainy season, the centre was dry. The security man instructed that I pay N50 for an exercise book, which I did. He was too impatient to respond to any question.

There was no one on seat, except the young woman sitting on the guests’ chair.

She approached me, took the book from me and took down my bio-data. “Go upstairs and see the doctor,” she instructed. Looking rather unconcerned and introverted, she simply responded to only one question from me, even though I disguised as a mother. “When you bring your child, you will pay for another book for him.”

I tried to see the doctor, a female, who was speaking to a patient. There were three other persons, including one man, waiting to see the same doctor. Seeing that the conversation between doctor and patient was not ending any time soon, I had to leave.

Undoubtedly, the health facility workers need to be trained and retrained on client relation skills as this is obviously poor and may be one of the reasons people hardly visit. With their manners of approach, there is no doubt that the attitude of health workers towards patient is still a big issue in Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

A view of Makoko community

Oye Hospital in Makoko

After touring the town assiduously the entire day, I gathered that there were four hospitals in the slum town: Dauda, Davido, Jero and Oye. You could see a symbol of a cross painted in blue on the wooden wall of Dauda hospital. There is a square-shaped transparent basin filled with sachets of tablets - drugs - to the brim. So, I knocked at the door. A lady in her 30s responded.

She looked rather weak and reluctant to speak. When asked of the doctor, she replied, “Doctor no dey” (Doctor is not on seat).

While waiting, two young men walked briskly into the room carrying a bowl of hot pap. Out of curiosity, this reporter enquired from the neighbours, who said the men were the doctors. Hence, I knocked again, then opened the drape only to see that the two men were carrying out termination of pregnancy (abortion) for the young lady.

Now, there stands Oye hospital just five minutes’ walk from Dauda. I climbed up the scanty wooden flight of stairs to enter the hospital.

There is a very small room on the right like a restroom. It looks private. The one-room hospital has three small windows covered with cotton and towel as drapes.

There are two wall fans on the north and west sides of the wood walls. On the floor are triple beds. There are two foams - flattened by years of use - on only two.

Above the beds on one side are dangling mosquito nets. It’s crystal clear. Oye uses herbs to treat its patients. An old white transparent plastic bottle with a brownish substance in it sits in one corner. When asked what that was, the little girl said, “mericine” (medicine).

The two young men sitting on two beds in the room identified themselves as apprentices in the clinic. “Doctor is not around now. He travelled to Benin Republic for some reasons. We don’t know when he will be back,” one of them, Malik, disclosed.

A Makoko resident plying her trade...

On who attends to patients in his absence, “We treat people: children and adults including pregnant women,” they chorused.

Interestingly, in a cursory look at Oye, one could easily conclude that it is a clinic not a hospital. But what is confusing is that it admits patients including children, pregnant women; and carries out normal delivery including Caesarean Section.

With the pathetic-looking beds, the apprentices lamented that once, they heard that the state government sent some people to distribute beds to them (the hospitals).

“But they didn’t give us.”

“Currently, we have 15 pregnant women in our hospital. Our charges are not high here. It is between N5,000 and N6,000 for all delivery. Then, we charge N1,500 monthly for ante-natal. We, also, have family planning programmes but people don’t come for it.”

According to a nursing mother, who walked into the room, Oye takes good care of them. “We deliver here. And our babies are healthy. Doctor even talks to us about family planning. But he is not around.”

Exposure to Mosquito Bites

It is July. Schools are on holidays. So, there were more children at home than expected. They were running around

unclad and even without any foot wears.

They walked and played in the drenched sawdust on their ground. Some played in spoilt and abandoned canoes besieged by fungus. You could see many little children with large, protruding bellies like calabash set upside down. They range from ages five-month-olds and above. While the very little ones cried almost the entire tour, the older ones played without limits.

According to one Malik, the most common ailments among their little children are typhoid and malaria fever. “It’s much here. The children come up with vomiting, coughing, weakness of the body and catarrh.”

Now, a survey by the United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) in 2013 states that Nigeria is the second largest contributor to under-five deaths worldwide as 2,300 children of age five years and below die daily in the country.

“At Oye, we prescribe drugs that we don’t have for patients and provide necessary treatment. But if any case needs to be referred, we refer them to Subairu or Eko Primary Health Centre,” Malik added.

Now, in an inquisitive search for a Primary Health Centre, I gathered from other female residents that the community had none. Residents patronise the Simpson PHC on Simpson Street in Yaba and Subairu in

Means of Livelihood

There are small kiosks at various corners in the town. But the most common trade you find there is fishery. The women of Makoko are strong and industrious. While their men paddle canoes, they go fishing.

Having disguised as a student who wanted to learn fishing trade, a fish seller allowed me witness the grilling process; from the washing of the fresh fish to the finishing with bamboo stick for a perfect circle shape.

Interestingly, this woman simply identified as “Iya” set three stones on the ground, fused in dry woods and added some amount of sawdust to kindle the fire.

She sprinkled a large quantity of kerosene blended with nylon and plastics to support the flames.

There is their usual huge aluminum smoky-can which is stationed around the stones. A large grill is placed on the can.

Then she begins to set the fish on the grill beautifully as the fire intensifies.

But ultimately, Makoko women and children are in dire thirst for a better health system; upgrade in their hospitals and competent doctors, not just apprentices.

“We need government to help us with good roads and provide borehole water for us and health facilities. We are also Nigerians,” Agbeba said.

77

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

PERSPECTIVE When Justice Takes Flight: The Abia Situation Obasi Ubah

T

he age-long saying that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man seems to be gradually taking flight in Nigeria if recent pronouncements of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal in the legal tussle over who between Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and Dr Uchechukwu Ogah should appropriately occupy the governorship seat of Abia State is anything to go by. The court below presided over by Justice Okon Abang had in its judgement of June 27 on the matter declared that based on the facts before it, Okezie was not qualified to take part in the governorship election in the state. The court went ahead to declare Ogah, who came second in the primaries of the PDP, as the authentic party candidate. The court made a consequential order asking the INEC to issue Ogah with the Certificate of Return as the duly elected governor of the state.

However, dissatisfied by the judgement, Okezie and his team had approached the Court of Appeal seeking not just to stay the execution of the judgement but insisting that Abang’s judgement be set aside. But, against all known judicial procedure, the appellate court led by Justice Ogunwimiju last Thursday clearly shied away from the issues at hand and not only dwelt on technicalities but also imported dimensions never canvassed in the course of the proceedings.

Whereas the issue has to do with alleged false information, not falsification, the appeal court concerned itself mainly with forgery. It also went ahead to use all matter of unprintable words to disparage and terribly demean the integrity of the respected Justice Abang in what has been condemned in different quarters.

It is pertinent to take a critical look at the main issue in context. As already known, it has to do with “Whether or not Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State gave false information to the INEC in his nomination form”. And in the instant case, the “false information” has to do with “whether Governor Ikpeazu had given any false information in his affidavit or other document especially as regards his tax documents.”

This matter clearly has the protection of the Section 31 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) which states, “(5) Any person who has reasonable grounds to believe that any information given by a candidate in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false may file a suit at the High Court of a State or Federal High Court against such person seeking a declaration that the information contained in the affidavit is false.(6) If the Court determines that any of the information contained in the affidavit or any document submitted by that candidate is false, the Court shall issue an order disqualifying the candidate from contesting the election.”

The matter at hand from all intents and purposes clearly has nothing to do with forgery, as presently being painted in several articles.

Ogah, in his case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, did not allege forgery or tax evasion, he commenced his action under originating summons after obtaining the documents and affidavits of Ikpeazu in accordance with S31(4) of the Electoral Act 2010 and his allegation is that the governorship candidate of PDP, Ikpeazu, gave false information(not falsification, not forgery) of his tax payments. This is in accordance with Section 31(5-6) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended. Section 87(10) of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended gives a co- contestant right to approach the court, either federal high court or state high court, for a remedy where he or she finds out that the information disclosed by his or her opponent contains false information.

Section 31(6) of the Electoral Act provides that where the court is satisfied from the evidence presented that the candidate has given false information as provided in the Act, that candidate is liable to be disqualified. Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja examined the affidavit of Ogah and the counter affidavits of Ikpeazu and found out that indeed the tax

Justice Mahmud Mohammed papers of Ikpeazu contained several lies on its face. In one instance he was alleged to have paid tax when he was not yet employed, in another instance he was alleged to have been taxed on amount that was not his annual salary, in another he allegedly paid more than he was supposed to pay. There were several other lies on the tax papers. In all these, the three years tax was paid with one booklet and all in one day!

To compound his problems, the serial number of the tax receipts showed that the beginning of the serial number was used for the tax receipt of 2013 and that of 2011 was used for the last serial number. What false information is more than this? His tax documents did not indicate that he paid his tax as and when due in accordance with the tax laws, the constitution of 1999 Section 24(f) and in accordance with the Electoral Guidelines of PDP 2014, Articles 13 and 14.

As to whether tax is a constitutional issue, please, see S177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.

S177(c) of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that a candidate must belong to a party and must be sponsored by that party. For a party to sponsor a candidate for the governorship election, he or she must have fulfilled all the conditions stipulated in their guidelines, including tax payment stipulated in article 14(a) which provides that if the candidate fails to so do, he or she shall be disqualified. Therefore, tax is constitutional requirement since the party’s guidelines made provision for it. Ikpeazu also swore an oath after disclosing his tax details that the information therein were from him and he alone should be held responsible for any false or misleading information that may lead to his being accepted as qualified when he is not. He finally stated under the same oath that if it is found out that the information disclosed about his tax payments were false, he should be disqualified. He signed it, and it was sworn to before a Commissioner of Oath in Aba High Court Registry, Abia State.

Ikpeazu’s legal team in their counter affidavit got the Board of Internal Revenue to bring in a letter in which they attempted to rationalise all these discrepancies, including admitting that these serial numbers were indeed a mistake.

They tried to rationalise the discrepancies in payments by arguing that he was indeed outside the service for the period of January to June of that particular year but that he paid tax as a private person. If that is true, how come in his tax papers they put him under employment of Abia State from January to December ending of that year. These are false information and they were not corrected in the documents he submitted to INEC. The documents certified by INEC does not contain the after- thought explanation

words to demean the towering credibility of the apex court justices.

No doubt, the court of appeal which used to be the pride of the nation has for some time now continued to degenerate in view of some of its rulings which have clearly left a lot to be desired.

The fact that Anambra Central senatorial zone has remained for almost one year without any form of representation is as a result of the worrisome judgement delivered at the Enugu Division of the Court of Appeal, which sacked Senator Uche Ekwunife on grounds of improper nomination process by the PDP. While Enugu appeal court enjoyed unfettered freedom in prying into what ought to be the internal activities of a political party, the Abuja Division which handled the election issues arising from the Taraba State governorship election in its ruling which set aside the decision of the Election Tribunal that handled the issue as a court of first instance declared that it was wrong for the court below to have nullified the election of Governor Darius Ishiaku on grounds of improper nomination since the candidate of the APC in the said election, Aisha Alhassan, has no business with the internal affairs of another party.

The Supreme Court has since affirmed that decision by the Abuja Court of Appeal which made it possible for Ishiaku to remain as governor, whereas Ekwunife who suffered same damage did not have the opportunity of heading to the apex court as National Assembly election issues by the provisions of the Electoral Act terminate at the appellate court.

With that issue in mind, it is imperative for judges at the appellate court level to be mindful of their utterances and pronouncements at all times because their actions or inactions have the capacity to cause an irreparable damage to issues which a painstaking effort would have easily resolved.

The saving grace in the present scenario is that it is still quite probable that the Supreme Court may disagree with the Court of Appeal on all the issues it treated in that appeal and one would have expected that in the best tradition of the profession the Court of Appeal would have left room for that possibility rather than take on the air of infallibility so arrogantly displayed in its judgement. It is even quite possible that another division of the Court of Appeal may have reached a different conclusion on each of the issues. The present set of appellate court justices are yet to come to terms with fact that the present Chief Justice of Nigeria has always preferred that substantial justice be done in any case instead of dwelling on technicalities.

