Thursday 6th October 2016 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, october 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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Nigeria Drops to 127th Place on WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index Obinna Chima Nigeria has dropped three places to the 127th position on the latest World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) for 20162017, out of 138 countries surveyed. The country was previously ranked 124th on the index. At 127th position, Nigeria only performed better than Madagascar, Yemen, Venezuela, Congo DR, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Mozambique, Chad, Mauritania and Malawi. The report, which was released yesterday by WEF, showed that Nigeria ranked lowest in health and primary education, and was greatly affected by a weaker macroeconomic environment. “Nigeria is among the African economies hardest hit by the reduction in commodity prices, falling three places to 127th overall,0 almost entirely due to its weaker macroeconomic environment (down 27 places) and financial sector (down 10 places). “Although still relatively low, the government deficit has almost doubled since last year and national savings have significantly suffered, worsening the

current account position. “Banks are less solid, reducing the availability of credit; despite the central bank ending its currency peg, financial authorities have retained restrictions on access to the interbank market, meaning access to finance will remain difficult for many businesses. “Additional factors holding back Nigeria’s competitiveness include an underdeveloped infrastructure (132nd), which is again rated as the country’s most problematic factor for doing business; insufficient health and primary education (138th), with only 63 per cent of children enrolled in primary school; and the poor quality and quantity of higher education and training (125th),” it added. The report also indicated that sub-Saharan Africa’s competitiveness slightly weakened year-on-year, mainly as a consequence of deteriorating m a c ro e c o n o m i c environments across the region. Public finance has been put under stress by economic slowdowns among trading partners and persistently low commodity prices, which affect the commodity-exporting countries, it added. These factors, according

President Muhammadu Buhari to the report, helps to explain why growth on the continent has dropped from over five per cent two years ago to only 3.5 per cent in 2015 and was projected to fall further, to three per cent, in 2016. “Short-run pressure on public funds may have longlasting effects on African economies by reducing much-needed investments in infrastructure and education, while higher uncertainty about country

financial risks could shrink private investments. “Slower growth and falling commodity prices have already started to affect the African financial sector, reducing liquidity and tightening credit conditions. As a result, although the banking system remains generally solid, business leaders rate the banking environment as worsening in two-thirds of the countries assessed by the GCI, and access to

finance is mentioned more often as a problematic factor for doing business in the region. “Improvements have been achieved in the business environment, information and communication technologies, and infrastructure, but these have been insufficient to improve overall productivity levels, as reflected by a substantially stable GCI performance at the regional level (this

changed by less than 1 per cent compared to the last edition). “Continued progress in these areas will be challenging, given low commodity prices and low growth trajectories in advanced and emerging economies—but progress is necessary, as these countries are among the areas where Africa still has the largest disparities with the world’s most competitive economies. “Global Competitiveness Report 2016–2017 is being launched at a time of rising income inequality, mounting social and political tensions, and a general feeling of uncertainty about the future. “Growth remains persistently low: commodity prices have fallen, as has trade; external imbalances are increasing; and government finances are stressed. “However, it also comes during one of the most prosperous and peaceful times in recorded history, with less disease, poverty, and violent conflict than ever before. “Against this backdrop of seeming contradictions, the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings both unprecedented opportunity and an accelerated speed of change,” WEF said in

Otedola’s Daughters Thrill at African Arts Exhibition in London Agha Ibiam in London It was an evening of who is who in London’s social circle Tuesday night when the Chairman of Forte Oil Plc, Mr. Femi Otedola, and his close friend and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, as well as other guests graced a well-attended African arts exhibition organised

by Otedola’s daughters – Florence “DJ Cuppy” and Temi Otedola. The glittering event, which was held at the famous Bonhams Arts and Exhibition Auction House on New Bond Street, London, was a showcase of the creative works of DJ Cuppy and Temi Otedola. While Temi’s works featured various African

themed paintings and sculptures, her sister, DJ Cuppy, thrilled guests with her disc jockeying skills. Guests, including their father, Dangote, business associates and well-wishers soaked in the occasion by mingling, swerving, rocking and singing along as Cuppy weaved her magical hands on the turntable dishing out

different genres of music which included Afrobeat, hip-hop and pop. The evening also featured a fashion show and a brief catwalk by beautiful models, who held guests captive with their elegance and stylish display on the improvised runway. Perhaps not wanting to upstage his daughters, Otedola and his right hand

man, Dangote, surprised the packed house by not making speeches at the occasion, but posed for photographs with as many guests who requested photo opportunities. Speaking at the event, DJ Cuppy and Temi praised Dangote’s philanthropy and described the business mogul as an inspiration for African entrepreneurs.

They commended him for his annual commitment of $100 million through his foundation. Also, the Vice-President of Standard Charted Private Bank, Richard Pattle, commended the Dangote Foundation for partnering with the bank to promote and support African arts including the exhibition.

most limited resources. “So we are limited by resources but trying to ensure that each geo-political zone is not left behind. We are also trying to ensure that we are able to keep the economy of the nation going.” Fashola was however hopeful that in 2017, his ministry would move on to the next phase. “We have provided a three-year plan to begin to address the roads, but this is subject to the appropriation we receive and once a road is not appropriated for you cannot spend money on it, because it is a violation of the laws of this country

and you will be penalised for it and I won’t breach the law. “So I am limited by what I am authorised to do when appropriation comes.” With respect to the power sector, Fashola said FEC approved the procurement of 150 megavolts transformers for three transmission substations located in Osogbo, Shiroro and Ondo. He said the acquisition of the transformers, which he placed at a cost of over a billion naira, would reinforce, expand and maintain the current transmission capacity as electricity generation increases.

KACHIKWU: NIGERIA WILL SOON CLOSE $4BN INVESTMENT DEAL WITH CHINA He said government can only undertake repairs and reconstruction of critical roads due to the limited resources allocated for roads in the 2016 budget. He revealed that the liabilities and indebtedness of his ministry on road projects stood at N1.5 trillion while a paltry N200 billion was made available for road projects in the budget. As a result of this, he said government had to prioritise work only on roads that are used for conveying petroleum products, food and high vehicular traffic. He said the government inherited contracts

amounting to N2.2 trillion already awarded for road construction. According to him, contractors are owed about N1.5 trillion for work they had already done, adding that with the limited budget, government had to prioritise. He said: “The budget that we have for the three ministries that I superintend is in the region of N400 plus billion, of which over N200 billion was dedicated to roads across the country. “So that is the deficit that we have to deal with and in making these choices. We then have to deal not with roads that necessarily bother

us but roads that carry the heaviest traffic. “First is to deal with roads that evacuate our energy needs because without energy, the nation will grind to a halt – those roads that evacuate energy from the south to the north, like fuel in particular. “Second, those roads that evacuate our nourishment and food supply, like our millet, tomatoes and yam from the north to the south. We also have to ensure that the transportation business does not die. “So when you are hearing Lagos-Ibadan, it is not Lagos- Ibadan itself, it is

Lagos-Ibadan that is critical to keep the economy of this country going. “That is where importers from the north or south move goods, because the bulk of imported cargo comes from the Apapa and Tincan ports. That is where fuel is largely discharged for the country from the tank farms in Apapa and hauled to the furthermost parts of the country. “So we are in a situation where we have to make choices and this is how a family makes choices – what gives the greatest good to possibly the greatest number with the

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

IMF: Nigeria’s Economic Challenges Pose Risk to Other W’African Countries IFC launches new platform to mobilise $5bn for infrastructure in Nigeria, others Lawmakers demand Emefiele’s sack over falling Naira

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku and Obinna Chima in Washington DC and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the decline in Nigeria’s economic growth, if not reversed timely, may have a spillover effects in other economies in West Africa. IMF’s Assistant Director/Head, Fiscal Policy and Surveillance, Catherine Pattillo, said this while responding to a question during a media briefing on the Fiscal Monitoring Report at the ongoing IMF/World Bank meetings in Washington DC. In another development, several members of the House of Representatives have called for the removal and replacement of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for the continuous depreciation of the Naira. The Nigerian economy is in recession. The National Bureau of

Statistics (NBS) recently revealed that the country’s GDP contracted by 2.06 per cent in the second quarter of 2016, compared to the negative growth of 0.36 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2016. “As you know, Nigeria is a very important economy in the region and its success has positive spillover for the region, particularly in West Africa and its challenges then creates difficulties for its neighbours,” Pattillo said. She pointed out that the slump in oil production and slow growth had created challenges for the economy, saying that one statistics that was quite striking to her was the interest payment of more than 45 per cent of federal government revenue to debt servicing. She advised the fiscal authorities to prioritise and safeguard “fiscal sustainabilit, which means, implement to increase non-oil revenues and implement an independent price-setting mechanism that minimises fuel subsidy. “So, these are two priorities,

Erisco Foods Threatens to Shut down Operations, May Sack 1,500 Workers Nume Ekeghe Tomato paste producer, Erisco Foods Limited, which claims to employ 2,052 people, has threatened to shut down its factory, for lack of support from some government agencies. The company has also given the federal government a 30-day ultimatum to support indigenous manufacturers or else it would relocate its business outside Nigeria. The Chief executive officer, Erisco Foods Limited, Mr. Eric Odinaka Umeofia, said this yesterday at a press briefing in Lagos. He said his company has been frustrated by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Ministry of Trade and Investment and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Umeofia said: “Erisco Foods Limited has demonstrated enough patriotism and loyalty towards our dear country and we have risked enough of our investments and life. We will be forced against our patriotic wish to relocate our operations to a country where there is conducive and favourable environment for manufacturing if within 30 days from now nothing significant is done by the government to address these issues raised by us and give us our right to help Nigerians as we can never beg for our right to help our people and economy.” “We want to give our cherished government the benefit of doubt because we are aware that the economic saboteurs do not want your good self and President Muhammadu Buhari to succeed. This will include the immediate laying off of 1,500 out of 2,052 of our staff in the factory and entail importing the same products into Nigeria, since this is the wish of

these said government agencies.” He further blamed government for lack of clear policies towards manufacturing, high interest rates and mass importation of products such as tomato paste which his company produces in Nigeria. Umeofia also said: “Everything about manufacturing is being stampeded to die and as much as I have endured for the sake of the love I have for my country, however I would be forced to join the importers I have campaigned against.” He added: “It is difficult accessing the various CBN’s intervention loans for manufacturers and farmers. For instance, the on-going expansion of our Katsina Project has been stalled principally due to lack of adequate government’s support for indigenous manufacturers and lack of market for made –in – Nigeria goods as well as access to funds. This project would have created 50,000 direct jobs within two years and more than 500,000 indirect jobs during the same period.” There is an excessively high interest rates that discourages and balloons our cost thereby making the prices of our products high due to high cost of production and this is in addition that we currently generate our own power and it is it obvious difficulty by indigenous manufacturers in accessing FOREX after CBN promised manufacturers that they will be allocated 60% of their FOREX. It is unbelievable that for over two months, no FOREX has been allocated to Erisco Foods Limited where as the same FOREX are allocated daily for the importation of finished goods that disfigured Nigeria till today.” He also faults that importers are given favorable audience compared to indigenous manufacturers.

while also of course, improving public service delivery so that citizens can see the benefits of good governance and services financed by the government,” Pattillo added. On his part, the Director, Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF, Vitor Gaspar, noted that looking at the global debt and deficit landscape in the world, “you’ll see that the countries that have the highest public sector deficit are oil exporters.” “Nigeria is in debt group is a country that was very much hit by very low oil prices. That is a general message because it applies to oil exporters in general, the group of oil exporters have shared some characteristics. “The most important point in my view of general relevance is that for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to deliver on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for most of them, the key challenge is the building up of revenue mobilisation capacity through tax capacity building, that’s a key priority.

“These countries must improve their capacities to raise revenue, and why is that so? Because there is such need in term of public infrastructure, there is such need in terms of public education, there is such need in terms of health. For these groups of countries, public finance, fiscal policy is part of the overall development strategy, and in that, tax capacity is a fundamental cornerstone,” the IMF official added. Meanwhile, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group yesterday launched an innovative programme that aims to raise $5 billion from global institutional investors. The fund will be used to modernise infrastructure in emerging markets over the next five years, opening up a new stream of capital flows to improve power, water, transportation, and telecommunications systems in developing countries. The initiative, called MCPP Infrastructure, builds on the success of IFC’s Managed CoLending Portfolio Programme, a

loan-syndications initiative that enables third-party investors to participate passively in IFC’s senior loan portfolio. In its first phase, the programme allocated $3 billion from the People’s Bank of China across 70 deals in less than two years. It demonstrated how large investors can benefit from delegating the processes of deal origination and approvals to IFC. The first partnership under the program was signed with the global insurance company Allianz. Under the agreement, Allianz intends to invest $500 million, which will be channeled into IFC debt financing for infrastructure projects in emerging markets. IFC is also in advanced discussions with Eastspring Investments, the Asian asset management business of Prudential, for a commitment of $500 million. Similar discussions are being conducted with AXA, also for a commitment of $500 million. MCPP Infrastructure is designed for institutional investors seeking to increase their exposure to emerging-markets infrastructure.

IFC will originate, approve, and manage the portfolio of loans that will mirror IFC’s own portfolio in infrastructure. It will do so in a manner agreed upfront with its partner investors, always subject to the overall governance of the platform. “Modern infrastructure is essential for economic growth and lasting prosperity,” said IFC Executive Vice President and CEO Philippe Le Houérou. “Yet a huge investment gap exists in this sector—totalling trillions of dollars a year in emerging markets alone. MCPP Infrastructure marks a breakthrough in the search for large-scale financing solutions to the challenges of development. It is a key building block in the global effort to move from billions to trillions in development finance.” Meanwhile,calling for the removal of the CBN governor, lawmakers at plenary yesterday accused Emefiele and his team of incompetence and inability to formulate viable foreign exchange policies.

CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME

President Muhammadu Buhari flanked by the Vice PresidentYemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, and other cabinet members supporting the ‘Change Begins With Me’ initiative after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa ...yesterday STATE HOUSE.

Diageo Shelves Plan to Raise Guinness Nigeria’s Stake in Tough Market Diageo has scrapped plans to lift its stake in Guinness Nigeria due to tough conditions in one of its biggest markets for the world-famous stout, the drinks company said on yesterday. The decision by Diageo, which makes Johnnie Walker Scotch and Smirnoff vodka, is another blow to Africa’s biggest economy which is headed for its first full-year recession in quarter of a century following a plunge in oil prices. According to Reuters, Diageo said last year it planned to buy 15.7 per cent of Guinness Nigeria for up to 41.37 billion naira, which would have taken Diageo’s stake to 70 percent. While the naira has since slumped after the central bank lifted a currency peg in June, Guinness

Nigeria shares have also fallen to trade well below the price Diageo offered last year. The company yesterday it would not proceed with the offer, choosing instead to focus its resources on continuing to support Guinness Nigeria. Last month, it gave the business a $95 million loan to help it cope with dollar shortages. Limited access to foreign currency has contributed to other businesses pulling back from Nigeria due to difficulties repatriating income. International carriers United and Iberia both stopped services to Nigeria earlier this year. Diageo is predominantly a spirits company, but says that owning Guinness beer helps its footprint in

Africa, where a growing number of middle class consumers are drinking more. Guinness Nigeria shares, which have fallen 19 percent this year, were flat at 93 naira on the Lagos bourse yesterday following news that Diageo had scrapped its share tender. Diageo shares were down 1.7 percent. “The tender offer is at a 75 percent premium from where the stock is trading now,” said a consumer goods analyst at a major Nigerian bank. “It will be giving shareholders so much cash now and there is no reason to do that. There is a very strong possibility that they may consider a rights issue.” A source familiar with the company’s thinking said a rights

issue could be another way to recapitalise the business. ADiageo spokeswoman declined to comment on such a possibility. Guinness Nigeria, which is 54 percent owned by Diageo, reported its first full-year loss in 30 years for its 2016 financial year, hurt by the ongoing recession and the currency crisis brought on by the impact of low oil prices. “Diageo has confirmed that it maintains a positive outlook for Nigeria in the long term and that it expects the market to continue to grow,” Guinness Nigeria said in a statement. “Nigeria remains a key strategic market for Diageo.” Nigeria accounted for 3 percent of Diageo’s sales of 10.5 billion pounds ($13.4 billion) in its most recent financial year.

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWS

Bill Seeking Special Grant for Lagos Plunges Senate into Rowdy Session Senate throws out framework

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja A bill seeking one per cent federal government’s grant to Lagos yesterday threw the Senate into a rowdy session as the bill again exposed the depth of mutual suspicion and ethnic bigotry

prevalent in the country. While the bill was well supported by South-west senators, the provisions in the bill did not go down well with Northern, Southeast and South-south senators who rejected the bill, pointing out that it would set a dangerous precedent. The depth of dissension caused

Former Minister, Laurentia Mallam, Husband Regain Freedom

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Former minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Laraba Mallam and her husband, Pius Mallam, who were abducted by gunmen on Monday have been released by their captors. The former minister and her husband were kidnapped along the Jere-Gbwari Road, Kaduna state by armed men suspected to be fulani herdsmen. Family sources told THISDAY in a telephone interview yesterday that the duo were released about 5pm after an undisclosed amount of money was paid. The kidnappers had earlier demanded for N10 million as ransom. The said: source “The former minister and her husband have been released and they are on

their way to Abuja to join family members. “Some money was paid for their release. As to their conditions, I can’t tell you anything about about them because we are are still expecting their arrival in Abuja” the source said. However, the Kaduna state police command could not immediately confirm the release of the former minister and her husband. Spokesman of the command Aliyu Usman, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) told THISDAY on telephone that he was yet to get information about the released. “I have not received such information about the release of the former minister and I cannot confirm your story. I will get back to you as soon as I find out” he said.

by the bill among senators, forced the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the plenary, to stand up from his seat for several minutes with assiduous efforts to calm frayed nerves and bring the chaotic situation under control. The sponsor of the bill, Senator Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), while leading debate on the bill had canvassed a number of reasons Lagos deserved special assistance from the federal government. Among others, she described Lagos as a state with strategic socio-economic significance being “the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria with available statistics indicating that 6 of 10 international passengers arrive in Lagos why 8 of 10 depart from Lagos.” Furthermore, Mrs. Tinubu argued that a report from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in 2008, revealed that 86.2 percent of companies’ income taxes were collected in only Lagos while another 56.7 percent value added tax (VAT) was collected in Lagos. She said with the degree of revenue being generated from Lagos, the state deserved a special treatment. “Key sectors of the economy namely: manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, financial institutions and insurance

INEC Chairman Declines Comments on Edo Election Commission expresses worry over election reportage Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and John Shiklam in Kaduna Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, yesterday declined comments on the recent Edo governorship election. Yakubu who spoke in an interview with journalists shortly after the Convocation lecture and Award ceremony of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, said the occasion was for academics and not for elections, saying he could only talk on the issues. In another development, INEC has expressed concern over the level of inaccuracy associated with the media coverage of elections in recent times. Asked to comment on his experience outside the academia at the NDA event, especially in the light of the recent governorship election in Edo State and the allegations that INEC and not the All Progressives Congress (APC) contested the elections against the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yakubu maintained that the occasion was not about the election and decline to respond to the question. “This is not about elections, today’s occasion is about academia, it is about honour, so let’s talk about the NDA,” he said. The INEC chairman who was among former staff of the NDA who were given award during the convocation lecture said he was elated to be honoured by the institution. “I am so elated (to be honoured), it was never expected while serving

in the academy and mark you I am still on leave of absence, I haven’t left the academy, I never expected that I would be so honoured, that is what makes it very special. It is even more special because other colleagues if mine were also honoured. “So it is a special day for us and we are most grateful to the academy and we will continue to do our best as long as we continue to serve this great institution” he said. He described the NDA as the only university of its kind, not only in Nigeria but the whole of West Africa with excellent facilities. The INEC chairman who was among dignitaries that toured facilities at the institution and commissioned some of the buildings named after some former staff of the academy, commended the authorities of the academy for the excellent facilities, noting that the academy is one of the best institutions in the country. He added that he would return to the NDA any time he is through with his assignment at the INEC. Meanwhile, the commission which is still battling with negative reports accompanying the recently held governorship election in Edo State said it’s concerns stemmed from the fact that sensitive matters, if not accurately reported, may trigger negative or violent reaction from the citizens Yakubu gave the advice at the 13 Public Lecture of The Electoral Institute (TEI) of INEC on Wednesday in Abuja. He urged the media practitioners to have painstaking care for details

and fact in the reportage on election matters. Yakubu,who was represented by a National Commissioner, Baba Shetima, said that election matters were sensitive matters that if not accurately reported, may trigger negative or violent reaction from the citizens. He said that the media has a strategic role to play in how electoral information was accessed, processed, distributed and consumed in Nigeria. ``While some media houses have tried to apply and conform with the rules of the game, the code of conduct, others have not. ``As we all known, election reportage in the era of social media has taken the centre-space in pattering voter behaviour.It, therefore, becomes imperative to examine the professional and ethical considerations that underpin electoral media coverage and reportage in producing the desired outcomes in our electoral processes,’’ Yakubu said. The INEC Boss also urged social media practitioners to consider overall national interest, peace and stability of the country, and allow those principles to be the determining or overriding parameters in their reportage of electoral issues. `Just like conventional media, social media should be professional, objective, factual and accurate in its electoral reportage. `It should not subject itself to the whims and caprices of politicians neither should it serve narrow interests of individuals or groups,’’ Yakubu added.

