TUESDAY 7TH JULY 2020

FG Restates Ban on Ministers, Govs’ Aides as Airports Reopen Unveils guidelines for elections under COVID-19 WAEC exams kick off on Aug 4 Olawale Ajmotokan and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja The federal government yesterday restated the restriction imposed on aides of

state governors, judges, senior military officers and members of the National Assembly from accessing the VIP zone at the nation's airports as domestic flights resume tomorrow.

On resumption, airlines will also not serve food during flights.

Besides, the federal government rolled out new guidelines on how to conduct

elections in COVID-19 era, banning political rallies to canvass for votes.

The federal government also announced that the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC)

examination will hold from August 4 to September 5.

Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19's press conference yesterday in

Abuja, said the ban on aides of governors, ministers and others from accessing VIP zone in airports and the decision to Continued on page 8

FG Grants Broadcast Stations 60% Debt Rebate...Page 6 Tuesday 7 July, 2020 Vol 25. No 9220. Price: N250

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Hunter is Hunted, Presidential Panel Investigates Magu PDP asks EFCC boss to step aside Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Kingsley Nweze and Chuks Okocha in Abuja The hunter turned the hunted yesterday as security operatives intercepted the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and took him to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for interrogation by a presidential panel investigating sundry allegations of wrongdoing against him.

Accounts of how Magu got to the seat of power yesterday differed. While one said he was flagged down by security agents as he drove out of his Wuse II Annex Office and shepherded to the Villa, another said he was invited to face the panel.

Anyway, Magu was still with the panel at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House at press time.

Magu's grilling by the Continued on page 8

We Will Send Wike to Isolation Centre, Says Ganduje PDP: You have no moral integrity Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday hinted at what the electioneering for the September 19 Edo State governorship election would look like when both traded

hot words.

While the Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for the state, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje, promised to dismantle alleged PDP’s rigging machine and send the Chairman of its campaign council, Rivers State Governor

SET FOR BATTLE...

L-R: Governors Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Mohamadu Inuwa (Gombe), during the inauguration of All Progressives Congress’ National Campaign Council for Edo State governorship election in Abuja… enock reuben Continued on page 8 yesterday

CBN Debits 20 Banks N118bn for Default on CRR, LDR... Page 5

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NEWS

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

CBN Debits 20 Banks N118bn for Default on CRR, LDR Obinna Chima The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has withdrawn a total of N118 billion from the accounts of some banks for falling short of the cash reserve requirement (CRR) as well as the stipulated loan to deposit ratio (LDR), THISDAY learnt yesterday.

A bank treasurer told THISDAY that about 20 commercial banks were affected.

“The accounts of about

20 banks were debited on Friday. The CBN does weekly maintenance and once any bank is not meeting up with the stipulated CRR and LDR, it sterilises their cash,” the source stated.

This is also part of the CBN’s liquidity management process as well as efforts to prevent banks with excess naira liquidity from forex speculation, the source added.

Liquidity management involves the supply or withdrawal from the market

FG to Close Third Mainland Bridge for Six Months Bennett Oghifo The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Olukayode Popoola, has said the federal government will close the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos to traffic for six months, beginning from July 24 to enable the government to undertake maintenance work on the surface.

Popoola, however, told THISDAY yesterday that details of the repair work would be announced later.

Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is yet to provide traffic control plans, as was the case in the past when the bridge was shut for rehabilitation.

The controller told the FRSC that a meeting of stakeholders would be called soon, according to Corps Public Education Officer at the National Headquarters (RSHQ) Abuja, Mr. Bisi Kazeem.

Popoola also told the

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), “We want to do maintenance work on Third Mainland Bridge very soon.

Most likely on the 24th (of July), we may close it from the 24th of July.

“We are still working out the modalities and when we perfect the traffic management plan we will move to the site.

“Everything being expected for the repairs of the bridge has arrived in the country and that is why we want to start the repairs now.”

The 11.8km Third Mainland Bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the LagosIbadan Expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

It was closed to traffic in August 2018 for investigation and other maintenance works had been done in the past to strengthen the joints on the bed.

NEITI Seeks Abolition of Excess Crude Account Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday called on the federal government to immediately abolish the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and transfer the balance to the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

The agency noted that one of the challenges towards Nigeria achieving and maintaining a healthy oil savings fund, was constitutional constraints, as well as the difficulty in achieving centralised savings in a regime of fiscal federalism as represented by the ECA. NEITI made the call in its latest policy brief, titled: “Insulating Nigeria from Perennial Oil Price Volatility,” in which it urged the government to adopt sustainable strategies for robust fiscal cover for the Nigerian economy during periods of cyclical oil price shocks.

It recommended that Section

162 (1) of the 1999 Constitution should be amended to mandatorily allow for part of the oil earnings to be saved, adding that the 0.5 per cent stabilisation fund and the ECA should be terminated.

“The Oil Price-based Fiscal Rule (OPFR) where revenue in excess of oil price benchmark is saved should be abolished and replaced with mandatory savings of a percentage of daily oil production.

“This will remove the constant political jousting about oil benchmark price and quantity,” the policy brief said.

It added that when proceeds from the percentage of daily oil production are transferred to the NSIA, the funds should be invested in convertible instruments while the NSIA’s stabilisation fund should be increased from 20 per cent to 40 per cent and dividends from its earnings shared every year.

According to the brief, Continued on page 9

the amount of liquidity consistent with a desired level of short-term interest rates or reserve money.

The central bank last week adjusted the exchange rate at the Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) to N380/$1. The rate was formerly N360/$1.

CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, recently said there was “ample liquidity buffers for the sector, even with the over N10 trillion maintained today in the cash reserve balances of the CBN.” According to Emefiele,

there has been strong growth in the sector as a result of the central bank’s policy.

“Under our loan to deposit ratio (LDR) policy, total gross credit increased over N3 trillion to about N15.5 trillion at the end of May 2019, to about N18.6 trillion as at the end of April 2020.

The credit growth was largely recorded in manufacturing, consumer credit, general commerce, information and communication, and agriculture. And of course, we also saw interest coming from borrowers because of

reduced lending rate,” he had said.

He added that the industry’s capital adequacy ratio stood at 14.9 per cent as at April 2020, from about 14.5 per cent at the end of December 2019, whereas the minimum amount expected is 10 per cent.

“Non-performing loans (NPLs) is slightly above five per cent, with a minimum threshold standing at about 6.6 per cent as of April 2020.

But, compared to 11 per cent as of April 2019, we think that is a very good position

and we are determined to ensure that everything is done to continue bringing down the NPLs. “Liquidity ratio of the industry was about 38.4 per cent as of April 2020, from about 45 per cent as at December 2019. With the expected minimum being 30 per cent, then we think 38.4 per cent is good enough, given the fact that we are putting in place policies that would encourage banks to lend. The sector is showing strong growth,” he had stated.

FIGHT AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE… L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Bisi, and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief Moji Fafure, during the presentation of an annual report on the management of gender-based violence and the State GBV Strategic Plan (2020- 2022) to the governor in Ado-Ekiti…yesterday

Ondo SSG Resigns, Akeredolu Appoints Replacement Gov tests negative for COVID-19 James Sowole in Akure Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday named Mr. Tayo Oluwatuyi as the new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to replace Mr. Ifedayo Abegunde who resigned from his appointment.

Also, barely a week after he announced that he tested positive for COVID-19, Akeredolu yesterday said he had tested negative for the virus.

Abegunde was rumoured to be working with the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Agboola Ajayi, on how to realise his governorship ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abegunde had confirmed the news of his resignation in a telephone interview yesterday.

"Yes it is true, I have

resigned my appointment as Ondo State SSG this morning; it is true my brother," he said.

He said he would, within the next 24 hours, announce his political plan.

However, shortly after Abegunde's resignation was made public, the governor announced Oluwatuyi as his replacement.

Oluwatuyi was until his elevation the Commissioner for Natural Resources.

Similarly, Akeredolu has also nominated Mr. Idowu Otetubi, who is also an indigene of Akure South Local Government Area as a commissioner.

Otetubi, a chartered accountant and politician, is a former factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Akeredolu also yesterday said he had tested negative for COVID-19, barely one week after he tested positive.

The governor announced

his status while addressing the people at a weekly briefing on the COVID-19 and other matters in the state.

Akeredolu, who went through home management while in isolation, said for some days, his samples were taken and tested again in accordance with the treatment protocols of COVID-19 and the results came in negative.

Akeredolu said: "Those days in isolation were defining period for me. They convinced me further of the right track we have chosen to mobilise our people against the deadly pandemic.

"One lesson, which ought to be clear to all of us with the recent events, is that COVID-19 is real.

"It is also a resounding message that it is deadly, willing and able to wreak the greatest havoc on individuals and families, indeed our entire society, if permitted."

Akeredolu said as a mark of honour for the late Commissioner for Health, Dr. Wahab Adegbenro, who until his death was the Chairman of the State Inter-ministerial Committee on COVID-19, he had not appointed a new commissioner for the health ministry.

According to him, he only appointed the Special Adviser on Health, Dr. Jibayo Adeyeye, to supervise the ministry until further notice.

Akeredolu appealed to the people to take the fight against COVID-19 seriously.

Lamenting the increasing number of infected persons in the state, Akeredolu said the Infectious Disease Hospital in Akure had been stretched to the limits.

Akeredolu said before Adegbenro died, a total of 20 people had lost their lives to the virus while over 472 had tested positive and 113 others discharged.

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NEWS

FG Grants Broadcast Stations 60% Debt Rebate Debtors to pay 40% balance in three months

Iyobosa Uwugiaren in Abuja The federal government has granted 60 per cent debt rebate to all debtor broadcast stations, applying only to functional licensed terrestrial radio and television stations.

The criterion for enjoying the relief is for the debtor stations to pay 40 per cent of their debts within the next three months.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, along with the Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Prof.

Armstrong Idachaba, said any station unable to pay the balance of 40 per cent indebtedness within the three months’ window shall forfeit the concession.

The minister stated that the federal government’s gesture is to ensure financial sustainability among broadcast stations in the wake of the global impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

"The existing licence fee is further discounted by 30 per cent for all open terrestrial radio and television services effective July 10, 2020. The debt forgiveness shall apply to functional licensed terrestrial radio and television stations only. ‘’The debt forgiveness and

discount shall not apply to pay-TV service operators in Nigeria. The effective date of the debt forgiveness shall be July 10th, 2020 to October 6th, 2020.

"As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all sectors of the nation's economy. The broadcast industry has been particularly hard-hit due to falling revenues occasioned by the dwindling adverts and sponsored programmes, in the wake of the pandemic,’’ the minister added.

Mohammed recently received the officials and other representatives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), who made a comprehensive presentation on the effects of the pandemic on the industry and sought succour from the federal and state governments.

The NBC has also said many Nigerian radio and television stations were indebted to the federal government a total of N7 billion, with many of the stations facing the reality that their licences will not be renewed, in view of their indebtedness The Post-COVID-19 Initiatives Committee for the Creative Industry, which the ministry set up to help mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on the sector has submitted

LCCI Seeks Lifeline to Save N1.4tn Investments in Hospitality Sector Dike Onwuamaeze The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called on the federal and state governments to adjust the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) in order to include the provision of specific intervention measures for the country’s hospitality sector, which has been affected by the shocks occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.

It said: “What currently exists in the ESP is only a passing mention of the sector with no prescribed specific measures and budget.”

A statement yesterday by the Director-General of the LCCI, Dr. Muda Yusuf, estimated the value of the hospitality sector at N1.4 trillion as of 2019 and warned that “hundreds of thousands of jobs are currently at risk if an urgent rescue plan is not put in place for the sector. This is not a sector that should be allowed to go under.”

Yusuf said the government should replicate the measures it outlined for the revival of the aviation sector for the hospitality industry since the two sectors are closely related, complementary, and interdependent.

He said: “It is in the interest of the economy for the hospitality industry to be supported by the federal and state governments to recover from the devastating shocks inflicted by the COVID-19

pandemic and the associated containment measures.

“There is also the collateral adverse impact on thousands of small businesses that are dependent on the hospitality business as suppliers or service providers. Poultry and fish farmers, for instance, have lamented the impact of the downturn of the hospitality business on their sales and profitability.

The hospitality sector and restaurants are the biggest off-takers of the poultry and fish products in the economy. The food and beverage sector experienced a similar fate. The breweries and bottling companies have suffered a major hit as a result of the stumbling fortunes in the hospitality business. The sector is a one with diverse linkages across many sectors of the economy which explains the secondary transmission of the shocks to many other segments of the economy.”

The chamber proposed the provision of singledigit soft loans, with long term repayment plan, the creation of opportunities for the restructuring of existing facilities with commercial banks and concessions on interest payments, the extension of grant support including payroll support to the hospitality industry and related services, deferred payment of taxes and filing dates, among others, for the hospitality sector.

its report, which contained recommendations that are expected to benefit all component parts of the larger creative industry.

According to Mohammed, ‘’Without prejudice to those recommendations, I want to announce today a number of broadcast industry-specific

measures aimed at giving a lifeline to the industry which, though largely a business continues to function as a critical social service of sorts, which is relevant to the information and enlightenment needs of the people. ‘’These measures are in

addition to the two-month licence-fee waiver granted to terrestrial broadcast stations in the country by the NBC, as part of efforts to ease the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the broadcast industry.’’

The minister added that the federal government made the

interventions with a view to repositioning the broadcast industry to play its critical role of promoting democracy and good governance in Nigeria, expecting that the sector will cash in on this unique opportunity to make itself an effective catalyst for national development.

WELCOME ONBOARD...

New Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Lamido Yuguda (left) and outgoing acting DirectorGeneral, Ms. Mary Uduk, during the resumption of the new management of the commission in Abuja…yesterday

Keyamo Writes National Assembly on Recruitment Modalities for 774,000 Jobs Deji Elumoye, Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Udora Orizu in Abuja Ahead of his second appearance for another interactive meeting with legislators scheduled for today, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has written the National Assembly, explaining the criteria for executing the public works programme under National Directorate of Employment (NDE) scheme aimed at creating 774,000 jobs.

The minister and the lawmakers, last week, had engaged in a shouting match over its implementation process, which led to the lawmakers walking the minister out for not apologising.

In the letter dated July 6, 2020, and addressed to the Joint Committee of the National Assembly on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Keyamo said the letter would help the lawmakers and Nigerians to narrow down the issues at stake before today's interaction.

He added that the letter would give him the opportunity to express himself in advance as time

and circumstances might not allow him to fully express himself before the committee.

The minister said he decided to write the committee due to an accusation allegedly levelled against him by the Chairman of the House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Hon. Muhammad Ali Wudil, when he appeared on a programme called Hard Copy on Channels Television on July 3, saying that he flouted certain unknown rules in arriving at the state selection committees.

He said: ''Consequently, I may not be able to get a fair hearing from him, especially as he is the one that has been at the forefront of insisting on controlling and dictating the execution of this programme behind the scene. He also made frantic efforts to stop the inauguration of the states’ selection committees through series of phone calls to me.''

Keyamo assured the lawmakers of his willingness to clarify any grey area in the work plan publicly when he appears before them.

The letter read in part, ''Following our inconclusive interactive meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2020, I have been informed again of

another interactive meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 7, 2020. I thank you for another opportunity to clarify all the issues regarding the execution of the Extended Special Public Works Programme, which is very dear to the heart of Mr. President and millions of Nigerians to whom we are all accountable. ''However, I have decided to make a written submission on issues surrounding the programme to the joint committee ahead of my appearance this time for the following reasons. It is also to avoid a situation where any attempt to fully express myself during the session or to call in aid provisions of the law and the constitution as the basis of some of my actions so far may be misinterpreted as an affront to the joint committee.

I would rather express those thoughts here and keep a dignified silence if some of those issues become points of contention again. This is because as a trained lawyer and a member of the Inner Bar (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), and having sworn to uphold the constitution as a public officer, I would be doing a great disservice to my primary constituency (the

legal profession) and to my God-given conscience if I am made to concede issues that I know are constitutionally, legally and morally wrong just to let things go on.' ''Finally, because the main purpose of your powers of investigation under section 88 of 1999 Constitution is to 'expose corruption, inefficiency and waste', it is important we lay bare our plans for the programme publicly. 'Exposure', to my mind, will require a public inquiry, not a private one, if we must keep strictly to the provisions of the constitution.

Therefore, my writing in advance will absolve me of any accusation of impertinence as I most respectfully regret to say that I would be unable to say anything outside of these submissions in any closed door session.' ''As this is not an investigative hearing, I assume that you would properly inform me if you want to do any of such and give me the full rights of fair hearing (including giving me the opportunity to confront any witness) as provided for in section 36 of the 1999 Constitution before reaching a decision that may affect my civil rights or obligations.''

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PAGE EIGHT WE WILL SEND WIKE TO ISOLATION CENTRE, SAYS GANDUJE Nyesom Wike, to the isolation centre, the main opposition party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, replied that the ruling party’s campaign head was lacking in moral integrity to stand before a decent public.

Ganduje had after the council’s inauguration expressed optimism about the party reclaiming Edo State, which it lost to the opposition party with the defection of the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

He told reporters in Abuja shortly after the inauguration of the campaign committee and the reconciliation committees for both Ondo and Edo States that the APC had mapped out a strategy to stop the PDP from winning the governorship election.

He said the party would dismantle the rigging strategy of the PDP in the state.

According to him, the composition of the committee is an indication that the APC is ready for the election and will strive to win the governorship election.

But the PDP yesterday said the confession by the APC governorship candidate for Edo State, Mr. Osagie IzeIyamu, further validated the position by his party's former national chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, that he is unfit to be a governor.

Ganduje said: "We know the opposition is planning to rig the election; we know their tactics; we know their methodology and we shall dismantle all their tactics to ensure that we win this election."

Asked if the committee has a soft spot for Obaseki who was their colleague until a few months ago, Ganduje said there was none.

He added: "There is no soft spot for anything like that.

The issue is that first of all, we know PDP made Governor Nyesom Wike their chairman; I assure you, we will isolate Wike in an isolation centre and before he recovers, the election is over.

"The PDP decided to accommodate our former governor in Edo State not because they have anything in common; not because they share some ideological feelings, but simply because he is managing the treasury of Edo State and they want him to use that treasury in order to win the election.

"But I assure you, the people of Edo State are watching they know that somebody who was assisted in 2016 to win an election, somebody who was given every cooperation to succeed in the governance of Edo State without doing much for the people, at the end of it, he has taken the treasury and now handed it

over to PDP in order to win the election."

Ganduje said he was optimistic that the people of Edo State would come out en masse to vote for APC. He stated that the composition of the committee would ensure victory for the party.

He said the campaign council would work with the leadership of the party in Edo State in order to understand the political terrain and know the areas of strength and weaknesses, and areas that the campaign council could take advantage and even areas of threat.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and the Governor of Yobe State, Mr. Mai Mala Buni, said the assignment before the reconciliation and campaign committees included forging a peaceful and united APC and to reclaim Edo State.

He noted that the members of the reconciliation and campaign council were carefully appointed, adding that this has given hope and confidence that they would succeed.

Buni appealed to stakeholders and members of the party to support the peace initiative of the party for the stronger, united, and prosperous APC.

Ganduje Has No Moral

Standing, Says PDP In a pushback, the PDP described Ganduje as a barefaced treasury looter, who has no moral rectitude to speak on corruption.

The PDP also described as a huge irony that Ganduje, who was seen on a video, with no proven provenance, allegedly stuffing his robe with foreign currency, suspected to be a gratification, could accuse the PDP of corruptive intentions in the Edo State governorship election.

The party, in a statement

by Ologbondiyan said it was a paradox that an individual who has earned himself the disgraceful public sobriquet of “gandollar,” after allegedly being caught collecting gratification, would attempt to accuse others of having the intention of looting the treasury of a state.

It said: "Governor Ganduje and other APC leaders are so used to looting public treasury that such is his first mental direction after his inauguration to lead the Edo State governorship campaign.

"Governor Ganduje has further confirmed the real intention of the APC, which is to use their morally embattled candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu (of course, birds of the same feathers flock together) for their desperate effort to regain access to Edo State treasury,

after Governor Godwin Obaseki, liberated the state from the stranglehold of APC treasury-looting godfathers."

PDP: Ize-Iyamu’s Confession Shows He’s Unfit to Be Governor The PDP has said the confession by Ize-Iyamu that he was a member of a secret club while in the university has validated the position of Oshiomhole that he is unfit to be a governor.

The PDP said from IzeIyamu’s confession that he was expelled from the university, Nigerians, and particularly, the people of Edo State are no longer in doubt regarding issues surrounding the personality and conduct of the APC candidate.

It said the expulsion by a panel, which, according to Oshiomhole, was chaired by the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Prof. Itse Sagay, had put a permanent stain on Ize-Iyamu as the APC candidate.

PDP added that Nigerians are still waiting for Ize-Iyamu to address why Oshiomhole described him as a person that is only good for ‘night meetings’ and should not be entrusted with the governorship of Edo State.

"Certainly, Edo State, at

this critical time, does not deserve a governor who will pull her backward by being weighed down by a huge moral burden of daily excuses and explanations on issues and allegations of misdeeds.

"It is indeed unfortunate that the APC is now stuck with a candidate that is burdened by a huge image problem; a candidate who has no message or any blueprint to develop the state; who does not enjoy the support of the people but that of a few selfish individuals, whose interest is only to gain access to the coffers of the state," the party stated.

PDP described its candidate, Obaseki, as someone whose personal character and achievements in office stand as indelible testimonials to his love and commitment to the development of the state and wellbeing of the people.

The party said in last four years, Obaseki had initiated and executed programmes and policies that had revived the state’s productive sectors, elevated the living standard of the people, returned transparency and accountability in governance while liberating the state from the stranglehold of corrupt godfathers, who are now allegedly seeking to use Ize-Iyamu’s ticket to regain access to power to continue to exploit the state.

HUNTER IS HUNTED, PRESIDENTIAL PANEL INVESTIGATES MAGU presidential panel prompted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ask the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to show the genuineness of its war against corruption by allowing unhindered investigation of the anti-corruption chief, while he steps aside.

The embattled EFCC boss was said to have arrived at the State House about 1:40 p.m., where he was ushered into the wing, accompanied by one of the EFCC’s lawyers, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs.

There were initial reports that Magu was arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) but in a statement, the agency refuted the report. ‘’The Department of State Services (DSS) wishes to inform the public that it did not arrest Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as has been reported by sections of the media.

"The service, has since, today, 6th July 2020, been inundated with enquiries over the alleged arrest,’’ the Public Relations Officer of DSS, Dr. Peter Afunaya, stated.

A similar statement by the EFCC’s spokesman, Mr. Dele Oyewale, said Magu was neither arrested nor forced to honour the invitation, adding that a member of a legal team from the EFCC was with him at the panel. ‘’Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on Monday, July 6, 2020, honoured an invitation by a presidential panel reviewing the activities of the EFCC, at the Banquet Hall wing of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. ‘’He was served the invitation to the panel, while on his way to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for a meeting. The panel is currently sitting at the presidential villa

in Abuja," EFCC stated.

Insiders told THISDAY that the presidential panel was investigating Magu over allegations levelled against him by Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami’s (SAN), which THISDAY exclusively published in a report in its June 19 edition of the newspaper.

Malami, in a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, had detailed alleged cases of malfeasance against Magu, and sought his sacking for alleged corruption and insubordination.

The AGF anchored his recommendation on several grounds “raging from diversion of recovered loot to insubordination and misconduct” by Magu; while including a shortlist of three candidates for consideration to replace the anti-corruption agency’s boss.

The Office of AGF has asked Magu to account for gaps or discrepancies of figures concerning recovered assets, claiming that Magu was not transparent enough in the management of the recovered assets.

But Magu's supporters within the Presidency said: “Removing Magu at this time when he has given muscle to Buhari’s anti-corruption fight would be a mistake.

“It is painful that the EFCC boss is facing certain powerful forces who have decided to remove him in spite of his remarkable achievements,” a source had stated.

The source had told THISDAY that given the weight of Malami’s allegations against Magu, the president might be inclined “to set up a probe panel that will look into the veracity of the allegations and make necessary recommendations.”

Another source, however, told THISDAY: “I can

authoritatively tell you that though Magu has survived previous plots to remove him, the AGF’s legal opinion remains the deadliest plot to get Magu out of the EFCC as the AGF’s letter to the president contained 22 weighty allegations that require Buhari’s decision on whether or not to send Magu’s name to the Senate for confirmation or replace him. This is because the office of the AGF is the supervising ministry of the EFCC and so his legal opinion cannot be treated with levity.

“For example, Malami alleged accounting gaps or discrepancies of figures concerning the recovered assets, claiming that Magu was not transparent enough in the management of recovered assets.”

A Magu supporter had said: “It will interest you to note that Malami accused the EFCC boss of disclosing a total naira recovery of N504 billion but lodged N543 billion in the Recovery Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Incidentally, this exceeded the disclosed figures

by N39 billion.”

According to the supporter of the EFCC boss, what should be a point of commendation is now being used against him.

In the past, a former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had also asked Magu to clarify where the cash recoveries from May 2015 to January 2018 were deposited and to provide accompanying evidence.

In a letter with reference number: FM/HMF/EFCC/SEFCC-REC/2018/1 dated February 9, 2018, and entitled: “Summary of EFCC Recoveries from May 2015 to January 2018,” Adeosun said the clarification became necessary based on the information available to the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation.

The minister said: ‘’This is to notify you of the records of cash asset recoveries in the custody of the EFCC from May 2015 till date based on information available to the Office of the AccountantGeneral of the Federation (attached). ‘’It has, however, come to the attention of the Ministry of Finance, the use of recovery figures in media reports by the EFCC that do not reconcile with the records of the ministry. ‘’You are, therefore, kindly requested to clarify where these cash recoveries have been deposited and provide accompanying evidence.”

Many efforts have been made in the past to make the president drop Magu, since his appointment as EFCC acting chairman on November 9, 2015.

The plot for his removal twice stalled his confirmation by the Eighth Senate, prompting him to remain the interim head of the nation’s foremost anti-graft agency.

However, when the president insisted on Magu being confirmed, the previous Senate demanded the reversal of a damning security report on the EFCC boss from the DSS, which it had cited as the reason for his nonconfirmation.

Many groups and individuals had also gone to court to challenge the continued stay of Magu as the acting chairman of the commission.

But Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a judgment delivered in 2019 over consolidated suits on Magu’s status, had held that there was no time limit in the law establishing the commission for him to act as the EFCC boss.

The judge further held that Buhari is holding the proverbial “yam and knife” on Magu, adding that the

president should do the needful by sending the name of Magu to the Senate for confirmation.

PDP Asks EFCC Boss to Step Aside Reacting to the interrogation of Magu, the PDP asked Buhari to show the genuineness of his war against corruption by allowing the unhindered investigation of the acting chairman of the EFCC. The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the fact that Magu had to be accompanied by an attorney when he appeared before the presidential panel, showed that the “invitation,” was beyond the routine.

The PDP said the attempt by the EFCC to cover or wave off Magu's investigation raised more integrity questions regarding his activities in the commission.

"Only last month, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, released a memo in which he indicted Magu of alleged diversion of recovered funds and fraudulent sale of assets seized by the EFCC. "Our party, Nigerians and indeed, the international co1mmunity are keenly monitoring the development and expect the Buhari presidency to muster the courage to carry out a comprehensive investigation and make its findings available to the public.

"Now that Magu has been pulled in for investigation, the federal government should preserve the integrity of the office of the Chairman of the EFCC by ordering him to step aside while investigators take charge of every activity of the office to forestall the destruction of evidence as well as unnecessary interferences in the matter," the opposition

party said.

It explained that with the allegations and investigation, Magu has lost the moral rectitude to continue to preside over the anti-corruption agency, stating that "he should step aside until he proves himself innocent."

Magu's Invitation, Product of Power Play, says PACAC Meanwhile, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) said yesterday that the invitation of the Magu to face a presidential panel probing the activities of the anti-graft agency was a product of power play by power blocs in government.

It warned that Buhari must be careful not to shoot his government's anti-corruption fight and modest achievements in the foot and should be more mindful of the fact that EFCC Continued on page 9

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TUESDAY, Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS FG RESTATES BAN ON MINISTERS, GOVS’ AIDES AS AIRPORTS REOPEN suspend in-flight food service were parts of efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 on flights.

He explained: “For this domestic operation, there will be no food. No food will be given to reduce contamination level and we will allow you to come with your mask.

“Like the MD of FAAN had said the other day, we see it as your private thing. So it is you bring your mask, they don’t have to be the fancy ones.”

FG Unveils Guidelines for Elections Under COVID-19 The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) unveiled specific health protocols to be observed by the Independent Natural Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders in any election to be conducted during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The federal government has also announced that the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) examination will hold from August 4 to September 5, adding that food will no longer be served on domestic flights when operations resume.

Speaking at the media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 in Abuja yesterday, the DirectorGeneral of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said that instead of the usual gathering of supporters of political parties to canvass for votes, politicians are expected to use mass media such as television, radio, posters, mobile vans, social media and other forms of communication to solicit support.

"There is a challenge we have in the way we have conducted our elections starting from the pre-election, during election and post-election.

“Unfortunately, the virus doesn't recognise whether we are conducting elections or whether we are on business settings, it just thrives wherever people come together," he said.

Ihekweazu said that the

guidelines will support everyone involved in the elections at all levels particularly the political parties, INEC, and Nigerians that will be going to vote in these difficult times.

"Voting still remains a civic responsibility and though we are in the middle of a pandemic, we have to devise a way to conduct the elections a safe manner. There is a challenge we have in the way we have conducted our elections starting from the pre-election, during the election, and post-election.

We strongly encourage the use of TV, radio, posters, mobile vans, social media and other forms of communication as politicians solicits for votes.

"We advise adherence to guidelines on mass gatherings.

Unfortunately, the virus doesn't recognize whether we are conducting elections or whether we are in business settings, it just thrives wherever people come together.

"We urge politicians to take responsibility and lead by example, think of the lives of the electorates first as their lives are more important than any vote they can get," he said.

FG Announces Dates for WAEC Exams The federal government announced that the WAEC examination will hold from August 4 to September 5.

The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, said at the PTF's briefing that the federal government’s representatives in WAEC confirmed the date at a meeting held yesterday.

Nwajiuba added that as soon the WAEC examination is concluded, the NABTEB and NECO examinations will also follow suit.

He said states willing to have the examinations should make their schools available for revision classes.

The minister added that local timing would be published while today there will be a concluding stakeholders meeting with NCDC and the Nigeria Union of Teachers

(NUT) on the examination processes and confirmation of the new date.

He said: “Last week, the chairman of the PTF announced that school facilities would be available for those who want to go into revision classes. As soon as we conclude WAEC, we’ll take up the NABTEB and NECO examinations.

“The idea here is that we have a whole month from now till then. Those who can and those who are willing — the states who are willing — should make their schools available for their children to revise.

“We’ve done the most we can with our representative at WAEC and we have this afternoon confirmed that the dates allotted for the exams will be from the 4th of August through to the 5th of September. Local timings will be published.”

PTF May Recommend Fresh Lockdown In his speech, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the PTF, Mr. Boss Mustapha, said the task force would not shy from advising President Muhammadu Buhari to lock down the country once again should the country require such a measure.

Mustapha noted that while a lockdown might not be a necessary course of action, its imposition will be determined by the increase in COVID-19 infections across the country in the preceding weeks.

He said the PTF would on Thursday hold a review of the national response to the pandemic having crossed the three months threshold of its lifespan.

The body will also prepare its mid-term report.

