MONDAY 7TH JUNE 2021

CBN Increases Forex Allocation to Banks Obinna Chima

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday announced the increase of foreign exchange (forex) allocations to banks to meet the requests of customers, particularly travellers, seeking forex for

travel allowances, payment of tuition and medical fees, among other invisibles.

The moves followed the warning by the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at a weekend meeting with managing directors of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs),

cautioning them to desist from denying customers, particularly travellers, the opportunity to purchase forex for Personal Travel Allowance (PTA), Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), tuition fees, and medical payments as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) transactions

or for the repatriation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proceeds.

Confirming the discussions at the meeting of bank chiefs, the Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department at the CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, said in a note that

Medium Enterprises among others. The banks also agreed to operate something akin to foreign exchange imprest account such that the coffers of banks will be replenished so long as they retire the initial

the CBN remained committed to ensuring liquidity in the forex market to meet genuine and legitimate demands of customers.

He added: “The CBN agreed to increase the amount allocated to banks for travellers, Small and

Continued on page 41

Varsity Don Confirms Earth Tremor in Ife... Page 42 Monday 7 June, 2021 Vol 26. No 9555. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Finally, ISWAP Confirms Death of Boko Haram Leader, Shekau... Page 44

SANs Fault Malami, Say No Legal Basis for Prosecuting Twitter Users "Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference" –Section 39 (1) CFRN Davidson Iriekpen, Nseobong Okon-Ekong, Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagos, Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah, Adedayo Akinwale, Udora Orizu in Abuja and George Okoh in Makurdi The federal government has continued to face searing criticisms of its decision to

suspend the operation of the American microblogging social network, Twitter, in Nigeria as some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) yesterday told THISDAY that the action contravened Section 39 (1) of the 1999 Constitution as altered.

Continued on page 41

Despite Ban, Open Grazing Persists in Southern States

Stakeholders demand legal backing for proscription Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City, James Sowole in Akure, Bassey Inyang in Calabar, David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka, Sylvester Idowu in Warri, Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan, Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti and Amby Uneze in Owerri

grazing of cattle by Southern governors, the practice has continued to flourish in the 17 states of the region with stakeholders asking for legal backing for the proscription order.

THISDAY’s investigations

Despite the ban on open

Continued on page 41

BANKING ON SENATE...

L–R: Executive Director, North, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Hassan Imam; President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan; and the bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, during the bank’s executives’ visit to the Senate president in Abuja…recently

Buhari, Jonathan, Akeredolu, Fayemi, Senators, Others Mourn TB Joshua... Page 8

2

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

3

4

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

5

6

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

7

8

MONDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS Buhari, Jonathan, Akeredolu, Fayemi, Senators, Others Mourn TB Joshua

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Chiemelie Ezeobi, Segun James, Mary Nnah, Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos, Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha in Abuja, James Sowole in Akure and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday led other dignitaries, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, and Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, to mourn the founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Pastor Temitope Balogun Joshua.

A statement by the SCOAN said the televangelist died on Saturday. He was 57 years old.

The statement did not give the cause of his death.

“On Saturday 5th June 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting: “Time for everything – time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.

“God has taken His servant, Prophet TB Joshua home – as it should be by divine will.

His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for,” the church said.

The news of the death of Joshua was met with shock and disbelief. When THISDAY arrived at the church's headquarters in Ikotun-Egbe, a suburb of Lagos, members were looking forlorn while some were crying profusely asking church workers to disprove the story.

Efforts to access the church was rebuffed by officials who blocked the entrance and denied even members entrance.

For most of those present, nothing could be more shocking as they had no inkling what was in the offing when they thronged the church yesterday seeking solutions to their problems.

The road to the church was equally crowded with people who were prevented from entering the church, among

whom were those that came with the hopes of being healed of one illness or the other by the late televangelist.

Buhari, in a statement yesterday by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Joshua would be missed by his global followers.

He commiserated with the family and members of SCOAN on the passing on of their father and founder.

He said the renowned televangelist would be missed by his followers all over the world not only for his spiritual contributions, but for touching many lives through philanthropic gestures.

He urged Joshua's followers to take solace in the knowledge that life is not measured and defined by chronological longevity but by enduring legacies and lives touched positively.

He also condoled with the government and people of Ondo State.

Jonathan expressed sadness over the death of Joshua, describing him as a devout man of God. In a message of condolence to his family and the SCOAN congregation, the former president said Joshua served God and humanity with passion.

Jonathan also prayed God to grant his followers across the world the strength to cope with his exit.

“I am saddened to hear about the death of Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua known as TB Joshua, the Spiritual Leader of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), at a young age of 57.

“TB Joshua was a devout man of God who served God and humanity with relentless passion. He was a man of sound doctrine, meek and faithful to his call and passion of reconciling men to God and offering hope to humanity.

“As a Christian leader, TB Joshua and his ministry exemplified Christ in faith, love and charity; positively impacting the lives of many Nigerians, Africans and

millions of people across the world,” he said.

On his part, Akeredolu said he received the news of the death of Joshua with a heavy heart.

Akeredolu, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Richard Olatunde, described the deceased as a blessing to humanity and a great ambassador of the state.

"Undoubtedly, Pastor Joshua's demise came as a rude shock. The pains are not mere emotional flashes; they are indeed piercing. The Ondoborn Pastor and televangelist was a philanthropist whose exit will be sorely missed by many," he added.

Also in a statement, the traditional ruler of Joshua's hometown, the Zaki of Arigidi, Oba Tisa Olanipekun, said the community received the sad news with grieving hearts.

He said: "The shocking event is reported to have occurred on Saturday, 5th June, following a prayer and

worship session at his church.

His body is believed to have been deposited in a morgue somewhere around the church.

A delegation from SCOAN is presently headed for Arigidi to make an announcement and submit a factual report of the devastating incident.

"Pending receipt and confirmation of this report, I solicit the full co-operation of SCOAN church members in Nigeria and across the globe to allow the immediate family and the Arigidi community to mourn this painful loss without further distractions.

"I am hereby making a demand that his body must be preserved intact until arrangements are made to examine and/or certify the cause of his death and the body is moved to Arigidi for final burial rights to be announced at a later date."

Fayemi has also expressed condolences on the death of Joshua.

The governor, in a statement

by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, said he received the news of Joshua's death as a rude shock, describing it as a major blow to the Christian community in the country.

Fayemi described the deceased as a man of God whose life and ministry impacted positively on the lives of the people.

He added that the uniqueness of his ministry also earned him large followership outside the country.

The governor said the late Joshua did not only minister to the spiritual needs of the people but to their physical and financial needs as attested to by many who found succour in his church.

Also, the Southern Senators' Forum has described the demise of the renowned preacher as a national loss.

In a statement yesterday by the Chairman of the forum, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the lawmakers said Joshua's

evangelistic and philanthropic gesture had inscribed his name in gold.

The forum said Joshua spent over four decades serving God and that he had only answered the call to get his reward for these sacrifices in heaven.

On his part, the Aare Oona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, described the death of Joshua as an eclipse in God's vineyard, saying it is a rude shock.

Adams, who is a cousin of the church leader, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, said Joshua was an Iroko tree, an abode for many souls.

"The man of God has found favour in spreading the Gospel of God through his ministry. And according to the words of God from the Bible "The Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.”

EIGHTY HEARTY CHEERS...

L-R: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi; his wife, Esther; and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Emmanuel Udom, during the 80th birthday thanksgiving of Kumuyi in Lagos...yesterday

Electronic Payment Transactions Hit N21.27tn in May Obinna Chima Transactions across various electronic payment channels rose marginally by 0.38 per cent to N21.27 trillion in May 2021, up from the N21.19 trillion recorded in April 2021.

Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited and a member of President Buhari’s Economic Advisory Council, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, gave the figure in a report titled: “Economic Policy: More Clarity and Less Ambivalence,” which he presented at the Lagos Business School’s executive breakfast session at the weekend.

The report showed that the value of transactions was flat due to the slow level of economic activities recorded last month.

It showed that while point of sales (PoS) transactions declined marginally to N503.96 billion in May, down from N507.86 billion the previous month; transactions via NIBSS Instant Payment climbed to N21.246 trillion, as against N21.191 trillion recorded the previous month.

According to the report, May was a month of mixed economic data as Nigeria’s first quarter (Q1) 2021 Gross Domestic Product grew 0.5 per cent (1.36% below Q1 2020).

It stated that the Q1 2021 data confirmed a slow growth and fragile economy, even as inflation showed a slight moderation to 18.12 per cent with food inflation down to 22.72 per cent.

Growth was not as broadly inclusive as policymakers

expected, it stated.

It said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had adopted the NAFEX rate on its website, suggesting it is now the official rate. The development was an indication of a move towards convergence, it said.

“Forex transactions now strictly system-generatednot on mobile phones. This is a more transparent price discovery and settlement system,” it added.

The parallel market rate fell sharply to N501 to a dollar at the weekend.

This, the report attributed to panic buying, speculative trading, forex rationing, and front-loading of demand.

“Naira is approaching its fair value as multiple exchange rates converge.

At N410.75/$ the currency

is overvalued by 19.30 per cent. Convergence around the Investors and Exporters’ forex rate is expected to continue, to further reduce the parallel market premium “Parallel market rate will oscillate between N470/$ N490/$ in July and the CBN is to adopt a crawling peg strategy in the third quarter of 2021.

“The Naira-4-Dollar promo is going to have a muted impact on external reserves in the near term and the CBN will continue to clear its forex demand backlog to foreign portfolio investors,” it added.

Also, it predicted that gross external reserves would likely fall to $32 billion, adding that a higher oil price ($70pb) will buoy the naira and reserves.

Additionally, it anticipated

that headline inflation might increase in May as insecurity continues to disrupt the commodities supply chain.

The report estimated that treasury bills and interbank interest rates would continue to rise in June, as the 364-day Treasury bill rates were fast approaching 12 per cent per annum.

Commenting on recent development in the cryptocurrency market, it stated that there were mixed views on the desirability of the digital trading instrument.

“Conservatives describe cryptocurrency as worthless and a movement from rat poison square to delusion. The less risk-averse investors think the time of cryptocurrency has come and Nigerian crypto investors are mainly

speculators and looking to bypass exchange rate control regulations,” it added.

According to the report, the global value of the total cryptocurrency market is over $2 trillion, up from $260 billion a year ago. It estimated that the value of Bitcoin in Nigeria is $200 million, stating that the downside risk of cryptocurrency is high volatility The market is currently driven by sentiment and momentum, it noted, adding that a tweet by Elon Musk sent a bearish signal, crashing the price of Bitcoin recently.

This, it stated, raised concerns about cryptocurrency as a store of value, adding that China, just like Nigeria, has banned its financial institutions from facilitating crypto exchange.

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

9

10

MONDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Bafarawa: It’s Wrong Time to Talk About Zoning, 2023 Politics Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, yesterday kicked against the growing discussions and tensions surrounding the zoning of the presidency to any part of the country, describing it as ill-timed.

Bafarawa said in a statement that the agitations were getting increasingly strident, noting that it is a misplaced priority given the problems besetting the country.

He stated that it was high time politicians toned down such political issues and concentrated on good governance so that the country would eventually have peace.

He advised all politicians across the political, tribal and regional divides to come together for the common good of the country.

He added that the country is currently faced with challenges of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, the threat of secession, slow economic growth resulting from increased level of poverty, clamour for restructuring, among others.

According to him, these are important issues that call for attention, not only by the government, but also by the political and traditional classes.

He added that he was not aware of how anybody in the country arrived at zoning the position of the president to any zone, whether to the South or to the North, or whether by the All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to him, the sensitive issue, along with other similar issues, are either being canvassed or deliberately touted, thereby causing political tension and widening the gap of the common unity of the country.

He said: “The agitation for the rotation or zoning of the position of the presidency has been our greatest political quagmire for a very long time in our political growth or evolution in the country.

“It has always caused tension, bringing mistrust and threat of restructuring or secession or similar challenges, signalling breakup of the country or mistrust among our major tribes and religions.

We should be wary of making any comments bordering on the issue of zoning or rotation of the position of president to any part of the country.”

He added at this crucial period of time when the country is enmeshed in various challenges, it was appropriate for socio-political commentators to delve less into politics and instead offer more constructive advice on how best the government could get the country out of the current mess.

He expressed the belief that since no political party, especially the two major political platforms, the APC and PDP, or any other sociopolitical, cultural or regional association or group has on its own resolved to zone the presidency, there should be strategies that would douse tension.

He urged Nigerian

politicians to imbibe the culture of reducing political bickering, agitations, sounding drums of war and exhibiting primordial tendencies which clearly are intended to either cause mischief or tear the country into pieces through unnecessary advocacy.

The ex-governor said he was of the conviction that if politicians and other social commentators on politics, on what region or zone should be the next to produce the president, the tension would continue to heighten, thereby escalating the already tensed

general socio/political atmosphere in the country.

“We should rather gauge our contributions to the political development to a measured level and also, concentrate on how best the country can get rid of all these menaces of insecurity which

appears to be taking us several years backwards.

“We should not glee at the happenings and see it as a means of playing politics or perhaps a failure of a certain system or incapability of the government to deal with the situation,” he said.

GARMENT PEOPLE...

L-R: Member, Garments and Accessories Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ahmed Taiwo; Founder of the association, Mrs. Adenike Ogunlesi; and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Adeniyi Adebayo, during the visit of the association to the minister in Abuja…weekend

Petrol Subsidy Delays Funding of N26.2bn NNPC Projects Pledges respect for environment in its operations NEITI, NNPC, DPR to Develop Framework on Contracts' Transparency Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The burden of under-recovery of petrol price currently being borne by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) may have begun to affect its operations as the national oil company failed to fund six of its scheduled projects in April.

NNPC is also to team up with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to sign an agreement on a framework to ensure greater transparency in the oil and gas industry.

The funding performance from January to April, contained in the corporation’s presentation to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in May, showed that the gas infrastructure development, frontier exploration services and renewable energy development received zero allocation for the month.

In addition, the NigeriaMorocco pipeline, the crude oil pre-export inspection agency expenses as well as Brass LNG

gas supply project did not get any funding for the period under review.

The data indicated that with the underfunding of the projects, variance in terms of actual budget and actual funding for five of the projects stood at N26.236 billion. The figures for Brass LNG were not recorded.

The document showed that except for Brass LNG, the NNPC has consistently funded the projects until February when it recorded the payment of petrol under-recovery of N25.374 billion, N60.396 in March and N61.966 in April.

It stated that with an annual budget of N4.9 trillion and a monthly budget of N414.941 billion, as at the first four months of the year, the corporation had spent N767.7 billion, actual year-to-date, with a difference of N891.99 billion.

In January, the NNPC spent N195.6 billion, in February its spending fell to N191.1 billion, in March it was N224.5 billion, while in April it expended N156.3 billion.

However, the funded projects in April were: national

domestic gas development, which got N14.9 billion cumulative spendings, pipeline security and maintenance cost which gulped N13.7 billion, pre-export financing of N20 billion, under-recovery of N147.7 billion, among others.

From January to April, refinery rehabilitation for the non-functional facilities had gulped N33.3 billion. The NNPC had explained that it was still paying workers’ salaries and basic maintenance for the refineries.

With an annual budgeted total net distribution to FAAC of N1.47 trillion and monthly budget remittance of N122.7 billion, the document showed that in January, NNPC remitted N90.86, in February it sent N64.1 billion to FAAC and in March remitted N41.1 billion.

There was zero remittance in April.

For March, domestic crude payable in June, in line with the 90-day circle, showed that an outstanding of Joint Venture (JV) for Chevron Nigeria Limited, amounting to N72.6 billion, is due in June.

Eroton will be paid N3.1 billion, Mobil’s is N68.5 billion

and is due this month, same for Seplat, which is expected to get N3.3 billion, Shell will be paid N33.6 billion, while Total is expected to be paid N3.1 billion.

In March, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mallam Mele Kyari, opened up on the state of affairs at the corporation, saying that at the time, the government was subsidising petrol with about N120 billion monthly.

He said the NNPC could no longer afford to bear the cost and Nigerians would have to pay the actual cost sooner or later, as market forces must be allowed to determine the pump price of petrol.

“Today, NNPC is the sole importer of petrol. We are importing at market price and we are selling at N162 per litre today. Looking at the current market situation today, the actual price could have been anywhere between N211 and around N234 per litre.

“The meaning of this is that consumers are not paying for the full value of the petrol that we are consuming and therefore, someone is bearing that cost. As we speak today,

the difference is being carried on the books of the NNPC and I can confirm to you that the NNPC may no longer be in the position to carry that burden and because we can longer afford to carry it on our books,” he had said.

Meanwhile, the NNPC said yesterday that it remained committed to the promotion of a sustainable environment across its operations, stressing that its energy transition programme and support for carbon-neutral projects are proofs of that commitment.

Kyari stated this at an event organised by the Group Health, Safety, Environment Department to mark this year’s World Environment Day, according to a statement by the corporation’s spokesman, Dr. Kennie Obateru.

He said the oil and gas industry and particularly the NNPC were conscious of the impact of their operations on the environment, hence, have been at the forefront of efforts to preserve the environment wherever they operate.

Mallam Kyari said it was in keeping with the philosophy of environmental sustainability

that the oil and gas industry was leading a move towards energy transition and embracing carbon-neutral activities.

NEITI, NNPC, DPR to Develop Framework on Contracts' Transparency The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) are set to sign an agreement on a framework to ensure greater transparency in the oil and gas industry.

Responding to questions on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of a NEITI staff retreat and knowledgesharing session in Abuja at the weekend, Executive Secretary of the organisation, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, said he had already met with the major players, who had agreed on the need to build greater trust in the extractive sector.

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

11

12

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

13

14

T H I S D AY • MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

COMMENT

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

BUHARI SHOULD WORRY MORE ABOUT WHAT IS TRUE Ushakuma Anenga urges the President to worry more about the growing insecurity in the country

I

’m told that staff of banks vested with the responsibility of picking out fake currency are trained to recognise original notes only. There are a thousand types of fake notes, but there’s only one original. The banks won’t waste their time and energy training staff on fake notes, there would be no end to such. The training is focused on the original, the true one; because with this, false notes have no chance.

Nigeria’s President, Muhammad Buhari declared a ban on micro-blogging applications, Twitter because one of his tweets which went against the community rules of the app was deleted. The President, as an afterthought, also alleged that the social media app was banned over concerns of “misinformation and fake news spread through it”.

In all fairness to President Buhari, there has been a lot of falsehood on social media; however there has also been a lot of truth. For the common Nigerian, with memories and scars of shortchanging by successive governments, social media presents an outlet for them to vent their frustration and also make some humour of their suffering. Social media is also a forum where people ask questions of leaders, offer solutions and contribute to the general opinion pool.

It’s however unfortunate that the federal government, amidst an abundance of truth, has chosen to be more concerned about the falsehood on social media. They often neglect the genuine concerns of a vast majority of the social media community and instead spend time, energy, and resources aimed at curtailing falsehood generated and propagated by a few. They focus and waste energy on fake currency notes rather than recognizing and working with that which is genuine and true.

It will be important to remind President Buhari to be more worried about what is true on social media, than the falsehood that flies around. Rather than worry about the misinformation on social media, President Buhari should worry about growing insecurity in the country. It’s not a falsehood that over 200 people have been killed in the last

RATHER THAN BICKER OVER FALSE INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, PRESIDENT BUHARI SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT THE TRUTH THAT THE ECONOMY OF THIS COUNTRY IS IN A SHAMBLES. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO NIGERIA’S ECONOMY TODAY IS AS GRIEVOUS AS DEDUCTING 50% OR MORE FROM EVERYONE’S EARNINGS, BOTH IN THE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE SECTORS

month in Benue State by herdsmen militia with thousands rendered homeless. This is in addition to the carnage in the North East and North West and indeed, all over the country by known and unknown gunmen.

The President should be worried about the fact that Nigeria’s jobless rate has more than quadrupled over the last five years under his leadership. Nigeria’s unemployment indices are now the second-highest on a global list of countries, with over a quarter of the educated population roaming the streets without gainful employment.

Rather than bicker over false information on social media, President Buhari should be worried about the truth that the economy of this country is in a shambles. What has happened to Nigeria’s economy today is as grievous as deducting 50% or more from everyone’s earnings, both in the public or private sectors. Prices of goods and services have doubled and some even tripled. This means one’s salary today cannot do half of what one could accomplish six years ago.

These are to mention but a few facts that are daunting enough to have occupied the minds of our leader, to find solutions to them, to better the lot of its citizenry, rather a lot of time and energy is being expended on curbing falsehood. What happens to what is true?

The popularity and goodwill that heralded this administration has melted freely under the heat test of time. It is almost a waste of time and space, attempting to counsel this regime that has shown repeatedly that it is opaque to dissenting thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

However, it is also common sense that “A man whose house is on fire does not go hunting for a rat.” Rather than waste time and energy chasing the shadows of falsehood and misinformation, President Buhari should worry more about what is true.

Anenga, a medical doctor, wrote from Makurdi, Benue State

SOCIAL CLASS IN NIGERIA: BEING POSITIVE ABOUT NEGATIVES Hard work is key to upward social mobility, writes Timi Olubiyi

L

ife is transient. My father, Chief Sehindemi Hezekiah Awe Olubiyi, JP left this world in the year 2020 and it feels just like yesterday. So with a keen desire, I write to reflect on social class, particularly social mobility which is a concept I benefited and learnt from him during his lifetime.

Social mobility, in my opinion, can be regarded as the movement of individuals, families, or groups through a system of social hierarchy. This means, when people improve or diminish their economic status in a way that affects social class, they experience social mobility. However, it makes a lot of sense to strive to improve it which is usually referred to as upward social mobility in that context. This upward mobility happens when a person moves from a lower position in society to a higher one. Most noticeably are the notable families and businesses in Lagos State, the adjudged economic capital of the country. Arguably movement to Lagos State from huts, villages or towns around the country for greener pasture is due to this particular subject matter - social mobility. From observation, social mobility can either be an upward or downward change in position within the social class, occupation, and lifestyle. However, most people strive for upward social mobility because this improves social class and livelihood.

It is important to note that upward social mobility is not only about becoming richer, having loads of cash and/or being famous. It can involve people earning high qualifications and university degrees, getting a significant career boost, doing well and raising the family wealth or even getting married to someone with a good status which can guarantee moving up

socially and much more. Largely, upward social mobility is more common where children or grandchildren are in economic circumstances, better than those of their parents or grandparents. Another example is a child of a village farmer who becomes a professor, definitely, upward social mobility has been achieved.

In contrast, downward mobility indicates a lowering of one’s social class and if you look around it’s more prevalent and troubling within our environment due to unemployment, a high number of out of school populace, business setbacks, pandemic, job losses, growing inequality, reduced economic opportunities and/ or even illness. Just like we have seen poverty level on the rise the downward mobility of many of the populace has also been on the increase consistently.

Many people have experienced economic setbacks, creating a wave of downward mobility in the country. This has continued to escalate the level of inequality and the growing gap between the haves and have nots in the country.

It is important to mention that the level of social mobility in a society or country could be an indicator of the fairness of that society or country. A society with a high level of upward social mobility will provide equal opportunities for people to be rewarded for their efforts and talents, regardless of their background. In a society with a low level of social mobility, the social background will either be a barrier and inequality is rather prevalent. I leave you to determine what we currently have in the country based on this narrative.

From lessons learnt from my late father the revered entrepreneur, I can present the salient factors that promote upward social mobility. Firstly, the decision and conviction to take calculative risk is key and

should be apparent. To arrive at huge success and upward social mobility there is a need for proactiveness and opportunity seeking. Do not get too comfortable with your current status, strive for improvement always, though, let simplicity be a way of life. Therefore, it might be right to continue to aspire for greater heights and have dreams, vision and stay committed to them. It is also essential to get knowledge continually, which is upskilling, even when it does not seem like you need it. It is crucial to imbibe the culture of seeking sound and good education and be interested in other people’s success stories because it inspires. Furthermore, hard work is key and necessary; we plant, we water and only God can give the increase, so learn to support hard work with prayer. With that, I remember the law of gradual growth I learnt from him and the importance of giving thanks to God for every progress, in fact, celebrate it if you can. It further motivates. Regardless of any challenges ensure you do not give up, persist and understand that you must put in the efforts before you see the results.

For professionals and individuals, this is the time to consider less of “packaging”, which is actually putting up appearances, actions and behaviours in a certain way to boost a perceived social class or status. Instead explore social mobility with qualifications that are recognized across the world; this could be a winning strategy to stem the tide of any economic woes and ensure a quality livelihood beyond the shore of this country. A world-recognized qualification can offer opportunities regardless of your background, gender, race or religion and can just provide the upward social mobility needed without

a logjam. That said, remember the chief maker of upward social mobility is either education or knowledge, but most times the combination of the two coupled with valuable information helps a great deal.

In conclusion, just like social mobility in individuals and families, it also happens in businesses, be it micro, small or medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

The lack of social mobility is not only a family issue but also a business issue in the country. Records have shown that businesses are only as good as their employees. For instance, an individual born into a family on a low income is less likely to have the same opportunities as someone from a more privileged and well to do background despite talent and determination. Consequently, businesses have a key role to play in helping to create social mobility in the workplace.

When businesses identify and recruit the best individuals regardless of gender, race or background, social mobility is improved and this, in turn, is vital for businesses to move from success to improved success. Therefore, employers and businesses should strive to recruit employees with talents irrespective of their backgrounds, who have different experiences, knowledge and who can tackle challenges in different ways.

Businesses can benefit from this and have better decisions, improved performance, and better solutions. Responsible businesses, therefore, can explore workplace social mobility to maximize profitability, market share, sales and business growth.

However, having a highly skilled, diverse workforce and equality in your business is key to these mentioned performance indicators.