are domiciled in Lagos. Lagos also plays a major role as host to sporting, entertainment and cultural events. It is also the home of hospitality given the numerous hotels and restaurants located within the state. “Compared with the rest of the country, Lagos has the smallest landmass of about 3,671square kilometer in Nigeria and the highest population density at about 2,649 persons per square kilometre. Although the National Population Census, according to its 2006 census, named Lagos the second most populous state in Nigeria, evidence shows that the state is also the transient state which plays host to millions of transient citizens of other states in Nigeria who commutes to Lagos for commercial transactions on a daily basis,” She added. The bill was strongly supported by the two other Lagos senators, Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) and Solomon Olamilekan (Lagos West) as well as Fatimat Raji-Rasaki and Barnabas Gemade (Benue North-west). However, indications that the bill had run into troubled waters emerged when Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North) registered his strong opposition to the bill, describing it as ill-timed

and unnecessary. According to him, the bill would make Lagos richer and make other states poorer, insisting that passing the bill would be a dangerous precedent because it would serve as an impetus for other states to also demand for special grants. Wamakko’s opposition also received the backing of Senator Hope Uzodinma (Imo West) who said passing the bill would open windows for other states to come up with similar bills. Uzodinma added that instead of allowing the bill to sail through, the option of conceding federal government’s abandoned property in the state to Lagos to augment its cost of maintenance could be explored. In the same vein, Senator Taminu Aduda (FCT) said he would only support the bill if the same status being sought by Lagos would be accorded the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as he argued that FCT also deserved special allocation for its development, claiming that the infrastructure in the territory was being overstretched by people trooping into it. Also opposing the bill, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), said he would have supported the bill but noted that the National Assembly had

no power to make any law that would empower any state to exclusively draw money from the federation account. In his opposition to the bill, Senator James Manager (Delta South), said Section 164(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) incapacitated him from supporting the bill. He said the section authorised the National Assembly to first make a law before the federal government could grant financial assistance to any state. Manager added that even when such law was made by the National Assembly, its application would not be automatic as compliance with such law would be at the president’s discretion. However, even though it was clear that the bill stood no chance of survival in view of massive opposition to it, the altercation between the Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye and Aduda generated huge tension which hastened death knell on the bill. Adeyeye had argued that the demand for one per cent grant for Lagos was an understatement, noting that Lagos deserved 13 per cent derivation from VAT’ the same way oil producing Niger Delta states enjoy 13 per cent derivation from the federal government.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016

COMMENT

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

A SPARK IN THE DARK

State governments have much to learn from former Governor Peter Obi’s years in government, writes Paul Okolo

part from the President’s address to Nigerians every Independence Day, I always look forward to the Platform, an annual public forum organised by Poju Oyemade, Pastor of Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos. It provides a stage for pacesetting Nigerians to give us their perspective on the way forward for the country. This year’s speakers included Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos; Osaghae Eghosa of Igbenedion University, Okada; former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba; entrepreneur and film producer, Bolanle Austen-Peters; and a former governor of Anambra State, Mr.Peter Obi. As usual, the speakers didn’t disappoint. Each gave us hope that our country will yet overcome our challenges and break free from poverty, diseases, and other tendencies that have fixed us to one spot for decades. But it was Governor Peter Obi who stood out. I’m sure not many people were prepared for what they heard. Perhaps only those who stand to benefit are enamoured by our state governors. With a few exceptions, they live in unbelievable opulence like imperial majesties while the people look on helplessly. They use state funds as if it’s their inheritance yet refuse to pay pensioners, civil servants and teachers. Governors who were paupers yesterday are flying around in private jets today. And when they fly commercial like the rest of us, only first class is befitting their excellencies. Against this backdrop, Obi told us how he behaved differently. Governor Obi said he resisted the pressure to buy two bulletproof jeeps for himself. So he rode in conventional cars like us normal folks and nobody tried to shoot him to death. Instead, he used the savings made to purchase Peugeot cars for Anambra’s senior civil servants and judges. Obi said he refused to build a Presidential Lodge costing hundreds of millions of naira because the president was to visit the state. His solution was to vacate his official residence for the very important visitor. He also borrowed a bulletproof automobile for the President’s use from a neighboring state. On another occasion, when asked to order his bed from a top company in Lagos, he opted for a local furniture maker in Awka, the state capital, paying a fraction of what the Lagos firm would have pocketed.

He also revealed how he stopped the wasteful practice of killing a cow every day in his official residence. His argument was that since he was not running a restaurant, the cook only needed to prepare meals for him alone. He descended on yet another cash cow for hangers on - travels. According to Obi, he cut down the number of people who accompanied him to Abuja when on official trips there since they really had no job to do while in Abuja. He even sought and got the Inspector General of Police to give him police protection while in Abuja rather than the costly practice of bringing them in from Awka. The savings made enabled him to execute vital projects, including a network of roads. Not only that, he was able to save for the state over $200 million and billions of naira in three local banks. Contrary to popular thinking, Nigerian state governments can still operate with the reduced funding available to them even in this season of leanness, Obi argued. With facts and figures, he showed areas where savings can be made and it does not look like rocket science at all. Anybody with a human heart can easily work this out. Scrapping the office of First Lady will save two billion naira, he said. If you think that’s chicken change, find out how much most states spend on drugs in their hospitals every month. Obi insisted savings could still be made by scrapping long convoys of cars that governors use to terrorise poor citizens and by getting rid of official residences they all maintain in Abuja. “No governor needs a house in Abuja; governors don’t live in Abuja,” he declared. He made these declarations with such brashness that professional antagonists and dubious politicians must be at a loss as to how to rubbish his claims. I bet some governors are now sitting on the edge of their executive chairs today. Public reaction, as you can imagine, has been swift and mostly positive. Obi’s message was the best ever made by a living Nigerian politician, one man tweeted. Some screamed he should be president in 2019; others said vice-president.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR THINKING, NIGERIAN STATE GOVERNMENTS CAN STILL OPERATE WITH THE REDUCED FUNDING AVAILABLE TO THEM EVEN IN THIS SEASON OF LEANNESS

If Obi’s revelations are true, and I’m yet to hear any disclaimer, we all should be praising him to no end. And to his colleagues past and present who continue with mindless spending, Nigerians need to start naming and shaming them. Let’s not stop there. Most importantly, we all need to heed Obi’s advice to get involved in politics. We’re doomed if we don’t.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

Turaki A. Hassan pays tribute to Speaker Yakubu Dogara as he is honoured by the Leadership Newspapers

ince he assumed office as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has left no one in doubt that he was poised to leave an indelible mark in the sands of time. Within the short period that he has presided over the affairs of the House, Dogara has brought dignity and prestige, not only to the office of the Speaker, but to the House of Representatives as an institution. But this is not surprising to close observers of the Dogara speakership. Having won a keenly contested election, he made a solemn promise to his colleagues, and indeed Nigerians, that under his leadership, they “shall wage an unrelenting legislative war on Nigeria’s problems”. And this war, he has continued to wage legislatively to confront Nigeria’s myriad of problems. Speaker Dogara’s stellar performance so far is as a result of a combination of his upbringing and his leadership skill, honed over time from experiences gathered in various positions he held both as a member of the House of Representatives and as a lawyer. Born in 1967 in Tafawa Balewa Province of Bauchi State, Dogara rose from a very humble background to the apex of legislative leadership, largely through stint of hard work and favour from God. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2007 from one of the most diverse constituencies in the country where Christians, Moslems, and many ethnic groups co-exist in peace. It is this potpourri of ethnic and religious mix that made it easy for him to easily win the confidence of his colleagues across religious and political divide. Under his leadership, the House of Representatives has improved in leaps and bounds. Apart from setting up a committee to review obsolete and outdated laws, the House, under the guidance of Dogara, set a record by passing for first reading, 130 bills in one day. It is imperative to point out that in the 7th

Assembly, which was rated high in terms of bills passage, 700 bills were presented in four years, while in just one session, about 600 bills were presented in the Green Chamber for consideration under the present leadership and almost 100 of them scaled third reading as at June 9, 2016. It is not only in the area of lawmaking that the speaker has excelled. As far as Dogara is concerned, to lead is to serve. And service he has been doing to not only his colleagues in the House of Representatives, but to his constituents, his state and indeed, the nation. He has used his vantage position as the speaker to draw attention to the deprivation and want of the people in the North-east who have borne the brunt of the terrorist activities. In this regard, the speaker for the first time in the history of the House stepped down from his exalted chair and presented a motion on the urgent need for the rehabilitation, recovery, resettlement and reconstruction of the North-east. Again, he is sponsoring a bill seeking to establish the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) which will soon be passed into law. Not only that, Dogara has also been advocating for the convocation of an international donor conference for the rebuilding of the violence ravaged North-east. This is in addition to his humanitarian visits to internally displaced persons camps across the country where he takes message of hope to the people apart from providing succour to them. To him, public office is not meant for personal gains but for public good. It is Dogara’s philosophy that leaders should at all times live exemplary lives of service, sacrifice and selflessness. The speaker always says that justice is needed in building a civil society, and that for societies to grow, leaders must understand the workings of justice which is necessary in any democracy for equality to thrive. In fact, he strongly believes that establishing both principles is necessary for

Nigeria to make any meaningful progress. Dogara’s argument is that for any society to grow and develop, the process of development must start from the base to the top because where you start from the top, you are digging a grave. He noted that in Nigeria, we have not only dug a grave for democracy but are possibly in the process of burying it, obviously referring to the poor running of local governments in the country. It is also his belief that democracy, which is the best system of government ever to be invented by man, promises nothing to its citizens other than life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That it is these tools of democracy that free citizens can leverage on and harness their potential to build a greater, peaceful and prosperous society. His practice of politics is that which is without bitterness. He believes in consensus building and compromise. It is his political philosophy that leadership is not a zero sum game and that at all levels and at all times, inclusiveness must be the guiding principles of leadership so that greater good can be delivered for the greater number of the people. In a show of his political sagacity and dexterity, Dogara conceded the House Leadership position to his opponent in the speakership election; an act which helped in no small way in stabilising the House in the last one year. The recent show of solidarity to the speaker by his colleagues when the House reconvened from its annual recess in September is worth a mention here because it once again proved the doubting Thomases wrong and is an attestation to Dogara’s political prowess and wide acceptability amongst his colleagues in spite of deliberate, intentional, and desperate attempts by his traducers to discredit him and tarnish his hard-earned reputation by feeding the rather gullible public with falsehood, lies and distortion of facts. Thank God that Nigerians have since realised the antics of

these disgruntled elements and unscrupulous individuals who are pursuing personal vendatta against him. Undoubtedly, these ignoble individuals thought that by telling and propagating the same lies again and again against Dogara, Nigerians will take it and believe them, hook, line and sinker. Unfortunately for them, they have forgotten that even Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s infamous war propagandist, had cautioned against such when he asserted that, “there will come a day when all the lies will collapse under their own weight, and the truth will triumph again.” This is the moment of truth. For all the years he spent in the National Assembly before becoming speaker last year, Dogara had built for himself a reputation as an incorruptible lawmaker. Indeed, it is a well-known fact that in the 6th Assembly when he chaired the House Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Dogara, rejected $5 million bribe and went ahead to conduct one of the most credible and thorough investigations that resulted in the reform of the Customs Service. What more can one say about him? As Leadership Newspaper confers this honour on one of Nigeria’s leading legislative icons, this will no doubt spur him to strive harder to impact on the people of Nigeria whose interest is his major concern. It is well deserved. Indeed, it was in recognition of Dogara’s political prowess and sterling leadership qualities that in June this year, he was conferred with the prestigious Zik Leadership award for Public Service for year 2015. Interestingly, the Leadership Newspaper Group have also said they chose him for the prestigious award in recognition of his gallant display of political astuteness, quality of social capital and his cosmopilitan disposition. Hassan is the Special Adviser, Media & Public Affairs to Speaker Yakubu Dogara

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016

EDITORIAL ENFORCING THE TOBACCO CONTROL ACT Government could do more to support the initiative

he coming into force of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) on February 27, 2005, marked the first time that the World Health Organisation (WHO) went as far as enacting international legal powers to address tobacco addiction and its deadly fallouts. The signing into law of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 by former President Goodluck Jonathan was therefore a watershed as we joined the ranks of nations that have domesticated the treaty. While the law still has loopholes such as the bureaucratic provision that the National Assembly must give its nod for implementing regulations to be fashioned by the Ministry of Health for implementation to begin, the 2015 NTC Act is seen as a torchlight pointing in the right direction. A further encouraging development was the inauguration of the National Tobacco Control Committee (NATOCC) by Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s meeting with civil society where he pledged federal government’s support for quick implementation of the tobacco law. However, the need THE INCONGRUOUS to be circumspect about the tobacco industry BRANDING OF TOBACCO is instructive. This has TOGETHER WITH FOOD become very important AND BEVERAGES AT now that the industry THE NIGERIAN STOCK is pulling stunts EXCHANGE MUST BE across Africa. Kenya ADDRESSED, WITH THE is an example that readily comes to mind. REMOVAL OF TOBACCO Even after a 13-year FROM ALL SUCH legislative battle for the CATEGORISATION passage of her Tobacco Control Act which happened in 2007, British America Tobacco (BAT) petitioned a Kenyan court to stop the adoption of regulations that would facilitate implementation of Kenya’s tobacco act claiming the Kenyan Ministry of Health violated due process procedures under the constitution by not consulting with the tobacco industry in fashioning its control act. After several deliberate attempts to arm-twist the

Letters to the Editor

ministry, the Kenyan court ruled among others that, according to the documents presented to it, there were various meetings during the framing of the regulations that BAT was represented in, and consulted. The suit was thrown out. Studies show that 80 per cent of adult smokers began smoking before the age of 18 years. Adolescents, in particular, have been found to be distinctively susceptible to social and environmental influences. The tobacco industry invests heavily in research on how best to capture the imagination of youth; assured in the knowledge that nicotine (a heavily addictive drug found in cigarettes) would continue to ensure that the target group would persist in smoking into adulthood. Studies have also confirmed that the younger the age, the heavier the addiction and thus the harder it is to drop the habit. The calculation, which has proved true, is that most of these young people never consider the long term risks.

T H I S DAY

EDITOR IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU DEPUTY EDITORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, JOSEPH USHIGIALE MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN

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OSINBAJO’S EMERGENCE AS VICE PRESIDENT

fter reading the report on Page 20 of The Punch Newspaper on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, ‘’2015 Presidency: Buhari chose Osinbajo despite Tinubu’s Pressure’’ in which reference was made to a portion in the book written by Professor John Paden on President Buhari entitled “Muhammadu Buhari- Challenges of Leadership”, I became disturbed about this falsification of recent history. Why would the author say this and have it published when many of us know the truth? The truth is that Tinubu singlehandedly chose Yemi Osinbajo and sent the name to President Buhari. There was no pressure. Tinubu is Osinbajo’s political mentor. The later was his Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos and both have a very close relationship. My worry stretched further when I recall the recent piece by Femi Fani -Kayode on Tinubu and his huge contribution to the All Progressives Congress and how he is now being short-changed. Though I do not agree with all the claims made by Femi Fani-Kayode, I am convinced he made some reasonable arguments and his summation about Tinubu’s role in the current political

et tobacco has immediate adverse health consequences upon addiction, including accelerating the development of chronic health disease across the full life course. The relationship between active smoking and both reduced lung function and impaired lung growth is also linked to a strong tobacco habit. Clearly, Nigeria needs to focus on protecting young people from starting to smoke. For prevention, regulation is critical in an economy where the necessary statistics on the toll that tobacco has on its citizenry are lacking. As we have repeatedly argued, the incongruous branding of tobacco together with food and beverages at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) must be addressed, with the removal of tobacco from all such categorisation. Education policies, tools and programmes that highlight the dangers endemic in initiating the habit need to be developed and implemented. An increase in expenditure on sustained and comprehensive tobacco control programmes have proved effective in the reduction of youth and adult smoking rates. So governments, at all levels, need to lend its financial support to these initiatives. Until we can curtail the use of tobacco, our young people will continue to get sick, efficiency will continue to decline and our nation will continue to lose many of its otherwise productive citizens.

dispensation can hardly be faulted. In some areas, he went overboard and you could see him gloating, the Peoples Democratic Party’s apologist that he is. Also, the mention of Governor Abiola Ajimobi as one of the governors working against Tinubu is a fallacy and here he got his fact wrong. Ajimobi has remained consistently behind Tinubu and that is easily verifiable. But back to the emergence of Osinbajo as VP candidate. I was there the night before the final decision and subsequent announcement. I was there at the Lagos Lodge Annex in Asokoro, Abuja at Tinubu’s place. On the night in reference, Asiwaju insisted that three names would not be sent for the VP slot. He maintained that only one name would be sent. Eventually, the name of Osinbajo was sent to President Buhari. There was no issue of pressure. Osinbajo was Tinubu’s man and that was the only person Tinubu was willing to accept to cede the VP slot. Shortly after Governor Ibikunle Amosun came around to the Lagos lodge. He came in and we greeted. Now, it seems clear that some fifth columnists are trying to distort recent history and we should not let them. This history is too recent to be mutilated. General Iliyasu Ibrahim (rtd.) Wuse 2, Abuja

WHY NIGERIANS MUST BEAR WITH BUHARI

o say that President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of destiny is to say the obvious. He made three failed attempts to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Each time he failed, he did not allow failure to overwhelm him, rather it served as a fillip, firing his resolve to serve selflessly his father land. He had a pedigree as former military head of state whose tenure was truncated by a self-serving ruler, pushing back by many years the fast moving nation’s aircraft. As destiny would have it, PMB as the president is now fondly called, came back as a civilian president, three decades after his ouster from power in 1984. He has lofty dreams for Nigeria and its people. He firmly believes in collective prosperity of the citizenry, particularly the downtrodden. His simple and austere life gravitates towards the talakawas in the North and the needy in the South. He is seen as Godsent. Like a prophet, the president during his electioneering campaign, promised real transformation of his motherland, from penury to plenty and abundance of life to all and sundry. Nigeria to him is a land flowing with honey and milk, more than enough for its teeming population. The country is not only blessed with natural resources but endowed with human resources. His belief has not been shaken but his appraisal of the situation on ground before he mounted the saddle is different from what is the reality. The magnitude

of the pillage and bleeding of the nation’s blood by the mindless and conscienceless people who were in positions of responsibilities before he came to power is horrendous. The country was on the verge of collapse. What the president is now doing is an inevitable surgical operation to save the life of the nation from a threatening terminal disease. No doubt that everyone knows how pesky and painful a major surgical operation can be. Not only that, even after the successful operation, it takes some time before it heals. Like a full General that he is, the president has been frontally attacking all the monsters - ranging from the hydra-headed insurgency in the North-east, the Fulani cattle rustling problem in the North-west and North central, Armed robbery in the South-west, kidnapping in the Southeast and bombing of the oil pipe lines in the South-South. Rather than cast aspersion on the president for not immediately fulfilling all his promises, I urge Nigerians to bear with Mr. President, have a calm look at the precarious state the nation has found itself and pray for the president in his sincere desire and effort to rebuild the nation. A careful look at the horizon will tell us that things will soon get better. Why I am saying this with confidence is that peace is rapidly returning to the North-east. Those displaced by the blood sucking Boko Haram are returning to their homes. Positive moves have also been made to checkmate the rampaging vandals in the South South. Let us hope that peace and tranquility will soon reign in our fatherland. Hajiya Hauwa Bagu, Abuja

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Promoting the Cake Industry The need to recognise and promote cake making as a viable source of income for budding entrepreneurs was re-echoed at the second edition of the Lekki-Ajah International Cake Fair held recently in Lagos, writes Peter Uzoho

s already known, cake is that sweet food predominantly made with a mixture of flour, eggs, butter, margarine, sugar and the like, coated with cream and icing as beautifiers. It comes in varying shapes and sizes and used for different occasions. There are such cakes as plain chocolate cakes, red velvet cakes, carrot cakes, sponge cakes, guinness stout cakes, cinnamon swirl cakes, amongst others. Equally, there are bridal cakes for women’s weddings and birthdays; minion cakes for children; lipstick cakes; naked cakes and many more, and all are designed to reflect the purpose. However, unlike foods that are eaten to quench hunger, with extreme formality and stern disposition, sometimes in a hurry, cake is eaten with fun, smile and relaxation. Eating cake calls for jovial disposition, sense of merriment and celebration. To eat and enjoy all the dividends of cake, it must not be a one man show; it must be eating while having some times together with some loved ones, friends and associates. Cake, not minding its cost or selling price and the quantity, is eaten with a sense of honour and dignity. Little wonder everyone struggles to have a share of that “small” chunk at ceremonies to “feel among”. The postulation among cake enthusiasts that ‘a no cake event is a no event’ appar-

Cake business whether you’re into it as a baker or as a manufacturer of cake ingredients and accessories, it’s a lucrative venture. You can see young people entering the industry on a daily basis. People are making their money through the business. Families are being taken care of by the proceeds from the business. So it’s really a lucrative business. We’re begging the government to give more attention to the industry to enable it thrive because it’s also a source of revenue to the nation. Price of cake materials has gone high and it’s not helping us

Mrs. Okoye (2nd left) and other cake enthusiasts

ently tells more about the place of cake among people. In Africa, cake is alien. It’s imported from the European world, and since, has become an integral part of African culture but with some restraints as it does not feature in traditional African ceremonies and festivities. However, beyond being an edible item and an ornament of celebration, cake making in itself is an industry that in all ramifications has proven to be a viable source of revenue to individuals, corporate and government. The cake industry is replete with economic potentials which when harnessed has huge impact on the Nigeria’s economy, particularly now that the country is going through recession. To leverage from the opportunities that abound in this hitherto unnoticed sector, stakeholders in the industry demand support, recognition and promotion of the industry by the government to complement their efforts as they continue working towards bringing innovation and creativity into the sector. At the Lekki-Ajah International Cake Fair 2 held recently in Lagos, over 300 stakeholders comprising cake bakers, cake vendors, cake tutors, cake artists and cake enthusiasts converged at the Oakwood Hotel, Lekki, to exhibit what they have, share ideas and information, gain new knowledge and to

connect and network. According to them, cake has come to stay as an industry capable of competing with other industries and therefore should be given its deserved place. Interestingly, cakes of varying shapes and sizes artistically designed by cake artists, with their alluring fragrance, rent the air. The event offered buyers of cake items and accessories the opportunity to buy directly from their suppliers at a reduced price. In between the programme, were lectures and workshops where cake bakers and new comers in the industry were trained in different areas in cake making. Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer, Cakes by Somchez, Mrs. Eniye Okoye, said the essence of the cake fair was for people to come and test good cakes, learn what it takes to make good cake and perhaps improve their businesses. “The Theme is ‘The Test of Haven’. Cake shouldn’t just be a beautiful cake; a beautiful cake has to be tasty and nice. It has to be well baked. So the whole idea of bringing cake bakers, cake vendors and cake enthusiasts is to let them know that there is more to cake making than just mixing margarine and sugar. We want them to come and look at how quality cakes are baked and how beautiful cakes are decorated.