The SGF noted that the government decided to relax the lockdown in order to restart the economy and balance life in the light of the projection by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the economy will shrink by 5.4 per cent by

the end of the year as a result of the effect of the pandemic on global economy.

He noted that Madagascar, in spite of the much-touted potency of its herbal mixture for the cure of COVID-19 has imposed a lockdown likewise the 39 states in the United States, which have begun to see an explosion in infections after they rushed to reopen their economies after the first wave of infection.

He also cited the Galicia region, a province of 70,000 people in Catalonia, Spain, which locked down and isolated after a spike in COVID- 19 cases and in 11 local government areas in Nigeria. '' Whether I will advise the president on another lockdown will depend on the experience of what is happening globally where the fatalities have shown that the virus is not relaxing.

We should not allow the experience of 1918 to repeat itself.

“During the Spanish Flu, which lasted for two years, 500 million people were infected with about 50 million fatalities.

The danger of the flu came about in the second phase when the government relaxed quarantine and the people jumped onto the streets. The recklessness led to more deaths until a vaccine was discovered. ''We are yet to peak and will not peak until September. We are in the thick of war and COVID-19 has not relaxed; it is still virulent and dangerous,'' Mustapha said.

He added that it is not within the powers of the task force to enforce at the national level the use of face masks in the public or criminalise the failure of members of the public to use it.

However, the members of the PTF held a meeting yesterday with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, to discuss the enforcement as well as the public apathy to the use of face masks as a precaution for the spread of the virus.

Mustapha, however,

conceded that it is the duty of the state governments and the FCT to enforce the use of face masks having set up mobile courts to prosecute violators as well as being signatories to the quarantine law.

Meanwhile the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ms. Sadiya Farouk Umar, has flayed the report by the UN Habitat on the flight of internally displaced persons in North-east.

Umar described the report as quite alarming and worrisome as the federal government had made the provision of monthly food ration to the IDPs a priority in order to mitigate the condition they have found themselves.

The Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs. Folashade Yemi- Esan, has expressed displeasure with the non-compliance with directives on COVID-19 preventive protocols, particularly with measures limiting the number of staff and visitors to offices The HoS in a circular dated July 2, said only officers on GL 14 and above and those performing essential services are to report for duty, adding that as much as possible, other categories of workers should be encouraged to work from home.

She said security officers manning the gates to the federal secretariat should be advised to demand the identity card of staff coming to the office and ensure that they are on GL 14 and above; while the list of those performing essential services but are below GL 14 should be sent to the security gates for clearance.

She also charged permanent secretaries to reduce the number of physical meetings in the MDAs to the barest minimum by in the interim hold virtual meetings.

On his part, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire,

said the Federal Ministry of Health was working on a plan to convert all eligible public and private hospitals in the country into collection sites for samples for COVID-19 testing.

He explained that measure will require working with state governments and NPHCDA to identify the facilities and the space within them, to conduct training for the personnel selected and supply both PPEs and sample collection kits, as well as the logistics to go around to recover test samples.

He said the move would ensure better utilisation of available laboratory assets in the country, which as at now are capable of handling far more cases than they presently do.

"If logistics around sample collection and delivery to test sites are better organised, a lot more will be achieved," he said.

The minister said federal government, through the NCDC, had launched an e-learning platform on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for healthcare workers.

Ehanire also delved into the looming crisis in the health sector in Cross River state where the doctors have gone on strike to protest the state government's posture towards testing persons for the virus.

He said a 17-man team of the Federal Ministry of Health, led by the Executive Director of National Primary Health Development Agency (NPHDA), had left Abuja for Calabar, the Cross River State capital, to engage with the Cross River State Government in setting up their COVID-19 response and aligning it with the national response.

The minister said he had also called on the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to suspend its strike and receive the ministry's delegation.

With regard to Kogi State, the minister said arrangements were underway to beef up security at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for protection of staff and patients.

anti-corruption poster-face", it said.

The committee maintained that "it may not be contestable that Malami has been exploiting his alleged loyalty and closeness to the President for his personal/power bloc agenda".

It further stated that "to the best of PACAC’s knowledge and observations, Malami has not manifested any genuine commitment to the anticorruption fight.

"Samplers: The nolleprosequi entered in a case of corruption against Orubebe in relation to alleged malfeasance while Minister of Niger Delta Ministry, his secret meeting with fugitive Maina in Dubai

under whatever guise/ excuse, his involvement in the surreptitious reinjection of the same Maina into the civil service and his supervision of Obono-Obla’s kangaroo Asset Recovery outfit which Obono subsequently ran out of the country when exposed by some ICPC investigation".

The PACAC also listed among others "his non-due attention, by design or default, to the P&ID matter since 2015 until it was blown open by humongous financial damage to the country".

The presidential advisory committee warned the president to be conscious of the shenanigans of power players working from inside

against his anti-graft war.

"Notwithstanding the situation at hand, the hope of PACAC is that the President would wake up to the ongoing shenanigans of power players that are working from the inside against his anti-corruption fight.

"We are also counting on the experience and dexterity of the new Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari whose loyalty to the President and good of the country cannot be doubted, and we also hope that the demonstrated integrity of retired Justice Salami would carry the day for thoroughness, fairness and justice in the interest of the anti-corruption fight," it said.

was below 60 per cent of total revenue. And this can be attributed to low oil prices and increased efforts to boost non-oil revenue.

“Further analysis also showed that revenue from oil export has consistently contributed over 90 per cent of total exports revenue, indicating the dominance of the oil sector in the generation of foreign exchange,” it stated.

NEITI noted that though dependence on oil is reducing, oil still accounts for about 50 per cent of government revenues and over 80 per

cent of exports and foreign earnings, which make Nigeria highly vulnerable to oil price shocks.

It said: “Beyond surviving the latest oil price slump largely occasioned by COVID-19, Nigeria needs a sustainable strategy for coping with future oil price shocks.”

It urged the country to “maintain a robust ‘rainy day’ fund, the size of which should reflect not only the volume of revenues from mineral resources, but also the size of the national economy.”

“This savings fund is

supposed to help Nigeria smoothen spending, form a hedge against the cyclical volatility of oil prices and keep part of the accrued benefits for the future generation among other reasons” it added.

While Nigeria has an oil savings fund, NEITI stated that the savings is too small to serve its intended purposes.

“Blocking leakages and maximising opportunities in the sector will help in increasing government revenues and the contribution of the sector to national productivity.

HoS Fumes over Workers' Breach of Protocols

HUNTER IS HUNTED, PRESIDENTIAL PANEL INVESTIGATES MAGU under Magu remained the administration’s anti-corruption poster-face.

It posited that the memo written recently by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN) calling for Magu's removal was also an outcome of the clash by power blocs in government.

"The alleged originating Malami memo, up to the current “arrest" seems an outcome of power-play by power blocs in the corridors of power in which Malami appears to be an arrow-head or major agent of a power bloc that is not really interested in, or in support of, Buhari’s anti-corruption fight".

A statement issued by a member of PACAC, Prof. Femi Odekunle, made reference to the refusal by the 8th National Assembly to confirm Magu and the non-resubmission of his name for confirmation in spite of the willingness of the 9th National Assembly to do so.

"One can recall the earlier non-confirmation experience of Magu by the 8th Assembly, orchestrated by a power bloc and supported by the DSS ‘security’ reports.

"One can also note the non-resubmission of Magu for confirmation since May 2019 despite the apparent willingness of the 9th Assembly to consider it this time around", it said.

The statement contended that the alleged memo written by Malami concerning alleged corrupt practices by Magu went along with his own nominations for Magu’s replacement.

"Again, we cannot forget Malami’s demand of certain high-profile case files from Magu, which the latter has been resisting.

"The position of PACAC is that while Magu, or any official of whatever status, must be nailed if found to be corrupt, the President must be careful not to shoot its anti-corruption fight and modest achievements in the foot, and not to forget that EFCC under Magu has been the administration’s

NEITI SEEKS ABOLITION OF EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT increasing NSIA’s stabilisation fund and sharing the dividends from investments will give comfort to the states and local governments to support the constitution amendment and the scrapping of ECA. As a second strategy, NEITI urged Nigeria to wean itself off its dependence on oil revenue, but acknowledged the efforts of government in this direction.

However, it noted that a lot more needed to be done in order to boost non-oil revenue and export to improve foreign exchange earnings.

Established in 2004, the ECA’s primary objective is to protect Nigeria’s planned budgets against shortfalls caused by the volatility of crude oil prices, but it has recently become a source of friction between the different tiers of government.

NEITI said the present efforts by the federal government to correct the distortions in the economic structure should be intensified, adding that the ease of doing business should be improved with incentives and reforms put in place to further attract foreign and

local investors in areas where Nigeria has a comparative advantage.

It also called for investments in physical and human infrastructure to be increased so as to reduce the cost of doing business.

“A look at oil revenue as a percentage of total federation revenue showed that from 1981 to 2014, oil revenue consistently accounted for about 65 per cent to 85 per cent of total federation revenue.

“It is only in recent years (2015 – 2018) that oil revenue

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020

POLITICS

Group Politics Editor NSEOBONG OKON-EKONG Email nseobong.okonekong@thisdaylive.com (08114495324 SMS ONLY)

Buni’s Committee and the Search for Peace in APC Adedayo Akinwale writes that with the recent dissolution of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, the Caretaker Committee led by its Chairman and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has been tasked to reconcile aggrieved members of the party

Buhari

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Udoedehe

Oyetola

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impose their position by blocking meetings of our organs. These leaders believe that party supremacy should be about blind loyalty to them.

To ensure that is the case they stopped calling meetings of almost all our party’s organs. And anyone who dare challenge them, is branded as someone with either Presidential ambition for 2023 or is supporting someone with that ambition.”

Aside the crisis that rocked the leadership of the party, the state chapters were also hot bed of crisis. For instance, in Ondo state, it is Unity Forum against the incumbent Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu’s faction; in Edo, it was Governor Godwin Obaseki against Oshiomhole; in Kogi, it was Governor Yahaya Bello against the Audu political family faction; in Zamafara, it was former Governor Abdulaziz Yari against Senator Kabiru Marafa faction; in Osun, it was Oyetola against former Governor Rauf Aregbesola; in Oyo state, it was Adebayo Shittu against Ajimobi, in Rivers State, it is Magnus Abe against Amaechi.

Other states where the state chapters of the party have their own fair share of the crisis included; Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Yobe, among others. Though, the ruling party was able to win elections in most of the troubled spots, but it was expected that the leadership of the party should have reigned in and bring the crisis to a close.

But, with the coming on board of the Buni’s Committee saddled with the task of rescuing the party from imminent collapse, party members believed that a breath of fresh air would be experienced in the party.

The chairman of the committee had during the swearing in of the committee members said the decision of NEC to constitute the committee would mark the beginning of a new chapter in the party. He said what happened in the last few months was not totally strange in a big political party like APC, stressing that internal

disagreements are common in all political parties and APC was not an exception.

Buni assured that the committee would commence the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels.

He said while change is inevitable, disagreement on issues and concepts are an integral part of human and institutional relationship.

The chairman noted that as a political party built on strong ideology, parading men and women of enduring principle and integrity, the party must prepare for real and anticipated changes and their consequences.

Buni had said: “As the interim managers and leaders of our party, our priority would be the recognition of the need to act appropriately and acceptably in the overall interest of the party.

Our actions in the next few months would be proactive and responsive.

“From now onward, we will concentrate on medium and long term development of our strategies and internal organisation to support our public standing as well as our chances of electoral successes in all future elections. This is the time for us to focus with determination to create adaptive institutional capacity to weather the current divisions in our party.”

The committee however wasted no time in marching its words with action when it approved the appointment of the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello to chair the party’s reconciliation committees for Edo and Ondo States respectively.

It said that their appointments was in line with the process of true reconciliation among leaders and members of the party at all levels.

Edo State Reconciliation Committee includes, Sen. Ken Nnamani as the Chairman, Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, Fetus Keyamo, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Mrs. Margaret Okadigbo, Mr. Sanusi Musa as members and Hon. AbdulRahman Sumaila as Secretary.

While Ondo State reconciliation Committee

included Abubakar Bello as Chairman, Sen. Adamu Aliero, Sen. Bamidele Opeyemi, Gambon Magaji, Mr. Jasper Azuwatalum, Hajiya Binta Muazu, Hon. Iquo Inyang and Mr. Shina Pellar as the Secretary.

A member of the party, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, has however demanded an amendment to the constitution of the ruling party, and also called for an Administrative Tribunal to be set up to hear and determine any grievance of any aggrieved member of the party.

The Constitutional lawyer who was recently appointed as the Secretary of the Appeal Committee for Edo State Governorship primary election, said that it was unfair to castigate members of political party for trying to vent their grievances in a court of competent jurisdiction where there is no adequate provision and procedures in the party’s Constitution.

Ajulo, in a letter dated July 1, 2020, addressed to President Buhari, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the Committee, reminded the party of the harms that are caused when meritorious claims go unaddressed due to systematic inequalities or lack of adequate mechanisms for members of the party to vent their grievances.

Ajulo had stated in the letter: ‘’While acknowledging Mr. President’s recommendations and the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party to dissolve the National Working Committee (NWC) and approving the immediate discontinuation of all pending litigations involving the party and its members, Your Excellency, I am inclined to admonish that castigating members of political party for trying to vent their grievances in a court of competent jurisdiction where there is no adequate provision and procedures in the party’s Constitution is unfair and amount to an unjust denial of fair hearing.” ‘’It is thereby recommended that there should be an amendment of the party’s Constitution and an Administrative Tribunal should be set up to hear and determine any grievance of any aggrieved member of the party. Members of such Tribunal should include past judicial officers, Arbitrators and Political technocrats who are without any political bias.”

It is worthy to note that this is not be the first time the party is setting up committees to reconcile aggrieved party members. Immediately after the 2019 elections, Tinubu was tasked by the president to reconcile aggrieved party members. Despite being a founding member of the party, the National Leader of APC failed pitifully in that assignment.

Also, in December 2019, the NWC said after due consultation, it has appointed a high-level 10-member National Reconciliation Committee chaired by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, to reconcile aggrieved members of the party.

fter a protracted leadership crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party at an emergency meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the National Working Committee (NWC) on the 25th of June, 2020, as part of the steps taken to rescue the soul of the party from the imminent destruction.

In its place, the party constituted a Caretaker/ Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee to see to the day-to-day affairs of the party. The committee is headed by the Chairman and the Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni, Osun state Governor, Isiaka Oyetola, Niger state Governor, Abubakar Bello, Sen. Ken Nnamani, Sen. Abubakar Yusuf, Hon. Akinyemi Olaide, Mrs. Stella Oketete, Dr. James Lulu, Chief David Lyon, Sen. Abba Ali, Prof.

Tahir Mamman, Barr. Ismail Ahmed as members and Sen. John Udoedeghe as the Secretary.

The president subsequently urged all aggrieved members who had instituted various cases in the courts to withdraw such cases in the interest of the party.

Since 2015 when the party won the presidential election, it has not been able to manage its success, as the party has been embroiled in one crisis or the other. The internal rancour within the party led to the easing out of office of the former national Chairman, Chief John OdigieOyegun and later saw the popular emergence of the immediate past national chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.

With Oshiomhole’s emergence, it was the believe of party members that a level of sanity, discipline, party supremacy and peace will be brought to the party.

However, the crisis within the ruling party never abated. Immediately after the 2019 elections, it was the former Deputy National Chairman (North), Lawal Shuaibu who shot the first shot in a-five page letter dated May 27, 2019, when he said the electoral fortunes of the APC had dwindled because of the leadership style of Oshiomhole, whom he accused of conducting the NWC meetings at a private residence instead of the party’s national secretariat.

He had said, “We had 23 states in 2015, but after the 2019 elections we lost seven states! We also had 60 senators in 2015 at the end of the elections; we now end up with 57 senators in 2019! You were not brought in to lose election.

It is absolutely unacceptable!.”

One of the major reasons while the crisis that rocked the party festered was mainly because meetings of party organs were not allowed to hold by the NWC to resolve various party crisis.

The Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Dr. Salihu Lukman, in one of his numerous statements issued during the party crisis had this to say: “We have party leaders who claimed to be democrats but take every decision in breach of our party’s constitution.

Instead of allowing us to express ourselves by allowing organs of our party to function, they

Since 2015 when the party won the presidential election, it has not been able to manage its success, as the party has been embroiled in one crisis or the other. The internal rancour within the party led to the easing out of office of the former national Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and later saw the popular emergence of the immediate past national chairman of the party, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole. With Oshiomhole’s emergence, it was the believe of party members that a level of sanity, discipline, party supremacy and peace will be brought to the party

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020

POLITICS

Ekiti APC and its Self-Inflicted War Victor Ogunje writes that Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State may be distracted from governance by the growing number of enemies within his party, the All Progressives Congress

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During the countdown to the 2007 governorship election in Ekiti and the time Fayemi was battling Oni in court over the electoral malfeasance that brought him into office, Senator’ Ojudu, Senator Tony Adeniyi, Bimbo Daramola, Adewale Omirin and others played pivotal role in the judicial reclamation of the stolen mandate for Fayemi. The quartet of Ojudu , Adeniyi, Ojo and Daramola were rewarded with National Assembly tickets in 2011, which they won resoundingly riding on Fayemi’s crest.

Also, in the last governorship election in Ekiti, Senator Adeyeye defected from PDP to APC to buoy Fayemi’s reelection in 2018. As a payback, Fayemi influenced the APC to give him automatic ticket to represent Ekiti South senatorial district in the Senate before he lost out at the Tribunal to Senator Biodun Olujimi.

These substantiated the assertion that those involved in the duel are not strange bed-fellows.

They have been together for long under the same umbrella before losing focus due to ego and parochial interests.

What made these friends turning into foes was struggle for power and space. While Fayemi was interested in making one of his core loyalists the governor in 2022, some external forces were resolute to halt the move. A source confided in THISDAY that Senator Adeyeye backed by a powerful politician in the South-west has been anointed to confront whoever that is presented by the governor as an aspirant in the coming gubernatorial contest.

The source stated that part of the strategies to be employed by the Ojudu group is a call for the dissolution of the SWC , which could have been allegedly used as a decoy for Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee to bring a caretaker in place in Ekiti to perfect the deal. Having got wind of the plot, Fayemi was said to discreetly join forces with other anti-Oshiomhole governors to get rid of the former National Chairman.

“Governor Fayemi was not really fighting about the 2023 Presidential contest, it is about his survival here in Ekiti. He doesn’t hate Oshiomhole, but for him to survive politically , he must have Ekiti in 2022 and he had no option than to support the removal of the former Edo

Governor under this circumstance.”

Before the horrible turn of events, there had been a cold war brewing in the party, but with all parties denying and claiming that all was well. Even members of the State Working Committee had at various fora denied that there was infighting among the gladiators.

But the cat was let out of the bag when Segun Oni suddenly returned to the PDP. Oni justified his action by adducing as part of his complaints that he was sidelined and shabbily treated in APC. Oni added that the worst of his humiliation was the suspension slammed on him by his ward without recourse to fair hearing .

As the dust elicited by that suspension was settling, Senator Ojudu charged the atmosphere with a statement accusing Fayemi of allegedly acting like an emperor in APC. As watchers thought Ojudu was alone in the intra party squabbles, the 15 prominent members released another bombshell against the governor on the premise that the Ekiti APC had lost its steam to alleged domineering tendencies of the governor.

In the highly caustic and scorching statement titled: ‘Time to Take a Stand’, the leaders applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for spearheading the dissolution of the National Working Committee and the inauguration of the Governor Buni ‘s Caretaker committee to bring some calmness into the party.

They alleged that members like; Senators Adeniyi and Ojudu, Bimbo Daramola, Oyetunde Ojo, Bunmi Ogunleye, Ben Oguntuase, Dele Afolabi and Diran Fadipe had either been “unjustly” suspended or at various stages of suspension in their respective wards through Fayemi’s sinister motive to allegedly checkmate perceived opponents.

They said: “This gratifying development has informed the need to bring to the attention of the newly constituted committee our concerns about the unfortunate drift of our party in Ekiti State. Prior to now, we we have communicated the situation effusively to the dissolved NWC. “As this new body sets about resetting the future of our party, it has become imperative to acquaint the leadership with developments in Ekiti State.The time has come to bring to

the fore the developments in the state and the political realities in our party”.

The leaders posited that the victory they recorded in the Ekiti 2018 governorship election was not solely through the Governor’s efforts, rather by all party members who worked so hard to secure the feat.

They advocated the dissolution of the APC state executives across all strata, saying their composition was allegedly masterminded through undemocratic means by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Governor Fayemi.

“This travesty was committed deliberately to completely ostracise people out of the party activities and today that is what has become the rule and not the exemption.

“In almost two years, the party had not convened any political meeting of stakeholders, no new membership drive , no political activity whatsoever to rev up and consolidate the place and presence of the party in the state since inception of this administration till date., Instead of growth, the membership of the party is dwindling by the day.

“Today, any member who expresses a contrary view is seen as a dissident that must be harassed and intimidated, notwithstanding the status, stature, profile , reputation and above all contributions of such person “The State, Local Government and Ward executives, who see the Governor as their benefactors capitulate under such threats of removal and denial of patronage to carry out the marching orders to suspend party members without recourse to constitution , just to please their masters, except in Senator Babafemi Ojudu’s Ward where the chairman stood his ground not to oblige such a perfidious request”, they added.

Firing another salvo at Fayemi, which lent credence to Ojudu’s claims, former governorship aspirant, Olusegun Agbalajobi, said Fayemi should be held responsible for the internal crisis rocking the ruling APC, which he said could tear the party apart and undermine the quests of the leadership to sustain its hold on the state.

“It is saddening and disheartening that Fayemi, a self-acclaimed democrat could be acting like an emperor who takes comfort in promoting impunity and disrespect for internal democracy in running APC. I wonder why one person would be holding three appointments when there are educated party members roaming the streets without holding any position.”

Countering the position espoused by the aggrieved stakeholders, the APC State Publicity Secretary, Hon Ade Ajayi said: “They were only engaging in blackmail, because they knew that those suspended took the party to court and the consequence should be expulsion if the law is to be followed to the letters.

“We enjoy the freedom to run the party without Governor Fayemi’s interference. But it is sad that Senators Ojudu, Adeniyi, Adeyeye, Hons Ojo and Daramola who were abusing Fayemi all owed their victories to the National Assembly to the governor’s support.”

he drumbeat of war resonating in Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has caught many unawares and made pundits to wonder how the new twist came to the fore in spite of the widespread believe that Governor Kayode Fayemi is a cool, calm and peace loving technocrat.

Most disturbing is the fact that the problem is gradually becoming a huge fire that may consume the party, if no trouble shooting effort is devised to rein in those stoking the embers of discord. The heavyweights behind the fierce battle seem resolute to fight to the end and are unmindful of the pernicious effects it will have on the party ahead of the 2022 governorship poll.

In 2018, the APC narrowly defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a margin of 17,000 votes. Except one is playing ostrich to the reality, no one can underrate the grassroots and magnetic attraction of former Governor Ayodele Fayose to Ekiti voters. He understands the rhythm and how best to dance to it. With the new trend, even an APC die-hard will agree that the PDP will have an upper hand, if any free and fair election is conducted in Ekiti today.

An additional impetus to the PDP influence is the defection of another well loved politician and ex-governor Segun Oni to the party. It seems that Fayemi and his arch opponents in APC were oblivious of the balance of forces between the two major parties and they may pay dearly for it in 2022, if proper fence- mending actions are not quickly taken to arrest the festering crisis.

Though, the party has enjoyed relative peace since 2018 until recently when a former Minister of Works, Senator Adedayo Adeyeye, a Presidential Aide, Senator Babafemi Ojudu and some aggrieved APC leaders picked up the gauntlet against Fayemi and accused him of influencing party executives to alienate and victimise critics of his government.

The leaders called on the just inaugurated Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee to quickly arrest the alleged use of party machineries to punish members via illegal suspension from party activities. They expressed fears that the party might suffer a defeat in the next governorship election in 2022 with the alleged existing cleavages and underperformance of the Fayemi-led government .

Other prominent APC leaders that signed the statement that upbraided Fayemi for his alleged despotic posture were Senator Tony Adeniyi, former House of Representatives members, Hons Oyetunde Ojo, Bimbo Daramola and Robinson Ajiboye, as well as former Ekiti State Assembly Speaker, Hon. Adewale Omirin.

Others included ; former Ekiti Assembly Chief Whip, Femi Adeleye, an Australian based Physician, Dr. Oluwole Oluyede, Akogun Bunmi Ogunleye, Mr. Shoga Owoeye, Omoba Bamgboye Adegoroye, Mr. Ben. Oguntuase, Chief Akin Akomolafe, Engr. Ayo Ajibade, Dele Afolabi and Barrister Tayo Oluwasola.

Those who have been following the politics of the state perceive the scenario as confounding owing to the fact that the dramatis personae were political allies , who had influenced each other favourably in the past.

The heavyweights behind the fierce battle seem resolute to fight to the end and are unmindful of the pernicious effects it will have on the party ahead of the 2022 governorship poll. In 2018, the APC narrowly defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a margin of 17,000 votes. Except one is playing ostrich to the reality, no one can underrate the grassroots and magnetic attraction of former Governor Ayodele Fayose to Ekiti voters. He understands the rhythm and how best to dance to it.

With the new trend, even an APC die-hard will agree that the PDP will have an upper hand, if any free and fair election is conducted today

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

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͵˜ 2020

COMMENT

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

COVID-19, TELCOM OPERATORS AND THE YOUTHS Telecommunications firms should exempt educational resources from data charges, writes Joel Popoola

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ata is a luxury many families cannot afford but education is a necessity for Nigeria. Telecommunications firms must make exempt educational resources from data charges.

The Nigerian government has announced that schools will reopen in the next phase of easing the Covid-19 lockdown. But for many children, nothing will change.

According to the United Nations, 10.5 million of our five to 14-year-old are not in school. One in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is a Nigerian. And that was before COVID-19. These figures shame us.

It must be acknowledged that no other nation faces the challenges we do when it comes to tackling this problem. In some areas economic barriers – the need for children to work to support their families – make education financially impossible for families. In others, school attendance is actively discouraged, especially for girls. In others, there is the impact of insurgencies which, according to the United Nations, have destroyed almost 500 classrooms and left another 1400 badly damaged.

But we can go some of the ways to addressing the educational impact of these vast challenges with technology. The COVID-19 pandemic is turning existing educational gaps into gulfs, but it is also revolutionising digital and online education across the world, as lessons move online.

But in Nigeria, many homes are not equipped to adapt to these new methods of learning. This can mean that kids who currently can’t keep up with their peers may never catch up. This in turn means that Nigeria will continue to feel the effects of the coronavirus for long after the pandemic is over.

Long term, we need to ensure our children benefit from an education worth having, one which young people are prepared for the workplace of the future, whether that means embedding basic digital skills in every area of the curriculum and putting higher-level digital expertise at the heart of our national skills ambitions.

But we need to take action now to ensure children already lagging are not left behind and forgotten forever by the current crisis.

That means Telecommunications firms must make exempt educational resources from data charges.

Hardware is not the problem. Within four years, roughly two-thirds of Nigerians will use a smartphone. But while wealthier Nigerian families have reliable and affordable access to the internet millions of Nigerians cannot receive home lessons as they cannot afford to buy enough data to

ISA PANTAMI SHOULD ENCOURAGE BOTH INDIGENOUS AND NON-INDIGENOUS TELECOMMUNICATION PROVIDERS TO PLAY THEIR PART TO HELP MILLIONS OF NIGERIAN CHILDREN CROSS THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND TO KICKSTART OUR ECONOMIC RECOVERY

access the internet.

It is within Nigeria’s grasp to become Africa’s first truly digital democracy, starting with universal broadband. But that takes time and money. And we need action now.

This is why telecommunications firms must make exempt educational resources from data charges If not, Nigeria risks a lost generation of students, at a time we can least afford it. People before Profit!

As the founder of the Digital Democracy campaign, I know the impact digital connectivity can have when it comes to improving our political system.

Our free Rate Your Leader app is designed to allow registered voters to directly contact their local politicians – building trust, transparency and accountability, and allowing a two-way flow of information that educates and benefits both parties.

All of this is done with the touch of a smartphone button from the comfort of the home.

We can use the same process for education, connecting teachers with students who cannot leave their homes due to the coronavirus, cultural practices or conflict, and safely and effectively giving children the learning resources to build a better future for themselves and for our nation.

But that needs data. Data is a luxury many families cannot afford.

Education is a necessity Nigeria cannot progress without.

As matter of urgency the Minister of Communication, Dr Isa Pantami, should encourage both indigenous and non-indigenous telecommunication providers to play their part to help millions of Nigerian children cross the digital divide and to kickstart our economic recovery. If they do not, Dr Pantami should consider compelling them to.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy, the continent’s largest producer of oil and will have a bigger population than America within 30 years – and yet 40% of us live in poverty.

This will never change unless we equip the next generation to face the challenges – and seize the opportunities – of the 21st Century.

With one simple action, our telecommunications firms can put us on the path to achieving that today.

Popoola is a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, digital democracy campaigner and is the creator of the free Rate Your Leader app.

HARMONISE WAGES OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Abdulrahman A. Yakubu argues the need to correct the huge disparity between wages of regulatory agencies and other agencies of government

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am a regular reader of your column and I wish to say that the views expressed in the column are always thought-provoking, very logical, sensible and if vigorously interrogated by policymakers and leaders of society in Nigeria they will go a long way in making the country a nation of our dreams. I want to contribute my thinking on the imperative of the need for the federal government to prioritize the harmonization of salary structure in the country.

Before going further, let me say a little bit about myself. I am a director in the federal public service with 30 years post-graduate working experience. I have Bachelor and Master of Arts degree in History, bachelor and master’s degree in law, master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies. I have attended many courses in different areas of law, management, strategic leadership, organizational development, public administration, policy analysis, governance, development and many more within and outside Nigeria. I have worked in various sectors of government. There are many federal public servants who are well-read than me and who possess better competencies, skills and capabilities than me.

It is also a fact that majority of those that work for government at every level possess better intellect, intelligence, education, skills, competencies than those that work in the private sector or international organizations. However, I can categorically state, even without empirical evidence but due to random discussions among public servants that over 90% of these public servants are sad, unmotivated, depressed, frustrated and much more because of the working environment in the public sector. These are men and women that determine the economic progress and well-being of Nigeria.

There are many salary structures in the federal public service but they may be categorized into three broad areas. Salaries of core civil service; that is the ministries/extra-ministerial departments and those that belong to this structure; research and tertiary institutions and regulatory agencies. In spite of the recent increase in the minimum wage, the remuneration and conditions of work in the first category can only impoverish any unfortunate person that finds him/herself in this category. The remuneration of those in the last category is outrageously high to the extent that all other Nigerians slave to enrich those that enjoy this salary structure. What I mean is

that over 90% of our commonwealth are consumed by those that work in the regulatory agencies. These agencies include NNPC and its subsidiaries, CBN, NCC and other regulatory agencies. For instance, a middle level worker in any of these agencies earn more than 10 times his/her counterpart in the core ministries, while a top staff in those agencies earn more than five times his/her counterpart in the core civil service. The only reason for this is that these agencies generate revenue for government.

This is highly simplistic and unproductive. The high disparity in the salary structure is a huge driver of corruption in the public service. Those that earn this stupendous and highly unrealistic remuneration are supposed to take away their eyes from government money in order to bring more money into the coffers of government, but because they are exposed to substantial amount of resources of government, they steal more than those in the core civil service.