Dr. Olubiyi is an Entrepreneurship & Business Management expert

15

T H I S D AY • MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021

EDITORIAL ON NDLEA RENEWED OFFENSIVE There is need for the NDLEA to collaborate with other security agencies to tackle the drug menace

T

rafficking in drugs, particularly through our airports, is a risky venture. There is every possibility that any drug courier going through any of the airports - local or international - would be caught. This is made possible particularly with the installation of powerful and sensitive scanning machines in and around the airports. Yet evidence abounds that many desperate Nigerians are still sucked into the crime of dealing and trafficking in drugs. In the past few months many Nigerians, young and old, men and women, had been arrested trying to smuggle out narcotics or bring them in, a trend that is keeping many increasingly worried.

For some quick cash for the downtrodden to billions of dollars to some powerful men and women in society, many drug couriers devise new strategies to conceal these substances to outwit narcotic agents. But the appointment of Buba Marwa as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seen to the WITH HIS HANDS-ON arrest of more than APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP, two thousand drug MARWA HAS NO DOUBT traffickers and some MADE A DIFFERENCE AT major drug barons who control different THE AGENCY. BUT THE cartels across the BATTLE AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING WILL REQUIRE country as well as the seizure of huge MORE THAN THE EFFORTS numbers of these OF ONE MAN illicit substances valued at billions of naira. The NDLEA has also now been primed for diligent prosecution of cases. With his hands-on approach to leadership, Marwa has no doubt made a difference at the agency. But the battle against drug trafficking will require more than the efforts of one man.

Those who manage to slip through the borders in Nigeria may not be lucky abroad because of the world-wide crusade against the use of narcotics.

They remain a major source of embarrassment to the

Letters to the Editor

country. Recently, four Nigerians were executed by the Indonesian authorities over drug-related offences.

Some seven others are also on the death sentence in the same country. Some other 132 Nigerians are reportedly also on the death row in various prisons across China, Malaysia, and Singapore while others are serving prison terms in Europe, United States, or some African countries.

T T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS BOLAJI ADEBIYI, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGEDENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com

hat many people are still plying the drug trade is indicative of a war that is compromised on many fronts. Nigeria’s extensive land, sea and air borders are ill-policed. Even though NDLEA is getting more focused, it is still handicapped by dearth of funds and inadequate logistics to fight a well-organised and resourceful gang of criminals.

There is need for the NDLEA to collaborate more with other security agencies. But more important, the growing poverty in the society and lack of employment opportunities for the youths must be addressed. From concealing illicit drugs in their luggage to ingesting these substances, there is a spike in the number of people taking to the business of illicit drugs.

It is not enough for the NDLEA to make episodic arrests. The agency should also investigate syndicate that aids the traffickers, including those that specialise in planting drugs in passengers’ luggage at the airport.

In May 2017, according to the NDLEA, some officials of an airline handling company colluded with a passenger to ferry ephedrine and used their official pass to take the drug to the tarmac where it was loaded to the airplane. Following a tip off, NDLEA officials seized the drug and arrested the passenger, and two officials of airline handing company. Two clearing agents were later charged to court and were convicted. But after discovering the nefarious activities of the syndicate in May 2017, arrested some members of the illicit body and sent them to jail, NDLEA ought to have carried out a thorough investigation to expose their network, possible reach and methods of operation.

That is one challenge before Marwa as he continues his offensive against drug trafficking in our country.

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

TWITTER AND NIGERIA: LET NIGERIANS THINK

I

could not resist the urge to rush to a virgin page on my laptop after reading online newspaper accounts that Twitter had deleted IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s latest tweet which threatened that any Nigerian army sent to Eastern Nigeria (Biafraland, in Kanu’s dictionary) would not return alive, even if, in the IPOB chieftain’s words ‘it means sacrificing my people.’ Twitter said the tweet violated their standards of social engagement.

First, I say thank you to Twitter for deleting that tweet. At this tense time in Nigeria it puts at grave risk security agents who may be sent to the East; also, Easterners themselves are at risk. Are Igbo, indeed, Eastern lives, worth sacrificing? For what, if I may ask? Does the average Igbo person anywhere want to die for Biafra as defined by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu? Nigeria’s security forces, if truth must be told, are not the most professional in their conduct.

Already, heart-breaking reports of abominations being committed in the East by them in their bid to end the violence there are exacerbating tensions.

What will Kanu’s tweet do to their psyche and disposition towards harmless Easterners in the theatre of internal security operations? Or has an undeclared war commenced in the East?

It is tempting to assume that Twitter is trying to placate the Buhari government for deleting the president’s ‘civil war, language they understand’ tweet.

Although the Buhari government did not give that action as reason for its hard-hitting suspension of Twitter from the Nigerian cyberspace, it is believed that the deletion was the culmination of the government’s increasingly frosty relationship with Twitter since the EndSARS protests. Twitter’s locating its African headquarters in Ghana instead of Nigeria clearly did not go down well with the Buhari government, though the officials put a brave face on it, and as usual, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, blamed the citizens’ disposition and badmouthing Nigeria for Twitter’s decision.

Maybe Nigerians forget that Twitter is a business, a very big player in this globalized, highly networked and hyper-super information world. Twitter has core values and there are things they look for to set up operations, which need not be physical. At the same time Nigeria has her national interests.

Agreed, Nigeria’s national interest of a corporate existence may not be for all the constituents that make up Nigeria because of the contradictions inherent in the mantra ‘united, one, non-negotiable Nigeria,’ but it is not Twitter’s business to shape the country’s interests. However, globalization means that both state and non-state actors must interface, and interests may collide. According to Statista, Nigeria has an active social media user population of 33 million, and 61.4 percent of them use Twitter. The implications of losing that matters to Twitter, especially when it is remembered that alternatives exist in this techno-savvy world, and there are what I call extended users whose markets and other economic activities depend on this 61.4 percent. Could Twitter be diplomatically wooing back Buhari and his administration?

Be that as it may, Nigerians must take a stand on the conflicts rocking Nigeria. This unity we have is the unity of the grave. Every entity has its legitimate grievances. Sheer criminality has been baptized as agitation. Please, what nationalism is served by kidnapping children barely old enough to walk and twisting their poor parents for millions? What agitation is served by slaughtering policemen and soldiers? What nationalism justifies sending cattle across people’s farms to destroy their crops? The responses of Buhari and his men to the criminality so far only compel most people to doubt if Nigeria is for them.

I see no hope in the on-going constitutional review. Secession is too risky in this charged environment; it cannot be peaceful like the Czechoslovakia’s break-up in 1992.

Henry Chukwuemeka Onyema, henrykd2009@yahoo.com

A PLAYFUL HOPE

T

here are many rules and actions to be followed when there are COVID breakouts but the South Australian chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, has made an odd statement that if you go to the football match you must “duck and do not touch that ball”.

This odd proclamation actually offers me a great hope of starting a career in football since when I did play as a youth my main skill was not touching the ball as I was slow and lacked any skills. As many of the venues don’t allow crowds at the moment there will no longer be anybody criticising my skills and telling me to give up.

The reality is a little different as there are about 40 players and 10 officials on the ground at any time playing a contact sport where the players cannot socially distance or wear a mask so it is more likely any COVID spreading will occur amongst the players rather than in the sparse, socially distant crowd.

Although sports are important for many people’s enjoyment and mental health there seems to an almost desperate effort to keep the matches going, possibly because of the money involved in TV coverage.

It’s time to be realistic, cancel the sports playing rather than just the crowd watching, wear a mask, get vaccinated and maybe trust the scientists working on cures.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

16

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

17

18

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

19

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021

Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG

POLITICS

Email: nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com 08114495324 SMS ONLY

M O N D AY D I S C O U R S E

Can the 9th Assembly Make a Difference With Constitution Review?

Adedayo Akinwale writes that the efforts by the National Assembly to review the 1999 constitution is gathering momentum but with less enthusiasm

Buhari

Lawan

A

power to “check and balance” the lawmakers.

fter initial foot-dragging, the process of reviewing the 1999 Constitution as amended has finally commenced. The much awaited constitution review is coming two years into the lifespan of the Ninth Assembly.

While the review of the 1999 constitution is already gathering momentum, Nigerians are less enthusiastic about the exercise which has turned into money spinning ventures from the 5th Assembly till date. Huge sums have been voted for the same exercise with little success to show for it.

The perennial exercise by the legislative arm is characterised by proposals that keep resurfacing despite costing the nation billions of naira. Yet, several attempts were made by the parliament to amend some provisions of the 1999 Constitution, all to no avail.

While some amendments made by the National Assembly were successful, several others suffered serial failures but kept appearing in new proposals. In all, it hasn’t been largely successful.

First Attempt at Reviewing the Constitution The first attempt at reviewing the 1999 Constitution was a total failure in the 5th National Assembly under the chairmanship of former Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu and Deputy Speaker Austin Okpara.

The failure of the exercise occurred during the alleged third term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The exercise ran into muddy waters when the lawmakers discovered that a clause to elongate the tenure of the then President to that effect was allegedly inserted into the document, the bill was rejected.

The Second Attempt to Review the Constitution The second attempt to review the constitution in the 6th Assembly under the chairmanship of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Hon. Usman Nafada was partially successful as some sections were amended.

The sections included the financial autonomy of the National Assembly, which gave it the power to draw its funds directly from the federation account, otherwise known as the first-line charge.

The Third Attempt The constitutional review exercise in the 7th Assembly was not a total failure and neither an absolute success.

The National Assembly attempted to strip the President of the power to sign the constitution amendments, which is required for them to become law. It was however a failed attempt.

The then President Goodluck Jonathan argued that the legislature overreached itself in seeking to abridge presidential power, especially the

The Fourth Attempt Available records show that about 33 bills for constitutional review were available for review by the 8th Assembly, with 28 of them passed by the House. Out of this number, 17 got concurrence from the Senate, while four were passed with differences.

Nevertheless, 17 bills were sent to the State Houses of Assembly for concurrence, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

But 12 of these came back to the House ratified, while five, including the bill on local government autonomy, were rejected by the State Houses of Assembly, having failed to receive the approval of two-thirds of the state assemblies. Unfortunately, only five of these bills were signed as part of the constitutional amendment by the president.

Some of the bills that were inherited from the last Assembly that may attract serious debate during the current exercise include the issue of local government reform, as well as the establishment of a state and local government joint account.

While many believe that the joint account has been used by state governors to mismanage local government funds, some governors and others opposed to local government autonomy have often shifted the burden to the National Assembly to amend the constitution to delete the provision from the constitution.

It was against this background that the last Assembly took up the challenge and passed the law abrogating the joint account, but the State Houses of Assembly failed to ratify it.

Not only that, they also failed to ratify the alteration granting autonomy to local governments.Another provision that may be contentious during the ongoing process is the independent candidacy.

Gbajabiamila

Fresh Move by the 9th Assembly to Review the Constitution However, one of the legislative agenda of the 9th Assembly is to give Nigerians what it described as the people’s constitution.

Despite the daunting task, the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, was of the opinion that the 1999 Constitution failed to address some critical national questions confronting the country, hence the resolve by the legislature to amend it.

According to him, The 1999 Constitution is the product of a hurried national compromise that we entered into two decades ago in order to ensure that the military returned to the barracks and that we returned to democratic government.

Gbajabiamila, who spoke in Lagos while declaring open the public hearing on the review of the Nigerian Constitution, said the National Assembly could only achieve the task after getting the inputs and support of the citizens.

The Speaker said though the current exercise is not the first of its kind, it might be the most important one in the nation’s recent history as the decisions to be made would have far-reaching consequences for the future of Nigeria.

In response to the doubts expressed in some quarters about the exercise, the Speaker noted that there was no perfect constitution anywhere in the world, but that it was imperative for Nigeria to have a near-perfect constitution to enable the country to confront and resolve many of its political, economic and socio-cultural challenges.

He added, “No nation in the world has a perfect constitution, but we need a near-perfect constitution in Nigeria and we can achieve that through substantive amendments that significantly alter the character of our nation.

“Therefore, the task before us now is to use this process of review and amendment to devise for

Available records show that about 33 bills for constitutional review were available for review by the 8th Assembly, with 28 of them passed by the House. Out of this number, 17 got concurrence from the Senate, while four were passed with differences. Nevertheless, 17 bills were sent to the State Houses of Assembly for concurrence, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. But 12 of these came back to the House ratified, while five, including the bill on local government autonomy, were rejected by the State Houses of Assembly, having failed to receive the approval of two-thirds of the state assemblies. Unfortunately, only five of these bills were signed as part of the constitutional amendment by the president

Ekeremadu

ourselves a constitution that resolves the issues of identity and political structure, of human rights and the administration of government, resource control, national security and so much else, that have fractured our nation and hindered our progress and prosperity.

“Our job is to produce a constitution that turns the page on our past, yet heeds its many painful lessons. It is not an easy task, but it is a necessary and urgent one.”

The Chairman of the House Special Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the Constitution and Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Ahmed Wase was of the view that local government reform needs special attention. He said the country was passing through serious challenges as a result of the non-performance of the local government system.

Wase noted that attention should be paid to state creation, as well as other agitations by various groups in the country. He said that lawmakers of the 9th Assembly would be writing their names in gold by ensuring that they do everything possible to give Nigerians a people-oriented constitution.

He said the electoral review was particularly important to give Nigerians a direction in their democratic growth. Wase said the issue of state creation, as well as women participation, will also be given special attention by the House Committee.

Wase said: “This is about nation-building.

We have the opportunity to write our names in gold. Whatever we are going to do here, we should be guided by the fact that Nigeria needs very critical reforms at this particular moment and time. By our own design, we thought we should segment the issues in the country so that we will have them in batches.

“We are not going to have one batch constitutional review like it is done in the past. As the issues come, we shall be treating them and we have classified the issues. As of today, we require electoral reforms. That should be done and this is the right moment to have this one done. Anything short of this, many misgivings will come in. So, I expect us to spend our time so that we give in our best and be able to send out the best of what Nigeria will require to improve our electoral system and participation.

“We also have the issue of judicial reform, which is very key. We are all aware of the various shortcomings and shortfalls within that sector. Local government reform is another very thorny and burning issue and we need to put our heads together to ensure we liberate that particular system for the benefit of Nigerians and I believe it is important. If that tier of government is working very fine, a lot of things happening today, be it insecurity, social infrastructure will be addressed. “ Senate zonal public hearing Expectedly, when the Senate commenced the

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021

20

MONDAY DISCOURSE

Sanwo-Olu

Akeredolu

el-Rufai

Uzodinma

zonal public hearings in 12 venues nationwide last week, clamours for creation of state police, devolution of powers to the states, creation of more states, restructuring and fiscal federalism featuring prominently in presentations made by stakeholders.

Under the exercise, each of the six geopolitical zones was assigned two venues each to enable groups and individuals to present their demands.

The venues are Enugu and Owerri for the South-east; Lagos and Akure for South-west, Kaduna and Sokoto for North-west, Bauchi and Gombe for North-east, Port Harcourt and Asaba for South-south, and Jos and Minna for the North-central.

Various groups from the four North-west states of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Jigawa attended the public hearing at the Hassan Katsina House, Kawo in Kaduna.

South Africa and Ghana and other countries. Is that what we want to bequeath to our younger generation if, in hastily contrived indignation, we abandon our heritage in Nigeria?

“So my dearest brothers and sisters, we need Nigeria just as Nigeria needs us. Whatever be our grievances against the system, we have a golden opportunity to seek redress under the upcoming constitutional review. What we seek is justice and equity for our people to thrive.

And for that, we owe nobody any apology. But we cannot achieve it through violence or threat of secession. It is through an avenue like this that we put forward our request and follow it through.”

In a memorandum, he submitted for Abia State, the Chief of Staff to Abia State Governor, Mr. ACB. Agbazuari said state police would strengthen the peaceful coexistence in the Southeast and check security challenges.

formula proposals directly before the lawmakers.

Bayelsa State also called for the devolution of power, state police and “true federalism with 100 per cent resource control.”

the country as the most devastated by insurgency and educationally disadvantaged was shortchanged in the constitution, hence the need for the review.

We are not opposed to restructuringNiger Governor Declaring the event open in Minna, the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, said the North-central zone was not opposed to the restructuring of the country as being demanded by the South.

“We don’t have problem with restructuring.

At the end of the constitution review exercise, justice should be done to all segments of the country. Nigeria is better and stronger as one country.”

Constitution Review Will Strengthen Democracy - Tambuwal The Governor of Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, said citizens’ participation in the ongoing constitution review would strengthen democracy.

Tambuwal, at the Sokoto venue of the Northwest zonal hearing covering Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States, described the constitution as a reference point of democracy.

el-Rufai reiterates call for devolution of power The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, reiterated calls for devolution of powers, adding that the current structure overburdened the Federal Government with too many responsibilities, which it cannot efficiently handle. el-Rufai, who spoke in his personal capacity, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on true federalism which he headed, had identified legislative interventions that the National Assembly could more easily undertake to achieve a truly balanced, equitable and fair federal structure.

The governor proposed 10 items which should be shared responsibilities between the Federal Government and states.

He said: “The reality of our security situation today requires that Nigeria must strengthen its military and security agencies. This includes decentralising the police to enable the states to exercise effective control in securing their residents and communities.

“We need to have federal, state and community police, with each granted sufficient powers to make them effective in securing the areas assigned to them and cooperating closely with each other.’’

The governor dismissed the fear of abuse of state police by sub-national governments because a constitutional or statutory framework can be enacted to ensure federal intervention in cases of such abuses.

Southern Kaduna Demands Gurara State In its submission, Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), re-echoed its long agitation for the creation of Gurara State out of the present Kaduna State.

SOKAPU President, Mr. Jonathan Asake, demanded the amendment of section 8 of the constitution, which makes it almost an impossible task for the creation of a new state.

Amendment will Address South-east Agitation - Uzodinma In Owerri, where Imo and Abia states made their submissions, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, said the South-east’s popular agitations and Nigeria’s problems could be addressed by amending the constitution.

Uzodimma stated that the Igbos are better off being part of the larger Nigeria with vast opportunities opened to them than being confined in a separate space with limited opportunities.

He said: “In every part of Nigeria outside the South-east, we form the second largest population.

“As an itinerant group, we move around to expand our economic frontiers. As citizens of Nigeria, we are afforded that lease of life.

Our people are suffering from harassment in

Sanwo-Olu Demands State Police In Lagos, the participants called for restructuring of the federation to reflect true federalism, saying only such a move would engender unity, progress and the prosperity of the country.

The state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated the need for a special economic status for the state and the creation of state police.

He said, “For us in Lagos State, the issues of state police and fiscal federalism are at the top of the priority list for us in this ongoing review process. Equally fundamental, particularly for us in Lagos State, is the issue of a special economic status for Lagos, considering our place in the national economy and the special burdens we bear by virtue of our large population and limited landmass.

“I believe the need for this special status has been sufficiently articulated and justified. It suffices for me at this point to restate that this request is by no means a selfish one, but one that is actually in the interest of every Nigerian and of Nigeria as a nation.

Okowa Seeks New Constitution, Not Amendment The Governor of Delta State, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa who declared the public hearing open in Asaba stated that Nigeria needs a new constitution.

He said what Nigeria actually needed was a “new constitution” rather than a review.

The governor urged the National Assembly to look into power devolution to the states, review revenue allocation formula, oil derivation and demand for state police in the amendment to enable the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to lay revenue allocation

Akeredolu Seeks Return to 1963 Constitution On his part, Ondo State Governor, Rotimj Akeredolu called for the country to return to the 1963 Constitution, which gave powers to the regions to develop at their own pace.

The governor said the 1963 Constitution, which reflected the republican status of the country, remained the best document for a country as heterogeneous as Nigeria.

Akeredolu stated that the powers of the Federal Government at the present must be trimmed as it was the major source of friction in the country.

Akeredolu warned that the current attempt at the constitution amendment should be taken beyond the usual jamboree conceived and executed to arrive at a predetermined result.

“The current exercise, therefore, must not toe the path of the previous attempts at tokenism.

The basic law of any country must not be reduced to frivolities reflecting preferred whimsies,” he added.

Presenting the position of Ekiti State, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akeem Jamiu, like Akeredolu, said the new constitution should allow only five political parties, allow independent candidate e-voting and diaspora voting.

Bauchi Gov Identifies Inadequacies in 1999 Constitution At the North-east zonal hearing in Bauchi, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, identified inadequacies in the constitution to cover revenue allocation, security provision and inclusiveness in running the affairs of the country.

He expressed the hope that the move would provide the change needed for the betterment of the country.

According to him, the North-eastern part of

Declaring the event open in Minna, the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Bello, said the North-central zone was not opposed to the restructuring of the country as being demanded by the South. We don’t have problem with restructuring. At the end of the constitution review exercise, justice should be done to all segments of the country. Nigeria is better and stronger as one country. On his part, Ondo State Governor, Rotimj Akeredolu called for the country to return to the 1963 Constitution, which gave powers to the regions to develop at their own pace.

The governor said the 1963 Constitution, which reflected the republican status of the country, remained the best document for a country as heterogeneous as Nigeria

Constitution Review Will Help in Addressing Security Challenges - Lalong In Jos, the Plateau State Governor, Mr. Simon Lalong, expressed the hope that the constitution review would help in addressing the security challenges in the state and other parts of the country.

“Hopefully, this constitutional review should lead to better policing that is closer to the people to stop this kind of unacceptable murder,” he said.

Constitutional Review ‘a Waste of Time’ – Afe Babalola Veteran lawyer, Afe Babalola described the ongoing constitutional review as a waste of time and energy.

He said instead, the National Assembly should move for a national conference where issues bedeviling the nation could be identified, discussed and resolved through a roundtable talk.

Babalola said, “There is no way the National Assembly can amend the 1999 Constitution to cure the inherent defects, if the fraud in the system is not first got rid of.

“It is common knowledge that the 1999 Constitution was made by the military which in its wisdom claimed that it was made by the people. Secondly, it is impossible, by way of amendment, to take away the military system of government under the 1999 Constitution or the power and control of public funds by the President.”

“I, therefore, advise that the current National Assembly should call for a National Conference to discuss and make a new true federal constitution which will provide for a Parliamentary system of government.”

It’s an exercise in futility - Afenifere Also, the apex Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, has described the ongoing process of amending the 1999 Constitution as an exercise in futility.

Reacting to the decision of the group not to submit a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, the Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sola Ebiseni, said amending the constitution would not achieve any result.

He said: “Afenifere advocates fundamental restructuring of Nigeria for the reinvention of a federal constitution as the agreed principles of governing Nigeria and its diverse ethnic nationalities by our founding fathers, which will ultimately replace the imposed 1999 unitary constitution.

“Amending the constitution is an exercise in futility and a waste of time and public funds.

We cannot claim to be a federal republic and be governed by a unitary constitution. We cannot claim to be in a democracy and be governed by a constitution that does not emanate from the people.

“Amendment will not cure the anomalies. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.”

21

T H I S D AY ˾ MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021

POLITICS

In Edo, Obaseki and PDP Fight Over Party Membership Harmonisation Adibe Emenyonu writes on the quarrel between Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party over harmonisation of party positions in the state is threatening the peace

Obaseki

Dokpesi

Aziegbemi

Ikimi

A

but behold, the expected appointments was further shifted to the month of April.

Like hope that spring eternity in human breast, the people continued to wait till April to reap bountifully. However, that anticipation never materialized as the governor introduced another melody: “The harmonisation of positions in the party to properly integrate APC members who joined the him to decamp to the PDP before appointments can be made.

A harmonisation committee was set up made up of members of both divides who went to work believing in what they were told until the big shocker came which was an obvious reminder that they were merely used to advanced some persons political aspirations.

The bubble eventually burst when Governor Obaseki held a secret meeting with three chieftains of the party: Chief Tom Ikimi, former Foreign Affairs Minister; High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, owner of Darr Communications; and Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, former Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, with a resolve to dissolve party executives at all levels to accommodate those that came with the governor from the APC. Outcome of the meeting was reaffirmed in a statement made earlier on the dissolution of party executives by Chief Ikimi when he said: “The party structure should be dissolved and made open for reconstruction. “When that is done, the harmonisation of members of the two parties would then become a hitch-free, seamless process. Those who hold office now can still re-contest or be accommodated in other ways. This view I have freely expressed several times on different occasions, and I am convinced it is the best way forward.”

To buttress his argument, Chief Ikimi also

said, “At the national level today, the PDP has clearly stated that no matter when you join, you are given equal opportunity as any other member. When leaders join, they must be accorded respect commensurate with their status.”

The former Foreign Affairs Minister went further to say: “We cannot have in the party, for smooth running, any member recognised as former APC or former PDP existing at the different levels creating extreme division and confusion. Therefore, it makes good sense to execute the biometric registration of all members, both old and new so that everyone becomes an unadulterated PDP member.”

Similarly, Dr. Dokpesi in a statement, said he welcomed the call for biometric registration of all members of the PDP for reintegration and harmonisation of all members as well as immediate dissolution of all party structures to pave way for proper unity and progress in the state PDP adding, this is without prejudice to finding something beneficial for those who are displaced, but capable of bringing value to the well-being of our people.”

Angered by this latest show of ingratitude and betrayal, the PDP SWC wrote a strong worded letter to the party National Working Committee(NWC), led by Chief Uche Secondus, expressing its dismay of on the governor’s latest position in conjunction with the three national leaders of the party.

The letter which was signed by all executive members at the state, local government and wards executive levels, led by the party chairman, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi argued that it has consistently bent over backwards to a breaking point all in an efforts to integrate Obaseki’s former APC supporters. It said during the zonal

congress of the party held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, two positions zoned to Edo StateFinancial Secretary and Ex-officio members were conceded to the governor without any prompting by the party hierarchy. Besides, it pointed out that the National Ex-officio position was also conceded to the governor without any deliberation, and wondered how far the party have to go to show good faith.

The SWC reasoned that while Obaseki got the ticket to fly the PDP flag, he took along his deputy, Shaibu, who defected alongside with him, noting that as at the time of this defection, the party executives at all levels were barely few months in office and had to continue in that capacity to allow for harmony and collaboration to win the governorship which is the major goal.

According to the SWC, having won the election, against his major rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC, Obaseki who was sworn in November 12, 2020 with his deputy, reappointed Osarodion Ogie as SSG, without reference to the party that brought him back to power, pointing out that while the three are formally of the APC, there was nothing for those who provided the platform In the letter, the party executives also frowned over the delay in the appointment of Commissioners by the governor which they fear could also exclude members of the party from the scheme of things in the affairs of the state, regretting that they may have backed the wrong horse.

