Thursday 15th June 2017 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

FG Asks Igbos to Disregard Ultimatum to Relocate Osinbajo to S’East leaders: We can’t afford more violence Nigerians call for unity, rally against drumbeats of war Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja The federal government yesterday assured Nigerians that it was on top of situation in the country and

encouraged the people of the South-east zone to disregard the ultimatum given to them by a coalition of Northern youths. The youths had given

Igbos an ultimatum to leave the North before October 1 or face the consequences. Their ultimatum, which trigger widespread condemnation, was followed

by similar threats by groups in the South-east. Briefing State House correspondents at the end of yesterday’s weekly Federal Executive Council

(FEC) meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed said the federal government’s commitment to nipping the matter in the bud, was the

reason acting President Yemi Osinbajo met with Northern leaders on Tuesday and South-east leaders yesterday. Continued on page 9

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Senate to Consider National Conference Report Damilola Oyedele The Senate yesterday called on the executive to transmit to it the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference for

consideration by the National Assembly in order to fashion out solutions to agitations in different sections of the country. It also urged the security agencies to arrest and

prosecute persons making inflammatory comments, or taking actions that were capable of jeopardising the corporate existence of Nigeria as one indivisible, indissoluble

sovereign nation. The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by all 108 Senators (Anambra Central seat is currently vacant) on the need for national unity

and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. The senators also agreed to intensify their representative roles by embarking on sensitisation campaigns in

their various constituencies to highlight the importance of harmonious and peaceful co-existence. Continued on page 8

Like a Phoenix, Saraki’s CCT Acquittal Alters 2019 Calculation Senate President: I harbour no grudge against anyone Ekweremadu, Fayose, Ahmed hail ruling, jubilation in Ilorin Tobi Soniyi in Lagos, Damilola Oyedele, Alex Enumah in Abuja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin With about a year left to the presidential primary, the race for the presidency in 2019 may have been altered, with the acquittal of Senate President Bukola Saraki by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for false assets declaration. After a two-year trial Saraki was discharged and acquitted by the tribunal yesterday of the 18 charges preferred against him by the federal government. In dismissing the 18-count charge, tribunal upheld a no-case submission made by Saraki’s team of lawyers led by a former Attorney General

of the Federation (AGF), Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN). With his acquittal, this may clear the path for Saraki, who has always been seen as a strong contender for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in so far as President Muhammadu Buhari elects not to seek re-election in 2019. Sources in the ruling APC who spoke on the development yesterday, said Saraki’s clearance had certainly changed the political calculations for 2019, but added that the move he decides to make will be predicated on the political landscape as the race heats up. Continued on page 8

Acting President Orders Payment of UNITED WE STAND… $2bn Outstanding Subsidy Claims… Page 12 Acting President Yemi Osinbajo (right) exchanging pleasantries with the President-General of Ohaneze Ndigo, John Nwodo (in red cap), and others, after the meeting with leaders of the South-east zone, held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja… yesterday

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

THURSDAY, ÍšÍ˝Ë&#x153; ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍż Ëž T H I S D AY

PAGE EIGHT LIKE A PHOENIX, SARAKIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CCT ACQUITTAL ALTERS 2019 CALCULATION According to one source who spoke to THISDAY, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The CCT acquittal has without doubt made the race more interesting, but as you know Saraki may only consider gunning for presidential ticket of the party if President Buhari decides not to seek re-election and he (Saraki) sees a clear path to securing the ticket of the party. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is still early in the day, but we cannot rule anything out. This acquittal has now increased the pool of possible aspirants for the ticket of the party. But all this would depend on what pans out in the months ahead.â&#x20AC;? However, reacting to his acquittal yesterday, an elated Saraki said he harboured no grudges against any person that might have played a role in his persecution at the CCT, which was largely believed to be political. In a statement he personally signed, he expressed belief that his tribulation in the last two years had not been in vain, adding that it had given hope to the common man that justice would always prevail in the courts. Saraki said his victory at the tribunal was a vindication of his position that he would clear his name and calls for celebration after a tortuous trial. He, however, urged his supporters to refrain from unbridled triumphalism, as the challenges facing Nigeria were enormous and do not allow for wanton celebration. Saraki called on his supporters to instead reflect on what his vindication means for democracy. The statement read in full: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, June 14, 2017, the Code of Conduct Tribunal sitting in Abuja discharged and acquitted me on a case of false declaration of assets, which started in September 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You would recall that at the beginning of the trial, I maintained that I will clear my name. The conclusion of this trial has vindicated my position. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the outcome of this case, our faith is renewed in our courts and our hope is restored that the judiciary in our country could indeed provide sanctuary for all those who seek justice. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thank the Almighty Allah, the ultimate Judge and the repository of all powers. He alone has brought about this victory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am immensely grateful to all my colleagues in the National Assembly for their abiding support. All through my trial, they demonstrated their strong conviction about the choice we all decided to make two years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thank members of my family for their unflinching support. I thank all friends and supporters back home in Kwara State and

across the length and breadth of our country for their prayers and their sacrifices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My gratitude also goes to all members of my legal team for their tireless efforts to ensure the cause of justice is served. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After undergoing the crucible of a tortuous trial, my vindication today calls for celebration. It is my belief however that if there should be any celebration at all, it should be a celebration of the hopes that this judgment gives us as citizens that despite all the challenges that we face as a country, we are well on our way to building a country where the innocent needs not be afraid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I therefore urge all my supporters to refrain from any unbridled triumphalism. The challenges that our country face today are enormous and do not allow for wanton celebration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instead, we should all reflect on the significance of this moment and what it meant for our democracy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On a personal note, I harbour no grudge against anyone, regardless of the role they might have played in the persecution that I had endured in the last two years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that if my trial had in anyway given hope to the common man that no matter the forces arrayed against him, he can still get justice in our courts, then my tribulation has not been in vain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once again, I thank my colleagues in the Eighth Senate for standing firm. Regardless of the distraction of my trial, we have achieved more as legislators than the previous Senates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that this distraction is over, we can even achieve so much more. We must now proceed from here with greater vigour to deliver on the expectations of Nigerians and show that this Eighth Senate can indeed play a central role in improving the quality of lives of our people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lastly, I thank all the gentlemen of the press for your abiding interest in this case, which I believe contributed in no small measure in ensuring that truth and reason ultimately prevailed.â&#x20AC;?

Why Saraki was Cleared Yesterday, the tribunal had discharged and acquitted the Senate President of the 18 charges preferred against him by the federal government. In so doing, it upheld a no-case submission made by Sarakiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal team led by a former AGF. The trial, which several observers believed was political â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to punish Saraki for emerging as the Senate President without the support of the All Progressives Congress â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

witnessed a lot of drama, including when the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar, descended into the arena, the walkout by counsel during the trial, and three separate appeals, some of which are still pending, even now that the prosecutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case has collapsed. While the trial lasted, the prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), to the frustration of the tribunal, kept on shifting the goal post by serially amending the charges just to ensure that he nailed Saraki at all cost. The charges were amended four times. But in dismissing the charges, the tribunal held that the evidence led in support of the charges was bereft of probate value and manifestly unreliable to hold the charges against the defendant. In his ruling, the tribunal chairman, Danladi Umar held that the prosecution, at the close of the case, failed to establish a prima facie case against the Senate President. According to him, the four witnesses called by the prosecution gave contradictory evidence. Umar also held that the witnessesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; testimonies were manifestly unreliable to convict the defendant, or order him to enter his defence. He specifically referred to the evidence of the third prosecution witness, Mr. Samuel Madojemu to the effect that an oral investigation was conducted on Saraki and that there was no written report against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB). Umar said that such evidence had no probate value upon which the tribunal could hold the charges against the defendant. According to him, Madojemu as Head of the Investigation and Intelligence Department of the bureau did not in any way help the prosecution with his evidence when he (Madojemu) claimed that all his averments in the affidavit in support of the charges against Saraki were based on information supplied to him by an undisclosed team of investigators. The tribunal found such evidence to be hearsay and inadmissible. Umar also picked holes in the report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) put at the disposal of the tribunal. He held that the report was more of intelligence gathering and not a conventional investigation report. He further noted that to worsen the prosecutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case, the defendant was never invited to make statement to contradict or admit the allegations against him, in order to afford the bureau the opportunity of ascertaining the facts. Umar said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the simple analysis of the evidence of the

prosecution, we find it difficult to accept the seriousness of the witnesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the evidence was so discredited, unreliable that no reasonable court will attach probate value to them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Since the essential ingredients of all the charges were not proved as required by law, this tribunal has no option but to discharge and acquit the defendant in view of the manifestly unreliable evidence of the prosecution witnesses.â&#x20AC;? The second member of the panel, Mr. Williams Atedze Agwadza, who agreed with the chairman, said that he was persuaded by the ultimate conclusion of the chairman of the tribunal on the no case submission. He said a careful perusal of the four witnesses and 48 exhibits tendered by the prosecution showed grave defects, as no prima facie case was established to sustain the charge. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The formulation of the 18-count charge was based on the affidavit evidence of Mr. Samuel Madojemu of the Code of Conduct Bureau. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His testimony and affidavit evidence later became the afflicted and epidemic that befell the prosecution because they were based on mere hearsay.â&#x20AC;? He said Sections 37, 38 and 126 of the Evidence Act were violated with manifestly inadmissible exhibits and testimonies. He further said that the team referred to by Madojemu and which comprised of operatives of the EFCC, DSS, and CCB was unknown to law and that the team had neither constitutional nor statutory backing to do what they did, thereby making the charges against Saraki incurably defective and capable of causing a miscarriage of justice against the defendant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evidence to establish offence must be such that has probate value. Another fatal error on the part of the complainant was the failure to obtain statement of the defendant,â&#x20AC;? he added. Besides, Agwadza said that prosecution also failed by its inability to call vital witnesses including the Accountant General of Kwara State to establish the alleged collection of salary by Saraki long after he left office as governor of the state. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My humble conclusion is that the defendant in this case has no case to answer and is accordingly discharged and acquitted.â&#x20AC;? The federal government in September 2015 filed the charges against Saraki bordering on false declaration of assets, operating foreign bank accounts and collecting salaries from the Kwara State government years after he left office as the chief executive of the state.

Saraki had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Kwara, Others Jubilant Expectedly, residents of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, jubilated yesterday once news filtered into the ancient town that the former governor of the state had been cleared by the tribunal. Those who celebrated were mainly youths, women, and APC members and supporters who marched from the state secretariat of the party in GRA, Ilorin, to the Government House, Challenge, Post Office and to the emirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palace, thanking God for Sarakiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acquittal. They were adorned in multicoloured customised T-Shirt that had obviously been ordered to celebrate the moment, while drummers were on hand to add colour to the celebration. Speaking with journalists in Ilorin, the state Chairman of APC, Alhaji Isola Balogun Fulani, expressed delight over the acquittal of the Senate President, saying the allegations were politically motivated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The entire APC members and all peace loving people of Kwara State are very happy. We knew that there were politically motivated charges, but God has vindicated us and it is a plus for democracy. This also allows us to have confidence in the judiciary of Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very happy. We thank everybody and well-meaning Nigerians who have supported us from the beginning when this thing (trial) started to the end of this case. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very happy and that is why you see us rejoicing. We are going to the Emir of Ilorin to rejoice with him and thank him for supporting our leader, the Senate President. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From there, we will move to the governor of Kwara State to thank him for his support from the outset to the end of the trial and to also pray for him that with him at the helm of affairs, Kwara State is progressing and we hope that by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grace, with the end of this case, Kwara State will continue to progress,â&#x20AC;? he said. Also reacting, the Kwara State governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed said the verdict in favour of the Senate President was a testimony and vindication of the incorruptibility of Saraki â&#x20AC;&#x153;which some of us who were privileged to work with him have always known him forâ&#x20AC;?. Ahmed also said Saraki has always been selfless in his service to the people of Kwara and Nigerians at large. Ahmed, in a statement issued in

Ilorin by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The judgment has also shown that his colleagues in the upper chamber of the National Assembly made the right choice by returning him unopposed as the Senate President. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having demonstrated sufficient competence and honesty, I call on Nigerians of all strata to put aside personal sentiments and interests to join hands with all arms of government to move the country to new heights.â&#x20AC;? On his part, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu described the discharge and acquittal of Saraki by the CCT as a victory for the rule of law. Ekweremadu, who presided over plenary in the Senate yesterday, said this when he announced the news of the acquittal to other senators. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have absolute confidence in the judiciary to see that the rights of every Nigerian are not trampled upon,â&#x20AC;? he said. He lauded Saraki for standing firm and tall in the face of political tribulation and for not allowing the trial to distract him from his duties as the Senate President. Ekweremadu said the acquittal was not a victory for the Senate President alone, but for the Eighth Senate. The Deputy Senate President also conveyed his appreciation to Nigerians who stood with the Senate through the trial, despite what he said were â&#x20AC;&#x153;apparently contrived and reckless efforts to destabilise and bring the Senate and its leadership to disreputeâ&#x20AC;?. In his reaction, Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose also hailed the triumph of the Senate President at the CCT, describing it as another victory over tyranny. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am happy that I predicted that the CCT will absolve the Senate President in my 2017 predictions and it has come to pass.â&#x20AC;? Fayose, who drew the attention of Nigerians to number eight of his 22 predictions for year 2017, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I said it categorically that the Code of Conduct Tribunal will absolve Senate President Bukola Saraki and today, the prediction came to pass.â&#x20AC;? The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka said the judgment was another lesson for the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government that criminal cases are not won on the pages of newspapers. He congratulated Saraki and urged him to see the victory as a challenge to him and the entire members of the National Assembly to always stand up to defend the rule of law and the fundamental rights of Nigerians.

SENATE TO CONSIDER NATIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) said most of the challenges leading to the agitations in all geopolitical zones, had been addressed by the National Conference under Justice Idris Kutigi and Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I agree that there are problems and there are challenges and those challenges should be addressed. And that was why in 2014 the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, decided to convoke what was called a National Conference and it was a conference where all the ethnic nationalities, states and geopolitical zones were represented,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will recommend that the Senate should ask for those recommendations, to

be tabled before the National Assembly because a lot of recommendations on all the agitations in all the geopolitical zones were addressed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know why we are not asking for those recommendations to be brought to us. They should be implemented where necessary,â&#x20AC;? Aliero added. Senator Jonah Jang (Plateau North) lamented that the Seventh Senate refused to recognise the National Conference on grounds that the senators had argued at the time that they were the true representatives of Nigerians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is now time to consider the recommendations,â&#x20AC;? he said. Jang added that the agitations in different parts of

the country were caused by a failure of leadership. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is not that the youths do not believe in the unity of Nigeria, but by their agitations they are trying to draw attention to the fact that they are not assured of their future,â&#x20AC;? he said. The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio said while the forces of division and disintegration had risen all over the country, some of the agitations were caused by feelings of marginalisation and the federal character. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some people are feeling left out in the affairs of this nation. When they look at appointments they see lopsidedness, while some agitations have come from the feeling of persecution,â&#x20AC;?

he said. Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) said it was necessary that the possibility of restructuring and redesigning the country be considered. He added that politicians from all sections of the country must unequivocally speak about the unity of Nigeria as one nation, and condemn all separatist agitations, anarchists and ultra nationalists who are trying to set the country ablaze. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is only by taking a definite position, not sitting on the fence and not playing the ostrich by covering our heads with sand, that issues like this can be addressed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Agitations, complaints and grievances are genuine national issues; we are here to look at

them in every possible way,â&#x20AC;? Sani said. Senator Ben Murray Bruce (Bayelsa East) said governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seeming attempt to obliterate the Biafra war from Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history had buoyed those clamouring for a divisive war. He added that the government removed the Bight of Biafra from the map, while the educational policy does not allow the teaching the civil war in history. The policy, Bruce said, was counter-productive as there now exists a generation of Nigerians who are not fully aware of the details of the war, and therefore do not know about Continued on page 9

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˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

PAGE NINE SENATE TO CONSIDER NATIONAL CONFERENCE REPORT the destruction, famine and other effects of the civil war. “They don’t teach this in our history books. We do not tell our children what war is all about. Those talking about bloodshed have not even carried a gun,” Bruce said. The senator cited nations like America who educate the young generation on the

American civil war, the first and second world wars, Korea and Vietnam wars, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. “So here we are 50 years later talking about something that could be avoided if the federal government at the time understood the value of history. “We erased the civil war

from our consciousness, so generations of people do not know we fought the war or why we fought the war. “They say the Igbos, were marginalised, right? But today they are the most industrious in the country, they are the richest Nigerians in the country today, and amongst some of the most educated people.

“Yet, they feel marginalised, if you compare the Igbo man to other sectors of the society, you will say the Igbos are privileged because of what they have. “Yet, a generation of Igbos say they have been marginalised and they want to secede and want a nation,” Bruce added. The issues must, however,

be addressed, he said. Presiding, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu called for restraint from all Nigerians to ensure a sustainable prosperous and egalitarian society. “We are better off united, we are better off a just and equitable society. It is not time to look at ourselves as either

black or white. Our beauty lies in our diversity,” he said. “We must show leadership as leaders. It is not time to leave the leadership of this country to ad hoc tendencies. In doing so, we must address the fears and complaints of our citizens. I believe this is what we have started today,” Ekweremadu added.

everyone can all be proud of. They also stressed that they were bonded together by shared values of belief in unity, equality, justice, responsible citizenship, the inherent worth of every human being and, most importantly, by commitment to shared bonds of friendship and citizenship which transcend religion, ethnicity or other narrow identity. “We are, to put it simply, all Nigerians,” they said. They, however, acknowledged that the recent drums of division, violence and intolerance beating across the federation underscored the growing frustrations of Nigerians everywhere. The statement added: “A peculiar brand of toxic communication has enveloped our public affairs, threatening to pollute the relationships of people and communities that have – despite occasional challenges – largely co-existed in relative peace with one another. “Voices of agents of violence and division now command the most attention from both within and beyond government. A growing sense of uncertainty and fear begs for immediate action to reassure Nigerians that there is a clear pathway to equity, unity and security. “All these take place at a time when our country is going through a difficult period of uncertainty. Communities live with a sense of deepening insecurity while citizens feel an equal threat to their livelihoods, together leading to pervasive sense of institutionalised inequities, rising hate and deepening division. “The frustrations triggered by these challenges can easily get out of hand or be exploited by the recklessness of desperate politicians and identity entrepreneurs or their agents. This cannot be allowed. “These developments are the cumulative result of leadership failures and poor choices over the years at various levels, including government, political parties, security agencies, business, traditional institutions, communities, places of worship, schools, and civil society across the country. “The consequences of these failures now confront us as a people with an existential threat of potentially profound significance. Inspired by this realisation, we believe it is important to evolve an agenda of urgent steps to address these rumblings of discontent and division. “Troubled by the state of affairs in our country we wish to state that: r 5IF 'FEFSBM 3FQVCMJD PG Nigeria is richly endowed and all communities found in it belong to it. All citizens and communities as well as succeeding generations of Nigerians, without discrimination on any grounds such as political or other opinion, origins, religion, gender or status have an equal stake in sustaining and improving the many bonds that connect us. r (PWFSONFOU BU BMM MFWFMT including federal, state and local governments, must take urgent steps to address the prevailing economic situation and stem the

growing patterns or perceptions of chronic inequity, alienation and discontent across the country. r (PWFSONFOU BU GFEFSBM TUBUF and local levels has the primary duty to secure public safety and wellbeing and show that Nigerian lives matter. Accordingly, it must enlist the full support and participation of Nigerians everywhere in confronting the underlying causes and growing incidents of violence, division and hate wherever these occur. Individuals or groups who by their words or other conduct constitute threats to lives and property of Nigerians or to our collective coexistence should be dealt with swiftly, firmly, lawfully and without discrimination on any grounds such as political or other opinion, origin, religion, gender or status. r $JWJD HSPVQT JODMVEJOH UIPTF founded on identity such as faith or ethnicity, have a particular responsibility to discourage hate, division and violence. Together with the media, including social media, we all have a duty to amplify voices of reason over and above the voices of division. We must not subscribe to or sustain the emergence of a single narrative of strife and hate amongst Nigerians. There is an urgent need to promote and amplify narratives that bring us together and encourage improved engagement across ethnic and religious divides as well as collective action against bad governance wherever it exists in the country. r *O UIF JNNFEJBUF GVUVSF UIFTF problems of national cohesion could easily spiral out of control if we do not prepare adequately to meet the challenges of Nigeria’s rapidly growing population and the accompanying crisis of social exclusion among our youth population. To meet this challenge, government at all levels should prioritise effective investment in academic and vocational education, enlightenment, innovation and skills on a sustained basis. For this purpose, Nigeria needs to urgently roll out an inclusive national plan on education, innovation and skills that is both fit for purpose and implemented effectively. Such a plan should be built on partnership with private and voluntary sectors, with room for complementary investments from Nigeria’s international partners. r /POF PG UIJT DBO CF BDIJFWFE unless we commit at all levels to zero-tolerance for impunity by improving the performance and credibility of the institutions and processes of accountability, including the police, judiciary and security agencies. r "U UIJT UJNF NPSF UIBO FWFS before, we urgently call all leaders, including elected, appointed, community, traditional, civic, and faith leaders, to show true leadership and transcend divides of partisan politics, religion, origins, geo-political zones, or hemispheres of north and south. Nigeria is our home and the only country we have. Every Nigerian owes it as a duty to work for the best interest of this country. Many of

us already know first hand that Nigeria’s diversity is a valuable resource and source of strength but we need millions more to realise this and we can only do this if we are willing to constructively engage these issues that challenge us as a country.” The signatories of the statement resolved to work together to advocate these values and called on all Nigerians who share these values to stand firm and speak out loudly in favour of peace, equity and social justice in the land. “We call on them to speak out in favour of meaningful dialogue, which alone can bring lasting resolution to the multi-faceted issues that threaten to consume us. “We ask them to speak up and take back our destiny from those who believe that what differentiates us is more important than what unites us and the great potential we have to achieve more together. “We owe it to ourselves to create the enabling environment and structures for peace, prosperity and development and we cannot do this if we continue to disdain each other. “We call for calm and mutual respect across peoples wherever we are so that, living and working together, what we dream of for ourselves and our children can be achieved,” they added. The statement was signed by Amb., Fatima Balla, Prof. Adele Jinadu, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, YZ Y’au, AVM Andy Giwa Tsakr (rtd.), Dr. Jibrin Ibrahim, Ayo Obe, Dr. Chris Kwaja, Femi Edun, Saka Azimazi, Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), Prof. Awwal Yadudu, Kola Awodein (SAN), Ayisha Osori, Innocent Chukwuma, Dr. Kole Shettima, Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN), Ini Abimbola, Musikilu Mojeed, Dr. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Col. Kingsley Umoh, Dr. Hussaini Abdu, Hubert Shaiyen, Ibim Semenitari, Dr. Ayesha Imam, Dr. Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Mabeiam Gloria Ballason, Abdulkhalid Ali Baba, Mohammed Sani, Habiba Balogun, Adeshina Oke, Ezenwa Nwagwu, Usman Abdullahi, Franklin Acho Nlerum, Niyi Yusuf, Jaye Gaskiya and Solomon Uwaifo. Others signatories were Mohammed Sabo Keana, Hassan Usman, Ifeoma Malo, Segun Olukoya, Udo Jude Ilo, Ige Igeoluwa, Muhammad Ibrahim, Abiodun Baiyewu, Prof. Mohammed Yahaya Kuta, Ozolua O. Giwa-Amu, Prof. Mohammed Kuna, Chido Onumah, Prof. Sam Egwu, Dr. Clement Adibe, Barnabas Omali, Nike Desouza, Dr. Amina Salihu, Dr. Jude Ohanele, Mohammed Alfa, Oladayo Olaide, Idayat Hassan, Orode Doherty, Fidelis Duker, Ifeoma Fafunwa, Sutura Aisha Bello, Wole A. Akande, Kunle Ajagbe, Atose Aguele, Gbenga Sesan, Hamza Grema Mohammed, Prince Paul Adelabu, Chris Enete, Roz Ben-Okagbue, Martin Obono, Hamza Atta, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, Akeem Baiyewu, Omu Obilor, Dapo Olorunyomi, Bashir Yusuf Ibrahim, Ifiok Babatolu, Clement Nwankwo, Fawzia El-Nur, Mohammed Bello Tukur, Nnanna Ude and Aisha Waziri Umar.

FG ASKS IGBOS TO DISREGARD ULTIMATUM TO RELOCATE He also said Osinbajo would in the same vein meet with traditional rulers from the South-east tomorrow and on June 22 hold a consultative meeting with all groups from the two zones, including traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of thought. “With regards to what we know is agitating the minds of Nigerians, that is, calls for secession, calls for certain parts of the country to relocate to their regions, generally, we have been hearing disquieting voices. “We want to assure Nigerians that the federal government is on top of the situation and yesterday (Tuesday), the acting president addressed the leaders from the Northern part of the country and at 4 o’clock today (yesterday), he’s going to address leaders from South-east. “On Friday, he’s going to address South-east traditional rulers and leaders of thought. On 22nd of June, there will be a joint consultative meeting of all the groups, that is, traditional rulers, religious leaders and leaders of thought from both the South-east and the other parts of Nigeria. “The idea is not just to assure Nigerians that we are doing something about it but to give comfort to all Nigerians that this matter is under control; to assure Nigerians that any Nigerian anywhere in Nigeria is safe. “The security authorities are completely on top of the matter and they will deal decisively with any group of people whose conduct is going to create instability in the country. “So there is no need for anybody to panic. There is no need to move from any part of the country. The security agencies are on top of the situation and there is no reason for anybody to panic,” he said. Asked why the federal government had failed to swear in the two-ministerial nominees from Kogi and Gombe States confirmed by the Senate since April, Mohammed who said he was not sure that the Senate had communicated its confirmation of the nominees to the presidency, added that he would confirm the status of the nominees from the acting president. Meanwhile, in furtherance of his meetings with leaders of the two regions affected by calls for secession and ultimatums for relocation, the acting president met with leaders of the South-east zone later yesterday and reiterated the resolve of the government to ensure that anyone who beats the drums of war would be duly punished under the weight of the law. On Tuesday, Osinbajo had met with Northern leaders and warned against divisive and hate speech, threatening that anyone who engaged in such acts would be dealt with decisively. Addressing the South-east leaders, Osinbajo informed them: “After this, I will meet with religious and traditional leaders from the North and from the South-east on Friday and Monday, respectively. “And then, in the final

consultation next week Thursday, all of us from the North and South, will come together in the same room for further engagement and consultation. I also plan at some time in between to meet with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. “These consultations are necessary and important, because of recent events in the country. You are all aware that there have been loud and sometimes hostile agitations by youths in the South-east, calling for secession of the region from Nigeria. “Then there was the recent ultimatum issued by a group of youths from the North, asking all South-easterners living in the North to leave by October 1 this year. “`These expressions and agitations from both sides have been attended with some controversial and hateful vituperations, including patently illegal and violence inducing remarks. “I firmly believe that we ought to address these agitations and proclamations urgently and decisively. Burying our heads in the sand and expecting the storm to blow over of its own accord is not an option.” The acting president who further stated that those who had been privileged to be leaders in the society must be agents of peace and progress, observed that Nigeria had gone through turbulent times, a path he said the country could not afford to tread again. According to him, the country had survived bloody coups, several rounds of ethno-religious violence, a long and bloody civil war, adding: “All of us here have seen close-up what violence can do to a country, and I believe I speak for us all when I say that no one here is keen to see Nigeria embroiled in violence or bloodshed of any kind.” He informed the gathered that preparing the grounds for more violence when Nigeria was just emerging from a brutal insurgency, which he said had consumed more than 20,000 Nigerians, would be ill-conceived. “One thing is clear – violence and war are terrible things. They are easy to start but near impossible to end. Indeed, you’re all aware of the Igbo proverb that says that ‘a man who rushes into battle does not realise that battle entails death’. “We are witnesses to the unspeakable devastation that war continues to inflict across the world. No one who has seen the horrors of war – even just on television – would wish it on their worst enemy. “It is also clear that wars sometimes start, not with bullets, but with words. Hateful, incendiary speech, opening floodgates of blood. “The tongue, like the pen, is often mightier than the sword, because it is what pushes the sword into action. When we throw words like stones in a marketplace we do not know who or what it will hit,” he added. He recalled how on Tuesday, he had “made it very clear that hate or divisive speech, or divisive behaviour, where it is illegal, will be met with the full force of the law”.

“I will say it again today, let there be no doubt whatsoever of the resolve of government to ensure that no one will be allowed to get away with making speeches that can cause division or violence. “We will take very seriously any attempts to cause violence or to disrupt the peace of Nigeria. And we will not tolerate such. We are also resolute in our determination to protect every Nigerian, everywhere in the country,” Osinbajo said. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, described the meeting as a wonderful one, explaining that the forum was not about the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), but about the security of lives and property of Nigerian citizens, as well as the imperatives of a united, honest, fair and equitable Nigeria. According to him, the meeting offered hope for a united and peaceful Nigeria with emphasis on the need for everybody to avoid making hate speeches and for preoccupation with expressions that could bind all and sundry together. “That was what the meeting was about,” he stated. He added that while every citizen reserved the right to agitate, such agitation must be peaceful. “Even you agitate; your wife agitates at home that the feeding money is not enough. So it is a fundamental right, but it is the manner you go about it (that matters). So it is not an issue that cannot be resolved,” Umahi stated. Present at the meeting were Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. Also present were all Southeast governors, namely, Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Willy Obiano (Anambra) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo); President-General of Ohanaeze-Ndigbo, John Nwodo; Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; former Senate President, Ken Namani; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe; former Anambra State governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife; former Ebonyi State governor, Sam Egwu, Awka Catholic Bishop Okoye; Catholic Archbishop of Nsukka, Igwebike Onah; Senator Joy Emordi, former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri; and other ministers, among others. In a related development, Nigerian professionals from all works of life and all sections of the country yesterday came together to declare their belief in the indivisibility of the Nigerian nation and called on all sections of the country to reject the drumbeats of war and divisiveness. In a statement signed by scores of Nigerian professionals and civil society leaders, they said they were driven by their faith in the potential of Nigeria and their appreciation of the value that each and every Nigerian has in making it a country

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS

Ă?ĂĄĂ? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Davidson Iriekpen Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; davidson.iriekpen@thisdaylive.com, 08111813081

Army Report: Senior Military Officers Denied US, UK Visas over Rights Abuses Army exonerates self of allegations Paul Obi Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The United States and British embassies in Nigeria has withdrawn and denied entry visa to some serving and retired Nigerian Army (NA) officers, a report of a Board of Inquiry set up by the army to investigate allegations of human rights abuses by the military in the country, has revealed. This is even as the Nigerian Army exonerated itself over allegations in its confrontations and treatment of Boko Haram terrorists and internally displayed persons (IDPs) in its operations in the Northeast, as well as members and sypathisers of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The report was presented late yesterday by the Head of the Nigerian Army Civil Relations, Maj-Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, alongside the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman. The army had set up the Board of Inquiry to investigate the allegations contained in a series of Amnesty International reports accusing military officer of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings during their engagements with Boko Haram and IDPs in the North-east, and member of IPOB in the South-east. Curiously, the board members that carried out the investigation into the rights abuses were all absent at the presentation of the report by officials of army headquarters in Abuja. Angbazo, while presenting the report, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will recall that Amnesty International (AI), in their reports about the NA in the North-east, had alleged cases of arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture, forced disappearance and extrajudicial executions against some senior army officers. Likewise it alleged same case against the NA regarding IPOB. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board limited its

investigation to the roles played by the NA during the rallies by IPOB in Aba on 9 Feb, 2016 and Onitsha on 29-30 May 2016. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The AI alleged that on 9 Feb 2016, during a peaceful rally by IPOB at the National High School in Aba, Abia State about 17 of its members were killed and 30 injured by personnel of the NA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;AI also alleged that it had evidence of mass extrajudicial executions by security forces, including at least 60 people shot dead in the space of 29-30 May 2016 in connection with events to mark Biafra Remembrance Day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board reviewed videos, photographs and eyewitness testimonies relating to demonstations and other gatherings of IPOB members provided by non-government and military sources. The Board also had extensive discussions with the governors and senior government officials of Abia and Anambra States. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board visited the National High School, Abia where it was alleged that members of the IPOB were shot by security forces on 9 Feb 2016. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board met with the schools security man on duty on the said day (name withheld). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board took note of the AI allegation that the bodies of at least 13 members of the IPOB allegedly killed at the National High School, Aba were buried in a shallow pit along the Aba-PortHarcourt expressway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board observed that there was no specific description of the location of the alleged shallow pit in the AI report.â&#x20AC;? On the incident on May 30 2016, Angbazo stated that with regards to that incident at St. Edmundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church Nkpor, where AI had alleged that soldiers opened fire on worshippers in the church compound, members of the board had held individual

Adeosun: FG to Sign Convention on Treaties to End Tax Evasion Omololu Ogunmade Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has said that the federal government will soon sign a multilateral convention on the implementation of tax treaties that would stem tax evasion by multinationals operating in the country and illicit funds flows. The minister made the disclosure at the end of yesterdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, stating that council had approved a memorandum presented by her ministry to proceed to sign a multilateral convention on the implementation of tax treaties. The minister who said the move was to prevent base erosion and profit shifting which she said had not been profitable to Nigeria, especially

in view of the administrationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to the task of revenue generation and revenue mobilisation. Adeosun explained that the treaties, to which Nigeria is a signatory, would stop major companies that evade tax through base erosion and profit shifting. In view of the existing treaties, she further explained that profit made, for instance, in Nigeria, through accounting means, would be shifted to countries, which imposed little or no tax. According to her, the arrangement implies that a country where profits were generated will not be paid taxes, while the profit made in that country would be declared in countries that provide tax

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on Pg 48

and group discussions with the resident priest (name withheld) of the church, the chief security officer of the church and residents within the vicinity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board found that there were protests by IPOB members at Aba on 6 Feb 16 and at Onitsha on 30 May 16. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board found that the IPOB protests were not peaceful and that the lives and properties of citizens in the protest areas were threatened. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the words of one of the governors that met with the Board â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the IPOB may have set out to have a peaceful protest, however, criminals infiltrated their ranks and turned these protests into violent onesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In particular, the board found that IPOB members converged at Onitsha on 29 May 2016 to mark the anniversary of the declaration of the Sovereign

State of Biafra. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board also found that the IPOB members occupied the Niger bridgehead, stopping free flow of traffic and threatened to blow it up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That it was the inability of the Nigeria Police to enforce law and order that led to the deployment of the military. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board found that there was a joint operation of the police and the NA to contain the protesters on all the days when there were protests. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board notes the statement of governors and senior officials interviews revealed that there were no reports of any killings by the military on any of the days of the protests and they had no information of 13 persons allegedly buried in a shallow grave along the Aba-Port Harcourt expressway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board notes that the

statement of the gateman at the National High School, Aba, who testified that he heard gunshots and stated that he saw one person fall to the ground. He could not recollect what happened to that person,â&#x20AC;? Angbazo said. He stressed that the board also interacted with the Anambra State governor, state Commissioner of Police, State Director of DSS and some residents. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They testified that no one was killed during the incident at Onitsha bridgehead. However, the police report showed that 14 people were arrested on the day,â&#x20AC;? he said. On North-East, Angbazo quoted copiously from the report of Amnesty International, stating: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Board observed that in all AI reports on the human rights situation in Nigeria, specifically as it concerns military operations

in the North-east, allegations of human rights violations were made against units, formations and personnel of the NA in general. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, in its report, reference above, specific mention was made against certain senior officers who Amnesty International believed should be investigated for the war crimes of murder, enforced disappearance and torture. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;During this period, AI documented arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention of thousands of people in inhumane conditions, the deaths in custody of large numbers of detainees, and extrajudicial executions by top the command. Maj.-Gen. Ahmadu Mohammed was the Commander 7 Div from 24 Feb till 16 May (year not given). â&#x20AC;&#x153;During this period, AI

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on Pg 13

STRATEGIC MEETING ON BRASS LNG

Bayelsa Governor Seriake Dickson (left), and Chairman, Board of Directors of Brass LNG, Mr. Gaius Obaseki, at a meeting on the actualisation of the Brass LNG project in Lagos.... yesterday

CBN Alerts Banks of Five Persons Designated asÂ Global Terrorists Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has alerted financial institutions under its regulation to be mindful in dealing with five persons that the United States of America has labelled as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT). It listed the persons to include Mark John Taylor, El Shafee Elsheik, Anjem Choudary, Sami Bouras and Shane Crawford. The bank stated this in a letter that was signed by its Director, Other Financial Institutions, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, posted on its website yesterday. It stated: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The CBN is in receipt of a letter dated May 11, 2017, from the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs in reference to a Note Verbale from the Embassy of the United States of America in Abuja informing the Government of Nigeria of the designation of Mark John Taylor, El Shafee Elsheik, Anjem Choudary, Sami Bouras and Shane Crawford as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is for your information and neccesary action. Please be guided accordingly.â&#x20AC;? SDGT is a designation authorised under US Executive Order 13224, among other executive orders, and Title 31, Parts 595, 596, and 597 of the US Code of Federal Regulations, among other US laws and regulations. People or entities are designated as SDGT under

Executive Order 13224 by the United States Department of State or the US Department of the Treasury. SDGTs are entities and individuals who the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) finds have committed or pose a significant risk of committing acts of terrorism, or who OFAC finds provide support, services, or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists and terrorist organisations designated under OFAC Counter Terrorism Sanctions programs, as well as such personsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; subsidiaries, front organisations, agents, or associates. They are designated under OFACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmes. The designation SDGT is one of several types of designations

of persons to whom one or more OFAC-administered sanctions apply; these include countryspecific and counter narcotics trafficking, non-proliferation, and transnational criminal organisation-related sanctions, and potentially under sanctions related to illicit trading in rough diamonds, although this had not been applied of early November 2011. OFAC publishes an integrated list of persons designated under its various sanctions programmes that is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Specially Designated Nationals List,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; under which SDGT listings are included. Individuals and companies designated as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Specially Designated Nationalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;SDNs.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Osinbajo Orders Payment of $2bn Outstanding Subsidy Claims Kachikwu: Structural defects may derail 2019 target to end petrol imports Ejiofor Alike ËØÎ Chineme Okafor ÓØ ÌßÔË Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has directed the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun to pay oil marketers all outstanding subsidy claims, which the marketers estimated at about $2 billion, THISDAY has learnt. This is coming as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has stated that structured difficulties, such as denial of approval for processes, delays by relevant government agencies, and opposition by the public could make the 2019 target to end importation of petrol unrealistic. THISDAY had reported that the capacity of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) to import petroleum products had been impaired due to the huge unpaid subsidy claims and mature letters of credit (LCs) arising from the old subsidy regime. As a result, the acting president, it was learnt, recently summoned a meeting with oil marketers, in which Adeosun, Kachikwu and the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, were in attendance. At the end of the meeting,

Osinbajo was said to have directed the finance minister to, within two weeks, resolve the problem of the outstanding subsidy claims owed marketers. The petroleum minister was also said to have confirmed the federal government’s indebtedness to marketers and urged the government to do everything possible to clear the debts so that marketers could commence importation of petrol, as only the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) currently imports the product. But in a communiqué issued yesterday at the end of their meeting in Lagos, DAPPMA stated that the claims, which they estimated at N800 billion, were still outstanding and appealed to the acting president to intervene urgently to ensure prompt payment. The communiqué, which was signed by their legal adviser, Mr. Patrick Etim said the payment of the outstanding debt would enable the marketers resume importation of petrol. Etim, who confirmed that Osinbajo held a meeting with the marketers on May 22, where he directed the finance minister to pay all verified claims, added that oil marketers actually borrowed over $1.2 billion from the banks for importation, while interest on the loans and

foreign exchange differentials had accumulated over time. “Some of our members have resorted to staff retrenchment due to inactivity, the marketers said. Besides, our worst fear is that AMCON (Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria) at some point may take over our firms as a result of the debts. “It is for these reasons and other challenges facing the downstream petroleum sub-sector that we seek government’s intervention to approve immediate payment of the debt,” Etim said. According to the marketers, foreign exchange differentials, which arose as a result of the initial devaluation of the naira by the last administration and the interest payable due to delayed reimbursement by the government, have not been fully settled by the appropriate federal government agencies, despite the government’s approval to pay the marketers. “The recent further devaluation of the naira from N195 to N285 and later to over

N305 to $1, while the federal government agencies based their reimbursement calculation on N197 to $1, has left members our association with additional debts in excess of N300 billion. “The downstream sub-sector is now saddled with a debt burden of over N400 billion, which keeps rising because the banks are still charging interests on it until the total debt is fully liquidated. “The outstanding matured letters of credit are currently over $1.2billion. Because many Nigerian banks were involved in raising the funds, the entire Nigerian banking system is at risk on account of these transactions,” Etim added. In a related development, Kachikwu stated yesterday that he might not be able to deliver on his target to end petrol importation in 2019 if he does not get the kind of support needed to achieve the target. Kachikwu said in his monthly podcast that while it was completely uneconomical for Nigeria to continue to import petroleum products, time was

not on the side of the country to achieve the target and called on Nigerians and all the relevant stakeholders to support the plan. He explained in the podcast that Nigeria imported approximately 20 metric tonnes of petroleum products valued at about N3.35 trillion between January and December 2016. For this volume of petroleum import, Kachikwu stated that the CBN allocated as much as 30 per cent of its foreign exchange to the petroleum sector. “Timing is of the essence, I cannot deliver on the 2019 deadline that I am seeking if I have difficulties in terms of approval processes. We have already been given some partial support by the president in the fast track process of this; we need to continue that fast track process. “If we get delayed by the regulatory authorities, it will be a problem, if we get delayed by any of our agencies, which are supposed to participate in this, it will be problem,” Kachikwu said. He further stated: “2019 will

only be relevant if all of us work together to deliver it and I think that for the Nigerian people, if there is something that we need to deliver and deliver as of yesterday, it is getting these refineries to buckle up and begin to work; produce for the Nigerian people; save foreign exchange; provide labour; and stabilise the market downstream. “Although we have obliterated the upfront payment of subsidy, there is a huge amount of job losses that arise when you do not utilise your refineries 100 per cent. “We decided to do one thing which is target 2019 as a year when we would walk towards ceasing importation of petroleum products and therefore get more advantages in terms of FX conservation; job creation; stability of the market place in terms of pricing; stability of production; and finally gaining access on level of credibility as an OPEC member oil producing country which has been able to transit from importation to local processing.”