“We want them to come and meet with the vendors and manufacturers one on one. When you’re using a particular cake ingredient you should be able to know who the manufacturer is in this fair. So the whole idea is to bring everybody in the industry under one roof to meet, share information, network and encourage one another especially the budding and cake enthusiasts,” Okoye explained. “I noticed that recently cake making has taken a nose-dive. People are not baking quality cakes. They are not well schooled for baking cake and I begin to wonder why if you are not trained to bake why you would get into the business. In anything you want to do you need to go for training. I want to train people. I want to sensitize people on how to make good quality cake,” she added. Okoye noted that funding such large event was very difficult adding that “We still have to think out of the box so as to generate money to fund it. Usually, vendors who come to exhibit their products normally have to pay a certain amount of money for them to be allowed to sell. They have to pay for a stand and from those monies we fund the event. We also have sponsors who volunteer to provide certain materials needed for the event.” On how the cake industry contributes to the country’s economy, she said “The flower

• T H I S D AY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

FEATURES

Cake enthusiasts at the event

Floral wedding cake

industry, the sugar industry contribute to the economy. There are a lot of budding entrepreneurs in the cake baking industry. They contribute in one way or the other to the economy. Some persons are employed by already established cake bakers and they are being sustained by it. So the industry is really contributing greatly to the nation’s economy and should be encouraged.” Pointing out the major challenges they have, she said, “The price of sugar, flower and margarine has gone up. I don’t think we manufacture margarine in Nigeria; it’s being imported. So we want government to create an enabling environment for the business to thrive. These ingredients are the things that are used for baking bread, cake and other things. So government should allow importers to be bringing these things into the country for the cake industry to thrive. While thinking about other sectors, they should think about the baking industry in terms of helping manufacturers and importers in the industry,” Okoye added. Commenting on the cake fair, the Sales Representative, Brian Munro Limited, Mr. Femi Odunaiya, said “the cake fair is really helping us because it provides an avenue

Some vendors at the event

Cake from one of the exhibitors

for us to come and display and sell our product. It’s a great opportunity for us to let people who don’t know our product to know and then patronise us. “I give kudos to the organisers of this event, especially Somchez, for putting this event in place. The ambience is fantastic. Everything is well arranged and things are going on here smoothly. So I really commend them a lot.” Speaking on the importance of the industry, Odunaiya noted “Cake business whether you’re into it as a baker or as a manufacturer of cake ingredients and accessories, it’s a lucrative venture. You can see young people entering the industry on a daily basis. People are making their money through the business. Families are being taken care of by the proceeds from the business. o it’s really a lucrative business. We’re begging the government to give more attention to the industry to enable it thrive because it’s also a source of revenue to the nation. Price of cake materials has gone high and it’s not helping us,” he added. One of the instructors at the event and CEO, Bakewell Studio, Chef Kolawole Olagunji, said “It’s unique; well organised. It’s not as rough as some cake events that I’ve

attended. The timing at which the classes are coming in is good. So I’m impressed by the packaging of the event. I commend Somchez and her team for putting up such a good event. “Actually, I was invited to this event to train cake bakers particularly the upcoming ones on how to pipe with nozzles, using of royal icing. It’s a process whereby you give people a sort of an eye opener on how to use nozzles aside just cutting and pasting that people usually do. Based on what we’ve done today a lot of them have been able to see that they can now have their cake more beautiful than before. They have seen that mere mixing the royal icing and using it to decorate their cake gives a unique and standard royalty look on the cake. It’s a way of improving on what they know and what they have been doing. It’s bringing innovation into cake making,” he explained. For Stacy Perekeme, a baker, “It’s been good. It’s a medium to connect with other bakers and have meaningful discussions. So far it’s been good. Actually I don’t have a stand here; I just came to see what’s going on, participate and generally enjoy myself and network. I was in the cake

class earlier and there I got a new recipe for Red Velvet cake. Also I’ve seen and learnt how to package cake shows and stuffs like that. It’s been wonderful so far. Coming here I didn’t spend much time signing in; things are going smoothly; the atmosphere is so splendid. They really tried giving us a good show. In fact, they deserve much commendation. I give them thumbs up,” Perekeme noted. Advising on where to improve upon, she said, “I think they should try and reach out to more upcoming talents in the cake industry so that they can come and showcase what they can do. There are a lot of them out there and I’m sure it will give them a marvelous experience. It’s going to be an eye opener for them.” Another instructor at the fair, Mr. Save Ohagwa of Bakery Craft also commenting on the essence of event said, “One of the benefits I think the cake fair has is the fact that we have a lot of upcoming people in the industry. The industry is attracting newcomers on a daily basis. The fact that they are new in the industry means they need this basic knowledge and they need mentoring and tutorship to be able to succeed. Also the fair is showcasing the rest of the world what we have here in Africa in terms of cake baking.” Ohagwa noted: “The innovation and the kind of people coming into the industry show the potentials it has. Cake always has something to do with almost every event here on earth. So that makes cake business very fantastic and lucrative.” Relating cake with culture he explained, “Cake has something to do with culture. First of all, the idea of cake was sold to us by the Western world and we bought the idea wholesale from them, and here in Africa, we have been able to fine tune and work on the recipes we’ve got from them. And today we have cakes that are made with African cultural perception which has been one of the reasons why we have cake crafters. You’ve seen in the hall a woman that is carrying a baby; you would see some other characters that depict African cultures and the rest of them. So that’s what you expect to see when you talk about culture and cake. So cake has a lot do with culture. “Cake has moved beyond consumption. I have a friend who always say that the eyes eat first before the mouth. So it has to do with what you’re seeing; you’re attracted to what you’re seeing, then your system and your appetite are also attracted when your eyes is attracted. So I think it has to do with cultures and visibilities and also your appetite as a person,” he added.

IMAGES

T H I S D AY â&#x20AC;˘ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

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

L-R; Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Asu Okang; Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi; wife of the Cross River State governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Ayade; Head, Government and Community Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Mohammed Suley-Yusuf; and the Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Itiube Akpagu, at the official signing and flag-off of the Etisalat Fight Malaria Initiative in Partnership with the Cross Rivers State Government and

L-R: Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; new President, Mr. Oluwaseyi Emmanuel Abe; All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, during the investiture ceremony of Abe as the 9th President of the Chartered Institute of Brokers in Lagos...recently YOMI AKINYELE

L-R: Deputy Director, International Division, Confederation of India Industry, Ms Indrayani Mulay; VicePresident, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr V. Verghese; President, LCCI, Dr. (Mrs.) Nike Akande; Head of Mission, India High Commission, Lagos, Mr Shri V.D. Choudhary; and International Regional Director, Africa, Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr E. B. Rajesh, during the Nigeria-India Business Meeting organised by the LCCI at Victoria Island, Lagos...recently

L-R: Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu; PR & Communications Lead, Uche Nwagboso; OLX Elizabeth Braimoh, winner and student of Topfield College, Apapa and Nimi Akinkugbe, Founder/ CEO Bestman Game LTD, during the presentation of prizes to the winners of Lagos Monopoly Under 17 Championship at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere in Lagos...recently

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L-R: Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, Wasiu Abiola Anifowose; author of Basic Principles and Methods of Urban and Regional Planning (4th Edition), Mrs Catherine Kehinde George; and her husband, Akin, at the unveiling of the book in Lagos...recently

L-R: Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede; flanked by his wife (left) and Ondo State PDP Chairman, Hon. Clement Faboyede, during a road work for Eyitayoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign rally in Akure...recently

L-R: Gemologist, Coo Sales, Stephan Murset; Regional Head, Lagos, Bank Of Industry, Obaro Osah; Regional Director, West Africa, Afrocet Montgomery, George Pearson; And Life Cycle Service (Lcs]) Manager, Krones Lcs Centre, West Africa, Peter Ogunbor, At The Opening Ceremony Of The Propak West Africa 2016 Exhibition And Conference, In Lagos...Recently

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

GOVT MUST UNLOCK POTENTIAL OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS, SAYS ISPON

Stakeholders Task NITDA’s DG on Content Development

workforce, as well as empower entrepreneurs, startups, and IT professionals. While congratulating Nigeria on her 56th independence anniversary, Emadoye said in 1960, Nigeria’s population was 45.21 million but that the number has grown to over 180 million, which is about a 400 per cent increase. He, however, said the best way to manage the current population of the country, is for government to allow software to play a critical role as harbinger of economic and technological development. “As Nigeria moves into the 21st century, its wealth creation dynamics and international competitiveness will be significantly influenced by her ability to develop, measure and exploit her intellectual capital (IP) in information technology, innovation and creativity in the area of software development,” Emadoye said. He added that ISPON would continue to engage government on the need to support made in Nigeria products particularly software, which is capable of providing millions of employment to young Nigerians. Software is strategically essential if not mandatory for Nigeria to resolve her current and future economic challenges. “Today, the world of Innovation has become the pathway to disruptive technology platforms for re-engineering the blueprint for smarter processes,” he said.

Emma Okonji

NCC MOVES TO RETRIEVE MTN’S N50BN FINE FROM RECOVERY ACCOUNT SIM cards on its network, amounting to N1.04 trillion. After much plea on the part of MTN, NCC reduced the fine by 25 per cent, bringing it to N780 billion. Unsatisfied with the reduction, MTN went to court to challenge NCC over the fine in January 2016, but withdrew the case in February 2016, and paid N50 billion, as part payment for the fine. The fine was again reduced to N330 billion and MTN was asked to pay the amount in three tranches.

Group Business Editor

Chika Amanze-Nwachuku AgriBusiness/Industry Editor

Crusoe Osagie

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

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

Nume Ekeghe (Money Market) Nosa Alekhuogie (Maritme)

Stakeholders in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry have called on the newly appointed Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Ibrahim Pantami, to focus more on local content development in the ICT sector, among others areas, in order to save local ICT businesses from total collapse. The Chief Executive Officer of Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, who heartily welcomed Pantami to the Nigerian ICT sector, advised him to focus more on local content development, if he must succeed as the DG of NITDA. He said the need for local content development became necessary, following the crash in the prices of crude oil at the international market, a situation that has forced Nigeria, that hitherto depended so much on oil proceeds, to begin to think of economic diversification in the area of ICT and agriculture. Ekuwem said growth in local content development would reverse the free fall of naira through export of locally developed products and services in the area of ICT. “Pantami must consider three key factors in local content development such as local content patronage, local content projection and local content protection,” Ekuwem said. He added that the NITDA boss must encourage software application development in key areas like agriculture, healthcare, job creation, and ensure that classrooms get smarter with smart technologies. “I have not met Pantami before, but I have read his biography and I understand he has good educational background in ICT, but he must build on the achievements of his predecessors,” Ekuwem said. He

also advised him to call for a stakeholders meeting involving key industry players, after he might have consulted with the internal staff of NITDA. Also speaking, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said there was need for Pantami to reposition NITDA from its administrative outlook, to a more practical oriented agency that has the mandated to develop and implement Information Technology (IT) policies for the country. “If NITDA could come out of its shell of technology administration to practical technology implementation,

Nigeria will stand a better position to address its own challenges, using IT solution,” Adebayo said. Chairman, Education and Manpower Planning Committee, Nigeria Computer Society, Mr. Rogba Adeoye, who commended the federal government for appointing a DG for NITDA who has the requisite background in IT, however said Pantami is not known to belong to any of the registered computer professional bodies in the country, and advised him to regularise his membership with IT professional bodies like the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN),

the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Information Technology Industry Association of Nigeria (ITAN), among other recognised IT bodies. The federal government, last week, announced the appointment of Pantami, as the new DG NITDA. Pantami, is an ICT specialist, teacher, Islamic cleric and development activist. He is currently an Associate Professor of Computer Information System at the Islamic University of Madinah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the first Nigerian citizen ever to teach in the university of more than 63 years of existence. Born and grew up in Gombe

State, where he obtained his basic education, completed his first Degree in Computer Science in 2002 at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, M.Sc Computer Science 2008, Master of Business Admin. (Technology) in 2010 via the same University and he obtained his PhD in the United Kingdom. Pantami lectured at ATBU Bauchi for more than a decade before joining Islamic University Madina as Assistant Professor in Computing Systems and Information Technology. He authored many books on ICT, STEM, Technology, Politics and Community Reconciliation and Religion.

LUCKY WINNER

L-R :Grand prize winner of Dettol Eventone Challenge, Mr. Bassey Itoro Effiong; General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr. Rahul Murgai; and Head of Administration, Consumer Protection Council, Mrs. Margaret Abegunde, during the car prize presentation to Effiong in Lagos…. recently ETOP UKUTT

New SON DG Vows to Prosecute Peddlers of Benue Seeks NERC’s Licence to Fake Products Build 10MW Power Plant James Emejo in Abuja The newly appointed Director General/Chief Executive, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Mr. Aboloma Anthony Osita on Tuesday hinted on measures to be deployed to salvage Nigerians from the menace of importation of substandard products, vowing to prosecute offenders going forward. The proposed prosecution of importers and marketers of sub-standard products marks a new chapter in the agency’s fight against peddlers of inferior goods across the country. He spoke in Abuja when he formally took over from his predecessor, Dr. Paul Anyga who had functioned in acting capacity since February. Himself, a lawyer by profession, Osita described the menace of influx of sub-standard products as a dangerous trend both to the economy and human health and vowed he will be left with no choice than the prosecution of culprits in a landmark initiative.

He said: “We all understand the present mood of the government on change. We have to start the change from ourselves as ambassadors of SON. Influx of substandard goods is a disaster especially now that the present administration is very serious about diversifying the economy from oil to non-oil sector. This places a burden on SON and we have to be proactive. We can’t grow with influx of substandard goods. It’s not going to be business as usual. My administration will step up emphasis on prosecution. If you don’t prosecute, influx of fake goods will continue.” Earlier, former acting DG had told his successor that the prevalence of fake products remained a bane in the economy. He said: “One of the issues, is the prevalent of substandard products in Nigeria. There have been complaints from ministers, from the President about substandard products . Part of what we were trying to do, is to get Chinese government

to sign MoU with SON as a way of fighting the scourge of influx of substandard products and they have shown serious commitment in this direction. We initiated products’ authentication and product sealing to detect substandard products. “This is aimed at assisting consumers in identifying subsstandard products . The programme is half done and I know you will see it through . The campaign against used tyres which has resulted in loss of lives and high profile accidents is on . We engaged in huge campaign to sanitize the nation on adverse effect of used tyres.” Angya also informed the new DG that agency staff in Lagos had no office as they had been ejected out from rented apartment. He said:”We have challenging situation that must be addressed quickly. We been expelled from headquarters in Lagos by Raw Materials Research Development Council( RMRDC). That is an issue that may have to be addressed urgently.”

Chineme Okafor in Abuja The government of Benue State has approached the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to grant it licence to build a 10 megawatts (MW) gas-fired embedded generation power plant. The Governor of the State, Dr. Samuel Ortom, during a courtesy visit to the acting Chairman of NERC, Dr. Anthony Akah on Tuesday in Abuja, said the power plant will be built in partnership with a private investor, Contec Global. He stated that the plant will cost an estimated at $18 million and would be dedicated to industrial layouts in the state to enable it grow its economy. The Project Coordinator, Mr. Shashi Mozumder, also said that the company was already working towards meeting some of the requirements for the award of certificate of occupancy for the project site. He explained that the land was large enough to accommodate future expansion, and that the power plant will comprise three units of General Electric 3.4MW turbines to be fuelled by gas transported with trucks from oil fields some 300 kilometres

away from the project site. Akah, in response to Ortom request for support, said NERC was ready to assist governors who intend to invest in the power sector to improve the volume of power available to Nigerians. He hinted NERC plans to have a meeting with the 36 state governors in the country on the investment opportunities in the sector, adding that Ortom and his other colleagues should take interest in the ongoing consultations on mini-grid regulation which they could explore to provide electricity to areas in their states that are not connected to the grid or under served. “There is regulatory guarantee on your investments. We will get some of our staff to work with your team and guide you through the technical and other requirement for the issuance of a licence,” said Akah. He noted that other areas of concern to the Commission was the high incidence of violation of right of ways and accompanying construction and trading activities under transmission lines (high tension wires) that have led to many accidents in the power sector.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

High Marks for Telecoms After 56 years of independence, Emma Okonji sampled the views of industry stakeholders who were proud to say that the telecommunications sector has impacted significantly on the Nigerian economy

Danbatta

Before independence, communication was a difficult task to accomplish, as person to person communications was only by telegraphic means, a system in which information is communicated over a wire with a series of electrical current pulses. After independence, and with the establishment of the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 1985, following the separation of postal services from telecommunication services, telecommunications was a little easier but not without some difficulties. People had to queue for hours and days just to make international and sometimes, local calls with the 090 NITEL line. However, the advent of GSM in 2001, eventually demystified telecommunications, as Nigerians could sit in the comfort of their homes and offices to make instant calls within and outside Nigeria, through their personal hand-held devices called the mobile phones. Banking activities are now transacted on the mobile phones, without the bank customer visiting the banks. From 2001, Nigeria witnessed quantum growth in telecommunications, as subscription moved from 400,000 lines to several millions of lines within a short period of time. Today telecoms subscription has reached over 150 million active lines, with a teledensity of 107 per cent. The sector has also contributed immensely to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing over N1.58 trillion as at June 2016. It is for these and other reasons that stakeholders said they are proud that the sector has impacted lives, businesses and the Nigerian economy, since independence in 1960, despite some teething challenges in service quality. Telecoms before Independence During the colonial era, shortly before Nigeria gained her independence from the British government in 1960, communications were by telegraphic means. In 1886, the first telegraphic submarine cable was laid by the British firm, called Cable and Wireless Limited. Through this means, the colonial masters were communicating from Nigeria to Britain and other developed countries. From 1886 to 1960, Nigeria had 18,724 fixed telephone lines, but between 1960 and 2000, the active subscriber base grew to 400,000 fixed lines, when the country’s estimated population then was 120 million. The period was characterised by several restrictions to the sector, and particularly by monopolistic approach to telecommunications businesses as was globally dictated then. Telecoms after independence Between 1960 and 1990, there was little economic impact from telecommunications

Ekuwem

Adebayo

activities in the country. From 1991 to 2000, Nigeria witnessed the advent of a few Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) operators, like Intercellular, MultiLinks, Reltel, Starcomms, Visafone, all of which have gone under, except for Intercellular that bounced back this year, with a new business model and Visafone, that was eventually acquired by MTN Nigeria. The most eventful period was between 2001 and 2015, when the telecoms sector was liberalised. In 2001, the first set of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) operators were licensed. They include Econet Wireless (now Airtel), MTN and NITEL. In 2003, Globacom was licensed and in 2008, Etisalat was licensed, while ntel was licensed in 2014, but rolled out services in 2016. Following the inability of NITEL to cope with competition from GSM operators, it folded up its operations and was eventually sold to NATCOM in 2014, which currently trades as ntel. Although the deregulation of the sector began in 1993, when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was established by Decree 75 of 1992, but the full deregulation was in 2006, after the five years exclusivity period given to telecoms operators by the NCC elapsed. The regulator had to open up the market by licensing more operators and introduced the limited mobility licence to CDMA operators, who were hitherto restricted to fixed land line operations only.

has enhanced economic growth to a greater extent,” Adebayo added. The Chief Executive Officer of Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, in his view, said the only bright spot in the Nigerian economy since independence in 1960, is the telecoms sector that has contributed so much to GDP growth, job creation, changing lifestyles and boosting businesses and bank transactions. He said with ICT, the education and health sectors have improved tremendously, as classrooms are becoming smarter and lecturers could deliver lecturers from the city to other cities and remote areas, using broadband technology. In the area of healthcare delivery, he said doctors can attend to several patients that live in remote parts of the country, without physically meeting the patients. The President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, also said Nigeria has reasons to celebrate its 56th independence anniversary because of the contribution of telecoms to the Nigerian economy. He said Nigerians can now communicate easily and do business easily from any part of the country, with the support of their mobile devices. He said telecoms and ICT is the major sector that has contributed immensely to economic growth of the country, allowing people to do businesses easily and safe, using their mobile phones.