They vowed that if any harmonization must take place, it must start from the Governor’s office, where his Deputy Governor should resign and a deputy nominated from the old PDP and sworn in, or the SSG be removed to pave way for someone among them. “This can be a spring board for broad harmonization across the state party organs”, the PDP state organ pointed out, alleging that Governor Obaseki was being misled by three categories of people in the party which they identified as aspirants for 2023 and 2024 elections; members of the party who lost during the party’s congresses; and godfathers who came with the governor from the APC to the PDP, who have refused to register into the party in their wards.

Realizing the backlash created by his meeting with the three party warlords, Obaseki had to deploy a balancing act to maintain peace in the party and summoned a meeting with the SWC where he allayed their fears of undermining any of them having provided the needed ladder that made his second term ambition a reality.

He was said to have told them that contrary to insinuations, he is not taking them for granted and that he remained grateful to the PDP for giving him the platform for his re-election after fell out with his former party, the APC. In addition, Obaseki however, reportedly told the SWC members that he has been receiving calls from his colleague governors across the country and business associates who expressed concern that he was falling out with the party that brought him back to power so soon.

fter victory at the polls in the September 19 2020/governorship election in Edo State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had all the goodies going for it. However, the success is gradually diminishing as the party which prides itself, as “the golden fish”, having wrestled power from the All Progressives Congress (APC), is in collision cause with the governor, Mr. Governor Godwin Obaseki.

It started like a whisper. But today, what looked like a soft spoken word with little or no vibration of the vocal cords especially to avoid being overheard is now talk of the town.

The talk is nothing but the sudden crisis that has enveloped the ruling PDP in Edo State. The misunderstanding brewing among members of the party is nothing else than how to share the spoils of war.

Before the victory of Obaseki, the state PDP comprised of two blocs: the mainstream, who originally provided the platform; and others who joined the party along with the governor from APC. Having experienced opposition and all its disadvantages for 12 years, the party gleefully accepted to accommodate Obaseki, his deputy and other breakaway members of the APC into their fold just to ensure the party takesover government.

There is no blame on that move because every other party could have behaved in the same manner because of the kind of politics which thrives on winners lake all.

Doing so, the party either became blindfolded or was carried away by the euphoria of the moment and refused to negotiate with Obaseki and his gang from the APC fold.

What initially played out many reasoned was that the ticket was bought otherwise, the deputy governorshio should have been ceded to the mainstream PDP since it is they that provided the platform for equity and balance of power.

This, the leadership of the party both at the national and state levels did not take into consideration and now paying dearly for their costly misstep.

Shortly after Obaseki’s inauguration for second term, all indices showed that even if there was any agreement, it is not meant to be honoured as he quickly announced the reappointment of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, who came with him from the APC, leaving the geese that laid the golden egg in the lurch.

In order to gain the confidence of the state leadership of the party, Obaseki tactically announced that other appointments would be made in February this year.

Before then, there was wide assumption that that he will at least accommodate someone from the core PDP in his first appointment for equity and fair play and not somebody that decamped along with him from APC. The argument was that since Obaseki and his deputy, Philip Shaibu came from the factional APC, the SSG should have been someone from the main stream PDP. But like the patient dog, the people continue to wait for the proverbial February.

The month of February eventually came

Incidentally, Obaseki’s assurance to the SWC turned out like a pledge by a serial killer not to engage in further murder. While his words profess repentance, his actions and body language says otherwise; an indication the meeting between him and party SWC was mere fancy-free with no intention for concrete result because of the governor’s body language and non-denial of what he wants to do was already firmed up. On Thursday, June 2, 2021 he announced the appointment of Chief of Staff (CoS) in the name of Osaigbovo Iyoha, former member of the state assembly, and his immediate past Political Adviser (South Senatorial District), who is one of his acolytes from APC. Iyoha’s appointment came a day after Aziegbemi, the party state chairman’s suspension from office was announced by the Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare; with a replacement in the person of Harrison Omagbon in acting capacity

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

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2021

22

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 07010510430

Twitter Ban in Nigeria and Matters Arising The federal government recently suspended the operations of Twitter, a microblogging platform, after accusing it of undermining Nigeria's existence. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports that the avalanche of reactions, including that the diplomatic community, projected the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as intolerant of opposing views with sheer disregard for freedom of speech, a claim the presidency has refuted

T

hese are certainly not the best of times for Nigeria as the negatives have drowned out of the positives of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. From kidnapping for ransom to banditry, insurgency, piracy, destruction of public properties and even threats of secession, the nation has been embroiled in one challenge or the nation, with no region spared.

However, the recent imbroglio is over a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was deleted by Twitter, a microblogging social media platform.

This is not the first time Twitter would sanction a world leader for infractions against its policy but that of Nigeria led to ban of the platform.

'Offensive' Tweet The tweet that unleashed the tsunami that followed had emanated from President Muhammadu Buhari.

After his meeting with INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, last Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari had tweeted: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

To many Nigerians, the statement was as unpresidential as it gets and spelt doom for Nigerians, especially the Igbos, whose the president's subtle reminder of the civil war was a wound yet to heal.

Twitter Deletes Tweet Enraged youths had immediately started to report the tweet and given that its contents truly violated Twitter rules, the microblogging platform deleted the tweet.

Ironically, the ban of Twitter was announced by the federal government on Twitter. Also, several government aides also continued to tweet with their handles until the telecommunication companies yanked off connection.

Shortly after, Facebook joined Twitter in banning President Buhari' s civil war controversial message on its platform, saying that it violates its standards and was capable of inciting violence.

Ban Initially, the federal government had issued a press release condemning the deletion of the tweet. Not done, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on June 4 announced the ban on Twitter's operations in Nigeria.

The statement signed by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Adeyemi, claimed the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence was the reason for the suspension.

He also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

Implication The implication of the ban is far reaching as Twitter has truly become more than a social interaction site to many Nigerians. For many, it has become a source of livelihood to many Nigerians who promote their products and services, especially for Influencers.

Infact, Twitter has given voice to many, especially last year's #EndSARS protest. Also, Twitter has provided succor and solution for the abused and helped bring the perpetrators to justice. It has also helped Nigerians to hold government to their words.

Therefore, its ban goes beyond control of freedom of speech but it has also deprived many of their source of livelihood. Also since Twitter has become a source of crowdfunding, detaching for missing persons and emergency response initiatives, its ban has left a lacuna.

alternative and competitive applications to existing platforms in the world. Twitter’s suspension will undoubtedly serve as a positive trigger to unleash creative potentials of Nigerians in the global digital space. This is a challenge to our vibrant youths with such talents."

He said the APC had earlier released a statement, asking Twitter and other operators of social media pages to use their platforms to check divisive and inciting rhetorics, particularly in Nigeria, adding that "evidently, Twitter failed to do this and even allowed their platform to be used by arsonists, insurrectionists and separatists in the country. We are a democratic and independent nation. Citizens should defend our sovereignty by supporting the government’s Twitter suspension. It is in our national interest".

President Buhari VPN to the Rescue Many Nigerians had dismissed the ban as a joke until they woke up to being disconnected by telecommunication companies. But typical of Nigerians, they quickly adapted. In this case, it was the download of Virtual Private Network (VPN). With this, they continued tweeting like they never left.

With the ban, VPN encrypts the internet traffic and identity, making it difficult for one to be traced by third parties. This means that Twitter users can bypass the blockade and then use the app.

Plan to Prosecute Twitter Users While the polity was still tense, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, further polarised the situation with his order that Twitter users be prosecuted.

According to the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice), Dr. Umar Jibril Gwandu, the AGF directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) at his office "to swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government De-activation of operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

"The DPPF is to liaise with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, National Communication Communication (NCC) and other relevant government agencies to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay."

Twitter Reacts Reacting to the ban, Twitter described it as brazen affront on citizens fundamental human rights and advised its users and other social media platforms in the country to download virtual private networks (VPNs) to enable them continue to use the platforms for their economic survival and social and political engagements "while we push back on this draconian order by the Nigerian government".

In a statement, Twitter said: “Today, the 4th of June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria announced its suspension of Twitter operations, that the application can be used as a platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

“Many Nigerians read the announcement of the ban on Twitter as a reflection of the importance of the platform and other digital

(social media) platforms to Nigerians in accessing information and disseminating the same.

“The directive by the Nigerian government is at its core, an abuse of the rights of Nigerians not just to freedom of expression, but many other rights guaranteed in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This suspension, which is a reaction of the Nigerian government to the company’s enforcement of its platform rules, is aimed at insulating the government from criticism, especially by Nigeria’s youth who are over 70 per cent of the country’s population.

“It must be noted that Nigeria’s President has notably been insulated from every form of public accountability. He is perhaps the only president since the country’s return to democracy in 1999 who never grants live interviews or holds media chats. This move is therefore aimed at making him unaccountable to the people of Nigeria who constantly take to social media platforms to share their views on the actions and policies of the government.

“It is evident that shutting down Twitter is illegal and illegitimate policies such as this are unacceptable!

“A 2016 United Nations resolution affirms that the rights that citizens have offline must apply online. Coincidentally, this resolution was co-sponsored by Nigeria with others. We urge the Nigerian authorities to respect and enforce citizens’ fundamental rights as provided for by the Nigerian constitution and International human rights treaties that Nigeria is a party to.

“We will further contact the Ministry of Information to get exact details of this announcement, and the legal framework that supports such undemocratic pronouncement."

Ruling Party's Tacit Support In tacit support of the suspension, the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged talented Nigerians to develop alternative social media applications. The National Secretary APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), John Akpanudoedehe, said such applications should be able to rival existing social media platforms and meet the demands of Nigerians.

He said: “Russia has VKontakte (VK) China has Weibo, among several homegrown social media platforms. The APC believes that Nigeria has the potential and talents that can develop

Diplomatic Concerns Once the ban was announced, Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria registered their displeasure and concerns Condemning the move, British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Gill Atkinson, said the federal government must not suppress basic freedom as all Nigerians have the right to freedom of speech.

Tweeting from @GillAtkinson11, she said: "All Nigerians have the right to freedom of speech and the responsibility not to misuse that right.

Any action taken by government must be measured, proportionate and not suppress basic freedoms."

For the U.S. embassy, "Nigeria's constitution provides for freedom of expression. The Government's recent #Twitterban undermines Nigerians' ability to exercise this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses.

"Banning social media and curbing every citizen's ability to seek, receive, and impart information undermines fundamental freedoms.

As President Biden has stated, our need for individual expression, open public conversation, and accountability has never been greater. The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less communication, alongside concerted efforts toward unity, peace, and prosperity."

The Swedish government while noting that "safeguarding free, independent media and civic spaces for democratic voices is an important part of Sweden’s #DriveForDemocracy", described the move as unconstitutional as "Nigerians have a constitutional right to exercise their freedom of expression and a right to access of information. This must be respected".

Afterwards, the Diplomatic Missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America issued a joint statement.

Expressing disappointment over the suspension of Twitter and proposing registration requirements for other social media, they said: "we strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline.

"Banning systems of expression is not the answer. These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigeria's citizens in fulsome dialogue toward unity, peace and prosperity. As Nigeria's partners, we stand ready to assist in achieving these goals."

Also, MP James Duddridge, minister of Africa for the UK government said: "I am concerned that the Government of Nigeria has suspended Twitter. We hope that all Nigerians are able to enjoy their full rights to freedom of expression,

23

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2021

FEATURES and do so responsibly."

Nigerians React Atkinson was not the only high profile personality to condemn the unpopular move, as others like the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wrote, "Hopefully, this isn't my last tweet. #smile."

Also reacting, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki wrote, "No sir! This should not be the response from the president of a nation with a vibrant youthful population for whom #Twitter is part of their daily lives and a source of their income and livelihood. This must be reviewed."

Tagging the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, the "Federal Ministry of Emotional & Irrational Reactions", Socio-economic, political commentator and social media expert Japheth Omojuwa was one of those that flayed FG's decision.

He wrote, "With this Twitter suspension, does that mean government handles, at least FG ones, won’t be tweeting again until the suspension is lifted? Or will they do a soft delete of these accounts?"

The National Publicity Secretary, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, described the action as draconian and a slide towards a fascist regime.

The statement read this, “The party asserts that the suspension of twitter, is a vexatious, condemnable and barbaric move to muzzle Nigerians, particularly the youths, ostensibly to prevent them from holding the overtly corrupt, vindictive and divisive Buhari administration accountable for its atrocities, including human right violations, patronizing of terrorists and outright suppressive acts against innocent Nigerians.

"Our party is appalled that the federal government could exhibit such primitive intolerance and power intoxication because the social media giant demonstrated international best practices in not allowing the Buhari presidency to use Twitter as a platform to propagate and spread the Buhari administration’s hatred towards Nigerians.”

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State noted that "as leaders, we should go beyond emotional reactions to issues and think about how our actions will affect the people we lead and our international ratings socially and economically.

Twitter has become the platform for young people and indeed all Nigerians to exercise their fundamental right to express and publish an opinion. They use the platform to complain, argue and give feedback to government and its agencies who in turn, use these to improve policies. This is a fundamental point that should be kept in mind as we debate the necessity of this suspension.

"We should also remember that Twitter has gone beyond a source of communication for many of our hardworking youths in Nigeria.

It has become a source of livelihood for many, irrespective of their political affiliations or religious leanings. Nigerian youths and digital communications organisations earn a living from being able to use the platform to post communications on behalf of their clients.

"Others who may not have physical stores also rely on Twitter to give visibility to their products and services. Furthermore, I believe the federal government should be actively interested in how certain policies and action will affect investor confidence. I, therefore, use this medium to appeal to the federal government to reverse this suspension for the greater good of Nigerians."

Media Intervention As expected, the media waded into the matter. From the International Press Institute (IPI) to the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), they were unequivocal in their demand that the suspension be lifted.

Charging the government to backtrack, NPAN described their action as an overreaction, adding that "the action would not win us friends as closure of public space limits public discourse and democratic advancement. It is a futile exercise in any case, as other platforms are more likely to suspect Nigeria’s intentions towards democratic tenets and act adversarially towards Nigeria".

NPAN President, Yusuf Kabiru said Twitter as a business is not infallible and can be influenced through high level engagement, to be a more responsive, liberal platform of public good and not a cynical champion of suspicious causes.

Jack Dorsey "There should be a compromise: Nigeria needs friends and not enemies at this critical juncture of her existence. She should not play into the hands of the enemies who are relentless is seeking to destroy and ostracise her. Banning Twitter is regressive and should be rescinded in favour of dialogue," they added.

According to the NGE, the federal government should tread with caution and immediately reconsider the suspension of the operation of Twitter in Nigeria and seek other legitimate means of resolving its dispute with the company.

In a statement by Mustapha Isah (President) and Iyobosa Uwugiaren (General Secretary) respectively, the NGE said FG's action has the unintended consequences of hindering free speech and jeopardising the economic interests of many Nigerians who rely on the social media platform for vital information to make informed business decisions daily.

Advising the federal government to desist from any action that could project the Nigerian government as a dictatorship, the Nigerian editors said that the action is an infringement on Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and violates the right of Nigerians to interact freely on this platform.

In addition, they noted that it was a grave breach of Nigeria’s international obligations under article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Clarifying that the "federal government has the responsibility to safeguard the unity, peace and stability of Nigeria and any person or group that threatens this must draw its ire. In expressing its anger, government, however, ought to exercise restraints to avoid giving the impression that it is intolerant of opposing views and expression of opinions by individuals and corporate citizens’’, the guild advised social media businesses, which provide micro-messaging services, to also beam their searchlight on the activities of those who want to use their platforms to cause divisions and spread hatred in the country and the global community as well.

Also, the IPI, while expressing concern over the suspension, said it is detrimental to the free press in Nigeria which uses twitter as a major platform.

In a statement by IPI Chairman and Secretary, Kabiru Yusuf and Raheem Adedoyin, respectively, IPI noted the concern of the government on the use of twitter and other social media platforms to promote hate speech and disinformation, however, they urged twitter and other social media outfits to pay greater attention to the content they promote on their platforms which violate their own rules.

They also implored the government to reverse the suspension of twitter operations in Nigeria and engage in meaningful dialogue with the social media outfit on issues of concern to the government.

Legal Fight Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has vowed to sue

the federal government over the decision. While condemning the “illegal and unconstitutional suspension of Twitter’s Operations in Nigeria,” they called on the government to "immediately rescind the suspension within 48 hours or face legal action".

Deputy Director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare said: “The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is a blatant violation of Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

The suspension has the character of collective punishment and is contrary to Nigeria’s international obligations.

"President Buhari must immediately rescind this unconstitutional suspension. We will see in court if the suspension is not rescinded within 48 hours. Suspending Twitter in Nigeria would deny Nigerians’ access to information, and disrupt the free exchange of ideas and the ability of individuals to connect with one another and associate peacefully on matters of shared concern.

"It would also seriously undermine the ability of Nigerians to promote transparency and accountability in the country, and to participate in their own government. We call on the Nigerian authorities to guarantee the constitutionally and internationally recognised human rights of Nigerians including online.

Deletion of President Buhari’s tweets should never be used as a pretext to suppress the civic space and undermine Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”

Also, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said it will institute a lawsuit against the federal government following the decision to suspend Twitter’s operations in Nigeria.

Olumide Akpata, NBA president, in a statement made via the social media platform, said the federal government lacked constitutional authority to back its decision.

Akpata described the government’s action as a “disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space”, adding that the government has also “suspended the right of Nigerians to freely express their constitutionally guaranteed opinions”.

He said if the decision is not reversed, the NBA will sue the government to protect the country’s democracy, adding that "whether one likes it or not, we are operating a constitutional democracy, the primary consequence of which is that everything must be done according to law; government must be conducted within the framework of recognised rules and principles which restrict discretionary power.

“The NBA finds no constitutional or legal authority to support the peremptory action of the federal government to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria. Beyond the dent on our constitutional democracy, at a time when the Nigerian economy is unarguably struggling, the impact of arbitrary decisions such as this on investor confidence is better imagined."

Legislative Stance The House of Representative minority caucus has described the suspension as provocative, obnoxious, and unjustifiable. In a statement by the Minority Leader, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu,

they reiterated that the government’s action to suspend the app was a clear violation of freedom of speech and other democratic rights and tenets as provided by the 1999 constitution as amended.

The caucus said further that the government suspending Twitter shows smacks of intolerance, insensitivity, and aversion to the views, opinions and aspirations of Nigerian citizens, especially the youths, on matters of the state, thus "our caucus rejects this thoughtless decision of the federal government which amounts to a clampdown and a direct infringement on the rights of Nigerians to free speech as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“It further shows the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration as one that is unwilling to listen to Nigerians but ready to use any means to suppress and subjugate its citizens. Such response by the federal government has raised further concerns over the APC-led administration’s disturbing rating on issues of political intolerance, abuse of rights and violation of rules in our country. The minority caucus cautions that the development is capable of leading to further restiveness among Nigerians and worsen the situation in the country.”

Nigerian filmmaker turned politician, Desmond Elliot, representing Surulere at the Lagos State House of Assembly, also called on the federal government to reverse the suspension stating that the ban, "no matter the reasons proffered tramples upon our fundamental rights as people".

Reminding the government that Nigerian youths trade their wares and advertise their businesses and services via the micro-blogging site, he said, “In a democratic society like ours, we must weigh the economic and social impact of this ban on the populace — especially our teeming youths and entrepreneurs who depend solely on this platform to carry out their legitimate business".

Clarification by the Presidency Given the backlash their action generated, the presidency issued another statement to shed light on the ban, clarifying that it was a “temporary suspension”.

In a statement on Saturday, Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is not only because Buhari’s post was deleted but a "litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability".

The statement reads in part “nevertheless, the removal of President Buhari’s tweet was disappointing. The censoring seemed based on a misunderstanding of the challenges Nigeria faces today. Major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities. They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.

“President Buhari has therefore been warning against social media’s disruptive and divisive influences and the government’s action is not a knee-jerk reaction to Twitter’s preposterous deletion of his tweet which should have been read in full. The tweet was not a threat, but a statement of fact.

“A terrorist organisation (IPOB) poses a significant threat to the safety and security of Nigerian citizens. When the President said that they will be treated “in a language they understand,” he merely reiterated that their force shall be met with force. It is a basic principle of security services response world over.

"This is not promotion of hate, but a pledge to uphold citizens’ right to freedom from harm. The government cannot be expected to capitulate to terrorists. IPOB is proscribed under Nigerian law. Its members murder innocent Nigerians. They kill policemen and set government property on fire. Now, they have amassed a substantial stockpile of weapons and bombs across the country.

Twitter does not seem to appreciate the national trauma of our country’s civil war.

This government shall not allow a recurrence of that tragedy.”

Present Situation Despite the ban, Nigerians might have truly moved on as they have downloaded the VPN and continued their tweets but not without the voice of reason from some who are looking at life beyond the ban and what it portends for Nigeria as a nation.

24

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

25

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

Ͳ ˜ Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͯ MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

REPO 15.25 15

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

S & P INDEX ͯͲ˛ͳͮ 16 17

INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

S & P INDEX ͳͯͳ˛ͷͲϱ ͮ˛ͷͷϱ ͯ˛ͳͰϱ

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE ̋͵˛ʹ͵Ͳϱ ̋ Ͱͱ˛ͮͱϱ

Ͳͯͮ˛͵ͳ˹ͯ ̩ ̩

Quick Takes Fintech Competition for Innovators Launched

STAKEHOLDERS’ENGAGEMENT

L-R:Headofdelegation,SeniorExecutiveCourse43,2021oftheNationalInstituteofPolicyandStrategicStudies(NIPSS),Dr.EmmanuelSamboMamman;President,LagosChamberof CommerceandIndustry(LCCI), Mrs.TokiMabogunje; Member,NIPSSCourse43,RearAdmiralAdesolaAdesope; DeputyPresident,LCCI,Dr.MichaelOlawale-Cole;and DirectorGeneral, DrMudaYusuf,attheLCCIInteractivesessionwithmembersofSeniorExecutiveCourse43,2021ofNIPSS, heldinLagos...recently ETOPUKUTT

NAICOM Unveils Three-year Strategic Reforms for Insurance Sector James Emejo and Ebere Nwoji The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said it has rolled out three-year strategic reforms (2021-2023) that will see the transformation of the insurance sector.

The commission said the starting point of the reform was to return operating firms to liquidity status by ensuring that they restructure their balance sheets so that those that currently rely on assets that they can hardly turn to cash would effect a major turnaround in their operations and run their business based on cash flow instead of fixed assets.

The commission, said it has already started this through expertise advice on owners of various insurance firms who have in the past exceeded the maximum level of investment in real estate and are now facing cash crunch and could not easily turn their assets to cash to keep afloat in business.

It further said it is strictly

INSURANCE guiding operators to ensure that going forward none exceeds the 25 per cent maximum investment in real estate sector.

NAICOM Director of Supervision, Mr. Thompson Barineka, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Sunday Thompson, at a media retreat organised by the regulator in Lagos at the weekend, revealed these.

He observed that most of the firms currently regarded as weak are not actually weak in the real sense of it considering the value of assets they have mainly in the real estate sector.

He said their actual problem is their inability to quickly turn those assets into cash and continue to discharge their responsibilities to the public.

Thomas said this being the case, the commission, having accomplished the five-year strategic plans it had set for itself, is now embarking on a

three-year reforms aimed at positioning the commission as global competitive regulator whose functions are compliant with global best practices and whose supervisory roles enthrone the regime of strong, viable and virile insurance institutions strong enough to carry the risks of other economy operators and meet the prevailing needs of the insuring public.

The reforms according to Thomas rests on five strong pillars namely: entrenching effective and efficient service delivery; ensuring safe, sound and stable insurance sector; adequately protecting policyholders and public interest; improving trust and confidence in the insurance sector; encouraging innovation, and promotion of insurance market development.

According to him, the reform also gears towards ensuring absolute trust on the commission through its promotion of insurance market development tailored towards improving the scope of internal rule-base to new risk-based supervision approach

using its new integrated governance management system.

Thomas, who was appointed as commissioner for insurance one year ago, noted that he initiated the reforms considering the fact that since the development of the last strategic plan which lasted between 2016 – 2020, there have been various events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the #EndSARS protests, and the rise in kidnappings, armed banditry, communal tensions and conflicts, which have impacted on the activities and initiatives of the commission.

According to him, these events have ushered in the new normal hence shaping how the industry conducts its business going forward and the corresponding regulatory response.

He said this has also created the need to prepare the workforce for the new work order, protection of policyholders, improving human capital, leveraging on technology and creating alternative channels of insurance distribution to Continued on page 26

Standards Harmonisation Will Boost Intra-Regional Trade, Says FG James Emejo in Abuja The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Mariam Katagum, has emphasised the need for the harmonisation of standards among member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

This, she said would help strengthen industrialisation process and enhance quality culture as well as improve intra-regional competitiveness in trade.

Katagum, while declaring open the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade

ECONOMY and Industry meeting, which was held virtually in Abuja, said in order to ensure that opportunities from both regional and continental free trade initiatives are realised, necessary structures and instruments are particularly crucial to promoting trade and industry.

The minister, who represented the Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry as the Chairperson of the occasion, said ECOWAS continues to be a key pillar of

the African Union and an example of a well-functioning regional economic community.

The minister noted that ECOWAS had over the years made considerable achievements towards the establishment of a common market, especially in the areas of free movement of persons and goods as well as harmonisation of policies.

She said: “Since our last ministerial meeting in October 2020, our countries have been working individually and collectively to protect lives by combating the spread of the COVID-19 whilst

seeking to promote livelihoods by stimulating economic recovery.

“In December 2020, the 13th Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union took the historic decision to start trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on goods with agreed rules origin.”

In a statement by the Assistant Director of Information in the ministry, Mrs. Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa, Katagum acknowledged and commended

DLM Capital Group, through its digital banking subsidiary “SOFRI” has announced the inaugural edition of its Fintech pitch competition, called the Pegasus Fintech Challenge.