The technical issues raised and decided by the Court of Appeal judges were neither here nor there. They raised the issue that the originating summons was not signed. The point to note is that there was a signature. Signature is a factual thing. It is either it is there or is not there. Mind you, this was a matter that had initially gone up to the Supreme Court and the issue of signature was never raised by the defendants or learned justices of the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Nobody contended that signature was not on the originating summons before the matter was subsequently referred back to the lower court for expeditious trial. The issue also raised by the Court of Appeal judges that the matter should have been commenced by way of Writ of Summons instead of Originating Summons is also neither here nor there. This is a pure documentary evidence matter and the lies on the documents are very visible on the face of the documents. Therefore, the process was rightly commenced by Originating Summons.

The issue of procedures on commencement of actions are already established by decided case laws most especially by the apex court. I believe that most of the issues the Court of Appeal judges raised are Issues that should not have mattered in a matter that has to do with serious matter of public interest like this one in which a candidate for the governorship position of a state filed tax documents that were full of lies. We will certainly want the Supreme Court to have a final say on this issue and set the records straight once and for all.

of the board which wouldn’t have come from them if not for the discovery that Ikpeazu’s documents contained false information. Since the board is appointed by the government of Ikpeazu would it not be foolhardy to expect a truthful information from such tainted persons now that Ikpeazu is allegedly in trouble?

By the way, when does a document become correct and accurate just because the maker says so? If on the face of the document it is a lie, it is a lie irrespective of what anyone may have to say, especially from a known tainted maker, in this case the Board of Internal Revenue working in Umuahia under Ikpeazu who cannot be free to disclose truthful information about his tax papers at least for now until the coast is clear as to who takes over the governor’s seat. In any case, that information from the Board of Internal Revenue cannot and will not alter what is already submitted to INEC for which he was pronounced qualified to participate in the primary election.

These were the basis for the judgement of Abang of the Federal High Court which on June 27 ruled that Okezie was not ab initio qualified to seek for the governorship of the state. Now, having been disqualified, was the trial court competent to make a consequential order for the necessary changes that INEC must effect as a result of that finding?

The decision of the Supreme Court delivered on Friday, January 18, 2008 in the case of Amaechi V INEC (a pre-election matter in which no less than the Supreme Court had intervened to ensure that its order disqualifying Omehia who had been wrongly presented by the party was given effect) sheds light on this.

Oguntade JSC (as he then was) in most gracious language pointed out the duplicity of the Court of Appeal in the way it deliberately, not only conflicted with its earlier judgement in the Ararume case, but also over-ruled the decision of the Supreme Court in that case in order to find favour of Omehia. Oguntade made no accusations and refrained from attacking the justices involved, even though everyone could guess what was happening at the time. All he said in all decorum was: “The matter however does not end there. The court below which had decided in the Araraume case that the reason ‘error’ did not meet the requirement of section 34 later decided in the present case that the fact that Amaechi had been indicted was good enough a reason for not following the decision of this court and its own in the Araraume case.”

Perhaps, if the case had been handed over to Ogunwimiju and other appellate court justices, ––Ubah, a public affairs analyst, writes who delivered judgement to Ikpeazu, to review, from Ohafia, Abia State. they would import all known and unknown

78

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

X-raying Military Operations and National Stability Emeka Nwapa

W

hen President Muhammadu Buhari appointed General Abayomi Olonishakin in June last year to lead the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), it was not too clear to many what exact direction he was headed until the new defence helmsman unveiled his vision thus: to ensure a well motivated, trained and equipped Armed Forces that is responsive to national security commitments.

Almost 15 months down the line, the full import of that vision is so clear to all that it provides a refreshing insight into the chemistry, character and content of the Nigerian military’s combat architecture that have significantly advanced the frontiers of national security and stability in the country.

In other words, the current state of security across the country amidst unrelenting threats and challenges has compelled a content analysis of the military institution’s rigorous and painstaking search for peace in a country that, since 1999, still manages to stabilize its democracy and actualize a collective quest for national stability that guarantees a united, peaceful, progressive, prosperous and violence-free society that is the envy of the world. ‘’This scenario best illustrates where the Nigerian nation is now’’, says Mr. Chidi Omeje, the National Coordinator of Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness (NISA), a civil society organization engaged in creating and spreading security awareness among Nigerians.

He said that Nigeria’s military had never been engaged in sundry internal security operations as it is now. On many fronts, it is assailed by crises and conflicts of different scope, shape and size ranging from insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustlers, farmers-herdsmen clashes, pipeline vandalism, electricity cable vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering, ritual killing, electoral violence, cultism, etc. These, he said, are severe security threats to national security that are clearly beyond the capacity of the civil police to contain.

Corroborating Chidi Omeje’s observation, Dr. Emmanuel Onoja, a scholar whose doctoral thesis was on the ‘Imperative of Military Operations in Combating Civil Disorder in Nigeria’, observed that the Nigerian military has creditably acquitted itself very well in effectively quelling civil disorder and other forms of armed conflicts in the country and has moved from the last to the first as the nation’s line of defense.

Mindful of the challenges of providing internal security and perhaps lending credence to Dr. Onoja’s submission, the Chief of Defence Staff, who observers believe has proved to epitomize the cerebral content of the present top brass of the nation’s military, recently stated that the military has readjusted its training programs to incorporate maintenance of internal security with a caveat: the citizens must also play their civic roles in promoting national security and stability.

Gen. Olonishakin espoused the theory that the entire gamut of security involves the citizens who, according to him, are required to play complementary roles to ensure effective homeland and internal security management, saying that the people should assist security services by divulging useful and timely information capable of promoting peace, law and order in the country.

“No single arm of the security agencies can secure the nation alone. We suggest a more coordinated response by security outfits and the involvement of the citizens in tackling our growing security problems”, he said, emphasizing that the citizen component in any nation’s national security road map is a sine qua non for national stability which involves the necessary participation of stakeholders in the entire nation.

Dr. Onoja maintained that the recurring Internal security challenges in the country were a sad reflection of the complex Nigerian State, pointing out it is also a direct fallout of the nation’s diverse ethnic, religious, cultural and geo-political arrangement which more often than not, have always threatened Nigeria’s corporate existence and her collective quest for national security and stability.

He explained that where severe internal crisis in any part of the country had tasked the capacity of the civil police to contain, the military had always been deployed by the President, Commander-in

Nigerian military in Niger Delta Chief in line with the military’s constitutional obligation to provide assistance in aid of civil authority in the restoration of law and order, peace and security.

He argued that the resort to the military had always ensured that emerging internal security threats do not degenerate or escalate to the point of consuming the entire country or any of its federating parts, pointing out that the President, Commander-in-Chief can invoke his constitutional powers to deploy the military accordingly. ‘’In such circumstance, the President would rely on the Defense Council assess the situation and after being fully convinced that since the crisis is clearly beyond the capacity of the civil police, it requires the immediate deployment of the military to stem further escalation of hostilities. This is where and when the Nigerian military comes in. ‘’At critical stages in the history of the Nigerian State such as the 1967-1970 Nigerian Civil War, the military under former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon fought to keep the country together. Don’t forget that Gowon’s name became an acronym of ‘Go On With One Nigeria’ as a battle slogan to inspire, motivate, mobilize and galvanize the troops to win the war to maintain the unity of the country. No wonder it worked very well’’, Dr. Onoja noted.

Significantly, we have strategic military exercises that were created by the military high command across the country for specific intervention purposes.

For example, in the North East, Operation Lafiya Dole under which an aggressive counter-insurgency warfare being waged by the military against the Boko Haram Sect has been effectively expanded in scope, scale and depth to dovetail into Operation Crackdown which seeks to clear the remnants of the Sect in Sambisa Forest and wind down the war, and Operation Safe Corridor with which the military seeks to de-radicalize and rehabilitate the repentant and surrendered sect members.

Dr. Onoja further explained the military leadership has displayed rare skill and capacity to combine various delicate strategies and to decimate and degrade the capacity of the sect as well as prepare the region for a speedy return to peace and normalcy so that the people can return to the ancestral homes and resume their lives again. ‘’It may interest you to note how the military leaders have displaying skill, tact and brinkmanship, juggling many balls in the air without losing focus but keeping their eye on the ball of the war on terror. It has been a delicate balancing, the type you can only get in a constitutional democracy that emphasizes due process and the rule of law. That is why you can see the observance of best practices such as the creation of a Military/Civilian department to interface with the civilian public on human rights issues as well as the Military Rule Of Engagement to emphasize commitment to conventional rules in

combat’’, he said.

He cited the recently inaugurated Operation Safe Corridor in Gombe State as an integral part of the consolidation of the human face of the anti-terror war whereby it seeks to mop up repentant ex-Boko Haram combatants who have dropped their arms to join the rest of the society as good citizens. The initiative, which has received enthusiastic widespread support across the global community, is aimed at rehabilitating, reintegrating and de-radicalizing repentant Sect members.

In the Niger Delta is the Operation Pulo Shield of the former Administration which has been renamed Operation Delta Safe with the recent complement of Operation Crocodile Smile. The entire mission of the military in the oil-rich area is to check the resurgent restiveness and militancy as well as effectively rout the criminal oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering and other criminalities in the Niger Delta region.

The specific focus of the military in the region is to protect critical national oil installations that had come under violent attacks and wanton destruction by militants especially the Niger Delta Avengers.

Observers have applauded what they called the pro-activeness and the capacity of the military high command to fashion out seamless structure and strategy for its operations that has enabled its troops to easily adapt to the peculiar requirements of the different theatres of battle across the country.

Malam Tukur Musa Tilde, Coordinator of Concerned Professionals Congress, CPC, a civil advocacy platform promoting peace, good governance and democracy in the country described as novel and unique the ability and capacity so far displayed by the military in fashioning out the mode, tone and character of its interventions across the country. ‘’We have reviewed the situation in the Niger Delta, we are happy the Chief of Defence Staff and his team have come up with a structure and strategy that can decisively address the militancy, vandalism and general criminality in the region in line with best practices and the military’s Rule of Engagement and in a manner that meets national aspirations vis-à-vis Federal Government’s political solutions to the region’s problems’’, he said.

The group particularly endorsed the choice of Rear Adm. Joseph Okojie as the new Commander, saying that as the immediate past Chairman of the National Pipeline Protection Committee (NPPC), he is versed in the demographics, politics and dynamics of the Niger Delta.

In North Central Plateau State is Operation Safe Haven with operational jurisdiction stretching to neighboring states such as Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara. The military offensive is against criminal elements whose activities had caused ethno-religious conflicts in the area. They specialize in cattle rustling, arms building, kidnapping, armed robbery and sundry criminalities which

have in the past orchestrated sectarian clashes and carnage on the Plateau but the re-invigorated Joint Task Force currently under Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas has brought remarkable peace to the area. Operation Sara Daji and Operation Harbin Kunama in the North West particularly in Kaduna and Zamfara States were raised to stop criminal activities of armed bandits, cattle rustlers and daylight robbers operating around the thick forests within the border fringes of the states such as Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto. This military task force was an answer to frequent calls by Governors of the affected states whose citizens had complained bitterly of series of incessant and sporadic attacks by armed gangs operating from the thick forests around the area.

Across all the states of the federation, military personnel are involved in various security Joint Task Forces under the auspices of Operation Mesa to assist the civil police in dealing with violent crimes. It is safe to say that indeed the military has been of tremendous assistance in maintaining internal security.

Not a few people would imagine how insecure, volatile and unstable the country would be by now if these military operations had not been raised to appropriately tackle emerging internal security challenges to the civil police and other para-military organizations as envisaged by the Chief of Defence Staff and his battle-tested service chiefs while coming on board mid-last year.