The achievements Counting the gains of telecommunications from 2001 to 2016, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said the industry has significantly impacted on the Nigerian economy in the area of GDP growth, as well as the Nigerian people in the area of lifestyles, job creation and business growth. He said the progress made by the Nigerian economy since 1960, largely depended on information and communications technology (ICT). “Governments at all levels and the private sectors, all depend on ICT for their growth and development. This is true because Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has since become the fundamental and most reliable public infrastructure that we have in the country today,” Adebayo said. “After 56 years of independence, Nigeria has reasons to celebrate because of the contribution of ICT to the Nigerian economy. Since the deregulation of the telecoms industry in 2006, it has been very successful, even when other sectors failed. Although the country has not gotten it right in terms of policy formulation and implementation, but the telecoms sector

NCC’s position Speaking from the perspective of his one year in office as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, said the achievement of the NCC as the telecoms industry regulator in the last one year, is a testament to the fact that telecommunications has contributed immensely to the Nigerian economy since independence. Citing the current statistics on telecoms contribution to GDP, as released the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Danbatta said telecoms contribution has moved from $18 billion in private sector investments, including Direct Foreign Investment (FDI) in 2009, to $30 billion in 2014, to $32 billion in July 2015, and currently to N1.58 trillion as at June 2016, which represents an increase of 1.0 point, relative to the first quarter in 2016. Danbatta quoted the NBS as saying “This is the largest contribution to GDP made from the telecoms sector in the rebased period, which emphasises that growth in telecommunications has remained robust when compared to total GDP.” Danbatta said NCC generated over N47 billion from the sales and renewal of spectrum licences alone in the last one year.

While listing the achievements of NCC through collective efforts in the last one year, in relation to the commission’s 8-Point Agenda, Danbatta said broadband remained the fulcrum on which the commission’s agenda stands. He added that broadband penetration has improved from 10 per cent penetration in 2013 to 14 per cent penetration in 2016. According to him, Nigeria would certainly meet up with the 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, as projected by the country’s National Broadband Plan. He further quoted documents recently released by the International Telecoms Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which states that the Nigerian mobile broadband penetration has reached 20.95 per cent. He said one of the key ingredients for successful implementation of broadband penetration, is the availability of a robust regulatory framework, upon which an appropriate strategy could be based. The challenges In spite of the many achievements in the telecoms sector since independence, subscribers are still faced with poor service quality across networks. Since the rollout of GSM services in 2001, subscribers have been battling with service quality offerings across networks. It is either they are unable to effect calls, unable to recharge their phones or they are burdened with intermittent drop calls and non-delivery of text messages, as well as unsolicited text messages. To address the challenges, the NCC has come up with several measures, which include the introduction of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and fines, as well as ban on telecoms promos, yet the mobile network challenges continue to bite hard on telecoms subscribers across all networks. In order to address the challenge, Ekuwem called for increased access to ubiquitous broadband across the country, while Ogunbanjo called for increase in the number of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), otherwise known as base stations. Ogunbanjo said Britain with a population of less than Nigeria’s 170 million people, has over 65,000 base stations, while Nigeria is still struggling to maintain about 20, 000 base stations across the country. Adebayo, however, called for growth in local content development in the telecoms sector, which he said would boost telecoms growth among small indigenous players. At 56 years, Nigeria should be able to address its collective challenges, to enable telecoms subscribers enjoy the achievements of the sector since independence.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

Creating a Smarter Lifestyle with 4G LTE The planned test-run launch of its 4G LTE technology this week, would no doubt place MTN in a vantage position in meeting subscribers’ demands for high speed internet connectivity, writes Emma Okonji

4G LTE compliant mobile phones

From the inception of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) in Nigeria in 2001, subscribers have always yearned for high speed connectivity for voice communication. At the advent of GSM, the technologies driving voice calls were the second generation and third generation (2G and 3G). The paradigm shift from voice calls to data communication, which demands heavy data downloads, raised subscribers’ need and subsequent demand for high speed internet connectivity. Based on subscribers’ continued demand for high speed connectivity, telecoms operators had, over the years, evolved from the use of 2G technology to 3G, to 3.5G, to the latest fourth generation long term evolution (4G LTE) and Advanced LTE, in providing services for customers. The passion to continually satisfy customers’ demand for high speed connectivity must have prompted MTN into bidding for the 2.6GHz spectrum licence in February this year, where it emerged the only winner of six slots in the 2.6GHz spectrum, all in preparation for its 4G LTE rollout. Today, more Nigerians run data-intensive apps with data traffic increasing at an unprecedented rate, a situation that is already changing their digital lifestyles. Changing user expectations The changing consumer expectations from voice calls to data connectivity, coupled with the increasing demand for high speed data connectivity, mobile network operators have equally shifted from merely improved call quality to providing higher data speeds and supporting new applications for smart mobile phones. The change in user expectations has led to the evolution of 4G technology, which comes with great user experience, in terms of speed of connectivity and downloads. The robust internet that comes on the heels of 4G LTE will foster productivity across all sectors of the economy. Remote working and teleconferencing, which are creative ways to cut cost for companies, remain difficult because of low fidelity connection. This is why the test-run of 4G LTE from MTN is an uplifting development that would complement government’s national objective of achieving 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018.

Although broadband penetration in Nigeria has further deepened from 10 per cent in 2013 to 14 per cent in 2016, it is expected that the planned rollout of 4G LTE technology by MTN and other internet service providers, would further deepen broadband penetration, which is the channel for increase internet access globally. 4G LTE will boost SMEs According to Deloitte, enhanced internet access results in as much as 11 per cent productivity gain for small and medium enterprise (SME) businesses. For anyone who has tried to download a sales report over a dial-up connection, this truth is resonant. Time spent nursing slow downloads is time not spent driving more productive processes and delivering value.

“The robust internet that comes on the heels of 4G LTE will foster productivity across all sectors of the economy. Remote working and teleconferencing, which are creative ways to cut cost for companies, remain difficult because of low fidelity connection. This is why the test-run of 4G LTE from MTN is an uplifting development that would complement government’s national objective of achieving 30 per cent broadband penetration target by 2018”

Enhanced connectivity, of course, changes that, what about the bottom of the pyramid users? On the surface, this category of mobile phone users who use feature phones or low-end smartphones that don’t support LTE, won’t benefit from developments such as these, but that’s true only on the surface. Studies such as the 2014 Value of Connectivity study done by Deloitte showed that access to internet could lift 130 million people out of extreme poverty. Directly, access to the internet means people have access to empowering information, and indirectly, benefits stem from the enhanced speed and time savings for SMEs. According to Deloitte study, SMEs are responsible for 40 per cent of industrial employment in Nigeria. With improved access, that number can begin to edge closer to the 70 per that is obtainable in advanced markets. 4G LTE will enhance e-banking With the advent of MTN Y’ello Mobile banking platform with Diamond Bank, MTN said it has shown the endless possibilities in creating products that help achieve a smarter lifestyles. According to the telco, MTN 4G LTE will enable higher productivity in mobile banking experience on the 4G LTE network across all connected platforms. Transactions will not only be faster but more reliable. Several banking applications rely on speed of connectivity and the MTN 4G LTE technology is expected to offer such speed that will transform banking experience in today’s digital technology age. Planned MTN 4G LTE rollout According to MTN, the test-run begins this week, and when it is eventually launched, MTN would be one of the major telecommunications operators to offer the service in Nigeria. MTN’s 4G LTE roll-out has been in the works for at least three years and several efforts have been put into it. First, in 2013, MTN Nigeria partnered Alcatel-Lucent to transform its network from TDMA technology to an IP-network based on High Leverage Network architecture. Later in the same year, it began testing LTE networks across the country and it later won the bid for the 2.6GHz spectrum licence, which further positioned the telecoms operator to offer 4G LTE services to its over 161 million subscribers.

MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola said: “The company is determined to deepen broadband penetration in the country. Our recent license acquisition further demonstrates our faith in the future of Nigeria. We believe in supporting the positive transformation of Nigeria and we have demonstrated this belief through the level of our investment since 2001.” MTN Nigeria CEO, Ferdi Moolman, said with the 2.6 GHz band, the company would roll out immediately to provide the full range of LTE services to Nigerians, empowering Nigeria with the latest mobile broadband technology. About 4G LTE Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is a standard for high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones and data terminals. It is based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, increasing the capacity and speed using a different radio interface together with core network improvements. LTE is the upgrade path for carriers with both GSM/UMTS networks and CDMA2000 networks. The different LTE frequencies and bands used in different countries will mean that only multi-band phones will be able to use LTE in all countries where it is supported. LTE is commonly marketed as 4G LTE, but it does not satisfy the technical criteria of a 4G wireless service, as specified for LTE Advanced. One of the reasons the MTN 4G LTE offering is exciting, is how flexible it is said to be. According to MTN, there will be little to no extra barrier of entry to its 4G LTE services. MTN data bundles will run at the existing rates. While telecoms operators in developed markets ask 4G LTE subscribers to pay a premium, MTN said it would keep its old rates. Speaking further, Moolman said: “MTN continues to believe in Nigeria and we have expressed this belief in the level of our investment, which currently stands at approximately $15 billion and counting.” “Our subscribers, especially those in clustered areas such as the major cities, can expect distinct improvements in browsing speed, quality and experience, including fast access to high definition video streaming, as well as conferencing and calling, lag-free music streaming, and improved data uploads and downloads.” He explained that the first experience of its 4G LTE will be in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt cities.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

CONSUMER

Marketing Fortunes Nosedive as Recession Bites Harder Despite the growth recorded over the last 56 years, the fortunes of the marketing communications sector have nosedived due to the downturn in the private sector, writes Raheem Akingbolu If considered from the point of view of business billings and proliferation of agencies and media houses, then one can conveniently say the marketing communications industry has witnessed tremendous growth in recent times. In advertising industry for instance, while major players have hit the billions of naira billings mark, the collective billing for the industry has since jumped over the N50 billion target of eight years ago. But this year, things suddenly took a dramatic trend when first rated agencies started recording decline in their businesses as a result of the harsh economic climate that has bedeviled the private sector where the industry draws its revenue. Asides, practitioners have also been criticised for not upping their game in the area of creativity, a situation which has made them lost businesses to foreign and younger agencies. For instance, Insight Communications Limited and Prima Garnet, which used to be among the top five in the industry are now grappling with challenges of retaining their prime positions. Few months ago, Insight lost the Gulder account to JWT, a South African firm. The client was said to have complained that it was not getting the required creative expectation from the foremost Nigeria agency. In the same way, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, manufacturer of Peak Milk has dropped Insight Communications and called for a pitch which might lead to the emergence of a new agency. Few months ago, the same agency lost the Techno account to Stream Advertising Limited, a barely known agency, as a result of the need to get more value for its array of products in the telecommunications market. Few months ago, the Diageo business also left SO&U to DDB Lagos. In international rating, Nigerian agencies like, DDB Lagos, Noah’s Ark Communications Limited and X3M Ideas have made the country proud in recent time by winning awards from outside the country. At the just concluded Loeries International Advertising Festival held in Durban, South Africa, Noah’s Ark added yet another feather to its creative hat by clinching one Silver and two Bronze awards. The Loeries is the biggest creative gathering in Africa and Middle East that seeks to reward and inspire innovation and relevance across the different spheres of brand communication. Also, X3M Ideas recently proved its mettle in Marrakesh, Morocco, as a leading digital advertising creative agency at the African Cristal Festivals, where it won a bronze medal in the media category under the ‘Best Use of Social Media’ sub-category at the awards. Though Insights and some other agencies attended the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, only few agencies put in entry. However, the event was used by the Troyka Group to celebrate its recent partnership with the Publicis Groupe, one of the biggest advertising networks in the world. Strategically, this was cleverly achieved through a publication that was published by a Nigerian wholly marketing communication journal which was dedicated to celebrate the strength of Troyka and the influence of its chairman, Mr. Biodun Shobanjo. To reach relevant quarters, the publication was said to have been distributed freely at the event. Indices for growth The growth in the entire marketing industry in recent years could be attributed to the recapitalisation exercise by banks, a directive of the apex bank –the Central Bank of Nigeria and liberalisation of the telecommunications industry which broke NITEL’s monopoly thereby attracting private investments in the industry. The two key economic developments engendered tremendous marketing communication activities with agencies raking in millions of naira. In short, it has witnessed significant growth especially in terms of billings and number of agencies. But the sector has also witnessed many challenging moments from 1960 to date.

APCON Registrar, Garba Bello-Kankarofi

Poor regulation Cutting corners among practitioners, influx of quacks and indifferent attitude to regulatory are persistent problems in the marketing communications industry. But despite the odds, the industry has recorded tremendous growth over the years. It has also produced many professionals and contributed in no small measure to the nation’s economy. Besides, digital technologies have redefined the industry and boost its global profiles. Four years after the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria came out with a major reform, which redefined the entry requirements for foreigners into the market, some aspects of the initiative have been faulted. At the annual general meeting of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), held in Osogbo last year, discussions were centred on what the future holds for the industry. Among other issues, the 2013 APCON Reforms that reviewed the process of participation of foreign practitioners in the market took the centre stage. Under this, issues related to license to foreign agencies and sharing formula were considered, especially as it concerned the 25 per cent stake, initially penciled down for foreign investors who choose to trade in Nigeria, 75 per cent goes to local agencies. Chief Executive Officer of Noah’s Ark, Lanre Adisa, who delivered a paper at the event, was of the opinion that stakeholders should review the reform in line with current realities in the global advertising environment. At a time many stakeholders are thinking of the way out of the various challenges facing the industry in the area of regulation, the failure of federal government to appoint chairman for APCON appeared to be throwing spanners in the entire process. Despite his assurance that the issue would be resolved as soon as possible, the body language of the current Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Muhammed doesn’t show that he is keen about the appointment. In the PR industry, players are also yet to agree on the influence of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), a major regulator of PR practice, especially as concerns the power the body give to the Public Relations Consultant Association of Nigeria, (PRCAN). In the beginning Advertising began humbly in Nigeria before independence with the establishment of Lintas, (Then West African Publicity) in 1928. The

Immediate Past APCON Chairman, Mr. Udeme Ufot

profession was basically unknown then and that informed why there was no clear-cut regulatory frame work that could guide the conducts and practice of the business. Between then and now, the industry has developed to allow specialisation. Unlike in those days when it was combined in one basket, today there is Advertising, Public Relations, Out-of-home and experiential marketing. The complementary role digital is playing is also telling on the activities of all the branches. Over the years, the various sub-sectors have grown in leaps and bounds. Sectoral growth Advertising business, for instance, has witnessed tremendous growth especially since the enactment of Indigenisation Policy of 1972, which lifted a few ambitious local players to assume ownership positions in agencies. Aside the contribution of the promotion decree, the volume of agency billings, proliferation of advertising firms and media houses, also indicate growth in the industry. However, the industry is not without challenges. Aside that weak regulations still stand as barrier, poor entry requirements and proliferation of agencies, are also posing challenges to the growth and development of the marketing communications industry. Stakeholders are still concerned about how the gap between the second generation agencies and the new ones has continued to wide by the day. Record shows that major advertising businesses in the market are still under the control of the top agencies with the smaller ones feeding on the crumbs. The outdoor industry has also grown from the era of pasting posters on the wall and the period of erecting planks along the roads. The trend has now gone digital with local and international agencies making efforts to catch up with the global phenomenon. After years of misconception about public relations and its practitioners, the profession is beginning to earn credibility and attract local and international recognition. As a result of this, hardly there is any company in Nigeria that has no link with one or two PR agencies to manage its affairs. The industry has therefore grown from being a department in organisations to full blown businesses. The establishment of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the PRCAN can be said to have prepared a good ground for training and regulation in the industry.

However, a major setback in the PR industry is the minimal or even non-utilisation of public relations by the government and its agencies. This also affects political parties and candidates during elections that often resort to PR only when they are in crisis. There were very few structured political communication campaigns properly anchored by recognised agencies under the PRCAN fold. It is believed that trained PR practitioners can help government agencies and politicians communicate their programmes better to the public. Though activation is not new, especially among the operators in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), sector, it was not carved out as a separate arm of marketing in Nigeria until recently. Three years ago, the practitioners in the business came together to form an umbrella body called Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria, (EXMAN). Fast forward to 2016, most business owners appear to be looking in the direction of experiential activities to maximize their spending, a situation which has encouraged the opening of more Experiential agencies. It is believed in many quarters that beyond the primary function of creating awareness, experiential marketing creates an instant bond between consumers and brands. This explains why many brands now use it more to launch new products or re-introduce existing ones. Merger and Acquisition Corporate leaders working to expand their market share or looking to reduce costs often look to mergers and acquisitions. Though the growth strategy has remained a tall dream in Nigeria’s marketing industry, it is necessary for the industry regulatory body to give it a priority to strengthen the industry. The scenario in the marketing industry is almost beyond logical reasoning. Unlike other industries where the volume of business naturally dictates the size of operators, marketing communication agencies have continued to soar while marketing budget is shrinking. Since the economic downturn when most business owners deliberately reduced their advertising budget to prune down costs, pundits in the marketing communication industry have been suggesting the need for mergers and acquisitions. Proponents of merger and acquisition believe the strategy could be a way for businesses to bypass the time and resources entailed in achieving organic growth.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

CONSUMER

IDEAS House Launches i-Impact to Deepen Brand Essence Stories by Raheem Akingbolu Barely eight years after commencing operation, IDEAS House, one of the leading experiential marketing agencies in the country, has relaunched its corporate social responsibility(CSR) initiative, tagged i-impact. The initiative, conceptualised by the company is desirous to giving back to society in addition to entrenching the culture of touching lives as a critical DNA among its work force. Speaking during a press briefing organised to herald the project in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mr. Kehinde Lekan-Salami, said it was agreed upon after a thorough debate and deliberation among stakeholders in the agency on what can be done to position the agency as a brand that is responsible and concerned about the society in which it lives and operates To drive the initiative, the agency, according to Salami, has undertaken an unusual path by introducing Thank God Its Thursday .(TGIT). This is against the usual norm; ‘Thank God Its Friday’, which most people are familiar with. By TGIT, staff of the agency now work four days a week in the office whilst working from home on Fridays. Having said that, two Fridays a month are set aside for training, CSR outreach and in-market channel research studies engaging the trade as well as consumers of brands it manages

He said: “Our business has grown in a number of ways. The first thing is that it has grown in terms of ambition; it has also grown in terms of relevance and investment appetite towards attaining its vision. One of the things we have noticed is that there has been consistent pattern in doing the job and experiential has become popular as a key component of the marketing mix. Narrowing it down to IDEAS House, we have been recognized within the industry where we operate as one of the most reputable and credible agencies. To this end, we feel there is need for us to identify with the larger society more than ever and let them feel our impact,” Shedding light on what TGIT aims to achieve, an Account Director with the agency, Oyepeju Adeyinka-Adebayo, said with TGIT, Ideas House now works four days a week and shuts down on Fridays for staff to work from home. The idea helps reduce our day-to-day operational cost by 20 per cent and guess what, our salaries remain unchanged. How cool is that!!! On iImpact initiative, she mentioned that the agency has set aside two Fridays a month to cater for this. “ We have training, between the 9am and 12noon, after which we go for lunch and thereafter in-market research study tagged ‘’observation day’’, the agencies methodology process. On another Friday, maybe the third Friday, what we now have is

Firm Organises Workshop to Revolutionise Export Market An agricultural export firm, The Thy Global Investment Ltd. has indicated its resolve to demystify challenges being faced by potential exporters in Nigeria. This was disclosed recently when the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Ismail Abdulazeez, announced a proposed export workshop, slated for this month with the aim of exposing Nigerians to seamless way of exporting their agricultural products and finished goods. Among other things, the three day workshop, which will hold in Ikeja, from Saturday 22nd October to Monday 24th October, is designed to rejuvenate the Nigerian economy through by boosting entrepreneurial spirits of business owners who are keen about exportation. The theme of the workshop is; ‘Hands-on, in-depth training on ’Agricultural Commodities & Finished Goods Export’. Aside gearing up start up business owners on how they can become exporters of goods, the workshop is also designed to help participants understand how they can secure export contracts. Abdulazeez, whose company specialises in breading of animals like Snail, Grass cutters and Bee, said he decided to organise the event based on his exposure to Europe and other countries of the world and the benefits therein for

Nigerians who explore such markets. He said: “Long before Nigeria government woke up to the need for economic diversification, I have seen the opportunity in Agriculture and key into it through breading of animals for sales, processing and exportation and I have seen what Agriculture is capable of doing for our economy, which is currently in comatose. With this workshop, we want to expose Nigerians to how they can secure export contract and how they can turn their Agricultural products to wealth.” Explaining further, Abdulazeez spoke on the opportunities in Nigeria and the need for youths to key into it. He also spoke about packages in the workshop which include: practical training, 10 comprehensive manuals on cashew nut export, sesame seed export, dried hibiscus flower export, soya beans export, shea butter/nut export and charcoal export. Others are; local foods Items, animals & animal products export, video DVDs on export and many more. To participate, the Managing Director stated that each participant is expected to pay N130, 000, to some designated banks and come on the training day with their teller or bank draft issued in favour of any of the chosen banks.

our CSR outreach day. It is a platform where we meet, appear in Ideas House branded shirts and visit some selected places around the areas where we operate for street makeover, teaching outreach to underprivileged, sponsorship and donation exercises” she said Few weeks after the initiative was flagged off, the Account

Director stated that its been well received by staff and that they have visited some places of key interest, including the famous Modupe Cole Handicapped Home in Yaba, with a plan to visit Oluyole Cheshire Home in Sango area Ibadan. Oluyole Cheshire is the first handicapped home in Africa birthed approximately in 1960

“At Modupe Cole in Yaba, we spent a day with the kids and shared some gifts. We motivated the pupils, played with them and generally brought some smiles to their faces. In the coming months, it could be a school, where we would embark on a project and build it to the advantage of students. It could be library, it could be

provision of furniture or supply of laboratory equipment. Another month, it could be to assemble young graduates and motivate them in the area of marketing and the need for them to identify their strengths and potentials. It could also be to clean drainage in our area to enhance a healthy environment,” she said.