The competition will be executed in partnership with top tech accelerator, African Fintech Foundry, as part of DLM’s commitment to accelerate seed funding and investments in Nigeria’s Fintech space.

According to the organisers, “The Pegasus Fintech Challenge is open to all Fintechs operating in Nigeria. Interested participants are invited to submit applications by sending details of their product as well as a demo to https://mypitch.dlm.group/ before June 18, 2021.”

Selected nominations will participate in a pitch event where top three challengers will be selected and awarded.”

The Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at DLM Capital Group, Chinwendu Ohakpougwu, said the challenge would be an opportunity for the Group to showcase its readiness to support the expansion of Nigeria’s Fintech ecosystem. “As Nigeria’s Fintech ecosystem rapidly expands and transforms, DLM Capital Group and Sofri are well positioned tomakeimpactfulfootprintsintheindustry.WeencourageNigerianfintech start-ups to apply to the Pegasus Fintech Challenge”, Ohakpougwu said.

VCandIncubationHeadatAfricaFintechFoundry,OluwaseyiBalogunwhile commenting on the partnership, said: “Africa FinTech Foundry entrenches its lead in the FinTech ecosystem as it partners with DLM Capital Group on its fintech challenge to serve as a silver lining for start-up funding amidst local fundraising setback prevalent in the start-up ecosystem.”

Shareholders Approve Linkage’s Dividend

Shareholders of Linkage Assurance Plc, have commended the board and management for the company’s performance in 2020 despite challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic.

The shareholders, who were excited during the company’s 27th Annual GeneralMeetingheldinLagos,applaudedthecompany’sdividendpay-out as well as the bonus it offered in a difficult year.

ShareholderssuchasNationalLeaderEmeritus,IndependentShareholders AssociationofNigeria,SunnyNwosu;Chairman,ProgressiveShareholders Association of Nigeria, Boniface Okezie, Nona Awoh, and President, Noble Shareholders Association, Mathew Akindele, were among others at the meeting.They also noted that this was despite the fact that the industry was going through a recapitalisation exercise, and requires more money to meet the regulatory requirement.

Themeetingwhichwashybrid,incompliancewiththeCovid-19restrictions, gave approval to capitalisation of N2 billion retained earnings for bonus issue of two shares for five shares held by members of the company; as well as dividend payout of N500 million, translating to 5kobo per share.

Chairman of the Board, Chief Joshua Fumudoh, while responding to the shareholders’ questions on recapitalisation plans of the company, said LinkageAssurancehasputinplacestrategiestorecapitaliseitsoperations.

According to him, “given the performance in 2020, and the capitalisation of N2 billion at the Annual General Meeting, we are sure we will deliver the company when the recapitalisation exercise is called up again.”

India Cautions Twitter

India has told Twitter Inc. that it has one last chance to comply with new IT rules, or face “unintended consequences” according to a copy of an official letter seen by Reuters.

The new rules - which were announced in February and which became effectiveattheendoflastmonth-areaimedatregulatingcontentonsocial media and making firms such as Facebook, itsWhatsApp messenger and Twitter more accountable to legal requests. They also require big social media companies to set up grievance redressal mechanisms and appoint new executives to coordinate with law enforcement.

India’s technology ministry wrote toTwitter on May 26 and May 28 on the newrules,butthecompany’sresponses,“neitheraddresstheclarifications sought by this ministry nor indicate full compliance with the Rules,” said the June 5 letter from the technology ministry toTwitter’s Deputy General Counsel, Jim Baker. The letter, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said among other things,Twitter had yet to inform the ministry about its chief compliance officer, and its grievance officer and nodal contact person were not employees as mandated by rules.

“As a Bank, we are committed to grooming and retaining top talents who are motivated to demonstrate and live our core values of entrepreneurship, professionalism, innovation and customer-centricity”

CEO, FirstBank, Continued on page 26

Dr Adesola Adeduntan

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

26

BUSINESSWORLD NAICOM UNVEILS THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC REFORMS FOR INSURANCE SECTOR stimulate productivity. He said NAICOM would also ensure periodic review and performance monitoring of the plan within its life span bearing in mind the pandemic.

He said a flash back on the state of the insurance sector before he took over the leadership and its current state would show that within the one year period, stability has been achieved within the commission and the entire industry with staff welfare at the front burner.

He said within the one-year period, his administration has been able to issue licenses to five insurance firms in the category of three life insurance, one general insurance and one reinsurance operator.

STANDARDS HARMONISATION WILL BOOST INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE, SAYS FG

the efforts of experts of trade and industry saddled with the responsibility to work and make recommendations on documents relating to African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

She also lauded the regional institutional arrangement to boost trade, harmonised standards, regulations on implementation of standards and ECOWAS certification mark as well as ECOWAS post COVID- 19 industry recovery programme.

The minister said: “Undoubtedly, the instruments being considered will promote trade and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on our economies, especially for SME’s.”

She also appreciated her counterparts for their leadership roles in their respective countries to promote regional integration and economic development for the benefit of all West African citizens as well as the development partners for their technical and financial support towards the economic development of the region.

NEWS

Equities Market Rebounds as Bulls Return Goddy Egene The bulls returned to the Nigerian stock market last week after the market dipped in May, as investors took advantage of low prices of shares. Consequently, the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited All-Share Index (ASI) appreciated by 1.23 per cent to close at 38,726.10, while market capitalisation closed higher at N20.185 trillion.

Some market analysts had said the decline recorded in the May, which led to a significant reduction in valuations of stocks, was an opportunity for investors to enter the market.

“The undervalued state of the market and rising dividend yields has made equities more attractive, with most of the lowpriced stocks outperforming the prevailing inflation rate, making equity space an irresistible hedge for investors against inflation,” InvestData Consulting had said.

It is believed that bargain hunting that attracted the bulls back to the market last week.

And according to analysts at Cordros Securities, the market will remain bullish this week.

“We expect alpha-seeking investors to continue rotating their portfolio towards equities amid moderation in the uptick of yields in the fixed income (FI) market.

“We expect market performance to be dominated by the bulls, as positioning by early birds in dividend-paying stocks ahead of H1-2021 dividend declarations should outweigh profit-taking activities. “We reiterate the need for positioning in only fundamentally sound stocks as the weak macro environment

remains a significant headwind for corporate earnings,” they said.

Meanwhile, investors traded 1.082 billion shares worth N9.548 billion in 17,933 deals last week, in contrast to a total of 1.037 billion shares valued at N9.471 billion that exchanged hands in 17,577 deals two weeks ago.

The Financial Services Industry led the activity chart with 767.001 million shares valued at N4.356 billion traded in 9,447 deals, thus contributing 70.8 per cent and

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

The Oil and Gas Industry followed with 83.528 million shares worth N1.454 billion in 1,118 deals, while the third place was occupied by Conglomerates Industry, with a turnover of 72.813 million shares worth N356.723 million in 781 deals.

Trading in the top three equities namely Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and Veritas Kapital Assurance

Plc accounted for 235.953 million shares worth N1.820 billion in 1,654 deals.

The price movement chart showed that 33 equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than 32 in the previous week, just as 33 equities depreciated in price higher than 30 equities in the previous week.

University Press Plc led the price gainers with 43 per cent, trailed by Morison Industries Plc with 20.2 per cent. Veritas Kapi-

tal Assurance Plc appreciated by 20 per cent, just as Vitafoam Nigeria Plc and Berger Paints Nigeria Plc added 10.8 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively among others.

Conversely, CWG Plc led the price losers, shedding 26 per cent. Royal Exchange Plc followed with 11.1 per cent, while CAP Plc and Champion Breweries Plc and Ikeja Hotel Plc went down by 10.1 per cent, 9.9 per cent and 9.0 per cent in that order.

WOOING INVESTORS

L-R: Partner, Mbanugo Udenze and Co., Mbanugo Udenze; Director, C & I Leasing Plc, Babatunde Olakunle; Managing Director/CEO, Andrew Otike-Odibi; Vice Chairman, Chukwuemeka Ndu, and Director, Cordros Capital Limited, Femi Ademola, after the signing ceremony for the N10 billion corporate bond by C & I Leasing Plc, held in Lagos...recently

Kwara to Offer N101m Interest-free Loans to 170 MSMEs Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Kwara state government has shortlisted about 170 business owners to receive varying non-interest loans totalling over N101 million under the state government’s Kwapreneurs scheme.

Already, each of the 170 pitches had been recommended to get between N150, 000 and N3 million while they would also embark on training on their different businesses.

The Acting General Manager of the State Social Investments Programme( KWASSIP), Alhaji Mohammed Brimah, disclosed this in Ilorin at the weekend, while

speaking with journalists.

He said, “the business pitches of the 170 successful applicants were adjudged viable following rounds of drilling by a panel of experts which assessed some 375 business prospects that turned up for the interview sessions.”

Brimah added, “Each of the 170 pitches had been recommended to get between N150,000 and N3 million — a decision made based on their own proposals and judgment of the interview panel peopled by experts.

“Businesses selected for the prized loan of N3 million would be invited to pitch to another set of judges at the grand finale at a

date to be announced soon.

“The total loans awarded by the panel stand at N101, 450,000 in line with the recommendations of the committee. While we had targeted to give loans to up to 300 beneficiaries, we made sure to let the process guide us, as our utmost priority was to ensure that deserving business owners and startups that have the capacity to repay got the loans.”

He also announced plans by the social investment office to organise training for applicants on business management and strategies to facilitate their growth, as part of its efforts

to build a set of young business leaders from the largest demographics in the state.

“We are not just going to give people money. We are organising training for applicants. We are looking to provide other necessary support to businesses who were not qualified enough to get the loans.

“We are going to make sure that at least 300 businesses as promised will be provided the physical training by Fidelity Bank and the online trainings

by Wootlab, in partnership with Microsoft,” he added He noted that, “We will also make the E-learning portal

available with access to entrepreneurship, product development and other courses with Microsoft certifications accessible to all the 7, 200 applicants for their self-training at their own convenience. This will prepare and position them for future opportunities.”

He directed successful applicants to proceed as directed with the documentation process from Thursday, 3rd of June, 2021 to Wednesday, 9th of June 2021.

Applicants are to produce means of identification that must include their Utility Bill; Bank Verification Number; CAC Certificate (for registered businesses); and 2 Passport photographs, he added.

Leadership Tussle Threatens Oil Company’s Operations in Delta Communities Sylvester Idowu in Warri Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent

Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) Eromosele Abiodun (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters

Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

The leadership crisis rocking seven host communities of the OML 150 is now threatening the operations of Conoil Producing Limited, operating the flow station in Delta State.

THISDAY gathered that the Chairman of Communities Consultative committee headed

by Mr. Charles Omadeli’s tenure expired in December 2020, with a new executive led by Monday Agbeyi put in place and have been claiming leadership of the committee leaving Conoil confused as to which to deal with as the representatives of the host communities.

The crisis however took a new

dimension as the seven host communities, which make up the OML 150 field, petitioned Conoil Limited not to have anything to do with either of the two executives claiming leadership of the committee put in place to represent their interest with the company.

In a petition, dated May 31, 2021, a copy made available to THISDAY, and titled, “A call on Conoil Producing Limited to forthwith desist from dealing or further dealing with illegal and self-acclaimed representatives of the OML 150 communities’ consultative committee, the indigenes warned the oil company of dire consequences should it fail to heed their warnings.

The petition, written by their counsel, Felix Owumi and addressed to the Managing Director of Conoil Producing Limited read: “We are solicitors to the concerned indigenes of OML-150 Communities and we write to you at their behest. Our clients are indigenes of the seven host communities which make up the OML 150 field, wherein your company carries out its oil mining operations.

“Our clients’ attention has been drawn to the activities of Charles Omadeli and Monday Agbeyi both of whom has been parading themselves as factional chairmen of the OML 150 communities’ consultative committee.

“It is worthy to note that both

Charles Omadeli and Monday Agbeyi-led committees are illegally constituted. They neither have the authorisation of the Olu of Warri, nor the mandate of the good people of the OML 150 communities, and/or represent their collective interest.

“Consequently, the committees are bereft of any statutory authority /capacity to represent the OML 150 host communities, and to enter into any dealings whatsoever with your company on behalf of the host communities,” it stated.

The host communities indigenes recalled that all disputes relating to the leadership of the OML 150 communities consultative committee were

yet unresolved, adding that no faction has been anointed or duly recognised as the authentic leadership of the committee by the appropriate authority.

They further warned, “Your company is therefore admonished to disregard the claim by both factions as the anointed or authentic committee recognised by the Regent of Warri Kingdom.

“Contrary to the above claim, the Regent of Warri Kingdom has warned the Charles Omadeli and Monday Agbeyi-led factions to steer clear of all activities related to and/or concerning the OML 150 field pending amicable resolution of all attendant issues thereto by the appropriate authority,” it added.

27

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

Report: Nigeria Records 51% Financial Inclusion Ugo Aliogo A report by the Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA) has revealed that Nigeria has recorded 51 per cent financial inclusion growth rate as against the expected 70 percent target in its 2020 National Financial Inclusion Strategy.

The report titled: ‘Access to Financial (A2F) 2020,’ survey findings which was launched by EFInA in Lagos during a virtual meeting, stated that 51 per cent of Nigerian adults used formal

financial services, such as bank, microfinance bank, mobile money, insurance, or pension accounts, up from 49 percent in 2018.

It also noted that the 51 per cent growth was largely been driven by progress in banking with 45 per cent of Nigerians banked in 2020, up from 40 per cent in 2018, while only 64 per cent of Nigerian adults were financially included by the end of 2020.

This, it stated meant that 36 per cent of Nigerian adults, or 38 million adults, remained completely financially excluded.

The report noted that there were

still large gaps in financial access for most financially excluded groups, noting that women continue to be more financially excluded than men, with only 45 per cent of women using formal financial services, compared with 56 per cent of men.

The report stated: “Adults in Northern Nigeria continue to be significantly more financially excluded than those in the southern zones, and rural adults are still more excluded than those in urban areas.

“Young adults, between the ages of 18-25, are significantly

more likely than older adults to be financially excluded.”

It is against this backdrop that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed that it would continue to be at the forefront of efforts to drive financial inclusion in Nigeria by championing the development and implementation of Nigeria’s financial inclusion strategy The CBN also said concerted efforts from stakeholders were needed to close the gap in financial access to ensure greater results in economic and social development.

Speaking at the meeting, CBN’s Deputy Governor, Financial Systems Stability Directorate, Aishah Ahmad, said financial inclusion has become a global development initiative and was critical to bridging inequality, combat poverty and preserve social harmony.

Ahmad noted that Nigeria adopted a multi-pronged strategy focusing on removing barriers to financial access which to an extent have not only helped to reduce exclusion rates, but they have transformed payment systems.

“Despite progress today,

I believe we still have much work to do as gaps in financial services remain especially with women – the Northern region and the rural areas.

“We need to focus efforts on deploying solutions that target these excluded groups. Last year was indeed very challenging for all economies due to the COVID-19 pandemic and while many households faced financial setbacks as a result of the pandemic, we saw the importance of digital financial services in helping them cope and helping them to be resilient,” she said.

Firm Introduces Aviation Training Programme for Youths Chinedu Eze FCM Travel Solution Nigeria has introduced training in different areas for youths within the age of 15 to 20 years, to provide them with skills that will provide them jobs while in or out of school.

The Travel Management Company (TMC) launched the project, tagged: ‘Teach to Fish,’ by organising training on digital marketing, shoe making, soap making, among others, for senior secondary students at Herbert Macaulay Girls High School and Birrel Comprehensive High School in Adekunle-Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.

The students were also enlightened on career opportunities that exist in the aviation industry.

The Head of Business, FCM Nigeria, Adejoju Sikuade said the motive of the #TeachToFish initiative was to encourage creativity among young Nigerians as well create more room for employment.

She said, “In a report published by the World Bank in 2020, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in most economies, especially developing countries. Having

this understanding, we saw an opportunity to invest in young Nigerians by training them on some entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy and also enlighten them on career opportunities that exist in the aviation industry other than becoming a pilot.

“With the global pandemic causing a tremendous shift in the way businesses operate and a huge reduction in jobs, there is no better time to enlighten our people, especially the young ones, on becoming creative entrepreneurs and SME owners in the near future.

“We therefore wish to suggest to the government and the Ministry of Education that entrepreneurial skills be included in secondary school students’ curriculum,” Adejoju added.

Industry Expert and President of AATO (Association of Approved Aviation Training Organizations in Nigeria), Bankole Bernard, shared insights on how he started as an entrepreneur in the aviation industry by selling tickets, saying that students should be taught financial literacy and business management at an early stage.

Goge Africa Partners Lagos, Sterling Bank, Others Goge Africa has partnered with Sterling Bank Plc, Lagos State Government (LASG), Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), and National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) to train operators in the tourism industry.

The initiative was part of efforts to equip operators with requisite knowledge and understanding required to operate successfully in the local tourism sector.

Goge Africa is a pan-African organisation specialising in arts, culture and tourism development and the showcase of Africa’s heritage to more than 40 million television viewers worldwide.

At the training programme held in Lagos recently, a statement quoted the Divisional Head, Retail and Consumer Banking with Sterling Bank, Mr. Shina Atilola, to have advised participants to find their niche and be different in using their strength to project the Nigerian tourism sector to the outside world.

He observed that the fundamental challenge to tourism development in Nigeria was the lack of pride in what we have.

“We rarely create travel experiences for tourists and do not project our tourist attractions and destinations that have much

potential. It explains why Nigerians travel the world to go and pay for those things that are here in the country,” he said.

While acknowledging the challenges facing the domestic tourism sector, Atilola assured operators that funding would not be their problem. He disclosed that Sterling Bank would give them the necessary support because the bank is committed to developing the country’s tourism value chain.

He urged them to apply the knowledge they would get from the training to advertise and publicise the countries abundant tourist attractions and destinations and the exciting experiences on offer to lure visitors, increase footfalls and grow the business.

“Tourism is a social phenomenon which drives economic growth, inclusive development, and environmental sustainability.

It is a powerful poverty reduction tool that presents exceptional opportunities to all, including the poor and disadvantaged.

“At Sterling, we are keen on leveraging its comparative and competitive advantages to grow the economy and lift rural and peri-urban families out of poverty,” Atilola concluded.

DISCUSSING LOCAL CONTENT

L-R: Senator Representing Bayelsa East, Sen. Biobarakuma; Managing Director, Amazon Energy Group, Engr. Chinedu Okpareke; SecretaryGeneral, APPO, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim; Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Simbi Wabote; Chairman, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Mr. Nicholas Odinuwe; Minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva; Director, Ministry of Petroleum, Niger Republic, Mrs. Hamza Ousseye, and Commissioner, Energy and Mines, ECOWAS, Mr. Sediko Douka, at the inaugural African Local Content roundtable held in Yenagoa... recently.

‘Climate-smart Infrastructure Development in Nigeria Vital’ Emma Okonji Managing Director of UK-Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, has said the climate-smart infrastructure design and development programme in Nigeria, will play a critical role as a delivery component for UK Aid. Onyia spoke with the British Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 scheduled to hold in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, from November 1 to 12, 2021.

The UK Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility (UKNIAF) is a UK Aid-funded demand-led technical assistance programme that helps the Nigerian government deliver socially inclusive, climate-smart infrastructure.

Onyia spoke with the Deputy High Commissioner on aspects of UKNIAF’s work on Energy, Infrastructure Financing, and Roads. He also discussed how the programme could support the Energy Transition Councils’ efforts to prepare Nigeria for COP26 and beyond.

The Deputy High Commissioner explained that UKNIAF remained critical to the UKNigeria collaboration in the Energy Transition Council, not only in preparing for COP26 but also for initiatives beyond this event. UKNIAF supports COP26 through its work with regulators and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the energy sector, where they highlight opportuni-

ties to mitigate the challenges of the energy transition, both on-grid and off-grid. The opportunities are also matched with potential investments.

The Energy Transition Council allows UKNIAF to step up our engagement and efforts in the run-up to COP26; and beyond COP26, and the focus will be on resolving the obstacles hindering Nigeria from making the energy transition a reality.

Onyia and the Deputy High Commissioner agreed that coordination and capacity across key MDAs must be improved in the run-up to COP26 and beyond if policy objectives were to be met.

A lot of work is already being done to encourage energy transition, however, the challenges of the energy transition remain, and they must be acknowledged as both countries work to overcome them. “At the same time, we need to factor in the upcoming Nigerian elections. The Nigerian government’s goodwill and engagement, particularly that of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the Minister of State for Power, who also serves as the Chair of the Energy Transition Council, must be recognised, Onyia said.

Llewellyn-Jones said: “We live in a competitive world where investors are looking for a location that provides adequate return on investment.

It is important, therefore, to make Nigeria as competitive as possible to attract those investments.”

NB Gives Reasons for 663.6 kWp Solar Plant Inauguration Raheem Akingbolu The inauguration of 663.6 kilowatts per peak (kWp) Solar Plant at the Ibadan Brewery and the proposed development of other renewable energy plants in other breweries, owned by Nigerian Breweries, became necessary to ensure that 70 per cent of electricity used in all its breweries are powered from clean sources, the company’s Managing Director, Mr. Jordi Borrut Bel, has said.

Delivering his keynote speech at the inauguration of the plant in Ibadan, the managing director, described the project as a first of its kind in the manufacturing sector.

Bel, disclosed that in addition to the Ibadan solar plant, the company was already developing other renewable energy plants in its other breweries to ensure that 70 per cent of electricity used in all of its breweries are powered from clean sources.

“We are not only interested in being Number 1 in Sales and profitability. We also want to be number 1 in environmental sustainability – ensuring that the

communities where our breweries are located benefit from our operations in the best possible way” he said.

“Apart from developing renewable energies to ensure cleaner air, we are also investing heavily in ensuring cleaner water for our communities.

“As such, we have taken great pains to build a state of the art, waste water treatment plant in our breweries to ensure that we do not cause water pollution.

“All wastewater produced from the brewery are properly treated and monitored in line with regulatory requirements before they are discharged, making them safe and not harmful to acquatic life and the environment in general,” he added.

He disclosed that the plant, which was built at the cost of over N300 million, was part of NB Plc’s ‘Brew A Better World’ sustainability agenda, which is aimed at meeting the company’s carbon neutrality targets through increased energy efficiency in its production.

28

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

Orji: NEITI’s Job Incomplete Until It Improves Citizens’ Standards of Living The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji in this interactive session during a courtesy visit to THISDAY and ARISE NEWS CHANNELS spoke about his plans for the agency as he leads the organisation for the next five years. Peter Uzoho presents the excerpts:

W

hat are the challenges of getting the Petroleum Industry Bill passed, and what can be done to ensure that the bill is finally passed?

I share the same concern like you for the fact that we have wasted a lot of time on the bill and that has also led to loss of a lot of revenue, because like we use to say, when you are going to change the law, investors will wait until they see a new law and as long as you haven’t brought out a new law, they will continue to wait, and sometimes, they will take the investment to other jurisdictions and that has caused Nigeria over $200 billion between 2004 when NEITI just started and now. We have a research report that we have done on that. But to answer your question, I think the major problem is divergent interests. There is a whole lot of debate on it. Government wants more take, companies want more profit, the host communities have their complete view of how the law should be couched in their interest, the civil society has a view, the National assembly themselves have theirs, then the global partners that represent the global community in Nigeria also have a position, the investors have a position.

So, harmonising these interests in one way or the other has been a very herculean task, especially on the financial regime that would govern the industry. That’s where the whole argument is: what kind of financial regime will be suitable to balance the interest of oil companies, balance the interest of government, balance the interest of host communities, and balance the interest of investors, who neither own oil assets? Some of them don’t even know where Nigeria is located but they invest in the Nigerian oil and gas industry and some of them have invested enormous resources. Remember, some have been drilling since 1957. And even the state actors in the sector have their own interest. Some agencies want to know what would become of us if the PIB is passed, are we still going to be where we are. So, complex divergent interests. Initially, the National Assembly thought out of passion they could pass it as a private member bill but the bill is so huge that it can’t go through private member sponsorship. So, we, at NEITI always believed that the PIB should be an executive bill that carries the weight of the president and that’s where we are now. That has been done and I think we are very confident that between now and the end of the year it will be passed. But it’s just politics and divergence of interest that has held the bill these years. But those interests right now are being addressed.

Discussions are ongoing and a lot of people are concerned, even the investors themselves know that time is running out because, when we started, neighbouring countries didn’t have oil. Now, oil is everywhere. So, a lot of issues have changed that makes it imperative that Nigeria has a new petroleum law. But there is a special interest in Nigerian oil and Nigeria is different from others. So, our hope is that these interests should be harmonised and dialogue and constructive engagements will have its way.

And we think that between now and September and November, the bill will be passed, from the information we have at our disposal, we have been following engagements with companies, civil society and the National Assembly.

NEITI has always placed considerable emphasis on the oil and gas sector, but very little is heard from it about solid minerals, and we do have quite a bit of solid minerals extracted in our country and very illicitly.

Don’t you think it’s high time you began to focus some critical reports on mining?

Well, it could be traced also to how EITI emanated. The EITI began as an agitation by the civil society in Angola over how the government of that country was running the oil and gas industry. But like you said, EITI in Nigeria has also done a lot in the solid minerals sector. They may not have attracted the kind of interest that the oil and gas attracts. The first thing we did in

Orji solid minerals was to conduct a scoping study and mapping to know who is doing what in the industry because this kind of attention was not there. We did the first report 2007 and covered 2007 and 2010. As at now we have done about four reports on solid minerals. The next report on solid minerals will be released in September this year. There is a report going on currently, and if you check our website you will see a lot of information. Solid minerals contributes just less than one per cent (0.8 per cent) to GDP. So, there are a lot of issues. We had worked with the Ministry of Solid Minerals, now Ministry of Mines and Steel, to develop a roadmap for the solid minerals sector but that has also not been effectively implemented. Since I came in I have sought audience with the Minister of Mines and Steel to know where we are on that. But from our end, we won World Bank’s support to also draw national and international attention to that sector. Solid minerals deposits are all over the country, we have done a research on that and it is not just a few. Every part of this country has solid minerals deposits in gold, in diamond, in copper, in coal, in bitumen, in sand and in gravel

And we think that between now and September and November, the bill will be passed, from the information we have at our disposal, we have been following engagements with companies, civil society and the National Assembly

and a lot of stealing, a lot of illegal mining is going on all over the country. NEITI has interest in the solid minerals, not just in oil and gas, but there is a lot of job. But it’s also a cultural thing now in the industry because the oil and gas industry has been developed and it’s a place that people can quickly go and make money.