Upon assuming office in on May 29, 2015, the President left none in doubt about his determination to halt the degenerating internal security challenges in the country especially the Boko Haram menace. He wasted no time to assemble the present crop of experienced, focused and battle-tested officers to take charge of the military with a clear mandate and timeline to wrap up the counter-terrorism war by December last year.

General Olonishakin and the service chiefs quickly went to work, admonishing themselves that the king’s business deserved haste. They tenaciously held to the President’s charge and relocated their war room to Maiduguri, the field of battle to prove that they indeed meant business.

Not long after, the situation began to change for the better as captured villages, towns, territories and an entire Emirate of Bama whose Emir had run for dear life, were completely rescued. About 27 local government councils in Borno State alone under the terrorists’ firm grip regained their freedom from paying obnoxious taxes, levies and rates to the sect. It was sunset at dawn.

For the troops which had now started to appreciate the comradeship and camaraderie of their new service chiefs and commanders who are always with them to feel what they feel, eat what they eat and drink what they drink, it was the breaking of a new day.

––Emeka Nwapa, a journalist and public affairs commentator, sent this piece from Abuja.

(See concluding part on www.thisdaylive.com)

79

SEPTEMBER 11, 2016 • THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER

PERSPECTIVE

Understanding the Face-off over Ogun FTZ Bolu-Olu Esho

T

here is no gain repeating the fact that Nigeria is indeed one of the most viable countries to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also a known fact that the country desires credible foreign investors to explore its great potential, of abundant human and natural resources. What I also know however is that Nigeria and indeed the present government of change under President Muhammadu Buhari will not condone fraud under any guise. This statement of fact is necessary to lay the basis for my intervention on the bundle of lies being peddled in the media by a Chinese businessman, Dr. Jason Han, Managing Director of Zhongfu International Investments (Nig.) FZE, whose management engagement was recently terminated by the Ogun State Government in regard of his involvement with the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, Igbesa.

Based on my findings from Ogun State and investors in the Zone, I shall in this write-up attempt to defend the action taken by the State Government to protect the interest of Nigeria and ensure transparent business transactions, while providing factual details to counter the many lies of Mr Han in an attempt to confuse and mislead the Nigerian public and the Federal Government especially President Buhari.

After his first lie that foreign investors at the Zone have threatened to pull out following his disengagement, was roundly debunked by the same investors, Mr Han has now resorted to writing open letters to Mr President, this time appealing to emotion and sentiment, with threat as an addendum. Even though, he admitted that the Ogun State Government acted based on the request of the Chinese Government, he never provided the details that put a question mark on his credibility.

He failed to state that Zhongfu could not provide a single fire station or a mobile fire fighter machine in the zone for the past four years, even when this is mandatory according to NEPZA rules, while claiming to have spent $60m in the Zone. Where did the money go to? They unilaterally increased service charges and imposed different tariffs on investors without consulting the shareholders.

This is beside using the name of Ogun State Government and other eminent Nigerians to intimidate foreign investors in the Zone, moving around with sirens and a retinue of heavily armed policemen meant to protect the people in the Zone, allegedly taking expensive gifts round to eminent Nigerians for lobby as if that’s what the Nigerian economy requires this critical time.

It is equally appalling that at a time when Nigeria is battling to stabilize its economy, Zhongfu was demanding investors in the Zone to pay charges and tariffs in dollars or Chinese Yuan against our own local currency, thus further putting more pressure on dollar demand in Nigeria. It is equally disturbing that Zhongfu was using the Zone to secure personal international loan.

Worse still, they failed to provide other basic amenities such as emergency medical facility/clinic, motorable access roads leading to the OGFTZ and within it, drainage system within the Zone, office and residential accommodation for government agencies (Customs, Immigration, DSS, Police, NEPZA) within the Zone, all of which are still using the containerized office and accommodation provided by previous managers of the Zone.

It is also worthy of note that Zhongfu promised to make the provision of the above their immediate priority when they were being engaged as managers but such is not the story today. Not one item on the above was ever done, leaving one to wonder where their so called $60 million was invested. They rather persisted in flouting every law and laid down rules including but not limited to: increasing tariffs paid by investors without the input and approval of the JVA (Joint Ventures Agreement) partners, forcing investors to pay tariffs in foreign exchange (US dollars and Chinese Yuan) without the input and approval of the JVA partners, refusing to provide audited

Amosun accounts for the four years they operated in the OGFTZ in spite of repeated demands by the JVA partners, failing to compensate the indigenes of Igbesa for their land and crops on their farmlands. Also pertinent is the fact that the Zhongfu executives were found of staying away from the country for upward of three months and delegating vital official functions to inexperienced and unqualified Chinese employees.

It’s also worthy of mention here that Dr. Jason Han had worked for Zhongfu in China for over 20 years and was rewarded with shares in the company for his ability to deceive the Joint Venture partners in executing the JVA, hence his present desperation. The recent happenings in the OGFTZ is simply a disagreement between two Chinese business entities and should be resolved by their Embassy without dragging other JVA partners in the mud with them. I can go on and on, on the many sins of the company which culminated in its disengagement by the Nigerian Government.

But let me suspend that for now and set the record straight by stating the following facts held back by Mr Han in his media statements.

By virtue of a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) executed on June 14, 2007, the Government of Ogun State (OGSG) and Guangdong Xin Guang International China Africa Investment Ltd. (also known as “China Africa”) entered into a public/private partnership (PPP) arrangement wherein OGSG partnered China Africa in establishing a Free Trade Zone within Ogun State for the purpose of improving commercial activities within the State, particularly, activities of developing the Zone into a multipurpose industrial area. This led to the establishment of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone (also known as “the Zone”) in Igbesa Area of Ogun State. It should be noted that Guangdong Xin Guang International China Africa Investment Ltd. is a corporate body owned by the Government of the Province of Guangdong in the Peoples Republic of China; By virtue of the Joint Venture, China Africa owned 60% equity in the Zone, and in accordance with the dictates of its equity contribution, China Africa funded the construction of the basic structures, infrastructural development and provision of basic amenities within the Zone.

As a result, on April 3, 2008, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) issued a licence in the name of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone certifying same to be under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority Act. China Africa, being the major stakeholder in the Zone, not only built the main structures and provided basic infrastructural development within the Zone but also ensured the proper management and smooth administration of the affairs of the Zone from inception till sometime in 2012 when its appointment

as managers of the Zone was wrestled by Ogun State Government. It is important to state here that, that decision was largely due to the dangerous scheming of Mr Han who recruited people to cook lies against China Africa and scare them away.

China Africa’s 60% equity investment in the Zone, however, remained intact and unencumbered as this goes to the ownership of the zone rather than the management.

This enabled China Africa to entrust its equity holding and management functions to Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Co. Ltd. and signed appropriate agreement in this respect.

It is pertinent to note that Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Co. Ltd. is a company incorporated under the laws of the Peoples Republic of China and carried on business in the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the name and style of Zhongfu International Investment (Nig.) FZE. As part of the term of the Entrustment Management Agreement, Zhongfu covenanted then: not to operate illegally; not to harm the interests of China Africa; not to dispose of the major assets of OGFTZ; to operate OGFTZ in accordance with the applicable laws, rules and regulations.

As a result of the agreement with Zhongfu International Investment Nigeria as the new manager/administrator of the Zone, the Ogun state Government equally endorsed the arrangement and then vested the management right in the company; while the 60% equity stake of China Africa in OGFTZ ownership remained intact and unaffected by the displacement of its managerial and administrative role.

It was however shocking , when China Africa discovered that rather than represent its interest in the Zone, Zhongfu presented a fraudulent position to Ogun State Government by concealing the management entrustment agreement with China Africa from Ogun State and presenting itself as being an independent replacement of China Africa, thereby, purporting to enter into a new Joint Venture with Ogun State Government. When the questionable activities of Zhongfu came to the attention of China Africa particularly with regard to alleged embezzlement and failing to render accounts to both China Africa and Ogun State Government, the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, through her Consulate in Nigeria had to intervene in order to protect the symbiotic diplomatic relationship between China and Nigeria.

It was on this basis that the purported Joint Venture of Zhongfu in the Zone was duly terminated by Ogun state Government, a JVA obtained by fraud, including the Zhongfu’s management of the Zone. At this point, it is also necessary to state that by virtue of equity transfer through a public auction, Guangdong

New South Group acquired 51% stake (controlling interest) in China Africa.

Accordingly, the Guangdong Province State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission duly notified the Chinese Consulate in Nigeria of the transfer of shares from China Africa to New South Group; and by a Diplomatic Note dated March 11, 2016, the Economic and Commercial Section of the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China notified the Ogun State Government of Guangdong New South Group’s acquisition of the controlling interest in China Africa and the need to formally confer management rights on Guangdong New South Group as the operators/manager of the Zone, being the representative of the controlling shareholder.

This also became necessary due to the several indiscretion of Zhongfu International including financial improprieties and poor management of the Zone. Accordingly, by a letter dated May 27, 2016, Ogun State Government terminated the appointment of Zhongfu as the manager of OGFTZ. Zhongfu was, by this letter, directed to hand over all Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone assets in its possession to the Coordinator, Zenith Global Merchant Limited.

It is also very important to state that, contrary to the falsehood being peddled by Mr Han, Zhongfu did not make any investment in the Zone. The physical structures erected therein and the amenities therein were put in place by China Africa. On the contrary, Zhongfu depleted the assets and infrastructure they met on ground and up till date, are yet to account for all revenues made during the period of management.

It is therefore no surprise that Zhongfu was only able to express its investment in vague terms in his open letter to the President. Since the termination of Zhongfu’s management of the Zone, the existing investors have registered several complaints on the inability of Zhongfu to address the needs of the investors within the Zone. In the same vein, due to the fact that most of the investors within the Zone are aware of the managerial pedigree of the New South Group, they have since expressed their support for the new management and readiness to work with the new management under New South Group.

It is also worthy to note that the Government of Guangdong Province in Peoples Republic of China is also looking into the activities of Zhongfu within the Zone and in its interface with Ogun State Government with a view to deal with them in accordance with the applicable Chinese law. This is because Guangdong Province still owns 49% equity in China Africa.

There is no doubt that both Guangdong New South Group and the Guangdong Province have the capacity to further develop the Zone to match standard of the most notable Free Trade Zones in the World.

They remain committed to the course and have already begun works to achieve this, because they have a clear plan of achieving this and have the support of both the Government of the Peoples Republic of China and the Ogun State Government.

It is therefore surprising that rather than give accounts of how it ran the Zone for years, Zhongfu has been running from pillar to post, trying to discourage investors from coming to do business in Nigeria.

Before embarking on another fruitless campaign of calumny against the Government and people of Nigeria, Mr Han should please give account of the revenue generated from the Zone under his company’s management, explain why he was collecting revenue into his company’s account ( Zhongfu), instead of Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone, why he hid the Entrustment management agreement with China-Africa from the Ogun State Government for years until the Chinese Government exposed the deceit. This is certainly not the way to do business in Nigeria under the Change dispensation!

––Bolu-Olu Esho is an Abeokuta, Ogun State based journalist

80

THISDAY, THE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

Ugwuanyi’s Anthem of Peace, Unity and Progress Louis Amoke

T

he celebration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Enugu State, which took place on August 27 at the popular Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, has come and gone, but the memories of the event will remain evergreen in the minds of the people of the state, especially those who were present at the occasion. The silver jubilee, which commenced with an inter-denominational church service, was indeed a remarkable outing for the state, as it offered the people the opportunity to praise, exult and thank the Almighty God for the journey so far. It also offered the governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Rt Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwunayi, a veritable platform to pay special tributes to the founding fathers of the state for their struggles and efforts towards the emancipation of the Wawa people from segregation and subjugation of all sorts.