The level of corruption going on in regulatory agencies is better imagined as the government does not have any scientific means of tracking what they earn and their expenditure. While large resources of government are used to pay their wages they also steal from the government.

People talk about corruption in the public service, yes this is a fact. Corruption in the public service may be seen in two dimensions; petty and grand corruption. Both are bad and inimical to our progress as a nation. However, only about 10% of public servants may be able to participate in grand corruption while others rely mainly on their meagre wages.

There is need for utmost urgency to correct the huge disparity between wages of regulatory agencies and other agencies of the government. It is a welcome development that this government is thinking in this direction. Attempts have been made in the past by previous governments but they lack the political will, commitment and sincerity of purpose to carry it through. In as much as this is a good policy, it requires a lot of rigorous policy articulation and raw bravery on the part of government to implement it. This is because those in the regulatory agencies and their promoters will do everything possible to frustrate the policy.

Perpetual enemies of government will also work hard through bad advice to undermine the efforts. It is also not enough to think only of harmonizing salary structure, it must be a component of economic

and social re-engineering as other tools have to complement this policy. Tools such as diversification of the economy particularly by promoting agriculture, tourism, entertainment industry, reducing unemployment rate, population control, supporting manufacturing sector, inflation reduction and others.

In other words, good governance and sustainable economic development must be vigorously pursued by government to enable harmonization of salary serves its purpose.

One of the greatest strategies to fight corruption in Nigeria is for us to have a robust public service that is happy, well-motivated, fulfilled and ready to provide personal sacrifice to enhance service delivery. The present crops of public servants do not possess these attributes, not because they do not want to, but because of poverty of policy making and decision on the part of decision makers. In my view, previous attempts at public service reforms by government only scratch the surface and have not produced any tangible results. In order for harmonization of salary structure to serve its purpose, it must be comprehensive and cover all those that work for government, both career servants and political office holders. A critical area that needs special focus is the ability of state governments to pay a living wage. State governments need not pay the same wages as the federal government but must be compelled to pay what is reasonable in accordance with their capacities. State governments must not rely on federal allocation to pay salaries.

They must think out of the box and enhance internal revenue generation to enable them sustain robust economic development for their people.

The persistent cry of spending 70% of annual budget on recurrent and 30% on capital is largely due to the lop-sidedness in salary structure as 10% of federal government staff consume more than 70% of wage bill. This happens when they are active workers and also in retirement. We cannot continue to do the same thing and expect different results.

All public servants must earn the same basic salary irrespective of where they work. Peculiar allowances must however be scientifically determined and the disparity in the allowance must be minimal.

Poor remuneration and working environment suffered by public servants are drivers and enablers of corruption in Nigeria. Corrupt tendencies are endemic in all facets of our national life: the civil service, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies,

educational institutions, the parliament, health institutions to mention but a few. While tough laws and sanctions are critical to the fight against corruption, improving the living conditions and working environment of public servants if done scientifically will enhance government revenue, move millions of Nigerians out of poverty and significantly increase the middle class population. The multiplier effect will be good quality of lives for majority of Nigerians. Why will this be so? Many public servants will be less corrupt if they can meaningfully provide basic shelter for themselves and their families, health care services, qualitative education and other basic necessities of life. They will also be more committed and patriotic to ensuring better service delivery to the generality of Nigerians.

Improving the quality of lives of public servants will not necessarily disrupt government expenditure profile but in my opinion, if well-articulated will improve revenue generation and qualitative spending. If we have a broad picture of the financial implication of living wages (not minimum wage) we have to ensure that we reform our taxation practises in a way that majority of Nigerians will enter the tax structure and as we generate more revenue, they will be expended for the benefit of all Nigerians.

People talk about over bloated public service.

Empirical data does not support this assertion.

There may be need to weed out unproductive and redundant personnel, what is more important however, is redistribution and reskilling of these personnel in a productive manner.

There is need for constructive debate on not only harmonization of public service salary structure but a holistic, articulate and sustainable reform of the public service, but not the type of reforms witnessed in the past. These previous reforms were too idealistic and not steeped in our realities as they were more of copy and paste of models from other countries. This is why most of the reforms were dead on arrival and we have not been able to have a public service that can take away the country from our present perilous development situation.

What I am saying in effect is that the harmonization of salary structure should not be a standalone policy but part of a public service reform strategy within the context of a sustainable development vision for our county. abyakubu13@gmail.com

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2020

EDITORIAL ISSUES IN THE APC CRISIS The APC should conduct its affairs within the law

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s the party in power at the national level and in majority of the 36 states, the All Progressives Congress (APC) should ordinarily be a beacon of democratic tidiness. That, sadly, is far from the reality, going by the mayhem and utter disorder that characterised the process that led to the recent dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee. And from what transpired while the crisis lasted, it is clear that the democratic credentials of the principal promoters of the party are thin. What is even more worrisome is that after five years in power, operatives of the party have yet to show Nigerians that they believe in the rule of law.

Aside the misuse of court process by many of the principal characters to the crisis, the role of President Muhammadu Buhari and some of his officials has been called to serious question. One of the recommendations of the 2014 Constitutional Conference was the need to separate AFTER FIVE YEARS IN POWER, OPERATIVES OF the office of the THE PARTY HAVE YET TO Minister of Justice from that of the SHOW NIGERIANS THAT Attorney General of THEY BELIEVE IN THE the Federation. The RULE OF LAW manner in which Abubakar Malami, SAN, the current occupant of both offices, has carried on highlights the necessity for that separation. Malami, who before his appointment was the APC National Legal Adviser, seems unable to outgrow that partisan role. That explains why he permitted himself the indulgence of swearing in members of the party’s caretaker committee right inside the Aso Council chambers.

It is not for nothing that the Attorney-General of the Federation is the only cabinet position with clearly defined functions in the constitution. In

exercising the broad powers conferred on the occupant of the office, the constitution also makes it clear that such a person “shall have regard to the public interest, the interest of justice and the need to prevent abuse of legal process.” That part seems to be lost on Malami. Our democracy is founded on rule of law and when the Chief Law Officer violates the law of his own party by participating in the illegal dissolution and swearing-in of a body not known to the constitution of the party then the nation is in trouble. The concern is that this illegality, sanctioned by Malami is a pointer to the disrespect for the rule of law that has become the hallmark of the current administration.

P 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 DIRECTORS PATRICK EIMIUHI, SAHEED ADEYEMO CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT PATRICIA UBAKA-ADEKOYA

olitical parties have a huge role to play in any emerging democracy. But the ‘end justifies the means’ approach to politics that Nigerians saw in the APC crisis is what provides the incentive and motivation for politicians and power seekers to believe that all is fair and acceptable in electoral politics. This is why we have consistently advocated a review of the remunerations and other perks of public office holders. Perhaps we will begin to see a reduction in misconduct if and when the fat allowances attached to public offices are slashed considerably. When people realise that public office is just an avenue to render service, the tendency for desperate struggle for power will reduce.

Political parties remain the vehicle for democracies to recruit and organise the populace for power contests. But when they exhibit incoherence in policy formulation and disorder at local levels, it is democracy that is endangered. Besides, a party without a definable ideology, structure or institutional memory ought to spend more time in internal engineering than in petty squabbles. Sadly, like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) it dislodged five years ago, APC has hardly articulated what it stands for in terms of ideas. What the people witness on a daily basis is infighting and intrigues that have nothing to do with public good.

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2023 Isn’t The Igbo’s Turn For Presidency

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ow much progress has Nigeria made with its ethnic-motility politics? Since 1999, we have had presidents of different ethnic extractions – Yoruba, Fulani, and Ijaw – who were largely elected on the portfolio of ethnicity and religion rather than on the content of their minds? But how have we fared?

The Obasanjo administration despite investing billions of dollars in the power sector, did not crack a fire; the country is still trolled by the undersupply of electricity.

And subsequent administrations, including the current one are yet to find the X of the power problem. Other sectors – health and education -- suffer the same kismet. ‘’Turn-by-turn presidency’’, which is strictly based on ethnicity and religion, will not turn around our ruined fortunes. The 2015 mistake was the fallout of this deprecating ‘’na-our-turn’’ arrangement. Becoming the president of the most populous black nation in the 21st century is not by character, qualifications, accomplishments, competence, and integrity but by the emulsion of ethnicity and religion.

Tragic!

We cannot make progress this way.

Yes. I know I once made an argument for a president of Igbo extraction in 2023. My position was that we have to create a system which will engender unity, justice and

fairness for all citizens. But this does not negate the very important place of competence for leadership. Competence trounces every other consideration in the checklist of leadership.

As a matter of fact, the current arrangement exacerbates corruption because whatever leadership that is trumped up by this orthodoxy will see power not as a means to build the nation, but as an avenue to corner resources to its own part of the country. That is what is happening now.

We have an administration, which without scruples and with defiance, peopled the security architecture with 97 percent of officers from a section of the country. And we have a president who has not flinched in letting everyone know that the section of the country which gave him 97 percent vote must be treated better than the section which gave him ‘’5 percent’’ vote. This is the consequence of ‘’turn-by-turn’’ political ordering.

We are likely to make the same mistakes of 2015 and 2019 in 2023 if we persist on this patched path.

This brings me to the question: What is really our national interest? Do we have a national interest? Or are there disparate interests? In essence, Hausa interest, Igbo interest, Yoruba interest and Christian/Muslim interest? Perhaps, our national interest is dependent on the religious or ethnic background of the leadership of

the day. Whichever way it swings, it is predicated on the primordial.

Our ethnically-charged selection process influences all aspects of our national life. At a time of grave insecurity, there is no urgency to curb the incursion of armed herders from outside the country. This is despite reports that some of the bandits terrorising the country are foreigners from Niger Republic. The reasoning is that the leadership of the day is dithering because of the umbilical cord of ethnicity.

The way forward for us is obviously not ethnic politics, which has held us down for years. As I said in my previous article, ‘We must renounce our tribal identities; I’m Nigerian Not Igbo’, we must begin to erode ‘’tribal identities’’ and to build the ‘’Nigerian identity’’ to make progress as one country.

We need a Nigerian leadership to foster a sense of nationhood among the variegated peoples of the country.

The more we emphasise ethnicity and religion in our politics the further we are divided along these devious lines.

Nigerians need a Nigerian president in 2023 NOT -- an Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Fulani president -- a leader who has been tested with responsibility and leadership; a president for all. These people are not in short supply here.

Fredrick Nwabufo, fredricknwabufo@yahoo.com

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OVERNIGHT OBB

REPO 23.50 21.50

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

22 25 28

A S

A T

S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima

Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

J U L Y 568.88% -0.84% 1.04%

3 ,

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

2 0 2 0 1.04% 18.19%

EXCHANGE RATE N361/1US DOLLAR* *AS AT LAST FRIDAY

Quick Takes NB Opens Entry for ‘Teacher of the Year’

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP

L-R: Reproductive Health Coordinator, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Victoria Omoera; South-west Regional Manager, Marie Stopes International Organisation Nigeria (MSION), Mr. Abimbola Faloye; Director, Family Health & Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Mrs. Folasade Oludara and RegionalSalesManager,MSION,Dr.OdaborEjumudo,duringthedonationof medicalitemstotheLagosStateMinistryofHealthinIkeja...recently

OPEC: Africa’s Refineries Meet Only Half of Continent’s Daily Petrol Demand Chineme Okafor in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said that refineries in Africa can only meet half of the continent’s total daily demand for refined petroleum products, adding that their existing capacity utilisation is at 60 per cent.

Although OPEC did not disclose the content’s total daily petrol consumption volumes, it however indicated that refinery capacity on the continent remained far below her oil demands.

It stated this in an address by its Secretary General, Dr. Mohammad Barkindo, during a ministerial roundtable of African oil ministers co-hosted by Senegal’s ministry of petroleum and the International Energy Agency (IEA) via videoconference.

Barkindo, noted that the outbreak of Covid-19 though minimal on the continent, has however impacted the revenue bases of its oil producing nations.

He also stated that Af-

ENERGY rica contributes less to global greenhouse gas warming, but suffering more from its impact on the environment.

“The world continues to battle the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has now surpassed 10 million cases worldwide and has taken more than a half-million lives to date. Africa currently has nearly 300,000 cases and has suffered almost 6,000 casualties.

“In addition to the grave health crisis, the after-effects of the pandemic have been vast and far-reaching, resulting in one of the worst global recessions in decades. Africa has been severely impacted, particularly in its financial, energy and public health sectors.

“According to the OPEC Secretariat’s latest forecast, the continent’s GDP is expected to contract by 2.5 per cent in 2020, and major institutions have warned that more than 20 million jobs could be in jeopardy across the continent,”

said Barkindo.

According to him, the situation is even more acute when it is considered that oil and other hydrocarbons make up more than 20 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the top 10 African economies.

“These adverse conditions have led to a loss of operating revenue, dwindling investment capital and a slowing of economic diversification effort,” he noted.

He further explained that continent is blessed with a wide array of natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas, but that the fallout from the pandemic has kept Africa’s petroleum industry from reaching its full potential.

“Refinery capacity on the continent, for example, remains far below oil demand, and the utilisation rate of the existing capacity, at around 60 per cent, can cover only half of the daily consumption.

“Energy poverty is another issue that remains at the top of the global agenda, particularly

on the African continent, and further progress is now being put at risk due to the impact of Covid-19. This is exacerbated by the intertwined challenges of energy poverty and climate change,” he explained.

According to him: “In Africa, although it contributes less than two per cent of CO2 emissions, climate change poses a real challenge and further complicates food security and energy poverty in the absence of adaptation and appropriate mitigation measures.

“Extreme climate patterns are projected to have devastating impacts on the African economies, potentially affecting the GDP of the entire continent through reduced agricultural yields, lowered productivity and human health impacts, not to mention intra-regional migration.

“Millions of people on the continent still lack access to electricity, and progress on access to clean cooking fuels Continued on page 18

W’Bank: Nigeria’s Oil Revenue to Shrink by 70% in 2020 The World Bank has estimated that Nigeria will lose up to 70 per cent of its earnings from crude oil sales in 2020 due to the devastating impact of the Covid-19.

In a recent report titled: ‘Nigeria Development Update 2020,’ the Bank stated that prices of crude oil which accounts for majority of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings were expected to remain low, supported mostly by persistent supply glut and slowed recovery of the economies of Nigeria’s trading partners.

According to the Washingtonbased institution, the pandemic forced Nigeria to revise its benchmark on oil production and price from 2.3 million barrels a day (mbd) and $57/b to

ENERGY 1.9mbd and $28/b.

“Oil prices are expected to stay below pre-pandemic levels in 2020–21 because of slowed economic activity and a persistent supply glut. After averaging $65 per barrel (bbl) in 2019, the baseline scenario for this report assumes that prices of Nigerian crude oil will average $30/bbl in 2020 and $40/bbl in 2021.

“Oil prices are projected to begin recovering gradually in second half of 2020, but accumulated inventories will continue to push prices down through 2021 even as global demand recovers, and the Covid-19 crisis subsides,” it

added, suggesting that with the right pace of reforms, a sustained economic recovery was possible for Nigeria despite downside risks.

It noted that in a baseline scenario in which oil prices in 2020 average $30/b, the Covid-19 outbreak in Nigeria was contained, and the authorities carry out a package of economic-relief policies in 2020, the country’s economy would still contract by at least three per cent.

The bank stated that: “Government oil revenue would be down by over 70 per cent, cutting total general government revenue to 5.3 per cent of GDP for the year.”

It further stated that faced with large and widening fiscal

deficits, mounting pressure on health spending, and less room to borrow, “Nigeria can be expected to cut capital spending, especially subnational, further diminishing its already low levels of investment and limiting service delivery at all levels.”

“Falling domestic demand, which is sensitive to oil-dollar liquidity, will cause the non-oil economy to contract. With manufacturing and services hit hard by COVID-19 in April–May 2020,” it added.

According to the bank, the global economy, and not just Nigeria’s, will contract by at least 5.2 per cent, impacting several of Nigeria’s major Continued on page 18

Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced the opening of entries for the sixth edition of the ‘Maltina Teacher of the Year.’ Speaking at the flag-offceremonyoftheinitiativeheldrecentlyinLagos,theCorporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc., Mrs. Sade Morgan said the event is one of the ways the company fulfills and demonstrates its corporate philosophy of ‘Winning with Nigeria’.

According to her, this year’s edition of the initiative is particularly special and symbolic. “The global coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of our existence including education. Nevertheless, it has also showcased the resilient spirit of our teachers who have been unrelenting in finding new ways to continue to teach students virtually despite technological challenges and limitations.This demonstrates the important role teachers play in the development of our society and the education of our future leaders,” she said.

Morgan further explained that the “Maltina teacher of the year is an initiative that is cherished and keenly supported by our management team who are deeply passionate about education. This is why we are committedandveryhappytocommenceourannualsearchforthebest secondaryschoolteacherinNigeriawiththeCallforEntrycommencing on June 30 and closes on August 14, 2020.

“The winning and other qualifying teachers would be revealed in

by October in commemoration of the 2020 World Teacher’s Day. We celebrate Nigerian teachers who continue to break new grounds and immeasurably contribute to the future of our great nation, by helping to groom and nurture the next generation.”

Speaking on the prizes, Morgan said, “As with previous years, the winner will receive a total cash prize of 6.5 million Naira as his/her reward, in addition to a trophy. One million naira as first prize winner, five hundred thousand Naira as state champion and one million Naira annuallyforthenext5years,he/shealsoreceivesacapacitydevelopment training while his/her school receives either a block of classroom or a computer laboratory.”

Wema Bank Partners Coursera

Wema Bank Plc said it recently took a step further in its bid to deliver improved services to its customers as it recently went into partnership with Coursera, a brand known for specialising in online courses and trainings to offer free courses to its staff.

This is to enable an increase in staff capacity to keep up with modern day work practices and knowledge across several areas.

“With the global pandemic still very much present, this is the perfect time for employees of this innovative institution to key into the opportunity to learn relevant and practicable skills online to boost their competitive advantage and improve the ease and efficiency of innovative methods of working.

“Weareconstantlylookingforopportunitiestoupscaleouroperations andoneofthemeansidentifiedwastoempowerourstaffwithrelevant online trainings and courses which will break the boundaries of the norm and elevate the ways things are done.” Chief Human Resources Officer, Wema Bank, Ololade Ogungbenro, was quoted to have said in a statement from the bank.

MarieStopesNigeriaDonatesItemstoLagos

MarieStopesInternationalOrganisationNigeria(MSION)hasdonated maternal health medications, Misoclear, its brand of socially marketed misoprostol used in the management of postpartum hemorrhage in women after childbirth, to the Lagos state government.

The product was presented to the Lagos State Ministry of Health at Alausa Ikeja, Lagos State. Speaking on behalf of MSION, the South West Regional Manager, Mr. Abimbola Faloye, stated that the donated medicineswouldhelpmorewomenstayalive,thus,contributetoLagos state’seffortatimprovingmaternalhealth. Heexpressedconcernthat Nigeriahasanunacceptablyhighmaternalmortalityratio(MMR)of451 deaths per 100,000 live births and through this donation in Lagos and similardonationstostategovernments,MSIONissupportingNigeria’s effort at meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to reduce global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100, 000 live births by 2030.

“The pandemic has simply reinforced, with devastating effect, the reasons ADHFP was conceptualised in the first place” Founder, Africa Initiative for Governance, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede

16

TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 •T H I S D AY

A

WEEKLY PULLOUT

07.07.2020

Mrs. Joyce Oduah, FICMC

Alexander Nduka Muoka

Okey Ohagba

NBA General Secretary Contenders: Their Visions, their Missions

2/

07.07.2020

GUEST COLUMNIST Tunde Fagbohunlu, SAN tunde.fagbohunlu@aluko-oyebode.com

“Orji Kalu” and Other Problems A Case for a Radical Approach to Tackling Court Delays through Constitutional Reform This article asserts that, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria unwittingly contributes to many of the inefficiencies in Nigeria’s justice system. Without doubt, there are other collaborators, including the shenanigans of litigants and their Lawyers, a poor framework of rules and institutions to enforce ethics, and the absence of a business-like approach among Judges and Lawyers which we often see in the obsession with technicalities and ceremony, at the expense of substance and despatch. But, the 1999 Constitution plays a significant role, through design errors of commission and omission.

I will explore two subjects which demonstrate the point: (1) the delays caused by disputes over subject-matter jurisdiction and (2) the delays caused when a Judge retires or is elevated to a higher court (which I will describe as the “Orji Kalu” phenomenon, based on the most recent case which exemplifies the problem).

Subject-Matter Jurisdiction The predecessor of the 1999 Constitution, contained a relatively simple scheme for distributing jurisdiction among courts in the judicature. The 1979 Constitution gave “unlimited jurisdiction” to the High Courts of the States, while other courts, such as the Federal Revenue Court (which became the Federal High Court), had specialist jurisdiction.

The unlimited nature of the jurisdiction of the High Courts of the States, meant that they could also exercise specialist jurisdiction in matters that fell within the remit of the specialist courts (for example, federal revenue matters, admiralty or labour disputes). The factual circumstances of a particular dispute could present equivocal features, leading to genuine controversies as to whether they fall within a specialist jurisdiction or within general jurisdiction. For example, there could be genuine doubts as to whether a dispute was an admiralty dispute or a purely contractual one.

In such cases, the existence of a court system possessing unlimited jurisdiction, meant that there was always a safety net.

However, from 1993, we decided to trade-off this safety net for our desire to create a judicature that approximates more closely to the federalist arrangements which characterise the executive and legislative arms of government, and we then carried this approach into the 1999 Constitution.

As a result, the subject-matter jurisdictions of the State and Federal courts, became mutually exclusive. But, the potential for the factual circumstances of particular disputes to display equivocal features, remained. This unhappy combination of constitutional change and factual reality, has formed an albatross around the neck of Nigeria’s justice sector.

First, many Lawyers genuinely fall victim to the uncertainties as to whether a case should be started in a State High Court, or in the Federal High Court. Second, many Lawyers deliberately exploit the duality, by raising unmeritorious objections to jurisdiction. Third, parties often need to wait several years for jurisdictional objections to be determined before they are able to progress the merits of their cases (see for example, Associated Discount House Ltd v Amalgamated Trustees Limited [2006] 10 NWLR (Part 989) 635 (seven years wasted on jurisdictional objections) and Sifax Nigeria Limited v Migfo (Nigeria) Limited [2018] 9 NWLR (Pt. 1623) 138 (six years wasted).

Naturally, it is the party, the tax payer (and not the Judges or Lawyers) who suffer.

I do not question the motives of those who decided that the judicature must reflect federalist features. The problem lies in the design. Once we decided to restructure the judicature to reflect a federalist arrangement, we should have contemplated the problems presented by the often equivocal features of particular disputes, and we should therefore, have designed another safety net to fill the gap that was created by jettisoning the unlimited jurisdiction of the States’ High Courts. But, we failed to do so. I propose, in the interest of tax-paying citizens and corporates who rely on the justice sector, that we must now fashion another safety net to fill the gap.

Proposals My proposal is for us to re-allocate the risk of jurisdictional uncertainties to the parties who are better equipped to deal with them, i.e. the

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu

Lawyers and the Judges. A litigant who has no legal training, is in no position to determine whether a case should be brought before a State High Court or the Federal High Court.

Therefore, the litigant should not bear the brunt of a wrong decision as to the proper court in which to commence an action. The Lawyer and the Judge are trained to know, in many cases, the right court in which a case should be brought. I say “in many cases” because, in many other situations, the ambiguities in the features of a particular dispute will be so complex as to confound even the most experienced Senior Advocate of Nigeria. On the other hand, in cases where it is quite patent that a case was brought in the wrong jurisdiction (suggesting mischief such as forum shopping and probably corruption), the Judge and the Lawyer should bear the risk.

I do not propose that we should alter the respective jurisdictions of the first instance courts from their current arrangements (i.e. the allocation of jurisdiction between States’ High Courts, Federal High Court, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the National Industrial Court). The courts should continue to operate the federalist and specialist arrangements, that currently exist.

However, the Constitution should authorise and oblige Judges of all the courts to transfer cases between the different courts. Presently, only the Federal High Court clearly has statutory authority to transfer cases to other courts.

The most radical change that I propose, relates to the effect of retaining or completing a case in the wrong jurisdiction, or wrongly transferring a case to another jurisdiction. I propose that this should not result in a “strike out”, “dismissal” or “nullification”. While Judges should always remain under a constitutional obligation to transfer cases commenced in the wrong jurisdiction, a decision to retain a case or to transfer a case to another jurisdiction should not be appealable, regardless of whether the decision is right or wrong, and a decision made by a court that does not have subject-matter jurisdiction should not be a “nullity”, merely by reason of that fact.

How then, do we prevent Lawyers from indulging in forum shopping, and how do we ensure that Judges will respect the constitutional obligation to transfer cases to the appropriate jurisdiction?

I propose that in cases where it can be shown that a Lawyer or Judge indulged in egregious conduct by commencing or retaining a case in an obviously wrong jurisdiction, disciplinary proceedings should be taken against the Lawyer or Judge. Some cases will present features which give rise to genuine doubt, and there should be no sanction in such cases.

By adopting this arrangement, we will compel those who should know better to take responsibil-

ity, and we will no longer punish litigants who have no training in jurisdictional dichotomies, and who have put their trust in a system which they expect to make the right decisions and to produce efficient outcomes.

Indubitably these proposals will sound counter-intuitive because, we have, for decades, operated a system which has imprinted on our legal “DNA” the perception that where a court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction, its decision must necessarily be a “nullity”. But, we must now think outside the box. What benefits do we gain from the present way of conceptualising jurisdiction?

And, whatever those benefits may be, do they outweigh the need to protect the litigant and make the justice system more efficient?

Many may recoil at the idea that a Judge of the High Court of a State can validly determine a matter that is in reality, an admiralty (rather than a purely contractual) matter. But, what is so intrinsically abhorrent or unjust about a State High Court Judge hearing an admiralty matter? Or take cases relating to the revenue of the Federation? First, it will be rare for a Judge of a State High Court, the National Industrial Court or the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory not to recognise that a matter pertains to the revenue of the government of the Federation and ought, for that reason, to be transferred to the Federal High Court in accordance with the principles suggested in this article. Secondly, it is possible to design a scheme which operates broadly on the principles suggested above, while exempting areas of particular sensitivity, such as cases involving the revenue of the government of the Federation.

The “Orji Kalu” Phenomenon When a first-instance Judge retires or is elevated to a higher court, his or her part-heard matters must start all over again. It is irrelevant that parties had expended substantial time and costs, to bring the case to the stage it had reached before the Judge’s retirement or elevation. Imagine that a party had expended substantial resources on fees for legal representation, transporting witnesses from foreign jurisdictions and paying the costs of technical experts. After such significant outlays of expenditure, the Judge is elevated to a higher court before he or she can conclude the hearing. Rewind and reset – the case starts all over again, and the same costs (probably now increased because of the effect of inflation) must be incurred a second time. This is one of the ugly features, of our “justice” system.

The drafters of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) had felt consternation at this problem, and they came up with what they considered to be a solution. In Section 396(7) of the ACJA, they provided a mechanism accord-

“.......A DECISION TO RETAIN A CASE OR TO TRANSFER A CASE TO ANOTHER JURISDICTION SHOULD NOT BE APPEALABLE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE DECISION IS RIGHT OR WRONG, AND A DECISION MADE BY A COURT THAT DOES NOT HAVE SUBJECT-MATTER JURISDICTION SHOULD NOT BE A “NULLITY”, MERELY BY REASON OF

ing to which a Judge who had been elevated to a higher court may nevertheless, be given permission (a “fiat”) to go back to the lower court and conclude the case.

Unfortunately, this device, with its good intentions, hit stormy waters in Ude Jones Udeogu v FRN, Orji Kalu and Slok Nigeria Ltd (SC/622C/2019 of 8 May 2020). The Supreme Court held that, Section 396(7) of the ACJA is inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and therefore null and void.

So, back to square one. Litigants will continue to suffer the consequences of Judges’ retirement or elevation mid-way into their cases. This is an outcome, that ought to worry our collective conscience. The time has come to act. And there are a number of ways, we can deal with it.

First, we can resurrect Section 396(7) into a more exalted position, i.e. into the 1999 Constitution.

Alternatively, or in addition, we can incorporate a mechanism into the Constitution that requires a winding-down period of one to two years starting from the point that a Judge becomes a candidate for elevation (or, in the case of retirement, a one to two year winding-down period prior to the retirement date). During this window, Judges who are candidates for elevation, or who are about to retire, will devote their time to concluding their cases, and no new matters will be assigned to them.

Better still, we can rely on technology. Put a video recorder in front of every witness, and produce live recordings and verbatim transcripts of every proceedings. With such types of visual, audio and written records, a new Judge can simply take over from where the retired or promoted Judge left off by reading the verbatim transcripts and watching the audio-visual footage. Covid-19 has taught us that, the technology to achieve this is readily available and relatively inexpensive. The Senate bill on Remote court hearings, addresses one aspect of how technology is needed to promote efficiency in justice delivery.

To conclude, while the Senate bill on remote court hearings is laudable, demonstrating, as it does, legislative interest in the efficient working of the Judiciary , I propose that a more comprehensive project for constitutional reform to tackle delays in justice delivery, is urgently required. The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through its project, the Commercial Disputes (Best Practices) Legal Network (CRID-LawNet), has begun a process of engaging with stakeholders to include this issue on the front burner of justice reform.

LAW REPORT/3

Application of ‘Quicquid Plantatur Solo, Solo Cedit’ in Sub-lease Agreements

A SUB-LEASE FOR A DEFINITE TERM,

cupancy; hence it applies in the instant case to make the Respondent the owner of the market stalls, during the subsistence of the 15 years term granted to it under the Deed of Assignment executed in her favour by the Judgement Debtor as the sub-lessee of the Ministry. He submitted that, from the totality of the evidence on record, the Court of Appeal rightly concluded that the Respondent proved its exclusive ownership of the market for the term of 15 years assigned to it by the Judgement Debtor.

On the 3rd issue, counsel for the Appellant submitted that it is not the business of the Respondent as a third party claimant, to question issues arising from applications and execution procedure to which it was not a party. He argued that the proceedings complained about was between the Judgement Debtor and the Appellant, and not part of the Interpleader Proceedings which the Respondent commenced. He posited that the Court of Appeal erred, when it delved into issues which were outside those presented for determination in the Interpleader Summons.

Countering this submission, Counsel for the Respondent argued that the Court of Appeal rightly commented on the complaint of the Respondent in its Brief of Argument, against the irregularities which attended the execution of the judgement against the property, and the comment was a mere observation which cannot form the basis of an appeal.

Court’s Judgement and Rationale On the 1st issue, the Supreme Court held that, where a trial court fails to properly evaluate evidence on record or erroneously does so, or the conclusion reached is not supported by evidence on record, then the Court of Appeal, in the interest of justice, must exercise its own powers of reviewing those facts and drawing the appropriate inference from the proved facts. The court relied on AYANRU v MANDILAS LTD (2007) All FWLR (Pt. 382) 1847 at 1861.

The court below was right when it held that, by the admissions of the parties, the sub-lease was proved having been admitted, as what is admitted needs no proof.

What was required to be proved are - the existence, due execution and regularity of the Deed of Assignment, and the Respondent discharged this burden by producing the said Deed of Assignment in evidence. The fact that the Sub-lease Agreement was not produced did not whittle down the probative value of the Deed of Assignment, especially as the Deed was duly registered and received the Governor’s Consent in compliance with the law. In the face of the apparent contradiction and failure by the trial court to properly ascribe probative value to the Respondent’s evidence (Exhibit A), the Court of Appeal rightly intervened to make a proper evaluation of the evidence on record and ascribe probative value to it.