Dickson Expresses Commitment to Actualise Brass LNG Project Holds crucial meeting with top executives in Lagos In line with his campaign by creating jobs for over 18 promise to continuously attract thousand people at the peak investments to Bayelsa State, of construction alone, for the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson project also has licenses for has swiftly moved to actualise Seaport, Airport and Free the $20 billion Brass LNG project Trade Zone. The provision of job opportunities will engender in the state. In an interaction with Dr. development in the region, Jackson Gaius- Obaseki, the reduce youth restiveness, Chairman Board of Directors crime and above all, build of the Brass LNG project in peace amongst communities. Lagos on Tuesday, Dickson The multiplier effect of all of declared the total commitment these is that, the Brass LNG of the state government and project will complement our good people of Bayelsa State vision of taking Bayelsa State to bring the project to fruition to the world and bringing the world to Bayelsa State.’’ in the shortest possible time. A statement signed on The governor said the government would do Tuesday by the Commissioner everything possible to ensure for Trade, Industry and that the project stays on course. Investment, Kemela Okara, As part of his commitment to noted that the governor the project, the Governor said promised to collaborate and Bayelsa State Government has partner the federal government already allotted an office space to create the enabling to Brass LNG at the Investment environment and provide the Towers in Yenagoa to facilitate needed political will for the the sharing of investable successful take-off of the project within the shortest possible time. information. The project was initiated in Aside opening up the state and boosting the state economy, December 2003 and has NNPC, the governor believes the Brass ENI and Total as shareholders. One of its founding LNG project, when completed would also help to quicken his shareholders, Conoco-Phillips, government’s vision of taking divested its shares in 2014 due Bayelsa State to the world and to a global rationalisation of its investment in Africa. bringing the world to the state! The project has the capacity of “I am passionate about the Brass LNG project because it producing about eight million will boost the Bayelsa economy metric tonnes of LNG of two and the Niger Delta in general trains per annum.

SWEET VICTORY

Senate President, Bukola Saraki. acknowledging cheers from his supporters after the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) dismissed the false declaration of assets charge brought against him in Abuja....yesterday

Appeal Court Sets Aside Orubebe’s Conviction for False Assets Declaration Alex Enumah ÓØ ÌßÔË The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja yesterday set aside the conviction of a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, by the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for false declaration of some of his assets when he served as a minister. Following his arraignment by the federal government in 2015 and his subsequent trial, Orubebe was convicted by the CCT for failing to declare some of his assets as a minister in line with the public service rule. He was first arraigned on November 9, 2015 on a four-

count charge of false asset declaration and accepting bribe. He was also accused of failing to declare a plot of land in Asokoro, Abuja allegedly owned by him. However, the three-man panel of the Appeal Court in a judgment delivered yesterday in Abuja, held that the tribunal headed by Danladi Umar, erred in its judgment convicting Orubebe for failing to declare the Asokoro property even when he had already sold the said property. In the lead judgment read by Justice Abdul Aboki, the panel faulted the CCT’s conclusions in its October 4, 2016 judgment

and proceeded to discharge and acquit Orubebe. The judge held that the issue before the tribunal was not declaration of title, but false declaration of assets and as such the unregistered instrument of transfer are admissible in proof of the payment of purchase price, which showed that Divention Properties Limited had acquired the property. The CCT had dismissed Orubebe’s claim that he sold the plot of land to the Managing Director of Divention Properties Limited, Akinwumi Ajibola, for N10 million in 2011 and deployed the proceed to

pay his rent. Umar, in the lead judgment said after analysing all the testimonies given by Orubebe, it was difficult to understand why the property he claimed to have sold about six years ago still remained registered in his name at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Land Administration. Umar said: “To the tribunal, this is very absurd and not credible. The tribunal observed that under the Lands Instrument Registration Law, the DW1 (Ajibola) was under obligation to register/ document his right over Plot 2057.”

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017Ëž T H I S D AY

NEWS

Atiku: Nigerians Must Talk to Each Other, Not at Each Other Onyebuchi Ezigbo Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x2039; The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has said Nigerians must talk to each other and not at each other. Atiku was reacting to astatement credited to the President of the South-west chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nathaniel Uzomah, that he (Atiku) has been silent in the wake of the ultimatum issued by a coalition of northern youth to the Igbos to leave the North, called for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians. In a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, the former vice president described the claims by Uzomah â&#x20AC;&#x153;as blatant falsehoodâ&#x20AC;? claims by Uzomah that he has been silent in the wake of the ultimatum. Uzomah was reported in a section of the media on Monday as claiming that Atiku was among northern leaders who

had maintained silence following last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultimatum. However, in the statement issued yesterday, Ibe said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would not have dignified Uzomah with a response but for the implication of the intended mischief of the listing of the name of the former vice president. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku had on June 7, 2017 issued a statement chastising the northern youth coalition for the ultimatum to Igbos to vacate the North. He also took exception to the counter response by a South-east group, warning that such a scenario was a recipe for crisis.â&#x20AC;? Ibe referred to Atikuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s press statement of June 7, where he restated his abhorrence to the shocking ultimatum by a northern youth coalition to the Igbos to quit the region and the counter response by a South-east group.

The statement quoted Atiku as having said the youthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unwarranted rhetoric is provocative, reckless and poses great threat to national security and peaceful co-existence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Atiku reminds everyone that the South-east and the North are two regions united by a common history. Some of the most prominent Southeasterners actually had their humble beginnings in the North. Nnamdi Azikiwe and

Odumegwu Ojukwu were both born in Zungeru, Niger State. Many others, too numerous to mention, were also birthed in the North and vice versa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By virtue of their age, many of our youths may not know that the first elected mayor of Enugu was Umaru Altine, a Fulani from Northern Nigeria elected in 1956. Or that a year later a South easterner, Felix Okonkwo, was appointed a member of the Northern Nigeria House of Chiefs.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With such rich legacies, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to allow misguided elements to divide us. Nigerians must talk to each other, not at each other. The whole of Nigeria is greater than the sum of her parts,â&#x20AC;? he said In the statement, Atiku also commended the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for rising up to the challenge posed by northern youthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ultimatum to Igbos by initiating dialogue with leaders of the

zones. He also expressed his commitment and willingness to avail the government of the benefits of his experiences in forging lasting peace and stability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Atiku believes that we must all become one until, our enemies are none! That Nigeria is one united country because we, who are committed to Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unity are more than those few who are not,â&#x20AC;? the statement said.

ARMY REPORT: SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS DENIED US, UK VISAS OVER RIGHTS ABUSES documented arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention of thousands of people in inhumane conditions, the deaths in custody of large numbers of detainees, and extrajudicial executions under his command. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was in charge of military operations when the military executed more than 640 detainees who escaped from Giwa barracks after a Boko Haram attack. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maj.-Gen. Austin O. Edokpayi was Commander of the MNJTF based in Baga from at least Apr 13 until Dec 13 (year not given), where Nigerian soldiers were responsible for arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention, the extrajudicial executions of more than 185 people on Apr 13, and death in custody at the Baga detention facility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brig.-Gen. RO Bamigboye (rtd) was commander of the 21 Armoured Brigade (stationed in Giwa Barracks) from Feb 12 till Sep 13 (year not given). He was in charge of the barracks during the period when at least 5,000 detainees died in custody, and when torture and ill-treatment where used routinely. â&#x20AC;&#x153;AI further alleged that a number of high-level military commanders should be investigated for their potential command responsibility for crimes committed by their subordinates, on the basis that they knew or should have known about the commission of the crimes and failed to take adequate action to prevent the commission of war crimes to stop the commission of war crimes, and to take all steps necessary to ensure the alleged perpetrators were brought to justice in fair trials. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These officers are: Lt.Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, former COAS (Chief of Army Staff), Admiral Ola Saâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ad Ibrahim, former CDS

(Chief of Defence Staff), Air Chief Marsahl Alex Badeh, former CDS, Lt.-Gen. KTJ Minimah, COAS.â&#x20AC;? Angbazo further revealed that the board noted despite the fact that there was no finding of human rights abuses against any serving or retired military officers by any court of law or military Board of Inquiry, at least two diplomatic missions either revoked or denied their country entry visas to a number of senior officers who held command responsibilities during the military operations in the North-east. The committee also exonerated the army of any alleged sexual abuse of IDPs in the North-east, he added. Angbazo also revealed that these allegations led to the withdrawal and denial of U.S. and UK visas to some serving and retired senior officers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There were cases of officers whose names did not appear in the allegation but were also denied visas. â&#x20AC;&#x153;AHQ (army headquarters) subsequently conducted an investigation and disseminated the reports to all relevant authorities, including the U.S. authorities through the DA (defence attachĂŠ) Washington. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The U.S. however conveyed its dissatisfaction with the report and requested that a more comprehensive inquiry be conducted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thus a Special BOI (Board of Inquiry) was constituted to investigate the allegations,â&#x20AC;? Angbazo disclosed. The panel had Maj.-Gen. AT Jibrin (rtd.) as president. Other members included Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, Col. PC Izukanne (rtd.), Mr. Tony Ojukwu, Brig.Gen. A Dadan-Garba (rtd.), Brig.-Gen. OL Olayinka, Col. LB Mohammed, Col. UM Wambai and Lt.-Col. CM Akaliro as secretary.

MAKING REDDINGTON WORLD-CLASS

R-L: Group Medical Director, Reddington Hospital, Dr. Olutunde Lalude; Consultant Physician, Dr. Misbah Oleolo; Guest Speaker, Prof. Rasheed Arogundade; Head of Radiologist , Reddinton, Dr. James Ogunshina; and Business Development Director, Mr. Andy Cunliffe. during the launch of The Lifescan Medical Check-up Programme by the Reddington Wellness Centre in association with GE Healthcare in Lagos.....yesterday

Global Oil Supply to Exceed 100mbpd in 2018, Says IEA Uganda to sign exploration deal with Oranto Petroleum today Ejiofor Alike ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Growth in crude oil supply next year is expected to exceed an anticipated pick-up in demand that will push global consumption above 100 million barrels per day (bpd) for the first time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said. This is coming as Uganda will today sign production sharing agreements with a Nigerian firm, Oranto Petroleum International, to enable the company begin exploration work, the government has said. Oranto Petroleum International, promoted by Chief Arthur Eze, was among a number of companies that bid in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first competitive oil exploration licencing round in 2016, with two other Nigerian firms. The Paris-based IEA said production outside the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would grow twice as quickly in 2018 as it will do this year, when OPEC and 11 partner nations have restrained output. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For total non-OPEC production, we expect production to grow by 700,000 bpd this year, but our first outlook for 2018 makes sobering reading for those producers looking to restrain supply,â&#x20AC;? the IEA said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 2018, we expect non-OPEC

production to grow by 1.5 million bpd which is slightly more than the expected increase in global demand.â&#x20AC;? Global benchmark, Brent crude futures yesterday extended losses after the IEA report, falling 64 cents to $48.08 a barrel, from around $48.26 prior to the release of the report. Oil inventories across the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most industrial nations rose in April by 18.6 million barrels to 3.045 billion barrels, thanks to higher refinery output and imports. The IEA said stocks were 292 million barrels above the five-year average. The agency continued to forecast an implied shortfall in supply relative to demand for the second quarter of this year. But it said slowing demand growth in China and Europe in particular, as well as increasing supply, meant the deficit should narrow to 500,000 bpd from a prior estimate of 700,000. Â OPEC and 11 rival exporters, including Russia, have agreed to extend a deal to limit supply by 1.8 million bpd to March 2018, in order to cut global inventory levels. Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, has reiterated the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to do â&#x20AC;&#x153;whatever it takesâ&#x20AC;? to force a drawdown in global inventory levels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have regularly counselled

that patience is required on the part of those looking for the rebalancing of the oil market, and new data leads us to repeat the message.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Whatever it takesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; might be the mantra, but the current form of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;whateverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is not having as quick an impact as expected. Indeed, based on our current outlook for 2017 and 2018, incorporating the scenario that OPEC countries continue to comply with their output agreement, stocks might not fall to the desired level until close to the expiry of the agreement in March 2018,â&#x20AC;? the IEA said. Rising output from the United States has been one of the main factors behind the stubbornly high stock levels and the IEA estimates US production will continue to grow aggressively into next year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our first look at 2018 suggests that U.S. crude oil production will grow year-on-year by 780,000 but such is the dynamism of this extraordinary, very diverse industry it is possible that growth will be faster,â&#x20AC;? the agency said. The forecast for US total oil production for 2017 has been revised 90,000 bpd higher, to average 13.1 million bpd, following further rig additions and increased spending. Crude oil output from OPEC nations rose by 290,000 bpd in May to a 2017 high of 32.08 million bpd, still within the confines of the supply deal, after comebacks in Libya and Nigeria, which are exempt from

cuts. Compared to May 2016, OPEC crude oil production was down by 65,000 bpd, the IEA said. NonOPEC output rose by 295,000 bpd month-on-month in May to 57.8 million bpd, 1.25 million bpd higher than a year earlier. In a related development, Uganda will today sign two oil production sharing agreements with Oranto Petroleum International. Reuters quoted the ministry of energy and mineral development as saying that the deal with Oranto covers the Ngassa Shallow Play and Ngassa Deep Play exploration blocks located near the southern part of Lake Albert. Uganda discovered oil in 2006 in the Albertine rift basin along its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gross crude oil reserves are estimated by government geologists at 6.5 billion barrels of which between 1.4 and 1.7 billion barrels are considered recoverable. Production is expected to start in 2020. The first batch of licences that Uganda awarded in the early 2000s was given on a first-come, first-served basis. But after the discovery of commercially recoverable reserves, the country enacted new laws to manage the sector and under those laws, exploration licences must be granted on a competitive basis.Â

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

COMMENT

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

NIGERIA AND THE DRUMBEATS OF WAR Nigerians should stand up for unity, peace, equity and justice, writes Adesoji Adesugba

he year1966 is playing itself out again in Nigeria. Today, I can hear the sound of the drums like I did then. The noise of the call to war. I was not too young in the late 1960s to know about the civil war in my country. Of course, I vividly recall an enemy plane bombing Lagos during the war. I was out playing soccer with my friends when the bombs hit somewhere in the Yaba area of Lagos. I recall how we all scampered to our various homes. Though living in Lagos, far away we thought from the scene of war, the consequences of such situations were visible to us, kids, as we were, when refugees from the front lines, arrived the city in droves in different sad conditions with their tales of woes. For those who do not know or pretend not to know the effects of war, they need not go far to see today’s devastation of Northeastern Nigeria from the Boko Haram insurgency. If they are not satisfied, they can check footages of the wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Syria on YouTube. The scenario is horrible. Life will become different as we know it. Humanity will become less than animals. We will descend to the abyss of hell without actually dying. People shall wish for death in the midst of death, and pain, blood, and grief shall be everyday companions of those in a land that once knew peace. Then the value of peace shall dawn on the actors, but it will be difficult to find. Let us note that all our friends and brothers in Nigeria who have nothing to do with this awful propaganda will be made to go Eastwards where they have no bearings or ties. Mind you, since the Southeast of Nigeria is landlocked those who seek the State of Biafra will continue to insist on including parts of the South-South of Nigeria, and of course we should expect disagreements. Conflicts and disagreements such as this are what start wars. Those who will suffer most are children, women and old people. Of course, expect the maiming and killing of many youths in their prime as they will be the ones to do the battle. Do not forget the millions of people (mostly the young) who were killed by both sides during the Nigerian civil war. For all those who are keeping quiet now, know that you will not have the chance to speak as you would now once

LET US AVOID THE CARNAGE THAT MAY TAKE THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF NIGERIA. TALK IS CHEAPER THAN WAR, AND IT IS THE ONLY OPTION THAT WILL EVENTUALLY SETTLE OUR DIFFERENCES

the war starts. We all have the opportunity to speak out for peace now. Now is the time to blow the ember of a peaceful coexistence and not war. Now is the time to form groups for peace. Now is the time to use your social media platforms to preach the gospel of peace to your followers. I am yet to see groups like Igboland Against War (IAW), Yorubas Against War (YAW), Hausa Against War (HAW), Igbos love Nigeria (ILN), Yorubas for an Equitable Nigeria (YEN), Hausas for One Nigeria (HON), dominate the social discussion. Let us avoid the carnage that may take the lives of millions of Nigeria. Talk is cheaper than war, and it is the only option that will eventually settle our differences. In war, all sides will lose and eventually there will always be devastation, more hatred, unfulfilled dreams, suspicion, loss of lives and property, economic and political collapse. Even the little we have now won’t be there, food will be scarce, families will be separated, our daughters will be forced by the war into prostitution, our children will be conscripted to fight a war they do not understand, death shall be our daily companion, and human life will become worthless. As for those who would have caused the carnage, the high and mighty, the wealthy political elite, they will run abroad and leave the poor and middle class to bear the brunt. Countries will shut their borders, and many will be trapped in the hellhole that Nigeria will become. We can yet avoid this seemingly impending Hiroshima. Let the political elite from all the warring ethnic groups this time around, and sincerely too, sit down and work out the modalities for equity, justice, and peaceful coexistence, as we all stand to gain as a united Nigeria. Let all our brothers, sisters, wives and husbands stand up to speak for unity, peace, equity, and justice. There are more Igbo outside Igboland than inside. Yorubas, Hausas, Ibibios, Ogoris, Idomas and indeed all Nigerians stand to lose everything and gain nothing from this act that is playing out. Everyone will be affected by war, so, before it becomes irreversible let this death-bearing vehicle stop and move no more. Prof. Adesugba, an Economic Development Specialist, wrote from Abuja

STIRRING BAD BLOOD James Aboki writes that Darius Ishaku is committed to peace and development in Taraba

t is no longer in doubt that there are subterranean attempts to sabotage peace that presently reigns in Taraba State. While the government is working hard to ensure that peace is sustained, some people are walking peace in the opposite direction and are using every instrument of public information to achieve their evil goal. This is unpatriotic to say the least.

A few days ago, a radio station – Dandalkura International – allowed one of its programmes to be used to promote falsehood on the recent crisis in some communities in the Taraba South senatorial zone. A member of the Miyetti Allah Fulani Cattle Breeders Association who featured on the programme blatantly accused the Taraba State government of doing less than expected about the crisis and as a result of which many of the victims were still unable to return to their homes for fear of being attacked. Nothing can be further from the truth. The promotion of peace is a critical programme of the present administration in Taraba State. The Ishaku administration came into the state at a time the state was in turmoil. He called for peace with his famous mantra – “Give me peace and I will give you development.” He took the Olive branch to all nooks and crannies of the state, sometimes at the risk to his personal safety. The people listened and they honoured him by embracing peace. It is, therefore, unfair, if not mischievous, for the same person or his administration to be accused of doing less to promote peace. The truth is that the peace that the state is enjoying today is a product of Governor Ishaku’s sweat. And the sustenance of peace in the state remains a cardinal part of his agenda. There is no day and time that he had the opportunity to talk to the people, be it public or private forum,

that he did not preach peace. Those who recently went on a radio station to accuse him and his administration of bias and not doing enough for peace in the state should cry onto their God for forgiveness for turning the truth tragically on its head. No past administration in the state showed as much commitment to peace and sacrificed so much for it as that of Governor Ishaku. It was prompt and decisive in its handling of the present case. The administration promptly dispatched a high-powered delegation led by the Secretary to the Government of Taraba State, Mr Anthony Jellason, to the crisis spots in the affected Local Government Areas. Members of the team included security men and other influential persons from those communities. They met and pacified victims on both sides of the divide and gathered information on their immediate needs for succour. The team promptly arranged for people who were displaced to be taken to care centres where caregivers sent by government were waiting to attend to them. This was done and, I say this for the sake of emphasis, on both sides of the divide. Even those who expressed preference for particular camps for the displaced persons were granted their wish. Cows abandoned by their fleeing owners were taken to military barracks by persons appointed to do so by the team. Large consignments of relief materials were then ferried to all the refugee camps created by the government team. There was nothing more that government was expected to do that was left undone. Thereafter, the team submitted a detailed report to Governor Ishaku on the crises. That report has proved a useful document for the decision government has further taken to bring about stability in the affected communities. The

governor subsequently held several meetings with various interest groups and security agencies in connection with the crisis. With these steps taken, how can anybody in his right senses accuse government of negligence and bias? In fact, if government had not taken these steps, those who spoke against the governor and the government on Dandalkura would not have been able to get to the station alive. Herein lies the nakedness of their allegations. Peace is a necessity for progress in every society. Nobody can walk around and do anything meaningful in a community where people are at war. Just as everybody needs peace in order to do anything meaningful, every individual must contribute meaningfully for peace to be attained and sustained. Peace cannot be fully attained and sustained if some people are, for selfish reasons, promoting ideas and sentiments that can lead to a breakdown of law and order. The ideas and sentiments expressed recently on Radio Dandalkura belong here and it is unfortunate. Such ideas cannot help the peace process in Taraba State. The main cause of crises in Taraba and many other states in Nigeria today is herdsmen invasion on farms and attacks on farmers. These have often resulted in violent and bloody conflagration for which the federal and affected state governments are cracking their heads for a workable solution. The modest effort required from individuals in the affected communities is to support such efforts and not to resort to media propaganda that can only inflame rather than douse bitterness and acrimony. Governor Ishaku is a leading opinion on the need for a comprehensive policy on grazing that will adequately accommodate the interests of herdsmen’s flock. He has always advocated that ranching is the best alternative and that all

state government should make provision for the development of that policy. It is, indeed, the right way to go. The present practice whereby cattle wander into farms and eat crops, the economic resource of those individuals, cannot help our national drive for food security and should not continue. Something must be done quickly to safeguard the farms and that must be built on a policy that restricts the herdsmen and their flocks from wandering into people’s farms and eating up crops. Such a practice is no longer acceptable in this present age and times. And now for the management of Dandalkura Radio International and other members of the media, some words of caution. They must realise that the instruments of mass information that they control are sensitive and powerful. Their deployment must help the society to develop and prosper and not facilitate its destruction and denigration. That is the reason they must sieve and choose very carefully what they disseminate for public consumption. They must reject the idea of allowing their organs of mass information to be used to preach hate and other sentiments that divide rather than unite the people, no matter the temptation. Peace in Taraba will not be compromised for whatever reason. The government has sacrificed a lot to achieve the present level of peace. For Ishaku, it is forward ever and backward never on peace and development. What the people owe him is their support. They can do so by becoming more patient and tolerant of other people and their opinions. They can also help by not promoting ideas and sentiments that are injurious to the peace process. Everybody is in a position to do something to help achieve peace. It is not a government project to be executed by government alone. Aboki wrote from Jalingo, Taraba State

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

EDITORIAL SENATE AND THE ANTI-GRAFT LAW The executive bill passed by the Senate will help in tracking down corrupt elements

he Senate recently passed a bill to enhance the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti-corruption war by ensuring that suspects do not evade justice locally and enjoy the proceeds of their crimes abroad. This followed the adoption of the report of its Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, AntiCorruption and Financial Crimes, and Foreign Affairs. An executive bill, it is for mutual assistance in criminal matters between Nigeria and other foreign states to facilitate the identiďŹ cation, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery, forfeiture and conďŹ scation of proceeds, property and other instrumentalities of crimes. It is intended to provide a legal framework that will strengthen the ďŹ ght against corruption, terrorism, economic and ďŹ nancial crimes, money laundering and other related offences. The bill is also intended to effect the temporary transfer of persons in custody to assist in investigations or appear as witnesses, facilitate obtaining and preserving of computer data, and providing any other assistance that is not contrary to the law of the requestTHE ANTI-GRAFT ing state. AGENCIES HAVE TO GET In summary, the MORE SERIOUS AND bill, which provides THOROUGH WITH THEIR to repeal the Money INVESTIGATIONS Laundering Act of 2011 prohibits money laundering activities, expands the scope of money laundering offences, provides protection for employees of various institutions and provides appropriate penalties for offences. When concurred to by the House of Representatives, and signed into law by the President (which is expected since it is an executive bill) Nigeria would be able to request that any country where a money laundering suspect is resident can prosecute such person in line with the relevant laws of that country. Nigeria can also supply such country with evidence to further the case against the suspect. This bill is therefore considered a critical component

Letters to the Editor

of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anti-corruption war, which would facilitate the required collaboration to prevent individuals from escaping prosecution and justice by taking refuge in another country. In this age of globalisation and the increasing cross border form of crimes, the passage of this bill is commendable. While some may choose to criticise the bill as an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;outsourcingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of justice, it remains a legal process to ensure justice against criminals, and deterring potential money launderers for whatever purposes. In this case, the law is a necessary means to an end, where the eyes should be kept on the prize.

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e commend the passage of the bill. But it is necessary to point out that without the necessary political will, the aims and objectives of the bill would not be achieved. We have always canvassed the need to build strong institutions, and we are again doing that. Anti- corruption agencies that are subject to the whims of the powers that be would not be effective in implementing this law. For instance: would the authorities have the courage to seek transfer of a crony of the president or be willing to supply necessary evidence that could ensure the conviction of someone in the good books of the president? This consideration is necessary particularly as cases of corruption seem to ďŹ zzle out the moment a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;suspectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; politician renounces his party and decamps to the ruling one. Again, the anti-graft agencies themselves have to get more serious and thorough with their investigations. Media trials would not be enough to secure convictions in climes where the justice system is based on facts, and not sensationalism or hearsay. These are not enough even in local courts as evidenced by the inability to secure any notable conviction despite the mudslinging of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;suspectsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of stolen national funds in the recent times. The message therefore is clear: If the anti-graft agencies do not get their act together, invest time in credible and reliable investigations, partnership countries would not take Nigeria serious.

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

BEYOND THE RAZZMATAZZ OF LAGOS AT 50

litziness, pageantry and vibes are some of the unique features of Lagos State. This is expectedly so, perhaps, because of the position of the state as the entertainment hub of Africa. The vibrancy and vibes of the state came into full expression at the just concluded Lagos @ 50 celebration where the various activities put together to celebrate the golden jubilee of the state created on May 27, 1967 was the centre of attraction throughout the period. The just concluded roadmap activities for the celebration of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Golden Jubilee started with the simulation of the Three Wise Men of Lagos â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Agbagba Metaâ&#x20AC;? across the metropolis through several entertaining and educative shows and talks to the May 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 29 concerts, featuring new, old and legend musical artists. The concerts came to a climax at the wee hour of May 29 with astonishing fireworks. All these activities have not only created a brand for Lagos but have further drew attention of the international community to the Centre of Excellence and reaffirmed the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position as the entertainment hub of the continent. To a cheeky layman, the celebration was nothing but a show of glamour in line with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Eko for showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; signature of Lagos. But then, beyond the glamour, the golden jubilee celebration presented a golden opportunity to open up, strengthen and cement diverse economic relationships with other states and indeed the world at large. The governor had said that in the midst of the celebration lies the journey to lay a template that would make the future better than today, adding that important new chapter containing fresh

pages of politics, development and renewed economic reengineering in Lagos State begins. The state has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. The future promises even greater advancement as Lagos works with focus towards becoming a smart city, commercial and industrial hub of sub-Saharan Africa. At the first census in 1871, the city was home to just over 28,000 people; by 1952, the population stood at over 252,000. In the 1970s, estimates ranged from 600,000 to 1,500,000. These figures are not necessarily accurate, but show the phenomenal growth of the state over the years. Lagos presently has over 20 million residents. There were no train services in the city; the closest train station was at Ă&#x152;ddĂł, on the bridgehead to the island. The automobile is thus the best means by which to get to the city. There were no traffic tailbacks, or â&#x20AC;&#x153;go slowâ&#x20AC;? in Nigerian popular language. Commercial vehicles, both buses and taxicabs, were available in reasonable number. Parking spaces were not so difficult to find. In Lagos of 1960s, the number of private cars increased to 8,800 licensed across the city; between 1970 and 1974, over 42,000 cars were registered. In 1985, nearly 20,000 minibuses, 6,000 midibuses, and 30,000 taxis were estimated to run in metropolitan Lagos. Some high-rising structures present across the state now were nowhere to be found in the 60s. Organised commercial sightseeing tours of the city were rare, yet the island is full of historical sites. A major monument then was the Iga Ă&#x152;dĂşngĂ nrĂ n, official residence of the Oba of Lagos on Upper King Street and the Old Secretariat, built in 1906 to house colonial offices. With what is presently on ground in the state, it is an

unarguable that Lagos has actually come of age with arrays of developmental strides littered all across the metropolis. How the state has managed to navigate through all these, considering the daunting pressure put on its infrastructures by its overly and increasing population is a big surprise to many. While many are so concerned with the financial implication which the celebration might gulp from the government, little attention is paid to the gains of the celebration. To a greater extent, the celebration has succeeded in drawing the attention of international communities to the state more than before. It is gratifying to report that what the state government spent on the anniversary was essentially realised from sponsors who supported the venture. The boom experience by the economy during this period was another milestone. The economy of the state within this period witnessed significant boost as owners of small and medium scale enterprises recorded reasonable patronage, makers of the Eyo fabrics also experienced sales boom while owners of hotels, guest houses just to mention a few were not left out. Same goes for those in the entertainment industry in Lagos State. Drawing notes from several criticisms that greeted the decision of the state government to roll out drums to celebrate its 50th anniversary, it will be instructive to say that the celebration apart from boosting the economy, also provided a platform for promoting and preserving the future of Lagos with an articulated look and foray into Lagos in the next 50 years. Ayo Afuwape, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Lagos

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

POLITICS

Group Politics Editor Tobi Soniyi Email tobi.soniyi@thisdaylive.com 08033146139 SMS ONLY

PERSONALITY INTERVIEW

Blame N’Delta Leaders for Region’s Woes, Says Akinaka The consensus is that the federal government and oil companies should take the blame for the sordid state of the Niger Delta. But the coordinator of the Pan-Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum, Richard Akinaka disagrees. He spoke with Ahamefula Ogbu. Excerpts:

hat does the Pan-Niger Delta Youths Leadership Forum stand for and while is it protesting? You can call it a sociopolitical group for young, responsible and vibrant youth leaders across the Niger Delta to take responsibility for what happens in the region. Often times, we have come to realise that as a people, we have laid too much of the blame of the problems of the Niger Delta on the federal government without necessarily looking back at ourselves and identifying those core areas we have failed our region . The bottom-line is that Nigeria is just a union of convenience, I don’t see it as a country where everybody wants to be part of but anytime you find yourself in an unfair unionism like this, you take the best opportunities. As a people, have we not had opportunities? We’ve had opportunities; but have we managed these opportunities well to the development of our region? No. So as a people we had our inaugural meeting in Calabar and we found out that the greatest problem of the Niger Delta is the Niger Deltan themselves. Our leaders have failed us and this is not just a Niger Delta problem, this could be a Nigerian problem, it could be the problem of the north east, north central or the problem of the South-west but we are trying to take direct responsibility of our own problem , confronting every leadership that has failed us and making sure that we put up structures that will prevent such from happening in the future because you ask yourself, every day you wake up blaming the federal government, blame the Nigerian state for not treating us well but the opportunities we have had, have we used them well? No. Local government administration has failed, state governors have failed. Today you can go to Bayelsa and you can’t point out one project since democracy came that Bayelsa can look up to, no. What of intervention agencies created specifically for the region? Regional intervention agencies like the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta were created for the region have failed and when you look deep into those things, perhaps some people will say that Amnesty has failed too. When you look at these things you will understand that we need to take responsibility in appraising ourselves how well we have done with resources that came to our region? Of course you have heard some IOCs coming out to say they have given so so amount to the NDDC but do we have commensurate result on ground to show that those monies have come to the region? No. So are we still going to blame the federal government? Blame your own people who have managed these resources poorly and until we do that, we cannot have the moral standing to face outsiders and say you have not treated us well. For instance we are agitating for political space and development in Niger Delta, eventually, as God will have it, we had our own brother as President of this country for six years. Before he became president, the late president granted amnesty to agitators who were in the creeks fighting for the betterment of the region and in solving that problem, he set up structures to address these fundamental developmental issues, environmental issues. You are aware of the Ministry of Niger Delta that was solely created to address infrastructural deficit issues in Niger Delta as part of the amnesty programme. The Environment Ministry was tasked to address the environmental issues, look into the Ogoni cleanup and the entire Niger Delta clean up; you look at the Ministry of Petroleum was tasked by the minister with membership from the Ijaw, the Niger Delta to participate, to make sure that the oil and gas industry accommodates the

people say okay let this happen, it will happen within 24 hours. Some of them have greater strength than the so called Avengers that were destroying the pipelines . He is even patronising them. Are you saying there are faces now behind the Avengers attacks? So if they are not known how did they secure the ceasefire? They are known, do you talk with spirits? How was Kachikwu able to secure the ceasefire?