The governor also appreciated the elders of the state who gathered in their numbers at the venue of the event to identify and celebrate the silver jubilee of Enugu State. These elders included the former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani; former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; former military governor of old Anambra and Imo states, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (retd); former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo; former military administrator of Gombe State, Group Captain Joseph Orji (retd); and former military governor of Imo State, Navy Commodore Anthony Oguguo (retd).

It is unfortunate to note that the silver jubilee was turned into a mood of mixed feelings following the attack on Ndiagu Attakwu Akegbeugwu community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen, two days to the event.

Before delivering his address, Ugwuanyi noted that it was “a solemn moment for the people of Enugu State as we recall the unfortunate events of last Thursday, the 25th of August, which led to the death of a Catholic Seminarian, Lazarus Nwafor, and severe injuries to four other citizens

Ugwuanyi of this state at Attakwu in Nkanu West Local Government Area.”

The governor told the gathering that the ceremony would have been postponed in deference to the profound feelings of the people of the state, if the arrangement had not been concluded before the sad incident occurred. He said the state government had, however, committed everything into the hands of God, assuring the people that his administration was “doing all that are necessary to ensure that justice is done in this matter.”

Ugwuanyi observed a minute silence in honour of the deceased Catholic Seminarian and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured ones.

It was at this juncture that the governor went into the business of his address. He first expressed gratitude to God for the grace and opportunity to celebrate the 25thanniversary of the creation of Enugu State.

While recalling the excitement and sense of accomplishment with which the people of the state welcomed and celebrated the creation of the state

on August 27, 1991, Ugwuanyi noted that the feat heralded a pleasant and much desired end to the long period of agitation by the founding fathers for the creation of a state for the Wawa people of Igboland. He acknowledged the contributions of legends and giants of Nigeria history such as Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Professor Eyo Ita, Dr. Michael Okpara, Dr. Akanu Ibiam, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Dr. Ukpabi Asika, Senator Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo and Chief C.C Onoh to the development of Enugu in their respective roles as Premiers, Administrators and Governors of Eastern Region, East Central State and old Anambra State, adding that they were “all precursors to the present Enugu State”.

Ugwuanyi reassured the people that he will continue with the legacies of the founding fathers of the state to inspire it to greater heights, in spite of the daunting economic challenges. The governor recalled his promise in his inaugural address on May 29, 2015 to work in accordance with the ideals and aspirations of the founding fathers of Enugu State to deploy the resources of the state for the common good in face of the severe economic downturn. He added that he has not only kept faith with his promises but also put in place the platform for greater successes.

He also appreciated the contributions of the former governors and administrators of Enugu State, namely: Col. Herbert Obi Eze, Chief Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Navy Captain Temi Ejoor, Col. Mike Torey, Col. Sule Ahman, Navy Captain Adewunmi Agbaje, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and Sullivan I. Chime.

Ugwuanyi told the gathering that the state was celebrating “the goodness of God, peace, unity and shared prosperity”.

In appreciation of all these, the governor announced the decision of his administration to reconstitute the Enugu State Elders’ Council to provide “the necessary guidance and counsel to ensure the seamless development of Enugu State.”

To further demonstrate his commitment to all-inclusive leadership, he disclosed plans to amend the state’s pension laws to accommodate past civilian governors of the old Anambra and Enugu states and their deputies in recognition of their contributions and services to the state.

On his vision to extend more dividends of democracy to the door steps of the rural dwellers, he reiterated the commitment of his administration to take development to the rural areas as part of its strategy to create new urban areas, boost socio-economic activities, create employment opportunities and reduce the pressure on Enugu metropolis.

Ugwuanyi also pledged to continue to pursue the diversification of the state’s economy through the full exploitation of the vast land resources of the state, particularly in the Nsukka and Greater Awgu areas, for agricultural production.

On the future of the youths, he said that his administration was laying a new foundation for the children as future leaders through extensive youth development policies and the enactment of relevant laws including the Enugu State Child Rights Act, which was recently passed into law by the House of Assembly.

The governor ended his address, thus, “Ndi Enugu, we have committed Enugu State into the hands of God and with Him as our shepherd, we will continue to overcome our challenges and record success in all our endeavours.

“Be assured that the God who brought us here, the God who created Enugu State, will certainly take us to the Enugu State of our dreams in Jesus Name. Amen.

“On a final note, let me once again appreciate the unceasing prayers, support, goodwill and cooperation that we have been receiving from the good people of Enugu State – from the mountains of Udi and Awgu to the elevations of Nsukka and the farmlands of Nkanuland and from our people in the Diaspora. We are truly indebted to you all and I assure you that your sacrifices will never be in vain, in Jesus Name. Amen.”

The ceremony, which was nearly marred by the heinous act of the herdsmen, eventually turned out to be a remarkable experience for the people of the state, especially the elders. They gathered in a warm atmosphere to celebrate and listen to the rhythm of the new anthem of peace, unity and progress as was initiated by their silver jubilee governor, Ugwuanyi. Enugu State is truly in the hands of God! ––Amoke writes from Enugu

Amosun and the Famished Roads

H

Soyinka

e was said to have once witnessed a fatal accident around the Mobalufon end of the Sagamu-Benin expressway. On that fateful day, an articulated vehicle rammed into a 14-seater commercial bus and left no survivor.

For many people who were conversant with that spot on the expressway, this was not a strange happening. It was routine.

The road, especially that junction, was famished and therefore, year after year, it claimed the lives of many Nigerians, particularly Ogun State indigenes and residents.

Like the unrepentant spirit child who makes nonsense of the medicine man and his trade, this deadly spot seemingly defied all logic. Government after government appeared to have resigned to fate about the Mobalufon junction and watched on, apparently helpless, as the daily carnage continued.

This was the scenario that led to the accident that Senator Ibikunle Amosun witnessed on this particular day. As at that time, he wasn’t a politician. He was just travelling on the Sagamu-Benin expressway.

And like other good spirited Nigerians, he joined in the rescue effort that eventually couldn’t save any of the passengers in the ill-fated bus.

Moved by what he had just witnessed, Amosun told those travelling with him that if God ever gave him the opportunity to serve his people, he would not hesitate to put an end to the daily carnage at the Mobalufon junction.

That became a mission statement. And it was therefore not surprising that when

he eventually emerged Governor of Ogun State in 2011, Amosun was a man on a mission to, among other things, fix the famished roads in Ogun State.

And there were quite a number of them.

Not too far from the Mobalufon junction, there was the Lagos garage junction. This was yet another famished spot. It was regular, back then, to witness fatal accidents at this junction.

As it turned out, the famished roads and junctions were not limited to Ogun East Senatorial district. In the Ogun Central Senatorial District, places like Sapon and Iyana Mortuary, were equally famished.

These were intersections often responsible for fatal accidents. They had their counterpart in the Ogun West Senatorial District around the Akute junction along SangoOjodu Abiodun road.

Not long after he assumed office, the Ogun State governor took on the challenge posed by these famished roads, junctions and intersections. The trick was to put in place what in civil engineering circles is called grid separators. In other words, the Amosun government brought to reality the Mobalufon overhead bridge in Ijebu Ode. With that singular move, Senator Amosun literally put an end to the frequent accidents that occur at the Mobalufon end of the Sagamu-Benin Road.

That was a promise kept. A similar approach was deployed at the Lagos garage junction. It also took the bloodthirsty road demons hitherto operating at that junction out of business. Other overhead bridges in Sabo, Sagamu, Sapon and Iyana Mortuary in Abeokuta have been completed and commissioned while work is ongoing on those at Ijebu Igbo, Ilaro and Akute.

Indeed, fixing the famished roads is a critical component of Governor Amosun’s ‘Mission to Rebuild’ in Ogun State. Apart

from putting an end to daily carnage on the roads, the administration’s focus, in this respect, is to create an environment that supports industry and commerce as well as inclusive economic growth.

Over the past five years, several hundreds of kilometres of roads have been constructed, expanded and resurfaced.

For example, the Amosun government constructed the Ibara-Totoro Road, the first international standard six-lane road in Ogun State. It also built the flyover at Ibara, Abeokuta, the first constructed by any administration since the creation of the State in 1976. The first 10-lane boulevard, which begins at Sokori and opens up into the elaborate Itoku Bridge, is a stamp of modernisation affixed to the state capital by the current administration.

The Amosun administration also constructed the longest road, cutting across four local councils in Ogun West Senatorial District, the 107km Ilara-Ijoun Road. In the same vein, the administration ended the distress of commuters in and across Ado-Odo Ota Local Council through massive reconstruction of the strategically located and commercially important IloAwela Road and the modernisation of Ota through the provision of modern township roads.

There is also the ongoing construction of the 32-kilometre Sango-Ojodu-Abiodun Road, which comes with five bridges, three of which are over water. Indeed, Ogun State, under the current administration, is one huge construction site.

Expectedly, the famished road demons are fighting back. Their most potent weapon at the moment is the current financial crunch the whole country is going through. This, no doubt, has had the impact of slowing down the pace of work on some of the ongoing road construction projects.

But it is not strong enough to overcome the determination of the Ogun State governor to rebuild the gateway state. Through a carefully designed economic diversification effort as well as prudent management of scarce resources, Ogun State is soldering on in the face of the current challenges.

Right now, in spite of scarce resources the likes of Awokoya street, Bonojo road, New road, Osinubi street, Awujale street are under rehabilitation in Ijebu Ode area while places like Oke Owa-Ilese road; Degun street; Sabo Ososa road; Ita Alapo street and Ondo road all in Ijebu Ode are being restored with hard core filling.

In Abeokuta, the Governor Amosun administration has recently rehabilitated Ibara-Adigbe road; Lafenwa-Ita Oshin road; GRA road network; Isale Ake-Oke Lantoro road; repaired the damaged 3rd River Ogun bridge; constructed a major culvert across Adigbe road at Opako; restored Lafenwa-Agoka-Asero road with hard core filling while the Abeokuta-Sagamu road is currently under repairs. Elsewhere in Ota the administration is restoring the LagosAbeokuta federal highway with hard core fillings in places like Iyana Ilogbo; Plaza junction, Joju junction, Oju Oore and Singer among others.

Similarly, the rehabilitation of SagamuIperu-Ode-Sapade road is ongoing while the 13km Ibiade-Abigi road in Ijebu Waterside has just been rehabilitated alongside Ijebu Imushin township roads. And the governor is not done with the famished roads yet. “By the time we are through, we would have about 24 to 25 flyovers in Ogun State,” Governor Amosun said.

––Soyinka, Senior Special Assistant (Media) and spokesman for Governor Ibikunle Amosun, is a multiple awardwinning journalist and former Editor with TELL Magazine.

81

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

PERSPECTIVE

Lafiya Dole’s Successes and Boko Haram Propaganda Reginald Abiye

Greater love has no one than this, that one should lay down his life for his friends” –– John 15: 13

I

f you are a frequent flier within the United States territory, you may have flown in the same commercial jet with their servicemen and noticed how respectfully and heroically they are treated. Sometime in early 2000s, once the cabin crew of Delta Airline flying from Washington DC to Atlanta, announced the presence of some soldiers who just returned from somewhere in the Gulf Region, there was spontaneous ovation.

“USA! USA! USA!” rent the air. Whether in sports or military, they deify those who have made them America proud.

Sadly, 12th August 2016 passed like any other day in Nigeria. No commentaries or commemorations. Yet, it was the day in 1989 that a Europe-based doctoral student in Law cum professional footballer, Sochukwuma Okwaraji, slumped and died in the line of duty at the National Stadium, Lagos. That was on 12th August 1989, a few minutes the end of the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Angola.

Sam, as he was fondly called, never collected money to play for Nigeria. In fact, he paid for his trips to serve fatherland. Yet, but for the Okwaraji statue unveiled by former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, at the dilapidated National Stadium in Lagos in 2011 and phone call to his mother in 2015 by the NFF, 26 years after, Sam’s memory, his distraught mother and family are left in the cold.