On the 2nd issue, the Apex Court held that, the maxim “Quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit” which translates to “who owns the land, owns what is above it”, applies in Nigeria to land subject of Statutory Right of Occupancy - FRANCIS v IBITOYE (1936) 13 NLR 11. Further, where a holder of a Statutory Right of Occupancy, with the prior consent of the Governor, alienates its interest in that land by way of a sub-lease for a definite term, the sub-lessee becomes the owner of the improvements or developments on the land during the subsistence of the term granted, so long as the improvement or development was done with the consent or approval of the holder of the Right of Occupancy.

By virtue of the Deed of Assignment, the Judgement Debtor had divested itself of the interest in the property in favour of the Respondent, and therefore, the Respondent became the owner of the market and all the improvements thereon for the period of 15 years granted to it under the Deed. Section 10 of the State Lands Law, Revised Laws of Anambra State, 1991 and its proviso which absolved the State at the expiration of any grant of State land, payment of compensation to the grantee for any improvements he may have effected on the land, and gave the grantee the opportunity to remove the improvements within a certain period, did not apply in the instant case.

On the 3rd issue, the court held that, the Court of Appeal is at liberty to make remarks in the wake of the flow of its judgement. The Court of Appeal was not wrong to comment over the earlier trial to which the Respondent was not a party, as the said comment was clearly an obiter dictum and incapable of being appealed against.

THE SUB-LESSEE BECOMES THE

Appeal Dismissed.

OWNER OF THE IMPROVEMENTS

Representation Appellant unrepresented.

Dr. S.S. Ameh, SAN with Aminu Suleiman for the Respondent.

Facts

T

he Appellant, as Plaintiff/Judgement Creditor, got judgement at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the sum of N87,655,000.00 with post-judgement interest. Thereafter, the Appellant applied to the High Court of Anambra State for leave to levy execution on the Judgement Debtor’s property at Anambra State International Market, Oba. Leave was granted, and Writ of Execution and Notice of Execution were issued by the court. Consequently, the market stalls were sealed, and notice of sale of the stalls was published.

Subsequent to the foregoing, the Respondent, who was not a party to the Appellant’s action at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, filed an Interpleader Summons at the High Court of Anambra State, claiming ownership of the market and the structures therein. To prove its claim, the Respondent exhibited a copy of the registered Deed of Assignment (Exhibit A) executed by the Judgement Debtor in its favour, in respect of the subject land. In the recital to the Deed, reference was made to a Sub-lease Agreement between the Anambra State Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Technology (“Ministry”) and the Judgement Debtor, through which a Sub-lease of 15 years was granted to the Respondent on the land. By the Deed of Assignment (Exhibit A), the entire 15 years term under the sub-lease was assigned to the Respondent.

In its Counter-Affidavit, the Appellant denied the Respondent’s claim, but through its counsel’s submission in court, it admitted that the Ministry is the holder of the Certificate of Occupancy over the land and that the Ministry granted a sub-lease of its interest to the Judgement Debtor for 15 years, which the Judgment Debtor in turn, assigned to the Respondent.

The Respondent’s claim was dismissed by the trial court.

Dissatisfied, the Respondent appealed to the Court of Appeal. The appeal was allowed and the reliefs sought were granted. This decision informed the appeal filed by the Appellant at the Supreme Court.

Issues for Determination The issues posed for determination of the court are: 1. Whether the Court of Appeal was right, when it admitted and acted upon a purported sub-lease allegedly granted by the holder of the Certificate of Occupancy (the Ministry) to the Judgement Debtor when the alleged Sub-lease Agreement was neither before the trial court nor before the Court of Appeal, either on admission by the parties or otherwise.

2. Whether the maxim quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit is applicable to a lease of 15 years in the face of Section 10 of the Anambra State Lands Protection Law and the proviso thereto, and whether the Court of Appeal was right when it held that the Respondent proved that it has exclusive ownership of the Anambra State International Market, Oba. 3. Whether the Court of A ppeal was right, when it considered and acted upon issues arising from suits in which the Respondent was not a party.

Arguments On the 1st issue, counsel for the Appellant contended that there was no admission by the Appellant of the existence of the alleged sub-lease between the Judgement Debtor and the Ministry, and the Respondent who had alleged the existence of the same, failed to prove it. Counsel for the Respondent on his part, argued that the parties at the trial court admitted the right of the Ministry as holder of the Statutory Right of Occupancy over the land upon which the market was built, to grant a sublease of its interest to the Judgement Debtor, which in turn assigned the unexpired term of the sub-lease to the Respondent vide a Deed of Assignment duly registered and produced in evidence. He submitted that, this admission relieved the Respondent of the duty of proving the sub-lease, based on the principle of law that what is admitted needs no further proof.

On the 2nd issue, counsel for the Appellant submitted that, the maxim “quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit” is not available to a lease of less than 30 years; hence, it did not apply to the alleged lease of the Respondent which was for a period less than 30 years. He argued that, since the maxim does not apply in this case, the Judgement Debtor owns the improvements in the market i.e. the stalls that were taken in execution of the judgement against it, and the Court of Appeal was wrong to have held otherwise. He cited UDEH v NWARA (1993) 2 SCNJ 47 at 49. He contended further that, the Mortgage Agreement (Exhibit A) upon which the Respondent hinged its claim has no life of its own in the absence of proof of the alleged sublease between the Judgement Debtor and the holder of the Certificate of Occupancy, and there was nothing in the said agreement to show that the improvements in the

Honourable Olukayode Ariwoola, JSC

In the Supreme Court of Nigeria Holden at Abuja On Friday, the 7th day of February, 2020 Before Their Lordships

Mary Ukaego Peter-Odili Olukayode Ariwoola John Inyang Okoro Amina Adamu Augie Paul Adamu Galinje SC.175/2007 Between JIMMY KING (NIG.) LIMITED

And

UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC

APPELLANT RESPONDENT

(Lead Judgement delivered by Honourable Olukayode Ariwoola, JSC)

market were ever transferred to the Respondent.

On the other hand, counsel for the Respondent argued that the legal maxim of

“Quic quid plantatur solo solo cedit”, has been long recognised in Nigeria to apply to lands subject of Statutory Right of Oc-

“.....WHERE A HOLDER OF A STATUTORY RIGHT OF OCCUPANCY, WITH THE PRIOR CONSENT OF THE GOVERNOR, ALIENATES ITS INTEREST IN THAT LAND BY WAY OF

OR DEVELOPMENTS ON THE LAND DURING THE SUBSISTENCE OF THE TERM GRANTED.....”

Reported by Optimum Publishers Limited, Publishers of the Nigerian Monthly Law Reports (NMLR)

4/ COVER

07.07.2020

NBA General Sec Their Visions, On July 29, 2020, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) will go to the polls to elect national officers, who will run the affairs of the body for the next two years. For the office of General Secretary, the four candidates who have been cleared to participate in the election are, Joyce Oduah, Alex Muoka, Okey Ohagba and Chris Yakemewerigha. THISDAY LAWYER sought out the contestants to speak about their aspirations, and how they will man the affairs at the National Secretariat of the Association, if and when they are elected into office

I Will Professionalise the NBA Secretariat and Make it More Responsive to Lawyers’ Needs Joyce Oduah, FICMC

T

he office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association is the busiest office in the Association, and it is generally referred to as engine room of the NBA. What competitive advantage would you say you have over your fellow contestants, in terms of skills and understanding of the job and what it entails? In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why should Nigerian Lawyers entrust you with their Secretariat?

The Office of the NBA General Secretary is saddled with the enormous responsibility of, amongst others, managing the NBA National Secretariat by virtue of Section 8 Subsection 5 (e) of the 2015 NBA Constitution as amended and adopted by the Annual General Meeting held in Lagos on 29 August, 2020 (“the NBA Constitution”).

I believe I have the required competence and competitive advantage over other contestants.

My experience, qualities, proven track record and expertise, whether in the NBA or private legal practice, place me above the other candidates. In point of fact, I am the only candidate for the Office of the NBA General Secretary, who has enduring legacies both at the NBA Branch and National levels. For more than a decade, I have served the NBA, both at the Branch and National levels relentlessly, gallantly and altruistically, in various capacities.

I served the Lagos Branch of the NBA as 1st Assistant Secretary from 2000 to 2002, and so I know what the job of Secretary entails and how to go about it extremely efficiently and productively; as Publicity Secretary from 2007 to 2009; and as Social Secretary from 2009 to 2011. At the National level, I have served as the National Treasurer between 2012 and 2014. In addition to the elective offices as enumerated above, I have been a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NBA for many years, and have been appointed into many other Committees both at the Branch and National levels.

Auspiciously, during my tenure, I discharged my responsibilities in a dignified manner, and offered laudable services and contributions toward the advancement of our dear Association. For instance, as the National Treasurer in 2012, I introduced the Bar code and customised teller payment system, which curtailed the hardship and burden occasioned on our members as a result of the old unorganised payment system. This has increased the revenue for the Branches.

Mrs. Joyce Oduah, FICMC

For example, Lagos with barcode 058 used to receive about four N400,000 as at 2012, received the sum of N6,056,500.00 in 2013 after the introduction of the Barcode by Joyce Oduah. Recently, in 2019, Lagos Branch received the sum of 13,500,000.00.

In a nutshell, my agenda for the NBA is to revamp the NBA National Secretariat and make it more effective, responsive, vibrant, robust and forward-looking, in line with

“MY EXPERIENCE, QUALITIES, PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND EXPERTISE, WHETHER IN THE NBA OR PRIVATE LEGAL PRACTICE, PLACE ME ABOVE THE OTHER CANDIDATES. IN POINT OF FACT, I AM THE ONLY CANDIDATE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE NBA GENERAL SECRETARY, WHO HAS ENDURING LEGACIES BOTH ATTHE NBA BRANCH AND NATIONAL LEVELS”

international and modern best practices.

Essentially, I intend to achieve this, through a considerable number of excellent and wellthought-out ideas like professionalising the National Secretariat; effective record keeping/ introduction of electronic filing system; effective planning and organising of meetings; effective communication and management of correspondence; updating of the NBA National Secretariat library/establishment of national law library; infrastructural development/ completion of the NBA National Secretariat; introduction of an ICT based innovative NBA Secretariat; entrenching transparency and financial prudence in the NBA National Secretariat; Human capital development/ Continuing Legal Education etc.

I believe Nigerian Lawyers should entrust me with their National Secretariat, because I am passionate about serving and I have the requisite competence to manage the NBA National Secretariat effectively and efficiently.

My agenda will benefit all Lawyers, and it goes beyond recording of minutes. My vision is to advance the welfare of Nigerian Lawyers, through effective management of the NBA National Secretariat.

At a time when the world has become a global village and the legal professional is fast becoming digital, it would be expected that the General Secretary of Nigeria’s largest professional body should be IT savvy and fully computer literate. To what extent do you possess these valuable skills, which are absolutely necessary to function effectively in that office?

The world is ruled by technology, and the NBA cannot afford to be lacking in the area of information and communication technology.

Modern offices, operate mostly through ICT.

This is the major reason why I intend to introduce an ICT based innovative NBA Secretariat, like most modern and international secretariats.

As it relates to my personal skills in this area, I can confirm that I am computer savvy and I have taken professional courses on computer science over the years, particularly during my University and NYSC days. I am proficient in Microsoft Office, and well informed about modern technology. I can deal with a Personal Computer, smart phone and numerous modern softwares and tools.

My law firm, Joyce Oduah & Co. is an IT based law firm. It is currently run through ICT, with an IT expert who is in full-time employment with us.

One major complaint from Lawyers and NBA Branches about the office of General Secretary, is the lack of and/ or ineffective and inadequate flow of information from that office to Branches and Lawyers in general, on crucial issues like minutes of NEC meetings and notices to Lawyers, SANs, Benchers and other major stakeholders in the profession.

How do you intend to ameliorate this problem, if and when you are voted into office? Lawyers for instance, complain they don’t get their stamp and seal early enough. Some have to wait for upwards of four or five months. How do you intend to handle this problem, if you are voted into office?

Truthfully, I am not oblivious of these complaints, particularly because I am well informed of the happenings in the NBA, and I understand completely the plight of Lawyers and the reforms required to address these plights. As we know, communication is a basis for every endeavour of man; it prompts people to act and think in certain ways, and touches every sphere of human activity. I believe that the way an organisation communicates through its correspondence, has a fundamental impact on the organisation, whether on the image, production or quality of the organisation.

This is why when voted in as the NBA General Secretary, I will ensure that there is synergy between the National Secretariat and that of the Branches, Sections and Fora.

I will bridge the existing gap between the National Secretariat and other Secretariats. I believe such synergy will boost the confidence of the Branches, on the National. We will constantly relate and interface with law firms, NBA Branches, other Bar Associations, as well as the Lawyers and other key stakeholders in the legal profession, in new ways that are beneficial to the NBA. To achieve this, I will establish a forum of Secretaries, where frequent interactions with all Branch Secretaries will be encouraged. I believe this forum will foster a more accessible and effective working relationship between the Secretariats. We will also leverage and utilise social media, national tv/radio stations and dailies, to ensure adequate distribution of information to our members. In order to bring the NBA national leadership and Secretariat closer to Lawyers outside the FCT, I will advocate for and work with the NBA President, as well as the NBA NEC to establish NBA Liaison Offices in the three geopolitical zones recognised by our cont'd on page 6

07.07.2020

COVER/5

retary Contenders: their Missions I Am Coming With Revolutionary Ideas to Run the Secretariat

“MY EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCES, HAVE BEEN A PREPARATION FOR THE OFFICE OF GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NBA....I BELIEVE THAT MY EXCELLENT WRITTEN AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS, SECRETARIAL TRAINING, EXPERTISE, EXPERIENCE, AND DEMONSTRATED ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, ARE BEST SUITED FOR SERVICE AS THE GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE NBA”

Alexander Nduka Muoka

T

he office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association is the busiest office in the Association, and it is generally referred to as engine room of the NBA. What competitive advantage would you say you have over your fellow contestants, in terms of skills and understanding of the job and what it entails? In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why should Nigerian Lawyers entrust you with their Secretariat?

Indeed, the office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (‘NBA’) is generally referred to as the ‘engine room’ of the NBA. The General Secretary has a key role to play as part of the NBA leadership, in turning the fortunes of the Bar around for good. The perception of Lawyers now, is at a very low ebb, the welfare of Lawyers (especially young Lawyers) is nothing to write home about, the standard of legal education has fallen, and Lawyers struggle to get proper remuneration for services. The Bar should take leadership; and the NBA President with the active support of a proactive GS, can bring about much needed change.

In addition, the General Secretary has primary charge of the Bar Secretariat, and should make it more conducive for Lawyers, more efficient and effective. There is need to properly structure the Secretariat, to run as an efficient firm. The staff should be motivated and led by example, to deliver on a mandate of serving the key customers - Lawyers. I think that we should have a comprehensive database of our members which can be updated regularly, so that we don't have to start re-inventing the wheel every two years when we publish incomplete lists and create unnecessary anxiety. I also have some revolutionary ideas about tackling the problems of delays in getting NBA Stamps, which I would like to be able implement. I must say that it is not so much about introducing many new ideas, but also about better ways of doing even the things we do now.

My education and experiences, have been a preparation for the office of General Secretary of the NBA. In 1990, I wrote my University final year Project on ‘The Office of the Company Secretary: An Evolutionary Study’. In 1991, I finished from the Law School with a 2.1 Degree, and won the prize for Company Law and Commercial Practice.

From 1992-1997, I cut my legal teeth with the law firm of Messrs. Tunde Odanye & Co., working in the Solicitor’s Department and handling the company secretarial work there.

Interestingly, I was among the early set of Lawyers accredited by the Corporate Affairs Commission in March, 1993. Since July 1997, company secretarial work has been a major staple of my law firm’s service offering.

This background, naturally, prepared me for the very involving role as Secretary of the NBA Lagos Branch (the largest branch of the NBA) from 2011-2013. It was a challenging position, to which I brought innovation, flair and dedication, and the verdict by members is that, I discharged the duties of that office creditably well. My subsequent duties as Branch Chairman from 2013-2015 (coupled of course with having managed my own law-firm) have, no doubt, imbued me with the necessary administrative acumen which the General Secretary must possess, in order to effectively and efficiently run the Secretariat of our great Association.

I believe that my excellent written and oral

Alexander Nduka Muoka

communication skills, secretarial training, expertise, experience, and demonstrated administrative capacity, are best suited for service as the General Secretary of the NBA, and that is why I offer myself for service in that position. Indeed, my skills have already been recognised by the NBA at the national level in non-elective roles - having appointed me as Secretary to two (2) national committees: the NBA Rules and Practice Committee (2015-2016), and the NBA Niger-Delta Task Force (2016-2018). I have also been a member of the NBA National Executive Committee (‘NBA-NEC’) since 2011, and have understudied the workings of the NBA and its Secretariat.

I have a clear vision of how we can improve the professionalism and efficiency there, which I will unveil in my Manifesto as soon as the Electoral Committee gives the nod.

At a time when the world has become a global village and the legal professional is fast becoming digital, it would be expected that the General Secretary of Nigeria’s largest professional body should be IT savvy and fully computer literate. To what extent do you possess these valuable skills, which are absolutely necessary to function effectively in that office?

I have been computer-literate from 1992, when I began my pupillage at Tunde Odanye & Co., in Lagos. In 2011, I engendered the use of electronic mailing as a mainstream campaign tool in canvassing support from the members of the NBA Lagos Branch, when I ran for the office of Branch Secretary. As Secretary, I introduced the delivery of notices of meetings, minutes of Branch meetings and reports on NBA-NEC Meetings and Bar activities to our members by electronic mail – ensuring that members (even corporate counsel who hardly attended meetings) were kept abreast. Members were ecstatic about this innovation, and looked forward to my regular newsletters which were written in a very lucid, engaging and anecdotal style.

Today, technology has made the world boundless. Notices and minutes of meetings,

reports and other information are now delivered to members by way of instant messaging. We are in the ‘Information Age’ and must be ever ready to adapt quickly to disruptive technologies (such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrency) or be left behind. The NBA deserves an IT savvy person like me, who will be eager to leverage on technology and better administer the Secretariat and serve members.

One major complaint from Lawyers and NBA Branches about the office of General Secretary, is the lack of and/ or ineffective and inadequate flow of information from that office to Branches and Lawyers in general, on crucial issues like minutes of NEC meetings and notices to Lawyers, SANs, Benchers and other major stakeholders in the profession. How do you intend to handle this problem, if you are voted into office?

I will be quick to state that, I am one of those who had one time or the other been frustrated by delays in or lacklustre dissemination of information from the Secretariat. The time has come for us to put paid to our inadequacy in that regard, and I am offering myself to lead the way. Critical in my Manifesto, is my plan to put in place, systems and processes which are proactive and well-oiled to meet the needs of the Bar and members.

If elected, I will strive to foster highly motivated Secretariat staff who have a major role to play in the speedy processing and dissemination of relevant information. I also have a plan to address the complaints that members make, regarding delays associated with processing and delivery of NBA Stamps.

How effectively have you been able to drive your campaign with the Covid-19 pandemic and the conditions placed on how campaigns should be run by the ECNBA? Do you believe that given the constraints, your campaign has had the desired effect on Lawyers across the country, and that going forward, this is probably the best way NBA campaigns

should be run?

It is sad to see how the whole world has been brought to its knees, by the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19 Pandemic). No one saw it coming. It has almost paralysed every aspect of our national life, and we are learning how to cope with the ‘new-normal’. However, in every negative situation, there is a silver lining.

We just have to find it. The current situation has forced most of us to adapt very quickly to technology and remote-working, virtual meetings are now the order of the day, and everyone is engaging via social media.

The NBA and our 2020 National Officers Elections, cannot be left out. The nation-wide restrictions on physical movement of people to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus, came as matter of necessity. Although the campaign restrictions by the ECNBA are embedded in the NBA Constitution, the Covid-19 Pandemic has exacerbated them somewhat. Of course, aspirants like myself are feeling the impact - our well-laid plans to reach out to and consult with colleagues, have had to be tweaked to meet the exigencies of the moment and comply with the guidelines. We are particularly pained that a large proportion of our colleagues who desire to have physical interaction with aspirants in order to interrogate our manifestoes before going to the polls, are being deprived of that opportunity. Nevertheless, we continue to push, to leverage on technology and social media, and try to reach out to as many members across the country as we can, using the legitimate tools that we can deploy. I have a great team working with me, and we are making great strides and getting the message across.

I think that the cost of NBA Campaigns and the electioneering process, is quite high.

Going forward, I would like to see us leverage more on technology to reduce the cost, the logistics and the enormous strain of physical travel across the entire country.

07.07.2020

NEWS/7

Alliance Prepares Nigerian Lawyers for Virtual Court Proceedings Legal experts converged in a webinar last Friday to critically examine the inevitability, constitutionality and suitability virtual court proceedings in Nigeria.

The webinar which was convened by Alliance Law Firm had the theme ‘Virtual Proceedings – Pros and Cons’ and it was moderated by the Principal Partner of the firm, Uche Val Obi SAN. The lead speaker, Hon Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court gave a perspective from the Bench and submitted that court proceedings have become inevitable, not only because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because that is where the rest of the world is heading now.

Mrs. Funke Adekoya SAN spoke from the angle of using virtual proceedings in arbitration. She pointed out that arbitrators had used virtual proceedings long before COVID-19 and clearly distinguished between online

hearings and virtual hearings.

In her view, Nigerian lawyers, especially those in litigation need to take advantage of the huge possibilities that virtual court proceedings is presenting.

This will ensure that lawyers no longer have to take risky trips from one part of the country to other to appear in various courts.

She opined that Nigeria should look beyond COVID-19 and jump at the opportunities that virtual proceedings offer.

That judges actually confessed that they had a better view of witnesses during virtual proceedings. She also noted that although there would always be infrastructural challenges, like power outages, internet connectivity, etc, but such can be tackled subsequently.

However, Professor Fidelis Oditah QC, SAN opined that Nigerian lawyers must be ready to shaft away from the usual challenges and recurrent complaints of breaching

Mr. Yash Kulkami, QC

constitutional provisions. He said Nigerian lawyers are too obsessed with the provision of

FCCPC Arraigns Owner of Med Contour Services Limited Peter Taiwo

At a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, one Dr Adepoju Anuoluwapo Olufemilayo, was arraigned on allegations of failing to appear, failure to produce and intentionally withholding a document from an investigation conducted by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

Dr Adepoju was docked alongside her company, Med Contour Services Limited, RQ D ÀYH FRXQW FKDUJH bordering on failing to appear, failure to produce, intentionally withholding a document, failure to comply, and obstruction of investigation contrary to Sections 33(3)(a)(b), 113(1)(a), 111(1)(a)(d),159 and 110, and punishable under Sections 33(3), 113(1), 111(2) and 159(4) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Act 2018.

FCCPC Prosecutor, Babatunde Irukera, Chief ([HFXWLYH 2IĂ€FHU RI WKH &RPmission, told the honourable court that the Defendant has failed to comply and provide necessary documents needed to investigate, which according to the Commission, is obstructing the investigation.

Part of the charge sheet states: “That you Dr Adepoju Anuoluwapo Olufemilayo and Med Contour Services Limited, at various times between the 15th day of April and the 4th day of

Mr. Uche Val Obi, SAN

Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution that stipulates that all court proceedings must be held in public. He said ‘I don share that view.’ He further noted that other challenges include lack of cooperation between judges, lawyers, litigants and court officials, resulting in excessive delays. That judges have allowed themselves to be handicapped by their refusal to exercise their full powers in case management of their cases.

Pinheiro SAN broke his submissions into three segments, what do we do? Perception of

what a court should be and how come we are dealing with virtual proceedings?

He submitted that there is a preponderance of opinions that court proceedings at all levels should now go virtual.

He further expressed surprise that Nigeria continues to bicker over the idea when it is clear that it is the only way to go now. Citing examples from Indonesia, Syngapore and Kenya, he concluded that, with virtual proceedings, cases will move faster and number of awaiting trail inmates will be

greatly reduced. Pinheiro SAN further noted that Practice Directions which presently guide virtual proceedings are actually constitutional. That whatever is not expressly prohibited in the Constitution is impliedly permitted.

Awonikoko SAN submitted that there is no doubt that Nigeria has everything it takes to ensure that virtual proceedings become entrenched in our justice delivery system.

From another jurisdiction, a foreing perspective was offered by Mr. Yash Kulkami QC. He pointed out that for years now he had conducted a lot of arbitral proceedings across the world virtually and with very satisfactory results.

He encouraged participants to consider the various portals available for virtual proceedings and choose the best and most reliable. He suggested that the Zoom App works well in most jurisdictions.

On the issue of tendering written documents during virtual proceedings, Kulkami said ‘a judge must have a foreknowledge of such written document, including the other parties.’ The webinar however noted that there are currently two cases at the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of virtual proceedings. Most agreed that despite this, Nigeria should proceed with virtual proceedings.

Oil Firm Seeks Stay Against AMCON on Loan Debt

Dr Adepoju Anuoluwapo Olufemilayo

May, 2020 at No 11A, Ladi Alakija Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did, without VXIÀFLHQW FDXVH IDLO RU UHIXVH to appear before the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, in compliance with the Commission’s summons dated 15th day of April 2020�.

The Defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against her, by FCCPC. The defence counsel, Maria Jones, brought to the attention of the court, a preliminary objection and a bail application.

Justice Mohammed Liman, on the bail application which was not opposed by the prosecuting counsel, said he would grant the application on self recognisance.

However, on the preliminary objection on the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to entertain the matter he ruled that: “The preliminary objection in my view, is without merit, the Commission has power to prosecute, and the Federal High Court also has jurisdiction to entertain such matters�.

He further adjourned the matter to 9th July, 2020, for trial.

An indigenous oil firm, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation Nigeria Limited and its affiliate companies, have asked a Federal High Court, Lagos, to stay execution of an ex-parte order it granted on June 22, 2020 in favour of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), in respect of a disputed loan debt.

Justice Mohammed Liman had in that order filed by counsel to AMCON, Kunle Ogunba, SAN, authorised its receiver-manager to take interim possession of the assets of the Defendants.

The Applicants sought to take over several oil mining and oil prospecting licences exemplified by OML 147, 152 and 98 respectively.

It also includes property known as FF Towers, Plot 13/14 Ligali Ayorinde Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos, among several others.

The Judge had ruled that: “An order of this honourable court granting interim judicial protection to AMCON, the receiver/manager (and its duly appointed nominee; Mr. Kunle Ogunba, SAN) appointed herein over the assets/businesses of the Defendants by virtue of its deed of appointment dated

AMCON Managing Director, Ahmed Kuru

March 5, 2020, in furtherance of the mutually binding covenants of the parties in the various facility/offer letters, pending the determination of this suit is granted�.

But, the Defendants, in a stay of execution application, asked the court to dismiss the application, or in the alternative, stay the execution sine die, pending the determination of the originating summons in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/552/2020 dated May 11, 2020, which is before the same Judge, as well as Appeal No. CA/LAG/322/2020 in Court of Appeal, Lagos.

On the grounds of the applicaWLRQ WKH ÀUP VWDWHG WKDW WKH\ KDYH ÀOHG DQ $0&21 FODLP

and obtained order against the Applicants, in respect of their alleged indebtedness to AMCON. ,Q LWV SDUDJUDSK DIÀGDYLW sworn to by one Olufumilayo Oso on behalf of the Defendant/ $SSOLFDQWV WKH ÀUP DYHUUHG WKDW along with four other Plaintiffs, it ÀOHG D VXLW DJDLQVW WKH $0&21 DQG ÀYH RWKHU EDQNV LQ VXLW No. FHC/L/CS/1716/2019, seeking declaratory reliefs and an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendants from unjustly taking over the assets of the Defendant/Applicants, until they are in law adjudged incapable of paying the debts ascertained to be due and payable to the Respondents.

8/

07.07.2020

The Obaseki Saga: A Case of a Lethargic Approach to Judicial Review Preamble Exactly a fortnight ago, Ikepo Braithwaite, the Editor of This Day Lawyer, in her weekly column published on 23rd June, 2020 and captioned “Party Screening: When Jurisdiction Trumps Justice” questioned the position taken by the Supreme Court in APC v Engr. Suleiman Aluyi Lere 2020 1 NWLR Part 1705, in which it was alluded that the remedy of a Party dissatisfied with the screening process while seeking to become a Political Party’s candidate at an election, was to leave the Party and seek their ambitions elsewhere. I am in total agreement with the Editor, that this appears to be contrary to Section 6(6)(b) of the Constitution which provides that the judicial powers: “shall extend to all matters between persons, or between government or authority and to any person in Nigeria, and to all actions and proceedings relating thereto, for the determination of any question as to the civil rights and obligations of that person”.

Apart from being contrary to the Constitution, the decision in Lere (supra) appears to oust one of the most significant developments of the Common Law in recent times, namely Judicial Review.

What is Judicial Review?

Judicial Review is a legal procedure whereby acts, decisions and omissions by bodies performing functions which affect principally the activities of individuals are challenged in court. It has been described by Lord Diplock in R. v Inland Revenue Commissioners ex p. National Federation of Self-Employed [1982] A. C. 617 at 641 as the greatest achievement of the English Courts, in living memory. The ranges of activities to which the principles of public law apply, are extensive. Any act by a public authority, such as a decision by a Federal, State or Local Government; a decision by the myriads of bodies exercising powers devolved upon them by Statute, and in some cases, Convention; is amenable to the remedy of Judicial Review.

In the last forty years, there has been a dramatic expansion and modernisation of the principles of Judicial Review, in most Commonwealth jurisdictions. Curiously, this is far from the case here in Nigeria. There have been very few applications for Judicial Review in the last twenty years, despite a return to civil rule in 1999. To the best of my knowledge, all State High Court Civil Procedure Rules make extensive provision for Judicial Review, and Order 34 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 provides extensively for applications by way of Judicial Review in our Federal Courts.

A crucial question which must be considered in all cases, is whether the remedy of Judicial Review is available at all, or whether one must proceed in private law, if that is available.

The importance of this question is such that, if one arrives at the wrong answer, the challenge may be out of time for either public or private law relief. The answer to this question has engaged the courts on numerous occasions in the recent past, although not necessarily here in Nigeria, where the development of Judicial Review has been somewhat stagnant. In order to bring a Judicial Review challenge to a decision, there has to be a “public law element” to the prospectively challenged body, and thus, its decision. In a number of cases, the answer is obvious. A government department or local authority, is plainly amenable to Judicial Review. A private corporation is not.

In the case of Godwin Obaseki and the APC, the question that springs to mind is whether a Political Party is a private or public body. I would argue that, in as much as our Constitution attempts to regulate Political Parties as provided for under Sections 221 -229 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) alongside the Electoral Act 2010, it should come under the realm of public bodies. Another significant point is the fact that, in screening candidates for the position of President/ Vice President, Governor/Deputy Governor, membership of the National Assembly, State House of Assembly or Local Government Council, a public function is being performed.

Section 229 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) buttresses this point, by providing inter alia: “………Political Party includes any association whose activities include canvassing for votes in support of a candidate for election to the office of President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor or membership of a legislative house or of a local government council”.

In other words, by screening candidates for election into the office of President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor or membership of a legislative house or local government council, a screening committee by ensuring that candidates conform with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), are in effect, performing a public function.