To invest in the solid minerals requires a long gestation period which so many investors are not very willing to wait.

But all extractive industries have the same gestation period, capital intensive and others challenges?

I agree with you that emphasis has always been on oil and gas than solid minerals, but there was a time solid minerals contributed over 40 per cent to our Gross Domestic Product when we had the mining in Jos and other associated mining areas with coal mining in Enugu, just like you said. The results are still there. We have gone through the process of enacting laws where government exited from active participation in mining to become regulator. That was when the mining corporation and the coal corporation assets were sold. But when they left, mining has always been in the hand of artisanal miners and small scale miners. We use the term, ‘artisanal miners’ to encourage them to become formalise.

We have active mineral buying centres where our gemstones are being sold and exported to the world. But like you said, it has not been properly regulated. Government has not been able to capture the resources because it is in the hands of the informal sector. So as NEITI, we are also constrained in the activity because we rely on information that is already available publicly or from the official channels. We have been able to go further to ask for export details of minerals. We have done reports that showed that minerals are being exported but without considerate value of royalty being paid on this minerals. So, where are they going to? All these things are there – the reports are there, but interest has not been much on the reports because people decided to look at the low

handing fruits, which is the oil and gas sector, where they can see billions being lost, but this one, you must do analysis to determine how much is being lost so that you can track it. When we started the study that we did initially, even the revenues streams were scattered. Nobody knows what the governance structure of the sector was, record keeping was very poor. If you look at projections from the revenues that we had from the beginning, solid minerals is not contributing up to N34 billion now to the coffers. The only actors that we have in solid minerals as reported then are only the limestone and granite, those are industrial minerals that they have to prepare their records because they are tied to their production data. So, these are how you got information. But with time, the sector has been improving in terms of revenue generation growing up. I think it will be interesting for you to go to our website and see our reports, right from beginning till now. You can see that the revenue profile has been increasing for the solid minerals sector.

But even though the figures are going up, it’s still very insignificant?

We have taken this as a new challenge. This question has been persistent and the concerns are real and the gap is there, huge gap is there, even those whom you think have an answer don’t have any idea of what to do. So, a lot of advocacy, an aggressive advocacy needs to go into that, not just from the media but from point of policy engagements. So, we will look at that. The only very major challenge that we are dealing with as a nation is security, because you know that mining sites are not located in the cities, they are located in very difficult terrain.

But oil and gas too is in difficult terrain –swamp, sea, all sorts?

Yes, but when you go to oil and gas installations the security there is something else. The investors have already come in. This one, you CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

29

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

ORJI: NEITI’S JOB INCOMPLETE UNTIL IT IMPROVES CITIZENS’ STANDARDS OF LIVING

Customs Seizes Contraband Items worth N28m in Two Months Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) of the joint border patrol team, sector 3, in-charge Northcentral zone of the country seized 35 prohibited and smuggled goods worth over N28 million between April and May this year.

The coordinator of the sector, Comptroller Oougboyega Peters made the disclosure in Ilorin, on Wednesday while speaking with journalists on the activities of the sector in the past two months.

Peters said the achievement recorded was due to the commitment and loyalty of the men of the sector and other security agencies in the zone.

According to him, “some of the seized items included 637 bags of

foreign rice, 795kegs of 25 liters of petrol, 15 units of Nigerian used tyres, 14 cartons of condensed milk, 14 tins of tomatoes paste and three bags of sugar.”

Peters said, “It is also important to note that the successes recorded in our operations in this sector can be attributed to the good motivation from the NCS management, office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other sister agencies which has boosted the morale of officers and had kept them in high spirit at all times.”

He added, “Despite the series of attacks by dare devil smugglers/ hoodlums during our course of duty, the sector will not be distracted from executing her mandate.

“To this end, anyone caught

disrupting our officers in the line of duty or perpetuating nefarious activities of smuggling, etc shall be made to face the wrath of the law.”

He expressed unalloyed gratitude to other security agencies, community leaders, and youth leaders who are showing concern and are collaborating with the team in the fight against smuggling and human trafficking.

“The sector will continue to dialogue, engage, sensitise and educate the public, especially the people along the border axis on socio-economic implication of smuggling as well as performance of its statutory function of enforcing partial border closure in line with federal government fiscal policies.”

Freight Forwarders Endorse Review of Charges by PTML Eromosele Abiodun

Orji are asking investors to come. You need to build confidence that there would be security. If you go to where Dangote is building his refinery, once you are approaching there, the security is in place. But it’s (what you said) is a very real observation and it’s a real challenge and we will take it up. Maybe by the time I come here next time, there will be some new impacts that we need to report.

What do you intend to do differently in terms of making your reports more visible and also ensure that these findings are implemented?

What we mean by making our reports, I just gave an example of PIB. A lot of people do not see the connection between our reports and the PIB. There are more like that. For instance, I mentioned recovering revenues, the revenues that have been identified, we don’t just outline a report, make a disclosure and nothing happens. That’s why we are going through those who have very clear powers of enforcement to say, this company is owing us about this, and then we mobilise them to investigate. If those revenues are recovered, government will be able to narrow the budget deficit, they will be able to build road, provide water, electricity, provide jobs, and we would be able to say, as a result of NEITI intervention, we have recovered this amount of money and this is where they have been spent, and then, we will also have to follow the money. I have mentioned the law, I have mentioned in terms of institutional procedures and processes, a lot of reforms have been going on under NEITI’s support, but we need to celebrate them, we need to highlight them.

Then, we need to get the citizens to understand what kind of work we are doing, what is their role when a report is released, do they have any role play? How do they consume the report?

How do they understand that the report has connection with their standard of living, which they use to check the quality of their lives? We don’t want a situation where the citizens see our report as something is distributed at academic institutions or used for debate on television.

Except and until our job leads to increased revenue that are prudently managed to provide roads, water, electricity, provide jobs, improve security, and then give Nigerian a meaningful means of livelihood, then our job is not done.

It’s not just about publishing report. We want that report to make a meaningful in the lives and minds of Nigerians, and it’s a challenge. How that will happen in my tenure is a challenge and it’s something that we have to work out.

What do you intend to achieve with your recent partnership with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)?

Well, the CAC partnership is timely because we are implementing what the global EITI calls beneficial ownership. We want to know the owners of oil assets. We want to know the real owners, not just owners that are on the books. Who are

the people that are ultimately benefiting from oil assets, not just the names in the papers? So, we are interrogating the names and facts we find in the CAC register because the CAC register does not actually represent the real owners from our experience as Nigerians.

And if you succeed in lifting the veil, will you make it public?

We’ll do, it’s on our website. We have the portal, it’s on our website. And why do we need to do that, beneficial ownership disclosure will help check tax evasion, it will help also check terrorism financing, it will help to check illicit financial flows, how people use anonymous companies and courier money out of the country, and a lot more. It’s more than just this three I mentioned. It’s a security issue. And it’s also a global movement now to be able to know who owns what in the extractive industry. And we are collaborating with CAC because CAC has the custodian of all companies that do business directly or indirectly in the oil and gas industry, and then we are saying, is there any way you can change your template for registration to be able to compel people to reveal their real identities, not just registering a company you put name of children that are almost two three years and say is the owner of a company that runs into billions. So, I met with the Registrar General of Corporation Affairs Commission and we are working out an arrangement for this to happen. We are also working with the Department of Petroleum Resources, I have a meeting with them also on that. And we are working with mining Cadastral Office for the solid minerals sector. The problems we have in Zamfara is not just ordinary mining, there are a lot that are going there including security that also has a lot of implication for security. So, those are the kind of things that beneficial ownership will give you a lead and an idea. We are also working with NNPC on contract transparency.

How do you draft oil, gas and mining contract in such a fair and transparent manner? Because sometimes, our own people don’t read and we sign contract that by the time implementation comes up, it’s not in our favour. So, when you draft those contracts, is it possible to make those contracts public for the public to critique it, to make inputs, because there must be somebody who will pick a hole in the contracts.

Confidentiality agreement will not allow that to happen?

Yes, confidentiality agreement must have a limit. Confidentiality in our definition is: the level of disclosure that is permissible, that would not jeopardise your business. And then, the debate now is, what should you disclose and what should you not disclose? Like those us in the media, when they say, no, don’t disclose because of national security, and the media has been arguing, what is national security? When did it start? When will it end? So, what should you disclose?

Freight forwarding associations at the Ports and Terminal Multipurpose Limited (PTML) Terminal, Tin Can Island Port Complex, Lagos, have expressed support for the review of handling charges at the terminal by 50 per cent.

PTML is the biggest roll-on-rolloff (RORO) terminal in Nigeria, handling a sizable chunk of vehicles imported into the country.

In a joint communiqué issued after a meeting with the Managing Director of PTML, Ascanio Russo and his management team, the major freight forwarding associations said special consideration must be given to PTML because it has not reviewed its charges for almost a decade.

They also argued that the terminal operator must be supported to generate sufficient income to

sustain the high quality service being rendered at the facility.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) led by its PTML chapter Chairman, Samuel Obe and Sunny Ugorji; the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) represented by its PTML chapter chairman, George Okafor and Thomas Alor, while Emma Ohambele and Chinedum Ogueke represented the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN).

The joint communiqué read: “That the initial plan of 100 per cent from Grimaldi was considered but due to the effect it will bear on the importer it was agreed for 50 per cent increase. After a thorough explanation from the management of Grimaldi Agency

(owners of PTML Terminal) on the urgent need for this increase, 50 per cent was considered to be reasonable.

“That the acceptance of this increase is based on the ever increasing high cost of operations as can be seen by everyone in the industry.

“Grimaldi undertake to increase their drive towards the provision of world class logistics services to Nigeria and to provide more equipment and human management urgently where it is required.”

They added, “Grimaldi assured the stakeholders that once they get the promised rebate from Nigerian Ports Authority as promised during the COVID-19 peak period, more provisions of equipment will be made that will lead to reduction in operational cost.

FCCPC Reads Riot Act to Supermarket Operators James Emejo in Abuja The Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Babatunde Irukera, has warned that any further abuse of consumer rights by supermarkets would be prosecuted.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement with the National Association of Supermarket Operators of Nigeria (NASON) in the six geo-political zones, he said the commission was however, determined to work with the operators to achieve efficient consumer protection aimed at reducing anti-competitive practices.

The consumer rights protection

boss warned that acts of arbitrary price increase and rejection of returned items as well as sale if fake products would henceforth be brought to book.

Represented by the commission’s acting Director, Legal, Mr. Tam Tamunokonbia, Irukera said the commission’s COVID-19 team had gone round to observe how consumers and operators were responding to COVID-19 issues.

He said: “We visited a couple of supermarkets and we also watched how you were going about your businesses. ”One of the experiences we had was that sanitisers that were been used or sold, some of them were fake without the required ethanol.”

According to him: “There were influx of fake and substandard

items all over the place. Not just sanitisers, we saw some in powdered milk and cement.”

He therefore, urged them to adhere strictly to the FCCPC Act to avoid being held accountable, stressing that complaints should be resolved in a timely manner to avoid the commission’s wrath.

He added that moving forward, every products in supermarkets must clearly bear their lifespan.

Also, FCCPC Head of Enforcement, Mr. Kelechi Oko, pointed out that the law particularly frowned upon arbitrary hike in prices in the face of the pandemic.

The commission had decried the influx of counterfeited and substandard consumables at supermarkets as Nigerians grappled with the impact of the pandemic.

NIMASA Takes Maritime Capacity Building to Schools Eromosele Abiodun As part of its capacity building initiative, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) visited Premier Academy School, Lugbe, in Abuja, to mark this year’s Children’s Day. In a statement, the agency said

it donated educational materials to the school as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh in the statement reiterated NIMASA’s commitment to capacity building in the maritime industry, saying secondary schools in the country

are a good place to begin the awareness.

Jamoh encouraged the students; especially those in the sciences, to show interest in maritime by choosing maritime related careers, especially given the increasing role of maritime in Nigeria’s economic diversification effort.

30

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

Youth Empowerment as Catalyst for Sustainable Development

The priority for Africa must be the empowerment of its youths, ensuring the creation of jobs and economic opportunities for all, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

T

he Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Mr.Tony Elumelu, set the tone of discussion at the recently held UBA Africa Day Conversation 2021, when he stated boldly and clearly that the priority for Africa must be the empowerment of its youths and ensuring the creation of jobs and economic opportunities for them even during this very difficult times.

Elumelu stated that through his involvement with TEF, an African in leading philanthropy with the vision to empower African entrepreneurs from all African countries, he has seen how Africa’s young people, despite the COVID-19 challenges, have leveraged their talents, expertise and technology to create wealth and support the communities they lived in.

“We must, therefore, create an enabling environment for our young entrepreneurs to succeed to ensure that what these young ones have made should not be erased. We must empower them to create the jobs that would lift the continent to prosperity,” Elumelu said.

He noted that this informed the theme of the third UBA Africa conversation that centered on, “The Emergence of a New Africa: Africa to the World.”

The panelists lived up to their billing with the insights they brought to the conversion on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic disease on African economies and societies and how the youths should be empowered to lift the continent out of its chaotic challenges.

They also discussed the importance of investing in digital economy for the continent and measures that would enable the continent to reap the maximum benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The members of the panel were the President of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame; Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Mr. Makhtar Sop Diop.

Okonjo-Iweala stated that African youths are the continent’s gold and no effort should be spared to mobilise them productively as the continent strived to recover from this pandemic.

She also posited that Africa’s economies required in the short term policies that would enable them to gain more fiscal stimulus through debt restructuring that would give them the breathing space to invest in health and other economic sectors, adding that this is how we are going to recover.

She noted that African leaders quest for new Special Drawing Rights (SDR) at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) might have a chance as the IMF has agreed to provide $650 billion where Africa would get $34 billion, which would be used to implement more fiscal stimulus that would give economies the ability to recover. Moreover, some liquidity should also go to the private sector.

However, the director general of the WTO stated that the vaccine inequality must be corrected to enable Africa and other poor regions of the world to recover sustainably from the devastating effects of COVID-19.

She stated that a study conducted by the IMF showed that by spending additional $50 billion to vaccinate 40 per cent of the world’s population by 2021 and another to 60 per cent in 2022 would reverse this vaccine inequality and the world could actually gain $9 trillion by 2025.

She also said Africa must find ways to revive the service sector, especially for countries that depended on tourism, logistics and aviation like Ethiopia.

But on the medium and long terms Africa must diversify its economies to wean itself from the vulnerable movements of commodities market due to fluctuation in the prices of minerals, oil and gas.

Okonjo-Iweala argued that African countries must ensure free movement of people, goods and services in order to enjoy maximum advantage of the AfCFTA. She said: “I believe in it (AfCFTA) and I am proud that our presidents have done. But if we want AFCTA to work, we must make goods, services and people move to easily across borders.

Lastly, we do not even have a choice if we want to change the tempo of growth in Africa economies,

Okonjo-Iweala rely more on ourselves and export more. So, we have got to make this free trade area work. And the WTO is expectant and waiting to support the continent to make it work.”

She also enjoined African youths never to let anything stop their imagination and willingness to try things.

“Do not be a risk averse as many people are in life. It was a risk when I aspired to be the director general of the WTO. But I took the risk because this something I wanted to do. So, take a bit of risk to do something you are passionate about,” she said, adding that Africa needed to improve its digital infrastructure to drive ecommerce and enable SMEs to access market and benefit from the WTO’s scheme that is meant to help the SMEs to upgrade their products.

In his contribution during the conversation, President Kagame defined the new Africa as a continent that is confident in its ability to meet the needs of its people, adding that Africa relied on the resilience of its people to wade through the chaos it brought along.

“We are counting on our continent’s resilience to see us through this crisis. Fortunately, and also important, we are working together as a continent with our partners to build Africa’s vaccine manufacture capacity.

“But we cannot invest much from our budgets in our national health systems. Therefore, the private sector has a big role to play in this so that the next health crisis will not catch Africa unprepared again,” he said.

Kagame noted that Africa should be more concerned with what it should be doing to prevent the crises rocking the stability of the continent in many points from arising because the continent has witnessed more than a decade of crises of different kinds.

He urged African leaders in public and private sectors to invest in one another to be able to create a sustainable African continent.

He said: “The continued emergence and spread of these crises calls for more investment of our time and resources and the evolvement of the mindset to say that we need peace to develop. So, we must put in place good politics and invest in addressing the real causes of these problems.

“We need also to walk the talk and put a sense of urgency by being a little bit more serious in doing things rather than just talking because we have crises and poverty that we need to address in order to have opportunity for growth across the continent with the youths and women building the system and institutions that will help us to overcome our challenges.”

Kagame made it clear that Africa would not benefit from the AfCFTA without working together in peace, security, stability and doing things, “that will give us the results we all desired rather than

Elumelu turning things into academic exercise.”

He also said Africa should invest in digital infrastructure to leverage on its young people’s creativity and to connect its people to the AfCFTA. The continent, according to him, has tasted the benefits digital technology and would not need much preaching before doing the practical things about investments in terms investments.

He also agreed with Okonjo-Iweala’s emphasis on easier movement of people, goods and services across borders but pointed out that the big elephant in the room has always been lack of political will to make the AfCFTA to work as efficient as possible.

He said: “Leaders must make it work. It is all about the political will to make these movements realisible by putting in the forefront the kind of politics that will make them happen.”

Kagame also left the youths with some words of encouragement: “Young people must ask themselves individually what they want from life? And build themselves to have capacity to give to themselves and others. Others will never give you enough so do not except much from them.”

For Ghebreyesus, the impact of COVID-19 has been profound for lives, systems and economies within the continent even though Africa has not seen the same scale of devastation from the pandemic as witnessed in other regions of the world.

He observed that the poor and the vulnerable were hit the hardest and warned that Africa should not let down its guard since what that is happening in many parts of the world could also happen in the continent.

He also added that the volume of the vaccines available in Africa are nowhere near enough as 47 countries in the continent that have started vaccinating their citizens could only administer somewhere around 25 million doses, which is about 1.5 per cent of vaccines administered globally.

“This is very tragic. However, the WHO is working hard to bring about immediate solutions for equitable distributions of vaccine doses. But it is clear that Africa cannot rely solely on import of vaccines from the rest of the world.

“We must build capacity not only for COVID-19 but for other vaccines and medical products. The corporation of the public and private sectors will be essential in this endavour,” he said, adding that the IFC is working with the African Union (AU) to establish African Medicines Agency (AMA),” he added.

He pledged that the WHO would provide, “technical support to establish the agency and to build a strong regulatory institution for Africa. More than anything else, the pandemic has demonstrated that health is not a luxury item or simply an outcome for development. It is a human rights issue and a prerequisite for social and economic development.”

The director general of the WHO noted that candid discussion was crucial in resolving the problem of vaccine nationalism that has hindered poor countries from accessing vaccines.

He also said the world should agree on the importance of cooperation that would make the pandemic a common enemy. This corporation must start with sharing what is available so that the world could fight its common enemy everywhere.

“This is not charity and it is in the interest of the whole world, even the advanced countries because they are better protected when they can share rather than protecting their own only. So far the USA has announced 18 million doses to share likewise Switzerland and Norway. I hope this trend will continue and help us to address critical challenges we have now. We cannot choose competition and confrontation.

“The immediate solution is to manufacture what we need through voluntary licensing that AstraZeneca has started. This will include intellectual right wavers that USA and many countries are supporting. Rwanda has started taking practical steps for local production. And we need to speed up those initiatives to increase production in the medium and short term,” he said.

He also encouraged the youths to have the mindset to serve their communities and humanity.

Ghebreyesus said: “Mindset is everything and key to any important achievement. And the mindset I always respect is serving your community with kindness and in good faith.”

According to Diop, the outbreak of COVID-19 on one hand presented Africa with a time of crises that called for resilience in the face of adversity and on the other hand with an opportunity to change the face of the continent to the extent that it would start creating jobs and growth by supporting a strong SMEs and startups that would employ the youths. He said Africa could do this by taking advantage of the AfCFTA agreement to promote trade among its people.

“We need the development of continental value chain in Africa to evolve more transformation in our continent. First let us start with the pharmaceutical,” Diop said.

He also argued that Africa should encourage specialisation among its countries to create needed value chain and pursue trade financing that would promote intra-African trade wand enable the SMEs to create jobs.

The IFC boss told young Africans that people do not become successful just because they were exceptional. “I am not exceptional. Do not allow any person to set a limit for you as an individual. Never accept someone to limit your aspirations. Moreover, individual success has value if it is part of the communities’ success. And try to understand that you do not know a lot and be learning every day.”

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

31

32

IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2021

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Secretary to Ekiti State Government, Mr Biodun Oyebanji; First Lady, Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; Head of Service, Mrs Peju Babafemi; Deputy Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Hakeem Jamiu; and Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Dr Olabimpe Aderiye; at the official launch of “Keep Girls In School ‘Pad Bank’ Project in Ado-Ekiti...recently

Former Presidential Candidate and APC Governorship Aspirant for Anambra 2021 gubernatorial selection, Mr. Edozie Madu (right) and Director Administration Alh Abubakar Suleiman during the submission of Guber form in Abuja...recently

L-R: Stakeholder Relations/Communications Coordinator, Savannah Energy, Mr. Obinna Okorie; Communications Manager, Savannah Energy, Mr. Okwudili Onyia, receiving the Employer of Year in Oil and Gas (Upstream) Sector award from Head, Human Resources, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Mrs. Taiwo DayoAbatan, and President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, during the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Annual Employers’ Excellence Awards which held in Lagos...recently

L-R: Nollywood actress, and a Nigerian radio presenter, Omotunde Adebowale David; Pupils from Edgelane School Ikotun/winners of the 2021 Indomie Fan Club (IFC) Talent Competition, and National Coordinator, IFC, Faith Joshua, during the 2021 Indomie Children Day celebration in Lagos... recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

L-R: Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo presenting a souvenir to Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, during the Senator’s visit to Naval Headquarters in Abuja…recently

L-R: Mother Celestial Olasumbo Adeboyejo; Mrs. Ayoola Afolabi; Princess Abimbola Gbadebo; CEO Sherrybim Fabrics/celebrant, Mother Celestial Adebola Abimbola Odusanya; Mother Celestial Maria Omolola and Mother Celestial Benny Sanda at Odusanya’s 64th birthday thanksgiving service, at CCC Covenant Cathedral Amuwo Odofin, Lagos...recently

L-R: Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman Committee on the Review of 1999 Constitution, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan and FC T Minister, Bello Mohammed at the National Public Hearing for further alterationton to the provisions of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 held in Abuja...recently PHOTO: JULIUS ATOI

L-R: Head, Surveillance Department, National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Mr. Ehimeme Ohioma; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki; Commissioner for Finance, PENCOM, Mr. Charles Sylvester Emuokowhate; Senior Manager and Relationship Officer, State Operation Department, Mrs. Obioma Grace Ezeadikwa during a courtesy visit by PENCOM to the Governor, at the Government House, Benin City....recently

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

33

34

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

35

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FX Market Turnover Declines to $1.1bn Goddy Egene Trading in the foreign exchange (FX) Spot, Forwards and Futures markets on the FMDQ Securities Exchange decreased by 14.49 per cent to $1.069 billion last week, compared with $1.25 billion the previous week.

The analysis by FMDQ showed that the decrease in turnover was driven by the 24.75 per cent ($222.62 million) decrease in the FX Spot turnover.

However, there was an increase in FX Derivatives turnover, driven by the increase of 59.39 per cent ($113.05 million) in FX Futures turnover.

As a result, there was an

increase in FX Derivatives’ contribution to total FX market turnover, by 14.22 percentage points to 28.10 per cent, from the 13.88 per cent recorded the previous week In the Investors & Exporters’ (I&E) FX market, the total value of transactions was $676.80 million, representing a decrease of 24.75 per cent ($222.62 million) from $899.42 million traded two weeks ago.

The weekly average Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Fixing (NAFEX) rate was $/ N410.74 compared to $/N410.91 recorded in the previous week, representing an appreciation of the Naira against the United States (US) Dollars by $/N0.17.

Conversely, in the Bureau-deChange (BDC) market, the naira depreciated against the US Dollars by $/N8.00 to close the week at an average rate of $/N495.

The represented a 1.64 per cent depreciation when compared to $/N487.00 recorded the previous week, resulting in a spread of $/N84.26 between the weekly average BDC rate and NAFEX rate In the FX Futures market, $303.40 million worth of FX Futures contracts were traded in four deals, showing an increase of 59.39 per cent ($113.05 million) when compared to $190.35 million traded in 22 deals recorded in the previous week.

Honeywell Flour Mills Posts 36% Revenue Growth Nume Ekeghe Honeywell Flour Mills Plc in its audited results for the year ended March 31, 2021, recorded an all-time high revenue of N109.5 billion.

This was an increase of 36 per cent over N80.4 billion posted the previous year.

The company noted that the revenue growth was due to increased production output and more efficient operational capabilities at its factories in Apapa, Sagamu and Ikeja.

The results also show that the cost of sales grew by 41 per cent to N93.9 billion, from N66.5 billion in the previous financial year.

However, the company’s operating profit grew faster than

revenue at 39 per cent, from N5.4 billion in the full year 2020, to N7.6 billion in full year 2021.

This was attributable to improved efficiencies and cost optimisation strategies which saw selling and distribution expenses decrease by eight per cent to N5.5 billion, while general and administrative expenses slightly increased by four per cent, from N2.4 billion in 2020, to N2.5 billion in 2021, despite double-digit inflation during the period. Consequently, its profit after tax (PAT) increased by 73 per cent, growing from N650 million in 2020 to N1.1 billion in the period under review.