Akinaka...N’Delta leaders must take responsibility for region underdeveloped

people which eventually led to the PIB Bill that has struggled all this while. We have the DDR sub-committee that was directly responsible for the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of the people that were in the creeks fighting. As God would have it, death took this president and our own brother came on board and every other aspect that would have complemented the growth of the Niger Delta was abandoned by our own brother’s

Our leaders have failed us and this is not just a Niger Delta problem, this could be a Nigerian problem, it could be the problem of the north east, north central or the problem of the South-west but we are trying to take direct responsibility for our own problem , confronting every leadership that has failed us and making sure that we put up structures that will prevent such from happening in the future

government. The only amnesty programme that people know as amnesty is one subcommittee which is DDR aspect which is the only aspect still working now. Every other thing that the president (Yar’Adua) put in place to make sure these things do not happen in the nearby future was abandoned by our own brother with our own people in government, so who are you going to blame, are you going to blame the man from the north for not treating your region well? Capital no. So right now what we are out to do is to appraise ourselves, look deep into areas we have done ourselves disservice and correct those things and move on. That is the essence of this group. Even the concession of refineries which is headed by a man from the Niger Delta, Ibe Kachikwu but he is doing that without consideration for the region. What grouse does your group have with the concession of the refineries that have not been working well? The crux of the matter is to hold leadership accountable. If you look at the way Kachikwu is failing on two key areas, you will agree with me. When this renewed agitation came, he started a direct negotiation process with the groups, but when you are fostering or advancing such peace moves, you must be careful not to set precedence that people are being recognised for destroying national assets , for damaging oil facilities. There were the likes of Ateke, Boylof, Africa, Ogunbos who still have capacity but because the government of the day was just coming on and had not found its footing, there was need for the general Niger Delta people to give it time to come out with overall package the government had for the region, started destroying pipelines for their own selfish interests. As a minister, he started talking to the people; it wasn’t bad talking to the people to stop what they were doing but you did that at the expense of those who decided to keep the peace in different locations by making them look as if they were not important. That could have made them say oh, because we are keeping the peace that is why they think that we are not important. The minister failed to talk to those who are stakeholders in the region on their own rights. If some of these

Back to the concession of the refineries, what are your grouses? The same mistake he is making; these refineries are not working we know, and we know that government does not do well in business and that privatisation is key. If you want to privatise, you must consider the interest of the people, especially those that have suffered the environmental impact of these refineries. I will take you to Okrika and show you the waste water that runs through the densely populated Okochiri from the refinery with horrible chemical odour. Someone has given birth to a deformed baby with six legs there. I will show you the exposed pipelines and you have no consideration for them and shut the door to other people who have capacity to participate in the project by giving it to some privileged people. Are they your private properties that you are dishing out to people you wish? If you are going to privatise, you make it open, advertise and people will participate and those who win will get it. Before you do that, you must set up the right framework. The land for those refineries were given to government on overriding public interest, now you want to concession it to private companies that will make profit out of them why not call the owners of the land and give them the absolute right to negotiate? But the land is already acquired by government… Yes, acquired in overriding public interest, now they are going to private people to be managed. Are there Niger Delta people with resources and capacity to run the refineries well? The minister said just over a billion dollars was required to turn around those refineries. There are people in the Niger Delta that can raise that though no one keeps that type of money but these are investment opportunities. How much did it take Femi Otedola to turn AP to Forte Oil? Go and look at the history of the takeover of those assets, they were government assets that were given to these people at abysmal and unimaginable rates, today they are billionaires being celebrated by Forbes and the rest of them. Do you think people in the Niger Delta don’t have the technical knowhow to secure loans or get counterparts from abroad to manage them and give money back to government? But the government is negotiating with Nigerian Delta on granting them modular refineries licences, is that not good enough? We have had this problem of product shortage. This country is large to an extent that most times you experience scarcity of products. Let me tell you, 80 per cent of the products we use in this country are refined by our brothers in the Niger Delta crudely, unguidedly and when the Acting President carried our a fact finding for himself on what actually goes on in the Niger Delta, he realised this and the JTF can attest to this. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY Ëž THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

POLITICS

Bego: Gaidamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Legacy Already in Place AlthoughYobeStategovernor,IbrahimGaidam,stillhasabouttwoyearsleftofhistenure,hisspokesman, Abdullahi Bego, says his legacy would outlast his administration. He spoke to Michael Olugbode who presents the excerpts:

believes with a faculty of medicine, we can now enroll and train medical students and in the next few years we will have doctors who will continue to take care of our people and we are going to send them across the state. Right now, the state government is sponsoring over 400 medical students in institutions of learning both within and outside the country. The governor recently approved scholarships for fifteen additional medical students for training within and outside the country. In agriculture the state government has done well. As we go into the raining season, the state executive council has approved millions of naira for the purchase of fertilisers that would be sold at subsidised rates to farmers. On the whole if you compare what happened in Yobe in the five years and what happened in the last 15 months, you will see that even though we have made progress in the five years, that progress was halted because of insecurity but in the last 15 months when relative peace returned to the state, we have made significant progress and covered a lot of ground. The governor has a great commitment to leave behind a legacy that will last for a great number of years.

hat were the major objectives this administration set out to achieve two years ago? This is the second term in the life of this administration. The objective of the administration is clearly to continue with the programmes and policies started during the first term of the administration. To make life better for the people of Yobe. To fulfill all the campaign promises the governor made to the people and to make sure that resources are utilised effectively, efficiently and transparently to transform the state. To improve water supply in the state, make healthcare delivery affordable and accessible to the people and improve the standard of education. The government also planned to make use of the abundant resources we have; land for agriculture and food production, to have an effective and efficient civil service that would support service delivery to the people and to ensure that the people of Yobe live in a secured environment, that is, their lives and property are secured and protected across the state. How far have you gone in this regard? Over the last two years we have seen significant progress compared to the situation before. Remember that Yobe was ravaged by insurgency from November 2011 until around October 2015. That was well after the beginning of the second term. So we have had a period of relative peace and security for a period of about 15 months now. That was when Boko Haram, as a fighting force, was significantly degraded by the armed forces. That was when some of the areas that were taken over by Boko Haram were reclaimed and freed, especially Gujba and Gulani local government areas. That was when projects that were stopped because of insecurity were restarted. One of such is the reconstruction of the vital Katarko bridge that was blown off by the insurgents along Damaturu-Gujba-Gulani axis. It is nearly reaching completion stage now. The Damaturu-Buniyadi and Maza road that we are building which is 70 kilometres long; that was when we were able to rebuild our healthcare facilities, educational facilities and other public infrastructures that were destroyed completely by Boko Haram. Since peace returned, the state government has made significant impact in key areas of development. First, healthcare delivery, across the state. Over 112 health facilities were destroyed by Boko Haram and of course there are some that are yet to be rebuilt, but some of them have been rebuilt. Most significantly, Yobe State under Gaidam, has made a very significant move to improve our health infrastructure, retool and reorganise the entire health sector. We did this in several ways. We completed a brand new state-of-the-art teaching hospital, a project initiated by the Gaidam administration. It has started operation now. It has started rolling out services to the general public and that is a significant achievement. This was a hospital that was started years back and has been totally and fully completed and now serving the general public. We call it Yobe State University Teaching Hospital. The government recruited a number of medical personnel that were unprecedented in the history of the state. First, the governor approved the recruitment of 158 doctors, nurses, radiologists, medical consultants and other specialists and professionals in the health sector to make sure that all the 19 specialised areas of the hospital were fully staffed. Few days ago, the governor approved the recruitment of additional 238 medical doctors, consultants and personnel. We have 16 nurses, 17 medical doctors, dentists and we have specialists in all the specialised departments of the teaching hospital. With 158 and then 238, you can have an idea of the kind of specialists we have at the take off of a new hospital. This is a very strong take off. In addition to that, the existing specialist hospital which had been before we built the teaching hospital has been retooled completely, rebuilt and expanded. The Gaidam administration built 13 new departmental buildings within the hospital. It is like building an entire new

Bego...Gaidam is changing the face of Yobe

hospital. Up to 200 new beds were procured and installed and other equipment is being installed progressively to improve services for patients and their relations within the hospital. Also provided are new staff houses and other things needed to provide services. Outside the state capital, the Gaidam administration completed a an overhaul and expansion of Damagum General Hospital and it is now rolling out service. Potiskum General Hospital, Gashua General Hospital and Geidam General Hospital have all been awarded for reconstruction and expansion. As I speak, work in all the three hospitals have reached advance stage of completion. The one in Geidam has even been completed while Gashua and Potiskum are ongoing. We expect them to be completed within the next four months. The governor has also promised that as soon as work is completed, new equipment would be installed, across the three hospitals. If you have three big general hospitals that have not been renovated since they were built in the early 1970s and they are now being expanded, renovated and equipped across the three senatorial zones, then you know healthcare is really getting a lot of attention, and that is at the secondary and tertiary healthcare levels. At the primary healthcare level, we continue to do things in conjunction with our partners, Dangote Foundation, Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation to provide healthcare especially polio. Now we have celebrated three years without polio in Yobe. Even when we had small reoccurrence in neighbouring state Yobe was insulated by the grace of God and this was due to all the efforts that were put in place. As we speak, the primary healthcare sector is getting a lot of attention. There has been a lot of investment in the health sector so that at the primary level, people have access to healthcare. Our health centres, our clinics and child care centres offer good services to the people. We have a hospital in Damaturu exclusively to take care of pregnant women, women and children. We have a policy of giving free medical care to children and women, beginning with mother and children from age 0 to 5 years. This has been sustained. The healthcare sector has significantly improved from what we used to have in Yobe. This is the first time since the creation of Yobe that we have massive investment going on at once in one sector and this is very important to the life of the people of the state. In the area of road construction, in total, the Gaidam administration has built 1,048 kilometres of roads across the state with 3,034 kilometres of drainage lines in towns and cities. One of the significant things we did in the road sector

in the last two years is the completion of the Damaturu-Buniyadi-Maza road. It is a federal government road that we undertook because it is being used by our people. We did not receive a penny from the federal government. That road leads to the border with Borno State and it is the area that was hardest hit by Boko Haram and because of return of peace we were able to continue with that project. It is a very important project because it links the state with Borno and Gombe and other parts of the country. The 300-kilometre-trans-Sahel road which begins from Kannama to Machina in the northern part of the state is on going in the last two years. We have begun a significant renewal of the state capital where all the major roundabouts and roads are being rebuilt and expanded. Most of the major roads are being dualised and asphalted. If you come to Damaturu at night you will see how well lit it is because of the solar powered streetlights that have been installed. We are also building new roads within the Damaturu metropolis. The project is called Damaturu Urban Renewal. In education, which is an important sector, the Gaidam administration, in the last two years has awarded contracts for the construction and expansion of five secondary schools. They are: Government Secondary School (GSS) Yunusari, GSS Guyokura, GSS Fika, GSS Nangere and Government Girls Secondary School Nguru. The first three are almost completed and we are thinking of renovating and building new dormitories and building additional laboratories, staff housing which are very important for rural schools if you want the teachers to go and teach the students on time. GSS Yunusari, GSS Fika and GSS Guyokara have almost been completed while government has already received tenders for beddings and laboratory equipment the schools need right now. For GSS Nangere and GGSS Nguru, contact was recently awarded and work has already started. Also in the educational sector, we have rebuilt a lot of classrooms destroyed by Boko Haram and have fenced many of the schools to ensure security. In tertiary education, you will see that our state university is the fastest growing in northern Nigeria. The state government, in the last one year, has established the College of Medicine within the state university. This is very important because as we give priority to healthcare, we must have our home grown doctors and medical workers. A brand new complex comprising of biochemistry, anatomy and physiology departments are currently being built within the university. The governor is very excited about that project because he

How devastating was the havoc caused by Boko Haram in Yobe? Over the course of five years, November 2011 to October 2015, Boko Haram wrecked havoc, not just in Yobe State but Nigeria as a whole. There were projects that were stopped because Boko Haram threatened the workers. We had students that were killed in their dormitories in cold blood. We have people that were displaced, we lost many lives. You cannot begin to quantify how callous and senseless the insurgency was and the kind of negative effect it had. But our people are very resilient across Yobe State because all of us are believers in God and that after every hardship there will be calmness. People are rebuilding their lives again, going back to their farm and businesses and the government is doing what it could to help them. Can you give a rough estimate of what Yobe government has spent to ease the pain caused by Boko Haram? Yobe State government spent a lot of money paying allowances, like procuring patrol vehicles to soldiers and others but that is not happening anymore because the federal government has taken over that responsibility. But over the course of time Yobe State government has spent a lot of money. The governor said the state had spent between N10 and N15 billion out of its own resources because of Boko Haram; procuring vehicles, providing diesel and paying allowances among others. But let me say that importantly, it is not about the money we spent but what we have gone through. You cannot quantify it. It is far beyond that. When lives were lost, people were incapacitated; some for lives, means of livelihood were destroyed, infrastructure which were always at the service of the people were destroyed, you can definitely not put quantify all these in monetary term. What is significant is that we continue to rebuild, our people are resilient and we continue to move ahead and see that our lives are back on track. Is the state seeking assistance in the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan, or do you not need any assistance? No. We have been getting assistance and we still await further assistance from the federal government through the Presidential Committee on the North-east Initiative. We have partners who have been with us every step of the way; the federal government through NEMA at that time and through the Victims Support Fund and through the Presidential Initiative on the North-east before it became the Presidential Committee on the North East Initiative, all have been assisting but we still await more assistance from the federal government to rebuild destroyed infrastructures. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

FEATURES

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

Dangers of the Trans-Sahara Trek While many Nigerian youths have died from the risks associated with illegal migration through the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea to Europe, those who have been lucky to live and tell their stories say the perilous journey is not worth it. Martins Iﬁjeh writes

ike many Nigerian youths who believed the best way out of poverty, high unemployment rate, harsh economic life, and the pursuit of happiness is to seek greener pastures abroad, Comrade Osita Osemene mulled over the idea since he had made several attempts to get gainful employment or start business without success. He had combed the streets of Lagos many years after graduating from the university without success. He then ventured into car sale business which eventually crumbled because of fraudsters who outsmarted him. A situation that made him think of travelling out of the country to Europe. While the idea brought a lot of spark to his dying hope of ever helping his family out of poverty, because he had seen how some Nigerians who come from Europe spend money, drive exotic cars and erect mansions for their families, he went about it the bizarre way. He didn’t mind if he will be migrating without papers, fake papers or through funny travel routes. He was desperate to leave his perceived ‘God forsaken country’ for not being able to secure a job or do any profitable business. Osemene, who relayed his story to THISDAY at a stakeholders roundtable on Irregular Migration and Human Trafficking, said he made a first attempt at the trip, but it failed because he was given a fake visa by the racketeer who helped him put travel documents together. “I was asked to pay N250,000 which I rallied round to get for the visa. But I never knew the visa was fake. I was even lucky not to be arrested at the airport on my way to London,” said Osemene who now advocates against illegal migration from Nigeria. “This brought me to another round of hopelessness and more desperation as the little money I had was swindled. Everything came back to square one. My world fell apart. Even the little money I could salvage from my business was what I used to procure the visa. I lost hope in myself. I believed the end had come for me,” he said. He said it was in such state of hopelessness that his elder sister, who knew about his efforts at travelling to Europe, called him. “She asked that I leave whatever I was doing and come straight to our village, that there was an opportunity someone had discussed with her about travelling to Europe. “That was how I met a guy who told me he was a student of a university in the Eastern part of Nigeria, but was planning to travel by road to Morocco and then fly from there to Italy. He asked we embark on the journey together.” Renewed hope The news was not only soothing for him, it gave him a renewed hope at life. “I was assured that it would be a safe and hassle-free journey. So I immediately raised N250,000 for my trip. We were told we would be travelling like tourists who along the line will be staying in five star hotels and having fun all the way till we reached Europe,” he said. But Osemene was wrong. It was a journey of desperation, hence he couldn’t see the dark tunnel ladened with a deceitful light. It was a journey of life and death; the type that has sent hundreds of thousands of Nigerian men and women to their early graves. Many who have been lucky to live through it have lost several productive years of their lives because of their decision to travel illegally. “My guide reassured me that it would be a safe journey. Though I had my doubts about the entire trip, I didn’t have much choice as I was ready to try out anything. I just wanted to make it in life, and I felt going to Europe was the way out. “We departed Asaba for the first leg of

In quest for a better life, many have died in the desert

the journey one Friday morning en-route Kano. But on getting to Kano I sensed all was not well. I overheard people muttering that the journey would not be easy and that there have been terrible stories of hazards. “I couldn’t comprehend what I heard, so I was trying to remind them that the person taking us along the route had said it was going to be a smooth journey. But it immediately dawned on me that am in for something tougher than expected.

I was assured that it would be a safe and hassle-free journey. So I immediately raised N250,000 for my trip. We were told we would be travelling like tourists who along the line will be staying in ﬁve star hotels and having fun all the way till we reached Europe… Though I had my doubts about the entire trip, I didn’t have much choice as I was ready to try out anything. I just wanted to make it in life, and I felt going to Europe was the way out

The beginning of suffering “About 24 hours after we left Kano State we were at Zidane, a state located in Niger Republic, it is a route taken by people who want to go through the desert to Europe. That was when I finally realised it was not going to be a smooth journey as told,” the comrade said. Unlike what he was told by the guide, Osemene didn’t see any five star hotel where they were in Zidane. They were all kept in a goat pen like prisoners. “We were taken to one Alhaji’s house where there were over 100 Nigerian men and women, and the place looked like a goat pen. No normal human being would stay in such place, but that was where we were asked to lay our heads. I was shocked as this was not what my guide told me about the journey. Everything he told me started playing out on the flip-side. “When I asked my guide for the five-star hotel, they were all laughing. They referred to me as a Jedit, because according to them I was new on the road. I was Jedit. It was at that point I began to realise I have let myself unto something much more bigger than me. “The connection house is a place where anything could happen. Prostitution, drugs and fake passports were openly peddled. They came to me and offered to sell me a Mauritanian passport. According to them, it was the safest way to travel across Sahara Desert. They said that my Nigerian passport would put me in trouble because Nigerians were hated. That was how I bought one, only to learn that I was even swindled on that. I was confused about the whole trip,” he said. According to Osemene, they were able to leave Zidane and head towards Agadez, still in same Niger; a trip that took them a whole day. “Over 100 of us were packed like cattle into a truck towards Agadez which is closer to Libya than Zidane. We were then taken to a connection house worse than the one we experienced in Zidane. “We spent seven days in Agadez; it was one of my worst seven days on earth. We paid between 1000 and 2000 CFA per night. We then received

information that rebels were killing and raping Nigerians on the Morocco route. People who escaped told us to go to Libya because it was safer. We all had no choice than to divert our route towards Libya. At this point we were over 400 Nigerians. “That night, I wept and prayed to God to save me. I had lost weight drastically, and I had no idea how long this would last. We were supposed to be headed for Morocco, but because of rebels in the desert, we were now headed for Libya,” he added. He said on the fifth day, they were able to reach Duruku, a transit camp in the desert for travellers. In this camp you will see a lot of stranded Nigerians. Some have been stranded there for close to four years. They were all broke and could not continue their journey to Europe or even go home. They were stuck. “In Duruku, it is survival of the fittest. At night, if Nigerians noticed you had money, they would lure you into the desert and if you were unlucky, after dispossessing you of all you have, they’d kill you. I witnessed the killing of a boy because of 700 Euros. It was there I learnt how to keep my money safe in transit. The best way was to insert it into your butt hole. I was doing it with the help of vaseline. The girls hid their monies in their private parts while the men hid theirs in the butt hole. “At night, soldiers brought out all the Nigerians and flogged us with whips, after which they marched us into the toilet and gave us what they called banku, a powderlike substance to drink. Once you ingest it, you must purge to the point where your intestines protrude. The idea was to catch all those using vaseline to hide their money. I was lucky I did not have to drink banku. I bribed one of the soldiers with 1000 CFA. The trauma was too much. I began to ask myself, ‘Is it worth it?” He said for every stop they made, the experience was tougher, while Nigerians that embarked on the journey became fewer. “We then moved towards Gatron, a border state in Libya. I had previously heard about how

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FEATURES almost 250 Nigerians died on their way to Gatron because their truck had broken down,â&#x20AC;? but little did Osemene know he was going to go through almost same experience as the truck he was in broke down as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the road, besides the heat and the dust, there were frequent fights and people were murdered in cold blood! We lost so many Nigerians and their bodies were abandoned to rot away in the desert; I had to watch as a boy die in my presence. At this point, I had to jettison all my load and provision and carry only a small water bottle. After about 100 kilometres, people were getting exhausted and beginning to drop behind. I was lucky that I had a group of friends, so we stuck together. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A boy from Edo State ran mad, stripped and brought out his money shouting that it was too heavy that he, wanted to die. As we were trying to calm him, he slumped and died! At a point, we were all thirsty and there was no water so we started drinking our urine. Imagine, we were begging to drink urine!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Finally, we made it to Tijeri tired and exhausted and were welcomed by kids who beat us up with canes. That was where I got to know that there is a tree in the desert called Debino. Desert dwellers normally eat it because it gives strength. We started plucking them. He said Tijeri is guarded by Libyan and Nigerien police because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much violence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Nigerien policeman came to assist us. We paid about $100 per head, and he offered to smuggle us from there to Gatron. It was difficult to enter Gatron without police assistance. We were hidden in a police SUV. We were over 150 people, and we were transported in batches. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When it came to my turn, the tyre of the Police SUV ferrying us burst. Rather than return our money, the policeman beat us up and chased us away.â&#x20AC;? He said at that point he knew he had been stretched beyond limit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After running away from the policeman, I became so exhausted that I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;enough is enoughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s either the Libyan police pick me up, or I die here! I felt that the journey was not really worth it. After all this pain and suffering, what kind of money would I make in Europe that would compensate me? That was my worst moment. I was no longer afraid of dying because I had seen many people on the way who gave up because of the suffering. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I then slept off under a tree waiting for death to come take over. There was no single strength left in me. Everybody that had been traveling with me left me to my fate. That was where I blacked out.â&#x20AC;? He said even though he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember how long he blacked out, he knew he heard the voice of a guy he had met on the trip from Uromi, shouting and calling out to him. I somehow managed to wake up with the last strength in me. He gave me water to drink. It was the sweetest thing I ever tasted; without him I probably would have died.â&#x20AC;? Osemene said after several days, they finally made it to Gatron even though a lot of those they started the journey with died on the way. He said the girls who were among them were then sold into slavery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We came upon a connection house owned and run by Nigerians in Gatron. It was there I knew that the girls that came with us from Kano were going to be sold. Each girl was sold for $3000. They would have to pay $9000 to buy their freedom, and the only way they could raise that kind of money was through prostitution. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only on completion of the payment that the girls would be free to either continue to work as prostitutes in Libya with all the problems illegal immigrants face, or go to an uncertain future in Europe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I paid about five dinar at the connection house and from there they moved us to the next state, Cyber. We stayed there for about three days. Our guides were watching the roads, to know when it would be safe to move. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Libya is very strict when it comes to illegal immigration, but the irony is that the same Libyan police provide the network through which people are smuggled. They hide us in the boot of their patrol cars to beat check points.â&#x20AC;? He said since Cyber police were always hunting for illegal immigrants, they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay long in the town. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we moved to Tripoli. The place I was supposed to stay was called Terimatat, a place for black Africans. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a ghetto. Anything can happen there. We were advised that it was safer to

Migrants in an overloaded truck

Osemene...lucky to be alive and tell his story

be there. The week I got there, the place was busted after a fight broke out and the Libyan Government destroyed everything, and arrested all the Nigerians there.â&#x20AC;? End of the road In Tripoli, we were smuggled to a lonely beach along the Mediterranean Sea from where we were to make the journey to Europe. This was a defining moment for Osemene who had been looking forward to living in Europe. The only barrier between him and Europe was the Mediterranean Sea. However, what happened next changed everything. He was shown a boat with a Yamaha engine called Lampa Lampa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When the guide explained that the relatively small

In Duruku, it is survival of the ďŹ ttest. At night, if Nigerians noticed you had money, they would lure you into the desert and if you were unlucky, after dispossessing you of all you have, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d kill you. I witnessed the killing of a boy because of 700 Euros

Migrants on a sinking boat

boat would carry 200 persons, I knew there was no way I could make it to Europe in this boat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had never swam before. I had never used a navigator before, and the sea was so mighty all you could see was the sky covering all its edges. That was the turning point for me. I decided I was no longer continuing the journey. So I convinced five other guys, and we started another journey back home.â&#x20AC;? Osemene successfully made it back to Nigeria and then decided to establish the Citizens Patriotic Initiative, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to helping youths and create awareness on the dangers of illegal migration, especially through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea. Osemene who is now giving back to the society through his story and interventions for youths said outside those going to the desert and sea, there are persons who have capitalised on the vulnerability of youths to sell them fake visas with a promise of jobs abroad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some will tell you there is a nanny job somewhere, and that you will be paid as high as N200,000. But truth is majority of these stories are not true. When you travel abroad you will understand that if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have papers you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anytime you see someone preparing to go Libya or other countries through bizarre routes, or the person has no meaningful thing to do in those countries, please sit them down, help them by telling them to use the money they intend using for the trip to start up a business.â&#x20AC;? He said in most of these countries Nigerian men beg on the streets because they are stranded. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Before you travel get proper papers go there legally, otherwise you will end up being disadvantaged,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The grim picture Osemene is just among the few lucky ones who are alive to tell their stories. Statistics show hundreds of Nigerian youths still leave the countries shore through the Sahara Desert in a bid to get a better life when they reach Europe. The Nigerian Immigration Service, in its latest report says not less than 10,000 Nigerian youths have died between January and May 2017 either in Sahara Desert or the Mediterranean Sea in a bid to cross over to Europe. In fact, according to a representative from International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Lagos, Dr. Nahashon Thuo, not fewer than 1,594 illegal migrants were deported from Libya just this year alone. Thousands are said to be stranded in the country, while several hundreds of thousands are stranded in other parts of the world, including Europe. Consultant from IOM, Mrs. Winnie Aideyan in her address at the roundtable, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nigerians need to know that the grass is not greener on the other side, there is nothing wrong with travelling, but people need to travel the correct way.â&#x20AC;? She called on Nigerian youths to stop illegal migration, stressing, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Women need to be empowered so they will not be tempted by these traffickers.â&#x20AC;? Will the story of Osemene and others who have been lucky to share their hurting experience deter Nigerian youths from the bizarre method of travelling? Will government, stakeholders and the society put all enabling environment in place to give confidence to its growing youths that there is opportunity anywhere for those who work hard? When our youths work hard in Nigeria will these opportunities come?

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Lagos State Govt Applauds Airtel

MAKING LSETF BENEFICIARIES TO SMILE

L-R: Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Mr. Akintunde Oyebode; Chairman, House Committee on Wealth Creation, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Shola Giwa; Chairman, Board of Trustee, LSETF, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru and CEO, Nov 16 Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Olomo Omogoriola Olushola at the second Cheque Presentation ceremony to the BeneďŹ ciaries of the LSETF Loan Scheme in Lagos ... recently KOLAWOLE ALLI

Telcos Express Worry over adverse Effects of Over the Top Technology Stories by Emma Okonji Over the Top Technology (OTT), which is an evolving technology across globe, is adversely disrupting activities in the telecoms industry, as it continues to eat deep into the revenue strings of telecoms service providers. Some of the licensed telecoms operators who spoke to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity, said although they were initially happy with the speed at which new technologies were evolving and disrupting the old practice and ways of doing things, but are very uncomfortable with the OTT technology that rides on the internet to offer

TELECOMS free voice and data services to customers. This the telcos said is cutting down on the number of subscribers who hitherto patronise licensed telecoms operators for voice and data services at stipulated service charges. According to the licensed telecoms operators, the OTT players can afford to offer free voice and data services because they did not invest in telecoms infrastructure, since they deliver services over and above telecoms facilities, while riding on the internet. They explained that licensed telecoms operators have spent

several trillions of naira to build telecoms infrastructure since they were granted operational licenses by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2000, 2003 and 2008 respectively and that they have continued to invest in network expansion in order to provide better service quality as their subscriber number grows. They however expressed regret that the evolving technology called OTT is fast cutting down on their revenue generation, since majority of subscribers prefer to send massages via WhatsApp, make WhatsApp calls and Skype calls, which are all free of charge, because the

OTT service providers are not investing money in telecoms infrastructure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had initially resorted to draw the attention of the NCC, the telecoms industry regulator to apply regulatory measures and control on OTT service providers, but when we realised that it is an emerging global technology that cannot be regulated in Nigeria alone, we decided to think of alternative source of generating revenue through data, in order to remain in business,â&#x20AC;? the telecoms operators told THISDAY. MTN Nigeria for instance, long foresaw the changing Continued on page 24

Stakeholders Call for Review of Tax Policies in Real Estate Sector Worried that the effects of the high rate of taxes is taking a toll on the real estate sector, its stakeholders on Tuesday, called on the federal and state governments to review their tax policies and provide incentives where necessary. The stakeholders who spoke at the first Construction and Real Estate Group Seminar, with the theme: Navigating Tax Issues In Real Estate Transactions, organised by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) in Lagos, said there was need for people to pay taxes, but insisted that taxes must not be imposed in such a way that will force taxpayers out of business. They expressed worries

REAL ESTATE that the government pays less attention to the survival of any business, as long as it (government) collects taxes at all cost. The stakeholders who were particularly concerned about Company Income Tax and Value Added Tax, called on the federal and state governments to come up with clear terms for the payment of such taxes, which they said, were contradictory and confusing, while calling for total review of the tax policies in the country. The forum called for review of tax policy at the federal and state government levels. Tax payers in Lagos are of the view that the Lagos State government

is unduly imposing taxes on them with the motive to run them out of business Deputy President of NBCC, Mr. Akin Olawore, who spoke to THISDAY shortly after the seminar, said the Chamber created idea focus groups, and charged them with the responsibility of discovering societal challenges, in order to create solution to address issues. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The essence of the seminar is to address tax issues in the real estate sector. The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government are keen about the ease of doing business and the forum seeks to address tax issues in real estate transaction as it relates to ease of doing

business,â&#x20AC;? Olawore said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What was observed was that taxes are no longer used by government as a measurable tool, but as a revenue generating tool. It is not being used to direct development, but being used to generate money for government at the detriment of tax payers. Government needs to loosen taxes in order to develop the economy. Government can increase taxation when it wants to reduce consumption, especially when government feels three is too much money in circulation and people are consuming too much, with large appetite for importation. Such tax could Continued on page 24

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Many jobs will be displaced by technology and the failure to create more industries to accommodate these losses will be felt more harshlyâ&#x20AC;? Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

TELCOS EXPRESS WORRY OVER ADVERSE EFFECTS OF OVER THE TOP TECHNOLOGY trend and embarked on a new mission where it consolidated in buying spectrum licences that will enable it offer data services to a variety of customers. After buying the 700MHz bands spectrum frequency from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for N34 billion, which is a broadcast spectrum essentially for the provision of broadband wireless services, MTN went ahead to buy up Visafone to boost its data service offerings, before bidding for the 2.6GHz spectrum auction, where it emerged the only telecoms operator that won six slots out of the 14 available slots that were auctioned at a reserve price of $16 million per slot. Recently MTN Group opened up discussions of a possible buy over of Multichoice operations, but the talk has not been finalised. STAKEHOLDERS CALL FOR REVIEW OF TAX POLICIES IN REAL ESTATE SECTOR reduce consumption of foreign goods and services. But when government discovers that the economy is shrinking and things are becoming tight, government should be able to loosen taxes and give the people some breathing space,â&#x20AC;? Olawore said. According to him, when the US had financial crises in the past, they relaxed tax and that is how it is done globally and Nigeria should be able to learn from other countries of the world. He said government must ensure enough cashflow in the hands of the people so that manufacturers will be able to produce and and people will be able to do good businesses, and jobs will be created. Representative of the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue Service in Lagos, Mr. Tunji Oshekun, who defended government position in the area of tax collection, said the money collected by the Lagos State Government on taxation is being used to develop the state by providing essential amenities like roads, electricity and water for citizens of the state.

Group Business Editor

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9,000 FCT Farmers Register for Anchor Borrowersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Programme The FCT Administration has said that about 9,000 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have so far been registered to participate in the CBNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anchor Borrowers programme. The acting Secretary, FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Dr. Musa A. Aliyu who made this disclosure during a press briefing on the activities of the Agric Secretariat in the last two years, said 16 Village Extension Agents and 800 farmers from the Area Councils have been trained and will be issued certificates on the day of formal launching in the FCT. The Anchor Borrowers programme he explained was targeted at small holder farmers who are into crops where FCT enjoys comparative advantage like rice and soya beans production. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In line with the mandate of this sub-sector in driving programmes in the agricultural sector, the FCT Agricultural Development Project continued to provide innovative advisory services on global agricultural best fit technologies to about 200,000 farming families. The achievements so far include: The average yield of rice increased from 2.0 metric tons/hectare to 3.5 metric tons per hectare; cassava witnessed upward review from 16 metric tons/hectare to 20 metric tons/hectare.â&#x20AC;? Aliyu said the FCT Administration has also strengthened the capacity of 2,000 farmers associations by way of training and linkage to agricultural finance. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The FCT ADP continued to collaborate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Competitive Africa

Rice Imitative, British America Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, United States Agency for International Development, Food and Agricultural Organisation, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Central Bank of Nigeria, Notore Fertilizer Company, National Association of Nigeria Traders etc.â&#x20AC;? The Secretary also stated that pest management control has helped to curtail the spread of the tomato pest otherwise referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tuta Absolutaâ&#x20AC;? which affected farmers in 2016. On the release of counterpart

funding for the World Bank/ Fadama III additional financing programme, Aliyu disclosed that the FCT Minister, approved the release of the counterpart funding for the commencement of the World Bank-assisted Fadama III Additional Financing project. Already, about 200 farmer groups have been registered to benefit from the project, he said. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The success recorded during the implementation of the project, informed the decision of government to seek its extension of the project period to December

2017, with an additional financing of $200 million which is hinged on ramping up production and development of the value chains for four selected staple crops which are Rice, Sorghum, Cassava and Horticulture (tomato).â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Third National Fadama Development Project Additional Financing (FADAMA III AF) came into effect by 2014 nationally. However, in the FCT, the project did not take off due to the non-payment of outstanding counterpart fund (part 2011, 2012 and 2013). â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Minister of FCT,

Malam Muhammad Musa Bello on assumption to the mantle of FCTA leadership immediately saw the need to enable FCT Fadama III AF to come to effect, thus approved the immediate payment of outstanding amounts up to 2013.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;In order to boost fish production, the FCT was selected as one of the 5 states to benefit in the cage fish farming project. The Minister has already directed the Secretariat to key into the project and ensure that youths and fisher-folk communities are carried along.

COURTESY CALL

L-R: General Manager West Africa, Transsion Holdings, Mr. Arthur Li; President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Mr. Olusola Teniola; and General Manager, Transsion Holdings in Nigeria, Mr. Chidi Okonkwo, during ATCON NEC courtesy visit to Transsion Holdings in Lagos...recently

Africa in Danger of Digital Disruption, Says Ekeh Emma Okonji Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh has raised the alarm over an impending digital disruption in Africa occasioned by the challenges of mass unemployment and the failure of most African states to match the rapid pace of digital evolution. He raised the concern during a breakfast talk with select entrepreneurs from Africa and Asia in Dubai Marina, UAE, recently. Ekeh, a renowned digital enthusiast and global advisor to Microsoft, disclosed that Africa had barely 13 and a half years to avert the impending disruption which may throw the continent into the proverbial â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dark Ages.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nineteen years ago, I had warned on the need for Nigerians and Africa, as a whole, to wake up from a self-imposed slumber and follow the pace of digital evolution. Africa must create resources that will empower more ventures for employment of our teeming youthful population. This is essential because the rise of computing and the coming age of super-computers is bound to take many jobs away while making others redundant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This warning was largely unheeded as only a few paid attention. As at today you

have over a million high tech incubation centers in Asia alone while Africa has less than 500 and most of them less equipped and politically driven. But we are beginning to see the consequences today. Unemployment is rife and has transformed into a major problem confronting many African economies with no concrete solution in sight,â&#x20AC;? Ekeh said. According to him, with the global pace of advancements in ICT, the situation is bound to worsen. Many more hands and jobs will be displaced by technology and the failure to expand and create more industries to accommodate these losses will be felt more harshly, he posited. Ekehâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position was echoed in a recent presentation by the Vice-President, Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Luc Cortebeeck, who mentioned new technology as one of the major challenges facing the future of work. Cortebeeck disclosed that the world is suffering an official unemployment rate of 210 million people, with an estimated 600 million extra jobs needed to fill the gap by 2030. According to Ekeh, Africa has a limited period of time in which to act to avoid being

left behind by the rest of the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A major digital disruption will happen in Africa 13 and half years from today. Last year, we had about 15 years left but it is now 13 and a half years

for this disruption to climax for those not prepared. The signs are already here. Internet of Things is progressing at a high speed; major countries are investing in robots and what I regard as digital

oracles such as IBM Watson, and others to replace humans in many areas of endeavour including law, warehousing, factories, medicine, security, traffic control, among others,â&#x20AC;? Ekeh said.

FG Expresses Dissatisfaction over Trawler Owners Operation in Nigerian Waters The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has expressed dissatisfaction on activities of trawler owners in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s territorial water, alleging that most of their operations are not transparent while at sea. The ministry appealed to trawler owners to be accountable in their operations as part of effort in engaging government for effective fishing activities. Speaking at a monthly forum organised by Journalists under the auspices of Nigerian Association of Agriculture Journalists (NAAJ) held in Lagos recently, the Senior Special Adviser on media to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Kayode Oyeleye said that it would be difficult for government to assist trawler owners in anyway, when it is obvious that their operations

are not transparent towards economic growth. Oyeleye said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basically issues affecting trawler operations is not peculiar to Nigeria alone but we are aware that there are illegal operations going on in our territorial water. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those of them who are doing things right need to come forward, form a strong front and engage the government so that government can also help them.â&#x20AC;? Oyeleye alleged that many of the trawlers operating in Nigerian maritime space do not declare their actual catches at sea and government is aware of the practice, thus would be seen as economy sabotage. He noted that some of the crew aboard such vessels is in the habit of selling their catches at sea; and later go back to their respective

organisations to say hunting had been low. According to him, the trawler owners would have played a key role in the agriculture sub sector but their attitude has discouraged the government to do more in the area of assistance and incentives. He called on trawler owners and their crew to be transparent in their operation for government to show interest in the nature of their operations adding that the fishing sub sector can generate huge revenue only if the operators are honest with the catches at sea. Oyeleye added that pirate attacks on trawlers within the maritime space are not the major problem affecting their operations alleging that some of their businesses at sea were under shady deal conditions.

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ICT Sector Agog over Osinbajoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Order The executive order that was recently signed by the acting President Yemi Osinbajo which seeks to support local content development in the Information and Communications Technology sector, has continued to elicit stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reactions, writes Emma Okonji Although the federal government had in 2006, through the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Ufot Ekaette, given a directive to all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) to support locally developed software and hardware, the directive was not implemented. The order was meant to support local content development in the country. Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had promised to give Software Nigeria, a wing of the old Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos for software development. Again that promised ended only in paper work as the government neither renovated the place nor deployed the right facilities. As a result of the failed promises of government, the ICT sector, has continued to suffer great setbacks, until penultimate week when Osinbajo eventually signed a new executive order to boost local content development and patronage. Industry stakeholders have continued to hail the federal government on the recent plans to support local content development in the ICT sector. Failed executive orders Following several complaints from ICT industry stakeholders, calling for governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support in the area of policy formulation and implementation that will encourage patronage of locally developed software and hardware in the country, and at the same time boost local content development in the ICT sector, the federal government, through Ekaette had ordered all government MDAs to first consider patronage of local software and hardware, whenever the need to purchase software and hardware arose. Giving details about the first executive order, the President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Olorogun James Emadoye, who raised a national concern when he led a team of ISPON executive on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu in Abuja last year, said on October 20th, 2006, Ekaette, wrote a letter with Ref No SGF/OP/1/S.3/VII/795, to head of civil service commission, and MDAs of government on the need to patronise made-in-Nigeria products, including procurement of locally assembled computers and locally developed software. He said the letter directed all federal MDAs to comply with the directive. However, Emadoye disclosed that the directive was not implemented. The ISPON boss also cited how the federal government had promised Software Nigeria a wing of the old federal secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, by Obasanjo but never bothered to renovate the place and deploy the right facilities because of the weak implementation drive of government. According to him, the wing of the federal secretariat would have been a mini version of silicon valley for Software Nigeria, where great software ideas would have been incubated and developed for national growth, if the federal government had deemed it fit to renovate and deplore the right facilities after donating the place for software development. Emadoye, during the visit, drew the attention of the minister to seek immediate implementation of the guidelines and policy for national software infrastructure, declaring software as a critical infrastructure for nation building and development. He equally called on government to revisit the 2006 circular on patronage of locally developed computer products and software products. Latest executive order Respite, however, came the way of ICT practitioners penultimate week, when Osinbajo signed a new executive order for the support of local content in public procurement, which seeks to boost local content development in the ICT sector. The order dwells mostly on the preference

Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh (right), presenting locally developed Zinox brand of laptop to the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, while showcasing local content development in computer hardware in Lagos...recently

for indigenous goods and services as well as the removal of bureaucracies which always stall businesses. The executive order, as detailed in a document presented by Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, states that all MDAs of the federal government shall grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement processes for a number of items including food and beverages, motor vehicles, ICT products, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, furniture and fittings, among others. Stakeholders commend FG The executive order signed by Osinbajo has continued to elicit responses from ICT stakeholders, who believed that the move, if well

Respite however came the way of ICT practitioners, when Osinbajo signed a new executive order for the support of local content in public procurement, which seeks to boost local content development in the ICT sector. The order dwells mostly on the preference for indigenous goods and services as well as the removal of bureaucracies which stall businesses

implemented, would boost patronage and local content development in the ICT sector. President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Adesola Aderounmu, in a statement, aligned with the executive order. According to Aderounmu, â&#x20AC;&#x153;to say the order is a welcome development is an understatement. Over the years, NCS has strongly advocated for the development of local content in ICT to drive growth, unlock youth potential and create jobs in Nigeria. The Executive Order was received by NCS with great expectations and elation. We are indeed pleased that all MDAs of the federal government are now mandated to grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement processes for a number of priority items including Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This development should stop the wasteful and unsustainable importation and adoption of foreign expertise and solutions. Nigerian companies in the ICT sector have proven to be capable of delivering solutions needed in our public and private sectors. Deploying domestic products and services expands the local industry, fosters local job creation and boosts the local economy,â&#x20AC;? Aderounmu said. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;using innovation to bring efficiencies and create jobs in virtually all sectors, not just in ICT is critical to the success of the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP). The EGRP and sustainable development depend on having a vibrant and growing domestic ICT sector. Effective implementation of the Executive Order should therefore be a priority, he said in a statement.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;NCS commends this bold and inspiring decision to support local initiatives and views the executive order as a welcome enabler. For the tech sector, the consistency is appreciated as the order builds on the existing guidelines on Nigerian Content in ICT, he said, adding that NCS is particularly pleased to note that heads of MDAs are required to assess the monitoring, enforcement, implementation and compliance with the executive order. We look forward to collaborating closely with government to ensure the successful implementation of the executive order. In addition, we assure government of the

readiness of our group to collaborate on other important policy initiatives and issues in the ICT domain,â&#x20AC;?Aderounmu said. The Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, also commended the federal government on the recent signing of an executive order compelling all MDAs of the federal government to buy Made-in-Nigeria goods and services. He said the order would go a long way in boosting indigenous businesses and the local content drive in Nigeria. Ekeh said it was a step in the right direction and a potential game-changer for many qualityminded local businesses in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The announcement alone would have excited an army of 21st century young Nigerian entrepreneurs who have been facing depression based on rejection of their certified products by government agencies and parastatals. It is a great development in our new Nigeria and I pray the federal government demonstrates the will to implement this to the letter in order to activate real and progressive development in the country. As you know, this policy direction will potentially result in massive job creation for our youths,â&#x20AC;? Ekeh said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Granting preference to local manufacturers is a sure way of igniting the spirit of indigenous entrepreneurship. This is the standard the world over. Nigeria boasts a number of world-class companies whose products can compete favourably with those of their foreign counterparts. The problem has always been the right form of support from the government,â&#x20AC;? he added. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zinox, for instance, is patronised by a number of multinationals. Apart from Chevron Nigeria who remain one of our most regular customers, we have also enjoyed consistent patronage from other multinationals such as Total and Shell. Some of these companies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chevron, Shell, Total have been patronising Zinox for over 14 years and this is based purely on service quality as we all know the high standards these companies aspire to.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I must commend the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo for this bold move which will certainly go a long way in strengthening our local industries, provide more employment for our youths and boost our local currency,â&#x20AC;? Ekeh said.