Again, I wonder which young Nigerian would, seeing the shabby treatments and subsequent begger’s burials given to former Super Eagles coaches, Shuaibu Amodu Stephen Keshi (also former captain), want to die for Nigeria.

But the Nigerian soldier does not mind. I see them, especially those of them who have slugged it out with Boko Haram insurgents in the North East over the years as ‘abnormal’. They lay down their lives that you and I may live freely, and until the coming of President Mohammadu Buhari, they fought under all forms of sabotages and most disheartening conditions. Aba Saheed probably had them in mind when he wrote some years back that securing Nigeria “has become the most hazardous job on the face of the earth” and “like tying up a tiger and giving his tail to dogs to toy with”.

In the Dasukigate, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (Rtd), was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly cornering a whoop-

ing N3.9 billion meant for the purchase of arms for the Nigerian military,while his country home and graves of his fathers in Vimtim, Adamawa State, was overran and occupied by insurgents.

It did not matter the likes of Badeh that for every Nigerian soldier shot by the insurgents, our national security, sovereignty and glory were compromised. They forgot that for every soldier shot, someone was rendered a widow and many more rendered fatherless, sonless,familyless and friendless. Yet, these gallant men and women warred on, laying down their lives for the country.

Thank God for today. With a new mentality inspired by committed leadership in the Nigerian Army, for instance, vide Operation Lafia Dole, initiated by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General T.Y Buratai and now manned by Major-General Leo Irabor as the Theatre Commander, Boko Haram has been so thoroughly decapitated that they are now on the run. Even the IDPs are beginning to return. Why not? The Chief of Army Staff, the Theatre Commander, and military hierarchy lead them to the battlefield. They are not armchair generals.

That is why I get worried when I read some commentaries or news reports.

I must express shock at the sub-topic “Abubakar Shekaraus” written by Simon Kolawole in his back page column in Thisday of Sunday 4th September 2016.

He wrote: “After claiming to have killed Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau at least four times — on one occasion comically asking to be paid the $7m bounty promised by the US — the Nigerian army will not let the matter die. Most recently, Shekau was declared ‘fatally wounded’ (meaning he DIED from his wounds). ‘I can confirm to you that the original Shekau was killed, the second Shekau was killed, and the man presenting himself as Shekau, I can also confirm to you that few days ago, he was wounded. We are yet to confirm whether he is dead or not’, Major General Irabor said on Thursday”.

By common sense, the main character in action movies, whom we referred to as ‘Actor’ in our childhood never dies.

If the ‘Actor’ dies, then how can the movie go on? Likewise, Shekau is the face of Boko Haram. If he ‘dies’, that is the end of Boko Haram; hence once the Army kills one Shekau, Boko Haram creates another ‘Shekau’. Sadly, our media erroneously appear to believe the Boko Haram propaganda more than the official defence information. Succeeding Shekaus are reported to Nigerians without quotation marks as though he is the original and possibly invincible.

However, it is heartwarming that not everyone is fooled by the Boko Haram

Buratai antics and propaganda. For instance, a journalist wrote on his Facebook last August: “In March this year, the group (Boko Haram) released a video, just to remind us that Shekau was still alive.

After watching the video, I analysed it carefully and my conclusion at the time was that the video was far from being real. The video was a poor work of someone trying to mimic Shekau.

“Before then, September last year to be precise, the group released purported pictures of their Sallah celebration. After taking a second look at the pictures, especially the one where the Imam led the prayer, I noticed that the hand of the Imam looks like a computer work.

The hands do not match with the body.

Again, it wasn’t Shekau that led the prayer, yet at the time they claimed he was still alive. When they were in control of more than half of the Councils in Borno State, they didn’t show us pictures of their sallah celebration.

“Personally, I believe Shekau was first critically wounded during the Damaturu raid and was eventually killed during the Kondunga raid in 2014. And all the subsequent videos released by the group further reinforced my position. Since then however, the group’s media handlers have tried to impress it on Nigerians that Shekau was still alive.

“The truth is Boko Haram lasted this long because they made effective use of media propaganda. We are winning the war against Boko Haram and we must queue behind our soldiers in this latest and final onslaught against Boko Haram”.

Need I add more?

Also, Hon. Tom Marino of the US

Congress recently wrote to the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, asking the American government to stop selling military hardware or giving support to the Nigerian government. He based his demand on alleged trampling of human rights and democratic freedoms by the Buhari Administration. But, he should have known that it our soldiers and harmless civilians that will bear the brunt of such action by the US government, not Buhari. Am sure Obama or his successor will not commit the same error he commited during Jonathan administration. Besides starving us military hardware, it was just in 2014 that U.S listed Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation.

Admittedly, there is a lot of work to be done. I do not think it is lost on the Chief of Army Staff and his gallant men. But we cannot be a nation without heroes who unwittingly do or say things that demoralise our soldiers and give oxygen to Boko Haram. I see no reason I would believe Boko Haram propaganda over the official position of our men in battlefront, laying down their lives for our safety.

By and large, the Nigerian Army has shown strength, courage, and professionalism. They have greatly restored the hitherto faded and demystified glory of our military.

All they need is the total support of the political elites, media, international community, and all Nigerians in this sacrifice to preserve our nationhood and dignity and restore peace and prosperity. It is not too much to ask for.

––Abiye lives in Lagos

Everyone, Including Anajemba, Deserves a Second Chance Bernadette Okolo

I

write as a concerned indigene of Enugu State and my concern is with regard to a story published on Sunday, August 28, 2016, with the title, “Governor Appoints Ex-Convict as Waste Management Boss.”

I have no doubt that the appointment of Amaka Anajemba was made in good faith and shaped by the conviction that individuals whose past indiscretion had put on the wrong side of the law do, indeed, deserve a second chance in life.

Anajemba has paid dearly for past misdeed which, to all intents and purposes, was largely vicarious. She has since come to terms with that and become fully reintegrated into the society, making immense contributions

to her immediate community as evident through her social works in her neighbourhood and across the state.

So, your claim that her appointment as the Managing Director of the Enugu State Waste Management Agency (ESWAMA) is “ruffling a lot of feathers in the state” is totally false. That is because whatever misgiving anyone might have had over her appointment has largely been vitiated by her impressive work at the waste management agency. Her appointment was based, clearly, on the strength of her competence and not a whimsical decision as you had implied.

It’s important to note that there are several accomplished individuals in diverse fields who might not have risen to the top had they been denied an opportunity to make amends. Do we simply discountenance an individual’s capacity to make positive contribution

Anajemba to a society’s growth simply on account of their rough time with the law even

when such experience was largely no fault of theirs as in the case of Mrs. Anajemba?

An equally important point to note is that the facts of her past do not by any means prohibit her from being appointed to head government agencies.

Under the Code of Conduct Act, someone accused of running foul of the Code of Conduct provisions and convicted for offenses such as dishonesty or fraud, could hold office after 10 years of conviction. The governor, to that extent, had clearly acted within the ambit of the country’s laws since she was convicted over 11 years ago.

We should never allow our belief in our shared humanity to be dulled by cynicism.

––Bernadette Okolo, founder, Women for Political Change is based in Enugu

82

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

NEWSXTRA

QUALITY CONTROL L-R: Managing Director, La Casera Company, Mr. Roland Ebelt; Representative of Director General, NAFDAC, Mr. William Effiok; and Director, Product Certification, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Bayo Adigun, during the factory tour of La Casera Company in Lagos…recently

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT L-R: Kwara APC Women Leader, Mrs. Sara Adebayo; DG Saraki Mandate Office, Hon. Wahab Isa; Mogaji

Aare of Ilorin, Alhaji Aremu Subairu; a beneficiary, and Chairman, APC Ilorin East LGA, Alhaji S.A. Mahmood, during the presentation of grinding machines by Saraki Mandate Office to some women in Ilorin, Kwara State…yesterday

UN Fret over Conditions in Former Boko Haram Stronghold as IDPs Return • As MNJTF strikes 12 terrorist camps, kill 4 insurgents, lose 2 personnel Abimbola Akosile and Senator Iroegbuin Abuja

The UN refugee agency has expressedconcernoverbasicservices and security in a territory formerly controlled by Boko Haram insurgents, as hundreds of internally displaced people are returning to their devastated villages and towns in the north-eastern state of Borno – only recently liberated by the Nigerian armed forces.

Speaking to journalists at a press briefing in Geneva Friday, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Leo Dobbs, said “Comprehensive figures are not available but our field staff and partners are reporting both

government-facilitated and spontaneous return in recent days of hundreds of people to places such as Mafa, Konduga, Benisheikh and Dikwa,” UNHCR expects the number to grow in the coming weeks, while noting that government and aid agency assistance has been stepped up in Borno’s 16 newly accessible districts.

“UNHCR and its partners have restricted access to 10 of these districts, where some 800,000 people need urgent help,” Dobbs elaborated. “Some of those now returning to their homes in the liberated areas fromplacesliketheBornocapital, Maiduguri, appear to be happy to go back, citing dire conditions

in the places where they have been living, including camps for the internally displaced.”

However, UNHCR is concerned about the welfare of the people, who are returning to areas that have been devastated under Boko Haram rule.

“Many of the internally displaced will be going back to destroyed homes and infrastructure, and areas lacking health care and other services,” said the refugee agency’s spokesperson.

“The returns should be voluntary, dignified and safe – people should be informed about conditions in their home areas.

In regular contact with state officials, UNHCR has raised its concerns and offered to work

closely with them to help ensure that the reinstatements are conducted safely, with dignity and in accordance with international standards.

Dobbs pledged that the UN agency would continue to monitor the situation of returnees, especially the most vulnerable.

“Meanwhile,” he said, “as we and partners scale up our operations in the north-east, security and access to the needy, especially those in the newly accessible areas, remain major challenges. A greater humanitarian response and presence on the ground is urgently needed, aid efforts must be better coordinated, and data collection improved.”

Militant Group Threatens Attack on Oil Facilities Sylvester Idowu in Warri A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) last night threatened to bomb another oil facility in protest against alleged random arrests by the military under the guise of looking for its members.

The group, which claimed it is not Urhobo Militant, denounced one Gabriel Ogbudje, who was arrested last week along Abraka-Agbor road as one of its key members.

It said in a statement signed by its spokesman, Aldo Agba-

laja, “Again, the Nigerian Army, in a bid to save face, announced the arrest of ‘the declarer of Operation Crocodile Tears’ and its spokesman said his name is Gabriel Ogbudje.

“By the so-called arrest, these jesters are suggesting that they have finally reached the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate. For the avoidance of doubts, we do not know this said Gabriel Ogbudje as either a member or leader so we wonder why he was attributed with the mandate’s ongoing operation”, it added.

The Urhobo militant group decried the ongoing military exercise code-named Operation Crocodile Smile saying it was just a charade.

“The ongoing so-called operation, which the deceptive military administration has guised as an innocent training drill (Operation Crocodile Smile) is nothing but a facade, put together just to retire freshly stolen military fund and in the bid to make the cover-up look tight.

“These unprofessional and ill-trained men have been feverishly engaged in a spree of blind

arrests; just anyone that comes in sight, which explains the senseless arrest and parade of a septuagenarian, some teenagers and a pregnant woman as militants.

“The High Command of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has watched with disgust the unprofessional approach of the Nigerian armed forces in their so-called campaign against our struggle and we feel sad to say this system is a pathetic waste of time and the resources of the peoples of this contraption called Nigeria.

Wike Begins Massive Infrastructural Yoruba Unity Forum Holds First Devt of Kalabari Land One Year Memorial Anayo Okolie Determined to give a facelift to towns and communities in Kalabari Kingdom, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike yesterday inspected on-going projects in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area as part of his administration’s agenda for the massive infrastructural improvement of the area.