Speaking on the Full Year 2021 financial results, Managing Director, Honeywell Flour

Mills, Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola said: “In an extremely challenging year caused by unprecedented global disruptions and uncertainties, we achieved 36 per cent revenue growth and record-breaking success through sheer grit and doggedness of our workforce.

“We worked collaboratively towards the execution of our goals; improved production and cost optimisation, guided by a clear strategy and common purpose.

“We remain committed to ensuring the supply of affordable nutritious food products to Nigerians, and we continue to assure our shareholders of long-term profitable returns from Honeywell Flour Mills Plc.”

Wema’s Employees Empower Underprivileged Female Traders Employees of Wema Bank Plc recently raised a pool of funds for underprivileged women to expand their scope of business under the auspices of the Project Ferry.

Through the ‘salary for love initiative,’ employees of the bank in the Lagos region led by the project champions selected 47 underprivileged women at Ferry Community in Oworoshoki, Lagos for the provision of seed funds. Speaking at the empowerment/financial literacy ceremony where debit cards loaded with cash were presented to the beneficiaries, a statement quoted the bank’s Regional Manager Lagos Mainland, Mrs. Aramide Awosanya, to

have said the bank was interested in helping them to grow their businesses and succeed.

Speaking further, she advised beneficiaries to separate the seed fund grants from the money for social activities, reminding them that it is for business expansion.

“The funds contributed by our employees from their salaries are not for buying clothes, shoes or for organizing parties.

“Rather, the money is to assist you to grow your businesses, make more profit and become very successful. So, don’t spend it frivolously. When we see you again some months from now, we want to see changes, we want to see progress, and we want to see signs of prosperity,” she said.

Also speaking at the event, the Head, Retail Segment of the bank, Mr Mudashiru Hakeem, described the bank and its employees as good corporate citizens who take delight in the wellbeing and success of the people in their host communities.

She advised them to keep good accounts of their daily transactions, warning against spending both capital and profit.

Hakeem who gave them business and investment tips also advised them to engage in businesses that they understand very well but not to go into any business because many people are going into it. He also enlightened them on other products of the bank which he recommended to them for patronage.

JCI Sensitises MSMEs on Innovation Hamid Ayodeji Junior Chamber International (JCI), Ikeja, recently organised its annual forum which was focused on reaching out and sensitising micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) on how to scale up innovation and creativity in the various sectors of the economy they operate in.

They revealed that in order for entrepreneurs to be successful at sustaining and developing their businesses, it was essential to have a mindset that begins with acquiring and investing majorly in the knowledge and information

of the sort of business they are operating.

The leadership organisation during the forum which had as its theme: “Innovative Enterprise Seminar,” stated that they saw the crucial need to contribute towards supporting entrepreneurs with the necessary information, skills and tools they need to sustain and upscale their business operations due to the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on small and large scale businesses.

Speaking at the event, President, Junior Chamber International, Ikeja, Tricia Inalu said when an entrepreneur

develops a positive mindset it would become possible to tackle the challenges in a particular industry, thereby innovating economical problems solutions within the ecosystem of the entrepreneur.

“A knowledgeable and empowered mindset would result in the empowerment of the workforce of any organisation.

So, it is important that business owners invest not only on improving their technical know-how and capacity, but also on the employees in order to attain maximum performance and results within the enterprise.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) Monetary Policy Rate (MPR)

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͱ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $69.89 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $69.37 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), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2021

Nova Merchant Bank Lists N10 Billion Bond On NGX Goddy Egene Nova Merchant Bank Plc leveraged the digital Closing Gong Ceremony of Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited to commemorate the listing of its N10 billion Bond last week.

The debt instrument was NOVA MBL Investments SPV Plc N10 billion Series I, 7-year 12 per cent subordinate unsecured fixed rate bond due 2027 under the company’s N5 0billion Bond

Issuance Programme.

The Divisional Head, Listings Business, NGX Limited, Mr. Olumide Bolumole, expressed delight at the listing of the bond, which was oversubscribed by 300 per cent.

“The success of the bond is an indication of the level of investor confidence in the company’s reputation, brand and corporate performance. The company’s growth potential is so evident that Nova Merchant

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

Bank emerged as the winner of the Bond Offering of the Year at Business Day and Other Financial Institutions (BAIF) Awards.

“It is our delight to see issuers such as Nova Merchant Bank take full advantage of the NGX’s products and services to support their growth story, and we encourage capital market players to explore other capital raising tools available on NGX to enhance their corporate profile, visibility and sustainability,” he said.

S E C U R I T I E S MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

He assured all stakeholders that NGX remained committed to driving sustainable products and safe investments in a market that is orderly and transparent, whilst leveraging cutting edge technology. Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Nova Merchant Bank Plc, Mr. Nath Ude, said: “I must commend the board and management of Nova for this significant milestone. We did not only enjoy an oversubscription

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

of 300 per cent on our bond, we have also become the youngest merchant bank to issue a bond in Nigeria.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved and we believe it represents a vote of confidence by the investment community. The gratitude goes to our stakeholders who invested in this bond despite economic hardships. With this Bond, we are well positioned to provide long term funding especially to the real sector, and

O F

we will continue to align with NGX to drive the economy through targeted investment opportunities as an organization offering an integrated suite of financial solutions.”

Also speaking, the Group Chief Executive Officer, United Capital Plc, (Lead Financial Adviser/Issuing House) Mr. Peter Ashade, expressed his gratitude to the board and management of Nova Merchant Bank for the opportunity to serve.

0 4 / 0 6 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

38

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 • T H I S D AY

39

MONDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

40

MARKET NEWS 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

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 03Jun-2021, unless otherwise stated.

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: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 153.34 154.87 -5.21% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.00% Nigeria International Debt Fund 304.88 304.88 -23.78% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.82 111.82 -0.25% 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A 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 5.01% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.26 3.31 -9.51% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 3.08% Anchoria Equity Fund 128.87 130.29 -3.11% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.06 1.06 -20.36% 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 18.89 19.46 4.14% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 413.62 426.10 3.31% ARM Ethical Fund 37.10 38.22 10.05% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) N/A N/A N/A ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.96 0.96 -14.41% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.11% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 104.45 104.45 2.69% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 1.94 1.94 -22.68% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.01 2.04 -24.50% mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.01 1.01 1.25% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.83% Paramount Equity Fund 15.86 16.14 -0.87% Women's Investment Fund 131.93 133.30 -0.92% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.57% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 116.09 116.84 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 106.65 106.65 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.17% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.16 1.17 -3.33% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.35 1.35 -14.63% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 2.86% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.93% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,162.24 1,169.97 -2.95% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,372.31 1,372.31 10.37% FBN Balanced Fund 185.50 186.68 -1.16% FBN Halal Fund 109.69 109.69 6.66% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.48% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Growth Fund Coral Income Fund FSDH Treasury Bills Fund

125.10 152.48

125.10 3.45% 154.55 0.86% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price N/A N/A N/A

Offer Price N/A N/A N/A

Yield / T-Rtn N/A N/A N/A

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 N/A N/A N/A Nigeria Entertainment Fund N/A N/A N/A GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 100.00 100.00 6.12% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.79 2.85 21.57% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 149.21 149.65 -3.99% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.22 1.26 29.54% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.09 1.09 6.25% 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 1.36 1.38 0.00% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,140.10 1,140.10 3.23% 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 10.82 10.85 3.27% Meristem Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 6.31% 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 1.66 1.68 7.20% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.38 12.44 2.04% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.52% PACAM Equity Fund 1.58 1.59 -0.35% PACAM EuroBond Fund 110.93 112.54 0.89% 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 126.52 128.83 6.88% 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 1.01 1.01 3.05% 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 3,127.65 3,152.46 -2.75% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 229.94 229.94 2.26% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.18 1.19 0.42% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 301.54 301.54 2.33% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 215.76 218.41 -1.27% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 6.70% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,150.31 10,276.31 -3.36% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.25 1.25 2.34% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 113.80 113.80 2.45% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 101.25 101.25 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.35 1.37 -1.44% United Capital Bond Fund 1.94 1.94 2.74% United Capital Equity Fund 0.90 0.93 4.55% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.62% United Capital Eurobond Fund 120.74 120.74 3.12% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.11 0.82% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.05 1.05 5.13% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.06 12.16 1.60% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.58 13.70 11.16% Zenith Income Fund 24.09 24.09 0.49% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.48%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

123.46 51.40

2.25% -1.91%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.56 123.58 96.89

12.66 123.58 98.64

-4.96% 1.51% -2.53%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 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 Money Market 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

3.66 5.57 16.86 1.00 18.79 161.26

3.70 5.65 16.96 1.00 18.99 163.26

-2.98% -2.14% 3.12% 4.01% -8.39% -26.33%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.52

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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.

41

MONDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FOURTY-ONE CBN INCREASES FOREX ALLOCATION TO BANKS amounts to the satisfaction of the CBN.” Nwanisobi allayed fears of a forex shortage and urged members of the public seeking to purchase foreign exchange for PTA, BTA, payment of tuition fees or medical fees to do so from their banks.

“We wish to assure

members of the public that the CBN shall continue to monitor market developments and is committed to ensuring an efficient FX market for all legitimate users,” he said.

He, however, advised customers to approach their customer service representatives of their

designated banks should they encounter challenges, adding that they could escalate complaints to the CBN via the bank’s toll-free line: 07002255226 or send an email to cpd@cbn.gov.ng if their requests are not met.

Sources at the meeting with the bank CEOs held to

address the challenge faced by customers in accessing forex from their banks, said Emefiele warned that the CBN would deal with any bank that denies customers the opportunity to purchase foreign exchange for legitimate purposes.

According to the source,

Emefiele said the CBN management frowned upon the seeming difficulty customers experienced in accessing foreign exchange through the banks, particularly for Invisibles such as PTA and requests bordering on tuition and healthcare needs.

Emefiele had last week

reiterated the bank’s commitment to ensuring steady availability of foreign exchange for manufacturers.

Emefiele had also urged banks as well as Nigerians to strive to end environmental pollution and ensure sustenance of banking principles.

strike by parliamentary workers.

But open grazing by herders has reduced drastically in the state, particularly in places close to urban areas.

Investigation revealed that the herders still move their cows in many villages like Osi, Ogbese, Ala, Igbatoro, Eleyowo and other villages in Akure North Local Government Area.

Also, sources told THISDAY

that the practice is still going on in villages in Ondo North but not with the impunity earlier displayed by herders.

Speaking with THISDAY, the Commander of the Ondo State Security Network, Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said open grazing had reduced in the state as the security agency no longer give them chances to continue the illegal practice.

He said: "However, thinking

that we would not have some herders still engaging in open grazing in view of the ban and the operation of Amotekun is like saying why do we still have crime when there are policemen working?

"Ondo State Government through Amotekun is not relenting. The herders know they are doing the wrong

Twitter as senseless and not legally justiciable because there is no order proscribing Twitter in Nigeria.

Obla, who noted that what the federal government did in the first place was to stop telecommunication companies from allowing Twitter to use their platform to operate in Nigeria, said that no Nigerian could be punished for merely using Twitter which according to him is an online means of disseminating information.

He said: "There is nowhere and I have not seen the order by the Attorney-General proscribing Twitter because there must be an order. Can

the federal government on its own have breached the citizens’ right to disseminate and to hold and manage information? The answer is no.

"So, if a Nigerian citizen is using another IT platform, say, the United States platform, he can disseminate information; it's a piece of online information, it's not physical. If my Twitter account is a US Twitter account, I can tweet from Nigeria.

"The ban does not make sense. It is not legally justiciable. I do not see how it can be enforced, and I don't see how any citizen can be found guilty of such an offence."

Similarly, Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN), wondered when a pronouncement by a minister becomes a law on which citizens could be prosecuted.

He said for anyone to be arrested and arraigned before a court of law, there must be an offence, adding that in this instance, there is no known law for which a person has disobeyed.

"I don't know of any law that says if there is a pronouncement by a minister, it becomes an offence,” he said, explaining: "To arrest someone there must be an offence, a written offence. There must be a law; you must refer to a law that says anybody that disobeys an order or a statement by the minister is an offence but there is nothing like that, there is definitely no law like that."

Another senior lawyer, Chief Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), also

DESPITE BAN, OPEN GRAZING PERSISTS IN SOUTHERN STATES at the weekend showed that the delay by the governors in enacting laws in their states to legalise the ban has heightened concerns among residents, particularly in the farming communities of the states.

With the absence of the law, according to THISDAY’s investigations, herders have continued to openly graze their cattle, leading in some cases to frequent clashes between them

and farmers whose farmlands suffer devastation due to the movement of the animals.

The governors, under the aegis of the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum (SNGF), rising from a meeting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on May 11, had, among others announced a ban on open grazing to check the escalating conflict between farmers and herders.

However, their decision had riled the federal government with President Muhammadu Buhari querying the legality of the ban.

In Ondo State, THISDAY gathered that the Bill against Open Grazing and other Matters Related has passed through the second reading but the lawmakers couldn't go further in the legislative process due to the ongoing

Continued on page 42

SANS FAULT MALAMI, SAY NO LEGAL BASIS FOR PROSECUTING TWITTER USERS They also dismissed the directive of the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, to the Federal Director of Public Prosecution, to arrest and prosecute any user of Twitter in defiance of the suspension order, as offensive to Section 36 (12) of the Constitution as altered.

Section 39 (1) stipulates: “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference."

The senior lawyers argued that the suspension amounted to a hindrance of the citizens’ right to receive information.

They further argued that the threat of prosecution by the AGF has no basis in law as it clearly violates Section 36 (12), which states: “Subject as otherwise provided by this Constitution, a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offence unless that the offence is defined and the penalty, therefore, is prescribed in a written law, and in this subsection, a written law refers to an Act of the National Assembly or a law of a state, any subsidiary legislation or instrument under the provisions of law.”

Malami, had in a statement by his media aide, Dr. Umar Gwandu, had directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation to work with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to ensure speedy prosecution of alleged violators.

But Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, also described the suspension of Twitter as an ill-advised diversion from the core issues of insecurity and injustice plaguing the nation.

Joining the fray, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House of Representatives threatened to sue the federal government over the suspension of Twitter operations.

The lawyers, in separate interviews with THISDAY yesterday, described the action of the government as illegal, null and void and unenforceable.

They said the suspension in the first place was illegal because it infringed on the fundamental human rights of the citizens.

The lawyers, citing portions of the law, stated that the government cannot prosecute

anyone under a non-existent law.

Human Rights activists and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, citing decisions from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, said: "No citizen of Nigeria can be tried or punished for an alleged offence not created by law."

Ozekhome, who faulted the directive of Malami, warned that the government should "be ready to build thousands of prisons across all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria so as to accommodate the deluge of ‘erring’ Nigerians."

According to him, there

must be a statutory provision creating an offence before any person can be convicted for the said offence.

He said: "The punishment too must be specifically named in a legislation. The apex court emphatically stated that it is rudimentary and elementary for anybody or persons having something to do with dispensation of justice in this country to know that no citizen can be made to face any criminal trial for an act that is not qualified as an offence not defined or stated (codified) in any law and the punishment thereof prescribed.

"All the above judicial authorities are crystal clear that neither Malami nor the DPP, nor this government, can prosecute any Twitter user.

Using Twitter is not a known crime or written offence."

While noting that the National Assembly has not enacted any law banning the use of social media, including Twitter, Ozekhome said the mere verbal pronouncement, declaration, directives or threats by Malami could not amount to a law validly passed by the National Assembly.

Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) described the suspension of

Buhari: We are Taking the Lead in Cyber Policing Protocols: 1. It is with great pleasure that I address you today on this occasion of the 2019 Annual Investment Meeting here in Dubai.

2. I wish to thank His Royal Highness, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates, for inviting me to speak at this event.

3. This is the ninth edition of such a gathering. At this point, I want to congratulate His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his vision to support such a platform where world leaders in both the public and private sectors exchange ideas on how to make this world a better place.

4. This morning, my brief remarks will be on digital globalisation, which we all agree is transforming the world as we know it. Almost every day, innovations and transformative ideas are rolled out. This trend is here to stay.

5. Today, we have a cyber world that is intangible but real. This borderless world is powerful, and it impacts the lives of billions of people, no matter how remote their physical locations are.

6. People work in it. People socialise in it. And people invest in it. This presents enormous opportunities. But it also remains a constant threat if left unregulated.

7. On the one hand, it has made the human race more productive and more efficient. Today, we have digital banking, virtual currencies and many social platforms that

connect people and cultures.

8. On the other hand, we have seen platforms hijacked and manipulated as evidenced by the steady rise in fake news and cybercrimes.

9. More recently, we are also witnessing the use of the cyber space to manipulate elections, subvert the democratic rights of citizens as well as propagate violence.

10. In effect, the digital world has become the new frontier for both good and evil. Therefore, the challenge for world leaders must be to ensure that this space is inclusive, accessible and safe.

11. In Nigeria, our mobile phone penetration exceeds eighty per cent. This means majority of Nigeria’s one hundred and ninety million citizens are fully connected to this new digital world; especially our youth.

12. Sixty five percent or one hundred and seventeen million Nigerians are under the age of 25 years. These bright minds are the drivers of this emerging digital sector.

13. Today, Nigeria has close to ninety technology hubs and every day, new ones are coming up and they are all developing solutions for Nigerian, and indeed global problems.

14. Already, these young entrepreneurs have attracted investments of over one hundred million dollars. A sizeable amount from overseas including Silicon Valley.

15. As many of you from this region are aware, Nigerian startups always have a very impressive outing at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX).

Many have won prizes.

16. As leaders, it is therefore our responsibility to create the enabling environment for these minds to flourish and reach their full potential.

17. When we came in 2015, we immediately agreed that any future economic growth must be inclusive.

18. As the Nigerian youth population are fully digitalised, it is clear that the idea of having an inclusive economy cannot be achieved without digital inclusion.

19. We therefore leveraged and supported digital platforms in our numerous socio-economic programs: from training extension workers in agriculture, health and education sectors; to enabling micro-credits to increase financial inclusion.

20. However, whilst this digital globalisation has occurred rapidly in the private sector, many governments and regulators have not kept pace.

21. New waves of cybercrime and terrorism continue to threaten the positive strides being made.

22. On cyber security, Nigeria has taken the lead in cyber policing in West Africa. In this, we are working with our regional and global partners.

23. Furthermore, our public sector reform programs focus

on digitising key operations.

From procurement to payroll to revenue collections, we are using digital platforms to reinforce our objectives of improving efficiency, accountability and transparency in governance.

24. We are also working on creating the largest digital database in Africa. Already, our digital identity system has captured over thirty million Nigerians and legal residents.

25. As earlier observed, the digital world is borderless. In many instances, the criminals in this world are faceless and without physical addresses.

This is why we must all come together to protect the good while eliminating the bad.

26. Emerging threats are difficult to prevent or manage unilaterally.

It has to be a collective effort, led by both public and private sector leaders – many of whom are here today.

27. A certain level of regulation is needed to preserve the integrity of the digital economy.

28. I therefore would ask all of us here present, over the coming days, to put our heads together and come up with proposals on how we create a digital world that is accessible, inclusive and safe.

29. I thank you for listening and wish you very successful deliberations. ˾Being the text of keynote speech delivered by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai, UAE, on April 8, 2019

Continued on page 42

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN MORISON 0.10 1.13 VERITASKAP 0.02 0.24 UPL 0.14 1.68 NPFMFB 0.11 1.78 HONEYWELL 0.07 1.23 TOP LOSERS NGN CWG 0.16 1.53 REGENCY 0.05 0.50 ROYALEXCH 0.06 0.72 LASACO 0.10 1.39 AFRIPRUD 0.30 5.90 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,420.00 Volume: 199.063 million shares Value: N1.591 billion Deals: 3,150 As at Friday 4/6/2021 See details on Page 37

% 9.7 9.0 9.0 6.5 6.0 % 9.4 9.0 7.6 6.7 4.8

42

MONDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Varsity Don Confirms Earth Tremor in Ife Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A professor of Geophysics at the Department of Geology, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Adekunle Adepelumi,

yesterday released data on his investigation, confirming reported earth tremor which took place at the premises of the university, located in Osun State.

According to his findings made available to THISDAY last night, the university lecturer observed that the tremor of low magnitude occurred in Nigeria at 11:11:25.6 am on June 5, 2021.

While noting that the origin time was 11:11.08.2 am (GMT), he revealed that the information placed the estimated epicentral distance between 108kilometers and 113 km away from the

measuring station at the OAU, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

"The S wave particle motion generally trends North-South and North-east-South-west.

This suggests that the wave

is travelling perpendicular to the particle motion. Hence, the epicentre is somewhere along the North-west-South-east direction of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria," he said.

of Nigerians, a development contravening Chapter four of the 1999 Constitution as altered.

Ortom emphasised the need for the federal government to listen to the views and yearnings of the people to enable it to address the challenges confronting the nation.

Meanwhile, the PDP caucus in the House of Representatives has threatened to sue the federal government in court over the suspension of Twitter operations in the country.

It described the decision as an act of desperation of a non-performing and failed government to intimidate and cow the citizens to consolidate its hold on power by brute force.

The Leader of the caucus, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, in a statement yesterday, said Twitter had become an integral component of the citizens’ ability to keep the government in check and to provide real-time feedback on the impact of the government's activities on the citizenry.

The PDP has accused the National Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

The PDP said facts available to it showed how APC leaders at one of their party’s national caucus meetings recommended the regulation of social media in Nigeria and how they have been plotting to obliterate internet-based interaction platforms such as Twitter.

The PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the APC Caucus had been pushing bills in the National Assembly, particularly in November 2020, seeking to enforce a draconian regulation of social media so as to gag Nigerians from exposing its atrocities, including human right abuses, treasury looting, nepotism and sectional marginalisation by the APC administration.

The PDP said: "Nigerians can also recall how the APC administration in carrying out the agenda of its party has been using the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to suffocate the media space with humongous fines and threats of suspension of operating licences of broadcast stations."

SANS FAULT MALAMI, SAY NO LEGAL BASIS FOR PROSECUTING TWITTER USERS stated that there is no known law on which Nigerians could be prosecuted for using Twitter and added that the power to make criminal laws rests with the National Assembly and not the president.

He said: "I am not aware of any law that has been enacted by the National Assembly.

The president cannot enact criminal law, only the National Assembly can do so.

"Criminal laws are not enacted in secrecy; it has to be published before it can be effective."

In his contribution, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Joseph Daudu (SAN), said, President Muhammadu Buhari lacked the power to use state institutions to fight personal battles.

Daudu also clarified that the decision of Twitter to suspend Buhari’s personal account “is not a matter between Nigeria and the social networking service.”

He made this clarification in his response to THISDAY’s inquiries on the constitutionality of the federal government’s decision to suspend Twitter’s operation in Nigeria.

Daudu said every Nigerian operating a Twitter account “does so in his own name, even if the underlying objective is

to promote the objectives and aspirations of his constituency, business outfit or even office.”

He, therefore, said Buhari, though a very eminent personality “is an individual customer of Twitter with no greater rights than the other millions of persons who have also subscribed to Twitter and agreed to their rules and conditions of membership."

“Twitter perceived that Buhari broke its rules and applying one of the sanctions open to it removed the offending tweet. Whether the account was blocked or suspended is really not the issue at this point in time," he added.

He, therefore, said the president lacked the power to use state apparatus and institutions “to hit or get back at Twitter, which is what he has done in retaliation by banning them from Nigeria using state institutions such as the NBC and the NCC to deprive all Nigerians of their access to Twitter.”

Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) also stated that before anyone could be punished for any offence in Nigeria, the offence must be defined and the punishment thereof must be prescribed in a written law.

"This is what is stipulated

by Section 36(12) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he said.

He added that except there is an existing law that proscribes the usage of the Twitter account, "it is unconstitutional to arrest let alone prosecute anyone for using Twitter’s services in Nigeria."

House of Representatives spokesman, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, also told THISDAY that the parliament is currently looking into the recent suspension of Twitter by the federal government, with a view of getting a critical analysis before taking a position on the trending issue.

Kalu said: ''The House is busy looking into the trending Twitter issue as expected for any federal parliament. It is time for an in-depth critical analysis of the entire picture not yet time for press releases on the issue. But be rest assured, it won’t be long before we make our position known in line with our laws and democratic principles.''

Human rights lawyer and former National Secretary of the Labour Party, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, condemned the attempt to prosecute violators of the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

Ajulo opposed Malami’s

position, saying: "Without prejudice to the rationale for the ban of the blogging site in Nigeria, it is imperative to note that the provisions of Section 36 (12) of the 1999 Constitution are clear to the effect no one shall be prosecuted for an offence not known to law.

"I have carefully stated the contents of our various penal laws and nowhere is a citizen of the country prohibited from receiving or disseminating information, which is a right guaranteed under Section 39 of the Constitution."

Ortom described the suspension of Twitter operations in the country as an ill-advised diversion from the core issues of insecurity and injustice plaguing the nation.

The governor said the Twitter suspension offered no solution to any of the problems facing the country, as the move was only capable of heightening tensions and fuelling suspicions among Nigerians over the real motives of the federal government.

Ortom, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr. Terver Akase, said that suspending Twitter amounted to suppressing freedom of expression, gagging social media and undermining fundamental human rights

PDP: APC behind Twitter Suspension, Moves to Suppress Nigerians

DESPITE BAN, OPEN GRAZING PERSISTS IN SOUTHERN STATES thing. Once they see us, they run away. They know they are doing the wrong thing destroying some people's means of livelihood for yours to thrive, we see it as being unfair.

"The position of government is very clear about it. No open grazing is no open grazing, and anybody that is engaging in it is doing illegal thing and anybody that is caught, will face the full wrath of the law.”

In Cross River State, the herders were still practising open grazing as usual in some communities in Odukpani, Obanliku, Yala, Yakurr, and Obubra Local Government Areas.

However, THISDAY gathered that there have been no clashes between the herders and any of the communities since the cows are restricted to the areas where they have been grazing for decades.

"The owners of the cows pay rent to the community for the space the cows are taken to feed in the bush along Calabar-Itu highway.