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Oluwaseyitan: Nigeria is a Veritable Ground for Satellite, Terrestrial Operations The Chief Technical Officer, Cezart Technologies, Mr. Olujobi Oluwaseyitan, gave some insight into fixed and mobile satellite network operations in Nigeria and the benefits to the economy. Emma Okonji brings the excerpts: the past. It must be seen as one of the fastest growing market segments in business today. The recent mergers and takeovers are a small taste of what is waiting to happen.

What are the core values of Cezart Technologies in relation to fixed and mobile satellite operations? We deliver core services in fixed and mobile satellite solutions. We are service providers and entrepreneurial managers with expertise in business development and mobile satellite telecommunications. We are into management and business development, indirect and indirect sales, sourcing and purchasing. We provide customers with mobile satellite communications from our partners like Thuraya, Inmarsat and Iridium, and we also provide our customers with fixed satellite communications from our partners like Eutelsat, YahSat, Global Xpress, using the C-Band, Ku-Band, Ka-Band. With successful deployments of fixed and mobile satellite solutions for varying technical demands, we consistently deliver high-quality, cost-effective and efficient communication solutions to governments, enterprise customers and international organisations. We have proven ability to improve competitive performance and generate growth by introducing strategic and tactical solutions based on analysing challenges, markets, products, people and grow opportunities. How secured is satellite network Satellite network is highly secured and it has been proven by experts that hacking into a satellite network is extremely difficult because signals are directly from the satellite. What are the benefits of satellite technology to the Nigerian economy? Every economy, including the Nigerian economy, needs communication in every location where human beings thrive, but in situations where terrestrial network is difficult to deploy, then satellite network will play a vital role in ensuring communication flow even in the remotest area of the economy. The military for instance, can operate from any zone, but when there is no terrestrial communication link, then satellite technology becomes inevitable for communication flow. It is for this reason that Cezart Technologies plays a strong role in the fixed and mobile satellite network service offerings in Nigeria. What are your target market strategies in providing terrestrial and satellite network services? Our choice of target markets is strategic and we assume that it reflects our strengths and weaknesses. We are not selling to the self-reliant users, because they buy equipment as appliances based on features and price. Instead, we are selling to the service-seeking users whose needs match our strengths and weaknesses. Regarding the small business segment, we are looking for the type of small businesses that appreciate our value-added services enough to pay for them, but arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t big enough to have experts in-house on payroll or staff. How does Cezart Technologies play prominently in fixed satellite services, when mobile broadband is fast driving mobile technology across globe? Despite the service offerings of mobile broadband in driving 4G LTE technology for the terrestrial network, the fixed satellite service that we also offer in addition to mobile satellite services, operates with the V-SAT technology, using the KU Band, C Band and the KA Band to provide fixed satellite services. The KA Band offers unlimited bandwidth and it is cost effective. How is competition driving the fixed and and mobile satellite service offerings? There is no good business without competition that drives the market. But despite competition, Cezart Technologies stands out in the midst of competition because we offer unique services

What are some of the industry market needs? Since our target market is the service seeker, the most important market needs are support, service, training, and installation, in that order. One of the key points of our strategy is the focus on target segments that know and understand these needs, and are willing to pay to have them filled.

Oluwaseyitan

that others do not offer. We have patent solutions and sometimes we collaborate with our foreign partners to provide the best of solutions that customers needed. We go beyond sales, to offer after-sales services to customers and we do this to enhance customer experience while generating revenue. Our core strength is on service delivery and after-sales services. Before now, people see satellite services as the best when compared to terrestrial service offerings. But we see a lot of patronage in terrestrial service today driven by broadband. What is your take on this? The satellite and terrestrial services are two different offerings in the telecoms space, even though they complement each other. When terrestrial telecoms service was introduced years back, it competed with satellite services, because it is a lot cheaper to deploy in terms of infrastructure deployment. But the satellite is very good to deploy in areas where there are no terrestrial network or in areas where terrestrial network cannot be deployed for several economic reasons. One major challenge with the deployment of satellite network is in its inability to withstand unfavourable weather condition. Has that changed over time? It is a fact that satellite network has weather challenges, such that when the weather is poor, it affects satellite signals, but all that have improved with advanced technologies. Technology has helped to improve the failover time. But there is no technology without its own challenges. Even the terrestrial network technology has its own challenges. Despite its challenges the satellite network services have come to stay because it operates perfectly in areas where the terrestrial network services cannot reach. How affordable is satellite services to individual customers? Over time the cost of satellite services has become affordable and many organisations and individuals are asking for satellite network services as against terrestrial services. What are the advantages of satellite network over terrestrial network? Both the satellite and the terrestrial networks

are the key to business growth and they both function in different ways. While the satellite network is good in areas where terrestrial network cannot be deployed, the terrestrial network is cheaper to deploy. For example, the military and the maritime workers could travel or find themselves in an area where there is no terrestrial network in the course of performing their duties and they will surely need satellite network to survive in the area. In terms of security, satellite data are highly secured because they are encrypted. Apart from the military and maritime workers, NGOs who travel for tourist attraction could be in places where they are completely cut-off from terrestrial communication and they will be forced to use satellite network for communication. Those in oil and gas industry also need satellite services when they work in offshore areas where there is no terrestrial network connectivity. People still desire to use satellite when the terrestrial network in a particular location is weak. There are places referred to as blind spot where terrestrial service is completely cutoff and there will be need to deploy satellite network services. What are the market trends in the telecoms industry? The most obvious and important trend in the market is the declining prices. This has been true for years, but the trend seems to be accelerating now. We see the major manufacturers and suppliers putting systems together with amazing specs-more power, with more speed, and more bandwidth. Another trend is ever-greater connectivity. Everybody wants to get access to the internet and every small office wants a long area network (LAN) of internet connectivity. A lot of small offices want their LAN connected to the internet. How will you describe the projected market growth in the industry? The projected market growth for the telecomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industry has been one of the most highlighted aspects of new business in the marketplace today. With the coming of age of the new broadband services and the privatisation of many telecom companies, which were previously run by the government, we see that growth is going to surpass any projection that has been made in

How do you view technology evolution in the telecoms industry? Cezart Technologies is a client focused Information Technology (IT) services provider committed to helping its clients succeed by adding value through the effective use of information technologies. We offer a comprehensive variety of IT services and solutions including IT Infrastructure Design, Implementation and Support, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning, Technology and Systems Integration, Application Design, Development and Maintenance, Comprehensive Technology Consulting and Small Office Home Office (SOHO) solutions. We can design new or enhance existing computer and technology infrastructure. We can establish enterprise, departmental or branch or home office compute environments, complex development environments, portals, networks and security all aligned with business goals and objectives. We see Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan that business can execute, as the most important investment any company can make to ensure that business can survive any disaster. We can help you develop a plan to prepare for a disaster and operate business in a contingency situation. In the area of technology integration, we integrate hardware, network and software products and technologies from different vendors to create a single solution that meets the needs and business goals. We have specialised expertise in implementing and integrating a broad range of hardware, network and software technologies. These are some of the technologies that are evolving and we tap into them to provide quality service for our customers. In the area of IT consulting services, we provide technology strategy, planning, and direction in the areas where the greatest needs exist. Our focus is to provide solutions that complement businesses, foster growth, and create opportunity. We provide analysis of business and applications to determine if information technology are meeting the customer business needs. The aviation industry is skeptical about connectivity while passengers are airborne. How can Cezart Technologies assist airborne passengers in having internet access without disrupting navigational signals? Our partner, Iridium, offers the best of communication devices around the aviation industry and it offers a whole lot of aviation and military solution that address satellite connectivity in excluded areas, because of its wide range of communications facilities. Our other partners like Inmarsat and Thuraya have their core expertise in maritime and land communications respectively, and they are very good in these areas. So what we do at Cezart Technologies is to look at the entire system and provide tailor-made solution that will address the issues. What is the business relationship between Cezart Technologies, Thuraya, Inmarsat, and Iridium? These companies are first tier companies in the telecoms space and Cezart Technologies work directly with them as partners. So Cezart Technologies has its own solutions, but partner these multinational companies for equipment supply.

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ZTE Reiterates Commitment to Work Ethics, Labour Welfare Stories by Emma Okonji Despite the current economic downturn that has adversely affected the telecommunications industry, ZTE Nigeria Limited has expressed its commitment to continuing investment in the economy and most importantly in the development of local human capital. ZTE Nigeria Limited is the Nigerian subsidiary of ZTE Corporation, which is one of the leading multinational ICT

solution and service providers in the world. ZTE is listed in the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchange Market. It operates in 160 countries with a total turnover of over $15 billion and over 60,000 staff. Speaking in Lagos, Head of Administration at ZTE Nigeria, Yawei Yang said that the company, which started operations in 2002 and which has over hundreds of direct and indirect Nigerian employees, had impacted positively on

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy through execution of a number of viable projects. She mentioned such projects to include the National project for government and telecommunication project for operators in Nigeria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We recognised the current situation in Nigeria but are going to maintain our high standard in terms of service delivery and our commitment to good welfare package for our staff. We are among the few telecoms companies that allow

all our staff to unionise, we have generous welfare packages that include trainings and sundry allowances even including mobile phone allowance because of our believe in the development of the local workforce,â&#x20AC;? she said. Reeling out the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s labour profile, she said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have not outsourced any of our operations outside Nigeria as some telecoms firms are currently doing to cut costs. Only 17 per cent of our entire work force are foreigners and we have

always operated within the ambit of the Extant Immigration laws and Regulations of Nigeria 2015 and all other administrative directives.â&#x20AC;? On allegation of whether the company recently flouted expatriate quota limits, Yang said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is true that our ZTE China staff routinely visit Nigeria on Business Visa as support group for discussions with telecommunication operators to enable us have good business prospects leading to signing of agreement which unfortunately

has not been successful since 2014.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the practice and this is for most foreign companies operating in Nigeria that those coming for such business discussions come with Business Visas because that is just for short visit and it is allowed under the law. They only come around when we have some business discussions and then travel out of Nigeria within a short time. The law is there for all to see,â&#x20AC;? she said.

StarTimes launches Free Subscription Promo for Customers Determined to reward its numerous and loyal subscribers in Nigeria, popular Pay TV company, StarTimes, has launched a reward programme that will allow a customer pay two months subscription with a two weeks free viewing period. Speaking on the promotion, the acting Brands and Marketing Director, StarTimes, Mr. Qasim Elegbede said that the subscription for two months and get two weeks free promo had already started and would be on till July 31st. He explained further that subscribers could recharge for two months across any bouquet on all decoder types (product) and enjoy for free two weeks of uninterrupted access to their bouquet plan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Subscribers can recharge for four months and get for free 4 weeks viewing time. All subscribers using our decoder or Real Digital TV can participate in this promo,â&#x20AC;? Elegbede said.

He noted that StarTimes aggregates various exciting and top-notch channels on its platform to offer millions of digital TV subscribers a rich blend of entertainment - be it movies, sports, news, drama, series, and music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our desire is to ensure that every Nigerian family can afford, access and enjoy digital television with over 100 owned and authorized channels creatively selected to appeal to every member of the family,â&#x20AC;? he said. StarTimes is the leading digital-TV operator in Africa, covering 80 per cent of the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population with a massive distribution network of 200 brand halls, 3,000 convenience stores and 5,000 distributors. StarTimes owns a featured content platform, with 440 authorised channels consisting of news, movies, series, sports, entertainment, childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs, fashion, religion, among others.

Huawei, Fortis Projects Donate Technology Skills Centre to Lagos Huawei Technologies Co. Nigeria Limited and Fortis Projects Service have jointly built a standard technology skills acquisition and development centre in Eti-Osa, Lagos, to boost technology skills acquisition, alleviate poverty and empower the youth of the community. The centre, known as Funmilayo Mobolaji Johnson Skill Acquisition and Development Centre, and donated to the Lagos State government, was official unveiled by the wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode. The centre was designed as an alternative to white collar jobs, with the basic intention to impart knowledge in various fields ranging from catering, hat and bead making, hairdressing, fashion designing, photography, fridge and air conditioner maintenance, leather works, wood and carpentry, adult literacy and computer studies. Sole Administrator of Eti-Osa East LCDA, Babatunde Ayo Ayeni, said the centre would represent an alternative means of livelihood for the people in the community. On his part, the Executive Director at Fortis Group, Mr. Richard Dotun Adebayo, said

the completion of the project marked the beginning of a new dawn for the young men and women of the local community. Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Mr. Frank Li relayed his indelible experience with a young girl and her mother who lacked access to skill acquisition. Li said it was this singular episode that continues to motivate me to help children and teenagers in the community at every opportunity. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in the state, Mrs. Lola Akande, said she was honoured to be part of the unveiling of the Funmilayo Mobolaji Johnson skill acquisition centre named after the wife of the first Military Governor of Lagos State. The Chinese Consul to Nigeria, Mr. Chao Xiaoliang, described the centre as a bountiful blessing to the Nigerian people, and another monument of the friendship between Nigeria and China. Mrs. Ambode enjoined the people to put the facilities to good use so as to enjoy the place for a long time to come.

ACCOUNTING TO STAKEHOLDERS

L-R: Managing Director, Portland Paints and Products Nigeria Plc, Mr. Mukhtar Yakassai; Chairman, Larry Ettah and Company Secretary, Mr. Adeleke Yusuf, during the Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos...recently

Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics, Inlaks collaborate on Tech Solutions Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics, a leading global provider of risk management solutions and Inlaks, a leading infrastructure solution provider in Nigeria and West Africa, have forged a new collaboration as part of the Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics Partner Alliance programme. The partnership will allow Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics to provide clients of both firms with its award-winning regulatory and risk management solutions, which Inlaks will complement with its local business expertise and in-country support to Nigerian banks. The Managing Director, Enterprise Risk Solutions at Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics, Andy Frepp, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics offers Nigerian banks a unique range of expert solutions to help make informed corporate lending decisions and meet evolving regulatory requirements.â&#x20AC;? According to him, while the company already has a comprehensive footprint in Nigeria, its partnership with Inlaks would offer closer proximity to its local banking clients and support the further adoption of its solutions in the technology space. Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics helps capital markets and risk management professionals worldwide respond to an evolving marketplace with confidence. The company offers unique tools and best practices for measuring and managing risk through expertise and experience in credit analysis, economic research, and financial

risk management. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, African Operations at Inlaks, Mr. Femi Adeoti, who is confident about the partnership, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;By using one flexible and secure platform that combines financial spreading, credit analysis, and robust data storage features, banks can better assess their counterparty risk profile as part of the lending decision process and gain a comprehensive and consistent view of their exposure. Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics is perfectly placed to bring an answer to Nigerian and West African banksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs and we look forward to working together with them.â&#x20AC;? Inlaks is a leading ICT solutions provider across the sub-Saharan Africa region. It has over the years, propelled itself to the forefront of innovative solution enablers, specialising in the deployment of dynamic and highly scalable ICT infrastructure solutions that satisfy the fast evolving requirements of the financial, industrial, distribution, telecommunication, oil and gas and utilities sector of the sub-Saharan Economy. As part of this partnership, Inlaks will create a centre of expertise to help firms implement and support Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics solutions in West Africa. By leveraging Inlaksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; technical expertise and 24-hour local support, banks using Moodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Analytics solutions will also benefit from effective turnaround time on supportrelated issues, Adeoti said.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Scalable Solutions Key to Closing Digital Divideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Chief Executive of West Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest independent fibre optic infrastructure and telecoms services provider, Mr. Stanley Jegede has said that the firm is intensifying efforts to achieve its promise of re-defining West Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telecommunications landscape. â&#x20AC;&#x153;More planned projects in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s south-west and north-east zones are developments geared towards bridging a challenging digital divide and fostering scalable solutions that will see more people and businesses enjoy global standard connectivity solutions,â&#x20AC;? he said. Stating the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unwavering commitment, Jegede reiterated that the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current economic clime is not a deterrent to increasing its contributions to rising global ICT initiatives targeted at making the internet accessible to all especially in the West African sub region. As internet connectivity is credited with providing farreaching economic and social benefits as well as changing the lives of individuals with access to it for the better. He added telecoms providers could also start to push back at environmental and market limitations by proffering innovative, affordable and scalable solutions that allow more of the unconnected, who also live largely on the African continent, access internet connectivity. According to him, Africa must start to leverage the

dividends of connectivity on a far higher scale than it currently does which heavily impedes earning capacity and economic growth of individuals, institutions, industries and several other businesses thus producing low level of economic contributions on the continent in comparison to other global economies. Jegede also affirmed that although the importance of expanding physical infrastructure to drive affordability which is the major criteria for ensuring accessibility cannot be overridden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but we must look beyond this and Phase3 is working aggressively to pull the right partnerships to offer scalable enterprise and converged service solutions that will see people especially in rural communities rapidly leverage the opportunities that the internet delivers. He said Phase3 would remain focused in tackling the sub-regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital divide as once fully realized; the benefits will touch multiple industries - from financial services, where lower cost of transaction will increase financial inclusion, to education, where increased access to knowledge will have a lasting impact on the quality of education our children receive as well as health, where people can use the internet to reduce the impact the distance from home to hospital has on health and wellbeing as well as the opportunity to tap into the wealth of health resources online.

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Charting a New Course for Professionalism in Healthcare In the interest of consumers in the health sector, the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy in partnership with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has mobilised health professionals to brainstorm on the imperatives of inter-professional collaboration in fostering good healthcare. Raheem Akingbolu was at the event It was apparent right from the beginning that this was not going to be your usual health event. The way and manner health professionals moved around the auditorium, laughing loudly while exchanging pleasantries tended to suggest that this meeting was not the typical meeting that would examine, say the cost of medicines and proffer ways of enhancing affordability, or the state of a certain disease outbreak. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting was about something else altogether. The symposium had been convened to enable healthcare professionals beam the searchlight on the subject of collaboration and comradeship among the various healthcare professionals and the essence of such collaborative professionalism on Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare industry. Little wonder, therefore, that everyone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nurse, physician, medical laboratory professional, pharmacist, physiotherapist and all, was upbeat and friendly. Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare industry has battled with numerous problems that range from inadequate budgetary allocation to mismanagement of public healthcare institutions. These problems now reflect in very poor scores by Nigeria in the various human development indices including infant mortality, maternal mortality and overall life expectancy. However, rather than come together as one body to tackle these problems, the healthcare industry has over the years, had to contend with its own internal strife as each of the sundry professional groups battle each other in what Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, former minister of Health calls â&#x20AC;&#x153;beauty contests.â&#x20AC;? In these â&#x20AC;&#x153;beauty contests,â&#x20AC;? it is not the wellbeing of the patient or the sick that is the issue; rather what is being displayed is â&#x20AC;&#x153;my profession is better than yours.â&#x20AC;? Partnership to boost professionalism According to him, the symposium was an attempt by the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria to mobilise colleague health practitioners in the search for a new paradigm in the relations between professionals in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare sector. A former Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Vincent Maduka, was chosen to preside over the gathering of health professionals. Maduka in his presentation drew extensively from his background as an engineer in his presentation in which he actively canvassed a new disposition by healthcare professionals towards collaboration. According to Maduka, health professionals must work at collaboration and not expect that collaboration would happen by chance. Maduka also canvassed that healthcare providers be provided with better or more work incentives, adding that it would make them prouder of their work. Secondly, he canvassed that every error by healthcare professionals must be visited with investigation and sanctions, adding that when healthcare professionals realise that incidents would be investigated and errors, sanctioned, this would naturally incline them towards more collaboration to help ensure that such errors are either minimised or totally eliminated. Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Rahmon Bello, also expressed his delight with the subject area that had been chosen for the Symposium, adding that as a knowledge-based institution, the University would continue to provide support to specialised academies like the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy and others. Decline in the sector Speaking at the occasion, the President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, lamented that whereas some of the brightest minds in Nigeria are in the

Eyitayo Lambo; President, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy and Former Minister of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi;and Chairman of the Symposium and Former President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering, Engr. Vincent Maduka and Director, Food & Drug Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Pharm. (Mrs) Gloria Modupe Chukwumah, representing the Minister of Health at the NAPharm Symposium on the imperative of Interprofessional Collaboration in the Health sector which held held in Lagos...recently

health sector, the sector has suffered steadied decline over the years on account of unhealthy rivalry among the various professionals. The government, he said had over time, set up committee after committee to resolve the internal wrangling, but that these efforts had yet to yield the desired result. This was why, he added that professionals are themselves picking up the gauntlet and challenging themselves to rid the healthcare industry of this divisive and unnecessary rivalry. Adelusi-Adeluyi exhorted healthcare professionals to â&#x20AC;&#x153;stop over-celebrating our differencesâ&#x20AC;? and instead â&#x20AC;&#x153;imbibe the spirit of teamwork.â&#x20AC;? The president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria towed the same line and canvassed a disposition of the healthcare professional that would be defined by mutual respect, trust and transparency all of which are hallmarks of teamwork and collaboration. A former health minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo who delivered the keynote presentation could hardly hide his excitement at the choice of the theme. According to him, the theme of collaboration was a sermon he preached all through his tenure as health minister. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always the health professionals that the beauty contests among you were unnecessary. At the end of the day, it is the patient who suffers.â&#x20AC;? Lambo was excited at the prospect of the symposium to help redress the perception among health professionals towards the subject of collaboration but was also quick to warn that this is something that would need to be worked at and which would evolve over time and would certainly not come to pass overnight. Better collaboration, however, he stated, would positively impact the patient, the health professional as well the overall health system. Nigeria, said Lambo, was ranked 187 among 191 countries by WHO in 2000. The health system he lamented has had to face sundry challenges over the years. For instance, the constitution makes very scant provision for health while there is hardly any legislation that defines the roles and responsibilities of the three tiers of government. In addition, constant changes in the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health have led to regular policy reversals. He also lamented that despite the significant role of the private sector in healthcare delivery, there are only very few Public-PrivatePartnerships in the healthcare sector. PPPs

ought to be a very potent means of delivering value for Nigeria, from the healthcare sector. Primary healthcare, he added, also needs to be revitalised. Government expenditure on health as a percentage of total government expenditure is still very low while total health expenditure as a percentage of GDP is also very low, said Lambo. Interprofessional collaboration is a possible national strategy to strengthen the national healthcare system, Lambo stressed. Across the world, said Lambo, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases has forced health professionals to increasingly seek a more interprofessional approach at managing these illnesses. In addition, with growing segments of aging populations, patients and families are increasingly involved in the management of their health conditions. For interprofessional collaboration to be effective in the healthcare sector, said Lambo, there would need to be a willingness by all of the parties to collaborate. In addition, all the parties would need to communicate among themselves in clear, open and timely fashion. Very importantly, mutual trust, respect and credibility would be desirable of all the parties, while role clarity is also very critical. Very importantly, said Lambo, interprofessional education is also critical to fostering better collaboration. This is the time, said Lambo, to break down silos, build new teams and heal our broken and fragmented healthcare system. The industry would need the broad participation of multiple stakeholders â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the government, the academic institutions, the regulatory bodies, professional societies and researchers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in driving collaboration among healthcare professionals. Lambo who repeatedly expressed excitement at the new disposition towards interprofessional collaboration, also expressed a wish to be part of the collaboration-building drive, going forward. The Nigeria Medical Association which was represented by Dr. Umar Sanda, expressed satisfaction not only with the theme of the symposium but also its intent. Indeed, said the chairman, a health summit with a similar objective was organised by the NMA only recently. Going forward, he added, the NMA would adopt a cross-sectoral approach and involve other health professions in organising its health summits which are themed around interprofessional collaboration.

Other views A former Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State, Professor Dennis Agbonlahor, a renowned medical laboratory scientist was also one of the speakers. He extolled the value of collaboration in healthcare, adding that the practise of healthcare continues to evolve daily and exhorting practitioners to live up to the reality of this fact. Indeed, he illustrated the value of collaboration with a recent health incident in Benin-City where health professionals had become baffled with the seeming lack of response of a disease condition to a drug, Imipenem despite the disease being shown to be susceptible to the drug in the laboratory. He added that it was only after a consultant pharmacist informed the team that Imipenem would only be effective when combined with another drug, Cilastin, that the jinx was broken. This is the beauty of collaboration, he reiterated. Assistant Director of Nursing Services at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, Mrs. Jokotola Shode, spoke in a similar light, namely for the healthcare system to impact the lives of the patients in the best possible fashion, then collaboration among the practitioners is critical. Other speakers including Pharmacist Jimi Agbaje, chairman of JayKay Pharmacy, Dr. Felix Odusanya, a physiotherapist, Dr. Ebun Sonaiya chief executive officer of Crown Surgery and Medical Services as well as Mr. Chukwuma Muanya assistant editor with The Guardian, spoke in the same line. The cross-sectoral symposium rose after crafting, considering and jointly adopting a communiquĂŠ which detailed further steps that the wider group would take in further driving the case for enhanced collaboration among healthcare professionals. The professionals rededicated themselves to professional practice that is founded on trust, mutual respect and most importantly, the overall needs of the patient. They also resolved that teamwork and collaboration would be introduced into the curricula of healthcare professionals to help nurture the culture of teamwork. It is hoped that health professionals will follow up on the lofty ideas and presentations of the symposium and replace the bitterness and rivalry of the past with a new determination to build bridges and cooperate among themselves.

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Uniyal: Consumers Will Get More Value if Manufacturing Challenges are Surmounted Managing Director, Euro Global Foods and Distilleries Limited, Mr. Manish Uniyal speaks on the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and the efforts being made by his company to add more value to consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; demand. Raheem Akingbolu brings the excerpts: What is your assessment of the first quarter performance of the Nigerian Economy visĂ -vis the economic recession; would you say progress has been made? The Nigerian economy, which was severely hit in 2016 by the drop in the crude oil price and crude oil production, is beginning to show some signs of positive outlook and recovery. The economy, which officially entered into a recession in Q2 2016 following the release of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures showing two consecutive quarters of GDP contraction, is showing strong signs of recovery. The recovery seems to be coming on the back of the recent increase in crude oil price, the increase in crude oil production in Nigeria and the Central Bank of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (CBN) continued supply of foreign exchange to both retail and corporate users. The Purchasing Managersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Index (PMI) report of the CBN shows that both the Composite PMI and the Production level in the manufacturing sector improved in March 2017. Although the Composite PMI in March 2017 at 47.7 points was below the 50 point level (which suggests a decline in activities), it was an improvement from the month of February 2017 figure of 44.6 points. The Index for the production level in the manufacturing sector at 50.8 points is however higher than the 50 point level (which suggests an improvement). The monthly rates of increase in both the Composite PMI and the Production level were the second highest in two years and the highest since January 2017. Analystsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; consensus is that the inflation rate will continue to trend downward in 2017. This means that the purchasing power of Nigerians should improve and stimulate demand for both consumer and industrial goods. The country recorded its highest level of external reserves in 16 months, US$30.30billion, on March 31, 2017. The average external reserves in the month of March 2017 stood at US$30.2billion. The increase in the crude oil price in the international market and the increase in crude oil production in Nigeria contributed to the accretion in the external reserves. On account of the increase in external reserves, the CBN has been able to maintain an improved supply of foreign exchange through authorised dealers (the banks) to end-users. The expectation is that the current improvement in the macroeconomic environment and the efforts of various stakeholders to promote made-in-Nigeria goods should stimulate economic activity in the short to medium-term. In the midst of this hurdles, what would you say are some of the key challenges confronting the manufacturing sector? Key players in the industry had expected to see an improvement in the manufacturing sector, but that hope was dashed as economic indices showed that not much improvement was recorded in the real sector of the economy. Expectedly, major economic challenges in the sector were yet to improve despite positive steps taken by the Federal Government and its economic team to reposition the industry. Apart from the forex challenge, the manufacturing sector also faced high lending rate, high cost of power generation and declining household consumption, which resulted in real income depletion due to surge in aggregate price index. Beside major challenges, the sector also faced with lack of properly-trained workers. A factory is only as good as the people that run the factory. There is a lack of properly trained employees that have the management skills to manage a team and technical skills to operate machinery and build products

embarked on the philosophy of maximizing local content in our products and passing on the cost advantage to our customers. If you see our price increase has been quite less in comparison to competition. We have also leveraged on the synergy we have with back ward integration. Most of our group companies supply us Raw and packing material to the extent that our imports are now barely 15 to 20 % for the raw material Secondly we have come out with innovative products and unique packaging. This has provided value for money proposition for customers. Take for example we were unique in introduction of Golden Choco in slim can in Malt drink category. One of our flagship brands; Power bitters has unique blend and packaging, which cannot be compared to any other brand. Euro monitor has said that Nigeria is the 4th largest soft drink market in the world, and Euroglobal is a frontline player in that category, with a number of premium brands, what are your strategies for remaining competitive and improving on your market share? Our strategy to remain competitive works around 3 key principles First maximise local content and leverage on the back ward integration with our group companies for our Raw and Packing material requirement. This will counterbalance some of the negative effects of severe cost push due to Naira devaluation. Second is work on a thin and lean/efficient organisational structure. We have one of the most efficient and lean structures greatly reducing overheads. Third is to expand into new untapped territories in Nigeria by expanding workforce wherever required

Uniyal

with their hands. Of course, there are also infrastructural issues. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk about the issues facing all businesses in this region without talking about infrastructural challenges. The main issue that hinders manufacturers is the access to uninterrupted power supply. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have predicted that Nigeria economy will recover from recession and grow by 1.7 percent, are there indications you can point to support that claim? In our perspective and with the numbers that we have seen coming from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy has recorded about one per cent real growth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is a bit lower than governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectation which is about 2.2 per cent growth for 2017 Like they say in every problems there are opportunities, so what are the opportunities for growth in this moment for manufacturers like you? Yes there are genuine opportunities as Government has embarked on an economic recovery plan and slowly shifted emphasis towards made in Nigeria. Difficulties in availability of dollars has also made importation difficult for some of the FMCG goods and hence local production is gaining momentum though this is sometimes scuttled due to lack of technical know and capability gaps. For us the difficulties in importation has started providing business opportunities in some of the markets and product segments It seems like Euroglobal has done pretty well despite the challenges, we have seen expansion in some of your operations, especially in the food, beverage and even the agro allied segments, so what can you say have been your strategy for growth? Our strategy for growth is very simple. One, market expansion into untapped territories in

Nigeria, we have restructured and expanded our sales team by continuous recruitment drive to cover new areas. Again, we have consistently worked on product expansion and innovation. We launched four products last year and plan to launch three new this year. We also leverage on the surplus capacities we have and workout more and more on local components. Then we take synergy from the backward integration with our group companies. Our lean structure enables us to move with alacrity and adapt changing business environment. The board of directors and top management is proactive in providing support enabling us to move fast. How have you been able to position your company to key into the post-recession possibilities, by taking advantage of the growth opportunities likely to present itself? If you see many companies and some in similar sector and in competition to us have had to do downsize or shut down their operation during last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recession. They were forced to down size their workforce in order to control cost and navigate through tough environment, We have had no such issues as we have always been following a principle of lean structure and efficient processes to run our business. On the contrary we have been expanding into new areas and were on a recruitment drive even last year. We are quite confident as the effect of downsizing will be not there and we are nicely positioned to take early advantage of expected economic recovery What are the ways by which you have been able to engage your customers, especially in this challenging period of rising inflation and declining disposable income? Most of the inflation in Nigeria is due to cost push in view devaluation of Naira and over dependency on Imports. We had

Your biscuit arm has also been very innovative and competitive, especially in recent times, are there plans to ensure sustainable growth and profitability? Yes they have been doing exceptionally well and they have been adding new products in their portfolio. They have forayed into wafers and thin crackers and quality of these is exceptionally good. They are also leveraging on the benefits of back ward integration and depend on group companies for their raw material/packing material needs Are we likely to see a new line of product any time soon from Euroglobal to tap into the enormous opportunities in the food and beverage segment? Like I mentioned above we are extensively working on three new products and these are going to be rolled out soon . No doubt consumers love your product, but the challenges have always been availability. Some of them want the company to do better in the area of distribution. What is your take on that and are there plans to improve distribution? Yes this has been one area we are investing a lot of time and energy to improve. As mentioned earlier we have been on a recruitment spree to increase our footprint in untapped areas and spread to new territories that were created last year and further have been created this year. Further we have restructured our entire sales vertical with creation of key focus area so that market penetration in existing area improves. Also in order to improve visibility of brands we have now formed a separate vertical for marketing function as earlier sales and marketing were intertwined into one. What are your growth projection plans? We have had an average CAGR 35 % in last two years. We believe we can grow much faster than that in 2017 and the same has been put into the targets of the team.

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CACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sCRPandEaseofDoingBusinessinNigeria In this article, Ahmadu Ibrahim applauded the recent signing of three executive orders on ease of doing business by acting President Yemi Osinbajo, noting that they are in line with the various strategies by the Corporate Affairs Commission to bolster Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business environment Nigeria is arguably the most attractive market in Africa today considering its huge population of about 170 million people, the largest among the 54 countries on the continent. However, Nigeria has for decades consistently dawdled on the World Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global ease of doing business scale with the latest ranking placing the country at 169th position out of 190 countries assessed late last year. The nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s low ranking can be attributed to various factors, among which is its huge infrastructure deficit. But much more frontally, businesses are encumbered in Nigeria by the intrinsic bureaucratic bottlenecks at various stages of economic facilitation especially within government establishments. For instance, the latest ease of doing business report titled Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for All which was published by the World Bank in October 2016, revealed that Nigeria ranked 138th position in terms of Starting a Business, 174th position in terms of Getting Construction Permit, 180th position in terms of Getting electricity, 182nd position in terms of Registering Property, 44th position in terms of Getting Credit, 32nd position in

terms of Protecting minority investors, 182nd position in terms of Paying Taxes, 181st position in terms of Trading Across Borders, 139th position in terms of Enforcing Contracts, and 140th position in terms of Resolving insolvency. It is against this backdrop that the recent signing of three Executive Orders by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the Federal Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ease of doing business initiatives, is not only valuable but also significant in bolstering Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business climate. The three orders provide for specific instructions on a number of policy issues affecting ease of doing business in the country, among others. But even before the issuance of the three orders, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has been one of the few Federal Government agencies that have initiated various strategies to accelerate the growth of the Nigerian business environment. One of such initiatives of the Commission is the development of a registration software called the Companies Registration Portal (CRP). Since the launching of the CRP early in 2015, company registration activity has witnessed progressive increase. Worthy of note, is the fact that the feedback which the CAC

Minister of Industry Trade and Investment Dr Okechukwu Enelamah

gets from its customers and other stakeholders has over time helped to further enhance the workability of the on-line registration experience and operational needs required for a perfect registration process which the Commission is committed to provide.

Investigations have shown that the CRP is not only userfriendly, but that it also affords customers on-line real-time access to the services of the CAC from the comfort of their offices or homes, using different e-payment platforms such as inter-switch, e-transact,

MasterCard, Verve card and Visa card to effect payments for their registration. This has made it possible for potential investors to register companies without necessarily hiring the services of a lawyer or lawyers. The CRP has also been found to have significantly impacted on the time cycle for company registration, thereby leading to the achievement of the Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 24 hours registration target. This is undoubtedly a huge leap for Nigeria in terms of one of the key components of the World Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ease of doing business assessment criteria: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Starting a Businessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Beyond the CRP, however, the CACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current dynamic management led by Barr. Bello Mahmud had also envisioned other initiatives which have helped immensely towards ease of doing business in Nigeria. For some time now, the Commission has maintained a desk at the One-Stop Investment Centre (OSIC) being hosted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), which is a platform to carter for foreign investors coming to register and do business in Nigeria. The CACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OSIC desk has been empowered to conclude company registration activities within 24 hours. Another laudable initiative by the Com-

mission has been the creation of a public search window which allows members of the public to view all existing and approved names online free of charge before they choose names for reservation. Hitherto, this was only being done physically by lawyers on behalf of potential registrants after payment of a sum as search fees. Equally invaluable to its clients, the CAC has established a 24/7 Call Centre which is domiciled in its Public Affairs Department, with four dedicated telephone lines and an email account, for the public to make enquiries and complaints resolution. Also, as part of the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initiatives to ease doing business, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Okechukwu Enelamah recently approved timelines and extended working hours for the Commission. The CAC now closes by 7pm to the public. These, among numerous other initiatives, are sure measures towards not only fast-tracking quick start of business in Nigeria, but also ensuring that the Commission evolves into a world class companies Registry.

incessant attacks of farmers by herdsmen, Kayode said that an agency, called Agro Rangers, has been established to check the excesses of herdsmen. He said this agency was

tasked with the responsibility of going into communities to fend off any form of hostility from the herdsmen and report it to appropriate authority for quick action.

- Ibrahim wrote from 24, Dan Suleiman Street, Utako District, Abuja, FCT

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FG Had No Intention to Import Grazing Grassesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; The federal government had no intention of importing grazing grass for cattle into the country on a regular basis as people were meant to believe. This clarification was made by the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Kayode Oyeleye, at the monthly forum of the Nigeria Association of Agricultural Journalists (NAAJ), which held in Lagos recently. Kayode, who spoke on the theme entitled; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The journey of Agriculture Development in the Country So Farâ&#x20AC;?, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to clear the misconception which some people held sometime last year when the Federal Government wanted to import grazing grass into the country. It was quite a misconception by many that the government wanted to be importing grazing grass regularly to feed cattle. No, the government did not have such intention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Actually, the intention of the government was to import the grazing grass for re-planting in lands reserved for cattle ranch so that the perennial lack of grazing grass for cattle nationwide would be eliminated. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The FG had good intentions in this regard so that the problem of grazing grass would be solved once and

for all in the near future. But some people misconceived the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intention to mean regular importation of the grazing grass.â&#x20AC;? He used the forum to educate the public on why herdsmen go all out to find areas with grass for their cattle to graze, thereby clashing with farmers over damaging of crops by cattle. He said that the popular belief that herdsmen attack only farmers in the southern part of the country is false, adding that it is the media that has made people believe so, which he said that they also attack the northern part. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grazing is more of reality. Many lands are being taken over by deforestation and erosion. Because of this, herdsmen go extra miles to find food (grazing grass) for their stock. They protect their animals from being attacked and stolen. Animals also stray into farms without the herdsmen knowing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The media reports more of incidents of herdsmen attacking farmers in the south than in the north. I am not rationalising or supporting the activities of these herdsmen. I totally condemn it. But in terms of media reporting, there is a glaring bias in favour of the south. Most of what happens in the north concerning herdsmen killing farmers is not reported in media, perhaps,

because the media base is in the south. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many communities in the north also experience attack from herdsmen over their farms being damaged by cattle.

Most of these herdsmen are not even Nigerians. Many are from the neighbouring countries like Chad, Niger, Cameroun, and Mali,â&#x20AC;? he said. Against the background of

MTN Strengthens Bond with Customers â&#x20AC;ŚHolds Iftaar with customers in Kano June 12, 2017 marked another exciting customer bonding event between MTN and the citizens of Kano, as the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Muhammad Siddiqui led top management of the company to break the Ramadan fast with some of its esteemed customers in Kano. In living up to its renewed commitment to make customer satisfaction the hub of its operations, MTN Nigeria officials listened and shared with a section of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s muslim community in a gesture that demonstrated how much MTN values the opinions of its diverse customer base. Comfortably seated in the FABs Centre and Events, under the hall dĂŠcor in MTNNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature warm Yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ello colours, guests engaged with top management executives, asked questions and shared observations about products and services

while breaking the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ramadan fast Speaking on this initiative, MTN Nigeria, COO, Muhammad Siddiqui, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;At special times like this, MTN understands the need to show appreciation to our dear customers and enhance the emotional connection we share with them. For our dear customers of the Islamic faith, this holy month of Ramadan provides us that unique opportunity to do soâ&#x20AC;?. The Ramadan Iftaar event is one of several â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Voice of the Customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initiatives that kicked off this year, with forums in the cities of Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Each session has been marked by vibrant dialogue covering a wide range of topics, e.g. discussion on the state of the industry, feedback on MTN products and services, suggestions on service improvements, etc.