Wike said the projects had been strategically selected to improve the economic and social wellbeing of the people.The projects included construction of the Abonnema Ring

Road Phase Two and reconstruction of Nyemoni Grammar School, Abonnema. These were in addition tothelandreclamationworks.

Astatementbythespecialassistant to the governor on electronic media, Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, quoted Wike as saying, “This road is critical to the growth of the economy of this localgovernment.Thatiswhywehave intensified the work. The Abonnema Ring Road Phase Two will also lead to most of the lands being reclaimed by the state government, so that structural development activities can commence inthenewcommunities.”

The First Year Memorial Anniversary Lecture series organised by the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) in honour of its Founding Chairman, Yeye Chief (Mrs.) Dr. HID Awolowo will take place in Lagos on September 20 at 10am. The Special Guest of Honour is the Ooni of Ife, HIM, Kabiyesi Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, according to a release issued by Secretary General, Yoruba Unity Forum, Senator Anthony Adefuye.

The event which is expected to be attended by dignitaries nationwide, especially the Yorubas

in the Diaspora, will take place at the Chief Obafemi Awolowo Foundation Secretariat, Gbagada Estate Phase II, Lagos State. A Lecture titled ‘Eternal Sustenance of Yoruba Language and Culture’, will be delivered by Prof. Adebisi Afolayan, the Chief Consultant, Centre for Language Education and Development, Ile-Ife. The Lecture is under the auspices of the current Chairman of the Forum, Retired Anglican Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi and the Yoruba Unity Forum Culture Committee.

Nigerian History is Women History, Say ex-UI VC, Dabiri-Erewa Former University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor and emeritus professor of English Language, Ayo Banjo and Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Matters, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, have decried what they called ancient systems and structures that limit the Nigerian woman.

They however stated that going by the array of women in history who have distinguished themselves as icons, the Nigerian history cannot be effectively written without giving women a prime place.

They both made this known in their forewords to a new book written by foremost professor of history, retired Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan and former Commissioner in the Western Region, Bolanle Awe, entitled ‘Nigerian women pioneers and icons’.

The book is a historical assessment of the contributions of some 34 women pioneers from pre-colonial era till date which showcases their uncommon contributions to the historical development of Nigeria and how they rivaled their male gender counterpart even when it was unusual for such demonstration of nationalism and patriotism.

Some of the women pioneers recognised in the book include legendary poet, Nana Asmau; pioneer female musician Hajiya Fatima Lolo; Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti; Wuraola Adepeju-Esan; Margaret John Ekpo, pioneer parliamentarian; Irene Thomas; Ladi Kwali, worldacclaimed potter; Adetowun Ogunsheye; Mabel Segun; Flora Nwapa; Folake Solanke; Grace Alele Williams; Gambo Sawaba; Hansine Napwanijo Donli, legal practitioner; Onyeka Onwenu; Zaynab Alkali; Batule Alake; Joy Ogwu, among others.

Mimiko Meets Farmers, Visits Igoba Road Project Work Ondo state Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko is to distribute multi-million naira worth of farm input among farmers in the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Hon. Kayode Akinmade told newsmen in Akure at the weekend that farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state, will benefit from the programme which Mimiko will flag off at Oladejo Matins, Akinnifemi Memorial hall, Bolorundoro in Ondo-East.

According to the Commissioner, farmers in the state are expected to visit the farm service centres in their respective local governments with their smart card otherwise known as Kaadi Igbeayo to be able to benefit from the programme.

He emphasised that the distribution will take place in the 18 local government areas simultaneously with the flag-off in Bolorunduro, adding however that the distribution will be sustained beyond the flag off day.

Union Bank Unveils PH Branches

In line with its objective to provide simpler and smarter banking solutions to its existing and prospective customers, Union Bank has launched two newly upgraded branches in Rivers State. The two newly transformed branches are at 30 Aba Road, Orije and Port Harcourt Station Road in the state which are fully equipped to deliver quick and efficient services to its customers in a vibrant and conducive environment.

According to the bank, “Our newly upgrade branches simply manifest the work we have put in the past three years to ensure that our customers are offered the simplest and smartest of banking solutions. From our innovative products to our digital platforms, which are UnionOnline and UnionMobile, we are poised to meet our customers at the point of their banking needs. “In a statement made available to THISDAY, the CEO of the bank, Emeka Emuwa, while delivering the pre-unveil message, said: “As we approach our centennial anniversary, we remain committed to doing even more and getting better so as to achieve our goal of delivering quick and efficient services to our customers.”

T H I S D AY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

83

84

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

SUNDAYSPORTS

Edited by Demola Ojo Email demola.ojo@thisdaylive.com

Manchester Derby: Iheanacho Winner Helps City Beat United

K

elechi Iheanacho became the youngest Manchester City scorer in the Manchester Derby as City beat United 2-1 to go top of the Premier League table yesterday. City have now won their first four league matches this season and are top of the table on 12 points. The 19-year-old Nigeria international’s 36th minute goal proved to be the difference between the two Manchester sides at Old Trafford.

Iheanacho reacted quickest when Kevin De Bruyne’s shot came off the post. Daley Blind kept Iheanacho on side television replays later showed. Iheanacho, who started this derby in place of the suspended Sergio Aguero, also had a hand in City’s first goal as he expertly flicked a header towards the onrushing De Bruyne who did well to toe poke past a static Blind before firing unerringly past De Gea in the United goal on the quarter hour.

City manager Pep Guardiola was quizzed about his level of trust in Iheanacho before kick-off and he replied in the affirmative.

“He (Iheanacho) is our striker and I trust him. That is why I chose him to start against Manchester United,” Guardiola told ITV minutes before kick-off.

City’s win means Guardiola drew first blood in his renewed managerial duel with Jose Mourinho as Manchester City deservedly won an absorbing derby.

After months of hype in Manchester - and well beyond -following the appointment of the two great managerial foes, it was Guardiola’s side who initially took complete control of a game that was being billed as one the whole world was watching. For much of the first half, City’s slick passing and neat movement brought back memories of the way Guardiola’s old Barcelona side would once often pass rings round Mourinho’s Real Madrid.

Despite being outpassed and outclassed in a one-sided first half, United were offered a lifeline when Bravo, whose signing to replace City favourite Joe Hart has been the most controversial move of Guardiola’s brief reign, failed to claim a straightforward free kick from the right. He dropped the ball under no great pressure, allowing the alert Ibrahimovic to volley home from the edge of the box and quite transform the game’s dynamic.

But a delighted Guardiola praised his team’s first-half performance and jumped to the defence of Bravo. “In the second half, he continued to play and that’s a good thing about his personality. He was one of the reasons we played well in the first half,” Guardiola said.

Mourinho, though, was adamant that Clattenburg should have awarded penalties when Bravo, having lost control of the ball in his own area, lunged in with studs showing to tackle Rooney and also when a

Iheanacho celebrating scoring in the Manchester derby

cross hit Nicolas Otamendi’s arm. “Mark made two big mistakes. Claudio Bravo is a penalty and a red card,” Mourinho said.

“The second one is a handball by Nicolas

Otamendi - some pundits will say no because it’s the back of the arm but he knows. He’s looking at the ball. We are not happy with these decisions.”

David Luiz Poised for Second Chelsea Debut at Swansea

D

avid Luiz could make his first appearance for Chelsea since his Deadline Day transfer from Paris St Germain in today’s Super Sunday clash with Swansea. Luiz completed a £34m move back to Stamford Bridge on August 31 and is available for the Premier League clash at the Liberty Stadium.

The Brazilian’s return opens up the option for Antonio Conte to play three at the back, a tactic he favoured during his managerial spells in Italy.

“I think David Luiz is a centre-back, he’s played a lot of games in that position,” Conte told Chelsea TV. “I know sometimes he’s played as a central midfielder but in my mind the idea is to utilise him in the right position which, for

me, is centre-back.

Meanwhile, Swansea hope record signing Borja Baston will feature for the first time, though the striker has struggled with a thigh injury since his £15.5m move from Atletico Madrid.

Baston could make the bench alongside new central defenderAlfie Mawson, who joined from Barnsley in a £5m deal just before the transfer deadline.

Wales full-back Neil Taylor is included in a Premier League squad for the first time this season following his extended post-Euro 2016 break and Jefferson Montero is available despite his late return from international duty with Ecuador.

For Chelsea, left-back Marcos Alonso comes

US Open: Djokovic to Face Wawrinka in Final

D

efending champion Novak Djokovic will take on third seed Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final after both men won semifinals in punishing conditions.

Djokovic beat 10th seed Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2 in New York, with the Frenchman adopting unusual tactics to try and counter the world number one.

Stifling humidity was still a factor as Wawrinka beat Japan’s sixth seed Kei Nishikori 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2. “It’s really humid, really hot. I knew it would be tough,” said Wawrinka.

Djokovic, 29, had treatment on both shoulders during the first semi-final, while Monfils could barely move at times as conditions took their toll.

“Humid,” is how the Serb described it. “I think that’s all we were thinking about and feeling.”

Monfils robustly rejected the notion that he did not give his all, saying: “I think I tried my best.”

Djokovic will attempt to win his third US Open and 13th Grand Slam title today, while Wawrinka - who beat Djokovic in last year’s French Open final - is going for a third major victory and first at Flushing Meadows.

Djokovic had spent only six hours and 24 minutes on court in reaching the semi-finals, thanks in part to one walkover and two retire-

Djokovic ments, and he was within sight of another swift contest against Monfils. He led by two sets and a break as Monfils spent much of the first hour hitting the ball at half-pace, barely moving during, as well as between, points and at one stage limping theatrically.

However, he raced forward to collect a drop shot and break back in the third set, sparking a run of five straight games.

Djokovic’s fortunes took a nosedive, first as he called for treatment to his left shoulder and then as three break-back points slipped by, and with them the set, prompting him to rip his shirt in frustration.

into contention after joining from Fiorentina, but defender Kurt Zouma remains sidelined with a knee problem.

Swansea’s 1-0 win in this fixture last season was their first league victory and clean sheet in 12 games against the Blues, since a 3-0 win in April 1981. Chelsea have scored more goals against Swansea than any other Premier League side has (21). Since beating Chelsea 1-0 in April, the Swans have kept just one clean sheet in eight Premier League games.

Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Diego Costa has scored more Premier League goals against Swansea than any other opponent he has faced (five). Costa has either scored or assisted in each of his last five Premier League games for the Blues.

Luiz is a fan favourite at Chelsea

NPL: Rivers go Top, Rangers, Wikki, Enyimba Down in Tight Title Race

R

ivers United are the new leaders of the Nigeria league after they came from behind to beat Warri Wolves 3-1, while IfeanyiUbah beat Akwa United to move to third on the table. Rivers United now have 56 points from 33 matches, while Enugu Rangers slipped to second place after they lost 2-1 at Shooting Stars.

IfeanyiUbah were very much at home after they extended their home invincibility after they stopped Akwa United 2-0. They have 53 points and leapfrog Wikki, who slip to fourth on the table.

There were also away losses for front runners Wikki Tourists and champions Enyimba.

Wikki lost 2-1 at Nasarawa United after a stoppage time winner by Aminu Kadir, while Enyimba fell 1-0 at Niger Tornadoes courtesy of a penalty goal by Solomon Owello.

The Tornadoes vs Enyimba game was full of drama - Enyimba midfielder Dare Ojo was sent off and an Enyimba official dashed into the pitch to punch the referee.

Kevin Itoya stunned the fans in Port Harcourt when he gave Warri Wolves the lead after 28 minutes. However, home team Rivers United fought back to draw level six minutes later through Godwin Obinze.

Bernard Ovoke then put Rivers United in front after 40 minutes, before Guy Kuemian scored a third goal for ‘Pride of Rivers’ two minutes from time.

In Ibadan, goals by Ajani Ibrahim and Ifegwu Ojukwu gave hosts Shooting Stars a 2-0 lead, before Chisom Egbuchulam pulled a goal back for Rangers in the 81st minute.