LIFE SAVING MISSION

L-R: Head, Government and Community Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Mohammed Suleh-Yusuf; wife of the Governor, Cross River State, Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Ayade, and Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi, during the signing an MOU with Etisalat Nigeria to flag-off Etisalat Fight Malaria Initiative, in partnership with the Cross Rivers State Government and Mediatrix Development Foundation in Calabar...recently

Chain Reactions Announces Offshore West Africa to Focus on Strategic Repositioning with 4G Occupational Health, Safety Model Chain Reactions Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s leading public relations and integrated consulting firms, has announced a major re-design of its business architecture in line with global industry trends to enable it strengthen the delivery of bestin-class professional services. In a statement issued in Lagos and signed by the Managing Director and Chief Strategist, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, the firm disclosed that the repositioning is a proactive response to changes within the business, technology and media landscape. Opayemi disclosed that the re-engineering process took about two years to complete and it involved engaging the services of a reputable firm of seasoned HR Consultants with International exposure, with whom the leadership of Chain Reactions described the vision to re-position the business with, in line with global trends. “The first thing we did was to shut down what used to be our client service arm and converted it to a Strategy and Business Group populated by Business Analysts, Strategists, Pop Culture Specialists, Trends Analysts, Research Analysts, Experiential Specialists and so on,” he said. He explained that under the new business model, it takes more than having the traditional skills for any executive who desires to work in Chain Reactions to do “client service.” His words: “You must be able to crunch data and draw meaningful insights that will guide a client. So for us in Chain Reactions going forward, the

minimum any client-interfacing Executive of any rank must be is an Analyst. Every clientinterfacing Executive must be a Data Analyst or Data Miner. We are putting this at the very heart of our business.” He added that another component of the new business model is the redesign of what used to be media department to content and creative department where message development, message management, content development, copying writing, creative design, video production, earned media and paid media are dealt with. The third arm of the business also restructured is the digital arm which is now restructured into what is called Data and Digital group peopled by Data Analysts, Infographic Specialists, Online Community Specialists, Online Reputation Managers and Content Marketing Specialists under the headship of Consultant on New and Emerging Media. “This is also where our Creative Technologists who will deal with App development and other mobile solutions will function. So, again you can see the importance we have placed on big data”, he assured. The PR practitioner also disclosed that the firm has reorganised its Finance and Administrative department into Finance and Strategic Planning group. According to him, that arm of the firm deals with resource allocation, resource management, operations, priority management, and team welfare management as its HR Unit is domiciled here.

Offshore West Africa (OWA) has stated that the issue of health, safety, security and environment (HSSE) will be a focal point for discussion considering the risks associated with oil exploration business, especially during low crude price regime. The initiative is part of the corporation’s engagements in the nation’s oil and gas industry. The Director of Operations, Africa, PennWell Corporation, Mr. Dele Olaoye, explained that the need to ensure safer workplace across the broad spectrum of the oil and gas industry informed the need to create a session dedicated to HSSE at the conference. “During OWA 2017, a section of the exhibition floor has been earmarked for paper presentations that will focus on topical and relevant occupational health and safety issues in the oil and gas industry. These presentations will be open to all delegates, exhibitors’ personnel and visitors to the exhibition to attend. The idea is to create an avenue to engage key players including governments, operator companies, investors and other participants,” he disclosed. “Occupational HSSE should continue to be top priority today despite the global low crude oil regime. According to DuPont studies, during low oil price regime, there is typically an attendant increase in incidence rates which would manifest about three years after the trend commences. This is because organizations in their bid to cut-costs impact

on Health & Safety measures. Any cost savings that affects Occupational Health & Safety could imply that such an organization is delaying the evil day. The eventual loss usually far outweighs the perceived immediate savings.” While reiterating that the conference is the most global in West Africa, he added participants at the conference are expected over 40 countries across all continents. According to him, about six countries have confirmed their intentions to have pavilions on the exhibition floor at the event which comes up in June 2017. The countries include the United States and Scotland, which was confirmed by the United States Department of Commerce and the Scottish Development International respectively. Other countries are Angola, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Kingdom. Speaking further, Olaoye stressed that “the issue of health and safety cannot be over emphasized. When people cut cost, in every organization, the first thing they intend to do is to get rid of marketing budget, the second thing they think of is get rid of training. Eventually, many go as far as to get rid of personnel who could include key staffs with years of experience and competence. Usually, there is no deliberate focus to ensure that these measures do not affect the overall measures in place to safe-guard people and their health, the environment as well as assets.

T H I S D AY •THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

ASUS Announces VivoBook Airtel Seeks Access to Forex, Wants Telcos to Lead Mobile X541, X441 Money Stories by Emma Okonji ASUS has announced the release of its VivoBook Series, mainstream 14- and 15-inch laptops, which are the X441 and X541 series, designed for immersive entertainment and daily productivity. VivoBook Series laptops are powered by up to 6thgeneration Intel Core processors, and feature up to discrete NVIDIA GeForce graphics and 16GB RAM. The laptops have ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced 3W transmission-line speakers with 24cc audio chambers for truly powerful audio delivery, an ergonomic keyboard with 2.3mm key travel, and a large touchpad with palm-rejection technology. These lightweight, portable laptops are available in Silver Gradient, Chocolate Brown, Red, White, and Aqua Blue. Announcing the devices, Nigeria Country Product Manager, ASUS, Simplice Zaongo, states that, “VivoBook Series laptops are mainstream models designed to give users a high-end multimedia experience. The ASUS SonicMaster-enhanced 3W transmission-line speakers with 24cc audio chambers deliver rich deep bass and immersive audio, while ASUS AudioWizard provides five preset audio modes for different kinds of content.” ASUS Tru2Life video technology optimizes the contrast and sharpness of every pixel in every video frame for incredibly realistic visuals with rich detail. ASUS Splendid features four modes

- Normal, Eye Care, Vivid, and Manual - to cater to users’ requirements, and optimizes visuals for richer and deeper colors. Normal mode is ideal for daily computing tasks. Eye Care mode reduces blue light by up to 33 per cent to protect users’ eyes. Vivid mode enhances image color, contrast and sharpness for livelier visuals, and Manual mode lets users adjust and save their preferred color temperature settings,” he added. ASUS VivoBook X Series laptops feature a seamless onepiece chiclet keyboard with 2.3mm of key travel — the same as higher-end or gaminggrade laptops — for no key float and a more responsive typing feel. Accurate and intuitive navigation is ensured by the large touchpad, which supports ASUS Precise Touch Pad (PTP) multi-touch gestures so users can pinch-zoom in and out, or scroll and swipe pages easily. The touchpad also has intelligent palm-rejection technology that automatically recognizes and rejects accidental palm presses. Designed for everyday productivity and entertainment, ASUS VivoBook Series laptops are powered by up to a 6th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, and feature up to discrete NVIDIA® GeForce® 920M graphics with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). ASUS-exclusive SuperBatt technology gives VivoBook Series laptops three times (3X) the battery life cycle of conventional laptop batteries.

Ericsson Offers Solutions to Bridge Digital Divide As part of its efforts to bridge the digital divide and bring mobile broadband coverage to the underserved people, Ericsson on Tuesday launched suite of solutions that would make mobile internet investments in low Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) market viable. Speaking at a media parley in Lagos, Ericsson’s Head of Network Product Solutions, subSahara Africa, Henrik Linnet, said the new suite of solutions, which includes software and hardware additions to Ericsson Radio System, provide the capabilities needed to reduce the total cost of ownership by up to 40 percent when rolling out Ericsson’s total site solution for mobile broadband, making investments in low-ARPU markets viable. He said the deployment of the solutions as new unique mobile broadband tools, would allow operators to identify which sites in a GSM/EDGE coverage area have the highest number of users who already have internet-ready devices. “Operators can then determine where it makes more sense to convert those sites first to HSPA or 4G/LTE, so that the greatest number of people will enjoy the benefits of mobile broadband,” Linnet said. “The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, co-

chaired by ITU and UNESCO, has championed the vital role that ICT Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays in laying the foundation to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and its new report to be launched later this week highlights that the digital divide is shifting from basic telephony to internet. The Broadband Commission estimates that it would cost $ 450 billion to bring the next 1.5 billion people online,” Linnet added. The new suite of solutions consists of Ericsson Site Manager software paired with Ericsson Site Controller, Radio 2219, Antenna Integrated Radio, AIR 2488, MINI-LINK 6363, MINI-LINK 6651 indoor unit and new additions to the Ericsson Enclosure family. It also includes new software enhancements to both the Zero Touch WCDMA and flow of users solutions. “Ericsson is the driving force behind the Networked Society - a world leader in communications technology and services. Our long-term relationships with every major telecom operator in the world allow people, business and society to fulfill their potential and create a more sustainable future.”

Sunday Okobi Airtel Nigeria has called on the federal government to assist telecoms operators to access foreign exchange, just as some manufacturing companies in the country have been given the privilege. The telco, during a special high-powered reception held recently in Lagos to honour the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, also urged authorities to empower telecoms operators to lead in driving mobile money services in Nigeria.

At the event, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel, Segun Ogunsanya, said: “Manufacturing firms have been given some privileges. We know that foreign exchange is affecting so many other sectors, but telcos do not want to be disadvantaged in getting access to foreign exchange.” “Telecoms firms also manufacture airtime, so we should also be given access to foreign exchange as well,” Ogunsanya said. Speaking on how to drive financial inclusion in Nigeria, Ogunsanya said countries like

Kenya and Ghana showed better penetration in the area of mobile money services due to the model where telcos lead the service. “So there is need to change the model of mobile money in Nigeria,” Ogunsanya said. The special reception which took place in Lagos, was organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON). NCC boss Danbatta, in his remark, explained the commission’s activities towards creating an enabling environment for players in the industry. He said the commission

had been working with state governments to resolve issues including indiscriminate shutting of base stations and right of way. Dambatta urged telecoms operators to comply with the ‘Do Not Disturb’ directive and improve their quality of service to reduce drop calls, as NCC has the capacity to monitor call success and drop calls. ATCON President, Olusola Teniola, also touched on areas such as proliferation of unlicenced and substandard phones, issues of right of way among other issues affecting quality of service in Nigeria.

BRIDGING GENDER INEQUALITY IN ICT

L-R: Marketing and PR Manager, Intel West Africa, Adim Isiakpona; Digital Empowerment Director Intel, Marne Dunn; Africa Program Manager Intel, Suraj Shah; and Corporate Affairs Manager Intel, Babatunde Akinola at the ‘Intel She Will Connect’ hands-on-session in Lagos...recently

Intel Reiterates Commitment Facebook Now Available to Connect Women to in 101 Languages, Says Zuckerberg Technology To further connect women and girls to the boundless opportunities on the internet, Intel has said it would continue to create awareness for the ‘Intel She Will Connect Mobile App’ initiative. The ‘Intel She Will Connect Mobile App’ is a platform for women and girls to learn how to use mobile devices, personal computers (PCs) and the internet safely. The key highlights of ‘Intel She Will Connect Mobile App’ include the step-by-step approach with interactive activities and simulations on how to use a computer and mobile phone; an introduction on how to use the internet to research health and wellness information, education, and starting a business; Inspirational stories from women on how technology is enhancing their lives; valuable tips on Internet safety and social media usage like Facebook. It is designed for women in sub-Saharan Africa who are new to digital devices and the internet. Speaking on the usefulness

of the app at a ‘She Will Connect Mobile App’ handson-session in Lagos recently, Intel Digital Empowerment Director for Community Education, Marne Dunn, stated that research has shown that there is a huge digital divide in technology and there are 25 per cent less women online in developing countries and the number rises to 43 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. “To help bridge the existing digital divide, the Intel She Will Connect Awareness App was created, and it is a fantastic tool that NGOs, individuals and even schools especially in rural areas can adopt to educate girls on digital literacy,” Marne said. According to Marne, “The ‘She Will Connect Awareness App’ is a perfect app for women to learn how to use mobile devices, PCs, and the Internet safely. This app aims to promote gender equality through awareness, basic education, and sharing inspirational stories of women who have benefited greatly by connecting to the Internet.

In keeping to his promise to create additional languages on Facebook, its founder, Mark Zuckerberg has announced the addition of three new languages-Corsican, Fulah and Maltese- on the social media platform. With these three languages, Facebook is now available in 101 languages and now more than one billion people use Facebook in different languages other than English. According to Zuckerberg, “Our mission is to give people the power to share and to make the world more open and connected and language is vital to connecting. We discovered this very early on in our history when Facebook was only available in English, but the people using Facebook were from all over the world.” “In 2007 we built a Translate Facebook app that enabled anyone to translate the Facebook interface into their own language. Over the years, a vibrant community has developed that is helping make Facebook available in languages from all over the world,” Zuckerberg said.

“What is particularly interesting about this community is that they have helped Facebook translate the service into nine languages that are on UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. These languages are the hardest languages to translate - there are fewer people speaking them and many of them oftentimes are not spoken in the home,” he said. According to him, much is carried through language - tradition, culture, different opinions - it is vital to have these languages in danger represented on Facebook because it opens up communication and connectedness to more people. “There are thousands of languages in the world and to connect everyone, we have to be available in languages people are comfortable with and understand. We have a long way to go in collaborating with the community of translators and are so grateful for all of their help,” Zuckerberg added.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Kwara: Prioritising Investment in Infrastructure for Devt

Hammed Shittu writes about the Kwara State Government’s gallant attempts to deliver the gains of democracy to the citizens through investment in infrastructure, which was showcased at a forum in Ilorin, the state capital recently

he growing nature of Kwara state, the State of Harmony that was created in 1967, has witnessed higher influx of people to the state especially the capital, Ilorin, in search of the proverbial greener pasture. Thus, the existing infrastructures on ground have become over-stretched and this has continued to give successful administrations in the state sleepless nights in addressing the challenges. Most of these physical infrastructures have become dilapidated with serious negative effect on the socio-economic development of the state especially roads. Apart from roads, other infrastructures that have become dilapidated are hospitals, schools, and water development among others. Initial Step Against the backdrop of the infrastructure challenges in the state, the immediate past administration led by former governor Bukola Saraki now Senate President despite the dwindling federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) initiated several infrastructures development of roads, health, school constructions, water among others to cater to the needs of the growing population in the state. The development had put the state on a sound footing of discouraging migration of the people to the state capital, Ilorin . Legacy Continues However, under the present administration of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, more concerted efforts have been put in place, starting from his first term in office to his current second term in office to address the infrastructures deficit in the state. Some of the projects left behind by Dr. Saraki were inherited by the succeeding current administration under the banner of Legacy Continues and all these projects were taken over and completed and unveiled for the usage of the people of the state. Among such infrastructures inherited and completed include Sulu Gambari-Post Office road, Offa Garage- Asa Dam road, Coca-cola - Asa dam axis road, some faculties’ projects at the state-owned Kwara State University, Erinle Water-works, and Ilorin Aviation International College, among others. Focus on Infrastructure In the first term of Governor Ahmed in office, his administration witnessed a pragmatic infrastructural development in roads construction, school buildings, construction and renovation of five State General Hospitals in Ilorin, Kaiama, Offa, Omu-Aran and Share. Apart from this, his administration ensured the development of water projects in the state, all to make life worth living for the teeming populace of the state. Some of the infrastructural developments addressed during the year under review are Pakata- Sooto road, Omu-aran to Landmark University road, shouldering of expansion on Sango-Oyun bridge, and reconstruction of Ohan bridge. There were also rehabilitation of 240 blocks of secondary school classrooms and rehabilitation of a school for special needs. In the area of rural electricity, the administration has installed 42 transformers across the towns and villages as parts of efforts to discourage rural-urban migration in the state. In the area of health, the administration has rehabilitated five General Hospitals located in Offa, Share, Omu-Aran, Kaiama and Ilorin, the opening of Oke-Ode School of Nursing, supply of drugs and equipment to clinics and hospitals and employment of more medical personnel towards the growth of healthcare delivery in the state under the scheme of having access to healthcare delivery within 500 metres in the state. Water supply also garnered huge focus under the review, as communities and towns that have had no water for the past few years had boreholes sunk in their communities.