That is how we have been operating with them for years, and there is no problem; we have never heard problems," a community leader from Okoyong confided in THISDAY. However, the state government is insisting that it will not go it alone, but would wait for the southern governors to work out modalities on the way forward.

Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr. Christian Ita, said grazing in restricted area was not strange to the state having established the first cattle

ranch in Nigeria; the Obudu Cattle Ranch Resort.

"As I said, I am sure modalities would be worked out at the Southern governors’ level, and then we proceed from there," he added.

In Anambra State, despite the ban on open grazing, herdsmen still graze cattle in communities in the state, even within the state capital territory, in open fields and on farms belonging to farmers.

Mr. Fredrick Okoye, a farmer in Umuokpu community, Awka South Local Government Area, told THISDAY that despite the ban on open grazing, Fulani herdsmen still graze their cattle on their farms, damaging their crops daily.

“There is a law which states that if Fulani people destroy your crop, they will pay you for it, and if farmers kill cattle, the farmer will pay for it. But to tell you the truth, that arrangement has not been working. If they (herders) destroy your farm, they don’t pay. If you kill their cattle, they also do not even report for payment, rather, they think of a reprisal.

“That is the major reason we are afraid. They graze on our fields everyday, even today. If you come to Umuokpu today and wait until afternoon, you will see them,” Okoye said.

When THISDAY visited Okpuno and Mgbakwu communities, all around the state capital, cattle were seen in the area, grazing in open fields.

There have been cases of clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Anaku, Omor

and even in riverrine parts of Anambra State.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, said the anti-open grazing law was unnecessary as the proclamation of the ban by the governors was enough for the herders to comply.

The Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon. Marcus Onobu, also told THISDAY that the persistent open grazing of cattle in the state was due to the inability of the state government to come up with legislation against it.

Onobus said Governor Godwin Obaseki was yet to come up with a bill to legalise open grazing.

He added that though a private bill against open grazing exists, the legislature was yet to debate it because it requires public hearing.

"But I think the major problem is the strike action by legislative workers because already, we have a private bill before us.

"Even if we want to rely on the private bill without waiting for the governor, we are still going to have a public hearing, and we cannot do that since the legislative workers' strike has not been called off," he stated.

According to him, without a legislation, it will be difficult to enforce the ban on open grazing as verbal pronouncement is not enough because aggrieved persons can go to court to seek redress.

In Delta State, open grazing persists in the forest, particularly in Ughelli, Abraka, Oghara in Delta South and

Central Senatorial zones.

However, security arrangement and agitations by the people have reduced open grazing.

Mr. Olisa Ifeajika, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, confirmed to THISDAY that there has been a reduction in open grazing in the state.

Ifeajika said the state was yet to enact a law against open grazing due to the ongoing strike by parliamentary workers.

Despite the anti-open grazing law in Oyo State, herders are still openly grazing their cattle in most areas of the state.

Areas where open grazing is still going on in the state include Ibarapaland, Oyo/ Ogbomoso expressway, Oke Ogun and some parts of Ibadan, the state capital.

The state House of Assembly in October 2019 passed a bill titled, 'Oyo State Open Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law', which was signed into law by Governor Seyi Makinde.

However, Makinde has expressed the determination of his administration to enforce the law, stating that the state government will within the next eight weeks launch a task force to enforce the ban on open grazing.

He said: "In Oyo State, open grazing is against the law. The implementation plan will come out within the next six to eight weeks and the task force will cut across Oyo State. So, whoever goes against the law in this state will face the wrath of law and that is just it."

Makinde's Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Taiwo Adisa, while speaking on the challenges facing the implementation of the law, identified the major one as the lack of commitment of the police and other security agencies to enforce the law.

Farmers operating in Ekiti State have also raised the alarm that open grazing of cattle and other ruminant animals are still happening in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

Some farmers told THISDAY in Oke Ako, Irele and Ipao in Ikole Local Government Areas and Ijan and Aisegba in Gbonyin Local Government area as well as Aaye Oja, Igogo and Osan in Moba Council Area that the practice was still effective in their areas.

THISDAY observed that the practice was even common in Ado Ekiti, the capital city, especially along Ado-Ijan-Ikare, Ado-IworokoIfaki and Ado-Ikere-Akure roads.

However, the State Commander of Ekiti State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps, Brig. Gen. Joe Komolafe (rtd), said the law was being vigorously enforced by the security outfit.

He said the outfit had been zealous in the enforcement of ban on open grazing of cattle, adding that some herders and cattle had been arrested with owners already in court facing charges while their cows were confiscated.

Akomolafe added that his officers had engaged in shootout with some herders around 2:00am on more than

four occasions around Ikole axis, which he said attested to the proactiveness of Amotekun to enforce the law.

"It is part of our statutory duties to enforce the law and we are doing it. We have arrested scores of cattle owners who are in court facing charges but their cases got stalled by JUSUN's strike.

Some are still being detained by the police.

"We know that some herders are still disobeying this law, but we are extending our dragnets against them.

Even most of them who are returning to the North due to the advent of rain used to take permission from us and we took pain to escort them to the border in Kwara or Kogi to ensure that no destruction takes place,” he added..

The ban on open cattle grazing was yet to be enforced in Imo State.

THISDAY gathered that the Imo State Government has so far not send any anti-open grazing bill to the House of Assembly.

At the moment, herdsmen are still seen in the bushes and by the road sides grazing their cattle without anybody or security personnel challenging them.

Even in the Owerri, the capital city, as well as in other various villages and communities, open grazing still goes on unchecked.

Areas where the herdsmen usually go for grazing include Irette, Avu, Obinze, in Owerri West LGA; Emekuku, Agbala, Amakohia/Akwakuma in Owerri North LGA. Other areas are Obowo, Okigwe, Mbaise, and other Local government areas.

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

43

NEWSXTRA

Imo Police Repel Attack on Headquarters, Kill Five Gunmen

Hoodlums raze home of Imo commissioner, police station in Delta

Amby Uneze in Owerri and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba The Imo State Police Command has said that its gallant officers killed five hoodlums, who attempted to attack the state police headquarters in Owerri, the state capital in the early hours of yesterday, even as the country-home of the Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba was razed down yesterday morning by the unknown gunmen.

This is coming as hoodlums have also attacked and razed the Ashaka Police Stateion, Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State.

The hoodlums, who were masquerading as unknown gunmen, had attempted to launch attack for the second on the Imo State Police Command Headquarters yesterday morning but suffered a huge defeat.

According to the information from the Police, they made effort to access the Police Headquarters through the Works Layout around Alvan Nursery and Primary School but were vehemently repelled.

Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, a Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed the report.

Elkana said the attempt was vehemently repelled by the gallant forces of the Army, Police Special Forces and other supporting security agencies.

“The attackers, who came in a white hummer bus, wanted to access the Command Headquarters through Works Layout around Alvan Nursery and Primary School Owerri but had a bloody fight with the security forces. They were first Intercepted by the military at the outer perimeter cordon provided for the Police. Five hoodlums were killed in action (KIA), including

Bandits Kill 26 in Deadly Attack on Zamfara Bandits at the weekend killed 26 persons, including a police officer in another deadly attack on some communities in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The spokesperson of the Zamfara Police Command, Shehu Mohammed, explained that the assailants were armed with sophisticated weapons and invaded Tofa village in large numbers, shooting sporadically and killing some of the villagers.

Shehu noted that the gunmen were on their way to carry out another attack in Samawa when they were engaged in a gun battle with the police tactical operatives stationed in the village.

Some of the bandits, he said, were wounded in the duel. The attackers were said to be returning to the community, preventing the villagers from burying their own.

The latest assault on the northwestern state follows a

similar incident in the area on Thursday where 12 farmers were killed and nine others severely wounded.

It was gathered that the armed bandits launched the attack when the farmers were in their respective farmlands trying to clear their lands in preparation for this year’s farming activities.

The incident which took place in Magami and Mayaba communities in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State saw the bandits also carting away livestock and other valuables.

It was also said that the twelve persons killed were buried according to Islamic rites while those injured are receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

A day before the incident, bandits had attacked a Fulani settlement on the outskirts of Anka town along the BagegaAnka Road in Zamfara State.

FG Moves to Halt Migration of Health Workers Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government has said efforts are ongoing to discourage the migration of health workers.

According to a statement yesterday by the Director of Information, Ministry of Health, Mr. Brendan Nwokike, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora, disclosed this in Akure, Ondo State during the inauguration of the annexe of the Federal Medical Centre.

The statement was titled, ‘Federal Government to motivate doctors, other health workers to make migration unattractive.’

The statement quoted Mamora as further saying that the Federal Government had plans to fund hospitals across the country as well as motivate doctors and other health workers.

The step, the minister explained, is to make migration unattractive and to discourage medical tourism.

The minister said, “This is an

issue of concern for all of us and we are already looking at the factors that are responsible.

“One of it is the remuneration and I want to repeat it that no amount paid to any health worker will compensate adequately, looking at the hazards they are exposed to.

“So, we are working on how to increase it a bit for our health workers. You will recall that just a few days ago, we had an engagement with all the leaders of the unions in the health sector.

“We are working together on how to increase and put in place a hazard allowance that will show will appreciate what they are doing.”

Mamora added that Nigerian health workers have been enjoying programmes like Medical Residency which according to him are expensive in other countries.

“We also have an insurance scheme in place, which everyone is entitled to. We are doing everything possible just to raise the compensation,” he said

Joseph Uka Nnachi alias King of Dragons. One suspect, Stanley Osinachi ‘male’ 30 years old of Achi/Mberi , Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State was arrested and presently aiding

investigation. He confirmed that Dragon is the leader of the gang in Imo State reporting to their supreme leader Nnamdi Kanu.

He stated that, they belong to the proscribed IPOB and ESN.

Four AK- 47 Rifles with 2,000 rounds of live ammunition and large number of explosives were recovered from the scene. The Rifles breech numbers were crossed checked and found to

be the same Police Rifles that were stolen by the hoodlums from our Police Station at Omuma on 31st May, 2021 which claimed the lives of four Policemen,” Elkana explained.

CELEBRATIONS…

L-R: Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Edward Ubosi; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; and former governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, during the wedding of Rev. Ugo Chime’s daughter in Enugu…yesterday

NSA Dismantles NATFORCE, Other Illegal Security Outfits Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) yesterday ordered the dismantling of illegal security outfits, including the National Taskforce on the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunitions, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons, and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE).

A statement by the Head, Strategic Communications, Office of the National Security Adviser, Mr. Zachari Usman, said

the directive followed the use of such outfits to extort, harass and intimidate Nigerians.

The NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), had said that out of the 10 billion manufactured light arms and small weapons circulating globally, 10 million were circulating in Africa while one million circulated in Nigeria.

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), had also said that six million small arms and light weapons were

circulating in the country.

But a report prepared by a research and consultancy group, Beacon Consulting Limited, a member of ASIS International, world’s largest association for security management professionals showed that of the 6.5 million small arms and light weapons circulating in Nigeria, five million were in the hands of non-state actors while 568,000 were in the hands of law-enforcement agencies.

The ONSA said it observed

with concern the proliferation of illegal security outfits.

The statement said the illegal outfits were masquerading and acting as part of the Nigerian security architecture while extorting, harassing and intimidating Nigerians.

It added: “The Office of the National Security Adviser has directed the immediate dismantling of all illegal security outfits and warned against the use of these outfits to extort, harass and intimidate Nigerians.

17 Passengers Feared Killed in Zaria-Kano Expressway Accident Ibrahim ShuaibinKano No fewer than 17 travellers were feared killed in an auto accident at Kauran Wali axis along Zaria-Kano Expressway on Saturday.

The ghastly accident, which claimed the lives of 17 passengers, involved a Hummer Bus belonging to Kano Line with number plate KN90H42, and a private Toyota Rav4 SUV with number plate ABC550NV. The Kaduna State Commissioner

for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the accident in a statement yesterday, said the bus was Kano-bound, while the SUV was headed for Zaria.

He said the accident was a result of a head-on collision between the two vehicles, resulting from dangerous driving and overtaking along a diversion point on the highway.

The Commissioner added that while 10 persons died on the spot,

others died at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika where the accident victims were rushed to.

Aruwan said, “Security agencies have reported that several persons lost their lives in a ghastly road crash along Kauran Wali axis of Zaria-Kano Road.

“The fatal crash occurred in the afternoon of Saturday 5th June 2021 andinvolvedaHummerBusbelonging to Kano Line (KN90H42), and a private Toyota Rav4 SUV (ABC550NV). The

bus was Kano-bound, while the SUV was headed for Zaria.

“According to eye-witness reports, the crash was a head-on collision between the two vehicles, resulting from dangerous driving and overtaking along a diversion point on the highway.

“Over 20 persons were involved in the crash; 10 persons died on the spot and others died later at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika. Those injured remain in the hospital.

Parents: Freed Afaka Students Exhibiting Psychological Disorder John ShiklaminKaduna Parents of the 37 freed students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State have raised the alarm that their children had started exhibiting abnormal psychological behaviours.

Thirty-nine students were abducted when bandits invaded their college close to Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) on the night of March 11, 2021.

Two of the students escaped while they were being whisked into the forest, 10 were released in two batches of five each on April 5th and 7th, respectively while the

remaining 27 regained freedom on 5th May after spending 56 days in the kidnappers’ den.

Parents of the last 27 students, who raised alarm over their children’s state of psychological health yesterday evening, however demanded immediate compensation from the federal government to enable them treat the victims of trauma.

In a statement by its Chairman, Abdullahi Usman, the forum of the Afaka students’ parents said the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), which supervise the College, never carried out any

medical check on the freed students.

The statement reads: “The release of the students ignited hopes that they would immediately be made to go through the very necessary medical check up to ensure their soundness of health, especially to heal them of all terror-inflicted trauma that could negatively affect their normal living.

“The parents of the students had expected the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN) to immediately set a process in motion for such necessary checkup and compensation to

assuage all negative effects of terror they and the children severely suffered.

“However, one month (30 days) after the release of the entire students, most of whom have been exhibiting some abnormal psychological behaviours due to lack proper medical checkup and trauma counselling necessary for their rehabilitation.

“We, the parents have received no inkling of hope from the Ministry or Institute for any compensation over the psychological damage inflicted on the children during their 56 day encounter with terror.

44

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Outrage as Suspected Herdsmen Kill Oyo Community Residents Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan Governors in the South-west and the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams, among others, yesterday expressed

outrage over the killing of no fewer than 11 people in Igangan town, Ibarapa, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State by suspected herdsmen.

While Adams said 50 people were killed, eyewitnesses claimed

Finally, ISWAP Confirms Death of Boko Haram Leader, Shekau The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) militant group said in an audio recording heard by Reuters yesterday that Abubakar Shekau, leader of rival Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram, was dead.

Shekau died around May 18 after detonating an explosive device when he was pursued

by ISWAP fighters following a battle, a person purporting to be ISWAP leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi said on the audio recording.

“Abubakar Shekau, God has judged him by sending him to heaven,” he can be heard saying.

Two people familiar with alBarnawi told Reuters the voice on the recording was that of the ISWAP leader.

A Nigerian intelligence report shared by a government official and Boko Haram researchers had also said Shekau was dead.

Last month, Nigeria’s military said it was investigating Shekau’s alleged death.

The audio statement, first obtained by local media, is ISWAP’s first confirmation that its arch rival in the Lake Chad region has been killed.

Shekau’s death could lead to the end of a violent rivalry between the two groups, enabling Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) to absorb Boko Haram fighters and consolidate its hold on territory in northeastern Nigeria, political analysts said.

That would allow ISWAP to focus its attention on the government and military, whose war efforts are languishing.

Boko Haram’s leader was reported to have been killed on several occasions over the last 12 years, including in announcements by the military, only to later appear in a video post

between 15 and 20 were found dead after the invasion.

THISDAY learnt that the palace of the royal father, Asigangan as well as a popular petroleum station were razed by the attackers, numbering 50, who were said to have invaded the town around 11 pm in more than 20 motorcycles.

This is coming few days after the Chairman of Oyo State Security Network codenamed, Amotekun Corps, Brig. Gen. Kunle Togun (rtd), alleged that foreign Fulani had encamped the entire South-west region and may strike if nothing was done urgently.

While confirming the attack, a former caretaker chairman of the council, Tunji Omolewu, said he had to rush down to the area around 5 am yesterday (Sunday).

“People had barely retired to

bed when they said they sighted motorcycles entering the town.

Before our people could know what was going on, they had started killing people. I got the call around 11 pm. We were on our way from Ekiti where we had gone to do the Yoruba nation rally.

“I got to Ibadan around 12 am and when the calls did not stop coming, I decided to come home. I have counted more than 20 dead bodies. The palace of our monarch was torched. Adolak Filling Station too was burnt. We are assembled here,” he said.

Also, a former caretaker Chairman of neighbouring Ibarapa Central, Yemi Akinlabi, who was on vacation in the United States, said his phone was bombarded with calls.

“It is so sad. Only a few days ago, our people got an intelligence report and forwarded it to the

appropriate quarters for actions but here we are today. Are we going to continue to live in fear in our land? I have spoken to General Togun about last night’s incident and we would want him and his team to do something.

Our people must not be allowed to resort to self-help,” he added.

Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, who confirmed the attack appealed for calm.

Following the incident, the South-west governors have given marching orders to Amotekun Corps to immediately commence joint operations in the region.

The South-west governors, who encouraged security agencies to get to the roots of the attack in Igangan community, have also convoked a joint security meeting of all Amotekun Commanders in the region.

Chairman of the South-west Governors’ Forum and Governor

of Ondo State, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, described the attack on Igangan as horrendous, callous and highly provocative.

He said Nigerians must condemn what he described as an assault on decency and communal harmony.

Akeredolu, in a statement in Akure, reiterated that certain elements were bent on causing friction among Nigerians with the sole aim of achieving a pernicious end.

“They will stop at nothing until their set goal is realised. It is, therefore, incumbent on all lovers of peace and freedom to rise against this current regression into savagery.

“We on our part are resolved to defend our people, their property, and all legitimate means of livelihood against both internal and external aggression. On this, there will be no compromise.”

Yoruba Elders Urge Buhari to Resign over Insecurity, Economy Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to resign, ‘having apparently failed the country’ in the areas of economy and security of lives and property.

The YCE, which spoke through its National Secretary, Dr. Kunle Olajide, in Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State yesterday, said it was glaring that Buhari has been overwhelmed by the parlous state of the economy and unabated insecurity in the country.

Sequel to the foregoing, the YCE scribe urged Buhari to resign and go home to rest.

According to him, “On several occasions I have asked if the family members of President Buhari were around. If he were to be my father, I would have

asked him to resign and go home and rest. This is because the strain and stress of that office in a country that has no institution is telling on him.”

Olajide also insisted that the National Assembly of less than 500 people has no right to foreclose a new constitution in a country of over 200 million people.

YCE noted that in a normal democracy, those elected in office are servants of the people, adding that they do the bidding of people and not their own because they lack the locus to so do.

The Senate had recently said it could not give Nigeria a brand new constitution as demanded by some socio-political and cultural organisations in the country, saying the best it could do is to amend the existing one as it was currently doing.

Delta Police Kill Six Kidnap, Robbery Suspects Omon-Julius OnabuinAsaba Delta State Police Command yesterday said it killed six armed robbery and kidnapping suspects at the weekend when a crack team of the command quick response squad stormed the criminals’ hideout in Issele-Uku/Umunede axis inAniocha Local Government Area of the state.

The state police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the two incidents in Asaba yesterday, said the state Commissioner of Police, Ari Muhammed Ali, has also vowed to continue to pile the pressure on criminals operating in the state until crimes are reduced to the barest minimum.

Edafe said Ali dispatched the joint tactical crack team to the criminals’ hideout at 2.35p.m. last Saturday,

“acting on a tipoff.”

In the ensuing gun duel, “the joint team killed six of the criminals,” while others fled into the bush ostensibly with gunshot injuries, Edafe said.

He said: “One AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, and one AK-47 magazine with 25 live ammunition were recovered during the operation.

Also, last Saturday, at about 9.39p.m., a team from the Delta State Police Command, “while on stop-and-search duty on the PataniBayelsa portion of the East-West Road, intercepted a Toyota Sienna van with registration number: LSR 813 XL’, and arrested the four male occupants of the vehicle after discovering a “locally made Barretta pistol” in the vehicle.

EXPORT PROMOTION…

L-R: Executive Director Business Development, NEXIM Bank, Hon. Stella Okotete; Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Mr. Idris Samaila Nyam; Managing Director, NEXIM Bank, Mr. Abubakar Abba Bello; Executive Secretary, Kaduna Investment Promotion Agency, Mr. Umma Yusuf Aboki, at NEXIM Bank’s Export Enlightenment Forum in Kaduna … weekend.

Onion Marketers Threaten to Stop Supply to Southern Nigeria The Onion Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria has threatened to stop the supply of onions down to the Southern Nigeria from June 7, 2021.

The group said it would carry out the threat if the government

failed to compensate its members who had suffered losses in recent times following attacks in some parts of the country.

President of the association, Mr. Aliyu Umar, made this known to journalists at a press briefing

held yesterday in Sokoto State.

He explained that the government under a committee led by the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello had promised to compensate their members, many of whom suffered huge

losses in Abia, Imo and Oyo states during the #EndSARS and Shasha market crisis.

However, according to him, the promise has not been kept and the members have reportedly lost over 4 billion naira.

Security Operatives Allegedly Attack House of Kanu’s Lawyer Anambra police deny allegation David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Legal counsel to the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, was allegedly attacked in his house in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anmbra State yesterday morning, a group has alleged.

Ejiofor was said to have been attacked by a combined team of security operatives, including soldiers, police, State Security Services (SSS) and Civil Defence

operatives.

The Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman of International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), a rights group, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, raised the alarm over the attack, saying while Ejiofor’s personal assistant was killed, his brother and two other persons in his compound at the time of the attack were abducted by the security operatives.

According to Umeagbalasi, “I called Ejiofor, and I received

updates in the wee hour of this morning invasion of his family house at Oraifite by armed soldiers, police, and DSS and Civil Defence operatives.

“They invaded and laid siege on the house at about 2.30a.m., and left around after 4a.m. The invading security operatives scaled the perimeter fence of the compound after cutting its security cable and shot in different directions.

“The respected human rights lawyer was unable to be tracked

and abducted or shot dead instantly because he was hiding somewhere in his house.

“However, the invading government security operatives did not spare the life of the lawyer’s Personal Assistant, Samuel Uzo Okoro (Biggy), who was shot and killed in the compound. The late Okoro had woken up by the sound of gunshots to find out what was going on when soldiers shot and killed him instantly.

Unicaf University Nominated for the Green Gown Awards The International Green Gown Awards, supported by the UN Environment, recognises the exceptional sustainability initiatives undertaken by universities and colleges worldwide. This week the Green Gown Awards announced Unicaf University’s (UU) nomination for the Sustainable

Institution of the Year 2021, Award.

The prestigious award nomination acknowledges and celebrates the efforts and achievements of UU in the areas of environmental sustainability.

Unicaf University, Unicaf’s partner university, is a pan-African, independent, internationally

recognised institution, offering high-quality academic qualifications.

Unicaf University, a proud member of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF), is well-known for its sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

The university is reshaping the

future of responsible education by delivering its programmes online. Additionally, the values of ethical behaviour, sustainability, and personal contribution are promoted through its campus operations and green initiatives (awareness-raising events, reducing carbon emissions, recycling, and waste management).

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021, ˾ T H I S D AY

45

NEWSXTRA

NDLEA Intercepts 37.3kg Cocaine, Others at Lagos Airport Michael Olugbode in Abuja The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the weekend nabbed drug traffickers who tried to either import into Nigeria or export to the United Kingdom and Italy illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis weighing 37.3kilogrammes.

The drugs were also intercepted and seized in five different bids while seven persons were arrested.

The first attempt to bring into Nigeria 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.150kg was made by Agudozie Peter

Ihie on 25th May, 2021, but was arrested during inward security clearance of passengers on Qatar airline from Kenya, at the E-arrival hall of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

At the point of arrest, he was found in possession 36 pellets of cocaine concealed in his pants. While under observation, he excreted additional 40 pellets. During preliminary interrogation, he confessed to have swallowed the drugs in Nairobi but became pressed during the transit period in Doha and excreted some wraps

onboard the aircraft en route Lagos.

Barely two hours after the arrest of Agudozie Peter Ihie for cocaine ingestion, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport also intercepted 4.2 kilograms of heroin bound for Italy. Two freight forwarders have been arrested in connection to the seizure. During preliminary interview, one of the suspects stated that the consignment belongs to one of his customers based in Italy, and that it was sent to him from Benin, Edo state through a transport company.

Family of Slain Germany-based Unachukwu Demands Justice Amby UnezeinOwerri The family of slain Germany-based Nigerian, Mr. Oguchi Unachukwu, who was gruesomely murdered on May 31, 2021, at a checkpoint at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State, by a suspected Air force officer, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abutu Yaro, to investigate the murder and bring the culprit to justice.

In a petition signed by the counsel to the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Ijeoma Unachukwu, Ihediohanma Akponye, he explained the graphic

picture of how the deceased met his untimely death while driving with his wife and two children to catch a flight to Lagos at about 8.40a.m. on that fateful day enroute to his base in Germany through Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Akponye stated that the late Unachukwu had lived in Germany for over 20 years and only visited home to be with his family. He was scheduled to fly back to Hamburg, Germany, through Muritala Muhammed InternationalAirport in Lagos on May 31, 2021, when he was murdered on his way to the Imo State airport.

According to the lawyer, before getting to the aAirport checkpoint, our client (Mrs. Unachukwu) with the family met and passed over three other military and police checkpoints where they calmly identified themselves and explained their mission to the airport to catch a flight to Lagos.

“When they got to the airport checkpoint of the Air Force, our client’s husband stopped for a check and cleared his car, only for the air force officer to open fire on him in front of his wife and children, and was killed by the bullets that hit his forehead.