The Public Interest test The test for considering whether a decision should be subject

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki

to Judicial Review, is whether anyone was acting in the exercise of a public duty. Although, there are not many cases in our Jurisprudence here in Nigeria that help us out in this regard, the Common Law is awash with decisions on this point. One of the most important cases on the question of whether a decision has a sufficient public law element, is the English case of Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service [1985] A. C. 374. (CCSU). In the CCSU case, the Applicants were a Civil Service trade union, and six members who sought Judicial Review of the then Prime Minister’s decision, who was also the Minister for the Civil Service to vary the terms and conditions of service of the staff employed at the Government Communications Headquarters, so as to no longer permit them to be members of trade unions.

They had been members of such unions since 1947. There had been no consultation either with the staff or their trade unions, about this change to their conditions. The principal issue in the case was whether or not executive action could be the subject of Judicial Review, because it was derived from the prerogative. Additionally the Minister contended that the decision was taken on the grounds of national security, and accordingly, the court should not intervene. At first instance, Glidewell J. allowed the application and made a declaration.

His decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal, but the initial holding was confirmed by the House of Lords. It was held that, the prerogative was subject to Judicial Review.

On the principal issue, namely whether or not the exercise of the prerogative encapsulated in an Order in Council was reviewable, the House of Lords held that, the exercise of the

“APART FROM BEING CONTRARY TO THE CONSTITUTION, THE DECISION IN LERE (SUPRA) APPEARS TO OUST ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS OF THE COMMON LAW IN RECENT TIMES, NAMELY JUDICIAL REVIEW”

prerogative through a statutory (or more accurately quasi statutory) medium was subject to Judicial Review: “But whatever their source, powers which are defined, either by reference to their object or by reference to procedure for their exercise, or in some other way, and whether the definition is expressed or implied, are in my opinion, normally subject to judicial control to ensure that they are not exceeded”.

Lord Diplock said: “to qualify as a subject for Judicial Review the decision must have consequences which affects some person (or a body of persons) other than the decision maker, although it may affect him too. It must affect such other person either: (a) by altering the rights or obligations of that person which are enforceable by or against him in private law; or (b) by depriving him of some benefit or advantage which either (i) he had in the past been permitted by the decisionmaker to enjoy and which he can legitimately expect to be permitted to continue to do until there has been communicated to him some rational grounds for withdrawing it on which he has been given an opportunity to comment; or (ii) he has received assurance from the decision-maker that it will not be withdrawn without giving him first an opportunity of advancing reasons for contending that they should not be withdrawn… for a decision to be susceptible to Judicial Review, the decision-maker must be empowered by public law (and not merely, as in arbitration, by agreement between private parties) to make decisions that, if validly made will lead to administrative action or abstention from action by an authority empowered by law with executive powers, which have one or other of the consequences mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

The ultimate source of the decision-making power is nearly always nowadays a statute or subordinate legislation made under the statute; but, in the absence of any statute regulating the subject-matter of the decision, the source of the decisionmaking power may still be the Common Law itself i.e. that part of the Common Law that is given by the Lawyers the label of ‘the prerogative’.”

Conclusion Going by the above criteria, Judicial Review ought to have been the appropriate remedy in the matter of Governor Godwin Obaseki and the APC. Almost all the issues highlighted by Lord Diplock in the CCSU case, apply to Godwin Obaseki. How and why should our law be any different from the Common Law? Godwin Obaseki questioned the fact that he was not given a fair hearing, which of course is enforceable in private law. The mere fact that Political Parties are regulated by the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010, creates a public law element. Godwin Obaseki also has a legitimate expectation because there was a benefit or advantage which in the past the decision-maker, namely the APC screening committee, had permitted him to enjoy in that they accepted and did not question the very same academic credentials that were given to them earlier. He had also reportedly received assurances from the decision-maker that this benefit or advantage will not be withdrawn, without being given the opportunity to argue why they should not be withdrawn. Finally, the power of a Political Party to screen candidates is regulated by the Electoral Act 2010. Section 87(9) of the Electoral Act 2010 provides that: “an aspirant who complains that any of the provisions of this Act and guidelines of a Political Party has not been complied with in selection or nomination of a candidate of a Political Party for election, may apply to the Federal High Court or the High Court of a State or FCT for redress”.

Finally, Article 33 paragraph xiv of the APC Constitution defines aspirant as: “any person who has picked the Party’s nomination forms, seeking to participate in either the primary or Party election”.

Thus, Judicial Review is available where (a) private rights are affected or (b) legitimate expectations are affected and (c) the decision making body is empowered by “public law”.

Consequently, on this analysis, any decision affecting either an individual or a group is likely to be within the ambit of public law, and thereby, subject to Judicial Review. I have no doubt that, considering the arguments of the Editor of This Day Lawyer and those I have canvassed above in support of her contention, the case of Lere (supra) will be revisited by the Supreme Court sometime in the future. It is also inconceivable, that the Supreme Court were not aware of the above arguments.

The Supreme Court, in my opinion, are over-burdened, and are therefore, reluctant to deal with the myriad of screening cases of contestants in Political Parties, in addition to Election Petition cases. Perhaps, the time is now rife for us as a Country to ease their burden and consider having a full time Constitutional Court which seems essential, if our Constitution is to have specific and legally binding effects on citizens’ rights and political processes, such as elections and legislative procedures.

6/ COVER

07.07.2020

NBA GENERAL SECRETARY CONTENDERS: THEIR VISIONS, THEIR MISSIONS “I HAVE THE CHARACTER,

My Agenda is to create an IT-driven, Innovative and Professionalised Secretariat

I HAVE THE CAPACITY, I HAVE THE COMPETENCE AND EXPERIENCE.....I UNDERSTAND THE

Okey Ohagba

T

he office of the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association is the busiest office in the Association, and it is generally referred to as engine room of the NBA. What competitive advantage would you say you have over your fellow contestants, in terms of skills and understanding of the job and what it entails? In a nutshell, what is your manifesto? Why should Nigerian Lawyers entrust you with their Secretariat?

Practically speaking, NBA General Secretary is like the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of an organisation. Therefore, a candidate for that office must possess excellent leadership and administrative skills; must be a multitasker, with an eye for detail. Such candidate must be innovative, tech savvy, hardworking and committed to assignments.

Manning the Secretariat of a multi-membered organisation like the NBA in this post Covid-19 era, demands even more. It demands a strategic thinker who will be ready and eager to embrace prevailing new perspectives, and adapt quickly to new and better ways of doing things. I epitomise the foregoing attributes. Those who know me very well, I’m sure, will say that I'm the right peg for that hole. My aspiration for the office, is borne out of my passion for positive and innovative change. I have the character, I have the capacity, I have the competence and experience. I am burning with ideas to innovate the Secretariat. I understand the workings of the Secretariat better than the rest, being the immediate past 1st Assistant Secretary of the Association.

As NBA 1st Assistant Secretary, 2016 to 2018, upon cordial and robust collaboration with the General Secretary, I delivered 'error proof Minutes’ at nearly all NBA National Executive Committee Meetings, and for the first time in NBA history, we pioneered the introduction of electronic mailing of Minutes and NEC Bundles prior to NEC Meetings, thereby affording NEC Members ample opportunity to read, digest the minutes and participate more robustly at NEC Meetings. Again as NBA Rep. on CAC board, I championed the Commission’s migration from a semi-analog platform to digital platform, enabling Lawyers to transact business with

WORKINGS OF THE SECRETARIAT BETTER THAN THE REST, BEING THE IMMEDIATE PAST 1ST ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION”

Okey Ohagba

CAC today from the comfort of their homes, using palm held devices. I leave innovative imprints, in any position I serve. My passion for excellence drives me crazy, and puts me undoubtedly ahead. It may also interest you to note that, I was raised from the nursery of Young Lawyers Forum, where I served as National Secretary 2012 to 2014; therefore, I understand also the yearnings of younger members of the Bar, whom we all refer to as the future Bar. In a nutshell, my agenda is to enthrone an effective and functional E-governance structure; the IBA model Secretariat. An IT-driven, innovative and professionalised Secretariat, that accords with all modern and international best practices. A Secretariat that will be accessible to all members from all parts of the world, a responsive Secretariat, with a motivated Staff that will efficiently respond to the needs of our members, and a Secretariat that will support and enhance our practice as Lawyers in our respective jurisdictions. I will be remembered as always, by the innovative imprints I will be sure to leave at the end.

At a time when the world has become a

NBA GENERAL SECRETARY CONTENDERS: THEIR VISIONS, THEIR MISSIONS cont'd from page 4

–Joyce Oduah

Constitution, vis: the Northern, Eastern and Western Zones.

On NBA stamp and seal, I must add that the introduction of the NBA stamp and seal remains a commendable initiative, as same has to a great extent, helped to checkmate fake Lawyers in the legal profession. Today, legal practice is a bit more demanding than it used to be some decades back, because Lawyers are now mandatorily required to affix their stamps to all legal documents prepared by them. However, I am also aware that one of the challenges associated with the stamp and seal, is the delay in production and delivery. Therefore, when I am elected as the General Secretary, I will ensure swift production and delivery of the NBA stamp and seal to Lawyers. I will also advocate for the cost of procuring NBA stamp to be reduced. I believe there should be an incentive for payment of Bar Practicing Fees. To further alleviate the challenges and delay in delivery of the NBA stamp, I will advocate for, and ensure the introduction of electronic stamp, particularly in the face of this current global pandemic. We will work only with a company that has the capacity to produce stamp and seal for Lawyers, within the required time.

How effectively have you been able to drive your campaign with the Covid-19

pandemic and the conditions placed on how campaigns should be run by the ECNBA? Do you believe that given the constraints, your campaign has had the desired effect on Lawyers across the country, and that going forward, this is probably the best way NBA campaigns should be run?

Realistically, the current global pandemic has not just affected global economy adversely, but has also affected our campaign, because we are constrained not to travel around to consult Lawyers in person. However, it has also saved costs for us. Be that as it may, I believe my campaign has had the desired effect on Lawyers, because we have been able to favourably explore and utilise other means through which we have been engaging and consulting Lawyers productively. For instance, we have been having constant consultation meetings with our supporters on Zoom, and we have also been leveraging extensively on digital campaign. I and my team have been working relentlessly, and have not allowed the global pandemic to deter us. Well, I do not believe this is the best way NBA campaign should be run, because it does not afford Lawyers the opportunity to interact effectively with their candidates.

One cannot compare physical meetings, with virtual meetings.

global village and the legal professional is fast becoming digital, it would be expected that the General Secretary of Nigeria’s largest professional body should be IT savvy and fully computer literate. To what extent do you possess these valuable skills, which are absolutely necessary to function effectively in that office?

I am an implacable crusader for e-governance.

My Bar service profile speaks for itself on this aspect of me; from National Secretary of Young Lawyers Forum where I built the most comprehensive database of young Lawyers in Nigeria at the time and maintained a functional website for the YLF link to the NBA portal, to NBA Rep. on the Board of CAC where I championed the migration of the Commission from a semi-analog to complete digital platform, enabling online based interaction with the Commission, and again to NBA 1st Assistant Secretary where I facilitated electronic mailing of minutes and NEC bundle, for the first time in NBA history.

I am very proficient in the use of ICT, and an advocate for less paperwork and more paperless administration, for a better and speedy service delivery.

One major complaint from Lawyers and NBA Branches about the office of General Secretary, is the lack of and/or ineffective and inadequate flow of information from that office to Branches and Lawyers in general, on crucial issues like minutes of NEC meetings and notices to Lawyers, SANs, Benchers and other major stakeholders in the profession. How do you intend to ameliorate this problem, if and when you are voted into office?

Lawyers for instance, complain they don’t get their stamp and seal early enough.

Some have to wait for upwards of four or five months. How do you intend to handle this problem, if you are voted into office?

The National body cannot function, without the Branches and their members. I think there should be an IT-driven connection and interaction between the Secretariat and members of the Bar. We don’t have that at present, and the fact that a member in a remote Branch cannot have access to the Secretariat via the click of a phone, not only creates a loss of connection but also hampers in varying ways, that member’s professional career, and the ripple effect in some cases, will be a denial of access to justice. This is very true because today, the Secretariat plays a critical role in regulating the practice of Lawyers with the issuance of NBA STAMPS . If you don’t have the stamp, you cannot practice effectively. For this reason alone, the National Secretariat must be both friendly and accessible to all members. There are a lot of ways to enhance this process via

IT mechanism.

My ultimate goal, is e-governance. If you’re used to the workings of the IBA, you will agree with me that from any part of the world, queries are raised and resolved via the IBA Portal www.ibanet.org and/or through IBA Call Centres. Once the e-governance culture is put in place, challenges of disconnect and poor communication would have been dealt with, frontally. Minutes and other vital information would be easily accessible to members via the portal, email services, NBA App. (Which we hope to implement) etc.

While I must take quick steps to fast-track Stamp application, production and issuance process, we must look the way of e-stamping, since e-filing has become the new normal in our jurisprudence. All I’ve been saying, is doable. It’s not rocket science, it’s about commitment, zeal and passion for excellence. A multi membered organisation like the NBA, must leverage on ICT for a robust interaction with members.

I have the roadmap to bridging this rising disconnect and disenchantment between the National, individual members and Branches, through the operation of an IT driven, friendly Secretariat. When I was in office as the 1st Assistant General Secretary of the Association, I took it upon myself to always be on the Association’s webmaster, urging him to always update the portal at every point in time, to ensure we keep our members up to speed with the activities of the National Secretariat. I must commend the current administration for their efforts at improving on the IT image of the Association by refocusing and redirecting members attention to the portal for certain services, but I think a lot of things still need to be done to bridge this gap. An all-inclusive style of governance, must be engaged to cushion this gap.

How effectively have you been able to drive your campaign with the Covid-19 pandemic and the conditions placed on how campaigns should be run by the ECNBA? Do you believe that given the constraints, your campaign has had the desired effect on Lawyers across the country, and that going forward, this is probably the best way NBA campaigns should be run?

Ours is a professional Association built on rules, so let me correct you first that, ban on campaigns hasn’t been lifted yet. I’ve expressed intent and have graciously cleared to contest by the electoral umpire, the ECNBA. Our Constitution and the ECNBA guidelines stipulate applicable mode of campaign, and I await the ECNBA directive in that regard. For now, I’m reaching out to colleagues and sensitising them of my aspiration and vision. Amidst the lockdown and ECNBA restrictions, I’ve been working the phones, and the responses has been wonderful.

The restrictions are meant to instil some sanity into our electoral system, and I commend the ECNBA for their initiative.

18

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍľËœ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD OPEC: AFRICA’S REFINERIES MEET ONLY HALF OF CONTINENT’S DAILY PETROL DEMAND and technologies is too slow.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, 47 per cent of the population have no electricity. The number of people without access to clean fuels and cooking technology has even increased, owing to rapid population growth.�

Barkindo stated that going forward, the key to growing investment in Africa’s energy sector would require a combination of a sustainably stable oil market, good governance, transparency and broad stakeholder support. “There is also positive momentum on the supply-side with the historic OPEC-NonOPEC ministerial decisions in April and June providing much needed support to the market balancing process. “We are moving in the right direction, but we must remain vigilant in order to address a forecasted contraction in global oil demand of around nine million barrels per day for 2020.

We are not out of the woods yet. This is a massive undertaking, and we need all industry stakeholders to contribute,� he said.

W’BANK: NIGERIA’S OIL REVENUE TO SHRINK BY 70% IN 2020 trading partners.

It explained that the pandemic has sharply curtailed both oil and nonoil revenue streams at a time when fiscal resources are urgently needed to contain the virus and support economic activity, adding that by April Nigeria’s crude oil prices had fallen to $20 a barrel; down nearly 70 per cent in three months. “After this extraordinary oil-price shock, which led to a steep drop in oil production, oil revenues are expected to fall from 3.2 per cent of GDP in 2019 to about 1 per cent in 2020. “Though oil production is expected to stabilise, it would not immediately contribute much to growth because investment in the sector is likely to remain subdued until the price outlook becomes more favourable,� the Bank noted.

NEWS

NCDMB Signs $25m Deal on Energy Park, Blending Plant in Edo, Bayelsa Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has signed two separate equity investment agreements with Duport Midstream Company for the establishment of an energy park in Egbokor, Edo State and Eraskon Nigeria Limited, for a lubricating oils blending plant in Gbarain, Bayelsa State, both worth about $25 million.

The company said the board’s investments would catalyse industrialisation, with the two partnership expected to generate about 1,500 direct, indirect, and induced employment opportunities.

It noted that these benefits are in addition to several other spin-off economic activities that would be developed where the projects are located.

The planned energy park comprises a 2,500bpd modular refinery, 30MMscfd gas processing facility, which will include a CNG facility and 2MW power plant, the company said.

The lubricating oil blending plant, it noted, would be the first of such plants in Bayelsa state and wouls have the capacity to produce 45,000 liters per day as well as enhance the availability of engine oils, transmission fluids, grease and other products.

Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr. Simbi Wabote, signed the Shareholders Agreements and Share Subscription Agreements at Abuja while Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Managing Director

of Duport Midstream Company and Mr. Maxwell Oko, Managing Director of Erakson Nigeria Ltd equally signed for their firms respectively.

Wabote, explained that the investments were part of the approval granted recently by the board’s governing council chaired by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva.

He clarified that the investments were coming under the board’s commercial ventures

program and was in sync with the its vision to serve as a catalyst for the industrialisation of the Nigerian oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors.

He indicated that the Duport partnership was in furtherance of the board’s strategy to enhance in-country value addition by supporting the establishment of processing facilities close to marginal or stranded hydrocarbon fields.

According to the ES, the recent drastic drop in the prices of oil

had made it imperative to have refining capacities to reduce, if not eliminate cases of stranded oil cargoes without buyers.

Recalling the board had already had partnered with the Waltersmith Group and Azikel Petroleum Company for the establishment of modular refineries in Imo and Bayelsa State respectively, he underscored the emerging investment opportunity in developing capability and capacity in-country to maintain the various kits

in the modular refinery on a sustainable basis. “We do not want a situation where the modular refineries are folding up one after the other in a few years due to lack of technical support or inability to secure critical parts� he said.

Wabote stated further that NCDMB has commenced discussion with some Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) on how to domicile the fabrication and assembly of modular refineries in-country.

SUPPORTINITIATIVE

L-R: Treasurer, Advertiser Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Obum Okoli; Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ediri Ose- Ediale; Laolu Mosoba; Director of Gender, NANS Jasmine Alo, and Publicity Secretary, ADVAN, Bukola Bankole, at the Advertiser Community Support Initiative to specific associations affected by Covid-19,thatwashostedbytheassociationinLagos‌recently SUNDAYADIGUN

NEITI Reiterates Need to Diversify Nigeria’s Revenue Base Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigeria Extractive Industry and Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called for a paradigm shift in the country’s overdependence on revenues from crude oil sales.

With oil price volatility and up to 50 per cent of government revenue and 80 per cent of export revenue derived from the oil and gas sector, NEITI stressed the need to urgently diversify the economy.

Speaking during a webinar organised by the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Waziri Adio, noted that the current economic crisis has thrown up the broader

and more deep-rooted issue of resource dependence and volatility.

Other members of the panel were Ms. Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister and Chair of the international board of the EITI and David Nabarro, one of six Special Envoys of the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Mr Roberto de Michele, Principal Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank and a consultant with the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, also participated during the webinar.

The panel agreed that the recent fall in oil prices has had a massive impact on public

finances in Nigeriawith government revenues projected to shrink by 45 per cent and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expected to contract 3.2 per cent, according to the World Bank.

However, EITI noted that in anticipation of its worst economic crisis in 40 years, the Nigerian government has responded swiftly by revising its budget and adopting fiscal measures.

According to Adio: “It is very clear that we need to look beyond the moment – we need to interrogate why Nigeria is vulnerable and why we are in this crisis.�

With price volatility an ongoing feature of the oil market, he said that NEITI was advocating

longer-term measures to limit Nigeria’s dependence on oil.

He opined that, for example, the measure could be by saving oil revenues and diversifying its government revenues, adding that the body would also be issuing a policy brief in the coming weeks on the subject.

In his comment, Nabarro stressed that the shocks from the Covid-19 pandemic were being acutely felt by resource-dependent countries, adding that many governments were scrambling to avoid economic collapse.

He opined that living and working with the virus would inevitably be more costly, positing that production costs may increase as a result and companies will need to factor the costs into

their projections.

He advocated a more sustainable approach, arguing that: “Without good quality public health to keep people safe, there is no real prospect of reopening the economy.�

Speaking in the same vein, EITI’s Executive Director, Mark Robinson, explained that commodity trades undertaken under pressure may be more vulnerable to corruption and erode revenue streams. “In some countries, revenue shares allocated to regional governments may equal up to 50 per cent of total extractives revenues. These revenue flows may be reduced as governments revise their budgets to address public sector health needs.

PNG Gas Achieves Two Million Man-hours with Zero Loss Time Incident Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Peter Uzoho

Capital Market Editor

PNG Gas Limited, operators of Egbaoma Gas Processing Plant, has announced the achievement of two million man-hours without lost-time incident (LTI), spanning over six years of operations as at June, 12, 2020.

The achievement was made possible through the joint efforts and hard work of the entire team, including its contractors and sub-contractors.

The Chairman, Board of Directors, PNG, Dr Bolaji Ogundare, in a statement, explained that, “the

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă‹Ă’Ă?Ă?Ă— Ă•Ă“Ă˜Ă‘ĂŒĂ™Ă–Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă’Ă“Ă˜Ă?ĂŽĂ&#x; äĂ? (Aviation) ĂœĂ™Ă—Ă™Ă?Ă?Ă–Ă? ĂŒĂ“Ă™ĂŽĂ&#x;Ă˜ (Maritime) Ă‹Ă—Ă?Ă? Ă—Ă?ÔÙ (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor ((Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă—Ă? Ă•Ă?Ă‘Ă’Ă? (Money Market) Ă™Ă?Ă‹ Ă–Ă?Ă•Ă’Ă&#x;ÙÑÓĂ? (ICT)

achievement is an indication that everyone at PNG Gas Limited has become a Leader in Safety.

From the board of directors to the management, to our operators and personnel at the shop floor. “We work as a team daily to sustain the company’s mission to safely and efficiently process gas to the benefit of our stakeholders.�

He added that the gas processing plant which is operating safely and over 90 per cent indigenously manned, has significantly improved the carbon footprint of Egbaoma field

and the eco system of the host communities at large.

Also, the Director/Promoter, PNG, Mr. Charles Osezua, attributed the achievement to God and the continuous improvement of the PNG’s systems and processes.

He commended the efforts of the management and staff of PNG for their continuous focus on the zero LTI target, lessons learnt from implementation and, great care exercised in managing the environment and asset integrity.

On his part, the Managing

Director of PNG, Mr. Gabriel Ilenreh, explained that the total two million man-hour achieved included man-hours for the engineering, procurement, construction and installation.

He said PNG was able to achieve the milestone through continuous proactive engagement of its employees, customers, suppliers, host communities, contractors and subcontractors.

Best practice governance and risk management practices being implemented at the PNG contributed significantly to the company’s excellent safety per-

formance, which he said has won the confidence of its shareholders and strategically positioned the business to replicate its success in other oil fields and assets.

He added that PNG’s business model was structured to protect the environment while creating value for the nation by converting gas flare to wealth in line with the federal government’s gas commercialization policy thrust.

PNG Gas Limited is a subsidiary of Gas Train Limited, owners of Egbaoma Gas Processing Plant, located in Ebedei, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.

19

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Understanding PPPRA’s Role in New Petrol Price Regime Emmanuel Addeh explains the role of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency in a market-based regime

I

n 2000, the federal government set up a 34-man special committee on the review of petroleum products supply and distribution which eventually birthed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in 2003.

The government listed the scarcity of petroleum products leading to long queues, low capacity utilisation and refining activities at the nation’s refineries as well as low investment opportunities in the sector as some of the factors prompting the move.

It then went about setting up the PPPRA, an agency meant to have sufficient autonomy to superintend over the various phases of a proposal which included the liberalisation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

The Bill for the establishment of the Agency was finally passed in 2003, with the first Board of the agency inaugurated same year.

In essence, the PPPRA was set up to determine the pricing policy of petroleum products, regulate its supply and distribution, create an information databank and moderate volatility in petroleum products prices, while ensuring reasonable returns to operators.

The government further saddled it with the responsibility of establishing parameters and codes of conduct for all operators in the downstream petroleum sector.

Added to the above, the PPPRA was to maintain constant surveillance over all key indices relevant to pricing policy and periodically approve benchmark prices for all petroleum product.

It was also tasked on identifying macroeconomic factors with relationship to prices of petroleum products and advice the federal government on appropriate strategies for dealing with them.

Currently led by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Abdulkadir Saidu, the agency also works to prevent collusion and restrictive trade practices harmful in the sector and exercise mediatory role as necessary for all stakeholders.

In March this year, the federal government said it was set to review the pump price of petrol, down from N145, the price it was sold at the time.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, had then noted that the fall in the international price of crude oil had made it inevitable to lower the price Nigerians get the product at the fuel stations.

“The drop in crude oil prices has lowered the Expected Open Market Price of imported petrol below the official pump price of N145 per litre.

“Therefore, Mr. President has approved that Nigerians should benefit from the reduction in the price of PMS which is a direct effect of the crash in global crude oil prices.

“In view of this situation, based on the price modulation template approved in 2015, the Federal Government is directing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to reduce the ex-coastal and ex-depot prices of petrol to reflect current market realities” he said.

Accordingly, the minister had explained that a monthly guiding price would henceforth be advised by the PPPRA in tandem with the prevailing market price of the product to the NNPC and marketers on the appropriate pricing regime.

“The agency is further directed to modulate pricing in accordance with prevailing market dynamics and respond appropriately to any further oil market development.

“It is believed that this measure will have a salutary effect on the economy, provide relief to Nigerians and will provide a framework for sustainable supply of petrol to our country,” the Supervising Minister had said.

A day later, the PPPRA introduced a new pricing template, following the crash in the international price of crude oil.

It had explained that the plunge in the price of crude oil and petroleum products occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and slowing global oil demand, had led to a drop in the petrol Expected Open Market Price (EOMP) below the approved pump price cap of N145.00 per litre, indicating over 30 per cent drop below

Saidu the official pump price.

Consequently, the Agency said taking into consideration all existing approved margins on the pricing template, the new pump price of petroleum had been set at N125.00 per litre, effective 19th March, 2020.

That decision in March to commence the announcement of a monthly guide for the prices of petrol has left the Agency in the public eye and subjected it to more public scrutiny, given the critical role the supply and pricing of the product plays in the country’s energy and economic needs.

Subsequently, various price bands have been made public by the Agency, with the lowest being the N121.50 price and the highest since then, being the announcement of N143.80k for the month of July.

However, while the petroleum sector has faced several challenges, the PPPRA said it has continued to effectively play the role of petroleum products price review since its inception, including midwifing the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector.

According to the Agency, this is to address the perennial problem of fuel scarcity and other related challenges bedeviling the country.

For the time the PPPRA has been in the news, its functions appear to be clearly misunderstood by many Nigerians, with the most recurring issues bordering around the new pricing policy which has drawn mixed reactions from Nigerians.

Many consumers have questioned why they are not paying considerably less, given the relatively low crude oil price and how deregulation will affect petrol pump price when crude oil price inevitably rebounds.

But the PPPRA explained that its pricing template takes into consideration a number of factors which includes amongst others: petroleum product cost, foreign exchange (forex) and rate at which oil marketing companies (OMCs) import petroleum products.

Other associated cost components, it said, included freight rate, trans-shipment cost, statutory charges, terminal charges (storage and jetty throughput), financing and distribution margins (wholesalers/marketers, transporters, retailers, bridging fund and administrative charges.

While stressing that the agency does not fix prices, the PPPRA said that it provides a guiding price band by monitoring petroleum products prices daily and using the average price of the previous month to determine prices for the following month, to determine the appropriate cost reflective pricing that ensures reasonable returns to marketers.

“This methodology is in line with international best practices which range from bi-monthly to monthly price reviews. Nigeria adopted the monthly review model considering the average

Buhari duration for importation of petroleum products into Nigeria from the closest spot market; Northwest Europe (NWE) to West Africa (WAF) is about 30 days. This period encompasses the Import Financing Process to delivery at retail outlets.”

On why it was not possible for the government to fully hands-off pricing despite deregulation of the sector, the body said the enforcement of appropriate laws by strong regulatory agencies was needed in the downstream.

“Different fully deregulated sectors of the polity operate under the guidance of national regulators. The NBC regulates broadcasting, NCC regulates telecommunications.

“NERC regulates the power sector; the banking sector is being regulated by the CBN and the same exists for operators in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector” it explained.

The agency emphasised that the new pricing regime is a market-reflective pricing system where it advises marketers on guiding price, stressing that although crude oil price and petroleum products prices are positively correlated, the prices of petroleum products do not increase or reduce correspondingly with changes in crude oil price.

Abdulkadir added: “The PPPRA pricing template takes into consideration a number of factors which includes amongst others: Petroleum Product Cost, Foreign Exchange (Forex) rate at which Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and import petroleum products.

“Other associated cost components include freight rate, trans-shipment cost, statutory charges (NPA, NIMASA), terminal charges (storage and Jetty throughput), and financing and distribution margins (Wholesalers/Marketers, Transporters, Retailers, Bridging Fund and Administrative Charges).”

On the alleged misconception that the PPPRA fixes petrol prices, he said: “the agency does not fix prices but rather provides a guiding price band by monitoring petroleum products prices daily; using the average price of the previous month to determine prices for the following month, for appropriate cost reflective pricing that ensures reasonable returns to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).

The PPPRA listed the advantages of the new pricing regime as encouraging marketers to resume supply of petrol, leading to further value creation in the downstream.

“This policy will foster job creation, ensure reasonable returns for investors, create healthy competition among marketers, enhance value for consumers and make funding available for other important infrastructure” it said.

While answering the question on the role of the PPPRA in an already deregulated market, the Executive Secretary noted that the deregulation

of the downstream sector will be dependent on the enforcement of appropriate laws by strong regulatory agencies.

The PPPRA explained that there was nowhere in the world that deregulation means total lack of control, supervision or oversight, adding that while the market-based pricing regime is a policy introduced to free the market of all encumbrances to investment and growth.

“It should not be misconstrued to mean a total abdication of government’s responsibility to the sector and citizenry” the PPPRA boss noted.

The extant laws, such as PPPRA Act No. 8 of 2003 and the Petroleum Act, the Agency said, gives it the legislative backing to formulate policy initiatives on pricing regime, limit price gouging, create a level playing field for operators and protect consumers.

“In accordance with the above, the development of guidelines for petroleum products commercial framework has been concluded and Code of Conducts for operators is currently being firmed up to reflect the present price regime” it noted.

Abdulkadir stressed that the PPPRA had earlier emphasised that the new pricing regime is a market-reflective pricing system where the agency advises marketers on guiding price.

“It is pertinent to also note that although crude oil price and petroleum products prices are positively correlated, the prices of petroleum products do not increase or reduce correspondingly with changes in crude oil price.

“The pump price we expect to see will be a reflection of the international market prices of petroleum products that are also rising.”

It said that transitioning to a fully deregulated market had come with its growing pains, listing major challenges holding stock of products bought at higher prices, non-availability of foreign exchange for importation of petroleum products and slow depletion of stock due to the covid-19 pandemic.

On a positive note, the PPPRA said it is currently finalising the review of cost elements and profit margins on the pricing template for marketers to reflect the current market-driven pricing regime, which was last reviewed in 2016 while ensuring that consumers are not overcharged.