Road project at Baruteen LGA, Kwara State There were rehabilitations of Pepele Waterworks, provision of 72 Motorised and Manual boreholes, while about N1billion has been earmarked for the ongoing water reticulation project, which is at eighty five per cent completion stage. Renewed Focus However, upon resumption in office for second term on May 29, 2015, Governor Ahmed’s commitment and zeal to add more values to the socio-economic growth of the state became a priority. In doing this, Governor Ahmed and his team went back to the drawing board to fashion out on how the administration can add more values to the entire populace of the state in the area of more provision of infrastructural development; moreso, the money from the federal allocations to the state from the federation account has been dwindling every month. Even when the administration put in place its owned Internally Generated Revenue platform called Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) it saw it as having immense financial assistance to the cause of addressing infrastructural challenges facing the state. Concerned by this

development, a new platform called Kwara Infrastructure Fund (IFK) was put in place by the administration with the intention to garner revenue that would be used to address the infrastructural deficit in the state. Upon re-assumption of office in May 2015, Governor Ahmed’s first executive acts were the signing into law of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service Bill and the Kwara State Public Private Partnership Bills. One outlined the strategic framework for the state’s development aspirations and the other provided the financial structure for bringing that vision to fruition. Governor Ahmed said then that the two laws are significant because they set the foundation for his developmental vision for Kwara State based on current financial realities. While the internal revenues have tripled since the establishment of KWIRS, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) law has institutionalised PPP as a development strategy. The PPP Law has also created the legal backing for the Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund (IF-K). Vital Fund However speaking at the official launch of

the state’s Infrastructural development Fund projects (IFK) in Ilorin recently, Governor Ahmed said, “The purpose of the IF-K, therefore, is to pool funds for infrastructure projects, optimally leverage private sector resources for infrastructure development and channel state internal revenue to directly impact economic diversification and growth strategies.” The event was well attended by partner Banks, contractors, engineers, consultants and other important stakeholders. According to him, “IF-K is also designed to ensure maximum quality assurance for asset and services procured by government and encourage broader and deeper interactions with the Kwara State Government from private and non-private partners”. He said, “The fund will be financed through a N5billion seed fund and a N500 million monthly contribution from the state’s Internally Generated Revenue through an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO). NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

RANDOM THOTS

Lopsided Bargain When Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari finally became President on a wave of popular appeal in his fourth attempt in contesting the presidential election in Nigeria in May 2015, many citizens expressed relief that at last they had a good bargain and there would be true dividends of democracy and positive development from a determined leader who refused to give up on his ambition since his first aspiration in 2003. The feeling in 2015 after the election was that a man who was hungry enough to contest for the same seat four times surely has a point to prove. Now 16 months later, many of

those optimistic citizens are not so sure of what to expect from the leadership anymore, and there are several tell-tale signs to buttress this prevailing sombre mood; from the unfulfilled promises made during the heat of electoral campaigns to massive losses of jobs across several sectors; from record lows in crude oil revenues to record highs in costs of living; from inflation, hunger and hardship being suffered by millions of citizens to a widening gap in wealth distribution in a country that consumes more than it produces. PMB’s emergence would have been an ideal bargain if the only

yardsticks to measure good governance in Nigeria were fighting corruption and suppressing insurgency. But the ever-expanding inequality gap between the rich and the poor even in times of recession, the increasingly-feeble excuses by the ruling administration on delay in delivery of dividends of democracy, and the seeming disconnect between the rulers and the ruled, have cast a pall over an otherwise popular request for change in governance. Some citizens even prefer to go back to pre-May 2015 days of ‘acceptable’ corruption. It is that bad… Abimbola Akosile

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

The sordid state of a road in Apapa, the nation’s maritime hub

ETOP UKUTT

W’Bank Report: Tackling Inequality’s Vital to Ending Extreme Poverty by 2030 Abimbola Akosile A new World Bank study on poverty and shared prosperity has revealed that extreme poverty worldwide continues to fall despite the lethargic state of the global economy. But the report, released in Washington, USA on October 2 has warned that given projected growth trends, reducing high inequality may be a necessary component to reaching the world’s goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. According to the inaugural edition of the report titled Poverty and Shared Prosperity - a new series that will report on the latest and most accurate estimates and trends in global poverty and shared prosperity annually - nearly 800 million people lived on less than $1.90 a day in 2013. That is around 100 million fewer extremely poor people than in 2012. Progress on extreme poverty was driven mainly by East Asia and

Pacific, especially China and Indonesia, and by India. Half of the world’s extreme poor now live in sub-Saharan Africa, and another third live in South Asia, according to the report. In 60 out of the 83 countries covered by the new report to track shared prosperity, average incomes went up for people living in the bottom 40 per cent of their countries between 2008 and 2013, despite the financial crisis. Importantly, these countries represent 67 per cent of the world’s population. “It’s remarkable that countries have continued to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity at a time when the global economy is underperforming - but still far too many people live with far too little,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “Unless we can resume faster global growth and reduce inequality, we risk missing our World Bank target of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The message is clear: to end poverty, we must make

growth work for the poorest, and one of the surest ways to do that is to reduce high inequality, especially in those countries where many poor people live.” Contrary to popular belief, inequality between all people in the world has declined consistently since 1990. And even within-country inequality has been falling in many places since 2008 - for every country that saw a substantial increase in inequality during this time period, two others saw a similar decrease. Inequality is still far too high, however, and important concerns remain around the concentration of wealth among those at the top of the income distribution, the report noted. Noting “no room for complacency” the reports finds that in 34 of 83 countries monitored, income gaps widened as incomes grew faster among the wealthiest 60 per cent of people than among the bottom 40. And in 23 countries, the bottom 40 saw their incomes

actually decline during these years: not just relative to wealthier members of society, but in absolute terms. By studying a group of countries including Brazil, Cambodia, Mali, Peru, and Tanzania, which have reduced inequality significantly over recent years, and examining a wide body of available evidence, Bank researchers identified the following six high-impact strategies: policies with a proven track record of building poor people’s earnings, improving their access to essential services, and improving their long-term development prospects, without damaging growth. These policies work best when paired with strong growth, good macroeconomic management, and well-functioning labor markets that create jobs and enable the poorest to take advantage of those opportunities. Early childhood development and nutrition: these measures help children during their first

1,000 days of life, as nutritional deficiencies and cognitive underdevelopment during this period can lead to learning delays and lower educational achievement later in life. Universal health coverage: Bringing coverage to those excluded from affordable and timely health care reduces inequality while at the same time increasing people’s capacity to learn, work, and progress. Universal access to quality education: school enrollments have grown across the globe, and the focus must shift from simply getting children into school towards ensuring that every child, everywhere benefits from a quality education. Education for all children must prioritise universal learning, knowledge, and skills development, as well as teacher quality. Cash transfers to poor families: These programmes provide poor families with basic incomes, enabling them to keep children in school and

allowing mothers to access basic health care. They can also help families buy things like seeds, fertilizer, or livestock, and cope with drought, floods, pandemics, economic crises, or other potentially devastating shocks. Rural infrastructure- especially roads and electrification: Building rural roads reduces transportation costs, connects rural farmers to markets to sell their goods, allows workers to move more freely, and promotes access to schools and health care clinics. Electricity also makes small home-based businesses more viable and productive, which is particularly of use in poor, rural communities. Progressive taxation: Fair, progressive taxes can fund government policies and programs needed to level the playing field and transfer resources to the poorest, and tax systems can be designed to decrease inequality while at the same time keeping efficiency costs low.

WorkPlace Plus Expands Virtual Office Solutions Initiative for SMEs The Executive Chairman of WorkPlace Plus Limited, Mr. Ayo Akinmade, has reiterated the firm’s resolve to promote business initiatives in the country by offering a wide range of business support to emerging entrepreneurs. Speaking at a recent press conference on plans by the organisation to expand its presence in the West Africa region, Akinmade observed that the current economic

situation in the country has posed serious challenge to entrepreneurs and as such running a formidable and profitable business in Nigeria is becoming difficult. WorkPlace Plus Limited, he said, is the operator of the Regus franchise in West Africa which provides serviced office spaces, and a host of other office solutions to global and local businesses. The company, he explained,

was formed about a decade ago and the objective at the time was to approach Regus, a world leader in virtual offices about a franchise for West Africa, in a release signed by Muyiwa George. “WorkPlace plus is ideal for someone who is at home with a great business idea and needs a professional place to operate from. We also cater to our clients in different ways. For example, we have what we

call virtual products, which is a telephone answering service where we would give you a phone line, answer the phone professionally, take your messages and relay your messages to you.” Speaking further, he said operators of businesses can also decide to combine that option with mail handling, and this would involve the firm to handle clients’ physical mail, which will be kept

for and redirected to clients when necessary or a client could elect to rent office space, combined with the two services and only use it when necessary. On advantages of the initiative, Akinmade, said business operators are exposed to professional environment as they will have access to other multinationals and great businesses that are already in the cluster.

On locations, Akinmade explained, “Our selection process involves us picking the best buildings at the time. Key word here is at the time. Over time, it may deteriorate. In picking the exact location, prime real estate is ideally on the main road or a side road which is easily accessible. Health and safety is critical for us, so the building must be able to comply with certain health and safety standards.”

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Yes, the issue of the abduction of the Chibok girls is one that should affect everybody, but at the same time we must be rational in our approach to the issue. Yes, today (Saturday) might be 901 days since the girls were abducted but it must also be understood that these girls were abducted 400 days before this government came to power, and by the time we came in, the trail had gone cold. The first 48 hours after any kidnapping constitute the most critical period” - MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED, SPEAKING ON A LIVE TELEVISION PROGRAMME COMMEMORATING NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE

$300m Fund: LASG, NGO Sign MoU for Women Empowerment Gboyega Akinsanmi

UN Agric Agency Stresses Role of Trade in Food Security Abimbola Akosile The United Nations agriculture agency has stated that declining prices could thwart international efforts to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty unless steps are taken to guarantee decent incomes and livelihoods for small-scale producers. Speaking at a high-level meeting on agricultural commodity prices in Rome, Italy, the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, said “Low food prices reduce the incomes of farmers, especially poor family farmers who produce staple food in the developing countries. This cut in the flow of cash into rural communities also reduces the incentives for new investments in production, infrastructure and services.” The Director-General noted that globally, food prices are believed to be back to their long-term downward trend in real terms, as supply growth outpaces demand. This follows the price surges experienced during 2008-2012, and a prolonged period of volatility in food markets. He underscored the need to consider the current decline in agricultural commodity prices in the context of the international community’s efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a video address to the meeting, World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo said under the right circumstances, trade provides people with opportunities to join global markets and helps to create incentives for producers to invest and innovate. The “historic decision” struck in Nairobi in December 2015 by WTO members to eliminate agricultural export subsidies will “help level the playing field in agriculture markets, to the benefit of farmers and exporters in developing and least-developed countries,” according to Azevêdo.

Foodstuffs in the market For his part, Graziano da Silva pointed to the potential of trade in contributing to global food security and better nutrition, specifically underlining its potential role as an “adaptation tool” to climate change - countries that are projected to experience decreasing yields and production due to climate change will have to resort to the global markets to feed their populations. But the Director-General also noted that increased openness to trade can also bring risks. If not well managed, it “can undermine local production and consequently the livelihoods of the rural poor,” he said. The elimination of agricultural export subsidies that affect prices in global markets could be one way to improve trade so that it benefits small farmers in developing countries and creates prosperity in rural areas, he added. With demand representing one of the most powerful drivers of food prices, an essential way to make these more remunerative for

producers, yet affordable for consumers, is to promote and strengthen targeted social protection programmes and other schemes such as food vouchers, the FAO Director-General said. To succeed, such measures need strong collaboration between the institutions responsible for agriculture, rural development, trade, the environment, nutrition, health and social security, he noted. To better develop future scenarios on the long-term behaviour of agricultural commodity prices, he highlighted that FAO seeks to boost its modelling systems to better understand possible price swings and changes in trends and assist countries to formulate appropriate policies. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, a joint publication of FAO and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), points out the high probability that over the next 10 years, some abrupt price surges may occur, mainly as a result of climate change.

The Lagos State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with African Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) expected to facilitate the process of ensuring that women entrepreneurs have access to $300 million fund to boost their businesses. The Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Akinyemi Ashade unveiled the plan at a news conference he addressed at the state secretariat, Alausa alongside the Founder of AWIEF, Mrs. Irene Ochem. Speaking at the conference, Ashade said the $300 million “is a women’s Economic Empowerment Fund set aside by African Development Bank (AfDB) for empowering African women.” Ashade said Lagos Women Economic Empowerment Initiative (LAGOSWEEIN) “is an initiative designed for the women of Lagos state for the purpose of ensuring entrepreneurial capacity building, business skills upgrade and preparedness as well as to facilitate access to finance and other services within the framework of affirmative Finance Action. “Today’s signing of partnership agreement is a milestone between Lagos State and AWIEF and all women in the state. This partnership is reaching a major step in line with Governor Ambode agenda for women in the state, towards their strategic economic empowerment.” He explained that the other partnership highlights include training, business coaching and technology transfer of the women through a detailed standard operating procedure. He assured stakeholders that the state government will honour its own part of the agreement, which is to pay as and when due invoices presented by AWIEF based on a mutually-agreed budget. He said exploring the collaborative opportunity in the state “to derive maximum benefits for women-owned businesses is indeed a great opportunity for the entire state as it guarantees business and social development, financial freedom for Lagos women among many others. Also at the forum, Ochem commended the state government “for partnering her organisation in empowering women. The biggest challenge women entrepreneur face is access to fund, which also informed why AFDB came up with opportunities for women to have access to finance. She acknowledged that her organisation “is very passionate about women empowerment and partnering Lagos with the largest business women is a worthy one.” Ochem pointed out that the fund is for every business women with no restriction of sectors, adding that the partnership is important as it would be about training and capacity building. On her part, Chief Executive Officer of Rhoda Michaels Fashion Academy, Mrs. Agbeyo Rhoda, expressed concerns about the large number of creative youths in Nigeria yet to put their talents into good use. She urged all the students “to be part of the initiative. If all can be part of this, it will in no doubt grow the economy of this country.”

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2016

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Rejected by Maternity Clinic, Saved by a Good Samaritan The story of a young woman who was rejected during labour in Akwa Ibom State has again brought to the fore the high maternal and infant deaths in the country. Rebecca Ejiforma chronicles her experience and how she and her newborn were saved by a good Samaritan

endra Effionk-Donald is one of the few lucky women who has experienced the pain of hospital negligence and still come out alive with her baby hale and hearty. Share luck and determination to stay alive were the only reasons she could live to tell her story. The 20 years old indigene of Itu in Akwa Ibom State had attended ante-natal at the health centre in Ikot Idaha without issues for months until about 8am on April 28th,the day she was billed to deliver. “Ante-natal was very easy for me; I had no issues at the health centre prior to when labour started. My problem began when I started having discharge. I called my mum and told her, because I was still living with my parents while my husband was working in Lagos,” Kendra said, while narrating her gory experience with THISDAY. On hearing it was about time for Kendra to deliver, her mother, Mrs. Fabian-Bassey, rushed her to the midwife close to their home, who specialises in delivering babies. “It was a Saturday and the health centre doesn’t open except week days, that was why my mother took me there,” she said. There, the midwife confirmed it was almost time, hence she instructed Kendra to do some exercise. “After which she prepared me for delivery. That was when she discovered my baby was coming out with legs, instead of head. My mum and everyone became concerned. And the midwife ordered that I be taken to the hospital, since the situation was beyond her expertise,” Kendra explained. Unfortunately, several actions and inactions of the nurses of the private hospital, Abasi Ekene Health Centre – left the entire family devastated. “Together with the midwife, my parents and my aunt followed me to the hospital. I was in pain because the baby was really torturing me. But the nurses were acting slowly. They said my parents must register me first, buy blood and hand gloves before they could attend to me.” Speaking with THISDAY at her residence in FESTAC, Kendra said that as traumatising and excruciating as it was under labour, the nurses said they would not touch her if her parents didn’t pay for the listed items. “So, my father paid N500 for card, N500 for the gloves and N1000 for blood.” Sadly, Kendra’s parents were amazed at the attitude of the nurses, who refused to look at the state of their young pregnant daughter. ‘Why are you taking so long to spell her name?’ her father questioned angrily. “They couldn’t spell my name. When my father insisted on spelling it, they declined. So, he screamed again if they wanted me to die. They still didn’t mind him. “At this time, they wrapped up the registration, then rushed me to the theatre. The nurse checked me and confirmed that my baby was coming with legs. That was when she told us the doctor was not on seat.” Kendra said the doctor-in-charge, who was the founder of Abasi Ekene Health Centre, also works for a public health facility in Ikot. “The nurse explained the doctor’s whereabouts and quickly called him on phone. He then instructed her to check if I could have normal delivery. She did but told him my baby was coming with legs. So, the doctor said he was sorry but he was attending a meeting in the public facility.” Because there were only nurses present in the hospital, Kendra said the doctor instructed the nurse to transfer her to the teaching hospital, where doctors were present. “She took me out of the theatre and told my family to take me to the teaching hospital. “My mum couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. While I was crying and perspiring heavily, she was crying too. But I told them

Kendra and her baby

I would not go to any other hospital but to my church because my pastor takes care of pregnant women too.” It was all getting too much for the 20 years old first-time mother, who got married to Mr. Effionk-Donald from same state last February. Hence, she told her father to take her to church as she couldn’t cope anymore with the pain. “My dad refused. Quickly, they pet me into his car and we drove off. Immediately we left the health centre, I felt something coming out strongly from me. I screamed and told my mum that my intestine was coming out. That made my dad stop driving and parked on the road. It was 6p.m. already. And I was weak and in great pain.” Narrating further, Kendra said her mum jumped down from the car and began to scream for help. “Passers-by and residents of the streets

There is urgent need to remind nurses, doctors and other health workers of their oath and consequences of breaking it ...If government look into this issue very well, it could save more lives of mothers and their newborn in the country

rushed to our aid; even the nurses from the hospital dashed out but stood afar to watch. That was when a good Samaritan, who happened to also be a nurse, was passing by. My mum called out for her and pleaded she save my life and that of the baby.” Kendra, who wondered why some nurses no longer follow the hippocratic oath they took, explained that when the good Samaritan tried to come to her aid, the nurses from Abasi Ekene Health Centre rushed to her warning that their doctor had already referred her (Kendra) to the teaching hospital. At this time, Kendra was sapped of strength. She explained that the “good nurse, Esther didn’t heed to her colleagues. Rather she got angry and rushed to help me,” she noted. Fortune smiled on Kendra and her family as nurse Esther made successful efforts at delivering the baby. “She asked for a bowl of water, clothes and others things. She then urged me to push. Within few seconds, my baby’s legs came out but stopped around the chest region.” Kendra said at this point, she lost strength and couldn’t push any further. “I lost strength, but I could still hear everyone around me talking. “Consequently, the nurse began to search for my baby’s hands. She had to pull the baby out because she was already crying inside me. My mum was panicking. That was when I became worried. The nurse asked my mum to give her a blade but she refused. She didn’t want anyone to tear my body.” Sadly, after some minutes, Kendra’s baby girl stopped crying from the inside. Hence, it became necessary to pull her out forcefully to save her life and that of the baby. “My baby girl was brought out still. She neither moved nor cried. I started crying really bad. My mum’s tears knew no bounds. The nurse screamed

and ordered everyone to pray. She said her covenant with God was that no baby will die in her hands in this profession. “Minutes have passed and the baby was not waking up. The nurse beat my baby on the back very hard. But nothing. She poured the baby a bowl of water and beat her, yet nothing. I was crying and begging God to help me. More passers-by came to us. The nurse asked for a pumper, which a woman swiftly brought one from God knows where. She inserted it into the baby’s nostril and pumped. When the baby was not responding, she gave her cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). And we all watched for some seconds.And there, the baby sneezed. Everyone screamed so loud. There was shouting and jumping. And my baby began to cry. The nurse said it was after over 20 minutes that my baby sneezed.” Now living in Lagos with her husband, Kendra expressed boundless gratitude to the people of Ikot and passers-by for their love and humanity towards her. “That nurse was just a good Samaritan. I still don’t know how to thank her. But when I visit my home in December, I shall show my appreciation to her. And God bless all the people who helped me: my mum, dad, aunt, the midwife and people of Ikot,” Kendra explained. Indeed, not every woman has been as fortunate as Kendra in such rare situation. At least about 145 women die daily in Nigeria due to childbearing. The total rate of maternal and newborn mortality is a contribution of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Upon graduation from medical and nursing school, hippocratic oats are sworn and they are expected to be followed to the letter for the purpose of saving lives. The oat nurses swore to reads: “I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.” Indeed, these powerful words mean a lot and can do great wonders for humanity if followed effectively. While several professionals and associations have accused attitudes of health workers as one of the reasons, others have claimed prayer houses and religious beliefs have contributed to the high maternal mortality the country presently has. Today, however, there is urgent need to remind nurses, doctors and other health of their oath and consequences of breaking it. And if the state government looked into the issue of its maternal mortality now, it could save the lives of more women both in Akwa Ibom and Nigeria in general. Just recently, the former Director General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Professor Innocent Ujah, told THISDAY that Akwa Ibom and Cross River states have very high maternal mortality rate in the country, fingering roles played by religious houses, attitude of health workers as major causal factors for the high mortality rate. He noted that childbearing was supposed to be a thing of joy and no woman should die when bringing forth a life. While the country, collectively, is trying to reduce this appalling figure of women being buried, there is need for proper monitoring of doctors and other health workers in achieving the target.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 T H I S D AY

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Pence Takes Tougher Line than Trump on Russia The United States Republican vice presidential nominee, Mike Pence, called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “small and bullying leader” on Tuesday and condemned his actions in Syria, taking a harder line than Donald Trump at a contentious debate with Democratic rival Tim Kaine. Pence’s denunciation of Putin for his interference in the Syrian civil war and support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was a departure from the frequent praise of Putin by Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, who has called him a better leader than U.S. President Barack Obama and said he could work with him. “The small and bullying leader of Russia is now dictating terms to the United States,” Pence said. “The greatest nation on earth just withdraws from talks about a ceasefire, while Vladimir Putin puts a missile defense system

in Syria.” The encounter between Pence and Kaine, who is the No. 2 to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, was the only such debate between the vice presidential contenders before the Nov. 8 election, and the two spent most of their time attacking each other’s running mates. For more than 90 minutes at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, neither Pence nor Kaine appeared to deliver a knockout punch. Pence sought to project an image as a reassuring presence, in contrast with the bombastic Trump, while Kaine tried to frighten voters away from Tr u m p a n d m a k e Clinton seem more t r u s t w o r t h y. A CNN/ORC snap poll declared Pence the w i n n e r w i t h 4 8 p e rc e n t s u p p o r t , c o m p a r e d with 42 percent for Kaine, who frequently interrupted his opponent.