46

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

House Kicks against Return to 1963 Constitution, Says It’s Archaic Udora Orizu inAbuja The House of Representatives has kicked against the possibility of enacting a new Constitution or re-enacting the 1963 Constitution also known as the Republican Constitution for Nigeria.

The lawmakers argued that there was no going back on the ongoing amendments to the 1999 Constitution.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, in an electronic interview with journalists yesterday, described the Republican Constitution as archaic.

Kalu insisted that the 1963 Constitution had lost its merits when applied to the current realities in the country.

Kalu, in response to the calls by regional, socio-political and cultural

groups for the abolition of the 1999 Constitution and a return to the Republican Constitution, noted that the 1963 Constitution was widely credited as “representing the basic understanding and agreement upon which Nigeria’s various ethnicities

and regions came together to form the federation called Nigeria shortly after independence.”

Kalu said, “Despite these merits of the 1963 Constitution, Nigerians must acknowledge that law is made for man and not man for

the law. The 1963 Constitution was ideal for a Nigeria that had just attained its independence and was still asserting its sovereignty and freedom from British colonial influence.

“Our country, and indeed

the world, has evolved from the prevailing circumstances of 58 years ago and as such, we must focus on improving the current constitution rather than adopting a 6-decade old constitution.

Falana, Others Brainstorm on Improved Policing System Sunday Okobi Worried by the worsening security challenges in the country, eminent Nigerians, including human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN); former Director of Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Mike Ejiofor, and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Badewole, at the weekend, brainstormed on how to improve the performance of the Nigeria Police to better secure lives and property of Nigerians at these trying times.

Speaking on the theme: ‘21st Century Policing, Intelligence and Crisis Management, at a conference organised by the Police Eminent Persons Forum (PEPF) in Lagos, Falana submitted that the Nigerian state is “moving inexorably to the precipice.”

He warned that if nothing is done quickly, a “full-blown war” might break out, citing the crises in all parts of the country, especially the declared “war” against members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-east region.

Referencing the altercation between the government and the agitators, the Lagos-based legal practitioner argued that

by virtue of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the President could only declare a state of emergency after getting approval of both chambers of the National Assembly on the transmission to them.

He cautioned against dismissing those calling for secession, advising instead that they must be fully engaged as “the duty of government is to talk to them and not to look down on them.”

Falana held that history was deliberately obliterated from the curriculum to weaken the knowledge base of new generations on the chequered journey of the most populous black nation on earth.

On policing the SAN, who deplored the absence of the police hierarchy at the event, maintained that intelligence gathering was key, pointing out that the inappropriate posting of officers was defeating the effort.

Falana canvassed a force that is disposed to the protection of human rights guaranteed by extent legislations like the Antitorture Act 2017 and the Police Establishment Act 2020.

PROMOTING LOCAL CONTENT…

L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi K. Wabote; Senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial district, Senator Biobarakuma Degi; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva; and Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Mr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, at the opening session of the African Local Content Roundtable, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State…weekend

Samsung Heavy Industries Attains 2,000 Days of No Lost Time Injuries Peter Uzoho Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria has announced that it has reached a significant health and safety milestone of 2,000 days with no lost time injuries (LTI) at its subsidiary SHI-MCI, Africa’s largest ship fabrication and integration yard located in Lagos.

Given the risks associated with shipbuilding, safety has remained the top priority at Samsung Heavy Industries.

Its subsidiary SHI-MCI had in 2019, celebrated 1,200 days with no LTI, and this latest celebration of 2,000 days without LTI would not have been possible if any major

Anti-corruption Group Demands Details of N9.4bn Digital Expenditure The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has been asked to release details of expenditure on payment to key Digital Switch Over, (DSO) stakeholders.

In a letter addressed to the minister last week, Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption, (CSNAC), asked the minister to make available to the public how the N9.4billion funds released to the stakeholders was spent.

The letter with the caption “Request for information on the N9.4b approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Pursuant

to the Freedom of Information Act (FOI ACT 2011)” was sent to the Minister last Monday In March 2021, during the unveiling of the 13 – member Ministerial Task Force on Digital Switch Over (DSO), Mohammed had reportedly announced that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of N9.4 billion as outstanding payment to key Digital Switch Over (DSO) stakeholders.

CSNAC in the letter signed by its Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju said the minister has immediate obligation to make public how the funds were expended.

The request by CSNAC was

hinged on legal framework of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2021 which mandates public access to vital information.

The CSNAC has some 140 affiliate members spread across Nigeria representing the country’s most formidable anti-corruption network and by far one of the most influential in Africa.

“Nigerians have the right to know how the funds were spent.

We are making the request in the overall public interest and in line with transparency and accountability in public administration” Suraju said in the letter.

Insecurity: Rotary Takes Sensitisation Efforts to Schools Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja Rotary Club at Gwarimpa, Abuja, at the weekend took its peace-building efforts to secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in a bid to sensitise young people on the need to embrace peace irrespective of their ethnic or religious differences.

The event tagged: ‘Rotary Joint Youth Peace Summi’, which took the international humanitarian organisation to Gwarinpa Estate

Junior Secondary School, was jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Gwarinpa Abuja and the Rotary Club of Gwarinpa Newage.

The body stated that the event was in line with one of the Rotary International’s areas of focus, which it said is peace-building and conflict resolution, with the sub-theme: ‘Catching Them Young’.

It stated that the summit was aimed at inculcating good morals as well as to highlight

the importance of peace and harmonious living in the future leaders represented by the young people.

During the event, which also witnessed the presence of teachers and management of the school, the group also made presentations to the students, including granting scholarship to a few students in JSS3 for their term and examination fees through the President, Constance Okeke.

injury was inflicted to employees.

According to a statement by the company, it recorded the 2,000 days without LTI on June 4, 2021.

This achievement, according to the company, was reflective of SHIN’s intense focus on ensuring the health and safety of its entire workforce through significant investment in training and oversight.

The ship-building industry is potentially a very dangerous one with heavy machinery in operation, explosive gases used for welding and high temperatures in enclosed spaces.

This means that there are many challenges to ensuring the health and safety of a large and diverse

workforce.

Commenting on the achievement, Senior Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager of Samsung Heavy Industries, Nigeria, Mr. Bala Adjuya, said: “At Samsung Heavy Industries, Nigeria, one of our main focuses is the health and safety of everyone.

“We prioritise the importance of our staff, partners and stakeholders getting home safely every day.

“We do this by using the highest standard of protective equipment and safety measures at work daily.

Every life is valued and given the upmost priority, this is why SHIN take health and safety very seriously,” Adjuya explained.

Adjuya added that the company ensures the extensive training of all employees.

According to him, all visitors and contractors at SHI-MCI’s sites are given the safety requirements and the right equipment to attend to the daily tasks at work.

“This industry is one of the most dangerous as we use heavy machineries, dangerous gases and chemicals in our various areas of work at our facility. With the rigorous training and awareness programmes laid out by Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, these risks have been severely reduced and the facility remains one of the safest in the country,” he explained.

47

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2021 ˾ THISDAY

MONDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Okagbare Emerges Second at FBK Games in the Netherlands Duro Ikhazuagbe Africa’s fastest woman, Blessing Okagbare, emerged second in the 100m event at the FBK Games in the Netherlands at the weekend.

She clocked 11.02 second

to finish second behind Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith who won the women’s 100m at the FBK Games in the Netherlands with a season’s best time of 10.92.

Two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran

NPFL: Kano Pillars Displace Akwa Utd at the Summit Kano Pillars achieve a positive result against Enyimba to displace Akwa United at the summit, just as Kwara United leap two steps to third, pushing Nasarawa United to fourth on the log.

Lobi Stars and Plateau United record away wins to be eighth and ninth respectively on the log, while Warri Wolves escape from the relegation zone where Wikki Tourists descend into to join FC IfeanyiUbah, Sunshine Stars and Adamawa United.

Pillars top the standings with 48 points from 25 games.

Akwa United dropped to second position after they battled to a 2-2 draw against Wikki Tourists at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.

Elsewhere, Kwara United continued their title push following a 3-0 thrashing of Jigawa Golden Stars in Ilorin.

Plateau United and Lobi Stars recorded away wins against Adamawa United and Dakkada FC. In the oriental derby, Abia Warriors and FC Ifeanyiubah battled to a 1-1 draw at the Okigwe Township.

The game between Heartland and Rivers United ended in a 2-2 draw.

At the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina United boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Nasarawa United.

RESULTS Kano Pillars 2-1 Enyimba Adamawa 0-2 Plateau Utd Kwara Utd 3-0 Jigawa GS Abia Warriors 1-1 IfeanyiUbah Dakkada. 0-1 Lobi Stars Wikki 2-2 Akwa Utd Heartland 2-2 Rivers Utd Warri Wolves 2-1 Sunshine Katsina 2-1 Nasarawa

HiFL: UNIBEN Royals Tackle UNICAL Malabites in Round of 16 Pace Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited, the organisers of the Higher Institutions Football League (HiFL) have released the draws for the Round of 16 games at an event held in Lagos at the weekend.

The games are scheduled to hold between June and September 2021.

In week 1, AAUA Luminaries will play OAU Giants in Ondo, FUTA Tigers will tackle UNILAG Marines in Akure, LAUTECH Hunters will attempt to hunt down the FUTMINNA Transformers in Ogbomoso while KSU Steelers engages UNILORIN Warriors.

For the Week 2 games, UNIBEN Royals will play defending champion UNICAL Malabites, IAUE Minders will tackle UNN Lions in Port Harcourt, ABU Nobles will

confront UAM Tillers in Zaria while BUK Stallions slugs it out with UNIMAID Desert Warriors in Kano.

Speaking at the draws, Director, PACE Sports and Entertainment Marketing Limited, Sola Fijabi acknowledged the efforts of all participating schools and encouraged them to maintain their sportsmanlike conduct as the games go on.

“We are now at a very exciting stage of the league. What was witnessed during the qualifiers was the tip of the iceberg. The schools are ready and what we assured lovers of collegiate sports is double excitement. We appreciate the support of NUGA and our sponsors Nivea Men and Minimie for their trust in HiFL and as we deliver value to all our stakeholders” Fijabi said.

L-R: Chairman, Planning Committee of the African Children Talent Discovery Foundation (ACTDF) Daniel Amokachi; Founder, ACTDF, Engr Noah Dallaji; and Project Coordinator, Emmanuel Babayaro, during the press conference heralding the ACTDF office in Abuja ..recently

the second-best time in history on Saturday- 10.63 seconds.

And world silver medallist Asher-Smith, 26, responded in Hengelo with an Olympic qualifying time.

Okagbare (11.02) was second with Britain’s Daryll Neita, 24, third in a personal best of 11.04.

Just last week, Okagbare who is seven-time Nigeria 100m champion ran 10.98 seconds to win the P-T-S Athletics Meet in Bratislava, Slovakia and in the process smashed the 11.09 seconds meeting record set in June 1983

by Czech Republic woman, Jarmila Kratochvílová.

Neita’s time is also inside the Olympic qualification mark of 11.15.

The British Athletics Championships take place on 25-27 June at Sportcity, Manchester where athletes who have already achieved the Olympic qualifying standard can confirm their places at Tokyo 2020.

There was a British one-twothree in the women’s 800m, as Jemma Reekie won in a time of 2:00.77, ahead of Laura Muir (2:00.95) and Ellie Baker (2:01.02).

Jake Wightman, 26, also ran a qualifying time for Tokyo as the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist pulled clear on the back straight bend to win the men’s 1500m in 3:34.67, ahead of Kenya’s Abel Kipsang (3:35.63).

Laviai Nielsen, 25, claimed second in the women’s 400m in 51.44, her fastest time since

2019, while Belgium’s Cynthia Bolingo won in 51.16.

Laviai’s twin sister Lina was sixth in the 400m hurdles (55.76), won by Femke Bol uiof

the Netherlands in 54.33.

In the men’s 800m, Poland’s Mateusz Borkowski (1:47.02) beat France’s Benjamin Robert (1:47.15) and Elliot Giles

(1:47.22), who finished just ahead of his British team-mates Daniel Rowden (1:47.24) and Kyle Langford (1:47.60).

Blessing Okagbare...finished second at the event in The Hollands

Omeruo’s CD Leganes Fail to Return to La Liga from Playoffs Kenneth Omeruo’s CD Leganes will stay at least another season in the Spanish lower league after they fell 5-1 on aggregate to Rayo Vallecano in the semifinal of La Liga promotion playoffs.

Leganes lost 2-1 last night in the return leg of the playoffs at home and so could not overturn a 3-0 defeat they suffered at local rivals Rayo on Thursday.

Omeruo played the full game yesterday after he

was only an unused sub in the first leg.

His Madrid club were relegated from La Liga the previous season.

Fellow Nigeria star, Sadiq Umar, also saw his club UD Almeria fail to reach the final of the promotion playoffs after they lost 3-0 on aggregate to Girona Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Umar has received “a very tempting” offer

by La Liga club Valencia after

his club UD Almeria crashed out in the promotion playoffs to Girona.

A source close to the striker, who netted 20 goals in the Spanish Segunda Division this past season, informed SCORENigeria: “Valencia are in the forefront to sign Sadiq.

“They have made a mouthwatering offer to him.”

Almeria finished fourth in La Liga 2 but fell 3-0 on aggregate to Girona in the promotion playoffs

semifinal.

The former Nigeria U23 star has been linked with several top clubs in Spain and beyond on the back of his goals for ambitious Almeria.

However, he still has a contract till June 2025 after Almeria paid five Million Euros to sign him from Serbian club Partizan in October 2020.

His transfer market value is now put at eight Million Euros.

Noah Dallaji Talent Hunt to Begin June 26 in Bauchi The second edition of the African Children Talent Discovery Foundation’s (ACTDF) talent hunt and mentoring programme is scheduled to hold between 26th and 27th in Bauchi, Bauchi State.

Tagged Engr. Noah Dallaji Legacy Project, the talent hunt covers football, music, entertainment and the arts in general.

However, this year’s edition would feature football where young talents between ages 16 and 18 would be discovered and mentored by big names who are legends in Nigeria’s soccer history.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja at the weekend where preparations and modalities for the event were unveiled, Chairman of the foundation, Engr. Noah

Dallaji, said the programme was in furtherance of ACTDF’s vision and mission to discover and develop Nigerian talents to solve some of the challenges of insecurity, social ills and consequently development of the country.

He harped on the need to develop the youths by enabling them to discover their talents and thus become useful to themselves, their families and the nation at large.

According to him, “it is important to develop the natural talent in order to maximize opportunities for a purposeful life.”

He stated: “So this is what we have been doing to see how we can fill the gap of opportunities for the young ones in the country to make impact and be useful to themselves, their communities

and the society at large.

“Every man has something in him that can be activated and be useful in life. Believe me, no one has that ability except you but this has to first be discovered and developed and truly nurtured.

“Every man born of woman, nature, has never given birth to failure. I believe we did not come to this world to be spectators rather we have come to participate in the affairs of the world. So you must try and discover why you came into this world. And immediately that happens, we begin to be useful not only to ourselves but for the greater good of society”.

Dallaji said the Legacy project will continue to progress as an annual event, noting that this year’s edition was initially planned to incorporate such

soccer greats like Ronaldo de Lima, David Beckham and Jose Mourinho but was affected by the Covid-19 restrictions while assuring that the next edition would be bigger in size including caliber of soccer legends who will participate.

He assured that arrangements were being made to ensure a water tight security for a hitch-free event.

Project Coordinator, Emmanuel Babayaro, who also spoke on the preparations, said the event proper would be preceded by an open selection process where the selected talents would be camped and mentored by the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Eguavoen and others including El Hadji Diouf of Senegal and Stephen Appiah of Ghana.

Monday June 7, 2021

Book Your COVID-19 Tests & Vaccinations TEXT

‘COVID’ TO 58123

This service is provided in association with accredited service providers

TR

UT H

& RE A SO

N

Price: N250

MISSILE

Ozekhome to Malami “How I wish that Malami’s APC government, has displayed such alacrity and sense of urgency on the grave insecurity challenges of the country; the parlous economy and the mounting corruption ravaging our land.”

– Rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, berating the AGF, Abubakar Malami’s swift response to prosecute violators of Twitter ban in Nigeria.

ALEXOTTI OUTSIDE THE BOX

alex.otti@thisdaylive.com

Nigeria: Between Discussion and Destruction “Bombs kill terrorists, Books kill terrorism.

Missiles kill extremists, Mindfulness kills extremism. Guns kill supremacists, Goodness kills supremacy.

Law restrains cruel people, Love reforms cruelty. Sarin cripples the malicious, Service cures malice. C4 impairs the prejudiced, Curiosity treats prejudice.

Violence can be revolution no more.

For all degradation kindness is the cure.”

–Abhijit Naskar.

‘To jaw jaw is always better than to war war’ –Winston Churchill

N

igeria has always been a country that seems to move from one existential challenge to another. Sadly, these challenges are mostly self-inflicted and man-made, and they are often completely avoidable.

From the Amalgamation in 1914, which people blame for the continued woes of Nigeria, the struggle for independence and its eventual grant in 1960 and the declaration of a Republic in 1963, it has always been one conflict or another. Some of the notable events are the military incursion in politics in 1966, the declaration of civil war in 1967, which ended in 1970. There was also the civilian rule from 1979 to 1983, several coups in between till 1999 when civilian rule was finally restored. In the wake of all these, it has been one contentious issue after another. Other than the civil war era, no period had been more challenging to the corporate existence of Nigeria, than now. Boko Haram started like a joke in 2002 in relatively far away Maiduguri.

Not many people paid serious attention to the crisis until it became a full-fledged conflagration engulfing states in the North East. The sect has wreaked havoc on the otherwise hapless citizens and thousands have been killed and many more have been injured and displaced. They claim to be fighting to dethrone the government and institute an Islamic State in the country.

While that imbroglio was on, herders armed with AK47 have been causing mayhem in the North Central and Southern parts of the country.

They enter the bushes in the excuse of grazing their cows and not only sack farmers but are also known to kidnap, kill, rape, and alienate their victims from their lands. There have been allegations of complicity by the security officers as the perpetrators of these crimes are hardly apprehended or prosecuted. As if these were not bad enough, banditry and insurgency have grown in occurrence and have frankly, assumed a life of their own. Traveling by road has become one of the deadliest risks for anyone to take in many parts of the country. There are numerous stories of this category of criminals taking over highways and killing, maiming and kidnapping victims at will for ransom. The unresolved issue of the Chibok girls who were abducted in 2014, remains a major turning point in terrorism and criminality in the country. In the mid-2000s, kidnapping was introduced in the country by the Niger Delta militants. After the amnesty and rehabilitation programme by the government, this vocation died down, only to assume a very dangerous dimension lately.

In the South East, other than isolated cases of banditry and other crimes, the rising incidence of attacks by “unknown gunmen” seems to have overshadowed every other crime. The hotbed of these attacks has been Imo State, with Ebonyi, Abia and Anambra States rapidly following.

These gunmen attack police stations, correctional facilities, INEC offices and other government agencies, killing, maiming and sacking workers and releasing prisoners. They have even attacked

Buhari a few private properties, setting them ablaze in their rage. Because no one has been apprehended, it has not been easy to identify the motive or objectives for the attack nor the identity of the attackers themselves. The military and other security agencies have stepped in and the tales from the South East about how people are brutally treated and sometimes killed without any tangible reason by security agencies have made people begin to avoid the area.

While insecurity has dominated our current national discourse, another challenge seems to be taking over from another flank. This is the consequential ethnic conflagration in different parts of the country. It must be stated that ethnic disagreements are as old as the country itself.

The Civil war itself had an ethnic coloration and the human toll was recorded among a particular part of the country. However, the country has managed to remain together in spite of these harrowing conflicts. The rhetoric coming from the different major ethnic groups seems to suggest that everyone wants to go on their own separate way. Ethnic militias, which had been hitherto latent or non-existent, have found their voices and new impetus. Some of them are claiming responsibility for attacks that they may know nothing about.

Others are being blamed for attacks which they may as well not be involved in. People at different fora are talking tough and threatening hell and brimstone. It does not matter if they are influenced and motivated by Fake News and products of propaganda and disinformation.

People no longer feel safe along the road or even in their homes. Some people are resorting to what a man of God referred to as ‘Plan B as airports are filled with countrymen and women, who want to ‘check out’ like the Andrew of those days. There are palpable anger and fear in the land!

The reasons for the persisting anger can be understood from the contradictions in the polity.

They can be categorised as political, structural and economic contradictions. On the political front is the management of our diversity. With a landmass of 923,000 square kilometres, over 300 languages, different religions and unequal income distribution, Nigeria is a classical model of a diverse society.

There is a strong and plausible argument that the present government has not managed our diversity properly resulting in lopsided appointments and marginalisation and domination of some sections of the country. Even though there is no evidence that sections of the country that have dominated political power have fared any better,

for the sake of equity and fairness, a deliberate rebalancing and sharing of power will certainly help to de-escalate the tension.

Before the 2015 general election, the Government of President Goodluck Jonathan received the report of the Constitutional Conference which it had set up. The report could not progress to the National assembly to be passed into law.

That report attempted to suggest some form of restructuring that would have addressed some of the sore points of the 1999 constitution. Even though some of us disagree with the suggestion of creating additional states, there was the strong point of enshrining in the constitution, the equality of the component parts of the country. We had argued, and continue to argue, that legislating away the states and its expensive structure would serve us better than the multiplicity of states. We need to divide the country into a maximum of 6 regions, granting each of them autonomy and having them compete like was done in the past while taxes are paid to the centre.

Some have advocated a return to the 1963 constitution which, we are told, worked relatively well for the nation. Whatever structure we choose, one thing that is agreed is that the 1999 constitution was not the people’s constitution. We therefore align with the view that this National Assembly, which has the mandate of the people, should draw up a new constitution that would work for us. We deserve a constitution which, when it says, “We, the People...” would not be denied by the people. Even if the National Assembly does not achieve any other thing within the remaining two years available to it, it will do the nation a lot of good by giving it a new, and truly the peoples’ constitution. The new constitution should address federalism both in terms of its fiscal and structural perspectives. It must replace a strong, almost unitary centre, which we currently operate, with a much trimmer, weaker but more efficient, centre. Some of the key considerations should be how to make policing a regional affair, create a unicameral legislature with much fewer members who would drastically reduce the drain, the current structure and size has constituted on the resources and move more power and governance to the regions. Regions should be at liberty to create their own local governments as they deem fit.

This is amongst several other recommendations we had made on this column in the past (refer to “Massive Government, Miserable Populace” April 24, 2021). We must state without any fear of contradiction, that one of the anger points in the polity is that the political class seems to have cornered the wealth of the country for themselves to the detriment of the populace. We have held the view that politics should not be a profession.

It is a misnomer for someone to introduce himself as a politician. In many cases, our “politicians” do not have any other jobs. They have seen politics as a place to make money rather than where to contribute towards uplifting society with the skills they have acquired elsewhere. Any wonder why the recycling just for the sake of being in the corridors of power. Reference is made of a former governor who accepted a transitional local government chairmanship role from a sitting governor recently. We must make political offices unattractive to job seekers in favour of accomplished solution and service providers.

The economic angle to the anger is what we consider the most potent in this essay. A fortnight ago, we discussed unemployment and insisted that the very high level of unemployment is significantly responsible for the insurgency in the country. The argument is that a country that has more than 33% unemployment rate as against the allowable 4% rate, is preparing a large army for recruitment into crime. This figure is exacerbated

by close to 90m Nigerians who are trapped and living in poverty. These are people who must find a way to feed and survive, whatever it takes. It is the responsibility of government at all levels to ensure that these numbers are reduced to the barest minimum, and we made recommendations in the column under reference.

While the government is looking at these, it must also not lose sight of the more than 16m out-ofschool children in the country. These are potential time bombs that will invariably detonate in a few years’ time and will be available to enroll in less than noble callings with dastardly consequences.

Meanwhile, inflation is roaring at about 20% and exchange rate pressure is not abating.

There is also the issue of revenue generation and allocation which straddles the political and the economic. To the extent that we do not generate enough revenue and the fact that we enmesh ourselves in debt, spending what we do not have, we will continue to have a growing pool of angry people. The anger begins to boil over when we realise that over 70% of our fiscal allocation goes to servicing less than 1% of the populace who are in government while less than 30% goes to the rest of us. Even if they do not understand the numbers, the ordinary people see the lifestyle of those that are supposed to represent them. They knew what they looked like when they were canvassing for votes and 4 years down the line, they can compare and contrast. They can tell when their money is no longer complete. They can tell when the roads, water, electricity and other amenities promised them are not delivered! Even when it looks like they cannot do anything about it, they can at least know who is responsible for their state and would be justifiably angry.

Given the level of anger in the land what should government be doing at this time? One of the things not to do is to do nothing. Just like John F. Kennedy said, “the mere absence of war is not peace”. People may have endured all these in the past, but it does not indicate that they are happy. This, to my mind, is an opportunity for those in power to quickly engage the populace and listen to them. This is the whole essence of democracy. Even when people are seeking self-determination, which, by the way is their fundamental right, the government of the day should not be tired of engaging them. Quebec in Canada has been seeking self-determination for decades. Twice, Canada had held a referendum for them and twice, majority of the people have voted to remain as part of Canada. It is clear evidence that agitation for a referendum does not mean that it would gain majority vote. Today, the major ethnic nationalities in the country are yearning for one form of autonomy or another.

Government must understand this in the context of the anger in the land supported by hunger and violence. We encourage the government to robustly engage the leaders of these groups and discuss genuinely and frankly. We believe we can always find common grounds to coexist.

This is definitely not the time to talk tough or beat the drums of war. The truth is that no part of this country can fight a war that would leave it better than it was. The beneficiaries would be the Russians who make AK47 and other countries that would jostle to sell weapons to all the sides. The losers would be the people who have no ‘Plan B’ and would exist in the theatre of war and the country, which is not producing much, not to talk of ammunition.

At the end of the destruction and carnage, the survivors, if any, would still gather at the negotiation table to discuss. So why not hold that discussion now? Should you be in doubt, ask Rwanda, still doubting, contact Somalia!

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja .

All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com