Earlier, in one of its explanatory notes, the agency had explained that the modulation as described in the statement introducing the new pricing regime, refers to monthly adjustment or review of pump prices in line with prevailing market conditions.

It described price liberalisation as a situation in which Expected Open Market Prices (EOMP) are completely determined by market forces, stating that under the system, petroleum products prices will henceforth be adjusted in line with market realities.

20

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍľËœ Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Delivering AKK Gas Pipeline Having successfully delivered the construction of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben Gas Pipeline, Oilserv Limited has moved to theAjaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline where it is handling the Engineering, Procurement and Construction of the first 303kilometer portion of the 614kilometer gas infrastructure project, writes Peter Uzoho

L

ast Tuesday, the flag-off the construction of the $2.8billion 614kilometers Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline, a major infrastructure project critical to Nigeria’s economic development, was done virtually by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The flag off the project has put to rest the apprehension and skepticism among Nigerians about the seriousness or otherwise of the government over the project.

In carrying out the ceremony, President Buhari directed the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC to authorise the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) consortiums to commence construction operations at the project camp sites without further delay. “We promised the nation that we will expand the key critical gas infrastructure in the country to promote the use of gas for the domestic market. “These include the Escravos to Lagos Pipeline System - 2 (ELPS-2), Obiafu to Obrikom (OB3) pipeline and the AKK. “I therefore directed NNPC to ensure that these critical projects are completed on time, within budget and specification,�

Buhari stated.

According to the president, when completed, the AKK Gas Pipeline Project would provide gas for generation of power and for gas-based industries which would facilitate the development of new industries and also the revival of moribund industries along transit towns in Kogi State, Abuja (FCT), Niger, Kaduna and Kano states. “This will ultimately create numerous direct and indirect employment opportunities while fostering the development and utilisation of local skills and manpower, technology transfer and promotion of local manufacturing. “The project is therefore part of the delivery of our Next Level Agenda for sustainable development and enhancement of the economic prosperity of our Country,� Buhari added.

Policy Focus The AKK Gas Pipeline which was conceived as part of the Nigerian Gas Masterplan (NGMP) by previous administrations has remained in the policy shelf for nearly a decade. Its implementation by the present administration is a progression from the delivery of the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) gas grid development.

The AKK project was designed to enlarge the domestic gas market by using the energy demand from the northern parts of the country to enhance the commerciality of domestic market play and confer viability on investments in government’s gas commercialisation agenda.

According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the gas commercialisation programme was meant to leverage on the nation’s huge natural gas reserve base to stimulate growth and enable Nigeria’s migration from the current mono-economy into a diversified economy.

The AKK project would enable the injection of 2.2 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (bscf/d) into the domestic market upon completion, and facilitate additional power generation capacity of 3,600 megawatts (MW), the corporation said.

The 614 kilometer pipeline is expected to trigger economic activities that would ultimately deliver on national economic aspirations in the petroleum industry through which the government intends to position the country’s abundant natural gas reserves as the key enabler for economic diversification.

Processes in realising the policy targets include clearly mapped out strategies to

Kyari deepen the domestic gas market, end gas flaring at oil production sites, enhance national revenue through natural gas commercialisation, boost the Nigerian Content in the petroleum industry, and build sustainable energy infrastructure for the domestic economy.

According to the project profile from the NNPC, the $2.592 billion AKK pipeline project would provide channel for the upstream and midstream petroleum industry operators to deliver their natural gas output into the grid and spur industrial evolution along the new pipeline corridors in northern Nigeria.

Powering Economic Activity Energy is considered most critical among all factors of production, and acute shortage of energy has been the major bane of industrial and commercial enterprises in the country.

Thus the AKK pipeline is therefore considered a key factor in sustainably resolving issues of industrial energy for the present and future generation of Nigeria.

Manufacturing capacity in Nigeria today is highly constrained by energy issues. Running manufacturing by liquid fuel is far too expensive and unprofitable; power supply for industrial activity is grossly inadequate.

So the AKK pipeline holds potential to feed power plants with adequate fuel energy to generate adequate electricity for homes and businesses.

Lack of adequate gas transport infrastructure has been a major problem in Nigeria. The crisis in nation’s power sector is partly caused by lack of gas supply to power plants.

By sending about 3,600MW of power to the grid, this gas infrastructure will help greatly in solving the electricity challenges associated to gas supply.

The pipeline can also directly feed industry and commerce with cleaner, cheaper gas energy. In both ways the AKK pipeline is going to enable the industrial sector of the economy optimize its potentials for growth, job creation and contribution to gross domestic product (GDP).

Before now, members of the Organised Private Sector (OPS) of the Nigerian economy and policy analysts like the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), had consistently called on government to provide critical infrastructure to boost economic activities and attract massive investment in the country.

Such concerned business people and believe that the best response government has given to the agitation from the business community is to provide hope for production infrastructure that would make the country more attractive for investment.

To this end, the AKK pipeline when realised

Emekawould be a sustainable infrastructure that would enhance the operating environment for business in the country. The facility would also remain central to all aspects of Nigeria’s industrial development including boosting power generation, stimulating manufacturing activities and de-constraining new field development in the oil industry.

In the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, the AKK pipeline will enable more oil production by helping operators to meet the condition of zero flare development plans.

So, operators who have been held down by market limited destination for associated gas are now provided space in the AKK pipeline.

Again, expanding the domestic gas market with the AKK pipeline will boost investor confidence in the government’s flare gas commercialisation programme by providing ready offtake channel for harnessed gas. This strongly propels Nigeria’s drive to attain zero emission at oil production sites and probably enable the country exit the inglorious global greenhouse emission chart.

Furthermore, the AKK gas pipeline would also lead to economic advantage for the country by earning direct income for government and also helping develop indigenous industrial capacity by providing cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable energy.

It would become a consistent revenue earner for all stakeholders including the government by operating a tariff based gas transmission services to assist producers wheel gas to market.

It would also entitle government to tax income, equity dividend and direct market returns on volume gas sales.

Nigerian Content However, the biggest value is that the AKK pipeline is a testament to government’s commitment to the Nigerian Content Policy.

Apart from the funding arrangement which brought the Chinese content in the project, major scope of the project is being delivered by indigenous Oilserv consortium which delivered more challenging Obiafu-ObrikomOben (OB3) pipeline on which the AKK pipeline is anchored.

More importantly, the involvement of Oilserv makes the project more realistic as the pipeline major comes to the project with its trademark competence, capability and integrity which had seen it handle without fault, numerous projects in the country.

The reliance on local expertise also makes the infrastructure more sustainable and cheaper in terms of long term maintenance plan.

With the Oilserv consortium, government

would not suffer maintenance hitches similar to the impasse that plague the local refineries following the refusal of original builders to honour maintenance commitments.

It is therefore taken for granted that the Oilserv consortium would regularly be on ground to guarantee the integrity of the pipeline.

Chairman of Oilserv Group, Mr. Emeka Okwuosa, said the consortium led by his company was working in concert to provide best-in-class EPC services for NNPC and Nigeria in consonance with the company’s track record of delivering world class pipeline construction even most challenging terrains. “Oilserv is a 100 percent indigenous company currently employing more than 600 staff. With this AKK we probably will go to between 1,500 and 2,000 at the peak of the personnel matrix. But the fact remains that we are ready. This is not the first project.

We are commissioning the OB3 gas project which is slightly larger than this in terms of diameter. “The OB3 is 48 inches in diameter. So we have the experience, we have the personnel, we have the equipment and we are capable and we would deliver this project,� he said.

On the projects potential for job creation, Okwuosa declared that the company would significantly increase its workforce during the project’s time frame, adding that additional staff would be recruited from communities that host the project. “Like I said, we will crank up our employment by more than 1,000 and major part of this 1,000 will be indigenes of the areas where we are. We have a clear programme to develop the areas where we build pipelines.�

In advancing Oilserv’s performance profile in petroleum industry pipeline delivery, Okwuosa declared that the consortium is conversant with driving through tough and challenging terrains. “Every project has come with its challenges.

There are challenges in driving a project like this in virgin forests, to go through rivers, to go through rocks, to deal with security issues. “These are challenges but I don’t have fears because we have the knowledge and the experience to deal with it. We are very ready to deliver the project and deliver the project on time.�

Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, expressed his confidence in the ability of the selected contractors (led by Oilserv) to deliver the project, saying, “We are confident that the EPC contractors will deliver the project on time, within budget and to quality specifications,� he declared.

Kyari stated that “The current administration under the leadership of President Buhari has made it a priority to ensure revenues from oil and gas resources are utilized to support the emergence and growth of other non-oil sectors of the economy,� stressing that the pipeline is one of the economic diversification efforts of the government.

The consortium is to deliver the first phase of the 40 inch diameter pipeline which would run from Ajaokuta in Kogi State to KP303 between Abuja and Kaduna and also to deliver a Terminal Gas Station (TGS) which is a 24 inch 15 kilometer spur line to a planned power station in Abuja.

To enable the state benefit from the gains of the project right from the construction stage, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, said the youth of the state had been trained on technical skills and made ready for absorption in the construction stages of the project.

As currently planned, the AKK pipeline project is envisaged to be completed by 2023.

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T H I S D AY ˾ TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020

PROPERTY & ENVIRONMENT Propertymart Boosts Affordable, Low, Middle Income Housing Amidst Nigeria’s housing challenge, Propertymart Real Estate Investment Limited continues to help low and mid-income earners become proud homeowners, reports Fadekemi Ajakaiye

“I

t is hard to argue that housing is not a fundamental human need.

Decent, affordable housing should be a basic right for everybody in this country. The reason is simple: without stable shelter, everything else falls apart,” states Harvard professor Matthew Desmond in his memorable highlight of the significance of housing.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest, and the seventh most populous nation on earth with an estimated population of over 200 million people, has suffered housing challenges for decades. The Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Nigeria (CAHF) Understanding Nigeria’s Housing Finance Market 2019 report affirms the country’s housing struggles, noting that despite the housing policies of successive governments, Nigeria still has a long way to reduce the deficit. The deficit stands at between 17–22 million units with the bulk of the demand in the urban areas of Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja.

Some of the factors responsible for the deficit include limited funding, especially for the low and middle-level income earners; activities of land grabbers popularly called ‘Omo Onile’; corruption in the allocation and registration of land titles; multiple taxes; fluctuating exchange rates; and the shortage of competent, honest realtors. The COVID-19 pandemic has now further worsened matters.

To meet the housing needs of Nigerians, the CAHF Report notes that a staggering annual increase by 900,000 units, requiring a whooping N6 trillion (16 billion) each year, is needed. The housing problem, especially considering the inability of governments at all levels to resolve it, has led to an emergence of several real estate firms all seeking to meet the country’s housing needs affordably.

Government’s realisation that it can’t resolve the housing issues alone and the adoption of a new National Housing Policy of public-privatepartnerships has made the private sector’s role pivotal. The realtors not only sustain the industry,

but they are also creating thousands of job opportunities to help reduce unemployment.

Among the notable private sector players that are continuously providing affordable housing across the country to complement the government’s efforts is Propertymart Real Estate Investment Limited. In 13 eventful years, the company with a track record of excellence, innovation, credibility, flexibility, value-delivery and compliance to rules have played a starring role in making Nigerians homeowners through affordable serviced plots and homes.

With a board comprising erudite and seasoned technocrats, Propertymart, a subsidiary of Palton Morgan Holdings, has carved a niche in the affordable housing segment of the market. The company caters to the housing demands of low and middle-level income earners via flexible, safe and value-driven investment plans, in addition to the construction of state-of-the-art structures in choice locations.

Quietly but efficiently, Propertymart has assisted in meeting Nigeria’s housing challenges through the provision of over 6,000 affordable and decent housing units with flexible payment packages for the needs of minimum income earning families in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It has completed and handed over of 546 units at Citiview Estate, Arepo, Ogun State, and 186 units at Cranbel Court, New Makun City, OPIC, also in Ogun State.

Significant progress is being made on 47 units at the company’s Cranbel Edge Schemes 1 & 2, in Lekki, Ajah. For the upscale market segment, Propertymart has completed and delivered Mitchel Mews Schemes 1 & 2 in Magodo, Lagos State as well as completed 70 units at Micheville Estate, Lokogoma, FCT, Abuja. There’s also the company’s Bel Terraces, Life Camp, FCT, Abuja where eight units have been delivered to customers.

To further make home-ownership attainable for the millions of artisans and other commercially engaged members of the informal sector, Propertymart further introduced Jewel Bungalows in 2019 with a flexible payment plan considered

the friendliest in the country. The bungalows are located on existing estates and housing projects as another layer of offering, offer decent affordable shelter for artisan with small families Recently, Propertymart assisted some prospective homeowners to fulfil their dreams when it allocated plots of land to subscribers at its Fairmont Hilltop Estate, Alagbado. The scenic and beautiful estate has become a hot cake to the extent that the first two schemes have sold out while the third is fast selling.

One of the allottees, Gibson Eze, applauded both the scenic hilltop estate and infrastructure already provided by the company. He also hailed the speedy and transparent allocation process, saying “I’m impressed with Propertymart. I like their customer service in particular, and I will be recommending this Estate to others because my experience so far has been excellent.”

Another of the allottees, Mrs Lynda Esohe Ugbesi, who stood in for her brother, Lucky Anthony, couldn’t contain her excitement with the serene Estate. She explained that “The environment is conducive and accessible. The terrain is excellent - flooding won’t be an issue.

The allocation process is transparent. I’m happy with the way everything was done. I was asking if they have more plots available so that I can tell others about the Estate.”

On the company’s remarkable strides, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Propertymart, Oluwasegun Damiro said it is committed to helping Nigerians own homes in secure environments and at pocket-friendly prices.

He said, “we are for the grassroots and what we want to sell to people, particularly first-time homeowners, is affordability. We have some twobedroom bungalows that we are constructing for people who won’t have time to build and want to save themselves the hassles of buying land and clearing.”

Damiro added that customers’ faith in the company makes it happy and encourages it to do more. He said, “We are glad that our customers have faith in us. We don’t just sell

land. What we sell is a lifestyle. Before people move in, infrastructure is ready. Street light, roads, electrification, which means that even before you start building, you have a planned Estate where you can start dreaming of where to keep a home—your children, where they are going to play. Where you can get your groceries, what we sell every day is a lifestyle.”

Apart from affordability, Propertymart also values eco-friendliness. It ensures that all its estates have ample green areas.

Though socio-economic factors might well conspire to frustrate some people’s dreams of becoming homeowners, they should rest assured they have a reliable ally in Propertymart. It will ensure they become homeowners with minimum fuss as the real estate firm remains committed to the advancement of lives of all classes of Nigeria through affordable housing delivery.

Apart from individual homeowners, Propertymart is also playing a crucial role in partnering the government to address the housing challenges in the long run. Theirs is a positive move to relieve the government of the burden of providing housing for all, while it consolidates mortgage reforms policy frameworks. The company’s significant interventions will no doubt significantly reduce the 51 per cent of Nigerians who live in a rented apartment and are at the mercy of shylock agents and property owners.

Beyond exemplary housing delivery and responsible corporate citizenship, Propertymart’s impact on the Nigerian economy and livelihoods is equally remarkable in the area of job creation.

Presently, the firm has over 150 Nigerians in direct employment and has generated more than 6,000 jobs in various capacities along the housing value chain.

If other players take a leaf from Propertymart’s book, Nigeria will undoubtedly meet the housing demands of the masses. That is the low and middle-level income earners who, hitherto, have been facing an uncertain future. They will also become homeowners and fulfil a fundamental right in their lifetimes.

Lagos Lists Programmes for Green, Clean, Aesthetic Environment Bennett Oghifo Lagos State government has, in the one year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, executed programmes designed to engender sustainable environment in consonance with its Greater Lagos initiative.

These programmes, which span areas such as Waste Management; Climate Change; Clean Up Exercise; Waterways Clean-up Campaign; Environmental Protection; and Water Regulation, among others, were designed as a result of the priority accorded to the state’s green, clean and aesthetic environment, according to the government.

In the area of waste management, the government introduced “an effective, proactive and resourceful waste management programme that will eliminate the accumulation of waste in the state” and that this was put in place through the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

“With the support of the Public Sector Participation (PSP) operators, LAWMA has succeeded in cleaning wastes indiscriminately dumped in different parts of the State, an achievement that is also being sustained by ensuring regular carting away of refuse at houses, road sides and bus-stops, thus ensuring a cleaner and healthier metropolis.”

Marine waste operation is also being enhanced, as 10 new boats were acquired to boost the collection and carting away of floating wastes/ refuse in collaboration with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA). “This has led to the preservation of aquatic flora and fauna in the State in line with the government’s policy direction on constant clean-up of waterways to enhance a cleaner and aesthetic environment.”

LAWMA also introduced the Construction, Demolition and Disaster Waste Management

Sanwo-Olu (CDDW) initiative to prevent, minimise, reuse, recycle, recover and dispose waste.

The Blue Box Initiative, Lagos launched on Thursday, 5lh September, last year, is a single

stream recyclable collection programme that encourages the separation of recyclable materials from the general waste at the point of generation,” he said.

“The overall objective is to divert as much as 40% of waste generated at the household level from the landfill as an integrated approach towards the management of the three dumpsites at Olusosun, Soluos and Igando.

“It has been discovered that the existing practice of dropping all wastes in one container had become old- fashioned, necessitating the need to replace it with a modern method, which involves keeping two containers at home: one for recyclable waste and the other for general waste.

The old system was expensive and cumbersome, and also denied the government a huge chunk of accruable revenue and the youth, a large share of prospect for employment.”

At the launch of the initiative, Governor Sanwo-Olu noted that the staggering volume of waste generated daily by Lagos residents dictated the need to explore a modern and

profitable waste management method such as the Lagos Blue Box initiative.

Following the launch, five Community Recycling Centres were activated in the following five Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), with recyclers strategically positioned to help drive the process.

“The good news is that 50 per cent of waste generated in the state contained re-usable resources that could be harnessed and channeled to strengthen the economy of the state.

LAWMA is, thus poised to drive the circular economy through active community engagement, to encourage effective use of recyclable materials, for creating a viable value chain, and ultimately opening new markets and business opportunities, for government and the people.

“Since the inception, a total of about 340,050 bags have been distributed to various households to encourage sorting, many of these bags are reused until they are mutilated before they are replaced; a signal that waste minimization and reuse culture is readily taking root.

Microsoft to Help 25m People Worldwide Acquire new Digital Skills Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced a new global skills initiative aimed at bringing more digital skills to 25 million people worldwide by the end of the year.

The announcement comes in response to the global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanded access to digital skills is an important step in accelerating economic recovery, especially for the people hardest

hit by job losses.

This initiative, detailed on the Official Microsoft Blog, includes immediate steps to help those looking to reskill and pursue an in-demand job and brings together every part of the company, combining existing and new resources from LinkedIn, GitHub and Microsoft. This includes: The use of data to identify in-demand jobs and the skills needed to fill

them; Free access to learning paths and content to help people develop the skills these positions require; and Low-cost certifications and free job-seeking tools to help people who develop these skills pursue new jobs.

This is a comprehensive technology initiative that will build on data and digital technology.

It starts with data on jobs and skills from the LinkedIn Economic

Graph. It provides free access to content in LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft Learn and the GitHub Learning Lab, and couples those with Microsoft Certifications and LinkedIn job seeking tools. These resources can all be accessed at a central location, opportunity. linkedin.com, and will be broadly available online in four languages: English, French, German and Spanish.

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IMAGES

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2020

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde(left) and Prof Temitope Alonge during the Inauguration of Agbami Isolation Centre, Jericho, Ibadan...recently

R-L: Osun State Governor, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Leader of the team, Director (Tertiary) Ministry of Education, Mr. Samuel Ojo; Deputy Chief of Staff, Prince Abdullahi Binuyo; and Commissioner for Education, Hon. Olayinka Folorunso, during an Inspection visit to the Site of the newly established Federal College of Education in Iwoland by a team from the Federal ministry of education, at the Government House, Osogbo... recently

L-R: Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen; A medical Assistant, Ms Brisa Campos; and the coordinator of the medical evacuation team, Dr Iwuozo Obilo, during the check-in procedure for the second evacuation of stranded Nigerians at the Newark International Airport, New Jersey, United States... recently

L-R: Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Abdulhadi Abdullahi; Director of Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Udu-Ejembi Mary; Minister of State for Science and Technology, Alhaji Abdulhadi Abdullahi; Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Abuja Branch, Ms Hauwa Shekarau and Vice Chairman of NBA, Chioma Nucheya-Uko, during the visit of the NBA delegation to the minister’s office in Abuja...recently

L-R: Representative of the Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Olusegun Adekunle; Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora (NiDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa; and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, during the official presentation of Personal Protection Equipments (PPE)

by NIDCOM to COVID-19 PTF in Abuja...recently

Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oredo Local Government Area Ward 1, Paul Osula (left), presenting the party’s membership card to Special Adviser to Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, in Benin City...recently

Representative of the Chief of Army Staff, Brig.-Gen. Hamidu Musa (middle), presenting food items to some of the 500 households from Garin-Kutare and Lugga communities in Amanawa settlement of Dange-Shuni Local Government Area of Sokoto state, as part of the ongoing Nigerian Army Day celebration...recently

L-R: Acting Director General , Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Mary Uduk; Minister of State for FCT Hajia Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu; and Director, FCTA, Mrs Jumahi Ahmadu, during the Donation of an Ambulance to FCT Minister by Capital Market Support Committee on COVID-19 in Abuja...recently

TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2020

FEATURES

Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi Email chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, 08038901925

How Rotary is Making the World a Better Place Ehi Braimah

U

ntil you become a Rotarian, you may never truly understand and appreciate the guiding philosophy of Rotary and what it stands for.

This explains why frequently asked questions include: What is Rotary? Who are Rotarians? How can I become a member? Is Rotary an exclusive club of rich people? What do I stand to gain when I join Rotary? Over the years, these questions and many others have created mixed messages and enduring myths which continue to affect Rotary’s brand image.

Rotary is an international organisation of service and fellowship; it is non-political and non-religious but membershipis open to everyone. Rotary started with the vision of one man, Paul P. Harris, a Chicago attorney, when he formed the Rotary Club of Chicago – the world’s first service club -- on February 23, 1905. Harris and three friends -- Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele and Hiram E. Shorey -- met in Loehr’s office on that historic day in Chicago, USA, for what would become known as the first Rotary club meeting. Initially, the vision was for professionals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendship but over time, Rotary evolved into humanitarian service. The only thing that is constant in life is change, so Rotary keeps evolving and adapting to changes taking place in the world.

Are you already wondering if I am a Rotarian? Yes, you guessed right; I’m a Rotarian.

I joined the Rotary Club of Lagos during the 2011-2012 Rotary year. As global citizens, Rotarians do not discriminate on the basis of colour, race, religion, creed, region or status in society; we are happy working together promoting peace, goodwill and friendship around the world. Rotarians are worried about conflicts and the underlying causes, as you would find out at Rotary International website (www.rotary.org), include poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education and unequal distribution of resources.

Rotarians also abhor domestic violence in any form and we take a step further to foster understanding among communities by training them on how to resolve conflicts. We equip them with economic management and conflict resolution skills. This process cascades down to Interactors and Rotaractors – they are also taught how to resolve conflict at a young age. For example, Interactors are taught how to carry out anti-bullying campaigns in secondary schools to raise awareness on resolving conflict. Interact clubs focus on international service for youths 12 – 18 years old while Rotaract clubs are for youths 18 – 30 years old. Interact and Rotaract clubs are youth organisations created by Rotary International in secondary schools and tertiary institutions respectively so that they can learn basic skills that would help them succeed in life.

Information also available at Rotary International website indicates that each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded peace fellowships for dedicated leaders with work experience in peace and development from around the world to study at Rotary peace centres. Since the programme started in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centres have trained more than 1,300 fellows who now work in more than 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in government, NGOs, the military, education, law enforcement and international organisations like the United Nations and World Bank. The Rotary Foundation gives up to 50 fellowship awards for master’s degree and 80 for certificate studies at premier universities.

The guiding philosophy in Rotary is that the world can become a better place when Rotarians take action in their communities to create lasting change. The core values of Rotary are: service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership. Rotarians express their commitment to these values through the “Object of Rotary”, the “Four-Way Test”and the “Avenues of Service”. The Four-Way Test is a strong pillar of Rotary, and it is an important test used by Rotarians worldwide to serve as a moral code for personal and business relationships in the things we think, say or do. This test refers to Truth, Fairness, Goodwill and Friendship.

Another important principle is Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self”, which Rotarians activate through the five avenues of service: club service, vocational service, community service, international service and youth service.

Rotary clubs serve communities selflessly around the world based on a needs assessment for each community and Rotarians respond to those needs by executing a range of sustainable projects in six areas of focus: basic education and literacy, maternity and child health, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, economic and com-

Braimah munity development, and peace and conflict prevention/resolution. A new area of focus -- supporting the environment -- has just been added by Rotary International.

There are more than 35,000 clubs clustered in about 535 Districts in over 200 countries and geographical areas. These Districts are organised into 34 Zones and Nigeria has four Districts under Africa Zone 22 with over 35,000 Rotarians. The Districts in Nigeria are 9110 (Lagos and Ogun states); 9141 (South South states); 9125 (Abuja, Northern and all the South West states except Lagos and Ogun states) and 9142(South East sates). Each District has a “District Governor”who superintends over Rotary clubs in the District while clubs have “Presidents”. Rotary clubs are largely autonomous but club presidents work with their District Governors seamlesslyfor the work of Rotary to be meaningful and impactful.

Rotarians form a global network of 1.2 million business and professional leaders, all volunteering their time and talents to serve in their communities and the world. Nigeria has had the distinction of producing the first and only African till date to serve as Rotary International (RI) President. He is Jonathan Majiyagbe and he was RI President in the 2003-2004 Rotary year -- 17 years ago.

The other African who was set to become the second African RI President (for the 2018-2019 Rotary year) was Sam Owori from Uganda. After giving his acceptance speech as President elect at the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta, USA three years ago, Rotarian Owori died of complications arising from a surgical operation in the United States shortly after the convention. Rotarians gather every year for global fellowships at Rotary International Conventions. After the 2017 convention in Atlanta, Toronto, Canada hosted in 2018; Hamburg, Germany hosted last year but the 2020 in-person convention that was planned to hold in Honolulu, Hawaii, from June 6 – 10, 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead, a virtual convention held last month that attracted 60,000 registrants and 175,000 viewers. The next convention will hold in Taipei, Taiwan from June 12 – 16, 2021. RI President, Holger Knaack – he was RI President elect last month when the virtual convention held but assumed office as President from July 1, 2020 – said clubs must continue to respond and innovate during these uncertain times.

“Let us seize this moment and value it for what it is, the opportunity for Rotary to build on what we’ve learned, to embrace this new reality, to embrace new faces, to find new and better ways to shine and to have a continuing impact on the world,” Knaack stated at the virtual convention. Mark Maloney is the immediate past RI president and host of the convention; his tenure ended on June 30. Officially, the Rotary year runs from July 1 – June 30 the following year; the tenure for club presidents, district governors and RI presidents lasts for one year only – second term is not allowed except circumstances dictate otherwise. Indeed, there’s so much the political leadership can learn from the succession planningformat in Rotary – it is always seamless and thoughtful.

Rotarians are essentially volunteers who are willing to offer selfless service in different communities to meet their needs. You become a Rotarian when you are invited by an existing member to join a Rotary club. First, the member inviting you will discuss your interest in Rotary. Second, you should attend a club meeting to know the club and be formally introduced to its members.

You could also witness a social event or serve as a volunteer for a service project.

Membership in Rotary makes one a better

community citizen and through volunteering, you will be able to imbibe the spirit and essence of Rotary. Rotarians wear their Rotary pins – an emblem of Rotary International -with pride wherever they go. Being a Rotarian is actually an honour and priviledge but every priviledge, as we say in Rotary, comes with corresponding obligations which includes regular attendance at meetings – it is the basic method of fulfilling the principle of fellowship as well as a way of representing your vocation.

We also have honorary members who share the values of Rotary – these people would have earned the distinction of meritorious service in previous or current roles. Some of them are actually worthy friends of Rotary because of their service to humanity.

In Rotary, there are multiple travel opportunities where you get the chance to meet Rotarians in other parts of the world. Rotarians are happy to serve humanity because the joy of touching lives without expecting any reward knows no bounds. Rotarians win together; help each other and collectively help others.

In addition, Rotary develops your leadership, speaking, social, business and vocational skills as well as improving cultural awareness. The icing on the cake is that you can tap into a global professional and business network to expand your reach and connections.

When you join a Rotary club, you are required to serve in different committees and engage with members. The good thing in Rotary is that membership is diverse but there are certain values such as speaking the truth; promoting fairnessand upholding high ethical standards that must be adhered to. New members are mentored by older Rotarians who have gone through different leadership positions up to serving as club presidents.

Each club holds a monthly board meeting and because Rotarians learn from each other’s diverse experiences, board meetings may be rotated to enhance the experience further and promote the spirit of friendship.

Beyond club responsibilities, Rotarians can also serve in different roles at the District level upon approval by the District Governor.

Rotary recognises and rewards outstanding performance. For example, at the club level, the highest honour a club president can receive from Rotary International after meeting specific goals and targets is a presidential citation with platinum distinction. District Governors at the end of their tenures also recognise clubs that were outstanding with awards.

Rotary encourages constant learning for members before theyassume office. – it is like taking mandatory courses in a university before you can graduate. The training programmes are compulsory for club officers who attend the District Training Assembly (DTA); club presidents attend Presidents Elect Training Seminar (PETS) while District officers attend District Team Training Seminar (DTTS). There are also different training modules organised for Rotarians by each District to improve their leadership skills. Certificates of participation are presented at the end of each training programme.

Two years ago, I attended the historic Lagos Rotary Institute for Zone 20A (as it was then known) which held from September 11 -15, 2018 at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Nigeria was hosting the event for the first time and former Director and Rotary International Vice President, Yinka Babalola of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Port Harcourt (District 9141), was the convener while Vice President Yemi Osinbajo declared the Institute open.

Some of the leadership lessons I took from the Institute were from presentations made by Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU) and Rotarian Hisham El Bakry, a past president of the Rotary Club of Kasr El Nile (District 2451, Egypt), which I captured in my column in Issue No 11 of September 19, 2018 of The Lagos Rotarian, the weekly bulletin of the Rotary Club of Lagos, when I was the 58th President.

Prof Fagbohun explained that “inspirational leadership” was an important requirement for effective governance which will ultimately build strong institutions otherwise, the outcome would be “monumental poverty”.

In addition, the LASU vice chancellor said leaders experience challenges but in order to avoid what he called “echoes of crisis of humanity”, a common sight in developing countries, leaders must be fair and transparent in their actions and decisions to succeed.

Rotary leadership training programmes are designed to help Rotarians succeed in life and their businesses. According to Prof Fagbohun, leaders are expected to motivate others to move with passion towards a common goal. In his presentation, Rotarian El Bakry encouraged distinctive contribution by team members. He explained the “Whole

Person” paradigm, a concept developed by Franklin Covey, a world leader in consulting and training, which describes the four parts of human nature as the “body, mind, heart and spirit”.

Leadership is not about “control” any more, El Bakry told an attentive audience. Instead, a leader should unleash the “whole person” comprising the four human conditions.

For example, a leader should not see his/ her employees as “subordinates” but as “volunteers and partners”. El Bakry concluded his presentation with this message: “Without character and competence, leaders cannot be credible and trusted”. In Rotary, we build great leaders and when they get the chance to serve in public office, they usually make a difference.