Both teams finished this game with 10 men after Rangers defender Chibuzor Madu was sent off for a professional foul and later Moses James of 3SC also saw red.

Sunshine Stars turned back Plateau United 3-1, while bottom team Ikorodu United upstaged Kano Pillars 4-1.

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS & FIXTURES Man United Bournemouth Arsenal Burnley Middlesbrough Stoke City West Ham Liverpool Swansea

1–2 1–0 2–1 1–1 1–2 0–4 2–4 4–1 vs

Man City West Brom Southampton Hull City Crystal Palace Tottenham Watford Leicester Chelsea 4pm

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

High Life

85 wiTh LANRE ALFRED 08076885752

...Amazing lifestyles of Nigeria’s rich and famous

Like a Phoenix...The Reemergence of Dimeji Bankole

E

rror for which a man is ashamed constitutes his real history, particularly the faults that maul him and ravage his manhood inside out till he becomes a husk of who he was or what he used to be. But even if strength fails in disgrace, boldness at least will deserve praise hence friends and family’s applause for Dimeji Bankole’s decision to emerge from obscurity and seek back his place in the limelight. To his loved ones, even to have had the will is enough, hence their commendation of Dimeji’s reappearance on the social scene. Rising from a life and career that had suffered irreparable damage and lull, Dimeji, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has been showing up in

Mike Inegbese

MIKE INEGBESE GETS SECONDTIME LUCKY The good times are back for Mike Inegbese. The Esan, Edo Sate-born auto merchant and owner of Ine-Mic Motors has chanced on mother luck again after suffering a series of bad luck. Prior to his travails, the Edo high chief with an uncanny love for bowler hat and goldplated walking staff loomed above the social scene with pomp and panache. So aweinspiring was his personage that he became the toast of the drivers of industry as well as the nation’s ruling class. He was courted by all and sundry and his presence automatically

political meetings in Ogun state in recent time. It would be recalled that Dimeji’s social life and political career suffered untold damage when his comeback bid to the House of Representatives was unsuccessful. As if his defeat at the poll was not bad enough, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) came thumping at his door requesting that he responds to some cases of financial fraud during his reign as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Since the sad incident, the Oxford and Harvardtrained former UK military officer had lived a reclusive life of sort until he was discharged and acquitted by a Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged N894 million fraud case. added glamour to every social event. Then, like shrapnel from a deadly mine, news of his ill-fortune pervaded the air, casting a dark pall on his otherwise brilliant world. The rumour mills were put to work and news of the millionaire-auto magnate’s imminent doom filtered into the atmosphere.

Mischief makers blamed his purported ill-luck on an alleged business deal gone sour. His showroom, located on Kingsway Road, Ikoyi that used to be home to fleet of exotic automobiles became a shadow of itself thus lending some sort of credence to the rumour.

Today, Chief Mike Inegbese has bounced back and he is now into real estate business with choice properties scattered in high-end areas both on Lagos Mainland and Island. As you read, he has once again become the toast of old friends, associates and sycophants who ridiculed him when the going got tough. You couldn’t have forgotten so soon the birthday party he had for his wife and her twin sister in Europe a while ago. It was a yacht cruise.

THE AMAZING BEAUTY AND TACT OF SUNBO ODUNSI There is a certain tinge of spirituality attached to the loveliness of Sunbo Odunsi; it’s reminiscent of that farfetched beauty characteristic of the fabled goddess of

Dimeji Bankole

verges, whose transcendence and methodical tenderness nurtures the dreams and efforts of the vagrant croppers as it fosters the gawky raspberry refugees from gardens and the sloe, juniper, blackberry, among other tenants of nomadic farmlands. Odunsi who is fast becoming an adorable sight at top social functions is wife to one of the three wisemen of Sahara Energy Group, Ade Odunsi. It would be recalled that Sunbo used to be an extremely shy boss of The Day Spa, until recently thus inciting speculations about her newfound freedom and boldness in the face of

Sunbo Odunsi

high society. Sunbo has no doubt shed her shyness to live out loud; even though not extremely loud. It is however, instructive to note that since she came out of her shell, Sunbo, unlike most high society ladies of her ilk, has been known to court no scandal or controversy and that is a testament of maturity and good breeding.

ALL IS WELL WITH ANANA EMMANUEL The capacity for good judgment, fair dealing, truth, and rectitude is itself a fortune. It probably took Anana Emmanuel considerable time to know this, but when she did, she managed to exploit her newfound wisdom to the hilt. Few months ago, the media was awash with stories of the cerebral lady’s sudden disappearance from the social scene. In the wake of her disappearance, several inferences and insinuations were advanced as reasons for her sudden disappearance.

While many insinuated that Anana left the scene because her social life was earning her flak from jealous friends and associates, some others claimed that Anana quit the scene to dutifully fulfill matrimonial expectations to her husband, Chief Bode Emmanuel. Prior to her current marriage, Anana had incited public scorn when she reportedly had a child for the famous boardroom

T H I S D AY, T H E S U N D AY N E W S PA P E R • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

86

HIGHLIFE

Apple of His Eyes...Oando Boss, Mofe Boyo, Serenades Wife, Ego, in London

S

ome women are like sapphire, they glow as the brilliant blue gem thus colouring the world with their craft. Some are sassy as teens and cute as amber studs. But beneath the glamour, has she any substance? You are wont to wonder. Some are like coral clasps-pretty yet disposable. Amidst the glitter, Ego Boyo is an emerald cut. Whatever you think of her, there is something inspiring about, the once-upon-atime popular actress. If she were a cassowary on the plains of Timbuktu, Ego would flex her wattles like she is the last of the Casuarius breed in the world. Her beauty is like a tightened bow, the type that nobleness makes beautiful as a fire in time

of extreme chill. Forget her beauty, being high and refulgent and most affectionate come too easy for the ravishing wife of Mofe Boyo, the DMD of Oando Group. Some days ago, she celebrated her birthday in the city of London. For Ego and family, it was a day to remember. Armed with her husband’s immense wealth and vast contacts in business circles and now that she has become a frequent face at social functions, Nigeria’s high society would profit from the splendour of her company. Ego has developed the knack for being the cynosure of all eyes at every social event she graces. And she never has to force it. If that isn’t the true mark of a true high society alpha woman and mother, what is?

Emmanuel.

Anana Emmanuel

guru. In the wake of the opprobrium, she went low profile vacating the arena till the outcry and forecasts of a doomed union subsided.

Many years down the line, Anana’s union with Chief Emmauel is waxing stronger to the astonishment of the high society rumour mill. It is hardly ill-timed therefore, for Anana to re-launch herself into the social arena.

Buoyed by allure and that enduring sheen of lustre that depicts her famed beauty, Anana re-emerged on the social terrain recently as she graced a friend’s party.

Among other pointers, her mood at the party depicts an innate calmness and contentment with a life wellspent in matrimony. All is certainly well with Anana

ON IYIOLA OMISORE’S SECRET WEAPONS The controversyprone politician, Iyiola Omisore, looms large in the political circuit like a glorious military general but unknown to many, the political titan has two formidable amazons at his back. Iyiola’s wives stand solidly behind him like the fabled rock of Gibraltar.

Their prayers and goodwill, according to very close sources to the family, are the mainstay of his political career. He is really living it up at the moment and enjoying a blissful life, not only with his first wife, Mojisola, but also with his second wife, Bola. In what may come as a bit of shock to most people, Omisore is indeed, married to another woman, who happens to be his second wife. Although, the two have been married for a while, only very few close family members and friends are aware of the union. And this is informed

by Omisore’s desire to keep his second marriage out of public glare. And Bola, who is very quiet by nature, also prefers to live a low-profile lifestyle. The union between the couple is blessed with two children.

And just like her husband, Bola is also from Ile-Ife. She is one of the grand daughters of the late Sir Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the former

Ego Boyo

Ooni of Ife. Her mother, Princess Ojuolape Orafidiya is the head of the Aderemi Princesses. Bola’s father, Chief Orayemi Orafidiya, is a prominent chief in Ife town. He holds the highly revered title of Asiwaju of Ife and he is very close to the former Oonirisa, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. Bola, a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, IleIfe, also enjoys a chummy relationship with Erelu Mojisola, the first wife of Senator Omisore. The two ladies are said to relate well, thus giving their husband the much needed peace, which usually eludes most polygamous homes.

Although, Bola lives in Ife with her children, she

Iyiola Omisore

enjoys traveling abroad a lot. She is described as a very humble and loving lady, who keeps very few friends. However, she is very close to her siblings and cousins, who dote on her.

The very amiable lady lives in a palatial home, which is situated on Ife/Ibadan Road in Ife town. The white building, which is a personal gift from her husband, is aptly tagged The White House.

AGAIN! PASTOR ADEBOYE GOES TOUGH ON THIEVING REDEEMED PASTORS It is on scriptural records that Jesus Christ, when winding up his mission of salvation about two thousand years ago, expressed his ambivalence about finding faith in the world when he returns. He must have seen with precision the impending decadence awaiting Christendom after his departure. With the increasing incidence of fraudulent pastors in the vineyard of the Lord, especially in the vast Redeemed Christian Church of God fold, the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has issued a stern warning to his protégépastors to be more forthright and honest in their handling of church finances. Multiple sources claim that the selfeffacing powerful clergy had been inundated and buffeted with a groundswell

T H I S D AY, T H e S u n D AY n e w S pA p e r • SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

87

HIGHLIFE

What’s in a Name? A Tale of Two Billionaires...

“W

hat’s in a name?

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Would it?

Really? Forget the wisdom of Juliet, tragic heroine in late Williams Shakespeare literary classic, “Romeo and Juliet,” the worth in a name far outweighs her romantic insight. However, billionaire businessmen and two of Nigeria’s most influential men, Dr. Mike Ishola Adenuga Jnr. GCON, and Femi Otedola, CON, share a lot in common as you are well aware. Both have been listed in Forbes as some of the richest men in Africa. They are both into the oil business, while Adenuga fondly called The Champion, owns Conoil and the prestigious Globacom, Otedola widely known as The Emperor owns Forte Oil. Both men are of the Ijebu stock of Yoruba land, while Adenuga is from Oke-Sopen in Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State, Otedola

Enoch Adeboye

of reports about the unholy activities of some of his pastors, bordering majorly on financial shenanigans.

In view of this, the former academic-turned-pastor decided to call his junior pastors to order charging them on the virtues of accountability and transparency. We gathered that this admonition was contained in a letter issued to all the pastors fingered in the corruption conundrum while warning them to stop it forthwith or face the full wrath of God. Further, Pastor Adeboye reportedly charged the erring pastors to be more responsible for their congregation by taking care of those in need while instructing the branch heads to have a petty cash book, asset register income, analysis and bank book to serve as a quality audit of the ministry’s account book.

is from Odoragunsen, in Epe Lagos. But one striking similarity between both men, which a lot of people do not know is the fact that both their fathers share the same first and middle names.

Adenuga’s dad who transited sometime in the late 70’s is Pa Micheal Agbolade Adenuga; He was a teacher and inspector of education and was reputed to have lived a Spartan life of discipline while Femi’s dad, the former governor of Lagos State in the third republic is Sir Micheal Agbolade Otedola who passed on recently.

He began his career as a teacher before working as a reporter at the St. Pancras Chronicle, then as a reporter and later subeditor at The Guardian and The Times in England. The two great namesakes are the fathers of two great Nigerians. An amazing coincidence you’ll say but also goes to buttress the saying that there is indeed something in a name.

Mike Adenuga

IN THE JAWS OF DEATH...TRAGIC FATE OF STUDENTS IN ODUDUWA UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE True leadership would neuter a threat before it becomes too dangerous and infinitely overwhelming. But that is a quality Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, (OUI) Ile Ife, Osun State suffers a grievous dearth of. As you read, the administration of the school watches helplessly as students and boarders left in its care wither and die in the hands of the university’s host communities and other elements.