Simba Group Plans to Establish Manufacturing Plant in Nigeria Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Simba Group has expressed it readiness to commence local production of motor cycle and tricycle otherwise known as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Keke Napepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Keke Maruwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in Nigeria as soon as it gets partnership from any state government. Its Branch Manager, Ravi Bajaj disclosed this recently in Abuja at the launch of an upgrade version of tricycle by the company called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New TVS King Deluxeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Innovation and product superiority is our motto which is why we launched our TVS King. You will agree it was far superior to whatever else you had seen. Over the years our competitors have only tried to play catch up and even after seven years they cannot reach where we were years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have always been trail blazer in this business and always been ahead, but in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive environment being ahead is not enough. We will change the game permanently,

that is why the theme of this event is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the game changer.â&#x20AC;? According to the Branch Manager, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are looking very seriously in to empowerment issue. Our next plan is to put up the assembling plant in Nigeria so that we can have maximum number of Nigerians working in our factor â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is the next phase of our plan, but let see how it unfolds. We are talking to a lot of State governors now and whenever we get interest from any governor, we will put up a plant here to commence local production,â&#x20AC;? he added. Meanwhile, the National Sales Manager, Deji Olaniyan said there has never been anything quite like TVS deluxe, noting that this 3 wheeler product has broken all boundaries into previously unknown territory. He added that the new improved tricycle apart from having a radio and mp3, it also has an engine that is twice more powerful than the one produced before.

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How Nigeria Can Become Self-sufficient in Food Production Ugo Aliogo suggests that Nigeria could become one of worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading markets in food production by encouraging young Nigerian entrepreneurs who are making giant strides in plantain farming Self-sufficiency in food production has been identified as one of the key growth drivers in every economy. Despite the abundance of arable land and food crops in Nigeria, the country is still heavily dependent on imported foods to feed her huge population. Since the fall in oil price, there have been calls on the federal government to diversify the economy away from oil and develop agriculture as a major revenue earner. This move according to experts will also reduce the financial drain on the economy especially in the area of food importation. It will also reduce the craving for white collar jobs and make the youths to think inward on how to support the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s agro-economy. To drive this growth, young entrepreneurs are investing in agriculture and agro-allied businesses as part of measures to boost food production. Sage Vincent is one of those entrepreneurs who have decided to venture into agriculture not because he lacked the knack for white collar jobs, but because of his desire to assist the country boost its capacity in food production. He explained that the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population is expected to record huge growth by 2020 and about 60 per cent of that population would be within the ages of 30. He noted that that the huge population needs to be fed; thus the need to attain self-sufficiency in food production. Vincent cultivates two large plantain plantations in Ilah and Okpanam in Asaba, Delta State with 18 workers. He told THISDAY that his desire to cultivate plantain was because as a staple food, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go into wastage as it can be recycled in different ways. He said the crop has high yield and low investment startup capital with long term benefits. He noted that the cultivation of plantain farming is easy for start-ups especially because suckers can be purchased from Ministry of Agriculture, or from big plantations. Vincent explained that after the initial planting stage, the subsequent expansion would be from the plantain suckers, which imply that the farmer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to keep buying suckers yearly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a staple food, plantain can be recycled after the purchase of the first suckers. This ensures that in the next planting season, the farmer doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to buy again. More suckers are usually produced from the ones planted which is part of the recycling process.â&#x20AC;? He also stated that during harvest, nothing is wasted as plantain can be eaten unripe, ripe and over ripe, adding that it can also be sun-dried and ground into plantain flour. There is also a new trend of known as packaged plantain porridge, he said. He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Currently, we are in our production stage and we have plans in place to go into plantain Research and Development (R and D) to enable us expand the resources of the plantain value chain and the medicinal purposes. As for the required start-up capital, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatively low excluding land acquisition or lease. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Going into plantain farming is highly rewarding, beside the clearing and preparing of the farm site, the purchase of good stock of plantain suckers, the purchase of pesticides and fertilizer, the rest is just the maintenance of the farm and labour. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The maintenance is not difficult and the harvest is bumper. The growth prospect is large and more youths are beginning to see the opportunities in the sector. The sector will witness growth in the coming decades as there are efforts on the way to use technology to make the sector more financially rewarding.â&#x20AC;? He explained that the huge challenge the farmer faces is transporting the farm produce from the farm to the market. According to him, like other farm produce, some donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to the market due to the poor road network, resulting in big losses for the

farmer. Vincent explained that apart from the poor road network, another challenge is the nonavailability of low cost economically viable utility vehicles, noting that most times the buses used by the farmers to convey their produce damage it. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The product processing options are limited; most farmer donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the financial muscle to build top notch processing facilities. Governments both at federal and state levels are not investing enough in the sector. If industrial processing facilities are managed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP), there will be an improvement in the quality of the products and the grading will be done to meet international markets standards. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Africa, the need for ease to prepare meals is growing as evident in the Indomie success story and the turnover of fast food restaurants is a testament that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a demand. Having a local delicacy on the go will gain wide acceptance provided that the preservation method is healthy and organic. We are still in the research stage of the most appropriate method of long term preservation. Many persons want to eat healthy meals but may not have the time and the local recipe and our goal is to provide a healthy nation with cost for quality and not provide overly processed foods that are not healthy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In terms of R and D, I think that we are far off track as a nation and the concrete efforts to grow the innovative centers for the next generation is lacking in technological know-how and a dearth of necessary infrastructure. Our Universities that are supposed to be the hub for innovation have not lived up to expectations. Now is the time for big companies to invest in private innovation/creative centers as part of strategic innovation growth plan. This will help provide the right synergy for innovative advancement.â&#x20AC;? Pest and Weed Control Vincent further explained that in mitigating the risks of weeds and pest, farmers should focus on using some agro-chemicals that are adaptable in fighting and controlling weeds, stressing that most times they embark on manual clearing depending on the nature of pest infestation or weed attack. He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometime, we also spray with chemicals, but you have to be careful otherwise

it may damage the plant and the root which would prevent it from growing. Therefore, for weed control, we spray roll by roll because it is properly spaced. If your space is not properly done, you will encounter the problem of spraying on the plant. When you are spraying, you go very close to the grass and spray. You have spread it triple because it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t die easily; it is drought resistant and can survive with low water application. For pest control, we use both traditional and modern methods.â&#x20AC;? Market for the Produce Vincent stated that presently there is no robust market for the produce because they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t entered the value chain planned. He remarked that their plan is to penetrate the Nigeria market, with a focus at exporting while working to get to their logistics right in the area of research and development (R&D). He remarked that there are markets in Delta and Lagos, where produce are sent to after harvest. He added that most times, the produce are moved to Lagos, because Lagos has a ready market for it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Presently, we have not started measuring our production in tonnes or kilos because as they mature, we sell off and besides, we are still growing,â&#x20AC;? he noted. Access to Loans Vincent noted that for an entrepreneur starting up a business, there is need for that entrepreneur to bootstrap from initial savings, monies from family and friends to begin the business, rather than obtaining loans from Bank of Industry (BOI) and Bank of Agriculture (BOA). He explained that using loans to start a business, puts it in negative trading, therefore any money realised from the business would be used to repay the loans collected. Vincent added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The failure to pay back some of these loans are the reason why many businesses collapse after five years because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand any aspect of it. People end up repaying the loan without understanding the position and prospect of their business, leaving out the moral and ethical side of the business and the reason why they are in the business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your vision should be the drive; why you are in the business. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go into the business only for the money sake, but because of the vision you have for it; therefore my

advice is donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start a business with loans, it can come in the mid-point to support, but starting up with it is not good enough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;BOI has initiatives that are good enough such as single digit interest rate, but BOI doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just sponsor start-ups; you must have gotten your business running. They are not charity organisations; they are in the business to make money. Therefore as an entrepreneur, you should be able to look for opportunities instead of going to BOI and BOA to borrow loans. The entrepreneur can key into equity investment, rather than these loans. One of the factors affecting Nigeria entrepreneurs is the lack of partnership. People are more concerned with the fact that they can do it on their own. So that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t share the ideas with another person, in other climes, businesses encourage partnership.â&#x20AC;? Improving the Plantain Value-Chain Vincent explained that the Nigeria agroindustry is still at the agrarian stage, but noted that with full industrialisation in the area of food production, a value chain would be created for plantain. He stressed that if there is a value chain for plantain, people can tap into the opportunities with a focus of converting the latex from plantain into a gum. He lamented that people are interested in consumption without focussing on industrial use of plantain, adding that the peels can be ground and used as animal feed, but there is no focus on this direction. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are some good initiatives, which government is embarking on; but it is not structured from the top to the bottom to affect those deeply interested in agriculture. It is political and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come down to the common man. Sometimes, the government sets certain criteria which donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t favour those that are interested in agriculture.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we get our logistics right, we would go into exportation. Africa population is currently, at 1.2billion people, which is a huge market to tap into. The food has wide acceptance. From plantain, you can get starch, flour, alcoholic beverage, biscuit and other derivatives. Raw export of plantain is part of our plan, but not the end. In 2016, the world production of plantain exceeded 100 billion pounds,â&#x20AC;? he noted.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

NAZAS: Ensuring Empowerment for the Lessprivileged In a life-changing experience, some beneficiaries went home with gift items and cash donations from the Nasfat Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat (NAZAS), a non-governmental organisation, during disbursement of Zakat to the needy in the society at a Ramadan lecture organised in Lagos recently. Funke Olaode writes

n order to create peaceful-co-existence between the poor and the rich and maintain balance in the society, Islam strongly advocates charity as a means of sharing wealth to cater for others, while it also emphasises the issue of feeding and empowering the poor. Fulfilling this injunction, the NASFAT Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat, NAZAS, a non-governmental organisation saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the needy in the society recently empowered some beneficiaries with some gift items and cash donations. This was done during an annual Ramadan lecture organised by NASFAT Surulere branch at the National Stadium Mosque in Lagos under the watchful eyes of some dignitaries and Alhaji Shamusudeen Oladele Afunku who represented NAZAS chairman, Mr. Niyi Yusuf. The Beginning Though incorporated on January 31, 2014, NAZAS commenced operations in May 2014 with the recruitment of the pioneer general and operations manager, and eight-man board of directors who are specialist in their fields. The agency was formally launched on June 21 the same year, which coincided with the first day of Ramadan. Committed to touching lives, the agency swung into action immediately through empowerment and scholarship programmes, which cut across primary, secondary, tertiary schools, visually impaired, law school and prison inmates. The agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benevolent act is not limited to individuals alone as it had reached out to the vulnerable within the society through donations of relief materials to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Also, through its public health initiative, the agency has been collaborating with the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) to provide free medical services to the downtrodden in underserved locations. Headed by its chairman Mr. Niyi Yusuf, the agency was able to achieve all of this with the support and commitments of donors and kind-hearted Nigerians who have volunteered some of their yearly earnings in form of Zakat. So far, the agency has spent over N70 million in providing succour to the less privileged in the society. Joyful Beneficiaries In an interview with THISDAY, some of the beneficiaries couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hide their joy as they received cash donations ranging from N200,000 to N250,000 and gift items such as deep freezers, coolers, photocopy machines and so on. For a physically-challenged young man, Lukman Oluwo from Shomolu area, it was a moment of shock, excitement and emotion for him having received N200,000 to start his water and soft drink business. Oluwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story was pathetic having been short-changed by a relation he once lived. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was assisting my mother in her petty trading when I was empowered by NAZAS through NASFAT Ikeja branch. I bought deep freezer and my business was going on fine. Unfortunately I was short-changed by a relation who took advantage of my predicament. He seized all these things, pushed me to the street and ran away. With this N200,000 from NAZAS, I will build a container and start up my business and by the grace of God I will rise again. I am grateful to NAZAS.â&#x20AC;? A trader from Mushin area, Hazizat Adelagun Arike, who received a cash donation of N200,000, had a pathetic story to tell. She explained, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I currently sleep in the mosque but God used these kind-hearted individuals through NAZAS to put an end to my homelessness and resuscitate my business. I am a petty trader trading in pure water and soft drinks. But due to challenge I have been struggling. With this money I will

L-R: Olusesi Tajudeen; Alhaja Suwebat Kupolati; beneficiary of deep freezer, Mrs. Shittu Kudirat, and Alhaji Ahmed Olanrewaju, during the NASFAT Lagos zone one Ramadan lecture/ NAZAS empowernment programme in Lagos get an accommodation and put my business back on track. I pray to God to continue to be with them and family.â&#x20AC;? With a cheque of N250,000 to boost her petty trade, Shittu Sherifat enthused, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honestly, NAZAS is God-sent. I am a trader selling ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wears, household utensils. I hawk around moving from one complex to another. I heard about this NAZAS through member of NASFAT Ikeja. I obtained the form in 2014 and God remembered me through them. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect it. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anybody among them. I got married and moved to Ibadan. This money has put an end to my hawking as I would go and rent a shop.â&#x20AC;? Timely Lecture The disbursement exercise was preceded by a Ramadan lecture delivered by two guest speakers, Alhaji Daud Oniyide and Alhaji Isiak Folorunsho Faagba. In his presentation titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Benefits of Giving in Islamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Alhaji Oniyide of Lagos State University said the lecture could not have come at a better time as it is relevant in the Holy month of Ramadan. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;it becomes imperative to analyse and

enumerate the importance of the lecture. Why? Because it aims at shedding more light on the concept of spending and giving; particularly in this month of blessing, forgiveness, charity and of doing good deeds.â&#x20AC;? Speaking further, Oniyide asked rhetorically, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have you ever noticed that life doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offer equal opportunities to people as it elevates some people and empower them with abundance of wealth while some are begging for their daily food and at times dying of poverty? Oniyide explained that giving is necessary to any man that is being denied to meet the basic needs of life; like food, clothing, shelter who can feel neglected and estranged. Poverty, he stressed, leaves its victims hopeless and vulnerable. He said it becomes imperative to come to the aid of these less privileged and relieves them of their predicament by giving them financial, moral and emotional support at all times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is why Islam has organised an institution of charity such as NAZAS to eradicate poverty and cater for the have-not. And it has become a religious obligation upon whoever Almighty Allah endowed with abundance of wealth to stand and respond to the need of such people,

giving them the basic needs of life. Islam preaches that everybody should have a meaningful life. And on charity giving in Islam, Oniyide said it can be in form of money, food, sharing of experience and spending valuable time with those who need assistance, an act he noted maintains and strengthens good relationship between the giver and the recipient. And for Zakah, Oniyide said it is important as it was mentioned in the Qurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an 30 times and combined with salat in seven times. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zakah is the third pillar of Islam. It is a specific payment prescribed to all Muslims both male and female, matured and saint whenever his wealth reaches a specific level and is adequately distributed to a specific group of people in the community.â&#x20AC;? Corroborating Oniyide, Alhaji Faagba also admonished the Muslim faithful to pay their Zakat as at when due because that is the only one God accepts and the one that can redeemed oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sins in the sight of God. The cleric said Zakat is not for boastful individual in terms of donation as they have to be modest while giving and even adopt the saying that â&#x20AC;&#x153;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow your left hand to know what the right hand is doing. Be a cheerful giver.â&#x20AC;?

RANDOM THOTS Hidden Truth The diďŹ&#x20AC;erent chants and responses about separation in Nigeria have both Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ë&#x153; this whole imbroglio can be traced to the political elites who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the control of this country to slip from their selďŹ sh grasp. Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁË&#x153; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;ĂŁ ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ up his roots and go back to his â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;homelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in the North? Why on earth would an Ibo man raised in Kaduna all his life relocate to a strange land back in the Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă&#x17E;ËŁ Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;ĂŁ ĂĄĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2039;Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; who has spent all his life on the banks of

Lake Chad in Borno State feel at home in the back-waters of Ode-Omu in Osun Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2022;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? chanting war songs of separation and secession all over the country? This relocation agenda is not new to Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; Í&#x2019;Í&#x161;Í&#x161;Í&#x2018; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2DC; late Major Gideon Orkar and his cronies launched a military coup and ordered every Nigerian to relocate to their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;states of originâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work then because the citizens didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy into such Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;ĘľĂ&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D; that it would succeed now. Nigerians are used to living together

Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;ĘĽĂ?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Í&#x2013;Í&#x2122;Í&#x161; dialects from both major and minor ethnic groups have not aďŹ&#x20AC;ected this synergy. But as long as these same evil political elites - who tried to lure the military into a coup - continue their Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x201C;Ă? a vital pre-requisite for development may prove elusive. The security agencies and government must ďŹ sh out the ĂĄĂ&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ě&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x201D;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x161; Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161; Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122; one is safe...simple truth -Abimbola Akosile

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

Ëš

Justice must prevail!

Can Special Courts Help Check Corruption? The Federal Government, in a recent broadcast by the Acting President, announced plans to designate some specific courts to handle corruption cases as part of judicial reforms to check public and private sector corruption in Nigeria. Given past records where only one ex-Governor has been tried and convicted for corruption among several other cases, do you think these new special courts can ensure effective prosecution and deterrence against looting and corruption in Nigeria? Abimbola Akosile * No need for Special Courts, the relevant laws and the already existing courts are more than enough. The issue is lack of will to enforce the laws of Nigeria. - Mr. Utibe Uko, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State * Special courts? Will they be manned by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;specialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; people and not the same ones we already know? What we need is a change of mindset and political will to holistically tackle corruption, not special anything. Corruption thrives because of our present mindset that sees governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money as nobodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money. - Mr. John Ogunsemore, Lagos State * It may create more jobs, increase government spending but wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make any difference to the rate of convictions. The problem is not with the tool but the personnel. - Mrs. Ada Agina-Ude, Gender and Development Action, Surulere, Lagos * One of the greatest threats against the fight to check corruption is the failure of getting the accused persons indicted. We therefore need to have a special court made up of Judges with integrity to ensure that the citizenry get justice for the embezzlement of their patrimony by charlatans and greedy people. This will be the revolution we need to move the course of justice forward. - Prof. Kate Nwufo, mni, Abuja * We do not need special courts as our resources are already depleted. Why waste more on a wild goose chase? - Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos * Special courts certainly can. They can provide speedier trials and save costs. However, it may not be very useful in loot recovery as all the regular convictions we have had so far have not included recovery of stolen funds. Only through seizures or plea bargaining has loot been recovered. As far as prevention is concerned, even the maximum sentence allowed for corruption cases is not enough of a deterrent for Nigerians. The only language we understand is that of preventing the crime before it happens, and blocking of leakages is our safest bet. - Mr. Buga Dunj Jos, Plateau State

THE FEEDBACK Yes, they can:

No, they cannot:

Others:

Radical tip:

Sincere leaders!

Total no of respondents:

Male:

Female:

Highest location:

Lagos (9)

* There is no policy without its flaws, let it be done! - Mr. Bankole Kupolokun, Lagos State * Yes, the Federal Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honest decision to designate some specific courts to handle corruption cases in Nigeria will spur judicial reforms and ensure effective prosecution and deter all looters. A combination of the special courts and the implementation of the mutual legal assistance bill passed recently by the House will aptly ground corruption especially with the spate of our current political will. Nigerians are glad. - Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State * We need judicial reforms before the special courts for corruption. The judicial arm of government is under-staffed, poorly motivated, poorly equipped, and judges are now into self-help. Without these reforms, no special court will make the required difference. - Mr. Ikpa Matthew, Asokoro, Abuja * No, special courts cannot check corruption in Nigeria. The judiciary has deeply compromised their integrity and they sell justice to only highest bidders. The poor face jungle justice and the jurors and lawyers suddenly get rich and flaunt such injustice publicly. No tangible result therefrom but colossal waste, polluted system, poverty and grave insecurity as usual. - Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State * Who are to man the special courts; angels from

heaven? As far as Nigerians are concerned, it is only God that would help us check corruption and doing His will greatly help us eradicate corruption. - Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna * At the end of the day, they will set up a committee, just like Oputa Panel, appoint the same lawyers that have been unable to effectively discharge their duties. No need, waste of time, money and energy; please scrap it. - Mr. Adegun Abiodun Mathew, Lagos State * The battle against corruption is one this country has to fight to a standstill and it should be all-encompassing. However, the issue of special courts is a delicate one. Why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we just re-jig what we already have, like the EFCC, for instance? Do we need to tinker with the Act establishing it to give it sharper teeth? We spend too much money paying salaries in this country - special courts to fight corruption will have to be staffed. Thisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll drain more money. - Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo, Abuja * Special courts will alleviate or wipe corruption out, if some retired judges with track records are appointed with a time-frame in which to dispense each case; especially the ones since the inception of this administration. As it was said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;justice delayed is justice deniedâ&#x20AC;?. - Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna State * Corruption is not the problem of Nigeria but leadership. We need leaders that will strengthen our institutions. Special courts will only enhance the process by reducing the long years spent in concluding one case; after all the judges will not come from the moon or heaven but from the system. Fighting corruption depends on our laws and institutions. - Mr. Egbuna Nduanya, political scientist and Analyst, Enugu State * It is a welcome development if there are specific courts for alleged corrupt individuals to be prosecuted. But the courts should avoid selective prosecution. - Mr. Yusuf M.B.O, Nda Aliu, Kwara State * There is no need of designating some specific courts to check and handle corruption in Nigeria. There is need to strengthen the existing structure and institutions that provide the enabling

environment to make courts to perform their functions accurately. The Federal Government should also develop the strong political will and be honesty in fighting corruption. - Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Abuja * In Nigeria where corruption is tried from opposition camp? We are waiting to see if this is another means of witch hunt. - Mr. Aregbesola Abiodun, Lagos State * Although it is hard to find integrity in the judicial system nowadays, special courts can really make a difference in curbing corruption in Nigeria. The selected judges will be under constant public scrutiny and they will strive to justify the confidence reposed in them, and ensure convictions that can stand appeal and higher decisions. However, there must be strict checks and balances in the appointment of such judges, to check undue influence by corrupt persons. - Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

Next Week: Can Regional Autonomy Prevent Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Breakup? Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019; Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018; Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2039;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x152;ĂŁ Ă Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă? Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x161;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x161;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;ĂŁËŞĂ? Ă?Ă˘Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă? Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;ĂŁË&#x203A; Ă&#x2DC; ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂĄË&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;ĂŁ Ě&#x2039; ĂĄĂ&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17D;Ă Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x161; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2013;ĂŁ Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă? Ě&#x2039; Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x161; Ă&#x2039;Ă Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x161;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2122;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?ËŁ Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă? ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ë&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? ĂŁĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153; Ă?Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x152;Ă?Ă&#x17E;ĂĄĂ?Ă?Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁ Ě&#x2122; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? ÍŻÍł Ęś Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? ÍŻÍˇĚ&#x161; Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.comË&#x153; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă?ĚśĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁĂ&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă Ă?Ë&#x203A;Ă?Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ë&#x203A; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2122; Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2039; Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă˘Ă&#x17E; Ă&#x2014;Ă?Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2018;Ă? Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2122; 08023117639 Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;ËšĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x153; 08188361766 Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x17D;Ëš Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x153; 08114495306Ë&#x203A; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x161;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă?Ă? ĂĄĂ&#x201C;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x152;Ă? Ă&#x161;Ă&#x;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă&#x17D; Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC; Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x2039;ĂŁË&#x153; Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC;Ă? Í°Í°

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

We also deserve a better roof over our heads!

Wâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bank: Infrastructural Devt in Lagos Impacting Positively on Residents As Lagos recruits 27,500 sanitation workers Abimbola Akosile and Shola Oyeyipo The Word Bank has commended the massive infrastructural development ongoing across Lagos State under the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration, noting that such projects were impacting positively on the lives of Lagosians. Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank, Mr. Joaquim Vieira Levy noted this when he paid a courtesy visit to the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Mrs. Idiat Oluranti Adebule at the Round House, Alausa Secretariat, recently. Levy during the visit assured that the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban renewal and infrastructure development projects would continue to receive more boost from the World Bank to assist the government deliver more on key infrastructural. The World Bank Chief, who

was accompanied on the visit by other top officials of the global financial institution, said they decided to pick Lagos State as its pilot state for its sustainable development assistance scheme because Lagos was leading in providing good governance and infrastructures that have direct positive impact on its citizenry. He noted that most developed countries of the world have been able to move their economy forward because of the adoption of the Public/ Private sector integration model which according to him would further accelerate the growth rate of development in the state if adopted. He alluded to the fact that Lagos over the years has been blessed with leaders with good vision and good aspirations for development, in a release issued by Odusina Akeem of the Public Affairs Unit of the office of the Deputy Governor. Levy said previous part-

nership of the organisation with the State Government in transportation, education, environmental management and flood control had been of great benefit to the urban renewal efforts of the state government, adding that the organisation would continue to assist the state government to scale up its infrastructural development a projects so as to be able to meet the aspirations of its teeming population. In her remarks, the Deputy Governor, who received the visitors on behalf of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode commended the World Bank for its support and partnership, noting that their efforts had helped the State Government to achieve its transformational policies especially in efficient flood control, transportation and the Eko Education Project initiative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will continue to treasure this partnership and supports which have helped us to de-

liver on good transportation through LAMATA, our modern agricultural system, Sports development, Eko Projects and general infrastructural development programmes and many more that have helped our policy implementationâ&#x20AC;? Adebule said. The Deputy Governor, who was elated at the visit, said as the Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was increasing yearly, residents deserve better governance in terms of scaling up infrastructure provision. She urged the apex Bank to consider energy development, efficient potable water supply, water transportation, road construction and education as some of the key areas the state government would need urgent support and partnership to further bring democratic dividends to the people. She expressed concerns over the current global economic meltdown, and appealed to the visiting World Bank Executives

to help the country with more friendly policies that could help to regulate the high exchange rate in the country so as to increase the purchasing power of the average Nigerian and reduce inflation. The highlight of the visit which had top government functionaries in attendance was the presentation of souvenirs of the Lagos State government to the World Bank visiting Executives. Meanwhile, thousands of Lagosians are already applying to be employed as Community Sanitation Workers (CSW) under the ongoing recruitment exercise by the Lagos State government. The three-day exercise being carried out by the Cleaner Lagos Initiative had already attracted thousands of applications from interested workers. Speaking on behalf of the Initiative at the Agege venue of the ongoing recruitment

exercise, Mr. Ibrahim Fearon said those being employed are not just street sweepers but are employees of the state government. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a career part to it. We want to put some dignity into it. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only get tax free monthly pay, they are pensionable. They also get accident insurance and to avoid spending money on transportationâ&#x20AC;?, he said. Explaining that the Cleaner Lagos Initiative is about improving the whole of Lagos to make the environment cleaner , Fearon added that those employed would also enjoy life insurance and health insurance. One of the applicants, Mary Emmanuel, a BSc Mathematics graduate from Ekiti State University who said she filled the form online, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the initiative, it is expected that Lagos will be cleaner because it will bring effectiveness to cleaningâ&#x20AC;?.

Building Institutional Capacity Vital for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Recovery, Says Udoma Carol Oku The Ministry of Budget and National Planning has stated that building institutional capacities is vital for Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic recovery, noting that the country is blessed with abundant human and natural resources, but managing these resources still remains a challenge. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, explained that Nigeria must begin to

invest massively in developing capacity for management and human resources to achieve economic growth and stability. Udoma during a recent working visit to the Centre for Management Development (CMD) in Lagos added that his ministry has been working to put together series of policies to take Nigeria out of its current economic woes, maintaining that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) is one of the policies aimed at restoring Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We came in as a government determined to change Nigeria and also determined to change Nigeria from a nation of consumers to a nation of producers. We have been working to put together a series of policies to achieve this and this is what is entailed in the ERGP. This plan requires contribution from everybody to make it work and in particular, because the coordination is in the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, this is our product and we have to be

at the forefront of driving it,â&#x20AC;? he said. In his words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We inherited an economy that was dependent on crude oil. We have moved the country back towards more production particularly in agriculture, because agriculture and food security is one of the key execution priorities. We also want to stabilise the macroeconomic framework and in other to achieve these objectives.â&#x20AC;? He said CMD was well

placed to help train Nigerians in management to take up positions in steering the country back on track, while also assuring the centre of the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support to enable it deliver on its mandate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;CMDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role is very important in achieving those changes. We know that you have some challenges and I have come to tell you that we are here to support you. You must focus on using this impressive facility optimally. We will give you the support and we will be

expecting more from you. We need people who are going to champion the ERGP. We believe CMD can be a change agent for government,â&#x20AC;? he said. Earlier, the Director General, CMD, Kabir Usman, commended the minister for his support towards the development of the centre, while assuring the ministry of its unwavering support to complement the federal governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort to put Nigeria back on track in terms of economic development.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT QUOTE OF THE WEEK

â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our discussions with the leadership of the National Assembly, we have jointly resolved to return to a predictable January to December fiscal year. It is a particularly important development because this aligns with the financial year of most private sector companies, underscoring the crucial relationship between government and the private sectorâ&#x20AC;? - ACTING PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO SPEAKING IN ABUJA United Nations Commends Nigeria on SDGs Implementation Abimbola Akosile

NGO Empowers Women Nationwide on Sustainable Work Another seeks improved waste disposal

Carol Oku in Lagos and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin A hands-on training workshop with the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Enhancing effectiveness and efficiency of women-run Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was recently held in Lagos. The workshop, which was held in Ikeja, sought to empower women to enhance their capacity to run sustainable NGOs that can seek support and funding from reputable organisations. It was facilitated by the Enterprise for Development International (EfDI), an international development agency and supported by ExxonMobil, an oil company. Participants at the event were drawn from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. While some already had operating NGOs, other participants needed a boost from the workshop to get themselves up and running. The sessions, which were facilitated by highly regarded resource persons, covered NGO Start-Up, Fundraising and Proposal Development for Programmes and Projects, Effective Use of ICT for Running NGOs & Stakeholder and Partnership. Case studies aided participation and enhanced understanding of the subjects covered. The keynote address was delivered by the senior contracts engineer, ExxonMobil, Mrs. Patricia Opene-Odili. She emphasised that ExxonMobil was passionate about the concerns of women and actively promotes opportunities for women to network and build capacity through initiatives such as this. Opene-Odili highlighted the importance of passion in running an NGO, noting that â&#x20AC;&#x153;it is a critical key ingredient needed to sustain vision and to succeedâ&#x20AC;?. She enjoined the participants to network with those who have established NGOs in order to learn and build on their knowledge and also to be guided in the right direction. She also implored participants to consider segments of society especially their immediate environment, where they can be more impactful

Participants at the efDI workshop held in Lagos...recently and affect lives positively. Programmes coordinator, Mrs. Constance Nwokejiobi, in her remarks to the participants, encouraged the women to pursue businesses that would impact the society positively. She charged the women to think about themselves and consider flashbacks to their childhoods, early aspirations and dreams of the future. In her words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;women have their dreams, you know what you want to be, let it beâ&#x20AC;?. Meanwhile another NGO based in Ilorin, Kwara state, Vico Recyclers has lamented Nigeriansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; awful approach to waste disposal and management in the country. He said such attitude has become a serious threat to environmental development in the country. The CEO of the organisation, Mr. Victor Hamzat who disclosed this to journalists in Ilorin after the group held a sensitisation programme to mark the recent World Environment day said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody does not like waste. People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to see waste. Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attitude to waste management and disposal has been terrible and this is uncalled for.â&#x20AC;?

According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is why we are raising awareness on the involvement of all in waste disposal, as government alone cannot do all things. It all boils down to our attitude to our environment and members of the public are encouraged to take good care of their waste. There are better good values that can be given to waste. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As they say, a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waste is another personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treasure. We should appreciate our environment by keeping it clean always. We should make sure we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t litter our environment with waste and we should not block the drains. On the exercise, Victor added â&#x20AC;&#x153;we are celebrating the World Environment Day today. We are all out to raise awareness about protecting our environment and getting people involved. This is our planet and our home. Everyone needs to play his role. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vicfold Recyclers is a social enterprise and what we do is to give value for waste. We actually give people reward in exchange for their waste. We collect waste especially solid waste in exchange for gift items like electronics and cash and even food itemsâ&#x20AC;?, he added.

The efforts of the Federal Government to effectively domesticate and implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) got a big boost in Abuja recently with the United Nations pledging its partnership and support to Nigeria to deliver on the implementation of the SDGs. The pledge was made when the Global Director of the United Nations SDG Action Campaign, Mr. Mitchell Toomey paid a courtesy visit to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. Toomey, in a release issued by the Media Assistant to the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Mr. Desmond Utomwen commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for taking policy, institutional, and financial steps towards providing the needed environment for the implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria. Specifically, he noted that Nigeria was amongst the first countries to establish a special high-level office in the presidency to coordinate the implementation of the SDGs. He also commended Nigeria for its multi-stakeholder approach in implementing the SDGs. Through this approach, Nigeria has been able to set up structures which will support the engagement of the private sector, civil society and other non-state actors, the release noted. According to Toomey, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the SDGs are about the people. The formulation of the SDGs saw one of the most inclusive and consultative processes in the history of the United Nations, involving the Member states, civil society, private sector, parliamentarians, local authorities, faith leaders amongst other. The implementation should therefore be founded upon broad-based partnerships and contributions from every segment of the societyâ&#x20AC;?. The UN Chief congratulated Nigeria for being a candidate country in the 2017 Voluntary National Reviews of the SDGs, a global process through which national implementation of the SDGs are reviewed. This move, according to him, was a mark of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s openness and commitment to implementing the SDGs. Responding, Princess Orelope-Adefulire acknowledged the historical partnership existing between Nigeria and the UN SDG Action Campaign dating back to its precursor, the UN Millennium Campaign, which was anchored in Nigeria then by Mr. Hilary Ogbonna before its transformation when the SDGs were adopted in New York at the historic 70th UN General Assembly in September 2015. She pledged the continuation of this unique partnership and called on the SDG Action Campaign to devise effective means of ensuring the SDGs are promoted and owned by peoples of the world. The Presidential Adviser assured that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;current administration in Nigeria is committed to faithfully implementing the SDGs and ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.â&#x20AC;? She also noted that â&#x20AC;&#x153;in spite of the current economic realities, Nigeria has continued to commit funds to the SDGs and in social investments in two successive national budgets.â&#x20AC;? Nigeria was one of the more than 190 membernations who endorsed the adopted SDGs at the 70th General Assembly, and President Muhammadu Buhari led the delegation which attended the landmark event in the United States. The country also signed the international agreement on climate change, tagged the Paris Accord.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

Ray of Light as Nigeria Commences Local Vaccines Production For decades, many Nigerians had looked forward to government measures aimed at reducing the high incidence of death rates arising from the outbreak of various diseases. Now, there seems to be a glimmer of hope with the approval given by the federal government for the local production of vaccines by Bio Vaccines. Martins Iﬁjeh writes

hen Nigeria experienced one of the deadliest Meningitis outbreak two months ago where over 500 persons unfortunately lost their lives, one of the constraints the federal government said it had was the inability to promptly take delivery of vaccines it ordered, because they were told it would take a certain number of weeks before it will be ready and delivered into the country, between which people were dying, while the outbreak was spreading. The government also said even if it had envisaged there was going to be a Meningitis outbreak, there was no way it could have ordered for the vaccines beforehand because the procedure was that there has to be an outbreak before a nation can be qualified to make order for such vaccines even though it has to be paid for. But with the recent ratification by President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Executive Council of a joint venture agreement between the federal government and May & Baker Nigeria Plc for local production of vaccines, through Bio Vaccines Limited, there seems to be a ray of hope for poor Nigerians who are often the most vulnerable to disease outbreaks in the country. This ratification means May & Baker Plc in partnership with the federal government, will start local production of different lines of vaccines, which would be cheaper to purchase, and would be made available and accessible on demand to tackle most common disease outbreaks in the country. While the news is laudable and represents one of the best things to have happened in the health sector since the commencement of the present administration, those in the know say it took three Nigerian presidents, five ministers, and 24 years for the promoters of the local vaccine production to arrive at the feat, which is a major victory for the common man who is vulnerable to outbreaks he has no capacity to prevent or treat. Several decades ago the Nigerian Government was locally producing yellow fever and anti rabies vaccines in its facility in Yaba, but folded up the production in 1991 for inability to run it properly, which therefore gave room for May & Baker and other pharmaceutical companies to signify interest in supporting the government at the time in the production of vaccines through partnership arrangement. In 2004 when these companies signified interest in reviving the Yaba facility and start production of vaccines, the Federal Government was said to have chosen May & Baker because of its capacity and history of working in partnership with the biggest vaccine production company in the world, Pasteur, as they were handling their vaccine activities in Nigeria. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who at the time signed a memorandum of understanding with the proposed vaccine production company, an agreement which predates the Public Procurement Act, then constituted a board to kick off production, which took more than another decade before ratification of the agreement finally scaled through by end of May this year. The President, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Professor Mike Ogirima, who said the kick start of local production of vaccines was long overdue in the country explained that it was a laudable development that the present government of President Buhari has finally seen this through. “It is a good arrangement that the federal

Okafor

government is thinking of reactivating local vaccine production through a public private partnership, which will be run by a yet to be established or already established company known as Bio Vaccines Nigeria Limited (BVNL) as a result of the partnership between the federal government and May & Baker Plc.” Going down memory lane, he said he understands the discussion for the partnership has been on since 2004 when May & Baker and one other pharmaceutical company sent proposals to the federal government, but at the time May & Baker eventually won the bid, adding that since then a lot of documents have been signed towards the agreement. “During the recent cerebrospinal meningitis outbreak in some parts of the North, NMA was in the forefront to see that the outbreak didn’t snowball and we kept wondering what happened to our local vaccine production. But now that the present Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has dusted the file of this agreement that has been dormant in the ministry for years, we see it as a welcome development.” “As at 1947 to 1991, you won’t believe Nigeria was exporting vaccines to other African countries. Now that this has been ratified and it is going to be run by Bio Vaccines Limited, we know it is a good news. Though we know it will cost a lot of money to kick start production because the equipments in the Yaba laboratory are obsolete,” he added. He said with information available to him, the federal government will not be bringing in money into the joint venture, but the facilities it had on ground before has been assessed and evaluated, as that would be governments contribution or its counterpart funding to the agreement. May & Baker, he notes will then come with their own money since it is a joint venture. He said the feat would not only provide job opportunities for Nigerians, but will help the country in earning foreign exchange, as Nigeria can once again start in the export of vaccines to other African countries and beyond. THISDAY learnt that since the first agreement in 2004, May & Baker took over the Yaba

facility, has been maintaining the facility, paying staff salaries, and managing research animals since then, pending when the agreement will be ratified for them to kick off production. When THISDAY reached the Managing Director, May & Baker Plc, Nnamdi Okafor to get his thoughts on what the ratification means to Nigerians, he said the local production of vaccines has enormous benefits for a country and its people, adding that this was timely for Nigeria as it will help in reducing disease burdens and deaths occasioned by outbreaks. “When the people are within reach of vaccines, outbreaks can be timely controlled. Also it will improve the quality of life and survival rate of its people. This ratification will mean vaccines will not only be produced here, it will be sustainable. It cannot be sustainable if we still depend on importation.” He said in situations of emergency epidemic, countries depending on vaccines to be shipped to them often have to wait for a while because of the processes involved, and at which time people may have suffered from such outbreak. “But with local production, you don’t have to wait for such approvals and long processes. In fact, the local manufacturing company will know that as a matter of responsibility they have to optimise the production of vaccines for the particular outbreak while temporarily shutting or slowing down productions of other lines of vaccines. If such companies refuse to produce the needed vaccines, the citizens can match to them and demand for vaccines,” he added. He said same cannot be said of foreign manufacturers who are not under obligation to optimise production of a particular vaccine line because a certain country is experiencing outbreaks. “I will also say Nigeria spends a lot of money importing vaccines, which is in the range of four to six billion naira. But with local production, the country will not have to spend so much in the purchase of vaccines for its citizens. “Nigeria pays six per cent to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the value of vaccines bought. We also pay upfront for vaccines we can’t determine day of delivery.