We also build and mentor future leaders through youth programmes. In the Issue No 10 of September 12, 2018 of The Lagos Rotarian, I made the following observation on building future leaders in my column: “In today’s world, there are numerous sources of distractions for our youths. So it is fitting that “Youth Service” is one of Rotary International’s five avenues of service. In building a global community of Rotary volunteers, Rotary has a long history of working with young people – from providing scholarships, encouraging youth leadership and exchange programmes to sponsoring youth based service clubs.”

Under Rotary Youth Exchange programmes, students learn new language, discover another culture and truly become global citizens. These exchanges, according to Rotary International, are for students ages 15 – 19 sponsored by Rotary clubs in more than 100 countries.

These youth clubs work side by side with Rotarians to take action through service.

Rotaractors exchange ideas with leaders in the community; develop leadership and professional skills and have fun through service in communities worldwide. Rotaract is one of the largest youth organisations in the world with about 175,000 members in 7,500 clubs in 156 countries in the world. The Rotary Youth and Leadership Awards (RYLA) are also designed as a training programme for young people aged 14 – 25 years old. RYLA emphasises leadership and citizenship development aimed at grooming future leaders. In District 9110, RYLA holds every year at the Sea School, Apapa with over 500 participants sponsored

by Rotary clubs. Having been certified fit by a team of doctors, participants embark on endurance tests and take part in Man-O-War training, talent hunt, swimming and diving lessons as well as motivational lectures spanning over one week.

The arm of Rotary International responsible for transforming your “gifts” into service projects around the world is the Rotary Foundation. The Foundation was created in 1917 by Rotary’s International’s sixth President, Arch C. Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary “to do good in the world”. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life changing sustainable projects. With your donation, Rotarians can make lives better in your community and around the world.

In terms of giving and doing good, Rotary has been working hard for more than 30 years to kick out polio from the world.Polio or poliomyelitis is a crippling virus and deadly infectious disease, causing paralysis and it mostly affects children under the age of five.

The virus spreads from person to person through contaminated water or food and it can attack the nervous system.

Rotary is a leading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, and with help from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; World Health Organisation (WHO); US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF, the success rate of the “End Polio Now” global campaign has been phenomenal. At 99.9%, this is a fantastic scorecard by any standard since the first vaccination of children began in 1999 in the Philippines. Until recently, only three countries of the world still had polio – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. However, the good news is that Nigeria is now off the endemic list leaving only Pakistan and Afghanistan. WHO recently certified Nigeria polio free because polio is no longer endemic in the country.

Rotary has immunised more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries with a contribution of more than $1.8 billion towards the eradication of polio. Even if the world becomes polio free today, Rotary will not stop fighting polio because if that happens, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 children would be paralysed each year and that would be a monumental tragedy. ...Braimah is a Rotarian and Past President of the Rotary Clubof Lagos, District 9110. He works as a PR and marketing strategist in Lagos.

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T H I S D AY ˾ ͵, 2020

FEATURES

The Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo I Knew A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kunle Ogunba, pays glowing tribute to his mentor, Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN, who died recently

"T

o everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which was planted” - Ecclesiastes 3:1-2. Life Application Study Bible, KJV. That death is an inevitable end for all mortals is no gainsaying and every soul shall taste death sooner or later.

However, in spite of this expected end for all mortals, the death of a loved one, close relative or acquaintance usually leaves a devastating sour taste in the mouth especially when the its latest victim is in still in his prime. Such was the blow from the ‘hind’ when I heard of the death of Sir Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN in the very late hours of Friday the 5th of June, 2020.

As expected, the current lockdown (as being gradually relaxed) has witnessed a spike in online activities particularly several Whatsapp fora which is critically accentuated by the rising tempo of campaign activities occasioned by the fast approaching election of national officers of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). So, keeping with the pace of messages on the various group chats is herculean if not virtually impossible.

One is then constrained to resign to fate and hope that important messages will not elude in the raging cacophony.

Such was the case on Friday, the 5th day of June, 2020 having been ‘offline’ for most of the day, on the verge of retiring to bed, I decided to concentrate on individual messages for quick digest, I consequently beheld a message from one of my United Kingdom-based learned colleague, Mr. Kayode Okenla thus, ‘Just hearing the news of Egbon Bonajo Badejo this evening. Great fine gentleman. May his soul rest in perfect peace’.

As if to make sure, I am in no doubt as to who he was truly referring to, his message was accompanied by the picture of Sir Bonajo Badejo in his silk regalia. My phone literally fell out of my hands and when I could muster enough strength to pick up the gadget, I sent a short response, ‘It can’t be true, my brother’. But I can understand that since it’s late into the night, he might have retired to bed just as I was about to do.

I frantically also sent a message to my learned brother silk, John Olusegun Odubela SAN for confirmation of this sad and unexpected news item. He had also obviously retired for the night as both of them eventually responded early in the next morning being 6th of June, 2020. I then began an arduous task online to confirm the veracity of the story which I did through the Facebook page of his younger brother and my secondary school mate, Mr Semoore Badejo who had posted the news just a few hours earlier. The shock of the news kept me awake almost all night, even though death is the fate of all mortals aforesaid the death of a very young Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a source of immense sorrow to anyone especially for those of us who had related extensively with the latest victim of death’s despicable bang.

I had known, Mr Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN since my secondary school days. Indeed, our paths crossed sometime in 1983-84 in the process of preparing for and concluding my final exams at the secondary school when he was already a lawyer, having been called in 1980 as I later got to know. When I finished my secondary school education at the Adeola Odutola College, the result of my Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board(JAMB) was not that impressive to the annoyance of my dad, the late Chief Joseph Adeoye Ogunba (of blessed

Late Badejo

memory) who decided that I should not stay at home but relocate to Omu Ajose Comprehensive High School to prevent idleness and enable me to fully concentrate on the JAMB examinations and even when the result of the initial WAEC examinations were good for purposes of University admissions, insisted on taking the entire process again to be adequately focused on the task at hand.

It was at that school, Omu Ajose Comprehensive High school that my path crossed with the ‘Badejo brothers’ as they were then known, which comprised of Semoore, Segun and Kayode Badejo, all of whom are cousins. They were also in the school for similar purpose and theirs was as a result of relationship to the very stern and acute disciplinarian principal of the school, Mr Okusanya who is still alive. Needless to say that the acclaimed disciplinary reputation of the principal of the school (at that time, Mr Okusanya) was what worked for my Dad in choosing the school.

Since the school does not have boarding facilities and the distance between Omu and Ijebu Ode was quite a stretch in those days, it was decided that I stay in an off boarding environment entailing the renting of a private accommodation within the vicinity of the school, it was that arrangement that made me house mates to the ‘Badejos’.

No sooner had we settled into the rented apartment than I got to know a bit more of the ‘Badejos’, their elder brothers one of whom is the late Sir Bonajo Badejo SAN. Some of the older ‘Badejos’ (some are now distinguished Professors in their chosen fields) more often than not do come around to the school to pay visits to their brothers and cousins respectively.

One of the most frequent to that environment was the late Sir Bonajo Badejo SAN. The first time, he visited was one late afternoon in mid 1984,

on his way to Lagos, he had a court appearance in Ijebu Igbo and he used the opportunity to visit. I remember vividly that he came in a ‘brand’ new 504 fully air conditioned saloon car and he was impeccable dressed in his lawyer’s waist coat with sparkling white bibs, I instantly became enamoured with the then young, dashing budding lawyer.

At that time, the choice of a career path was somehow a dilemma for a young man like me. I was seriously contemplating joining a military career (the various coups and counter coups and the ever changing military regimes played a significant role in that fantasy), a career in journalism (columnist like the late Dele Giwa, late Bola Ige, Dan Agbese, Wole Soyinka, Tai Solarin et al were mentors!) or perhaps, Law but the choice of studying Law at the university was sealed for me by Mr Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN not by talking to me but by his appearance and conduct. When he left on that fateful day, I sought to know more of him from his brothers, I was then regaled with his numerous exploits in court appearances some of which they had witnessed. I was told or the travails of one of their distant relative Yekini, who was enmeshed in a criminal trial at the magistrate court in Ijebu Igbo necessitating ‘Broda Bona’ as he was fondly called to travel all the way from his Lagos base down to Ijebu Igbo to his rescue.

Stories of his stern countenance in court, his mien and serious warnings to brother Yekini (nicknamed YK, pronounced Yeekay) to desist from further conducts likely to result in a criminal charge really fantasized me as a youth in search of a career path and overtime during the course of my preparations for the JAMB papers (during which time ‘Broda Bona’ made frequent visits) made up my mind to study Law.

In that stead, without directly speaking to me, he was my mentor. I really wanted to be like him and always look forward to his visits those days. That I subsequently became a lawyer was by his indirect mentorship and dashing appearance as a young lawyer. It was therefore a rare privilege of immeasurable pleasure for me to learn when the announcements of those to be elevated to the inner bar was made sometime in February, 2010 that I was to be sworn in April of that same year with my chosen mentor. It was at that occasion that I renewed my ties (we lost contact after secondary school) with his brother and my classmate Semoore Badejo who has become an advertising guru as the CEO of Concrete Communications.

To say that Semoore was happy to see me was an understatement, we hugged each other firmly and took several pictures to celebrate the day.

Brother Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN was a gentleman to the core and his religious upbringing is made to bear in his practice of Law. His secular and religious undertakings as reflected in his Knighthood of the Methodist Church and from what I understand, their father (also known to be a stern disciplinarian) was a pastor in one of the parishes in Ijebu Igbo in those days.

His sudden death at the unripe age of 61 is very painful, unexpected and a sad loss to those of us who had been in contact with him, his immediate family and the legal community in general.

We take solace in the fact that he lived an active Christian life and he will surely be resting in the bosom of the Lord at this moment.

May the gentle soul of Mr. Jadegoke Adebonajo Badejo SAN (Brother Bona!) rest in perfect peace. AMEN. May God in His infinite mercies grant his immediate and extended family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

AMEN.

26

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍľËœ 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Analysts Urge Entrepreneurs to Embrace Innovation Dike Onwuamaeze Experts that spoke at the ongoing webinar series organised by Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria have stressed the need for business operators to embrace value addition in the agriculture and mineral resources sectors so as to promote the export of finished products.

They theme of the second edition of the conference was titled: ‘Turbo-charging Beneficiation and Value-addition.’ The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of RMB Nigeria, and Regional Head of West Africa, Michael Larbie said, “Beneficiation could transform Nigeria’s competitive

advantage, increase economic growth, industrialisation and create jobs in the country. “We need to embrace value addition as a nation in agriculture and mineral resources to promote the export of finished products and simultaneously reduce imports.�

The session was moderated by the Head of Coverage, RMB Nigeria, Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo.

According to her, as countries begin the gradual removal of restrictions to jump-start economic activity, there was the widespread recognition that the pandemic would cause nations to reassess the status quo where

comparative advantage forms the basis of international trade and move towards self-reliance and sustained surplus trade balances.

The CEO, Agusto & Co, Mrs. Yinka Adelekan, in her presentation, noted that although the Nigerian economy is moderately diversified across various sectors, there was need to significantly improve Nigeria’s fiscal position particularly in the areas of export earnings, beneficiation and value addition across key sectors, including agriculture and mining. Nigeria has several opportunities to refine raw products, she said, adding that value to local producers, communities and the economy.

Nova Merchant Bank Floats N10bn Bond Nova Merchant Bank Limited has announced that its ongoing N10 billion bond issuance is aimed at putting the business on firm footing to achieve its short-term and long-term goals.

The technology-driven financial institution is seeking to raise up to N10 billion in a 7-year Fixed Rate Subordinated Unsecured Bonds under its N50 billion debt issuance programme.

The bond has a price range of from 12 per cent to 12.50 per cent and the offer, which opened on June 30, would close on July 8, 2020

A statement quoted its Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Anya Duroha, to have disclosed this.

Duroha, who pledged the bank’s commitment to creating superior value in the market and keeping customers at the centre of its business, noted that the fund to be raised would will be invested in long-term risk assets as part of its medium-term growth strategy and advised interested investors to obtain more details of the bond from the bank’s website.

Nova Merchant Bank Limited is a licensed merchant bank in Nigeria rated BBB by Agusto &

Co. and A+ by Datapro and the bond which is issued under a SEC-approved N50billion Debt Issuance Programme is callable in five years by the bank.

Speaking to shareholders at a meeting recently, the bank’s Chairman, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, noted that the bank reported a significant improvement in all the key financial indices compared to the previous year’s achievement, and attributed the growth to the successful execution of the 2019 strategic plan in line with the key pillars to position the bank as a market leader by 2025.

Access to Reward More Customers in Diamondxtra Draw Nume Ekeghe Access Bank Plc has said it is set to reward more than 1,000 DiamondXtra customers with various grants and cash prizes in the second quarterly draw of the reward scheme scheduled to hold on tomorrow.

Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank, Ms. Adaeze Umeh, in a statement yesterday, said the bank was committed to rewarding more customers considering the difficulty in the economy.

She stated: “We are gearing up

for the DiamondXtra quarterly draw this month and we will be rewarding more than 1,000 lucky customers with various cash prizes, business grants, family health insurance, rent advance and other exciting rewards. “It is the bank’s little way of rewarding its loyal customers and creating more value to meet customer needs during these trying times. “We rewarded 10 customers last month with N1 million each at the monthly draw and we are here again to reward more

customers in the quarterly draw.�

Speaking further on how customers would qualify for the draw, she said: “To join the winning train, all you need to do is keep saving if you have a DiamondXtra account already.

If you don’t have an existing account, open one with N5, 000.�

Some of the rewards for the quarterly draw include Salary4Life that is N100,000 every month for 20 years; rent for a year for 21 lucky customers; one year family health coverage for seven customers; among others.

Stanbic IBTC Wins Award Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc has won the ‘Best-Custodian Bank’ award in Nigeria for the ninth time.

This was disclosed by Global Finance magazine, during the announcement of its selections for the 18th annual Best Subcustodian Bank Awards in seven regions and more than 80 countries.

Expressing excitement about the feat, Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Wole Adeniyi, said: “Being consistently recognised by Global Finance as the best provider of custody services in Nigeria is an

achievement that we are proud of. “It affirms our leadership in the custody industry as well as our stance and competence in delivering top-notch banking services through cutting-edge innovations and proficiency. “This recognition reflects who we are and what we offer. It will also spur us to continue to set a pace in the Nigerian financial industry through excellent service to our esteemed customers.�

Also commenting on the award, the Chief Executive of Stanbic IBTC Nominees Limited,

Akeem Oyewale said: “Our customers should not expect us to rest on our oars with this award, despite winning it repeatedly. “Indeed, in line with our values, we seek to continually raise the bar. With enhanced focus on improved technology and digitisation, and explicit focus on market advocacy as tools to make Nigeria’s custody industry continue to rank with the best globally, Stanbic IBTC will continue to make clients get the best services in terms of custodial offerings.

Jaiz Bank Posts N636.7m Profit in Q1 James Emejo Ă“Ă˜ ĂŒĂ&#x;ÔË Jaiz Bank Plc, has announced a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N636. 7 million for the first quarter (Q1) 2020.

This represented a growth of 33.63 per cent compared to the N476.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2019.

Excerpts from its report and

accounts for the period ended March 31, 2020, also showed that the bank’s gross income rose by 43.14 per cent to N4.182 billion compared to N2.921 billion recorded in the same period of 2019. The balance sheet size of the bank under the review period grew by 15.51 per cent as total assets rose to N193.204 billion compared with the 2019

audited financial position of N167.27 billion.

Managing Director/Chief Executive, Jaiz Bank, Mr. Hassan Usman said the feats were achieved as a result of the bank’s deliberate policy to focus on building culture of ethics and taking the necessary decisions to align its perspective with client expectations.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

SEPTEMBER 2019 Money Supply (M3)

35,029,779.72

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

7,374,356.91

Money Supply (M2)

27,655,422.82

-- Quasi Money

116,533,891.21

-- Narrow Money (M1)

11,121,531.60

---- Currency Outside Banks

1,625,047.69

---- Demand Deposits

9,496,483.91

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

13,911,335.83

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

21,118,443.89

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

35,918,179.45

---- Credit to Government (Net)

10,452,199.38

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

11,007,422.79

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

25,465,980.07

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-14,799,735.56

--Other Assets Net

7,000,253.07

Reserve Money (Base Money

2,005,600.83

--Currency in Circulation

4,677,530.81

--Banks Reserves

317,121.43

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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

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OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE Ëœ Íą Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $42.93 a barrel on Friday, compared with $42.89 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), ZaďŹ ro (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

27

T H I S D AY ˾ ͵˜ 2020

MARKET NEWS

NSE Upgrades X-Issue to Enhance Market Integrity, Efficiency Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has upgraded its Issuers’ Portal (X-Issuer) to enable investors, analysts and other stakeholders evaluate data more accurately and timely.

X-Issuer, which was first launched in 2013, is a secure web-based portal designed to enable issuers conveniently file information in an electronic format to the exchange. It is a key

regulatory initiative of the NSE, developed to ensure electronic delivery of issuers’ mandatory filings and other information in a structured and continuous manner to capital market stakeholders.

Speaking on the development, the Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema, said: “This upgrade affirms our commitment to eliminating information asymmetry in our market and protecting investors. The X-Issuer has, therefore, been enhanced to

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

ensure that investors, analysts and other stakeholders are better able to evaluate data in an accurate, timely and more efficient manner.

We are positive that the improvements we have incorporated will achieve greater transparency, integrity and accountability in our capital market; facilitate informed investment decision-making while providing an enhanced experience for issuers.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Regulation Division,

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

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NSE, Ms. Tinuade Awe, said: “At the NSE, we understand the importance of information in driving a vibrant capital market. As such, we are pleased to introduce the revamped X-Issuer to the market with its new features that will enable easy, convenient and more reliable submission and dissemination of company information, corporate actions, directors’ and insiders’ share dealing information, financial statements, earnings forecasts,

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

meeting notices, and much more.

We believe that the upgraded X-Issuer will further enhance the experience of issuers and expedite the discharge of post-listings obligations in a cost-effective and efficient manner.”

According to exchange, the enhanced X-Issuer, comes with modern layout, improved functionalities and new user-friendly features to further enhance the compliance and regulation experience of issuers. Some of the

O F

new features include the release calendar module to allow issuers proactively file corporate actions and upcoming meetings; and an information channel for fund managers to share information about their funds. The NSE said it remains committed to investing in business innovation and technological enhancements that will enable it to meet the needs of its stakeholders especially as we transition to a world of reduced physical interactions.

0 6 / 0 7 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

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MARKET NEWS

Reduced Costs Lift Champion Breweries to Record N96m Profit Goddy Egene Champion Breweries Plc has bounced back into profitability, recording total comprehensive profit of N96

million for 2019 financial year as against a loss of N165 million in 2018.

Addressing shareholders at the 44th annual general meeting (AGM) of the

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

company, Chairman of Champion Breweries Plc, Dr. Elijah Akpan, said revenue grew from N4.8 billion to N6.9 billion, operating profit stood at N223 million in 2018

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 03Jul-2020, unless otherwise stated.

compared to a loss of N241 million in 2019, while PAT printed at N168.5 million as against a loss of N263.8 million in the previous year.

The company ended the year

with total comprehensive profit of N96 million, up from a loss of N165 million in 2018.

He said: “Our investment in power generation by way of

utilisation of gas has begun to pay off as significant savings have resulted as well as improved efficiency in our mode of operation in recent times.”

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 112.12 114.75 -7.18% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.04% Nigeria International Debt Fund 334.93 334.93 13.90% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.91 0.92 1.43% ACAP Income Funds 0.78 0.78 9.58% 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 6.41% AIICO Balanced Fund 2.85 2.91 15.74% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Anchoria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 14.10 14.53 -7.92% ARM Discovery Fund 333.50 343.55 -3.45% ARM Ethical Fund 30.32 31.23 4.25% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.04% 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 2.14 2.14 21.89% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 1.80 1.82 -13.65% 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 0.07 0.05 6.59% Paramount Equity Fund 10.80 11.01 -13.66% Women's Investment Fund 108.05 108.84 -2.21% 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 5.75% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 98.38 98.61 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 100.35 100.58 Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 101.25 101.25 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 N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1,351.44 1,352.76 10.95% FBN Balanced Fund 147.94 148.97 0.76% FBN Halal Fund 106.33 106.36 6.33% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.87% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 117.84 118.41 1.53% FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund 113.84 115.27 -12.52% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.40% Legacy Debt Fund 3.78 3.78 3.43% Legacy Equity Fund 1.08 1.10 -4.46% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.11 1.11 2.59% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,008.74 3,040.49 -1.07% Coral Income Fund 3,182.77 3,182.77 3.48% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 4.45% GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 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 4.60% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.28 2.32 4.23% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 9.03% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 146.86 147.41 2.40% 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 1.22 1.24 4.53% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,136.46 1,136.46 5.37% 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 N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.38 1.40 12.66% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.96 12.02 6.13% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 3.66% PACAM Equity Fund 0.99 1.01 PACAM EuroBond Fund 106.89 109.23 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 108.00 111.49 1.32% 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 1.00 1.00 5.14% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 -0.35% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 0.05% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 -1.72% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 0.07% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 0.64% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 4.25% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 -0.59% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.16 1.16 0.04% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 118.18 118.18 0.00% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.12 1.14 -7.04% United Capital Bond Fund 1.83 1.83 5.47% United Capital Equity Fund 0.63 0.65 -9.94% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 5.32% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.70 115.70 3.45% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.07 -2.41% 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 10.01 10.14 -2.54% Zenith Ethical Fund 11.72 11.84 0.88% Zenith Income Fund 23.90 23.90 7.43% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.31%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

116.13

3.64%

53.10

2.02%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.11 84.12 65.80

9.21 85.91 66.97

4.61% -1.02% -0.32%

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

2.66 4.27 11.15 1.00 11.08 196.62

2.70 4.35 11.25 1.00 11.28 198.62

-25.06% -27.59% -7.91% 5.30% 6.59% 4.00%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.29

16.90%

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.

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TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Bandits Kill 15 Farmers in Katsina Community Francis Sarduana in Katsina Bandits yesterday killed at least 15 farmers at Yar Gamji village in Batsari Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State.

The farmers were said to be working on their farmland when the bandits attacked about 10a.m and killed them.

The Spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command,

SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident.

He said, “It’s true, fifteen persons were killed in the attack. The bandits numbering over 200 came on motorcycles armed with AK 47 rifles pursuing them (the farmers) even to the forest, shooting and killing them.

“A mop up after revealed the 15 corpses. At present, our people are on ground and I am

expecting a detailed report on their confrontation with the bandits.”

Bandits had on Friday morning and Saturday night, struck in Batsari and Matazu Local Government Areas, and killed two persons and abducted six others including the Chairman

of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Matazu Local Government Area of the state, Alhaji Yushau Dissi.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, however, on Monday, launched another military

operation codenamed ‘Operation Sahel Sanity’, to tackle banditry and other crimes in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger States.

Buratai who flagged off the military operation at Faskari, Katsina State, said the

exercise, as well as other ongoing military operations, are meant to comprehensively tackle banditry and other crimes in the Northwest and parts of North-central with a view to restoring normalcy and peace in the affected states and in Nigeria, generally.

Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Rise By 575 to 29,298 Martins Ifijeh Nigeria has recorded 575 new cases of COVID-19, bringing to 29,298 the number of confirmed cases in the country.

Announcing this yesterday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said Lagos recorded 123 new cases; Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 100; Delta, 58;

Edo, 52; Ogun, 42; Katsina, 24; Bayelsa, 23; Rivers, 22; Borno, 19; Plateau and Ondo, 18 each; Oyo, 17; Kwara, 15; Osun, 13; Enugu, nine; Nasarawa, seven; Abia, six; Cross River, five; Kaduna, three; while Ekiti recorded one case.

It said: “Nigeria has recorded 29,286 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 11,828 persons have been discharged, while 654 have died.”

Nigerians Drag China to Court, WAR AGAINST FIRE DISASTER...

Representative of the Controller General and Assistant Controller General, Federal Operation, Federal Fire Service, Mr. Thompson Seek $200bn Compensation Mohammed (left), and Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obasek, during the inauguration of a firefighting truck deployed by the Federal Fire Service to Edo State, at Government House in Benin City...yesterday over COVID-19 Pandemic Olusegun Nelson, Oshineye PSC Sacks 10 Senior Police Officers, Demotes Eight Others Alex Enumah in Abuja Twenty-five Nigerians from all works of life have dragged the Peoples Republic of China before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court over alleged culpability in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the Claimants in the suit filed yesterday on their behalf by a team of 11 Senior Advocates of Nigeria ((SANs) and other lawyers led by Professor Epiphany Azinge (SAN), are suing the defendants for damages occasioned to the class and members thereof on account of the COVID-19 caused by the defendants’ negligence, nuisance, and breach of environmental and humanitarian rights.

The claimant in a class action instituted for themselves and other Nigerians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic include; Kingsley Obioha, Shehu Mohammed Bello, Goodrand Nigeria Limited, Chief Ekene Ebuzeme, Prince Akin Oladipo, Sir Mark Olajide, Mr. Tanko Beji, Chief Victor Nwosa, Chidi Onwuemere, Pasaya Travel and Tours Limited, Trips Shop Limited, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, Carolyn Asoanya, Jerry Azinge, His Royal Majesty Williams Ezugwu, Ogugua Ogosi.

Others are Ayobami Bakare,

Adebowole, Adeolu Odusesan, Yinka Omotosho, Mojeed Adelakun, Ajetoke Oyekan, Abdulhakeem Adeleke and Ademola Toromade.

The defendants are; Peoples’ Republic of China, Communist Party of China, Minister of Justice China, Minister in charge of the National Health commission, National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan Institute of Virology and Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the 1st Claimant, Kingsley Obioha, a young erudite lawyer who represents the class of legal practitioners in the country, the legal practitioners in the country on account of the pandemic have been unable to conduct legal business and make appearances in court.

“The class due to the impasse and the attendant restrictions continues to incur heavy financial losses”.

Similarly Shehu Bello, the 2nd Claimant and a Bureau de change operator representing the class of forex traders carrying on business across the country, argued that forex traders suffered great losses as their trading was completely shut down on account of the pandemic.

6,594 Lagos Residents Recover from COVID-19 at Home, Says Abayomi Martins Ifijeh The Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, Prof. Akin Abayomi has stated that 6,594 residents have recovered from COVID-19 under its home-care services.

In a series of tweet yesterday, he said the cases were monitored in communities by the state’s COVID-19 response team.

He said: “2,422 active cases in the communities are yet to turn up for admission in care centres either due to ignorance, fear of stigmatisation or preference for

home care treatments.

“The state has had 11,264 confirmed cases of the virus, and out of which, 1,707 patients have since been discharged from the various isolation centres in the state after full recovery.

“364 of the cases are currently under isolation in public and private care centres,” he said.

He stated that a total number of 43,978 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Lagos till date, and that 177 persons have died from complications arising from the disease.

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Police Service Commission (PSC) has dismissed 10 senior police officers and reduced the rank of eight others over various cases of misconduct in the line of duty.

The commission took the decision at its 8th plenary meeting which spanned three weeks and ended on Wednesday,

July 1, 2020.

The dismissed officers were one Superintendent of Police (SP), five Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) and four Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP).

A Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) were reduced in rank, a decision which also affected four Superintendents of Police

(SP), one Deputy Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The commission also approved the punishment of severe reprimand for 16 officers, reprimand for 13 and letters of warning to four others. Two officers are to receive letters of advice while eleven were exonerated.

A statement signed by the

spokesman of the commission, Mr. Ikechukwu Ani, said the commission in plenary looked into 83 disciplinary cases which included 18 appeals and petitions.

The commission had also at the plenary approved the promotions of 6,618 senior police officers including one AIG to DIG, four CPs to AIG and three DCPs to CPs.

HoS Faults N’Assembly Clerk, Others’ Service Extension Peter Uzoho

The Head of Service (HoS) of the Federation, Dr. Folasade YemiEsan, has described as illegal, the extension of service of the Clerk of the National Assembly and has urged the leadership of the National Assembly to reverse their elongation of service and retirement age of workers.

HoS, in a memo to the President of the Senate, Dr.

Ahmad Lawan; and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, also faulted the amendment made by the 8th National Assembly to the Conditions of Service of the affected staff.

The memo with reference number: HCSF/SPSO/ODD/E & NP/649807/I, and dated June 30, 2020, which was sighted

by THISDAY, was entitled ‘Presentation by the Head of

Service of the Federation to the Leadership of the National Assembly on the Resolution of the 8th Assembly Regarding the Extension of Retirement Age of the Staff of the National Assembly Service Commission.’

“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) classifies the clerk and other staff of the National Assembly as public servants whose conditions of service are

guided are by the public service rules which derives its existence from Section 169 made pursuant to Section 160(1) of the Constitution.

“In specific terms, Section 318(1) of the Constitution states that ‘public service of the Federation means the service of any capacity in respect of the Government of the Federation and includes as (a) clerk or other staff of the National Assembly or of each house of the National Assembly.’

36 Govs Ask Court to Stop NULGE from Joining Suit on NFIU Regulation The governors of the 36 states of the federation have rejected the move by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to be joined in a suit regarding the state governments’ battle against Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit’s (NFIU) regulation on local governments’ financial autonomy.

NFIU had in its regulations, which came to effect on June 1,

2019, abolished the states’ local governments’ joint accounts through which governors exercised absolute control over LG funds in the country.

The regulation officially referred to as ‘NFIU Enforcement and Guidelines to Reduce Crime Vulnerabilities Created by Cash Withdrawal from Local Government Funds throughout Nigeria Effective June 1, 2019’ seeks to ensure that funds meant for the local

governments are paid directly to them.

However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) had on May 27, 201, prior to the date of commencement of the regulations, instituted suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/593/2019, before the Federal High Court in Abuja asking for an order to invalidate the regulations for being unconstitutional, null and void.

The plaintiffs, through their lead

counsel, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), also urged the court to declare that by virtue of sections 4(7), 7(6)(a) and (b), 162(6) and 162(7) and (8) of the Nigerian Constitution, “the state governments are not subject to control or directive of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit or body on the terms and manner of operation of State Joint Local GovernmentAccount other than by a law passed by the states’ House of Assembly”.

Medical Doctors Embark on Indefinite Strike in Cross River BasseyInyanginCalabar Medical Doctors in Cross River State, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), have embarked on an indefinite strike to protest the insensitivity of the state government to the fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic disease.

The doctors were also protesting

against the alleged failure of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to reflect the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state in its daily update.

The alleged nonchalant behaviour of the state government and the NCDC to the Covid-19 spread, according to the NMA, has endangered the lives of members of the public and put the lives of the medical doctors in

the state at risk, as some of them have been infected.

The NMA in the state has also sent an official letter to the Minister of Health to intimate the federal government of its decision to down tools indefinitely.

The NMA, In the letter that was signed by the State Chairman and Secretary of NMA, Dr. Agam E. Ayuk, and Dr. Ezoke Epoke

respectively, said that the association has passed a “vote of no confidence” on the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, and “referred her to the NMANational Disciplinary Committee and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) for the unethical handling of COVID-19 testing in the state, which has put lives at risk and brought the association to disrepute.”

TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 • T H I S D AY

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36

TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSXTRA

Lawan: No Govt Appointee Can Cause Rift between N’Assembly, Executive Deji Elumoye in Abuja President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday declared that no appointee of the government can create crisis between both the executive and legislative arms of the government.