These days, the university has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Just recently, some students living off-campus were allegedly murdered in a communal clash between the people of Ipetumodu and a rival town. The most worrisome incidents are however, the repeated cases of robbery and rape of female students. Authorities of the school appear to be overwhelmed as its security personnel do not have a response to felons who raid students’ hostel to strip them of cash and other valuables at will. The hapless students whose parents pay exorbitant fees for their education are subjected to other harrowing experiences including long spells of electricity outage and trekking several kilometres in search of water due to water scarcity on the campus.

Until its tragic mutations, OUI was one of the fastrising privately owned universities in Nigeria.

Established in 2009, its President, Dr. Ramon

Adedoyin, frequently tells the story of how he nurtured it into what it has become today from a humble beginning as a tutorial centre. Adedoyin owns tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria.

Such schools include Our Saviour ’s University, USA; Oduduwa University and The Polytechnic, Ile Ife. Many salute Adedoyin’s courage for establishing a university in a location with an existing federal university with a huge influence and towering reputation.

Oduduwa University was founded on the finer principles of excellence which the president of the institution vowed to uphold.

It’s just that, so far, he has done a very terrible job of upholding those principles and guaranteeing the safety of students left on his watch.

IN THE NAME OF HER FATHER! GUMSU ABACHA COMES INTO HER OWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA Long before the phenomenon of social media, especially the microblogging site, Twitter, took root in Nigeria; no member of the late Sani Abacha family dared court public attention. The late despot’s kids were virtually social anathema, and thus, were anonymous and even went about incognito. They were neither seen nor heard from. However, since twitter, with its extensive platform, became the desired medium of communication and interaction for all and sundry, some of the Abacha kids are retracing their steps back to the limelight,

Femi Otedola

notably Gumsu. Gumsu is married to Cameroonian billionaire, Mohamadou Bayero Fadil. They are blessed with kids. Active twitter users obviously first took notice of Gumsu with the handle @G_sparking, when she took on Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, calling him unprintable names. Incidentally, the consequent onslaught of cyber attacks on Gumsu, with many questioning her rationale and effrontery to call out Soyinka, while others acerbically reminded her of her father ’s inglorious reign, were not enough to deter her from lashing out at the people she said were unjustly crucifying her father. In the last one year, Gumsu has been the object of no less than five trending twitter fights and she is not relenting in her staunch defence of her family’s name and whatever is left of its integrity.

Gumsu Abacha

Sunday September 11, 2016

TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N400

MISSILE

Obasanjo to PDP

“For eight years, I was the leader of PDP, but the PDP that I was the leader is not the PDP of today. The PDP of today, if you can talk of a party again as PDP, its soul has been taken out of it.”

––Former President Olusegun Obasanjo speaking on the current state of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

SIMONKOLAWOLE SIMONKOLAWOLELIVE!

simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com, sms: 0805 500 1961

Four If Symptoms Persist after One Year... And Other Things...

T

ime changes everything. My barber voted for change last year. Which means he voted for Candidate Muhammadu Buhari. After Buhari’s inauguration and the stable power supply that followed, he felt justified. “Power has become regular in just a few months,” he said triumphantly. Over time, though, he has transformed from Buhari’s admirer to critic. Last week, I drew his attention to the improved power supply in our neighbourhood.

“Are you happy with Baba now?” I asked, partly in jest. He replied: “Oga, it has nothing to do with Buhari! Power always improves during the rainy season!” In just one year, his tune has changed.

Time also flies. It is already over a year that oil prices started tumbling mercilessly and Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), came up with the “demand management” policy to restrict the demand for forex and protect our reserves from haemorrhaging. He produced a list of 41 items, including toothpicks, starch and Indian incense, which he labelled “not eligible” for forex at the official window. His publicly stated aim was to encourage local production of many of those “not eligible” items, boost agriculture, encourage industrial growth and tackle unemployment in the land. “Buy Made in Nigeria” became a national anthem.

One year after, how well has the policy worked?

The jury is still out. As some manufacturers are smiling to the bank, some are crying to the grave. True, some products we used to import are now being produced at home, but there is a natural limit to what monetary policy alone can do in this circumstance. A factory may close down because of the power situation. It could be because cheaper goods are being smuggled into the country. Factories could also be failing because of the general state of infrastructure. The business environment could be too hostile to complement monetary policy. What then happens is that we do not get the results we desire.

After all, monetary policy, which the central bank controls, is never going to be the driver of development. Economists would say monetary policy is “residual” — it is supposed to be applied AFTER other policies are in place. You have your fiscal and trade policies, and then the bank will use the key rates to help you achieve your goals. For instance, if your plan is to spend very big — on infrastructure, wages, or whatever — the bank will look at the impact on inflation and act accordingly through monetary policy instruments. If you are targeting export, the bank can play with the exchange rate. But monetary policy can never stand in for fiscal policies.

To be sure, when Emefiele came up with the “demand management” policy last year, I was one of those who criticised him. My point was very direct: the CBN cannot ban imports — that is the job of Buhari’s cabinet. Therefore, those items would still be imported and pressure would shift to the black market, thereby hurting the naira and creating room for arbitrage. Experts persistently asked the federal government to make policy statements to encourage investment. But there was no cabinet for months. At some point, I advised Buhari, through this column, to appoint an economic adviser to fill the vacuum, pending the composition of the cabinet. No dice.

A major problem area has been the exchange rate.

I remember that Emefiele started adjusting it long before it became a topic of public debate. Between November 2014 and February 2015, the official rate moved from N155/$1 to N168/$1 before finally landing at N197/$1. Therefore, it was not as if the

Emefiele CBN did nothing in response to the falling forex inflow. I also remember that for 16 months, Emefiele held on to N197/$1 as we debated and argued and quarrelled over devaluation. In June 2016, he started to let go under the “flexible” exchange rate regime as forex inflow fell to as low as $400m in a month, compared to the glorious height of $3.6bn not too long ago.

But as the CBN finally floated the naira, the national currency started sinking. I can’t even recognise it again. Yet, the investors are not rushing down to Nigeria. Why? It is possible they think the CBN acted too late or the market is still not as they want it. But rather than for us to continue this blame game, my argument today is that since the symptoms have persisted after more than one year of CBN-led economic management, the managers of the economy will now have to sit down and decisively take control of the situation. We cannot rely on monetary policy alone to bail us out. The fiscal spending end of the bargain has become a matter of urgency. The TSA vault must be unlocked.

Since the foreign investors are foot-dragging, we can at least boost the local economy through fiscal spending. Our own banks do not even seem to have much faith in the economy as they continue to lend little or nothing to critical sectors, preferring instead to be frolicking with forex. Let the government implement economic policies to drive GDP growth.

Let the budgetary allocations be released to stimulate

The managers of the economy will now have to sit down and decisively take control of the situation. We cannot rely on monetary policy alone to bail us out. The fiscal spending end of the bargain has become a matter of urgency. The TSA vault must be unlocked

consumption. When you stimulate consumption, economic activities will pick up. We are in September and there doesn’t seem to be much going on in the area of implementing the 2016 budget. Experts estimate that fiscal spending can activate up to 60% of the GDP. Evidently, we need an overall economic agenda that is all-inclusive and well-coordinated. All hands must be on deck. We need input from all sectors and all segments of the economy, not just some ministers and consultants. There are too many bits and pieces coming from the government that we cannot weave together. As I write this, I cannot in true conscience say I fully understand the trade policies of this administration. Are we focusing on import substitution? Is it export-led growth? Is it both? Do we want to use tariffs to drive trade and industry? Is it subsidies? Is it exchange rate? Each policy thrust has its own dynamics.

We all know that power supply is non-negotiable in industrial growth. Are we expecting monetary policy to produce electricity? If you register a business and the permits to start production are taking ages to process, how does that help the economy? Have you ever tried to register a table water business or bakery? By the time NAFDAC, council and state government officials pounce on you with all kinds of fees, levies and demands, you will need extra courage to go ahead. You invest in rice production and cheaper ones are being effortlessly smuggled into Nigeria. Your investment is in trouble. All these actions and inactions are damaging the economy.

Finally — and very, very crucial in these troubled times — what is the government policy towards the Niger Delta militants? The urgent solution to our forex-induced economic crunch lies in what we do in the creeks. Do we want to pursue peace or we want to go to war? Both have good and bad sides. If we give in to the doves and pursue peace, it could be the fastest route to addressing the forex scarcity which is defacing the naira and crippling the economy, with the threat of another fuel price hike lurking in the corner. If we achieve peace in the short run and production rises to 2.2mbpd at the current price of $48 per barrel, we would do just fine. Power supply will also improve.

But the hawks would say negotiating with “criminals” will only weaken the state and create a permanent room for blackmail. The solution, they insist, is for the military to bomb the Niger Delta and flush out the boys so that the state can reassert itself.

The good part of this position is that sovereignty will return to the government in the long run. The other side is twofold: our forex-cum-economic and power crises will continue in the short run and, who knows, the war may take longer to win, as we have seen in the case of Boko Haram. Buhari’s final decision is very critical to the resolution of this economic impasse.

My barber, by the way, is happy that power has improved. He is buying less petrol to fuel his generator and now has more money in his pocket.

What this tells me is that this economic hardship can be lightened with even little things. Most of the economy managers know what to do. They cannot rely on Buhari’s body language or sign language alone.

That cannot be an alternative to sound economic policies. The economy is starved of oxygen, and I mean funds. They should tell Buhari the home truth.

As witty film producer Samuel Goldwyn would say, “I don’t want yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell the truth, even if it costs them their jobs.”

INCONCLUSIVE INEC A few hours after saying it would go ahead with the Edo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suddenly made a U-turn and postponed it. There is always something inconclusive about this INEC since Professor Attahiru Jega left. I do not for one minute think it is purely coincidental that INEC has not shown any sign of improvement since the new leadership took charge. I thought the 2015 general election, despite its flaws, was easily one of the best in our history — and all we needed to do was build on the success, rather than regress. But, you know, this is the way we are. Shame.

DÉJÀ VU 2014: Pro-Jonathan group clashes with members of the Bring Back Our Girls movement at Unity Fountain, Abuja. 2016: Pro-Buhari group clashes with members of the Bring Back Our Girls movement at Unity Fountain, Abuja. 2014: AIG Joseph Mbu warns BBOG “enough is enough”. 2016: IGP Ibrahim Idris warns BBOG “enough is enough”. 2015: Jonathan sympathisers say BBOG is working for his opponents.

2016: Buhari sympathisers say BBOG is working for his opponents. Wow. Why do I have this funny feeling I have seen and heard and read all these before? I get it: the more things seem to change, the more they remain the same. Replay.

VALUE CHANGE In my teenage years, my dream was to visit Jamaica. I never knew the country was riddled with poverty and gun violence. All I heard from Jamaicans was how beautiful their country was. Bob Marley spoke lovingly about Trench Town. Yellowman affectionately sang “Jamaica nice”.

Compare that to Eedris Abdulkareem’s “Nigeria jaga jaga”. I understand our frustration with our country, but it remains our country nonetheless. We must see beyond our current circumstances and dream of a great country. Change can start with each and every one of us. It’s not about President Buhari, Alhaji Lai Mohammed or APC. It’s about the future of our children.

Introspection.

EID MUBARAK For the first time in 14 years, I did not get a single ram gift for the eid-al-adha. And, weird as it sounds, I love it. I’m also not expecting any turkey gift at Christmas and I will be fine with it too. It is part of the adjustment we must make as we begin to cut our coats according to our clothes.

We have been too used to all these gifts in Nigeria that we have come to conclude that they are our birthright. We love free lunch.

I just hope we will keep to this newfound, if austerity-induced, modesty and keep it up when the economy improves. The crunch notwithstanding, I wish my Muslim friends a very happy and reflective eid.

Felicitations.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com