We looked at all these and decided this would not be best for our country.” While stating that Nigeria will save a lot of money from local production, he said Bio Vaccines also intends to export vaccines based on need, adding that this will earn foreign exchange for Nigeria. “This will also build capacity for Bio Vaccine workers as well as regulatory bodies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. “By the time NAFDAC and other regulatory bodies build capacity in monitoring highly sensitive operations in vaccine production, they may end up being regional experts in that area. So this will bring a lot of benefits to Nigerians,” he added. While appreciating the Presidency and the Minister of Health for listening to the yearnings of Nigerians in reducing mortality rate through facilitating the process for the ratification of the agreement, he said May & Baker, who has enormous capacity to produce several lines of vaccines will work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) from day one. “We intend to operate on globally certified standards. All the vaccines produced here will be pre qualified by WHO, and if they look at the Yaba facility and they feel it is best to use a green field, we will be more than willing to use one of our lands which we have not touched,” he added. On what types of vaccines will be produced, he said the priority will be on the vaccines most needed and critical. “From government perspective, yellow fever vaccine appears to be a priority because globally, there appears to be shortage of it. There are also very few factories with the capacity to produce it. “We are also looking at the routine immunisation vaccines. We will pick the ones we believe there could be gaps. And we have identified tetanus vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine as some of such. Hepatitis B demand is high, and it fits both into pediatric and adult immunisation. We will kick start with those ones, and from there we can move to others.”

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

NEWS

Osotimehin: Exit of a Development Worker Mohammed Kuta Yahaya Life is one clear paradox that is both colourless and colourful with equal intensity. The spectrum of life radiates differently for every individual, forming a rainbow of colours, supper imposed before the setting sun. For Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, the sun has set leaving us with memories of his wonderful multiple colours in the journey of life. His rainbow, post human existence will be more colourful as his track records will continue to resonate in the corners of the globe testifying to his service to humanity. For me, the transition of Professor Osotimehin has exposed me to seeing beyond physical comprehension that life presents colourlessness once an individual fails to recognise a path set to traverse by nature to achieve. Osotemehin indeed followed the right path and achieved beautiful reflections of service. It is therefore instructive that to attain the best in life, you must understand that the path is often faint,

uncertain, sometime daunting. Refusal to identify and follow it presents the individual with the colourlessness of life in the wilderness – heralding a lifetime of gloom projected towards doom. It is always a wonder, mystery and attestation of God’s unequalled power when death gently puts out the candles, shuts down the rainbow spectrum, leaving a canvas of a sunset, heralding the end of a life that is on proven account so resourceful and impactful to humanity. It is indeed incomprehensible, the shock that builds a critical mass in the mind on account of the inevitability of our mortality, a reality instructive in shaping our sensibility about the vanity of this world. However, some people live to die while some die to live in memories, a clear narrative of human generational transcending. Thus a pleasant journey that life ought to be may turn to a journey in tribulations! The colour of life is a brilliant and sparkling image that glitters in the face of the individual

UN, OAM Condemn Violation of Albinos in Nigeria Martins Iﬁjeh The United Nations Information for Nigeria and the Onome Akinlolu Majaro Foundation have jointly condemned the stigmatisation and discrimination of persons living with albinism in Nigeria, describing the action as inhuman. They said while those violating the rights of albinos should be brought to book, there should be swift prosecution of perpetrators of attacks against persons with albinism. Speaking during the commemoration of the International Albinism Awareness Day in Lagos by OAM Foundation, the Director, United Nations Information for Nigeria, Mr. Ronald Kayanja said reports have shown that persons living with albinism were been hunted for rituals and amulets which have resulted in the killing of countless persons living with albinism. Mr. Ronald expressed that in order for a person to be affected by albinism, both parents must carry the gene and in that case there is a 25percent chance that a child will be born with albinism at each pregnancy. “It has been widely reported and documented that persons with albinism are hunted and physically attacked due to prevailing myths such as the misbelief that their body parts, when used in witchcraft rituals and potions or amulets, will induce wealth, good luck and political success. Other dangerous myths that facilitate the perpetration of attacks are those linked to perception of their appearance, including misbeliefs and myths that person with albinism are not human beings,” he said. Mr. Ronald giving a break

down analysis of proportion of persons affected by albinism in the world, he said, in North America and Europe, it is estimated that one in 17,000 to 20,000 people are affected by the condition, while in sub-Saharan Africa, one in 5,000 to 15,000 could be infected. Speaking at the awareness day tagged: ‘Beyond The Complexion’, Ronald said that one of the most serious health implications of albinisms was the vulnerability to skin cancer. “Skin cancer remains a life threatening condition for most persons with albinism. Statistics on the issue are mostly from Africa and they indicate a worrying trend. Some reports indicate that most persons with albinism die from skin cancer between ages of 30 and 40 years” he said. On her part, the Co-Founder, OAM foundation, Mrs. Onome Okagbare Majaro said albinism results because of lack of melanin in the hair, skin and eyes, causing vulnerability to the sun, adding that it doesn’t mean disability or death sentence. Mrs. Majaro lamented that persons with albinism faces multiple discrimination which consequently has led to pathetic stories of albinism “There is no doubt that people with albinism face multiple forms of discrimination worldwide. The truth is, albinism is still greatly misconstrued, socially and medically even by elites. The physical appearance of persons with albinism is often the object of erroneous beliefs and myths influenced by superstition which fosters their marginalization and social exclusion” she said.

Late Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin (m) signing visitor’s register, while Prof. Janice Olawoye (l) and Prof. Prof Mohammed Kuta Yahaya looked on in admiration, during advocacy visit to the then Governor of Niger State, Late Engr. Abdulkadir Kure

whose tiny eyes could pick that beautiful path of life among many confusing alternatives, with doggedness and conviction that choice could be modified, with perseverance the individual berths on the habour of success and happiness. I stand tall to affirm that words cannot comprehensively express the mercurial journey of this great icon of intelligence, sophistry and selflessness. This iconic figure spent greater part of his career in search of freedom for the oppressed and sometimes hapless and helpless to ensure they are not hopeless – his beneficiaries include women and young people. No doubt the shock wave that came with the sad news of the demise

of Professor Osotimehin who passed on to eternal glory on Sunday June 4, 2017 in New York is still vibrating among those of us who were fortunate to encounter this great Nigerian. He was a workaholic and gifted advocate for the advancement of women and young people and indeed humanity as a whole. Prof Osotimehin’s episodic sojourn on mother earth and the quality of life he lived immortalises him as a great leader who impacted on many. His footprints of service to the world remain indelible! He possessed a distinctive life force that directed his will power for practical fulfillment of his social activities and life ambitions. In fact, his rise to

NYSC Donates Mobile Aids to Indigents in Abia Emmanuel Ugwu in Umuahia It was a huge sense of relief for three indigent persons in Abia State when the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) provided them with wheel chairs to enable them move about easily. The state director of NYSC, Mrs. Francesca Ifon presented the mobility aids to the beneficiaries who were selected from different local governments of Abia. The beneficiaries include Mrs. Grace Okereke Nwaka from Ajatakiri in Ikwuano Local Government, Ndidi Akoma from Okeikpe, Ukwa West Local Government and Master Chukwubuikem Ukandu from Nkwoegwu Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government. The state director, who represented the director general, Brig Gen. Suleman Kazaure, said that the donation of the wheel chairs was part of the community development service aspect of the objectives of the NYSC. She explained that the donation of the wheel chairs was made possible by the Grace Projects International (GPI), a non-governmental organisation based in the

United States, which provided a number of wheel chairs to the NYSC in support of its community development service. The wheel chairs were distributed to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Ifon explained that Abia State was allotted three wheel chairs “to alleviate the sufferings of the needy in the society,” adding that the beneficiaries in Abia were selected in collaboration with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. The NYSC state director commended the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development for giving the scheme “tremendous support”. Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Chinedu Brown, who was represented by the Director of Rehabilitation, Esther Obinya, expressed gratitude to the NYSC for reaching out to the indigent Abians and providing them with mobility aids. She called on good spirited groups and individuals to emulate the NYSC in assisting the indigents in the society to live quality lives.

power was gradual and this was propelled by the zeal to serve humanity beyond doubts. He will be particularly remembered for his brilliance, loyalty to his family and friends, exceptional command of ethos, empathy, especially for women and young people. He would also be remembered for his ever-flowing sense of courtesy, advocacy skill and penchant for societal development. Little wonder then that he earned such an epithet as ‘advocacy colossus’. I recall his mentorship along with Prof. Janice Olawoye in my FLD years as a MacArthur Grantee in my journey into Reproductive Health Education mission in Niger State. He

was very supportive and on September 16, 1999, he joined Prof. Janice Olawoye and Dr. Kole Shettima, the Country Director, Mac Arthur Foundation on my advocacy visit to the then Governor of Niger State, Late Engr. A. A. Kure represented by the then Deputy Governor, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu along with Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Idris Mohammed. He will live on in our memories truly as a great honourable development worker and true leader. Prof. Yahaya is of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan

NHEA 2017: Akinsete, Ohuabunwa to be Honoured as Lifetime Achievement Winners Renowned Haematologist, Prof. Ibironke Akinsete and former Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, Mr. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa are to be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Awards by organisers of the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award (NHEA 2017) in Lagos on Friday, June 23, 2017. Speaking on the recognitions, the NHEA Project Director, Dr. Wale Alabi, declares, “We are proud of these Nigerians because of their excellent contributions to good health and wellbeing of the people of this country. They are champions who have distinguished themselves.” Akinsete, who is also an expert in women’s health, graduated from the University of Lagos, College of Medicine with a specialisation in Haematology and Blood Transfusion. Her academic and professional qualifications include: M.A.C.H.B (Aberdeen, 1963), M.D (Aberdeen, 1972), F.M.C (Path 1978), FWACP (1986) and FAS (2006). Professor of Haematology and Transfusion at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos from 1989 until 2003. She served as Pioneer Chairman of the

National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA). She is a member of the National Medical Association (NMA), British Medical Association, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (former President), International Society for Haematologist and Blood Transfusion, Nigerian Society of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (Former President), Nigerian Cancer Society (Former President), International Society for Blood Transfusion, African Society for Blood Transfusion, National Expert committee on AIDS, West African college of Physicians and National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. Ohuabunwa is a pharmacist who joined Pfizer in 1978 as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative (PSR) and rose to become the CEO/Managing Director in 1993. In 1997, he led the Management Buy over (MBO) of Pfizer Inc’s 60 per cent shareholding in the Nigerian subsidiary. The company was then converted to Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, a medium size R&D based Pharmaceutical manufacturing firm.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

HEALTH

HEALTH MATTERS

goketakinrogunde@gmail.com

By Goke T. Akinrogunde 07036777348; 07029126776

Body Odour is Preventable

ody odour is the unpleasant smell that can occur when one is sweating. Although, human sweat is mostly odourless, however, the bacteria that live on the skin can break down the sweat into acids, which produces an unpleasant odour. Medically speaking this condition is equally known as bromhidrosis, apocrine bromhidrosis, bromidrosis, osmidrosis, ozochrotia, fetid sweat or malodorous sweating. Most people who have passed puberty can produce body odour. Somehow, it can be assumed as one of the secondary sexual characteristics in the grownups. Puberty usually occurs between 12-16 years of age in girls, and 13-17 years of age in boys. Body odour can be made worse by the following conditions/situations: Obesity, Eating a diet that is high in spicy foods and having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes. Also of relevance here is the fact that body odour is commoner in men, since men tend to sweat more than women. Body odor is known to be largely influenced by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules present in the blood and body fluids. These are genetically determined and play an important role in immunity of the organism. The vomeronasal organ (in the nose) contains cells sensitive to MHC molecules in a genotypespecific way. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) A minority of individuals in the population have a condition called hyperhidrosis, which causes them to sweat excessively. Ironically, however, those with hyperhidrosis tend not to develop body odour because the sweat that they produce is too salty for the bacteria to break down. Sweating and sweat glands Our body contains between 3-4 million sweat glands. There are two types of glands: (1) the Eccrine glands; are distributed across your skin, and are responsible for regulating body’s temperature by cooling the skin with sweat when one gets hot. (2) the Aprocrine glands, which are concentrated in the armpits, genital area, and breasts. Aprocrine glands are scent glands because they release scented chemicals known as pheromones. Pheromones are thought to be able to subconsciously influence how people react towards the others. For example, one might find a person

· Take at least a bath, or shower, once a day. On hot days, consider bathing, or showering, twice a day. · Wash the armpits thoroughly using an anti-bacterial soap. · Use a deodorant, or an antiperspirant after bathing or showering. Deodorants make the skin more acidic, which helps to repel bacteria; whereas, antiperspirants block the sweat glands so that one sweats less. · Shave your armpits regularly so that the sweat evaporates quicker, and gives the bacteria less time to break it down. · Wear natural-made fibres such as wool, silk, or cotton. These will make sweat to evaporate quicker. · Limit your consumption of spicy foods such as curry or garlic because they can make your sweat smellier. There is also some evidence that people who eat a lot of red meat tend to have worse body odour.

Body odour can be prevented

sexually attractive because one is drawn to the smell of their pheromones. It is the aprocrine glands that are mostly responsible for body odour because the sweat that they produce contains a high level of protein, which bacteria find easy to break down. As the sweat that is produced by eccrine glands is saltier, the bacteria are unable to fully break it down. Smelly feet Feet became smelly because most people wear socks and shoes. This means that sweat cannot evaporate properly, which gives the bacteria the opportunity to break the sweat down. The moisture that accumulates around the feet can also encourage the growth of fungi, which can also produce an unpleasant smell. Related conditions Body odor may be reduced or prevented or even aggravated by using deodorants, antiperspirants, disinfectants, special soaps or foams with antiseptic plant extracts such as chlorophyllin ointments and sprays. Although body odor is commonly associated with hygiene practices, its presentation

can be affected by changes in diet as well as the other factors discussed earlier. There are a number of medical conditions that can cause a change in how much we sweat, or how sweat smells. For example, the menopause or an over-active thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) can increase the amount we sweat. In the same vein, diabetes or liver or kidney disease can produce a change in one’s body odour. These conditions can occasionally be serious so it is important to see the doctor if one experiences any of the symptoms listed as; Inappropriate sweating at night; Sweating much more than one used to, and for no apparent reason; Experiencing cold sweats, Notice a change in the smell of the body odour; a fruity smell could indicate diabetes, while a bleach-like smell could be caused by liver or kidney disease. Personal hygiene Our armpits contain a large concentration of apocrine glands. Therefore, it is necessary to keep them clean and free of bacteria in order to help control the symptoms of body odour by ensuring that:

Relevant medications Aluminium chloride is the active ingredient that is contained in a number of antiperspirants If the above advice does not help to improve body odour, one may require an antiperspirant that contains a larger amount of aluminium chloride. Most strong antiperspirants can damage or discolour clothing, so they are usually designed to be used once a day, best before going to bed. Botulinum toxin is a relatively new treatment for people who experience excessive underarm sweating. Botulinum toxin is a powerful poison, which can be used safely in minute doses. The treatment involves receiving around 12 injections of botulinum toxin in the armpits. The procedure should take about 30-45 minutes. The toxin works by blocking the signals from the brain to the sweat glands, reducing the amount of sweat that is produced. The effects of the toxin usually last between 2-8 months, after which time further treatment will be required. Smelly feet Smelly feet are not usually as big a problem as armpits because the smell is usually masked by wearing shoes and socks. However, they can be a source of embarrassment when at home with a partner, family member etc. The following may help control the symptoms of smelly feet.

Inside the Hospital My Rash and Oral Sex I wish to raise my concern about a condition that has been bordering my mind for some time now. I had oral sex with a girl sometime a while ago and I began to notice some rashes on my penis which later spread to other parts of my body. I went to see a doctor who carried out some blood tests and he advised me to use Travocort cream for 6 months. I met another pharmacist who advised me to use Ketoconazole tablets for 1month. I have carried out all instructions and even went back to the hospital to see another doctor

who told me to consult a dermatologist. These rashes have become itchy and it is embarrassing. Please do advise me on what to do. Thank you. Chidi Abuja Chidi, Your apprehension as per the concern you had over these rashes of yours are quite understandable, especially because the response

has been slowed with all the drugs you have been taken over the period under reference. However, I should say that the fact that you had an “oral sex with a girl” a month to the commencement of the rashes all over your body does not strike me as the immediate or primary cause of these rashes. This can as well be attributed to other causes, other than the oral sex. The above is the reason why I will advise that in this case you should stop the various “try and error approaches”, it is probably wise for

you to seek an appointment with a practicing dermatologist, since the primary complaint has to do with a skin rash. I am confident that the attending dermatologist will be in the best position to decode the nature of the skin rashes, and if necessary send you for relevant tests. In similar vein, he might probably also consider you for a collateral referral to other related specialists in the field of medicine. Best wishes, while you sort yourself out.

Foundation Rehabilitates Primary Healthcare Centre in Abuja Village Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja To alleviate the problems of healthcare facility in hard to reach communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Sam Empowerment Foundation has rehabilitated primary healthcare clinic in Gbaupe Village in Kuje Area Council. The Founder and President

of the Foundation , Dr. Aisha Achimugu, while speaking at the handing over of the rehabilitated clinic, said the greatest investment that could be made in life was not in bond/stock market, real estate or precious stones but it is in giving back to the society. She stated that the project was executed through the United States Ambassador’s

Small Grants (ASG) for community development programmes aimed at improving the social economic well-being and health of the community. Achimugu revealed that, “the project covered the rehabilitation of the dilapidated building structure, provision of a convenience, a reception, delivery room, consultation

and admission wards geared towards alleviating health challenges faced by the community as well as improving mother-infant child mortality rate.” The Coordinator of the Project, Ms. Kiema Ogunlana, said the project meets the need for a reliable, sustainable and improved quality healthcare provision especially with

regards to maternity and child care for the community which has experienced poor healthcare secure delivery prior to the intervention. “ We thank Ambassador Stuart Symington through ASG programme which has enabled us to achieve this laudable project which will impact positively in the lives

of 4,000 community members.” The Vice Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Hon. Samuel Duda, said the area Council has 46 healthcare facilities with inadequate and well trained staff, adding that Gbuape clinic was one of them with only three trained staff, while urging the FCT administration to employ more staff.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

HEALTH

Deepening Awareness on Sickle Cell Scourge Peter Uzoho Like every other couple, the birth of a child after several years of trying to have one comes with an unusual joy and grand celebration. The arrival of such babies mark the end of years of mockery, with its attendant pains and agony. This was the case of Ayokunlemi’s parents, who had him after seven years of waiting. “When we gave birth to him, the whole family was overjoyed. This was not surprising because my wife, Dupe and I, had to prayerfully wait for seven years before God finally blessed us with the fruit of the womb. Little wonder we named him Ayokunlemi meaning ‘Joy has come into our home,” Mr. Daniel Olakunle recounted But, nine months into the life of Ayo, the balloon of the parents’ joy got punctured when he was diagnosed and confirmed a sickle cell patient. This was preceded by days of endless crying which was mistaken for his want for food due to lack of information about the signs associated with sickle cell anemia. “However nine months later, Ayokunlemi had his first sickle cell crisis. He cried all evening and all night. We thought he was crying for food. His mother and myself did all we could to calm him, yet he cried endlessly. When his cry became unbearable, we decided to rush him to a nearby hospital. “There, at the hospital, a screening test was conducted for him. Results later showed that Ayokunlemi has the sickle cell disorder. We were all in shock when the news broke. How sad! The doctors that evening also confirmed that he was having crisis on his foot and

the required medical attention was given to him that day but ever since then, Ayokunlemi’s life has not remained the same,” he narrated. Notwithstanding the unusual health condition of their son, the parents’ love for their symbol of joy has never diminished for one bit as they ensured they provided all physical and emotional support for him to survive. The love for the child and the quest to uncover how such situation can be managed led the father into intensive research. “This love urged me to start an independent research on how to treat or better still, manage the crisis and it was during this research that I discovered that over 40 million Nigerians are healthy carriers of the sickle cell gene and over 150,000 children are born annually with sickle cell anaemia. It was so alarming,” he noted. Meanwhile, in recognition of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) as a major genetic disease in most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the WHO under the DNC Department, supervise and coordinate interventions relating to the prevention and management of SCD. .According to the World Health body, “the sickle-cell trait is now known to be widespread, reaching its highest prevalence in parts of Africa as well as among people with origins in equatorial Africa, the Mediterranean basin and Saudi Arabia.” It said in Africa, the highest prevalence of sickle-cell trait occurs between latitudes 15° North and 20° South, ranging between 10 and 40 per cent the population in some areas. It also said the prevalence levels decreased to between

Foundation to Offer Fertility Grant to Nigerians Martins Iﬁjeh The Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF) is now accepting applications for its 2017 grants towards fertility treatments. Interested couples are advised to submit their applications online at www. ibidunniighodalofoundation. org not later than Friday, 30 June 2017. The IIF Fertility Grant offers funds toward fertility treatments of various kinds of fertility issues such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intrauterine Insemination. In 2016, the foundation partnered with certified fertility clinics in Nigeria to provide fertility services to couples dealing with the financial strain of fertility treatments. Now, the Foundation is set to award another of batch of grants in its 2017 application. “We launched the IIF Fertility Grant as part of our plans to raise awareness on issues pertaining to fertility and bring hope and joy to couples waiting on the fruit of the womb”, said Ibidunni Ighodalo, President of the Foundation.

“The IIF Fertility Grant was launched in May 2016. After a long selection process, 28 couples from across the country emerged recipients and undertook various treatments in fertility clinics in the country. This year, we are pleased to announce that more couples can benefit from the grant and receive the financial, psychological and spiritual support they require on their journey to parenthood”, she said. The Ibidunni Ighodalo foundation (IIF) is a non-profit organization created to raise awareness on issues pertaining to infertility and to provide grants for couples that require fertility treatments such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination. We partner with highly reputable fertility clinics in Nigeria and with other donors to provide couples with the financial and material support they require during the treatments. We also provide the necessary psychological and spiritual support they require to deal with the pressures they face along their journey to conception.

one and two per cent in north Africa and to less than per cent in southern Africa. “In countries such as Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Nigeria, the prevalence is between 20 per cent and 30 per cent, while in some parts of Uganda it is as high as 45 per cent. “In countries where the trait prevalence is above 20 per cent the disease affects about two per cent of the population. The geographic distribution of the sickle-cell trait is very similar to that of malaria. The sickle cell trait has a partial protective

effect against malaria, and this may explain why it has been maintained at such high prevalence levels in tropical Africa. Those who inherit the gene from both parents do not have this protection. In addition, they suffer from severe effects of SCD and many die before they reach reproductive age,” it added. However, during the sickle cell enlightenment campaign organised by the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) in Ijede community recently, Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ayokun-

lemi’s father’s quest to know was further satiated by the presentation of the Foundation, whose mission was aimed at deepening the awareness of sickle cell disease and offering free testing and counseling to people living in rural areas. According to a beneficiary of the SCFN, Mrs. Waris Tosin, who spoke on behalf of the other beneficiaries of the free test and drugs, commended MultiChoice Nigeria for partnering with the foundation in enhancing knowledge about sickle cell anaemia in Nigeria.” “I am not a medical doctor,

but from that day, I volunteered to work with the foundation when the need arises and this June, the foundation has kept to its promise to spread awareness concerning the disorder,” said Olakunle, who was present at the enlightenment campaign. The Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Dr. Annette Akinsete, said the annual outreach sponsored by MultiChoice Nigeria, was one of the activities organized by the foundation to mark the Sickle Cell Day and to reach out to people in the communities, particularly those in rural areas.

L-R: National Coordinator, Power Oil Health Camp, Mr. Opeyemi Awojobi; Lagos State Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Mohammed Momoh; 2017 Batch B (Stream 1) Corp member, Mr. Timilehin Agbejimi; and Power Oil Public Relations Manager, Ms. Omotayo Azeez, during the Power Oil health activities at Lagos NYSC Camp recently

Radiographers Reject NCRRM Judge Remands Counterfeiting Bill Suspect in Prison Martins Iﬁjeh The Association of Radiographers of Nigeria (ARN) has called on the House of Representatives not to pass the bill for the establishment of the National Council of Radiology and Radiation Medicine (NCRRM) which was brought before it by Hon. Patrick Asadu. The radiographers, who noted that the proposed bill was unnecessary as radiography already has a regulatory board, said the average Nigerian will not stand to gain anything from the bill, as it will constitute an extra burden and duplication of duties of existing regulatory bodies. The President of the Association, Mrs. Elizabeth Balogun, who made the call in Lagos recently, said the bill, (titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Council of Radiology and Radiation Medicine to Provide for the Control and Practice of the Profession of Radiology, Radiation Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy, Radiography, Medical Physics and Technology and for Other Related Matters’) sought to put together professions that already have regulatory bodies, including radiography, medicine, nursing, and engineering into one regulatory council. “The bill plans to bring different professionals who are comfortable where they have been and it is not going to add anything, but rather create an opportunity for a specialisation

to lord things over everybody. “It will do more harm than good to the health sector, which in turn affects the general public. We want radiographers to regulate radiographers and the country has given us the opportunity to do that to be able to deliver good services to the Nigerian populace,” she said. Stating that the bill was another waste of tax payers’ money, she queried, “if radiographers are already being regulated as professionals, what is the motive for lumping them with others who don’t have their status of satisfaction and placement? “Radiographers in the country must not only be formally trained but must be registered and qualified to be proficient enough to handle imaging techniques. That includes X-ray imaging, ultrasound, Computed Tomographic Imaging (CT Scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), among others. “Nigerian Radiographers reject the bill and refuse to be associated in any way with it. We are satisfied with Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), as our regulatory body. We are also aware of our legal right to fair hearing and freedom of Association. “We call on well-meaning Nigerians and the entire citizenry to call for active participation of radiographers who are the end users in standard radio diagnostic equipment purchase.”

Justice Abdulaziz Anka of the Federal High Court in Lagos remanded a Lagosbased businessman, Benson Maduka in prison custody for the importation and sale of some unregistered cosmetic products. The judge ordered that Maduka be kept in prison after he was arraigned before him by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on two-count charge of importing and selling fake cosmetic products. According to NAFDAC prosecutor, Umar Shamaki, the accused person imported unregistered EWV Serum Lotion and EWV Q7 Gold Whitenizer contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Food, Drug and Related Product Act and punishable under Section 6 (a) of the same Act. Maduka, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Justices Anka has adjourned the case till June 14 for the hearing of the accused person’s bail application and the commencement of trial. In a related development, Justice Anka also convicted and imposed a fine of N150, 000 on a trader, Izuchukwu Chikelu for the sale of fake cosmetic products. The judge handed down the verdict after Chikelu pleaded guilty to a five-count charge of possession and sale of some fake cosmetic products: Tara Liquid Makeup, Tala, Zaron Mattifying Power and Jordana

power without lawful authorisation brought against him by NAFDAC. Shamaki had told the court that the convict committed the offence on December 20, 2016 in Lagos contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Food, Drug and Related Product Act and punishable under Section 6 (a) of the same Act. The convict, who was first arraigned on May 8, 2017, has pleaded guilty to the charge a development which made the judge to adjourn the case for review of fact and sentencing. At the resumed hearing of the matter, the prosecutor tendered the seized cosmetic products and two extrajudicial statement made by the convict to the agency. The lawyer also urged the court to convict and send Chikelu to prison in order to send a clear message to other people in the illicit trade that crime does not pay. However, the convict’s counsel, D. M. Ayama urged the court to temper justice with mercy because his client has learned from the experience. Ayama also appealed to the judge to impose fine on his client instead of a custodian sentence since he did not waste the time of the court and tax payer’s money by prolonging the trial. In his judgment, Justice Anka noted the conducts of the convict in court and the fact that the sections of the law under which he was docked gave the court the discretion of imposing a fine.

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BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Fitch Rates Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $300m Diaspora Bond â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;B+(Exp)â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Obinna Chima Fitch Ratings has assigned Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s upcoming $300 million senior unsecured bonds a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;B+(Exp)â&#x20AC;&#x2122; rating. The agency explained in a statement yesterday that the assignment of the final rating was contingent on the receipt of final documents materially conforming to information already reviewed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The expected rating is in line with Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of B+. The outlook on the

IDR is negative. The rating is sensitive to changes in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term foreign currency IDR at â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;B+â&#x20AC;&#x2122; and revised outlook to zero,â&#x20AC;? the agency explained. The Debt Management Office (DMO) recently announced the commencement of a global offering of Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Diaspora Bond. DMO said the nation had filed a registration statement for the bonds with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It said that application would be made for the bonds to be admitted to the official list of

the UK Listing Authority and the London Stock Exchange Plc. The debt office had also said this was to ensure that the bonds were admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchangeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regulated market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The bonds will be direct general obligations of Nigeria and will be denominated in U.S. dollars.â&#x20AC;? The international Joint Lead Managers are Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited. The Nigerian Joint Lead Managers are First Bank of Nigeria Limited and United Bank for Africa Plc.

SunTrust Bank Denies Withholding National Assembly Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Salaries SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited has distanced itself from allegation that it was responsible for the delay in paying salaries and allowances of legislative aides to the lawmakers, which according to report in some online media led to the death of one of the aides. The bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, Usman Abdulqadir, said this at a media briefing Lagos yesterday. Abdulqadir stressed that as a commercial bank duly licenced by the CBN, the financial institution has executed all mandates given to it with

respect to making payment on behalf of its customers promptly. He pointed out that as a financial institution, it does not have any mandate it has not carried out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In this vein, as banker to some of the National Assembly (NASS) accounts, the bank has received the mandate to make payments to various beneficiaries and those payments have since been relayed, some via Remita, to the relevant banks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We advise that any persons who are yet to receive payments executed by us should have first checked with his / her bankers

to trace where such payments are held. We categorically restate that we do not fail to honour any obligation to our clients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also deeply regret that an individual has lost his life. We extend our deepest condolences to his immediate family and the entire NASS family,â&#x20AC;? he added. Legislative Aides to lawmakers had on Tuesday stages a wide protest in the National Assembly over delays in payment of their salaries and allowances. The protesters who carried placards and obituary pictures said they were protesting the death of a legislative aide.

Banks Need to be Customer Centric, Says Wema ED Nume Ekeghe Customers should form the core of all banking products and services, the Executive Director of Retail & North Directorate of Wema Bank Plc, Moruf Oseni has said. Oseni said this recently during Digital Pay Expo 2017, a Fintech industry-focused event held in Lagos. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Banks must become customer-centric. This is why Wema Bank created ALAT. We asked customers what

they wanted and came back to design a bank that will address their needs.â&#x20AC;? Oseni, who represented Wema Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director, Mr. Segun Oloketuyi, noted that technology was changing the way things are done in several industries, including banking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The disruption in the banking industry is real. There are two ways to react to it. Its either we sit down and wait to be protected by the regulators or work with the ecosystem to build the future of banking,â&#x20AC;?

Oseni added. Wema Bank launched ALAT on May 2nd as the bank celebrated its 72 years of existence, shocking the Nigerian banking industry with an innovation unexpected of an old bank. ALAT is Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first fully digital bank which empowers Nigerians to run a bank account online without necessarily having to visit a bank. With ALAT, account opening/sign-up can be done in 5 minutes from a mobile phone or personal computer.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

DECEMBER 2016 Broad Money (M2)

23,840,392.42

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,520,166.67

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,820,415.90

---- Demand Deposits

9,699,750.76

-- Quasi Money

12,320,225.75

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

9,353,504.03

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

14,486,888.39

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

26,774,684.47

---- Credit to Government (Net)

4,595,579.89

---- Memo: Credit to Govt. (Net) less FMA

7,436,917.79

---- Memo: Fed. and Mirror Accounts (FMA)

-2,841,337.90

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

22,374,718.08

--Other Assets Net

-12,483,409.58

Reserve Money (Base Money)

5,837,322.41

--Currency in Circulation

2,179,174.28

--Banks Reserves

3,318,344.71

Access Bank Rewards 20 Families in Promo As part of its commitment to reward participants in its ongoing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Family Fortune Promo,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Access Bank Plc has rewarded 20 of its customers who were the first set to take part in the scheme. They were rewarded with gifts which included rechargeable fans, microwave ovens among others. A statement from the bank explained that the gifts to the 20 lucky families preceded the emergence of the first batch of winners from the weekly random selections that would

soon be unveiled by the bank. The promo which comes under the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family savings scheme, it stated was instituted to promote savings culture in the country. Also, Access Bank said the scheme was designed to reward the collective savings habit of families with grand prizes and competitive interest rates while they enjoy the confidentiality of their banking transactions as individuals The Group Head, Inclusive

Banking, Access Bank Plc, Ope Wemi-Jones expressed appreciation to customers for their loyalty and trust in the bank, adding that the Promo was initiated to add value to customers, who continued to do business with the Bank. Continuing, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to transform and impact the lives of our most valuable customers. Access Bank is not just encouraging customers to save, but we are also rewarding them for choosing to bank with us.â&#x20AC;?

Citibank Hosts Custodian Operators Citibank said it hosted a Direct Custody and Clearing (DCC) seminar recently that brought together market regulators, asset management financial services and advisory sector, legal services, custodians, stock exchange other industry experts to discuss and explore the Nigerian asset custody ecosystem vis-Ă -vis global developments, and identify

opportunities for success transfer to help meet the needs of investors in the Nigerian capital market sector. CEO Citi Nigeria, Mr. Akin Dawodu, while speaking during his keynote address highlighted Citiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strengths in the Nigerian market, including technologically driven solutions designed to meet clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs, in addition to Citiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

standard that is guaranteed in all markets across the globe that Citi exists. Also, Citi Africa Economist, Mr. David Cowan, expressed his view to clients that â&#x20AC;&#x153;following a difficult two years, there are now signs that the Nigerian economy is starting the slow path to recovery, but this could still be constrained by political developmentsâ&#x20AC;?.

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MONEY MARKET INDICATORS (%) December 2016 Inter-Bank Call Rate

10.39

Monetary Policy Rate (MPR

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

13.96

Savings Deposit Rate

4.18

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.53

3 Months Deposit Rate

8.80

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.23

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.76

Prime Lending rate

17.09

Maximum Lending Rate

28.55

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS ATTUESDAY 13, JUNE 2017

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $46.01 a barrel on Tuesday , compared with $45.93 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela)

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Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top 50 stocks based on market fundamentals

14-June-17 13-June-17

% Change

Capitalisation

EPS

P/E

P/S

Div. Yld

Price/ Book Value

01 Dangote Cement Plc

204.99

205.05

-0.03%

3,493,133,612,950.95

10.95

18.72

5.68

3.90%

4.38

02 Nigerian Breweries Plc

160.00

157.10

1.85%

1,268,656,142,080.00

3.58

44.64

4.04

2.25%

7.65

03 Guaranty Trust Bank Plc

35.41

33.73

4.98%

1,042,158,056,321.84

4.49

7.88

2.51

5.00%

2.06

900.00

0.00%

713,390,626,800.00

10.00

90.02

3.92

3.22%

23.10

21.89

20.85

4.99%

687,269,248,975.54

4.13

5.30

1.35

8.22%

0.98

8.83

8.78

0.57%

320,348,217,423.26

1.99

4.43

0.84

6.80%

0.71

04 Nestle Nigeria Plc 05 Zenith Bank Plc 06 United Bank for Africa Plc

Table 1 Market Statistics Mkt Indicators NSE All Share Index NSE Market Cap (N'Trillion) Thisday BGL 50 Index Thisday BGL 50 Market Cap (N'Trillion)

31.01

30.00

3.37%

310,100,000,000.00

2.85

10.87

1.98

0.32%

2.20

08 Access Bank Plc

10.11

10.36

-2.41%

292,461,793,189.41

13.18

0.77

5.44%

0.64

09 Presco Plc

68.89

66.15

4.14%

273,526,163,630.05

0.03 2,356.03

3.83

1.89%

6.54

465.51

460.01

1.20%

257,571,483,804.63 -82.02

-5.68

4.06

3.42%

0.68

11 FBN Holdings Plc

7.04

6.70

5.07%

252,702,861,255.68

0.21

33.93

0.47

2.13%

0.40

12 Lafarge Africa Plc

54.99

54.00

1.83%

250,474,050,531.90

3.71

14.82

1.14

5.46%

1.01

13 Ecobank Transnational Incorporated

12.65

12.55

0.80%

232,121,822,869.75

0.68

18.70

0.40

4.90%

0.37

10 Seplat Petroleum Dev. Co. Ltd

14 Unilever Nigeria Plc

40.70

37.00

10.00%

153,980,157,375.00

0.81

50.13

2.21

0.12%

13.17

9.61

9.60

0.10%

115,320,000,000.00

1.20

8.01

0.68

5.20%

1.74

73.00

0.00%

109,929,837,724.00

-3.06

-23.87

1.06

4.38%

2.79

8.65

8.00

8.13%

104,099,453,433.10

0.29

29.79

0.23

8.67%

0.54

18 Mobil Oil Nig Plc

276.51

0.00%

99,708,195,895.62

22.61

12.23

1.06

2.60%

4.65

19 Total Nigeria Plc

282.50

282.55

-0.02%

95,914,918,952.50

43.58

6.48

0.33

4.96%

4.07

20 International Breweries Plc

28.56

30.00

-4.80%

94,083,759,436.80

0.02 1,267.53

3.53

0.88%

8.58

21 Flour Mills Nig. Plc

28.00

27.00

3.70%

73,478,641,236.00

-1.19

-23.47

0.17

7.14%

0.74

22 Forte Oil Plc.

56.00

58.00

-3.45%

72,938,941,768.00

2.22

25.23

0.49

6.16%

1.68

1.84

1.82

1.10%

71,246,635,262.00

-0.03

-63.22

1.20

0.00%

0.82

24 Okomu Oil Palm Plc

66.84

63.66

5.00%

63,759,344,400.00

5.15

12.98

4.44

0.15%

3.75

25 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc

90.30

94.50

-4.44%

57,845,309,778.90

-0.05

0.62

2.44%

2.61

26 Julius Berger Nig. Plc

39.80

0.00%

52,536,000,000.00

-2.89

-13.76

0.38

3.77%

0.75

15 Dangote Sugar ReďŹ nery Plc 16 Guinness Nig Plc 17 Oando Plc

23 Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc

27 Fidelity Bank Plc

1.33

1.37

-2.92%

38,520,238,970.36

0.39

3.44

0.26

12.03%

0.21

17.62

18.00

-2.11%

33,845,630,498.94

3.37

5.23

0.45

5.68%

0.45

29 Diamond Bank Plc

1.42

1.43

-0.70%

32,887,752,334.56

-0.29

-4.84

0.16

0.00%

0.14

30 Sterling Bank Plc

1.07

1.11

-3.60%

30,805,747,394.82

0.18

5.97

0.28

8.41%

0.36

14.78

14.40

2.64%

27,759,826,151.20

-0.16

-93.66

0.93

8.80%

2.51

1.37

1.42

-3.52%

27,129,713,769.97

0.72

1.89

0.15

7.30%

0.15

37.80

0.00%

26,460,000,000.00

2.29

16.50

3.88

3.04%

11.59

2.48

2.40

3.33%

26,040,000,000.00

0.25

9.88

1.26

2.02%

1.29

21.59

20.65

4.55%

25,818,973,375.92

3.51

6.15

1.79

1.39%

1.51

9.60

9.88

-2.83%

25,434,608,428.80

0.91

10.53

1.39

5.73%

3.16

22.08

23.00

-4.00%

22,080,000,000.00

5.69

3.88

1.54

0.45%

0.59

38 Wema Bank Plc

0.54

0.55

-1.82%

20,830,211,683.74

0.07

8.04

0.39

0.00%

0.43

39 Custodian And Allied Insurance Plc

3.51

0.00%

20,645,343,324.45

0.91

3.87

0.54

3.99%

0.69

40 Honeywell Flour Mill Plc

2.27

0.00%

18,001,548,683.66

-0.40

-5.62

0.37

7.05%

0.54

41 Continental Reinsurance Plc

1.44

1.40

2.86%

14,936,751,809.28

0.42

3.43

0.67

8.33%

0.80

42 Unity Bank Plc

0.86

0.79

8.86%

10,052,830,630.12

0.19

4.60

0.12

0.00%

0.12

43 Cement Co. Of North.Nig. Plc

7.65

7.29

4.94%

9,613,584,909.90

0.22

34.94

0.86

1.31%

0.90

44 Skye Bank Plc

0.63

0.58

8.62%

8,744,589,888.30

-2.93

-0.21

0.05

47.62%

0.08

45 Wapic Insurance Plc

0.52

0.50

4.00%

6,959,023,891.04

0.18

2.89

0.89

5.77%

0.42

46 Resort Savings & Loans Plc

0.50

0.00%

5,664,866,202.00

0.03

17.71

3.72

0.00%

1.94

47 Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc

3.10

3.19

-2.82%

5,035,078,125.00

0.36

8.67

0.63

6.45%

0.78

48 UACN Property Development Co. Limited

2.80

2.69

4.09%

4,812,499,986.00

-0.90

-3.10

0.76

25.00%

0.14

49 Fidson Healthcare Plc

3.00

2.86

4.90%

4,500,000,000.00

0.21

14.21

0.59

1.67%

0.68

50 AIICO Insurance Plc

0.54

0.53

1.89%

3,742,310,419.20

1.48

0.37

0.14

9.26%

0.43

28 U A C NÂ Plc

31 Cadbury Nigeria Plc 32 FCMB Group Plc 33 Cap Plc 34 Mansard Insurance Plc 35 Glaxo Smithkline Consumer Nig. Plc 36 National Salt Co. Nig. Plc 37 PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc

TOTAL

11,009,076,405,572.20

TOTAL MARKET CAP

11,618,354,460,873.70

% OF MARKET CAP Annotation - MA* = Simple Moving Average

94.76%

33,141.85 11.46

33,598.20 11.62

1.38% 1.38%

139.35 10.85

141.39 11.01

1.46% 1.46%

Table 3 Top 5 Gainers Stock

07 Stanbic IBTCÂ Holdings Plc

Open Close Change % 13-June-17 14-June-17

Unilever Nigeria Plc Unity Bank Plc Skye Bank Plc Oando Plc FBN Holdings Plc

37.00 0.79 0.58 8.00 6.70

40.70 0.86 0.63 8.65 7.04

10.00% 8.86% 8.62% 8.13% 5.07%

Table 4 Top 5 Losers Stock

Open Close Change % 13-June-17 14-June-17

International Breweries Plc 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Sterling Bank Plc FCMB Group Plc

30.00 94.50 23.00 1.11 1.42

28.56 90.30 22.08 1.07 1.37

-4.80% -4.44% -4.00% -3.60% -3.52%

Market halts two-day losses with 1.38% appreciation Market pulse on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 ended on a positive note as the stock market closed green. This was further highlighted by positive performance from the NSE Subsectors: Banking, Insurance, Consumer Goods and Oil & Gas. Also, trading activities increased in volume as 759.05m shares worth of N6.30 billion in 7,357 deals exchanged hands today. This is an increase from 410.22m shares worth of N5.55 billion in 6,167 deals which exchanged hands on Tuesday. Topping in volume terms are: FBN Holding Plc, Transnational Corporation Of Nigeria Plc and Lasaco Assurance Plc; Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Zenith Bank Plc ended trading as the most active stocks in value terms. Crude oil inventory results in price setback as Brent cude oil price drops to US$47.04 per barrel. The All Share Index (NSEASI) closed positive with 1.38% (+456.35) increase to close at 33,598.20 from 33,141.85 the previous trading day. Market capitalization appreciated in tandem to N11.62 trillion from N11.46 trillion of prior trading day. Similarly, the Thisday BGL 50 Index closes with an increase of 1.46% to 141.39 from 139.35 recorded at the end of the previous trading day, while its market capitalization stood at N11.01 trillion from N10.85 trillion of the previous trading day. Market breath closed positive today as 36 stocks gained on the bourse while 22 stocks also declined, leaving 48 stocks unchanged. Leading the pack was May & Baker Nigeria Plc with a gain of 10.20% to close at N3.78 per share. It was closely followed by Ashaka Cement Plc with a gain of 10.18% to close at N14.07 per share. Others on the gainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list include: Unilever Nigeria Plc, Unity Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc. On the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list, International Breweries Plc led with a loss of 4.80% to close at N28.56 share. It was followed by Cutix Plc with a loss of 4.67% to close at N1.86 per share. Others on the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list are: 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc and Sterling Bank Plc. Topping the Thisday BGL 50 Index gainersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list Unilever Nigeria Plc as it emerged as the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toast of investors with a gain of 10.00% to close at N40.70 per share. It was followed by Unity Bank Plc with a gain of 8.86% to close at N0.86 per share. Others on the gainers list include: Skye Bank Plc, Oando Plc and FBN Holdings Plc; while on the declinersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; list, International Breweries Plc lead with a loss of 4.80% to close at N28.56 share. It was followed by 7-Up Bottling Comp. Plc with a loss of 4.44% to close at N90.30 per share. Others on the decliners list include: PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Sterling Bank Plc and FCMB Group Plc.