He also insisted that the suspension of the recruitment of 774,000 personnel for the federal government public works programme remains in force until the modus operandi of the scheme is clearly spelt out by the executive.

Apparently referring to last week faceoff between members of the National Assembly Joint

Committee on Labour and the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, resulting in the latter being walked out of the interactive session for the modalities for the implementation of the social works scheme, Lawal said President Muhammadu Buhari represents the executive arm of government which the National Assembly is on the same page with on various development-driven national projects.

Lawan, who stated this while responding to a question during an interactive session with journalists, added that the N52 billion appropriated for the project must be implemented by the National

Directorate of Employment (NDE) as contained in the N10.8 trillion revised 2020 budget.

According to him, “Only one person defines the executive arm of government. Any other person aside the vice president is either recruited or appointed to support that one person.

“That one person is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So if somebody, an employee or an appointee, out of several others, does something that does not show harmony, it will be unfair and uncharitable to say that the executive arm of government is not on the same page with us.”

Enugu Couple Remanded for Brutalising Maid With Hot Iron Enugu State Magistrates’ Court yesterday remanded in custody a 40-year-old man, Mr. Jude Ozougwu, and his 24-year-old wife, Ifeoma, for allegedly brutalising a 10-yearold, Nneoma Nnadi, with hot pressing iron and nails.

In the charge marked MEN/298c/2020, the police alleged that between April and July 2020, the couple attempted to “unlawfully kill one Miss Nneoma Nnadi, aged 10 years, your house-help, by burning her belly, back and buttocks with hot electric pressing iron, nailing nails into several points on her head, which is capable of endangering her life.”

The police said the offence was

punishable under Section 275 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.

After the charges were read to the couple, the police prosecutor, Paschal Nwachukwu, told the magistrate, “The evidence of this matter is grievous and weighty.

How can one explain nailing a child as was done to Jesus Christ, using hot pressing iron, sharp and dangerous objects on even her private parts?”

However, the defence counsel, Mr. Emeka Orji, prayed the court to discountenance the various public sentiments on the matter and grant bail to his clients.

Orji argued that the offence was bailable and the court

should use its discretion to grant the couple bail, adding that they had two little children to look after.

But the presiding magistrate, Joseph Agu, refused to admit the couple to bail.

The magistrate said, “In exercise of my discretion, the offence is grievous going by counts one and three; even as the girl is still hospitalised as well as the overwhelming public outcry, I reject the application for bail.

“I hereby remand the couple in the Nsukka Correctional facility pending further advice by the state Director of Public Prosecutions.”

Agu adjourned the matter till August 10, 2020.

House Threatens to Arrest Bank Chiefs, Others for Failure to Honour Summons Udora Orizu in Abuja The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Finance and Banking and Currency yesterday threatened to use the constitutional powers available to it to issue a warrant of arrest to banks chiefs and others who fail to appear before the House when summoned, respond to its letters or submit all the required documents.

The lawmakers made this known at the opening of the investigative hearing into the alleged over $30 billion annual revenue leakage between 2010

and 2019, by the joint House Committee on Finance and Banking and Currency, with the view to identifying and plug the leakages.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Abiodun James Faleke, noted that the investigative hearing is not about witch-hunting anybody or organisation, but it’s about assisting Nigeria to get out of its financial woes.

Faleke stressed that Nigeria has enough resources within its system if every player on the economic sector play by the rules.

He said: “What we mean by play by the rules is ‘let everybody

pay the taxes that the organisations or individuals are due to pay’.

We have records to show that Nigeria is losing over $30 billion every year to malpractice, and evasive of taxes legally due to government. It was based on that that this motion was moved for investigation to be done, and letters have been written to banks in the first instance before we move to the next stage.

“The letters also were written to the oil companies too. We expect responses from the banks; some have submitted partial documents, while some have not submitted at all.

Ex-NNPC COO, Ewubare Thanks Buhari for Accepting His Resignation Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Joint Ventures and Business Development, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Roland Ewubare, has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for accepting his decision to resign from the corporation.

Ewubare, before quitting last week, was also a Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investments and Management Services (NAPIMS) and Managing Director of the Integrated Data Services Limited (IDSL), a seismic

data acquisition company of the corporation.

The lawyer, an indigene of Delta State, however attributed his decision to leave the NNPC on the need to join his family outside the country, due largely to his absence in the last five years from his loved ones.

Ewubare had also refuted insinuations that he threw in the towel as a result of disagreements with the current management of the corporation led by Mr. Mele Kyari.

The former COO, upstream, was saddled with the additional responsibility for business

development, besides managing the group’s ventures before he quit.

In a number of tweets on his twitter handle yesterday, Ewubare acknowledged the president for giving him the chance to serve the country, through the national oil company.

“My deep and profound gratitude to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for accepting my resignation after giving me the opportunity to serve @NNPCgroup and Nigeria for 5 worthy years.

Forever grateful to Mr President.

God bless Nigeria. God bless @ MBuhari” he stressed.

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TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Afe Babalola Accuses ASUU of Frustrating Reopening of Universities Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The founder Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) of allegedly blocking the reopening of universities despite the federal government’s good disposition for resumption.

Specifically, Babalola hinged the non-resumption of final year students in Nigerian Universities like those in

Primary Six, JSS III and SSS III to likely objection that could emanate from ASUU. The federal government on Friday, March 20, 2020 ordered a blanket closure of all educational institutions in the country with effect from March 23, 2020 to curtail the spread of the deadly COVID-19.

However, in its wisdom, the federal government on Monday, 29, 2020 directed final year students in Secondary Schools to resume and take their final year

APC Constitutes Ondo Governorship Screening, Appeal Committees Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has constituted Ondo governorship screening and appeal committees.

The Chairman of the committee and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala, appointed the party’s former interim National Secretary, Alhaji Tijjani Tumsa to chair the party’s screening committee for Ondo State governorship aspirants.

The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena, in a statement issued yesterday said that, Mr. Umar Lawan-Kareto, would chair the Screening Appeal Committee.

Other members of the screening committee include; Mr. Solomon Johnny, Abayomi Oyalowo, Princess Gloria Akumbomdu, Hon. Eugine Udo, Mr. Usman Dalhatu, Amb. Fati Bala, Prof.

Okay Onyejekwe and Prof.

Shehu Adamaraji as Secretary.

While members of the screening appeal committee include, Hon. Ibrahim Ebbo, Maj. Gen. Christian O. Ogwo (rtd), Mr. Danladi Chambas, Mr. Imabong Ubo, Mr. Odeh Sam, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, Hon. Opeyemi Ajayi and Senator Andrew Uchendu as Secretary.

Nabena said that committees would be inaugurated at the APC National Secretariat on Tuesday (today) by 2pm.

examinations, leaving out the final year students in the Universities.

In a statement yesterday in Ado Ekiti , Ekiti State capital, on

the prolonged closure of private universities in Nigeria, Babalola said he was not disappointed because he knew the reason why

the government left out the final year students of universities “That the federal government was aware that if it directed final

year students of public universities to resume, the almighty ASUU would object and in this case, ASUU has objected”.

Court Stops Banker from Testifying against Babachir Lawal The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, yesterday rejected the bid to field an official of Ecobank Plc to as a prosecution witness in the trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal, and six others.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the defendants on amended 10 counts of fraud, with the ex-SGF being accused

of benefiting illegally from the approval of N544m for grasscutting and simplified irrigation in the North -East region of the country.

Others with whom Lawal is being prosecuted by the EFCC are his brother, Hamidu David Lawal; a director of Rholavision Engineering Limited; an employee of the company, Sulaiman Abubakar and the Managing Director of Josmon Technologies Limited, Apeh John.

All the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges..

Justice Jude Okeke, in a ruling on Monday, upheld the defendants’ objection which they had earlier raised on June 10, 2020 agaisnt the testimony of an Ecobank’s Compliance Officer, Chidi Eboigbe, The judge anchored his decision, disallowing the witness based on the failure

of the anti-corruption agency to include Eboigbe in its list of witnesses served beforehand on the defendants.

He ruled that the omission by the commission violated Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2011.

He, however, however ruled that the EFCC could still call the witness to testify after amending its proof of evidence to include Eboigbe as a witness in its list of witnesses.

PDP Appoints Committee for Ward Congresses Chuks Okocha in Abuja The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the nomination of the party members to serve on the ward congresses

electoral committee.

A statement issued yesterday by the National Organising Secretary, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd) said that the committee is mandated to elect three Ad-Hoc Ward Delegates in the 203 Wards of Ondo State, for

the upcoming 2020 governorship election in the state.

The committee is headed by the governor of Zamfara States, Mr. Bello Mutawallen, with Hon. Mrs. Cynthia Abeje Egwa; Chief David Kolawole Vaughan

and Chief Ginger Obinna Onwusibe as members, while Hon. Kingsley Chinda will serve Secretary.

The exercise is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 08, 2020 across the state.

FG to Begin Disinfection of Schools Tomorrow The federal government will tomorrow begin the disinfection of schools, ahead of their reopening.

It also explained why it delayed the decontamination process, adding that it had enough teams on ground to carry out the disinfection exercise.

The Minister of Environment, Mr. Muhammad Mahmood, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

He said, “Earlier I told you that we have sat with the Ministry of Education and we have the list

of all the schools that need to be disinfected before resumption. Well, what we plan to do now is to do (decontaminate) the centres that will be used.”

On why the process was delayed, the minister said it was intentional, as the plan was to ensure that the

chemicals were effective enough when the schools resume.

Mahmood said, “The delay is because it is better to disinfect and decontaminate within a short period of time so that the kids will be going back into these classes when they have been freshly decontaminated.

38

TUESDAY JULY 7, 2020 •T H I S D AY

39

˜ Ϳ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

TUESDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Fernandes Beats Ighalo, Others to Win Man Utd Goal of the Month Duro Ikhazuagbe Portuguese star, Bruno Fernandes, has been voted winner of Manchester United’s Goal of the Month of June.

As reported by THISDAY last Friday, Fernandes’ second goal against Brighton was selected as the best United’s goal for the month of June to effectively dethrone Odion Ighalo who won it last in March before the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Football fans familiar with the Red Devils’ goals history tipped Fernandes’ volley against Brighton as the most likely winner despite sentiments favoring any of Anthony Martial’s first hat-trick goals for United.

Fernandes who joined the Old Trafford team from Sporting CP last January

scored a brace in that victory over Brighton but it was the beauty of that second goal that stood him apart from the other nominees including Harry Maguire who scored the late 118th minute winner against Norwich to send the Red Devils to the semi final of the FA Cup; Anthony Martial’s hat trick goals against Sheffield United; Mason Greenwood’s strike against Brighton and Ighalo’s opening goal in that 2-1 FA Cup victory over Norwich.

Of the five goals scored by Ighalo since his January transfer deadline day loan switch to Old Trafford, it is worth bearing in mind that only two have not been shortlisted for the Goal of the Month - his strike against Club Brugge and one of his efforts in the win at Derby County.

The AFCON 2019 top

scorer who has accumulated 13 appearances in a Manchester United shirt, won the Goal of the Month award for March 2020 for his effort against LASK in the Europa League.

That was United’s last game before the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is even icing on Ighalo’s cake getting into the main

stream Manchester United’s starting line up given how several legends of the Red Devils thought Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a mistake taking him in on loan from

Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.

The Nigerian has since surpassed expectations to earn a loan extension till January 31 next year.

Aruna Quadri’s Swan-song Earns Sporting 37th Title in Portugal It was an emotional feeling for Aruna Quadri during the final of the Portuguese national league final as the Nigerian played his last match for the team to claim its 37th title.

Quadri who joined the team in 2016 from GD Toledos was the cynosure of all eyes as fans and players hailed the Nigerian for his immense contributions to the team.

To win the fifth league title with Sporting, Quadri was full of appreciations to the team that he admitted has helped his career to glow.

Sporting CP won the fifth championship in a row and 37th national title on Sunday July 5, when they beat GD Toledos 3-0 in the 2nd leg of the final held at the High Performance Center of Vila Nova de Gaia, after repeating the same margin in the first leg a day earlier.

From the 18 league matches played this season, Sporting were unbeaten, dropping only five sets in all their matches to attain 70 points which is 22 more than second placed GD Toledos.

A delighted Quadri who will be moving to Germany next season described Portugal as a home away from home.

He admitted that after 10 years in Portugal, it was time to leave for a championship with another level.

“I am very happy here.

Portugal for me is almost the same as living in Nigeria and I will continue to live in Portugal because I have a family here. I will train a few times at Sporting for the year,” Quadri said from

Aruna Quadri

his base in Europe.

On the final match against his former club, Quadri said: “It was a very difficult game particularly against my former team and mate, Diogo Silva, who is a player with a lot of talent. We played together for four years and it is always difficult to play against him,” confessed the Nigerian and African champion.

Quadri’s compatriot – Bode Abiodun, also admitted that it was a difficult match having returned to the game after several weeks of inactivity.

“It was a very difficult game, but I am very satisfied with the victory and with another title, which was the main objective of the season for us.”

Portuguese international, Diogo Carvalho also spoke about the tie, “We managed to win another title for Sporting, which was our goal. The match with Énio was very tactical, because we know each other well, we played together for six years in Spain, so we know each other’s game.”

The coach of Sporting, Chen CP Shao, lauded his players for the feat of another title.

“This Championship final was complicated, with a long stop and now without the public at the stands. The players managed to show some quality, despite having been out for four months,” he stressed.

For the President of Portugal Table Tennis Federation, Pedro Miguel Moura, ending the league was a big achievement for the federation amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This was a very special moment for the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, I hope it is very special for the whole community. Although this is the end of the season, we start with the starting point of what will be the next months of table tennis in Portugal, with this new reality.

“It was a learning process to continue doing what we like, which is to practice table tennis.

Train and compete within the rules of protection with health.”

Odion Ighalo (left) has been beaten to Man Utd’s Goal of the Month of June award by Bruno Fernandes (centre)

NYSC Donates 10,000 Masks to Nigerian Athletes As part of efforts to stem the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, Youth Corps members yesterday delivered more than 10,000 face masks to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to be distributed to athletes.

The ceremony which took place at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in Abuja, saw the At the ceremony which held at the FMY&SD, the Director

General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Ibrahim Shuaibu, handed over the masks to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Gabriel Aduda who stood in for the Minister, Mr. Sunday Dare.

The over 10,000 face masks handmade by the corps members were produced ahead of the resumption of sporting activities to support athletes against the spread of Covid-19 during the festival

which was put on hold.

Aduda while receiving the masks from the corps members, said he was impressed with their kind gesture towards complementing the Ministry’s efforts at safeguarding the health of Nigerian athletes.

He affirmed that the effort would further complement the local content production championed by President Muhammadu Buhari, even as it would make the corps

members self-employed.

“This memorable event is important to us because of what the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration is doing to support local content by giving room for home-grown initiatives.”

Brigadier General Ibrahim applauded the Ministry for giving opportunity to the corps members to contribute towards making the society safe.

‘Messi Will End His Career at Barcelona’ Lionel Messi will “end his working and footballing life at Barcelona”, the

Lionel Messi

club’s president has announced.

President of Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu, dismissed reports the Argentina international, 33, was unwilling to renew his current contract when it expires in 2021.

“We are negotiating with many players but Messi has explained to us he wants to stay,” Bartomeu told Spanish network Movistar.

“And so we’re going to enjoy him for much longer.”

Bartomeu was speaking following the Catalan club’s 4-1 La Liga win at Villarreal on Sunday evening, which saw them close the gap to leaders Real Madrid to four points.

Earlier, a Sergio Ramos penalty ensured Real edged to a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao.

The spot-kick was awarded following a VAR review, while Bilbao had a penalty appeal of their own turned down, leading Bartomeu to question the fairness of

the technology.

“I saw the game in Bilbao and although I don’t like to say it, I’ll repeat that VAR is not being used as it should be,” he said.

“Since the season returned after the Covid-19 crisis it has not been equal, that has been reflected in the results and it looks as if it always favours the same team.”

In re s p o n s e , R e a l coach Zinedine Zidane s a i d h e w a s “ t i re d ” of his side’s victories b e i n g criticised.

Racist Remarks End Swedish Referee’s Career A Swedish referee suspended for making racist remarks against Guinea international goalkeeper Aly Keita says his career is ‘effectively’ over.

Speaking to a Swedish newspaper, Martin Strombergsson regretted remarks made to Keita in a top-flight match last year.

Ostersunds skipper Keita said last month the referee told him “to shut up and go back into his goal so bananas could be thrown at him.”

“I need to find a new employer in the future,” said the 43-year-old official.

This was the FIFA referee’s response to the fact that he has been suspended for the rest of the season, which is only six weeks old.

He is yet to officially hear whether his career as a referee is over but his suspension lasts until the end of his current contract.

Stromgbergsson’s punishment was announced on Friday by the referee’s committee of the Swedish Football Federation (SVFF).

“Martin Strombergsson insists that he had no racist intentions with what he

said,” noted Peter Ekstrom, chairman of the committee.

“We have no reason to doubt this, but still consider it to be a very inappropriate statement, and it must be obvious that it can be perceived as offensive.”

The decision was backed

by Hakan Sjotrand, the SVFF’s Secretary General.

“I completely share the Judiciary Committee’s view on the matter,” he said.

“What has happened is very serious, and is contrary to the values of Swedish football - regardless of the

intentions Strombergsson had.

“It feels good that we have thoroughly investigated the incident and talked to everyone involved. It makes us feel secure in our judgment. It is good and important that Aly Keita told about his experience.

“We must dare to talk about these issues in Swedish football.”

Osterunds have told BBC Sport Africa that the club and Keita have decided to say no more on the issue.

Tuesday July 7, 2020

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Price: N250

MISSILE Dogara to APC “If appearing in a group photograph is what Nabena is now using to establish a link or connection to crimes or alleged criminals, then, why didn’t he issue such a statement in the wake of the arrest of a suspected money launderer by name Ismaila Mustapha aka Mompha, whose pictures with notable personalities, including some APC governors are all over the social media? Is Nabena guilty of selective amnesia or share perďŹ dy?â€? – Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, berating the All Progressives Congress for linking him with suspected international fraudster, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.

TUESDAY WITH REUBENABATI abati1990@gmail.com

Mele Kyari and NNPC: One Year After

A

year ago, Mele Kolo Kyari was named as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

He succeeded Maikanti Baru, now of blessed memory. On July 8, 2019, the then incoming GMD made the following promises: (i) There will be no corruption without discretion.

We will work with all shareholders within the NNPC group to ensure there is no discretion in the system; (ii) We will build this company to enable it to compete with its global peers. We are not saying we will not make mistakes along the way, but we will not make deliberate mistakes.

LLL :H ZLOO GHOLYHU DOO RXU IRXU UHÀQHULHV ZLWKLQ the life of President Buhari’s administration. We shall seek strategic partnerships to ensure Nigeria becomes a net exporter of petroleum products.� :LWKLQ WZR PRQWKV RI VHWWOLQJ GRZQ LQ R΀FH Mele Kyari further reiterated the goals of his tenure. One year later, how has he fared? Is the NNPC better today than it was at the point he took over the helms of authority? Has he been faithful to his promises? This is the focus of this EULHI SUHOLPLQDU\ LQWHUURJDWLRQ RI KLV ÀUVW \HDU LQ R΀FH , LQWHQG WR EH IDLU EXW , ZLOO DOVR UDLVH questions.

Mele Kyari’s main achievement in the last year VKRXOG EH WKH HͿRUWV WKDW KH KDV PDGH WR FUHDWH D SHDFHIXO HQYLURQPHQW IRU WHDP ZRUN H΀FLHQW communication and collaboration within and outside the NNPC system. His tenure so far has been without rancor, dispute or the kind of unnecessary drama WKDW FKDUDFWHUL]HG KLV SUHGHFHVVRU¡V WLPH LQ R΀FH There was no love lost at any time between Dr. Ibe Kachikwu as Minister of State for Petroleum and Maikanti Baru as GMD of the NNPC. I stand to be corrected. Baru succeeded Dr. Kachikwu as GMD and when Kachikwu became Minister of State, both worked largely at cross purposes.

Baru reportedly had the support of the Villa and WKH ODWH &KLHI RI 6WDͿ $EED .\DUL 0HOH .\DUL DVVXPHG R΀FH LQ -XO\ ,Q $XJXVW 3UHVLGHQW Buhari named Timipre Sylva as Minister of State for Petroleum. Kyari and Minister Sylva seem to have a much better working relationship. Kyari seems to be doing a better job of managing internal politics. He also seems to be doing a good job of managing relationships with stakeholder communities. Within a few weeks of assuming R΀FH IRU H[DPSOH KH ZDV DEOH WR EURNHU SHDFH between Shell/Belema Oil, operators of OML 25 DQG WKH RLO ZHOO¡V KRVW FRPPXQLW\ LQ $NXNX 7RUX /RFDO *RYHUQPHQW $UHD RI 5LYHUV 6WDWH &UXGH oil production activities in the community have since resumed. Brokering peace with oil bearing communities however is a task that the NNPC should remain focused upon. In the absence of a mutually acceptable framework to address the interest of host communities, and the failure of WKH 1DWLRQDO $VVHPEO\ WR HQDFW WKH 3HWUROHXP Industry Bill, the people of the Niger Delta will remain aggrieved, and they are not keeping quiet at all. Kyari and the NNPC need to do more in this regard.

Kyari promised transparency and accountability.

One year later, he can claim to have scored big in this regard with the release in June 2020, of the 2018 $XGLWHG )LQDQFLDO 6WDWHPHQW RI WKH 113& 7KH statement covered all the 20 plus subsidiaries in WKH 113& JURXS ,W ZDV WKH ÀUVW WLPH LQ \HDUV NNPC accounts would be audited and published IRU VFUXWLQ\ %HIRUH WKHQ XQDXGLWHG PRQWKO\ ÀQDQFLDO and operational reports were published but Kyari LV WKH ÀUVW *URXS 0DQDJLQJ 'LUHFWRU WR VXEMHFW the accounts to an independent audit. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency International (NEITI) and other industry watchers who had consistently insisted that NNPC’s opaqueness and LQH΀FLHQF\ ZDV XQDFFHSWDEOH ZHUH XQGHUVWDQGDEO\ SOHDVHG WKDW IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH LQ IRXU GHFDGHV

Kyari the NNPC is willing to render audited accounts.

But, ironically, the published audited accounts exposed the very reason why previous GMDs failed to toe the same line. The revelations are damning, if not surprising. It was disclosed for H[DPSOH WKDW WKH FRXQWU\¡V IRXU UHÀQHULHV KDYH DOO EHHQ UXQQLQJ DW D ORVV 7KH .DGXQD 5HÀQHU\ in particular did not earn any income during the period of the audit. In 2018 alone, the Kaduna 5HÀQHU\ UHFRUGHG ]HUR UHYHQXH =HUR $QG \HW LW UHSRUWHG DQ RSHUDWLQJ FRVW RI 1 ELOOLRQ :KDW In other words, Nigeria spent that amount on that UHÀQHU\ DQG JRW QRWKLQJ LQ UHWXUQ +RZ DERXW that as a business model?

This question is important. When he assumed R΀FH .\DUL SURPLVHG WR À[ WKH UHÀQHULHV EHIRUH ,Q WKH $OO 3URJUHVVLYHV &RQJUHVV $3&

1LJHULD¡V UXOLQJ SDUW\ SURPLVHG WR Ă€[ RQH UHĂ€QHU\ SHU \HDU )LYH \HDUV ODWHU ZKHUH DUH ZH" 7KH FKLOGUHQ RI WKH ZRUNHUV LQ WKRVH UHĂ€QHULHV WRGD\ can their own children work there in the future given the present state of the assets? The truth is that government has no capacity anymore to PDQDJH WKRVH UHĂ€QHULHV 7KH WKLQJ WR GR LV WR release them to the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) for privatization. The point has been well PDGH RYHU WKH \HDUV WKDW LI WKH UHĂ€QHULHV ZRUN DQG WKHUH LV H΀FLHQW ORFDO UHĂ€QLQJ RI FUXGH 1LJHULD would save cost and Nigerians won’t have to pay 1 SHU OLWUH IRU SHWURO ,Q D UHFHQW UHSRUW E\ Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), we are told that Nigeria wastes valuable funds importing “low qualityâ€? and “dirtyâ€? petrol from European UHĂ€QHULHV ZKHUHDV LW FDQ GR PXFK EHWWHU ORFDOO\

The report reveals that the bush, illegal, artisanal UHÀQHULHV LQ WKH 1LJHU 'HOWD SURGXFH HYHQ PXFK better fuel. Does this make sense? There is no reason why Nigerians should be placed at the mercy of so-called market realities and made to pay through their nose for a natural resource that is in their own backyard. I have said my bit. But going forward, what is Mele Kyari’s strategy?

What does he intend to do?

Mele Kyari promised to increase crude oil production. He has been able to do so. Under his watch as NNPC GMD, in the last year, crude RLO SURGXFWLRQ UHDFKHG DERXW PLOOLRQ EDUUHOV per day at a point. The fortunes of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Corporation (NPDC), the FRUSRUDWLRQ¡V à DJVKLS XSVWUHDP FRPSDQ\ DOVR improved. NNPC also executed the NPDC OML 65 project which should generate more revenue and create jobs in the areas of operation. This however KDV EHHQ DͿHFWHG E\ WKH &29,' SDQGHPLF With the shut-down of the global supply chain and various industries, oil producers were faced ZLWK GHPDQG DQG VXSSO\ GLVUXSWLRQV ,Q $SULO 2020, OPEC+ agreed to cut global output by a record amount of about 10% of global supply.

COVID-19 reduced demand for oil, and drove down oil prices. Storage tanks were full; there ZHUH QR RͿ WDNHUV 7KH LPSDFW RQ RLO GHSHQGHQW economies like Nigeria was devastating. Nigeria’s 2020 budget which was benchmarked at $57 per barrel had to be revised more than thrice. Low oil prices meant lower revenue for Nigeria. COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability and fragility of Nigeria’s mono-cultural economy. It is interesting, however, to see the NNPC actively involved in the on-going conversations about how Nigeria now more than ever, needs to address this challenge. )XUWKHU 0HOH .\DUL DV SDUW RI KLV RQH \HDU VFRUH FDUG FDQ LQFOXGH WKH )LQDO ,QYHVWPHQW 'HFLVLRQ ),'

RQ WKH 7UDLQ RI WKH 1LJHULD /LTXHĂ€HG 1DWXUDO *DV Company (NLNG) which was taken in November 2019. The project has been on the table for years.

Kyari led the negotiations to a decision stage. The NLNG is one of the most successful business PRGHOV LQ $IULFD ,W LV H[SHFWHG WR JHQHUDWH RYHU $20 billion revenue and over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. Nigeria may need to consider the same model for moving the NNPC to a higher OHYHO ,W LV DOVR XQGHU .\DUL¡V ZDWFK WKDW WKH $.. gas pipeline project which had been in the pipeline VLQFH WKH V ZDV ÀQDOO\ FRPPLVVLRQHG .\DUL also promised in 2019, to leverage on technology and innovation. Our investigation reveals that the downstream arm of NNPC operations – the buying and selling of petroleum products - is heavily GLJLWL]HG XQGHU .\DUL UHVXOWLQJ LQ D VLJQLÀFDQW reduction of human interface and bureaucratic red

tape. Marketers can now see inventories across 22 depots and make appropriate decisions based on UHDO WLPH GDWD 113& 5HWDLO LV DOVR GLJLWL]HG WR enhance service delivery. While this is another case of promise made and kept, it is worth noting that many stakeholders and observers are uncomfortable with the NNPC’s seeming “monopoly� of the downstream sector, and rightly so. They insist that the NNPC should operate upstream and leave the downstream sector for private investors.

Between 2002 and now, private investors have LQYHVWHG VR PXFK LQ WKH LPSRUWDWLRQ RI ÀQLVKHG products and the building of tank farms and fuel stations. Their expectation was that government was serious about its decision to deregulate the downstream sector. But today, deregulation is essentially a myth. Shortly after the deregulation plan, the NNPC took over the downstream sector.

It began to build petrol stations, and established a retail company. Private sector investors in the downstream sector have since learnt that they cannot compete with the NNPC. They borrow money at high interest rates to do business. NNPC uses government money. To worsen matters, another government agency, the Petroleum Products Pricing 5HJXODWRU\ $JHQF\ 3335$ À[HV WKH SULFH DW which marketers can sell. Both the NNPC and WKH 3335$ H[HUFLVH D PRQRSRO\ RI GLVFUHWLRQDU\ power to the disadvantage of other players in the market. This is probably the reason why other stakeholders, notably Total and Exxon Mobil are FDXWLRXV ,V WKLV FRQà LFW EHWZHHQ 113& PHJD stations and private fuel stations something Mele Kyari would like to address?

Under him, NNPC has also shown a great level of corporate responsibility. NNPC operations may KDYH EHHQ DͿHFWHG E\ WKH &RURQD YLUXV SDQGHPLF nonetheless the corporation has contributed to WKH HͿRUWV WR PLWLJDWH WKH LPSDFW RQ WKH SHRSOH This includes the launch of a Petroleum Industry ,QWHUYHQWLRQ )XQG ZKLFK DWWUDFWHG D SOHGJH RI N21 billion, and is being used to fund medical interventions across the country’s six geo-political zones: notably the on-going construction of an Infectious Diseases Hospital in Maiduguri, Borno State, and partnership with ThisDay Media Group, Sahara Energy, the CBN and others to build the EHG 7KLV'D\ &29,' LVRODWLRQ UHFRYHU\ DQG WUHDWPHQW FHQWUH LQ $EXMD I rate Kyari highly but on the whole, the big elephant in the room at the NNPC is the urgent need for wholesale reform. The institution itself LV LQ QHHG RI D VKDNH XS DQG D VKDNH GRZQ $ PXFK OHDQHU DQG H΀FLHQW 113& IRFXVLQJ RQ WKH upstream sector may be of more strategic value than a corporation that is over-stretched across the oil and gas value chain.

Nimi Akinkugbe: Ambassador-Designate and the Indigeneship Question

T

he protest by some misguided Ondo youths against the appointment of Mrs Nimi Akinkugbe as ambassadordesignate must be condemned by all reasonable persons, most especially the entire Ondo state community. The youths reportedly complained that Mrs Akinkugbe (nee Ajumogobia) who is originally from Rivers State cannot fill the slot of Ondo State. Who told them that? Their tribalism is probably helped by the failure of the National Assembly to amend Part II Section 2 of the Federal Character Commission (Establishment) Act which simply says “a married woman shall continue to lay claim to her state

of origin�. The proposed amendment to include a married woman’s right to the indigeneship of her husband has been before the National Assembly since 2015! That notwithstanding, it is illegal and unconstitutional to turn any Nigerian into a “foreigner� in any part of the country or to discriminate against persons on the basis of gender. The objection to married women representing their husbands’ states is also utterly against the principles of equity and justice. Persons holding on to warped notions of indigeneship play the politics of identity with public positions. This is the case with the refusal to confirm Justice Akon Ikpeme as the substantive

Chief Judge of Cross River State. The excuse is that Justice Ikpeme who hails from Akwa Ibom, although married to a Cross Riverian poses a “security risk to Cross Rivers State.� How? Mrs Akinkugbe who is married to an Ondo indigene and has Ondo children, has received the support of the Ekimogun Round Table and Senator Patrick Akinyelure (Ondo Central). President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Akeredolu and the Senate should uphold her nomination. An author, newspaper columnist and experienced banker, Mrs Akinkugbe is eminently deserving of the nomination to become one of President Buhari’s envoys.

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