Trump watched the debate from Las Vegas and in an unusual move, live-tweeted during the debate and said he was pleased by his running mate’s performance. “Mike Pence won big. We should all be proud of Mike!” Trump said. The encounter set the table for a second presidential debate looming on Sunday in St. Louis between Clinton and Trump, who needs to rebound from a rocky performance from his first debate, one that gave Clinton a boost in national opinion polls with Election Day only five weeks away. Pence’s comments raised eyebrows among establishment Republicans as to whether the governor of Indiana was breaking ranks with Trump on Russia. Trump himself earlier in the day condemned Russian bombing in Syria after the United States withdrew from ceasefire talks with Russia.

Iraq Warns Turkey over Military Presence Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned Turkey that it risks triggering a regional war by keeping troops in Iraq, as each summoned the other’s ambassador in a growing row. Relations between the two regional powers are already broadly strained by the Syrian civil war and the rise of the Islamic State militant group. Turkey’s parliament voted last week to extend its military presence in Iraq for a further year to take on what it called “terrorist organizations” - a likely reference to Kurdish rebels as well as Islamic State. Iraq’s parliament responded on Tuesday night by condemning the vote and calling for Turkey to pull its estimated 2,000 troops out of areas across northern Iraq. “We have asked the Turkish side more than once not to intervene in Iraqi matters and I fear the Turkish adventure could turn into a regional war,” Abadi warned in comments broadcast on state TV on Wednesday. “The Turkish leadership’s behavior is not acceptable and we don’t want to get into a military confrontation with Turkey.” Turkey says its military is in Iraq at the invitation of Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish regional government,

with which Ankara maintains solid ties. Most of the troops are at a base in Bashiqa, north of Mosul, where they are helping to train Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga and Sunni fighters. Turkey’s deputy prime minister, Numan Kurtulmus, said the deployment had become necessary after Islamic State’s seizure of Iraq’s second city, captured in 2014.”Neither Turkey’s presence in Bashiqa nor its operation right now in Syrian territory are aimed at occupying or interfering with the domestic affairs of these countries.” Iraq’s central government in Baghdad says it never invited such a force and considers the Turkish troops occupiers. Tensions between Iraq and Turkey have risen with expectations of an offensive by Iraq and U.S.-backed forces to retake Mosul. Turkey has said the campaign will send a wave of refugees over its border and, potentially, on to Europe. Ankara worries that Baghdad’s Shi’ite Muslim-led forces will destabilize Mosul’s largely Sunni population and worsen ethnic strife across the region, where there are also populations of Turkmens, ethnic kin of the Turks. Turkey is also uncomfortable

with the arrangement of Kurdish forces expected to take part in the offensive. In northern Syria, where Turkey is backing rebels fighting Islamic State, Ankara has warned that Kurdish militias are “filling the vacuum” left by Islamic State. Fearing that this will boost the Kurdish rebellion across the border in southeast Turkey, it has threatened to “cleanse” them. Turkey announced late on Tuesday that it was summoning Iraq’s ambassador to complain about the parliamentary vote. “We believe this decision does not reflect the views of the majority of Iraqi people, whom Turkey has stood by for years and attempted to support with all its resources,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said. “We find it noteworthy that the Iraqi parliament, which has not said anything about the accepted mandate for years, puts this on the agenda as though it were a new development in times when terror is taking so many lives in Turkey and Iraq.” On Wednesday, Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad to protest what it said were “provocative” comments from Ankara about the troop deployment.

Belgium Counter Terror Investigators Probe Police Stabbing Belgian counter terror prosecutors stepped in to investigate the stabbing of two police officers in Brussels on Wednesday, an indication the case was being treated as a possible militant attack. Brussels prosecutors said in a brief statement that the file had been taken on by their federal counterparts, who normally intervene in cases of organized crime or terrorism.

According to public broadcaster VRT, one officer was stabbed in the neck and another in the stomach. The attacker then broke the nose of a third policeman who had arrived at the scene. The attacker was shot in the leg and taken away by ambulance, VRT said, adding that the police officers’ wounds were not lifethreatening. Federal prosecutors were not immediately available to comment

on why they were handling the case. Brussels is on high alert after bombings in March killed 32 people at the city’s airport and inside a subway carriage. Early on Wednesday afternoon, the city’s Gare du Nord railway station was closed for an hour because of a bomb alert. Rail operations resumed after bomb disposal teams had checked the area.

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Adeosun Decries ‘Frustration’ of Nigeria’s Coal-to-Power Projects Chika Amanze-Nwachuku and Obinna Chima in Washington D.C The Minister of Finance, Mr. Kemi Adeosun yesterday expressed disappointment over what she described as move by some multilateral institutions and western countries to “block” coal-to-power projects in Nigeria.

The minister made the remark during a panel session titled: “Towards Better Infrastructure in Developing Countries”, on the sidelines of the ongoing World Bank/IMF meetings in Washington D.C. Although the minister was not specific on the coal-to-power project, report had shown that the African Development Bank (AfDB) last year

Aviation Workers Protest over Planned Airport Concession, Disrupt Traffic Chinedu Eze Aviation workers yesterday reinforced their opposition to the planned concession of airports by the federal government as they matched in protest to the domestic terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, insisting that government must rescind the plan. The workers insisted that government in their concession plan would not protect their interests and also expressed suspicition that the concession may end up as underhand deal, considering the urgency with which government is embarking on the programme. The workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Association Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) gathered at the front of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to kick of the protest. However, the protest did not disrupt flight operations as everything was carried out on the landside and along the airport road that links the domestic and international terminals, thereby disrupting vehicular traffic. The Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said that government would concession the four major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano in

the first phase of the programme and later concession the rest, as FAAN is managing 22 airports owned by government. Although the details of the concession plan has not been provided by government but the workers have insisted that the programme is at their detriment, recalling that such efforts in the past tilted against the interest of the workers and what government is doing now is not different from the past efforts. The General Secretary of NUATE, Mr. Olayinka Abioye had earlier accused government of not putting the interest of the workers into consideration and threatened that the workers would resist the plan to concession the airports, recalling that when the defunct Nigeria Airways was liquidated, workers were left to die without their pay off or their pensions which rose to over N72 billion. Abioye said, “What we need to recognise first of all is the fact that government particularly in the last 10 years, has been shifting its core responsibilities and this may be due to globalization and neo-liberalism and it wanted to engage in what is called Public, Private Partnership. There is nothing wrong with that if it is done with honesty and it is also purpose driven. Unfortunately we do not believe, particularly with what we are seeing that Nigeria is ripe for concession and privatisation of public utilities,” he said.

Sheriff Absent at PDP National Caucus Meeting Onyebuchi Exigbo in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday held a meeting of its national caucus without the aggrieved factional Chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, in attendance. The meeting served as an opportunity for members to be briefed on the progress of peace and reconcilation and was presided over by the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, along with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Senator Walid Jibril. In its resolution, the party joined its Edo State chapter in rejecting the outcome of the governorship election won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. At an enlarged National Caucus meeting of the party held yesterday evening at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center, Abuja, under the Chairmanship of the

acting National Chairman, Senator Makarfi, the party frowned at what it described as “the brazen display of avarice and desperation against the Edo electorate and democracy.” A statement issued after the meeting by the party’s Head of Publicity, Chinwe I. Nnorom, said the gathering was basically briefed the National Caucus on the status of the ongoing reconciliation process. “The National Caucus calls on all our party members nationwide and in Edo State in particular to remain calm and resilient in the face of this daylight robbery of their mandate to our Candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Webelievethatjusticewillbeserved.” The Meeting was well attended with the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jubrin; Principal Officers of the National Assembly, Governors of Ondo, Taraba, Bayelsa and Gombe all present.

pledged to commit $200 million as partial risk guarantee for the country’s power industry, which was yet to take off. According to Adeosun, there is need for policy consistency around bankable projects that can attract investments. The case for such projects is Africa was huge. “We also do need consistency of policies by the multilateral institutions and western countries. Let me give you an example. In Nigeria, we have coal and there is power coal. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what it will take to get coal fired power. Yet, we are being blocked. I think there is some hypocrisy in that. “We have an entire western industrialiation that was built on coal-fired energy and that is the competitive advantage that has been used to develop Britain, where I grew up. Now, Africa wants to do it, and they are saying it’s not green.It means that we can’t do and that we should go and do solar, wind, which are the most expensive power projects.

“Yes, we are going to have the narrative around infrastructure must invest in infrastructure, but we must also make sure the playing field is level. The west cannot say after polluting the atmosphere for 100 years, and when Africa wants to explore its resources, they say no. If we want to stop coal, those who started it over 200 years ago, should first stop using coal before telling us to stop. This is because by doing so, you are only pushing us to the cycle of underdevelopment,” she explained. Speaking on efforts to revive the Nigerian economy, the finance minister pointed out that one of the things the federal government did was conditional budget support in the last four months, saying most states as well as the federal government now pay salaries regularly. In addition, she said the government had redirected the expenditure of government funds away from recurrent, which she

stressed, had helped to curb wastages. “In the last two months, we’ve released over N770 billion of capital to stimulate the economy, all essentially on infrastructure,” she added. Commenting on move by the government to raise debts, she said: “The feedback we are getting from lenders has been positive, because this is what they’ve wanted Nigeria to do for many years. The problem with Nigeria in the past is that, even when oil prices were very high, as high as $100 per barrel, we weren’t investing in our infrastructure. “It really isn’t about the quantum you can borrow, how much you can borrow, it’s about how well you spend it. One of the things we’ve done is really sit down and work out the problems in our financial management, block the leakages.” Also speaking on efforts to recover looted funds, the minister said: “Looted funds are not sitting in Nigeria, they

are sitting in Britain, Switzerland, in America. We are getting much more cooperation since President Buhari came in. They are significant sums. I think in Switzerland, we have $321 milllion, which has been there for 17 years with no interest, yet, we are borrowing in billions, and that is just from one person that looted the treasury. “We want Nigeria to move from being a consuming to being Of course power is critical to achieving this. What we are trying to do, although the administration has not been long in office, is redirecting public expenditure to address infrastructure deficit. The gap is actually huge and the calculations we have done showed that even if we devote our whole budget to infrastructure in the next five years, we still cannot block the gap. Now we are redirecting funds from recurrent expenditure to capital and have increased budget allocation from 10 per cent to 30 per cent.”

REWARD FOR TEACHERS ON EARTH

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule (2nd left ), assisted by some Permanent Secretaries in the state public service to present a cake and greeting card to the Chairman , Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Mr. Adesegun Raheem, during this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration at the NUT Pavilion, Central Biusiness District, Ikeja, Lagos ...yesterday

Nwabueze: Islamisation Agenda is Real, Says Herdsmen Menace, Part of Plot Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu Igbo Leaders of Thought, led by renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, yesterday in Enugu accused the federal government of pursuing an islamisation agenda for the country, insisting that the current killings of innocent Nigerians across the country by the rampaging herdsmen was part of fhe plot. Briefing journalists during their meeting before excusing himself as a result of a health challenge, the leader of the group, Nwabueze, said apart from the activities of the herdsmen, the lopsided appointments of geads of security agencies which “clearly favoured muslims” was also part of the Islamisation plot in the country. The meeting which was the first by the group in the past one year was attended by notable Igbo leaders including former governor of old Anambra State,

Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Senator Anyim Ude, former Secetary General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya, Chief Enechi Onyia and constitutional lawyer, Prof Race Achara. Others are Prof Elochukwu Amucheazi, Prof Chinweite Ejike, former ESUT Vice Chancellor and Deputy chairman of the South-East Leaders of Thought, Prof Ike Oluka, Leader of Igbo Women Assembly, Mrs. Maria Okwor and retired Arch-bishop of Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Maxwell Anikwenwa. The elder statesman urged Nigerians to see the insinuations in some quarters as to plans by the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as real and not just something that was conjured up. “This is a very crucial meeting for us because we have not met for more than a year. And if you look at our agenda, such critical issues for discussion, issues like islamization

agenda and its impact on the unity of the country. Islamisation agenda is real, it’s not something that somebody has just conjured up, it’s there. And it’s been implemented gradually. Look at the security agencies; every aspect of security, you have islamists in control in its entirety; in charge. They are methodical in the way they are going about its implementation. Look at Fulani herdsmen menace, it is part of it,” he said. On the agitation for Biafra, Nwabueze said the agitators should be tactful by demanding for self-determination and not for Biafra Republic. “The agitation for Biafra, you will appreciate what is going on, to provoke the Igbos, to provoke them so that they will say ah we are pulling out. And then they will launch the final solution to the Igbo problem. Our people must not play into their hands. All these agitations, I support the agitation, but define your objective. What do

you want? Self determination, okay; that is a vague thing, use it as a cover, don’t come out openly and say you are agitating because you want the sovereign state of Biafra. Sovereign state of Biafra within sovereign Nigeria? You have to be extremely careful,” he said. On the menace of herdsmen, he asked governors of the south east zone to immediately convene a meeting where a common position would be taken. “On the Fulani herdsmen, our governors should meet and say we don’t want this anymore, let them go somewhere, let them open somewhere else and give it whatever name they want. But not here, yes these are the things we want,”he noted. He however parried a question on the group’s position on the recently constituted Electoral Reform Committee headed by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, noting that the committee was of no essence to them.

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

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World Teachers’ Day: NUT Threatens National Strike over Unpaid Salaries NLC carpets govt over recession Saraki wants teachers’ welfare nationwide

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja, Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Paul Obi in Abuja As the World Teachers’ Day was marked yesterday, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened the federal and state governments, that it “will embark on a nationwide strike if salaries of teachers across the country are not paid urgently.” In a similar celebration in Asaba, the Delta State chapter has identified

gross understaffing of primary and secondary schools as one of the major problems bedeviling the education sector in the state, thereby calling for immediate recruitment of 10,000 competent teachers. Apparently disturbed by the worsening conditions of teachers nationwide, the Senate President, Sen. Abubakar Bukola Saraki appealed to governments at all levels “to prioritise the payment of salaries and general welfare of teachers with a view to securing the future of Nigeria.”

Buhari Congratulates Banire at 50 Tobi Soniyi in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday joined members and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in congratulating the Legal Adviser of the party, Dr. Muiz Banire, on his 5oth birthday, October 6, 2016. Buhari, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, felicitated with family, friends and professional colleagues of the legal luminary and author, who has over the years selflessly inspired younger people in the law profession, and contributed

immensely to intellectual and scholarly discussions and journals. As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the National Legal Adviser of the APC, the president commended the loyalty and commitment of Banire in ensuring that the teething challenges faced by the ruling party got the right counseling, proper legal interpretations and directions. Buhari said he believed Banire’s penchant for learning through questioning, commitment to research and development, and willingness to serve the country in various responsibilities was most worthy of emulation.

In Abuja where labour activists converged to mark the 2016 World Teachers’ Day, however, both the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah were conspicuously absent. The absence of the two ministers sparked disapproval among the labour leaders at the celebration with the President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba lampooning the federal government over the mishandling of the current economic recession. In a rather graphic manner, the NUT President, Com. Michael Olukoya critically dissected intractable crises, which according to him, had distorted and dislocated the country’s education sector, especially under the government of All Progressives Congress (APC). Since the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari took over last year, Olukoya explained how three tiers of governments “have failed woefully to address the plights of teachers,” which he said, called for real concern. Speaking on a theme of the 2016 celebration, “Valuing Teachers;

Improving their Status,” Olukoya said the situation especially under this economic recession “is nothing to write home about.” At this instance, Olukoya, rhetorically asked: “How do we explain states where teachers are paid only in percentage? How do you describe a situation whereby teachers work for 35 years only to be owed gratuity, emoluments and entitlements at the end of the day? “How do you describe the situation whereby teachers retire into penury and poverty…? It is not Uhuru. Freedom is still very far from the realm of teaching. It has not improved. You find government these days always blaming this and that, enough of rhetoric. Sit down and plan.” He, therefore, acknowledged that it was time “to take the bull by the horn. I want to assure you what is customary is two weeks after our teachers’ day. We hold our meetings and we call for situation report state by state pertaining to the demands of the Nigerian teachers. “If in two weeks, we meet and nothing positive has happened, do not wait for any other directive, we will call Nigerian teachers out on strikes,” the NUT president

explained. Also in Abuja, Wabba said the case of Nigeria “is peculiar. We must not lose sight that peculiar situation needs the attention of all of us. We must not lose sight of what goes at the helm of affairs and the unions which are there to advance the interest of our members and the society at large. “We must work towards resolving those issues, because one thing that has come to our attention is the fact that the problems have continued to mount on without solution. In fact, it is a very common saying now. Some few years, settlement of salaries was not even an issue. “That era will be said to be much better than the situation that we are passing through now. Countries will pass through recession but I think the idea is to have prepared beforehand. We know that economies will always burst, but preparation is what is always lacking.” Consequently, according to him, it will be our responsibility to continue to task our political elite on how best to continue to plan. We must have medium, long and immediate term to address some

of these challenges and continue to drive our development plan. At a remarkably low-keyed celebration in Asaba, the chapter expressed concern that new hands were yet to be recruited to replace teachers who retired from the classroom across the state in the last four years. The Chairman of the chapter, Com. Jonathan Jemirieyigebe lamented that the shortage had created a situation whereby one teacher is compelled to man a classroom with over 70 pupils or students all alone. Jemirieyigebe, therefore, called for the immediate recruitment of 10,000 teachers to ameliorate. He added that practically all the public schools “are seriously dilapidated,” thus calling the state government to take over secondary schools handed over to religious mission bodies without further delay. In a statement by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate president restated the need for the inclusion of teachers’ salaries as one of the items in the capital vote of the annual budget to enable them receive their salaries and allowances

Stop Blaming Jonathan for Economic Recession, Fayose Tells Buhari Victor Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, yesterday told President Muhammadu Buhari to stop blaming past leaders, particularly ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the current economic recession in the country. In explicit terms, Fayose told the president that what Nigerians voted for in 2015 was a change for better and that the President should live by that acronym, failing ‘which Nigerians will change the change’. Appreciating the teachers for making Ekiti rank first in the 2016 National Examinations Council(NECO) in the country, Fayose donated the sum of N50 million to teachers in the state and two brand new Kia Rio cars to the best teachers in both public primary and secondary schools. Addressing the teachers at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti in commemoration of the 2016 World Teachers’ Day, Fayose said : “ What we voted for in 2015 was plenty and boutiful blessing and not economic recession. Today , Nigerian teachers can no longer afford three-square meals a day. “Nigerians are not begging for too much, what they want is to change their fortunes for better. President Buhari must stop complaining. He must address this recession that is killing Nigerians.” Fayose, who promised to increase the incentive to a sum of N100 million in 2017, if the teachers can sustain the feat, said his government would not leave huge debt of outstanding salary arrears as a debt burden for the succeeding government.

He added that his government will continue to treat teachers with dignity and celebrate their competence to help the future of the state, saying his government would soon embark on massive renovation of all schools in the state, assuring that the government would make budgetary provision for it in 2017. The Deputy National President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Peters Adeyemi and Deputy National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT), Mr. Kelvin Nwakwo, pleaded with states owing teachers’ salaries to pay up to cushion the effect of the hard-biting economy on the people. The duo, who commended Fayose for honouring the teachers, called for upward review of teachers’ retirement age from 60 to 65 to arrest premature retirement from the service. The founder of Afe Babalola University (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola(SAN) and the former governor of the old Ondo State, Evsan Bamidele Olumilua, praised Ekiti teachers for their patriotic and unwavering zeal for the development of education in spite of the economic challenges. Olumilua said: “Though Nigeria is tough, Ekiti is lucky to have a governor that has been doing what is necessary. The recession we are passing through is not something unusual, but what we need is a man that is connected to God and who can do what is necessary and we have it in Governor Fayose. “If you can see, Ekiti is making progress because we have a man that is committed to the well-being of the populace and he is ready to listen to you to make your future great”, Olumilua stated.