REQUIRED DISCLOSURE This report has been prepared by BGL Plc. BGL Plc does and seeks to do business with companies covered in its research reports. As a result, the ďŹ rm may have a conďŹ&#x201A;ict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this report. Investors should use this report as one of many other factors in making their investment decisions.

For more details go to www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍłË&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍŻÍľ

MARKET NEWS

UACN Records N5.6bn ProďŹ t, Plans N15.4bn Capital Injection Goddy Egene and Nosa Alekhuogie UAC of Nigeria Plc has recorded a profit after tax of N5.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2016, just as the company plans to bolster its operations with a capital injection of N15.4 billion through a Rights Issue. The Chairman of UACN, Mr. Dan Agbor, disclosed this yesterday at the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos. According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You will recall that in the chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement that I made at the AGM last year, and which formed part of the 2015 annual report, I informed you that the board had taken a decision to discontinue the one for 12 Rights Issue that was approved at the 2015 AGM, due to the prevailing market conditions. I also

T H E

informed you that the board and management would undertake the required investment in, and financial restructuring of, your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subsidiaries using internally generated funds.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am pleased to inform you that the rights issue of Portland Paints has been concluded while the rights Issues of Livestock Feeds and UACN Property Development Company (UPDC) are at various stages of execu-

N I G E R I A N

tion, due to delayed regulatory approvals. Grand Cereals also plans to raise equity by way of a rights issue that your company also intends to subscribe for,â&#x20AC;? he added. Agbor noted that the board has identified an urgent need to bolster the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital position, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;this will ensure that your company is able to subscribe for these Rights Issues and provide its subsidiaries

STO C K

with working capital support in a timely manner, so that the subsidiaries can quickly respond to challenges and take advantage of emerging opportunities.â&#x20AC;? Speaking on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance for 2016 financial year, the chairman said despite the daunting challenges posed by the operating environment, UACN was able to deliver a mixed to good result through cost optimisation initiatives,

E XC H A N G E

innovation in key categories and extensive retail market expansion. He said the company recorded revenue of N84.607 billion in 2016, an increase of 15 per cent from the N73.771 billion in 2015, while profit after tax rose 10 per cent from N5.162 billion to N5.666 billion. Based on the improved performance, the directors recommended a dividend of 100 kobo per share.

˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

MARKET NEWS

CSCS Diversifies to Boost Earnings, Delivers Higher Value The Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS) is diversifying its business to broaden its stream of income and deliver better value to shareholders in the years ahead. The CSCS is a financial market infrastructure that undertakes the business of depository, clearing and settling of securities traded in the Nigerian capital market. However, the Chairman of the company, Mr. Oscar Onyema, yesterday told shareholders at the 23rd annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos that

having a solid foundation in the depository business with over two decades of experience at its disposal, the CSCS is replicating its business in the insurance industry. “Consequently, our company has registered the Insurance Repository Nigeria Limited (IRNL) as a going concern and its business objective is to enhance the record-keeping of insurance data and policies. The Pension Contribution Management System (PCMS) is another one of CSCS firsts,

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return. An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

which would be beneficial to both formal and informal businesses. The system is currently in use by our company and other companies that agreed to be part of our test participant forum to efficiently manage their employees’ pension contribution. The PCMS will be fully available to the market before the end of the third quarter of 2017,” Onyema said. Speaking on the financial performance of CSCS in 2016, the chairman said gross earnings stood at N6.17 billion,

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 13-June-2017, unless otherwise stated.

down from N7.6 billion as a result of the poor performance of the capital market during the year under review. Profit after tax followed similarly downward trend, declining from N5.02 billion to N3.72 billion, while total assets improved from N25.4 billion in 2015 to N27.07 billion in 2016. The company proposed a final dividend of 21 kobo, which was approved by the shareholders. Looking ahead, Onyema said that the company remained focused on its commitment, excellent and

sustainable business practice. “As you may know, we are one of the highest rated Central securities depositories (CSDs) in Africa with an “A” rating from Thomas Murray, the world renowned CSD rating agency. We are working very hard to continue improving our rating and hope that this achievement will lend additional credence to the collective effort of making our markets the preferred investment destination in Africa,” he said. In his comments, the Interim

Chief Executive Officer of CSCS, Mr. Bola Adeeko, expressed confidence that the insurance repository service will provide immense value to documents administration in the insurance sector. According to him, the company has built strategic alliance with local and foreign stakeholders, disclosing that the company is on “the cusp of extending our service offerings to incipient markets under the aegis of the West Africa Capital Market Initiative (WACMI).”

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors. Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return. NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 1 270 1680 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 161.13 162.20 27.05% Nigeria International Debt Fund 224.11 225.55 5.71% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.75 0.76 6.67% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.76% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 15.79 16.26 27.87% ARM Discovery Fund 341.37 351.66 18.87% ARM Ethical Fund 24.64 25.38 10.27% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 16.23% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 134.44 135.39 27.82% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 18.54% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.00% Paramount Equity Fund 11.22 11.51 19.88% Women's Investment Fund 91.30 93.64 7.92% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.84% FBN CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,083.05 1,084.18 7.10% FBN Heritage Fund 130.53 131.54 17.04% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.30% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional $109.22 $109.61 5.93% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail $108.46 $108.85 5.93% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 147.77 149.87 31.22% FIRST CITY ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD fcamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcamltd.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Equity Fund 1.24 1.27 33.51% Legacy Short Maturity (NGN) Fund 2.75 2.75 7.14% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 2,440.98 2,473.30 10.58% Coral Income Fund 2,261.13 2,261.13 7.45% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 16.92% INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 17.55% Vantage Balanced Fund 1.96 1.98 16.63% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 17.56%

LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.07 1.09 8.29% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,034.76 1,034.76 5.15% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund 12.97 13.07 34.13% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 17.88% PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.15 1.17 15.74% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 10.61 10.68 2.12% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 16.66% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 119.90 121.76 18.19% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.31 1.31 5.37% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,056.63 2,068.66 12.32% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 159.72 159.72 3.74% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.92 0.93 20.13% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 200.09 200.09 7.06% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 160.68 162.92 23.82% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 18.54% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 8,901.74 9,005.61 17.39% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD unitedcapitalplcgroup.com Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.27 1.29 10.27% United Capital Bond Fund 1.35 1.35 15.12% United Capital Equity Fund 0.82 0.83 6.75% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.17 1.17 11.08% ZENITH ASSETS MANAGEMENT LTD info@zenith-funds.com Web: www.zenith-funds.com; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 11.14 12.14 19.21% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.71 12.85 16.13% Zenith Income Fund 18.01 18.01 8.97%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

11.41 127.46

1.01% 2.82%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

10.11 96.67

10.21 98.46

15.06% 27.55%

Fund Name FSDH UPDC Real Estate Investment Fund SFS Skye Shelter Fund

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund

VETIVA FUND MANAGERS LTD Web: www.vetiva.com; Tel: +234 1 453 0697 Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Grifﬁn 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.19 6.97 13.22 16.53 131.25

14.29% -1.98% 9.18% 2.37% -0.48%

The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise. Past performance is a guide and not an indication of future returns. Fund prices published in this edition are also available on each fund manager’s website and FMAN’s website at www.fman.com.ng. Fund prices are supplied by the operator of the relevant fund and are published for information purposes only.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

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T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

email:foreigndesk@thisdaylive.com

Children Tossed Out of Windows in London’s High-rise Blaze A deadly overnight fire raced through a 24-story apartment tower in London on Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring 74 others, police said. Witnesses reported seeing residents throw babies and small children from high windows to people on the sidewalk in a desperate effort to save them from the flames. The inferno lit up the night sky and spewed black smoke from the windows of the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, where more than 200 firefighters battled the blaze. A plume of smoke stretched for miles (kilometers) across the sky after dawn, revealing the blackened, flame-licked wreckage of the building, which was still burning over 12 hours later. People trapped by the quickly advancing flames and thick smoke banged on windows and screamed for help to those watching down below, witnesses and survivors said. One resident said the fire alarm did not go off. “The flames, I have never seen anything like it, it just reminded me of 9/11,” said Muna Ali, 45. “The fire started on the upper floors ... oh my goodness, it spread

so quickly. It had completely spread within half an hour.” “This is an unprecedented incident,” Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton told reporters.“In my 29 years of being a firefighter I have never, ever seen anything of this scale.” She said she feared more victims would be found still inside the building. There was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze, but angry residents said they had warned local authorities about fire issues at Grenfell Tower. The subsidised housing block of 120 apartments was built in 1974 and was recently upgraded at a cost of 8.6 million pounds ($11 million), with work finishing in May 2016, according to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Samira Lamrani, a witness, said one woman dropped a baby from a window on the ninth or 10th floor to people on the sidewalk. “People were starting to appear at the windows, frantically banging and screaming”and one woman indicated she was going to drop the baby, Lamrani told Britain’s Press Association news agency. “A gentleman ran forward and

managed to grab the baby.” Joe Walsh, 58, said he saw someone throw two children out of a window from the fifth or sixth floor. Tiago Etienne, 17, said he spotted about three children between the ages of four and eight being dropped from an apartment around the 15th floor. Police commander Stuart Cundy gave the death toll of six but added the figure was likely to rise “during what will be a complex recovery operation over a number of days.” Paul Woodrow, head of operations for the London Ambulance Service, said 20 of the injured were in critical condition. The London Fire Brigade received the first reports of the fire at 12:54 a.m. and the first engines arrived within six minutes, Cotton said. Witnesses described a white, polystyrene-type material falling like snow from the building as it burned. Some feared the charred tower block might collapse, but a structural engineer said the building was not in danger, according to the London Fire Brigade, which added“it is safe for our crews to be in there.”

Steve Scalise: Republican House Whip Shot and Wounded A top US Republican was among ﬁve people who were shot and wounded by a gunman, who has been identiﬁed as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Illinois, during baseball practice in Virginia. House of Representatives Majority Whip Steve Scalise was hit but expected to survive, witnesses said. Police in the upmarket Washington DC suburb of Alexandria said they were investigating a “multiple shooting” and a suspect was in custody. The lawmakers were prac-

tising for a game between Democrats and Republicans. The annual congressional ballgame was scheduled to be played on Thursday at Nationals Park, home of Major League Baseball franchise the Washington Nationals. An apparent eyewitness on Twitter, @ben_childers, said Wednesday morning’s gunfire rang out at the YMCA baseball fields, by the Eugene Simpson Stadium Park. Local media report there is a major police presence there after the attack.

Alexandria police tweeted: “Suspect is in custody and not a threat.” ‘Killing field’ President Donald Trump said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected.” White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted that the president was being updated on the attack.

Pakistan Sentences Man to Death for Blasphemy on Facebook A Pakistani counter-terrorism court has sentenced to death a man who allegedly committed blasphemy on Facebook, a government prosecutor said on Sunday, the first time someone has been handed the death penalty for blaspheming on social media. The conviction of Taimoor Raza, 30, follows a high-profile crackdown against blasphemy on social media by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Blasphemy is a highly sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where insulting the Prophet Mohammad is a capital crime for which dozens are sitting on death row. Even mere accusations are enough to spark mass uproar and mob justice. Shafiq Qureshi, public prosecu-

tor in Bahawalpur, about 500km (300 miles) south of provincial capital Lahore, said Raza was convicted for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad, his wives and companions. “An anti terrorism court of Bahawalpur has awarded him the death sentence,”Qureshi told Reuters.”It is the ﬁrst ever death sentence in a case that involves social media.” It is rare for a counter-terrorism court to hear blasphemy cases but Raza’s trial fell under this category because his charge sheet included counter-terrorism offences linked to hate speech. Qureshi said Raza was arrested after playing blasphemous and hate speech material on his phone on a bus stop in

Bahawalpur, where a counterterrorism officer arrested him and confiscated his phone. The material obtained from the phone led to Raza’s conviction, he added. “The trial was conducted in Bahawapur jail in tight security,” Qureshi said. Qureshi added that Raza belongs to the minority Shia community and in court he accused of spreading “hate speech” against the Deobani sect, which adheres to a strict school of Sunni Islam. Relations between Shia and majority Sunni communities have flared up at times in Pakistan, with some extremist Sunni groups such as Lashkhare-Janghvi trying to exploit sectarian tensions.

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

House Directs IG, Army Chief to Arrest, Prosecute Suspected B’Haram Members Approves finding mission to Benue communities James Emejo ÓØ ÌßÔË˿ Barely 24 hours after its engagement with service chiefs over the deteriorating security situation in the country,

the House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution urging the Inspector General of Police (IG) and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to float a joint task force to deal decisively

Chidoka Dumps PDP, Declares Anambra Guber Ambition on UPP Platform David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ áÕË Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, has yesterday joined United Progressives Party (UPP) and declared his aspiration for the November 18 governorship election in Anambra State. He also led thousands of Obosi indigenes to the party. Chidoka who was accompanied to Obosi ward 1 in Idemili North Local Government Area to register with UPP by a number of his followers, said he joined the party to bring good governance to the state. Speaking shortly after he was issued his membership card by the state Chairman of UPP, Dr. Sylvester Igwilo, the former minister said he would run a government that would not generate internal revenue by taxing the poor. “We would generate money for the state not by taxing the poor traders in the market, the kind of government we will run is not that which will fund party activities and others with the state resources. “Anambra money would be spent on Anambra people not generating money from the poor in the name of internally

generated revenue.” The governorship aspirant said he joined UPP from PDP because he is not afraid of being in opposition party as those running to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because they want to align with the powers that be. He described UPP as a party that is freely subscribed to by all, while lauding the party for their commitment to restructuring of the country. “Ndigbo must reach the zenith in this country. Through UPP, we shall demand equity in the Nigeria project because we are equal stakeholders in the project.” The guber aspirant said he has no political godfather but was depending on Anambra people for his aspiration, while charging them to make their token donation to his governorship project. While commenting on the perceived zoning arrangement in the state, Chidoka said zoning has always deprived the people of the first brains in an election pointing out that Anambra people should count themselves lucky for having an array from all the geopolitical zones who are fit for governorship.

Islamic Group Flays Nigerian Army for Screening Recruits During Ramadan Mohammed Aminu ÓØ ÙÕÙÞÙ

NYSC. “As Muslim organisations, A coalition of 50 Islamic we consider the scheduling of propagation organisations under the selection and the training the umbrella of the Da’awah exercises by the two institutions Coordination Council of Nigeria as a deliberate attempt of (DCCN) yesterday flayed the shortchanging the Muslim Nigerian Army for conducting youths,” Maidoki said. He maintained that the only screening exercises for recruits solution to this clear injustice lies during the Ramadan fast. It also berated the in the avoidance of all training management of the National and selections in the camps Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for during the period of Ramadan. Maidoki reminded the opening an orientation camp Muslims of the need to utilise during fasting. The groups made this known the period of Ramadan to pray at a press briefing by Malam to live to witness a better Nigeria where all Nigerians will be Lawal Maidoki in Sokoto. He noted with dismay that treated equally. “Nigerian Muslims do not despite pleas, appeals and protests, the two institutions regard as any good gesture the have continued to put some exemption of Muslim youths Nigerian Muslim youths to the from the rigours of the training rigours and temptation of their in the Ramadan period. “On the contrary, we regard respective camps in the sacred such gesture as another Ramadan period. According to him, this act denial of fundamental of insensitivity betrays the opportunity to get exposed contempt with which Islam and to the diverse survival skills its sanctity are being treated by the camp such as that of such common national symbols the NYSC stands to offer,” as the Nigerian Army and the Maidoki added.

with suspected Boko Haram members parading as herdsmen particularly in Etsako Federal Constituency of Edo State. In a motion sponsored by Hon. Johnson Egwakhide Ogbuma on the need to arrest and prosecute the outlawed group, the House further urged the Department of State Services (DSS) to be proactive in monitoring the area so as to prevent the scoundrels from further inflicting harm on the people and before people start resorting to self-help. The Committees on Army, Police Affairs and National Security and

Intelligence were also mandated to ensure compliance and report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action. The lawmakers particularly noted the growing state of insecurity in Etsako, leading to incidences of rape, killings and kidnapping by people purported to be herdsmen. It recalled that on June 9, a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson of Elele community and their two children while on their way from the farm, were accosted by men suspected to be herdsmen who killed the pregnant woman while the husband narrowly

escaped with deep machete cuts. Ogbuma said the criminal activities had instilled fear in the people and adversely affected their socio-economic activities as they could no longer go about their lawful engagements for fear of being attacked or kidnapped. Meanwhile, the House further also passed a motion by Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue, APC) for the setting up of an ad-hoc committee to interface with relevant ministries and agencies of the federal government, affected state governments, international development partners, donor agencies, non

governmental organisations and affected communities on the need for intervention in the incessant killing, destruction of property and displacement of communities by rampaging herdsmen. The lawmakers raised concerns that the federal government had not set up any agency or initiated any campaign to obtain the much needed resources to redress the consequences of herdsmen attacks in the affected communities particularly in Benue State compared to efforts in other regions of the country.

PAYING LAST RESPECTS

L-R: Mrs. Betty Oghuma; Otota of Olomu Kingdom, Delta State, Olorogun Macauley Ovbagbedia; Executive Vice Chairman, Ibru Organisation, Olorogun Oskar Ibru; and Jero Ibru, when the Olomu traditional chiefs visited the Ibru family in Agbarha-Otor, Delta State for the traditional burial rites of Olorogun Michael Ibru... recently.

ADEOSUN: FG TO SIGN CONVENTION ON TREATIES TO END TAX EVASION havens. She further explained that the presentation of the memo was spurred by a new pact among the G20 couantries to end the tax treaties, which she said had been unprofitable to Nigeria. “There is a pact among G20 countries to end this. Nigeria was part of those that negotiated this convention and today, council gave us permission to go and sign that convention. “What that convention will mean is that where we have existing bilateral tax treaties, as Nigeria already has some tax treaties with some countries which certainly are not in our favour, they will be reviewed. “I gave an example to council that we signed a treaty with some countries and they said their national carrier will not pay taxes in Nigeria and in exchange, Nigeria’s national carrier will not pay taxes in their country but as you know, Nigeria doesn’t have a national carrier. So that kind of arrangement is adverse for Nigeria. “This convention will give us the right to go and amend that treaty and opt out of some of the things we had already signed in previous administrations and

were not appropriate for Nigeria. “This convention allows us to renegotiate. So the benefits are that the convention will simply modify existing bilateral tax treaties, to implement tax treaties related to matters in a cost efficient manner instead of individual negotiations and amendments to the treaty. “It will be incorporated into existing tax treaties, provisions that will prevent the grant of tax treaty benefits in appropriate circumstances and will address tax treaty abuse, promote tax transparency and drastically curtail illicit financial flows and ultimately, will increase revenues of government,” she said. In his own briefing, the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said his ministry secured approval for the completion of the Baro River port after the council “deliberated on the major contracts that will assist us in its completion”. He said within the next four to six months, the Baro River port would have been completed while the Ministry of Works “will look at the issue of road that leads to Baro River port, while on our side, we’ll look

at the revival of the narrow gauge sril line that leads to Baro River port”. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the council approved two memoranda presented by his ministry. According to him, the first memorandum was approved for the reimbursement of funds to be spent by Kwara State government for the construction of a road between Oyo and Kwara States. Explaining that the road serves the agricultural belt between Oyo and Kwara States, Fashola said Kwara had applied to be allowed to construct the road with the understanding that the funds to be expended on the project would be refunded on a short-term basis in future. The project, he added, would cost N7.943 billion. He also said the council approved a memorandum for the completion of 240MW of emergency power through 830MW turbines to be provided this year by General Electric (GE) at the cost of $186.6 million. “The other one is consistent with infrastructure development in the country and memo for

Afam emergency power, which is part of the ministry’s roadmap for incremental power to the grid. “You might recall that I paid a visit to the Afam site last week. Some of your correspondents were there. “So council has ratified the earlier approval given to GE to undertake that project so that it can complete 240MW of emergency power through 830MW turbines this year. “Council also approved the contract for the construction and rehabilitation of the sub-stations to enable the evacuation of power once the turbines are installed and again, all of these are consistent with Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to prioritise infrastructure in the transport and energy sectors. “The road contract is N7.94 billion. The total package for the Afam power plant is $186.6 million, while the contract for the sub-station is $2.207 million for the components that are offshore – these are equipment to be manufactured outside Nigeria – and N133.184 million for the local components,” he stated.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Discos: We are More Eager to Deliver Meters to All Consumers

Chineme Okafor ÓØ ÌßÔË

The 11 electricity distribution

companies (Discos) in the country have said they are extremely keen to deliver electricity meters to all their

140 Judges Embark on Indeﬁnite Strike in Plateau Seriki Adinoyi ÓØ ÙÝ At least 140 judges of the Sharia, Area and Customary Courts of Nigeria serving in Plateau State have embarked an indefinite strike over non-payment of dressing allowances owed them for nine years. The judges, under the aegis of Sharia, Area and Customary Court Judges Association of Nigeria (SACCJAN), Plateau State chapter, had issued a twoweek ultimatum to Governor Simon Lalong on May 23, 2017. The ultimatum expired on the 16th without a response from the state government. The Chairman of SACCJAN, Ayuba Danzel, and secretary, Frank Lojok, in the strike notice, had lamented the discrimination in the payment of dressing allowances which their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice had been enjoying. Danzel said: “We, the entire judges of the lower court bench, do unanimously give 14-day ultimatum for the payment of our outstanding dressing allowances which have not been paid for about nine years. “In the event where our demands are not met within the said 14 days, we shall be left with no other option than to down tools and commence on a strike till our demands

are complied with.” He said although SACCJAN had consulted constituted authorities on the matter, no concrete step had been taken towards resolving the abnormalities, adding that the organisation is left with no alternative but to issue a 14-day ultimatum to notify the governor of their impending action. Addressing journalists shortly after a closed-door meeting yesterday, Danzel, reiterated that they were left with no option. “Since government has failed to pay us our outstanding dressing allowances for the past nine years, and its refusal to heed to several appeals and the most recent ultimatum given, we have resolved to embark on an indefinite strike from this day, June 14, 2017 till our demands are fully met. Danzel added: “We, the 140 judges will be going to our respective offices as required, but there will be no court sitting until we are paid our outstanding nine years dressing allowances. He said judiciary staff and state Assembly workers, who were owed similar allowances, were promptly paid, but that the state government singled out Sharia, Area and Customary Court judges and refused to pay them till date.

Igbo will Not Be Intimidated in Yobe, Says Gaidam Ejiofor Alike Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State has denounced the threats by some northern youths against the Igbo, describing the threats as unfortunate, unlawful and unwarranted. Reacting to the threats to Igbo people to leave the North before October 1 as a result of the agitation for the creation of the State of Biafra by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the governor assured the Igbo that nobody would be allowed to intimidate them in Yobe State. According to a statement issued yesterday by his Director of Press Affairs, Abdullahi Bego, the governor stated that like other Nigerians, the Igbo have a right that is fully guaranteed by the constitution to live in any part of the country of their choice. “As a multi-ethnic, multireligious and multi-cultural society, part of our nation’s strength lies in the diversity of its people. It is what has moved every successful nation forward. In Yobe State, the Igbos like the people of other ethnicities, have lived and engaged peacefully with their neighbours. The state

government therefore assures them that it will not allow anyone to intimidate or threaten them and will use the full resources of law enforcement to see to that,” the governor explained. Gaidam said he strongly believes in a Nigeria in which “all its people live peacefully with one another; a country where political disagreements are settled not through threats and violent conduct but through dialogue and give-and-take.” The governor reminded youths in the North and in every part of the country that as tomorrow’s leaders, they have a responsibility and a stake to contribute to the peace and stability of the nation. He added that he also believes that political and community leaders in every part of the country have a responsibility, as well, to guide the youths to responsible conduct and to speak against violence or tendency to violence. “It is through peace and unity, and not division and disunity, that our dream of a better, more prosperous Nigeria will come true,” the governor added.

customers, as against the prevalent belief that they are unwilling to. They also explained that they understand how important it is for consumers to frequently reconcile their consumptions with the costs they are made to pay for supplies to their homes through good meters, and was making efforts to ensure full metering of their customers soon. Speaking through their umbrella trade association, the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), yesterday in Abuja, the Discos also clarified that a recent order by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) which mandated all Maximum Demand (MD) customers to stop paying estimated bills for power consumed by them to the Discos was only applicable to them and not residential consumers.

They thus called on other consumer classes who do not have meters yet to show some patience with them as they work to accomplish their full metering plans. “We recognise that significant interest in the NERC notice is directly linked to our customers’ requirement that they be metered. And rightly so. It is critically important that we state that there is no more interested party in the comprehensive metering of our electricity consumers than the Discos,” said ANED in a statement from its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Azu Obiaya. They further stated: “And this is because we understand and fully appreciate the importance of the balance between electricity consumers tracking their consumption and Discos

having a measure of electricity supplied to their customers, that metering brings. It is our hope and expectation that such metering will be achieved sooner rather than later. “While we continue to operate with the estimated billing methodology that is approved and mandated by NERC, we are working diligently towards addressing the metering obligations specified under our performance agreements with the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) as well as ensuring that we continue to be sensitive and responsive to the inadvertent challenges of estimated billing that our residential or nonMD customers are faced with.” On the NERC directive on MD customers, the Discos stated: “The publications have erroneously stated that the requirement of nonpayment of electricity obligations,

in the absence of the customer not being provided with a meter, applies to all electricity consumers. This is incorrect. For clarity, this requirement only applies to, and is specific to MD customers and not residential customers. “For further clarity, MD customers are commercial and industrial customers who consume high levels of electricity and contribute substantially to the revenues of Discos. The consumption threshold for MD customers is 45KVA.The MD meters are connected on the 11Kv (high tension wire) electricity lines, mostly on dedicated transformers. The customers include heavy users of electricity like commercial business plazas, large firms, and small-scale industries among others.”

DIPLOMATIC VISIT

R-L: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, (right); Chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers and Amayanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Jaja; and United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. William Symington, during the state banquet in honour of the US envoy at the Government House Port Harcourt ....Tuesday.

BPE Moves to Flush Out Corrupt Board Members of Privatised Firms Chineme Okafor ÓØ ÌßÔË The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) will no longer tolerate alleged instances of unwholesome representation by any of its nominated officials on the boards of the various privatised federal government firms, and has in this regard initiated new measures to check such practices, THISDAY has learnt. The paper learnt from reliable presidential sources yesterday in Abuja that the privatisation agency has instituted a code of ethics for directors and alternate directors representing it on behalf of the government on the boards of privatised enterprises such as the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos). The sources told THISDAY that the code of ethics, a brainchild of its Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, would apply to all the directors and any such person that may be nominated to act as alternate director sitting on the board of privatised enterprises in which the government has equity or

interest. The code, the sources stated, has been approved for implementation by the Bureau and would soon kick in. The new measure, it was further gathered would be part of the BPE’s efforts to rev up its post-privatisation monitoring duties, within which it is expected to evaluate the efforts of investors in meeting up with the performance agreements signed for the respective privatised entities. It was also revealed by the sources that, the new code of conduct would ensure good practices and stipulate acceptable conduct for the representatives of the bureau assigned to, and charged with the responsibility of sitting on, and functioning on boards of enterprises that the government has equity interests. One of the sources stated that: “It will focus primarily on regulating the behaviour of representatives of the bureau on such boards of government companies, and also seek to document their actions, both expected and prohibited, by the

representatives in the pursuit of their mandate on the boards.” The sources also explained that the code will provides a veritable platform for effective communication with representatives of the Bureau by stipulating a framework to adhere to when confronted with corporate, ethical, moral and financial decisions while functioning on the boards of the enterprises. This way, they noted that instances of unethical compromises would be eliminated. “The code of ethics is formulated to enhance the standards of corporate governance and corporate behaviour with the intention of curbing corporate corruption by keeping the behaviour of representatives’ on the boards of enterprises under control. “This is in order to prevent wrongdoing that could have adverse effects on both the enterprise and the Bureau; and protect the interest of the government on the board and ensure compliance by the director or alternate directors

with the terms and conditions warranted in the various divestiture documents,” added one of the sources. Also, it was gathered that within the new code, Okoh would in exercise of his discretion to nominate representatives as alternative directors to boards of privatised enterprises, be guided by such principles as to understand that the role and mandate of the Bureau in nominating representatives to sit on the boards of enterprises is one of public trust, as well as the fact that they are to provide close supervision, monitoring and oversight of government’s interests in them for the common good of the public. Similarly, an enforcement and compliance unit named the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Bureau (ACTU) headed by a deputy director, would according to the sources, be inaugurated on Friday, June 16, 2017 by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to ensure the new codes of ethics are strictly enforced.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

BPE Moves to Flush out Corrupt Board Members of Privatised Firms Chineme Okafor ÓØ ÌßÔË

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) will no longer tolerate alleged instances of unwholesome representation by any of its nominated officials on the boards of the various privatised federal government firms, and has in this regard initiated new measures to check such practices, THISDAY has learnt. The paper learnt from reliable presidential sources yesterday in Abuja that the privatisation agency has instituted a code of ethics for directors and alternate directors representing it on behalf of the government on the boards of privatised enterprises such as the 11 electricity distribution companies (Discos).

The sources told THISDAY that the code of ethics, a brainchild of its Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, would apply to all the directors and any such person that may be nominated to act as alternate director sitting on the board of privatised enterprises in which the government has equity or interest. The code, the sources stated, has been approved for implementation by the Bureau and would soon kick in. The new measure, it was further gathered would be part of the BPE’s efforts to rev up its post-privatisation monitoring duties, within which it is expected to evaluate the efforts of investors in meeting up with the performance

agreements signed for the respective privatised entities. It was also revealed by the sources that, the new code of conduct would ensure good practices and stipulate acceptable conduct for the representatives of the bureau assigned to, and charged with the responsibility of sitting on, and functioning on boards of enterprises that the government has equity interests. One of the sources stated that: “It will focus primarily on regulating the behaviour of representatives of the bureau on such boards of government companies, and also seek to document their actions, both expected and prohibited, by the representatives in the pursuit of their mandate on the boards.”

The sources also explained that the code will provides a veritable platform for effective communication with representatives of the Bureau by stipulating a framework to adhere to when confronted with corporate, ethical, moral and financial decisions while functioning on the boards of the enterprises. This way, they noted that instances of unethical compromises would be eliminated. “The code of ethics is formulated to enhance the standards of corporate governance and corporate behaviour with the intention of curbing corporate corruption by keeping the behaviour of representatives’ on the boards

of enterprises under control. “This is in order to prevent wrongdoing that could have adverse effects on both the enterprise and the Bureau; and protect the interest of the government on the board and ensure compliance by the director or alternate directors with the terms and conditions warranted in the various divestiture documents,” added one of the sources. Also, it was gathered that within the new code, Okoh would in exercise of his discretion to nominate representatives as alternative directors to boards of privatised enterprises, be guided by such principles as to understand that the role and mandate

of the Bureau in nominating representatives to sit on the boards of enterprises is one of public trust, as well as the fact that they are to provide close supervision, monitoring and oversight of government’s interests in them for the common good of the public. Similarly, an enforcement and compliance unit named the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Bureau (ACTU) headed by a deputy director, would according to the sources, be inaugurated on Friday, June 16, 2017 by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to ensure the new codes of ethics are strictly enforced.

Reddington Scores Another First, Launches LIFESCAN Medical Checkup Service Martins Iﬁjeh The Reddington Wellness Centre has launched The LIFESCAN Medical Checkup Service, a first of its kind total body health screening service for early detection of critical conditions, life threatening illnesses, as well as for combating terrorism in Nigeria. The LIFESCAN, a common test in the developed world such as the United States and Europe, provides comprehensive screening to identify health problems before the symptoms are evident. It is also used to detect dangerous materials at airports and other sensitive areas. The service provided by Reddington uses advanced medical scanning technology including Nigeria’s GE Signa Explorer Digital MRI, which has advanced capabilities to produce the highest quality images suitable for the purpose of life scan. This is coupled with the highly versatile, speedy and low dosage computerised tomography CT scanner that produces outstanding images for clinicians to report. Speaking during the launch of the state of the art facility, Reddington Group Medical Director, Dr. Olutunde Lalude said the idea for its establishment was to promote wellness as a better alternative to having to endure expensive and lengthy treatment options. “Screening services can provide early warning of a potential problem before they are evident especially for those with risk factors. It is simple, non-invasive and pain-free. Screening includes diagnostic imaging of the head, brain, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis.each patient will get report on the outcome of the screening along with any findings. “The LIFESCAN full body, high quality, low dosage, digital imaging scan

delivers another first for the Reddington Healthcare Group who have a history of being in the forefront of pioneering breakthrough in the healthcare in Nigeria,” he added. The Business Development Director, Andy Cunliff added, “Medical research has consistently shown that early detection increases survival rate. Early diagnosis is the most critical strategy for avoiding a heart attack, stroke or advanced cancer diagnosis. We are looking at ways to make this accessible to as many people as possible,” He explained that the Reddington Healthcare Group has in the past twelve months launched the Maxy Centre which provides specialist care in Dentistry, Ear, Nose and Throat, Ophthalmology, and Endoscopy service. “The group also launched the Breast and Gynaecology Centre, Nigeria’s first-state-ofthe-art medical centre dedicated to women’s health. We also opened the Gray’s Cardiology to offer high cardiology care. There was also the opening of the MRI Centre, which is the first facility in sub Sahara Africa to have a signal Explorer 1.5T MRI with ‘Silent Suite’ for reducing ambient noise,” he added. Cunliffe added; “our entire team is committed to continuously improving standards of healthcare delivery and access to it. Full body scans are widely available abroad and LIFESCAN provides further support to our patients. Our team has a collective determination to provide healthcare services as good as any overseas healthcare provider.” The Reddington Hospital has been in the forefront of pioneering many breakthroughs in healthcare in Nigeria, including the first digital cardiac catheterisation facility in Nigeria and the first closure of a hole in the heart in a child using non-surgical modern technology.

CONGRATULATIONS

Minister of Power,Works and Housing , Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola in a handshake with the Chairman of the newly-reconstituted Quantity Surveyors Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRBN), Mallam Murtala Aliyu, after the inauguration of the board in Abuja ...yesterday.

Osun West By-election: Adeleke Picks PDP Ticket, Falade Emerges SDP Candidate Hussein secures APC ticket Yinka Kolawole ÓØ˿ ÝÙÑÌÙ

the platform of the APC with 2,412 votes from 2,413 delegates. The Peoples Democratic Party Adeleke’s emergence (PDP) has picked the younger became possible when two brother of the late Isiaka Adeleke, other contestants for the ticket, Ademola, for the July 8 Osun Olasunkanmi and Falabi, stepped West senatorial district by- down for him. election. Ademola had earlier been Ademola Adeleke emerged screened and given clearance by the PDP candidate yesterday the APC screening and election with 343 votes when former committee while Hussein who Minister of Youth and Sports, was the most preferred candidate Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Lt. Col. Olayiwola Talabi was disqualified. (rtd), stepped down for him. The National Working Also at the APC primary held Committee (NWC) of the in Egbedore Local Government party however upturned the Area of the state, the sole report of the appeal committee aspirant, Senator Mudashir which equally sustained the Hussein, won the election on disqualification of Hussein.

The decision of the screening and appeal committee gave Ademola some suspicion that the primary might not be credible and transparent. At this point, Ademola approached the PDP for screening and was cleared less than 24 hours to the party’s primary. In Iwo where the PDP held its primary, Olasunkanmi and Falabi stepped down for Ademola after addressing the delegates. While both Falabi and Olasunkanmi announced that they were stepping down, there was wild jubilation at the venue. Olasunkanmi in his concession speech, said other aspirants as at

yesterday decided to step down for him but he had to step down after calls from various quarters. He said the party was promised that Osun west would produce the governorship candidate for the party next year. Meanwhile, a former member of National Assembly, Hon. Bade Falade, has won Social Democratic Party (SDP) primary election ahead of the by-election. Falade emerged the winner in the primary conducted yesterday in Iwo. He pulled 15 votes to beat his closest challenger, Hon. Rasheed Adeyemo, who polled 12 votes.

House to Probe $1.5bn Oil Revenue Loss by NPDC JamesEmejoÓØ ÌßÔË The House of Representatives yesterday passed a motion to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged revenue losses, incompetence and other infractions by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). The proposed committee is to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution was consequent upon a motion moved by Hon. Ahmed Abu (Niger, APC) on the need to probe alleged infractions in the operations and activities of NPDC, the persisting lack of capacity and attendant revenue losses to the country. The House had raised concern that 29 years after its establishment, the NPDC appears to lack the capacity to compete favourably in the oil and

gas industry and was reported to cede its core activities to third party private entities consistently without due procurement processes in strategic alliance agreements. Abu, in his lead debate, said NPDC’s inability to reconcile revenue generated and amount of crude lifted had led to speculations that about $1.5 billion of projected revenue to the Federal government had been lost. He raised concerns about

allegations that most of the third party entities were newly registered companies with little or no technical experience or financial capability to carry out or meet the terms of those strategic alliance agreements and are largely owned by cronies of members of the NPDC and other interested parties which are allowed access to funds obtained by NPDC from government appropriation to their benefits.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Attack on Jonathan: Niger Delta Group Brands Amaechi, Oshiomhole Double-faced Liars Says Edo ex-gov is idle and looking for new job For attacking former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Save Ijaw Nation Group (SING) has taken the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, to the cleaners, describing them as doublefaced liars and serial betrayers. Both Amaechi and Oshiomhole were reported to have spoken against Jonathan at separate events last Tuesday. While the former Edo State governor had queried Jonathan’s capacity as president, Amaechi had claimed that Nigeria was heading towards a civil war during the 2015 elections. However, replying the two politicians in one statement, the SING, accused Amaechi of delusional thinking, stressing that Amaechi was among those threatening war while Jonathan was preaching peace. The statement issued by the Co-ordinator of the group, Mr. Otobo Osborne, also reminded Oshiomhole that he had before now always praised Jonathan for his statesmanship but has turned against the ex-president

because “he is out of job and is desperate to curry favour with the hope of getting a new job.” The statement read: “Amaechi, the man who threatened that his party would form a parallel government if they did not win the 2015 election now accuses former President Jonathan who said ‘my ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian’ of leading Nigeria to a civil war. If this is not delusional thinking, then it is hard to imagine what is. “Never since the civil war has Nigeria been as divided as it’s today with different regions of the nation giving quit notices to one other. A prudent person would in such circumstances tailor his speech to build unity, but not Amaechi. “Sadly, what we are experiencing today is the culmination of the threats made during the course of the 2015 elections by persons like Amaechi. “Also, on the recent vituperation by Oshiomhole

against the person of Jonathan, it is sufficient to use Oshiomhole’s own words to counter him. “Nigerians may recall that after wining his re-election in 2012, Oshiomhole visited the Presidential Villa on July 17, 2012, and said as follows to State House correspondents: ‘President

Jonathan has demonstrated statesmanship. I think there is hope for Nigeria. What the Edo State election has confirmed is that when the President and Commander-in-Chief puts the country first and conducts himself as a statesman, not just as a party leader, credible elections are possible.’ “Of course it is not surprising

that Oshiomhole would change his tone today especially when he is out of job and is desperate to curry favour with the hope of getting a new job but we wish to remind him that under Jonathan elections were free and fair as he said and there was no ‘inconclusive elections’. “In a democratic setting, the most basic requirement of

any leader is that he provides the platform for democracy and the economy to thrive. On both scores, no one can fault Jonathan. “We are however not surprised at the utterances of these two characters because they have proven to be double-faced liars and serial betrayers.”

Court Orders Oil Marketer to Pay FG N963.7m Akinwale Akintunde An Ikeja High Court yesterday struck out an application filed by an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, seeking to stay execution of the judgement of the court compelling his company to refund N963.7 million oil subsidy money to the federal government. Justice Lateefa Okunnu threw out the Jubril’s application on the grounds that there was no valid order of stay of execution on her judgement The judge in her ruling on the application however insisted that Jubril’s company, Brila Energy

Limited must pay restitution to tune of N963,796,199.85 to the federal government. Justice Okunnu had in a judgement delivered March 16 convicted and jailed Rowaye Jubril (1st defendant) 10 years in a N754 million subsidy fraud case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The court also convicted Jubril’s company, , Brila Energy Limited which was the 2nd defendant in the matter. But the defendant, through his counsel, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) had in an application dated May 16, 2017 sought

an order of the court for stay of execution of the monetary part of the judgement pending determination of the appeal filed by the defendants/applicant. Jubril had also requested the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents from taking any step to enforce the judgement of the court. The applicant, in a 16 paragraph affidavit, said the notice of appeal filed in court contained arguable grounds of appeal and raises substantial questions of law challenging the judgement of the court and the sentence directing the second

defendant to refund N963,796.85 to the federal government. However, the EFCC, in its counter affidavit filed through its counsel, Mr. Seidu Atteh had urged the court to dismiss the application on the ground that the applicant has not placed any material before the court to warrant granting of their request for a stay of the judgement delivered March 16. Justice Okunnu ruled that an order of stay of execution of a judgement must be based on a valid appea, adding that it is only on that basis that a judgement cannot be executed until disposal of an appeal.

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017˾ T H I S D AY

CRIME&PUNISHMENT

Customs Impounds 384 Parcels of Indian Hemp Imported from Ghana Arrests 10 suspects

Eromosele Abiodun The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), yesterday said it seized 384 parcels of Indian hemp imported from Ghana and concealed inside six bales of second-hand clothing. The Comptroller, Federal Operating Unit (FOU) Zone A, Mohammed Uba Garba, who disclosed this while showing journalists around seized contraband goods, said the items were impounded along Iyana-Ipaja road based on information. He disclosed that the unit also recovered a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N607,717,533.55 million from intercepted contraband and interventions on duty payment/demand notices on general goods that tried to beat the system from the airports, seaports and border stations under the guise of false declaration, transfer of value and short-change of duty payment meant for the federal government between April 1 to June 12, 2017. According him, “Ten suspects were arrested in connection with these seizures, and a total of 152

different seizures were recorded comprising vegetable oil, foreign parboiled rice, frozen poultry products, smuggled vehicles, Indian hemp, used tyres, and various general merchandises. “In the spirit of inter-agency relationship, the suspect concerning the seized Indian hemp will be handed over to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution in a court of competent jurisdiction.” He added: “We also seized five containers based on information and physical examination. This containers contravenes Customs law by means of false declaration and breach of import prohibition list by trade. A breakdown of the five containers seized is: one 1x40feet container with number ACLU967372/1 containing 2,322 pieces of used tyres and two units of used vehicles. Another 1x40feet container with number CMAU437648/0 containing 2,660 pieces of used tyres. “The third, a 1x40feet container with number CMAU717109/9 contains 170 cartons of piston ring compressor, while the fourth, a 1x20feet container with number TGHU141216/5

contains 12 pallets of general calcium/vehicle batteries of 108 pieces per pallet. The

fifth is a 1x40ft container with number TCLU753359/2 which contains log of unprocessed

rough wood ready for export. This act of false declaration falls under section 46 (f) of

CEMA Cap C45 LFN 2004 which is tantamount to outright seizure.”

WE ARE HERE TO STAY L-R: Chairperson, Anniversary Planning Committee, Church of Pentecost, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion,

Festac Town, Lady Adenike Okudoh; Representative of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Ngozi Opara; Historical Chairman, Pa Olagbaye Solomon; Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, Anglican Communion, Rt Rev. James Olusola Odedeji; and Bishop Egba West, Rt Rev Samuel Ogundeji, at the 40th anniversary cerebration of the Church of Pentecost, Festac in Lagos .... recently

Five Men Remanded in Prison over Unlawful Importation of 661 Riﬂes

Building Collapse: Lagos Files Fresh Charges against Lekki Gardens’ MD, Others

The federal government yesterday arraigned five men for allegedly importing 661 pump-action rifles into the country without lawful authority. The accused were arraigned before Justice Ayokunle Faji at the Federal High Court in Lagos. They are Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, said to be at large, and Salihu Danjuma. In the charge, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said the accused brought the rifles into the country from Turkey through the Apapa Port in Lagos, using a 40-feet container, which they falsely claimed contained steel doors. To facilitate the illegal importation, the accused allegedly forged a number of documents including a bill of lading, a Form M and a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report. According to the prosecution, in order to evade payment of customs duty, the accused allegedly forged a bill of lading issued at Istanbul on January 9, 2017, falsely claiming that it was issued at Shanghai, China. In the forged bill of lading, they allegedly filled “steel door” as the content of the container instead of rifles. They were also said to have allegedly offered a bribe of N400,000 to an official of the customs attached to the Federal Operative Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service to influence

The Lagos State Government has filed an amended charge before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere against the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Richard Nyong and others over alleged negligence in the events leading to the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the state on March 10, 2016. The state government, through the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, had dragged Nyong and others before Justice Sybil Nwaka over the building collapse which reportedly claimed 34 lives. At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ms.Titilayo Shitta-Bey, informed the court of the amended charge dated June 13, 2017 and additional proof of evidence filed against the defendants, saying that all the defendants have since been duly served. Aside Nyong, other defendants are an Executive Director of Lekki Gardens, Sola Olumofe; Odofin

the said officer not to conduct a “hundred per cent search on the 40-feet container with number PONU 825914/3.” The prosecution also alleged that the first accused, Hassan, corruptly gave N1million to government officials at the Apapa Port in order to prevent the search of the container by customs officials. In the last count, the federal government alleged that the defendants had between 2012 and 2016 illegally imported several double-barreled shotguns, pump-action rifles and single-barrelled shotguns into the country through Lagos. The eight counts pressed against them border on conspiracy, importation of prohibited firearms, forgery, uttering of forged documents, and bribery. The offences were said to be contrary to sections 1(2) (c), 1(14) (a)(i) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Consequently, the prosecuting counsel, K.A. Fagbemi, applied for a date to commence trial but urged the court to order that the accused should be remanded in the prison custody pending trial. Justice Faji adjourned till September 12, 2017 for definite hearing and ordered that the accused should be remanded in the prison custody.

Defendants for arraignment on involuntary manslaughter, building without approval Henry Taiwo, Omolabake Mortune, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph, Lekki Gardens, Get Too Rich Investment Limited and HC Insight Solution Limited. Earlier, Olumofe’s lawyer, George Oguntade (SAN) apologised on behalf of his client for failure to previously appear in court, a development which led to the judge issuing bench warrant against him at the last adjourned date. Oguntade said Olumofe was in the United Kingdom receiving treatment for Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol as at the time the bench warrant was issued against him, and that he flew into the country to present himself for trial. The lawyer, however, gave a firm commitment that his client would not travel outside the country until the matter against him is concluded. Oguntade also moved an application urging the court to quash the charge against Olumofe on the grounds that the criminal charge disclosed no prima facie case against him, and that the prosecution failed to invite him

for questioning before the charge was filed. Responding to the application, the state DPP, Shitta-Bey, urged the court to dismiss the application on the account of the fact that it was baseless. Contrary to Oguntade’s contention, Shitta-Bey said even Olumofe admitted in his supporting affidavit that there was nexus between him and the matter, being the lead technical professional in the making of decisions with respect to the construction of the collapsed building. She added that aside the fact that the attorney-general has the constitutional duty to file criminal charge against anyone reasonably suspected to have committed a crime, the said Olumofe was invited by the police and the Building Collapse Prevention Guild set up by government to investigate the matter, but he failed to present himself for questioning. After entertaining the arguments for and against the application, Justice Nwaka said there was need to hear the case expeditiously, and

thereby adjourned to June 29, 2017 for ruling and arraignment. Tragedy had struck on March 10, 2016 when a six-storey building under construction by Lekki Gardens in the Lekki area of the state collapsed and killed 34 people. The developer was said to have added additional floor to the building against what was approved by government for construction. Specifically, the defendants are facing six-count charges for failure to obtain building approval for the collapsed building and involuntary manslaughter, offences contrary to and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of Lagos State 2010, and Section 229 of Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 respectively. The government also listed some of the victims to include William Akpati (m), Kazeem Ilesanmi (m), Raphael Ezeh (m), Saminu Umar (m) and Sunday Ezeh (m).

Police in Kano Arrest 124 Suspected Rapists, Homosexuals Ibrahim Shuaibu ÓØ ËØÙ Police in Kano have arrested 124 suspected rapists and homosexuals from April to June in the state. The spokesman of the police in Kano, Magaji Musa Majia,

said the police had recorded 115 cases of rape, sodomy and other acts of gross indecency within the period under review. Majia disclosed that 128 victims were involved in the crimes out of which 124 suspects had been arrested.

According to him, 94 cases were charged to courts, while 13 cases are under investigation. He expressed worry over the increasing rate of such crimes across the state. The police spokesman promised that the police would

continue to do their best to curtail the situation. Majia appealed to religious leaders, traditional rulers and other well-meaning Nigerians to join hands in fighting the social vices in the state and Nigeria in general.

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

THURSDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com

Eagles Will Qualify for World Cup, AFCON 2019, Says Pinnick Inaugurates new Footballers’ Union secretariat in Lagos Duro Ikhazuagbe Even as most Nigerian football fans are yet to get over Super Eagles 2-0 loss to Bafana Bafana of South Africa last Saturday in Uyo, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has assured all stakeholders that the three-time African champions will qualify for both the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Speaking at the official inauguration of the secretariat of National Association of Nigerian Professional Footballers (NANPF) in Oregun Lagos yesterday, Pinnick insisted that what happened in Uyo was an eye opener for both the players and technical crew of the team “I can assure you that the Super Eagles will qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2019 Nations Cup in Cameroon. What happened in Uyo (the 2-0 loss to South Africa) is an eye opener for the players and the coaches. I want to use this opportunity to reassure Nigerians that Super Eagles will qualify for both the AFCON 2019 and World Cup in Russia,” observed the NFF chief. Pinnick hinted that the Federal Government has released funds and all other logistic support to the senior national team to motivate the players and coaches to excel. He promised that Eagles would make amend in subsequent matches to be played in the AFCON 2019 and World Cup 2018 qualifiers. The NFF boss asked Nigerians not to get discouraged yet because of the first defeat suffered by Eagles under Gernot Rohr’s watch. “Eagles are capable of going to South Africa to get victory against Bafana Bafana. Just yesterday, South Africa lost to a second string Zambian team. That is African football for you. I have my confidence in Eagles to do Nigeria proud.” The NFF president expressed his happiness that peace has finally returned to the players union. “I am truly happy at this development. I am one person

who believes in players’ unity. Nothing good comes under atmosphere of chaos. In this digital world there is so much to gain when ex-internationals come together as one united body,” he noted. While recalling his efforts to bring the factions in the players’ union to a round-table, Pinnick said: “It hurts me when ex players call me for rents, medical bills and sundry matters. These are former footballers who should be enjoying their retirements because they have laboured for the country and selves in the past but because they are not united and speak with one voice, they find themselves in such situations of lacks. Ex players are brands that ought to enjoy their retirements.” President of NANPF, Dahiru Sadi, who was represented at the occasion by Vice President of the body, Larry Kubeinje, said that he will continue to run an allinclusive administration and urged all those who are still aggrieved to come over and join the union as it’s time for peace in Nigerian football. “We have a new body and we must thank the NFF President and all those who helped to reunite us not to relent because we have to go ahead and move in one spirit. We are talking of insurance for former and present players and general welfare for all of us,” Sadi declared. Secretary General of NANPF, Austin Popo, was also very active at the occasion and talked of uniting all the faction for the good of football in the country. Segun Oguns former Super Eagles goalkeeper was the MC at the event. President General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Ladipo and some of his members added spice to the ceremony with their melodious tunes Nigerians have become familiar with. Some ex footballers at the event include; Friday Elahor, Clement Temile, Godwin Okpara, Edema Fuludu, Benjamin Fejokwu, Ifeanyi Udeze, Nicolas Ukadike, Monday Odiaka, Lawrence Orairo and several others too numerous to mention.

Participants Jostle for Honours at NNPC/SNECO Tennis Tourney Participants have been jostling for honours in the on-going NNPC/ SNECO Tennis tournament which began on Monday at the Tennis Section of the Ikoyi Club 1938. At a press conference to herald the tournament on Monday, Captain of the Tennis Section, Akeem Mustapha said participants would compete in both the individual and team games. Mustapha said trophies, cash vouchers and other prizes have been lined up for grabs in all the events, which includes the men’s and ladies’ singles, veteran and super veterans’ games. According to the Chairman of the Tennis Section, Esan Ogunleye, Shell

has always been a great partner of the section and holds Ikoyi Club with high regard. In his address, the Finance Manager Nigeria Deepwater Project, Eric Ereyi, said it was a great pleasure to partner the club, saying he was looking forward to a successful tournament. Meanwhile, Hope Nuka, who representative of the Managing Director of SNECO, Bayo Ojulari, has stated that in spite the company’s pleasure to be associated with the tennis section, the outcome of the tournament would indeed determine SNECO’s continued sponsorship. The tournament will end on Saturday, June 17.

L-R: Lagos TUC Chairman, Ogunremi Francis; President General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Dr Raﬁu Ladipo; NFF President, Amaju Pinnick; NANPF Vice President, Larry Kubeinje; and NANPF Secretary General, Austin Popo at the inauguration ceremony of the new NANPF secretariat in Lagos… yesterday

Transfer: Crystal Palace Joins Race for Iheanacho English Premier League outfit Crystal Palace has become the latest club to be linked with a move for Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho. According to English newspaper, Mirror, Crystal Palace is keen to beat city rivals West Ham United for the Manchester City forward. The Hammers are considered frontrunners for the signature of

the 20-year-old but Iheanacho is believed to be nursing the ambition of remaining at the Etihad Stadium despite falling in the pecking order of strikers since the arrival of Spanish manager Pep Guardiola. Iheanacho is one of the players Guardiola is reportedly set to cut loose to create room for new arrivals in this summer transfer

window. However, Manchester City is only ready to sell the Nigerian forward for the right price - a valuation of £20 million and a buy back clause. Everton and Swansea City are also linked with the former Nigeria under-17 star. Despite limited appearances for Manchester City last season,

Iheanacho scored eight goals in all competitions. Now, Super Eagles handlers are worried that limited playing time at Man city may be affecting the form of the Nigerian international. Eagles Franco-German Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr is believed to be supporting Iheanacho’s move away from Etihad.

Akeredolu to Grace Ade-Ojo @79 Golf Tourney Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) will be the special guest of honour at the 79th birthday tournament in honour of the Chairman of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo (OON). The special kitty will hold on June16 and 17 at the Smokin Hills Golf Resort, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State. The Marketing Manager, Smokin

Hills, Bayo Aderinto, said Monday that the event would bring together captains of industries, businessmen and notable personalities to Ilara-Mokin, the birthplace of the business guru in order to showcase some of his noble contributions to nation building. Golfers would arrive Ilara-Mokin on June 16 and play-practice round same day to sharpen their skills in readiness for the main event. Later in the day, there would be

a get- together, as is the tradition, to welcome the golfing community. The tournament format is shot gun system as was in the previous editions as amateur gentlemen and ladies take to the endearing topography of Smokin Hills which is considered one of most challenging golf courses in Africa. There would also be a facility tour of Elizade University which was recently tagged by the Nigerian Universities Commission

(N.U.C) as the model for private university education in Nigeria. In the evening, the tournament will hit a crescendo with a gala night of pomp and pageantry as golfers who have distinguished themselves in the tournament will receive their prizes and trophies. It is noteworthy to mention that Toyota (Nigeria) Limited in its characteristic manner will be sponsoring the hole 13 with a cash prize of N5 million as the hole-in-one prize.

NCF Boss, Adeyemi, Promises to Consolidate Strides in Chess The reelected President of Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), Mr. Lekan Adeyemi, has promised to step up his stride and ensure the continued growth of the game in the country. Moments after the chess family retuned him unopposed to manage the affairs of the game for another four years, Adeyemi promised not to let the stakeholders down and that whatever shortfall in his first

term would be adequately taken care of this time around. The NCF president who is one of the most experienced administrators of the game with vast knowledge in coaching and arbitration on the international stage, noted that time has come for all other stakeholders to unite with him in the interest of chess. “I am indeed delighted to be back first on board but most importantly to lead the chess

again for another four years. However, it will be good for the game if all interested parties can come up with ideas that will better the game rather than unwarranted distractions in form of criticisms via the social media. “The players’ group for the first time in the history of chess in the country was given due recognition and the partnership in the last four years has been seamless. While the rating system in the last regime was

unprecedented and when we try to evaluate this alone, it has encouraged the players to be more active than ever before,” he remarked in a telephone call last night. The chess boss also promised to ensure that more national and regional tournaments hold regularly while the desire to encourage more female participants in tournaments would be adequately taken care of.

Ë&#x153; ÍšÍ˝Ë&#x153; ÍşÍ¸ÍšÍż Ëž T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

African Champions Cameroon Land in Moscow African champions Cameroon touched down in Moscow yesterday afternoon ahead of their third appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup. TheÂ Indomitable LionsÂ will open their campaign against Chile in the Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital on Sunday before facing Australia in Saint Petersburg on June 22 and current world champions Germany in Sochi on June 25. Cameroonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best FIFA Confederations Cup achievement to date was reaching the final of the 2003 edition. Cameroonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparations for the upcoming FIFA Confederations Cup received a setback with a 4-0 defeat to Colombia in their final tune-up match before Russia 2017. James Rodriguez opened the scoring forÂ Los CafeterosÂ before Yerry Mina struck a brace for the South Americans at the

Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Getafe, Spain, on Tuesday. Jose Izquierdo completed the scoring late on. Cameroon were forced to play the majority of the second half with ten men after Robert Ndip Tambe was sent off. It proved a tough outing for the reigning CAF Africa Cup of Nations holders, with coach Hugo Broos making several changes from his usual firstchoice starting line-up.

2017 Confederation Cup Matches Live on StarTimes The 2017 FIFA Confederation Cup is scheduled to begin in Russia on June 17 through July 2. The matches will be played in four Russian cities of Moscow, Sochi, Saint Petersburg, and Kazan. Eight teams, including host Russia, are to compete for honours in the Confederation Cup. These include; Germany, winner of the 2014 World Cup; Portugal, 2016 Euro title champions and Chile, the Copa America 2015 title holder. Others are; Australia, winner of the 2015 Asia Cup; Mexico, champions of CONCACAF Cup; New Zealand, winners of OFC Cup and Cameroon, 2017 Africa Nations Cup champions. Pay TV company, StarTimes, has concluded arrangement to beam live coverage of the global football competition to the living rooms of its Nigerian subscribers. The Confederation Cup has become a tradition preceding the World Cup to make the host country and the teams gear up for the main event. This tenth edition promises to be a great show as the tournament serves as a dress rehearsal for the host country of the 2018 World Cup. Formerly known as the

Intercontinental Championship or the King Fahd Cup, the Confederations Cup is an international competition that began in 1992 and is played only by menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national teams. However, since 1997 and in order to give it legitimacy, FIFA took charge of its organisation. StarTimes has assured football viewers can enjoy the best of the Confederation Cup and other thrilling sporting actions on its ST World Football Channels 244 and 254. Speaking on these coming Confederation Cup matches, Acting Brands and Marketing Director, StarTimes, Mr. Qasim Elegbede, said StarTimes remains commitment to delivering quality sporting content to its subscribers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quality sporting content was the reason behind the acquisitions of sporting rights like the FIFA World Cup in over 48 territories in Africa and other sporting event such as the Serie A, Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, Chinese Super League, Eredivisie. He said StarTimes will be showcasing the best of these football actions live from the various match centres to its subscribers.

Lucky Shoots Finbarrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to GTBank Masters Cup It was football at its best in the semifinals of the GTBank Masters Cup between St. Finbarrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College, Akoka and defending champions, Greensprings School, Lekki, at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island on Tuesday as both schools showed good football artistries. It was the Akoka Bombers that shot into the lead midway in the first half through Akpan Moses, while Greensprings equalised in the second half. Just as spectators were already warming up for a penalty shootout, Finbarrâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, backed by their vociferous supporters

that came in their numbers struck in added time through Jeremiah Lucky to set up an epic final against Anwar-Ul Islam College, Agege, who defeated Jubril Martins Memorial Grammar School, Iponrin 11-10, via penalties. Both sides played 1-1 in regulation time. However, it was goals rain in the female semifinals earlier in the day. In the first game, Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls Senior High School, Itire, walloped Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Isolo 4-0, while Queens College, Yaba defeated Greensprings School, Lekki, 3-0, in a one-sided affair.

Cameroonian players and oďŹ&#x192;cials on arrival in Moscow yesterday

Chelsea to Host Burnley on Opening Day of Premier League Season Chelsea will begin their title defence at home to Burnley when the 2017-18 Premier League season kicks off on the weekend of 12-13 August. Newly promoted Newcastle host Tottenham, while Brighton welcome Manchester City and Huddersfield visit Crystal Palace. Spursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first game at Wembley will be against Antonio Conteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s champions on the second weekend of the season. The precise date of games will be set once TV schedules have been decided. The league season is set to finish on Sunday, May 13, 2018 - a week earlier than last season - with the World Cup finals in Russia starting on June 14.

The English Football League fixtures will be released on Wednesday, June 21, and Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fixtures two days later. Questions have been raised about Tottenhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential to perform at Wembley after a miserable run of results there in last seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Champions League, and Mauricio Pochettinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side will have a tough first test at their temporary home. The last time Spurs visited the national stadium was in the FA Cup semi-final, a game they lost 4-2 to this seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first visitors - Chelsea. But it could prove a tricky opening few weeks for the defending champions too, with Chelsea hosting Everton (August

26), visiting 2015-16 winners Leicester after the international break and then welcoming Arsenal (September 16). Arsene Wengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gunners have a chance to show their top-four credentials in week three when they visit Liverpool. Another early indicator in the race for the Champions League places comes in the following round of games, with Liverpool travelling to Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City. Europa League winners Manchester United do not face another Champions League qualifier until they visit Jurgen Kloppâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Liverpool on the weekend of 14-15 October. English footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top-flight sides

will face four league games in nine days over Christmas and new year, with eight in total fromÂ December 2 to January 1. The final round of the Champions League group stage also takes place during that period, as traditionally does the fifth round of the League Cup. Arsenal welcome Liverpool two days before Christmas, while Brighton go to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Newcastle host Manchester City. West Ham make the trip across London to face Tottenham in the round of games scheduled for December 30, with another London derby taking place on New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day as Arsenal host Chelsea.

Four Nigerian Tennis Majors Launched in Lagos An ambitious new plan to put Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis on the global map has been launched in Lagos with the introduction of Nigerian Tennis Majors to the national calendar. According to Tennis Management Company, a Lagosbased sports marketing firm, Plans to organize an annual four tennis majors in four Nigerian cities have reached advanced level. Speaking at the launch of the tennis major expected to also have junior version on Monday afternoon at the Savoy Suites in Ikeja GRA, the organisers promised a new era for the game in the country with the high stakes, high rewarding tournaments. Managing Director of TMCL, Kenneth Ezaga, explained explained that two tournaments will be held next year, including the Abuja Open which would be the maiden edition and will

be held in May, while the Lagos Open will follow in October before the first four slam calendar rollout in 2019. He further explained that while Lagos and Abuja have been confirmed as hosts of two of the slams, the other two cities will be decided possibly by bids, with one each in the south and northern part of the country. He assured tennis aficionados that the tour will not only provide regular competition for the best local talents, it would pay the champions the biggest purses in Nigerian sports. Defending this, Ezaga said â&#x20AC;&#x153;While fans around the world love sports, it is the well paid stars they follow. Stars pull in audiences and sponsors. You cannot have a sports business without major stars, that is why every serious sports organiser in the world is always looking for

the next Michael Jordan, the next Tiger Woods, the next Usain Bolt, the next Nduka Odizor. We will be no different.â&#x20AC;? The Chairman of the company, Anire Kanyi, was optimistic that the initiative will help the government in its bid to diversify the economy and create new jobs and wealth within the country. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Government alone cannot solve all our problems,â&#x20AC;? Kanyi said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now is when we must all rise to create a more compelling future for our young. Sports offers a great opportunity for us to make an impact â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to unite our people, engage our youth, create thousands of new jobs and stir up a deeper love of country.â&#x20AC;? Another director of the company Lolu Akinwunmi, the marketing communications heavyweight who built the Prima Garnet Group, argued that sports has become a great

way for brands to not only promote their offerings, but to meet their customers and forge deep emotional bonds with them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;No longer are brands just contented with reaching their target market by planting their logos on events, they practically want to touch these people through intelligent leveraging and activations. The Nigerian Tennis Majors will offer them a superb opportunity to do this,â&#x20AC;? the former AAAN and APCON president declared. He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sports, after all, brings consumers and brands together in an atmosphere of extreme passion. Another key strength of sports is that it has the ability to focus audiences on a single idea for a period of time, largely increasing the effectiveness of your promotional spend.â&#x20AC;?

T H I S D AY THURSDAY JUNE 15, 2017

Obituary W ith heavy hearts but with gratitude to God for a life well-lived, we mourn with our dear friend Engr.Ebele Okeke, CFR, the loss of her sister Mrs. Iffy Morris who passed away in Houston, Texas, after a brief illness.

MRS. IFEYINWA MORRIS (N O ) EE

KEKE

October 6, 1946 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; May 17, 2017

C O M M I T T E E O F F R I E N D S

Timiebi Koripamo-Agary Enuma Okoro Nkem Wadibia-Anyanwu Nwadia De Souza Akin Arikawe Edith Ngozi Nwosu Elizabeth Emuren Adaoha Okwuosa Goke Adegoroye Carol Ndaguba Josephine Onyemelukwe Gloria Nwoyibo Iweka

Amal Pepple Joy Emodi Japh Nwosu Anne Ene-Ita Marcus Gundiri Dolly Nwakuche Thelma Iremiren Tukur Bello Ingawa Sunny Osuagwu Kechi Ogbuagu Ammuna Lawan Ali May Ikokwu

May God Grant her Peaceful and Eternal Rest. Signed by: MAY IKOKWU

Thursday, June 15, 2017

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N250

MISSILE Gambari to Nigerian Leaders “The little ﬁres starting to burn across the country must not be allowed to result in a conﬂagration from which none can escape. I appeal to our leaders, political, traditional, religious and business, to not only speak out against the negative developments, but also to take immediate positive action to bring an end to them. Otherwise, their actions could be interpreted as collusion with the forces of division and violence” – Respected international diplomat, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, speaking against the growing intolerance in the country

OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Buhari and the 2019 Debate T

hanks to Speaker Yakubu Dogara, I was on the floor of the House of Representatives last Friday as guest speaker at a special session to mark the mid-term of the 18th National Assembly. I was invited to speak on “Image Perception of the Legislature: Causes and Possible Solutions”. While, as I explained, individual lawmakers may be viewed favourably by their constituents, as a collective, the National Assembly has a lot of work to do before it can earn the trust of most Nigerians. However, in his “vote of thanks”, the Deputy Speaker, Hon Yusuf Lasun chose to counter a portion of my speech that ordinarily should delight the members. “With such array of accomplished young men and women, educated from the best institutions in the world, I will like to see presidents of Nigeria emerge from this chamber, beginning from 2019”, I had said. But Lasun responded that my wish was too farfetched because, as far as the presidency of Nigeria was concerned, “there is no vacancy in 2019”. Since it is a given that there will be a presidential election by 2019, the implication of Lasun’s declaration, which incidentally was not lost on his colleagues, is that President Muhammadu Buhari will be re-elected, almost as if Nigerians do not have any say about that. Meanwhile, Lasun was only re-echoing what some presidential handlers have been saying: that Buhari will contest again in 2019 when his current term—punctuated, as it were, by ill-health—ends and he will win. Unfortunately, that Nigerians are being told that Buhari is even an option in 2019—in fact the only option, if you listen to some APC titans—speaks to a larger issue. With Europe increasingly becoming an aging continent, the people are also learning to trust their societies to young people not only in the choice of those charged with heading critical agencies but also now in those who lead their countries. That much was demonstrated with the recent election of a 39-year old Emmanuel Macron as the President of France and Leo Varadkar, 38, the new Prime Minister of Ireland. That is the emerging pattern around the world except in Africa, a continent of predominantly young people, where old and tired leaders—most of who also have a penchant for packing their cabinets with old men like themselves—are being recycled. While I do not subscribe to the argument that old age necessarily impacts negatively on leadership and management, it would also be wrong to ascribe maturity, or sense of responsibility, to people on account of old age or length of service. Indeed, if ever any proof was needed that the wisdom of Solomon had nothing to do with the age of Methuselah, the United States today provides a classical example. At 70, Mr Donald Trump is the oldest man to be elected American President yet in terms of maturity for the office, he would probably rank very low. What that suggests therefore is that there is no reason why leadership

House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara should be made an exclusive club of old men as we keep doing in Africa with terrible consequences. At 93, President Robert Mugabe has already indicated that he will be seeking another re-election next year when the current term expires and the people of Zimbabwe have also been served notice that in the event that Mugabe dies before then, even his corpse would be good enough to stand on the ballot. President Paul Biya of Cameroun is 84 and everything points to the fact that he also will not let go of power until death do them part. President Beji Caid Essebsi of Tunisia is 90 though he has only been in power for three years. Of course the Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power in Algeria for the last 18 years, is 80. And just last week, Thomas Thabane became Prime Minister of Lesotho at 78. We can excuse Ellen Johnson-Shirleaf of Liberia not only because of the circumstances that brought her to power after the civil war in the country but also because at 78, she is already on her way out of office with election due in October this year. But the situation in Guinea is quite different. At 79, Alpha Conde secured his second term of five years in October 2015 and there is nothing to suggest he may not go for more by 2020. In Malawi, Peter Mutharika has only been in power for three years but he is 77 while Hage Geingob of Namibia is 75. On the continent, three leaders are in the “Club of Age 75”: Allassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire, Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Teodore Obiang Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. Mbasogo by the way has been in power since 1979, the same year Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who is 74, became President of Angola. And finally, my charity must return home where our President, Muhammadu Buhari, is 74. He is only a year older than President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville, Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan and

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana who are 73. Nguesso and Al-Bashir of course are maximum rulers with elastic term limits. The long-term dictator of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni and Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta of Mali are 72 while Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea and Ismaila Omar Guellah of Djibouti are 71 and 70 respectively. One can go on and on about the age of African leaders but I believe the point is already made. While experience counts in leadership, in the age of technology that we are now in, quick thinking, energy and ability to proffer quick solutions to difficult problems are what the times require. Those qualities are more available among young people. “There is something unmistakably common in Africa: the continent’s aging and longserving presidents. Its five longest presidencies stretch between 29 and 36 years, adding to a cumulative 169 years. Their longevity in office is matched by their old age, ranging from 71 to 91 years, and a combined 390 years” wrote David E Kiwuwa, an Associate Professor of International Studies at Princeton University, in October 2015. According to Kiwuwa, the continent has the youngest population in the world yet the people keep recycling old leaders. “Africa has a leadership age gap disconnect between the leaders and the led. To put it into context, 85 percent of Angolans were not born when Dos Santos came into power in 1979. 83 percent of Zimbabweans were born after Mugabe first came into power as prime minister in 1980, while 79 percent of Ugandans were born after Museveni took over power in 1986” said Kiwuwa. Given the foregoing, I cannot understand why some Nigerians would believe that the way to the future is through the past. Beyond the age of Buhari, or perhaps because of it, he has little or no trust in young people as is evident in most of his appointments. Besides, more than 90 percent of Nigerians were not born when most of the issues—including the “de-structuring” that now require “restructuring”—tearing Nigeria apart started with the first military coup of January 1965. In a milieu where the political elite has perfected the art of dividing to conquer, millions of our young people who are already denied access to education, skills acquisition and jobs, now provide a ready army from which ethnic militias and all sorts of social miscreants are recruited. Yet, stripped of all pretensions, the greatest challenge in our country today is neither ethnic (regional) nor religious; it is a class problem between the haves and the have-nots with the former exploiting the latter to advance their personal interests. For instance, it is easier for the son of Professor Ben Nwabueze—whose “greatest day in life” was his recent meeting with Nnamdi Kanu—to marry the daughter of Prof Ango Abdullahi—the self-confessed grand patron of the “northern youth coalition” threatening Igbos—because they can meet at Harvard,

Cambridge, Yale etc. or at restuarants in Lagos, Abuja or Dubai. But Nwabueze’s daughter will never marry some okada-riding “Biafrans” in Onitsha nor will Abdullahi’s marry some Fulani herdsmen roaming the bush in Zaria. Unfortunately, what many of our old men, who incidentally enjoyed the best of Nigeria, are handing over to us are their bitterness and petty prejudices which also accounted for the presidential Freudian slip of “97 percent versus five percent” in federal appointments that ignited the fire we are now trying to douse. I have been asked by readers whether I am backtracking from my earlier calls for restructuring and my response is simple. While I have for long held that Nigeria, in its current form, cannot fulfil its potentials, I don’t want my position to be confused with that of some hate vendors who unfortunately have hijacked the conversation. I have watched many of Nnamdi Kanu’s “Radio Biafra” video clips and listened attentively to the bile, threats and derogatory statements directed at Yoruba people. Meanwhile, some of his Yoruba “defenders” of today have also said and written very damaging things about Igbo people in the past. These are the leading proponents of “restructuring” which has become a licence to abuse, insult and denigrate other people essentially because of ethnic, political and/or religious differences. I will not be part of such nonsense. That our national discourse on development remains frozen at the level of revenue sharing shows that what we practice is an “allocative federalism” in which the essence of national unity is how to ‘share’ money earned not through productive activities but from the extractive sector. Until we can put an end to the ridiculous culture in which governors wait till the month-end to collect huge cheques from Abuja which many of them thereafter dissipate on trifles, majority of our people, whether in Lagos, Jos, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt, Kano or Enugu, will continue to wallow in abject poverty. For sure, restructuring our country for the greater good of our people—North, East, West or South—is inevitable and majority of Nigerians will soon come to the inescapable conclusion that the current arrangement will lead us nowhere. But there are also certain aspects of our polity that must change if we must progress like other societies. The idea that we can continue to exclude the generation of Nigerians born after the civil war—who are now in their forties and constitute perhaps more than 85 percent of our current population—from political leadership and critical appointments cannot for long endure. To Hon Lasun, therefore, while I pray for the quick recovery of President Buhari so he can return home to resume work, if he chooses to seek re-election in 2019, there will be a serious debate about whether we can continue to trust a 76-year old man, whose mind is trained to the past, with the future of Nigeria.

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