HAPPY TO HAVE YOU

L-R: Former United States Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal ,and author of President Muhammadu Buhari’s biography, Professor John N. Paden, after discussions with the governor in Abuja...yesterday

Bankole Calls for Stronger Trade Relations Between Nigeria, Britain Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has called on Nigeria and Britain to discuss modalities for strengthening trade relations between the two countries. Bankole, who was earlier announced as the new voluntary Honorary Vice President of Africa House and the Africa for Growth Initiative, made this call recently at the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, where he addressed VIPs from the world of politics and commerce including Lord Oates, Chief of Staff to former UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and Andrew Boff, Chairman of Africa House, a social enterprise initiative that brings high end UK investors to Nigeria, said the time to renew

the trade relations between the two countries is now. He challenged Britain to use its recent Brexit decision as a spur to build stronger, reciprocal trading relations with Africa, especially Nigeria. The former speaker noted that Nigeria’s trading relationship with the EU, including the UK, was not always straightforward and not always in Nigeria’s favour, stating that “our trade relations with the EU are far from easy at the moment. “We currently benefit from duty free access to the EU Single Market for goods, guaranteed under the regional Lomé convention. But the EU – and I should stress this has included the

UK – has sought to replace this trade deal with a somewhat less favourable successor agreement, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)”. He argued that with the Nigerian government delaying to agree on the terms of this EPA, Nigeria could well find itself in the same boat as post-Brexit UK; losing trade preferences to the EU market altogether. According to him, “there are strong, pragmatic reasons indeed, for both Nigeria and the UK, to start discussing a new, post-Brexit trade deal between our countries. “The UK is a leading investor and trade partner of Nigeria. Many British companies are already operating in Nigeria, in

banking, telecoms and technology, consumer goods, and of course in the energy sector. We have a language in common as well as other cultural features. There is a large community of Nigerians in the UK”. The former speaker used the occasion at the seat of the UK Government as a rallying cry for positive trading engagement, as he told the British counterparts, that Britain seems “trapped in a starry-eyed, romantic conception of how bilateral trade deals come about” and scolding those in the British establishment who see future trade negotiations through a “pink cloud of nostalgia, reminiscing over a common heritage going back for centuries”

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

You Can’t Transplant Edo Rigging Model in Rivers, Wike Warns INEC Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that the

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others plotting to transplant the Edo State rigging model in Rivers State would fail as the people of the state would

FG Inaugurates ‘Operation Back Home’ for IDPs Nationwide Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The Federal Government yesterday inaugurated Operation Back Home (OBH), a strategic programme designed for at least two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across the country. The federal government, specifically, disclosed that it would seek the cooperation of strategic actors, including the international community to resettle the identified IDPs as soon as possible. The new Federal Commissioner of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Mrs. Sadiya Farouq said this at a meeting with top officials of the commission in Abuja yesterday. At the meeting, Farouq disclosed that it would commence an operation to return victims of Boko Haram insurgency, who were internally displaced, to their respective ancestral homes. She added that Operation Back Home was a comprehensive programme to resettle the IDPs in Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Zamfara and other states affected by the activities of herdsmen, flood and sundry disasters. She explained that part of the government’s plan “is to begin first with those that are safe to go back home, and then find a way to make life very comfortable for others still in the camps.” Farouq, who was appointed the helmsman of the commission last week, charged all the staff members to support her leadership to achieve the task of resettling the IDPs.

Faroug said the commission under her leadership would not neglect other core mandate, adding that she was saddened by the forceful displacement of people out of their ancestral homes in the North East. She acknowledged that the federal government would intensify efforts “to rehabilitate victims nationally and empower them in conjunction with local, state, federal governments and the international community. “Now that the federal government has regained lost grounds and degraded the Boko Haram insurgency; permit me to appeal to the international community, patriotic Nigerians and you my colleagues in this commission to join in the Operation Back Home for IDPs. “OBH also includes the Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Zamfara and other states displaced by herdsmen, flood and sundry disasters. It is my considered view that IDPs are not only subjected to undue hunger, homelessness but dehumanized. We must put all hands on deck to provide them food, shelter and hope for better life. This is our task. “We are going to conduct a survey to know who the real IDPs are, know where they are coming from and if it is not safe for them to go back home, we will find a way to make life very comfortable for them for the time being. That is what we are going to do because this thing is not something that can be achieved over night. But we will do our best.

BUA Group AppointsYaro Managing Director of Sugar Refinery Ugo Aliogo BUA Group, owners of one of the largest sugar refineries in Nigeria has appointed Ibrahim Yaro as the new Managing Director for BUA Sugar Refinery, Lagos. Until his appointment, Yaro was the Director of Sales at BUA Sugar, Flour and Pasta businesses. With this appointment, he will oversee the daily management of BUA Sugar as well as drive the next growth phase of the business. BUA Sugar is currently the only sugar producer in Nigeria with refineries in Lagos and Port Harcourt with a combined productioncapacityof1.44millionmetric tonnes annually. Yaro, who is a consummate professional, has over 20 years experience in sales, marketing and business development spreading across the financial and real sectors. Yaro who is an alumnus of Bayero University, Kano State has attended several professional and management courses in Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (ICA Nigeria),

Member Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Member Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria (CIMN), a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) and also holds an MBAfrom Bayero University, Kano. The group also restated its desire to promote the Backward Integrated Policy (BIP) of the Nigerian Sugar MasterPlan with its increased investments in the 20,000ha Lafiagi Sugar and 50,000ha Bassa Sugar plantations. Speaking to industry stakeholders recently, the Group Executive Director BUA Group Kabiru Rabiu, said the group would invest over $300 million in Lafiagi Sugar company to cover the plantation, sugar mill, its refinery, the ethanol and power plant as well as the complete agricultural aspects of the project. He also added that upon full completion, the Lafiagi sugar mill with refinery will have capacity to crush about 7,000 tons of cane per day and produce over 140,000 tons of pure refined white sugar, about 25 million litres of ethanol, generate 35 megawatts of electricity as well as generate employment opportunities for over 10,000 people.

resist them. Wike spoke yesterday while flagging off the reconstruction of Bonny Jetty at the Bille/Bonny/ Nembe Waterfront in Port Harcourt. “Anyone planning to steal our mandate will be resisted. Nobody can intimidate us. They will rig themselves into the water,” he stated. The governor stressed that INEC and pliant security agencies would not be allowed to use the Edo governorship election model in Rivers State. His words: “I hear some persons celebrating that they will repeat

what they did in Edo State, here in Rivers State. Somebody who is suffering from malaria can say anything. But nobody will use the police to rig the rerun elections in Rivers State “If you want to take our mandate by force, you will go by force. All the people of Rivers State must remain vigilant. INEC may want to take us unawares.” On the flag off of the reconstruction of Bonny Jetty, Wike said the project was aimed at developing a quality water transport jetty where safety and security is promoted.

He also said the reconstruction of the jetty was in fulfilment of the pledge that he made to the people of the area during the electioneering campaign. He said: “The day I came here to inspect this facility, I wept because of the condition of the jetty. We will develop it into a modern jetty. “All the roads in the township suburb will also be rehabilitated by Julius Berger.” Wike, while asking the residents of the area to support the contractor to deliver the contract on schedule, he charged the contractor to employ the residents of the area in the

course of reconstruction work. In his remarks, Commissioner for Transport, Mr Akie Fubara said the Bonny Jetty would have a new jetty walkway and platform, terminal building housing arrival and departure lounges, improved driveway, retention wall and enhanced car parks. Managing Director of Raffoul Nigeria Limited, Mr Hana Raffoul, assured the people that the jetty would be constructed in line with international standards. The Bonny is the main gateway to Bonny and Bille in Rivers State and Nembe in Bayelsa State.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ONTHEIR MINDS

L-R: Founder, Dragon Africa, Mr. Obi Asika; Founder, Nigerian Entrepreneurship Summit and Honours (NESH), Mr. Emeka Ogwu-Oju , and CEO, FSCG Energy lnvestment, Mr. Nwatarali Damian, during NESH team interactive session with the media on a ‘formidable platform for Nigeria entrepreneurs’ in Lagos...yesterday AbiodunAjala

Ondo APC Crisis: Akinyelure Lied, Says S’SouthVice Chairman Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The crisis of confidence rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership as a result of the conduct of the governorship primary in Ondo state, has pitted the National Vice Chairman of the party for South-south, Chief Hillard Ettah against his South-west counterpart Pius Akinyelure. As a result, Ettah accused Akinyelure of lying over the position taken by the National Working Committee (NWC) with regard to the outcome of the primary election. Speaking to journalists at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, against the background of an allegation made by Akinyelure to the effect that the NWC voted to upheld the cancelation of the primary election result for Ondo state, Ettah said nothing of such transpired at the meeting. He said: “It was a very clear cut matter, we had read various newspaper report, But I can tell you that no no vote was taken. Before we met on the last day for the submission of name to INEC, we had met three earlier, in that meeting, there were two reports before the NWC, that of the appeal committee was voted on.” He accused Akinyelure of lying about the true state of things, adding that he was only making a u- turn in order to please his master. “That very day, we were fourteen in number, not eleven as we have it

in the media. Thirteen of us voted for the appeal committee report to be thrown out, only one person voted for us to retain the report and that person was the National Vice Chairman, North Central, Alhaji Zakari Indeh. Pius Akinyelure voted that the report should be thrown out. “After that, we mandated our National Chairman and Secretary to go out and do wider consultation so that we can have a political solution to the heated environment the situation has caused the party. When they returned, they told us of their efforts to reach many people for political solution but it was very clear to us that we are not going to have that political solutions. “We had to go the procedure as we have it in our constitution. When you send a team to conduct an election and their is a petition to their report, it is the NWC, as the appellant institution that has the power to consider the merits of the election committee report and that of the appeal committee report. “If the appeal committee’s report is thrown out, the only report that is left is the election committee report. The chairman had almost made a procedural error at asking us to vote but the National Organizing Secretary, Osita Izunaso called his attention to the procedural error so all of us returned to the proper procedure which is the election report by Governor Badaru that

was still standing. That’s what transpired. “For Pius Akinyelure to start a fight that his preferred candidate didn’t win election is uncalled for. He shouldn’t be finding faults in NWC, he should go back to Ondo with himself, his team and

the candidate that he prefers. “It is very vexatious, it is very annoying that a man who also voted that the report of the Appeal Committee should be thrown out is now crying foul because he has no story to tell his master” he said.

Ojikutu Concerned about State of the Nation Sunday Okobi The first female elected Deputy Governor in Nigeria, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, has called on all Nigerians, irrespective of their religion, tribe, region and values, to pray ceaselessly for the survival of the country. She also tasked her country people to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, who she said is surrounded by enemies bent on removing him from power by all means which would doom the country if not prevented now. Ojikutu former deputy Governor of Lagos State, revealed that during her recent fasting and prayer for the country, she was given a message to Buhari as well as Nigeria that if those praying for Nigeria stop “to pray, the enemies would remove Buhari either physically or by death “If the president is removed from office by any means, the calamity that would befall the country would be indescribable-worse than the

biblical Armageddon.” Ojikutu stated this yesterday when she addressed journalists on the state of the nation in Lagos. She noted that she had the same massage for former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, but was not given the opportunity to see and inform him before he was voted out of power. The former politician decried that many Nigerians are not happy, and therefore, not praying reverently for the survival of the country. But if, according to her the president is exited from office or killed, the uprising will follow and result to great calamity that nobody will escape. She said: “I had the message for the nation while going through spiritual ritual. In the message, Buhari was alluded to as a camel to the Tamud people in the Koran that was later killed. This nation has great people who pray for it without compensation, but it seems they have stop praying, which is dangerous.

THURSDAY OCTOMBER 6, 2016 • T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT Oduah Loses Bid to Stop Investigation of Armoured Cars Purchase Tobi Soniyi in Abuja A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the application of a former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah to stop the federal government from investigating her tenure as a minister between 2011 and 2015 and prosecuting her. Justice Adamu Kafarati, in a judgment yesterday, held that the fundamental right enforcement suit by Oduah lacked merit. Respondents in the case were the Attorney General of the federation (AGF), the Econonomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

The judge upheld the objection raised by the respondents, to the effect that the court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to hear the case, which subject matter was outside the ambit of Chapter four of the Constitution. Oduah (now a serving Senator from Anambra State) had, in the suit, urged the court to declare illegal the alleged plot by the respondents to arrest, investigate and prosecute her in relation to her activities while in office, particularly the controversial two amoured vehicles purchased. The purchase of the amoured vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) while Oduah was in office was greeted by criticism. Some critics alleged

that the prices of the vehicles were inflated. Oduah had argued that the criminal allegations relating to her tenure as minister had been investigated by the EFCC and House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation and absolved her of any wrong doing. She urged the court to declare that, having earlier been exonerated, any further investigation, arrest, harassment and prosecution of her person in relation to the same issue, amounted to the violation of her fundamental right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and to be presumed innocent until proved guilty. She prayed for an order

prohibiting the respondents from inviting, arresting, otherwise harassing or prosecuting her over the matter. Justice Kafarati, in upholding the preliminary objection by the AGF and the IGP agreed with them that Oduah could not come under the fundamental rights procedure to seek the reliefs she sought. He said the subject matter of the case was not a fundamental rights issue. The judge agreed that Oduah could not seek to restrain statutory bodies from performing their statutory responsibilities through a fundamental rights enforcement application. He held that the case was without merit and dismissed it.

In Brief APC: We Hold Wike Responsible for the Death of Neenwi, Others

All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Rivers State have unequivocally held the Governor of the state, NyesomWike, and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members responsible for the death of a prominent member of the APC, Hon. Boris Neenwi, who was assassinated on October 3 in Nonwa Tai alongside Manager Nkoba, Nornubari Loveday and Cecilia Loveday. Late Neenwi, according to a statement by the APC, was a strong ally of Senator MagnusAbeandadedicatedAPCmemberwhohailedfromYeghecommunity. “He recently finished his law programme from the University of Maiduguri, Borno State. “Until his assassination, Neenwi was a known critic ofWike and hisex-militantleaderandcollaborator,SolomonNdigbara,whoalsohailsfrom Yeghe community. “The killing of Neenwi shares similar imprints with how another APC chieftain and ally of Senator Abe, late Dr. Vincent Eebee, also from Yeghe was gruesomely murdered by suspected agents of the PDP and Wike six months ago. “APC holdsWike and his ally, Ndigbara, responsible for the killings of Neenwi and his companions in Nonwa Tai on October 3. “We call on the security agencies in the state and at the federal to leave no stones unturned to ensure that Ndigbara and all those who have a hand in the killing of Neenwi and the young people who were gruesomely killed alongside him are apprehended and made to face justice. “This is yet another senseless killing that must not be swept under the carpet as it has become the pattern in the state especially when APC members are the victims.”

FCTA to Subject Traffic Offenders to Psychiatric Test

The Nigeria Police Force FCTCommand has been directed to arrest and refer to psychiatric hospital for medical assessment any motorist that violates trafficlights in thefederalcapitalterritory.The order wasissued yesterdayby the FCTMinister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello and is to take immediate effect. Bello similarly directed the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat to provide ambulances at traffic interchanges to convey any motorist arrested by the police for compulsory psychiatry test at the hospital. In addition, the medical bill incurred from any psychiatric test plus the administrative processes will be borne by the offenders to serve as deterrent. The minister also instructed the police to permanently station the speed bikes provided by the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, at various traffic intersections for the purposes of sternly enforcing the directive. Police hve already deployed senior officers of the ranks of Assistant Superintendent of Police and Inspectors to man the speed bikes to ensure high level of discipline and curb impunity and work in efficient manner. Bello further instructed that evenwhenanoffenderismedicallycertifiednormal by psychiatrist, he remains culpable and will be prosecuted as consequences of his reckless action.

NAVY WELCOMES NUJ

L-R: Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), Lagos Chapter, Abimbola Oyetunde; Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Navy Commodore Abraham Adaji; Chairman, NUJ, Mr. Deji Elumoye; Vice Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Jimoh; Treasurer, Kehinde Ajayi; Assistant Secretary, Alfred Odifa, during a courtesy visit by the NUJ’s executives to the Naval Base, Apapa, Lagos...yesterday. Kolawole Alli

Again, Court Adjourns EFCC’s Case against Goje to November Seriki Adinoyi in Jos A Gombe Federal High Court sitting in Jos on yesterday adjourned yet again the five-year old case against former Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Danjuma Goje, by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to November 22, 2016 for continuation of hearing. Goje is standing trial along four others on five charges relating to financial dealings, including the contract on food supply to the state government house during his reigns as well as loan facilities taken from Access and Union banks. The proceedings got stuck when the EFCC prosecution counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu, was interrogating his prosecution witness (PW8), Dr. Sani Gyauro. The witness was testifying on the financial regulations and due processes followed in award and supply of food contracts as it applied to state governments, when Shittu told the court of his predicament on laying hands on the documents to present before it in evidence. He then applied to the presiding judge, Justice Babatunde Quadri, for adjournment to enable him

get the financial regulations and due process documents which the witness talked about. “My Lord, in view of the relevancy of the financial regulations and due process documents regarding the subject matter of food procurement, I wish to apply to the court to adjourn this case and give us four to five days. “I wish to tender the relevant documents about the manner contracts for the procurement of food for the government during Goje’s time was flaunted,” he said. Shittu said, “I have about 16 witnesses to testify in this case; the problem is logistics or difficulties in bringing the witnesses, but if I could have the four or five days, I will take all of them and then close my case.” Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), the Defence Counsel, did not object to the application but said four days would be okay and not five days. “As regards to logistics, we are also victims; I am not objecting to the application for an adjournment but we hope that we shall be served with all the documents to be tendered on time so as not to put us in a tight corner, which

might affect our proceedings, ’’ Akintola pleaded. After listening to the submissions of the two counsels, the Judge

agreed on the four days and adjourned the case to November 22 to 25 for continuation of hearing on the case.

Boko Haram Has No Base beyond Sambisa, Says Military Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri The Nigerian military yesterday said “beyond Sambisa forest”, the Boko Haram terrorist group has no known base. Addressing a press conference in Maiduguri, the head of the counterinsurgencyoperationintheNorth-eastand TheatreCommanderofOperationLafiya Dole,MajorGeneralLuckyIrabor,saidthe Boko Haram insurgents were uprooted fromtheirlastknownstronghold,Mallam Fatori on September 27, 2016. Irabor said: “We have captured the Boko Haram last known strongholds of Abadam and Mallam Fatori, and we are now consolidating our holds.” The military commander who lamented that the recapture of Mallam Fatori from the insurgency was not without a cost, as the military recorded human and

material loses. He said the troops are not jubilating yet as they are holding on strong to areas retrieved from the insurgents and battle ready to ward off any attack. According to him, the recent success of the military and the depletion of insurgency does not mean “we have heard the last from the insurgents.” Irabor said there is ongoing battle to uproot the insurgents from Sambisa forest and finally put them to rest. On the threats of undetonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) still believed to be lying around in parts of the recaptured territories, he said: “We have made it impossible for insurgents to have access to roads that have been cleared of IEDs. We are taking delivery of equipments to identify and clear IEDs and we are going to immediately deploy them for use.”

Man Commits Suicide in Ekiti after Stabbing Residents

PandemoniumbrokeoutinOdeEkiti,headquartersofGbonyinLocalGovernment Area of Ekiti State, yesterday when a staff of the council identified as Aderiyereportedlycommittedsuicideafterallegedlystabbing threepersons in a strange and dramatic manner.The deceased, who was said to have been deposited in the morgue of one of the general hospitals in the area, was attachedasasecurityguardtotheprivateresidenceoftheChairmanoftheLocal Government Area, Mrs. Sade Akinrinmola, before his demise. A source said the middle-aged man was said to have reported to work last Tuesday after the public holiday hale and hearty without any sign of mental illness and was said to have worked till 4p.m. and left the beat to his house. It was confirmed that the deceased was said to have started behaving strangely around 7p.m. in the evening and he was reported to have invaded the After few minutes the deceased was said to have been on rampage, he eventually caught up with his victims who were said to have suffered deep machete cuts in their stomachs,heads and backs. Afterattackingthevictims,thepeopleweresaid to have launched a manhunt for him and after combing the streets and were unable to get Him, they headed to his residence where his lifeless body was found hanging on the ceiling. His victims were reportedly rushed to a private hospital in the town where they are presently receiving treatments, while the residents were still confused on what could have caused such unwarranted attack and the deceased’s dramatic death. The residents of the area, who got wind of the gory incident were said to have fled in different directions while scampering for safety where many were said to have sustained minor injuries in the ensuing melee.

Bauchi Police Arrest Woman for Attempted Murder

OfficialsoftheBauchiStateCriminalInvestigation Department, (SCID) , have arrested one Lami Clement over an alleged murder attempt on the life of a housewife. THISDAY investigations revealed that the suspect who is 22 years of age and hails from Sayawa community of Tafawa Balewa Local Government area of the state attempted to set ablaze a housewife in their apartment at Sabon Kaura, a surburb of Bauchi metropolis. The victim, Amina Lawal, 23, indigene of Akinyele local government area of Oyo State, THISDAY gathered, was attacked in her house by the suspect who bought a gallon of petrol which she poured on her. It was learnt that the suspect then took a lighter to set her ablaze which she sustained burns on part of her face, hands and thighs. The suspect who spoke toTHISDAY at the State Police Command, alleged that she had a relationship with the victim’s husband, Mustapha Ayodele, for three years, but he betrayed her and married Amina as his wife. According to the accuse,”I did not actually go there to burn his wife, my intention was to go to his house and burn his property. I did not know his wife was in the house.He jilted me after a long years of relationship and married another woman”.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6, 2016 T H I S D AY