FRIDAY 6TH AUGUST 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

Masari to COAS: Katsina is Under Severe Bandits’ Attacks Laments worsening insecurity in the state Says 10 out of 34 LGAs affected

Francis Sardauna in Katsina Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, yesterday, told the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, that the state was under severe attacks

by bandits and kidnappers, leaving 10 out of the 34 local government areas of the state vulnerable. Masari, expressed worry over the prevailing security challenges in the state, affirmed that the deteriorating spate

of banditry accompanied by kidnapping, raping of innocent women and armed robbery on the state's highways, were afflicting his government's effort of restoring peace and normalcy in the state. Receiving Yahaya at the

Government House, Katsina, Masari said both residents and security agencies must work together to up the ante in the war against bandits, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state. He said the military and

other security agencies in Nigeria needed logistics support and manpower to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other insecurity challenges confronting the nation, particularly in the North-west region of the country.

He, however, called for the deployment of modern technology to tackle insecurity in the country, saying the world has gone into the era of technology, adding that, "with Continued on page 8

FG: Kaduna, Ekiti, 5 Other States to Benefit from $700m World Bank Loan for Water Projects... Page 6 Friday 6 August, 2021 Vol 26. No 9615. Price: N250

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With PDP Elders’ Intervention, Secondus Lives Another Day BoT, NEC set up committee to resolve crisis NWC members know fate in 72 hours Atiku, Anyim, Lamido, Mark, others seek peaceful rapprochement Chuks Okocha in Abuja The intervention, yesterday, by some political elders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saved the embattled national chairman of the main opposition party, Prince Uche Secondus, from a planned

removal by certain forces opposed to his leadership. The indication that the elders’ had achieved a breakthrough in their intervention emerged, when Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Diran Odeyemi, who was among

the seven that resigned their positions on Tuesday, changed his stand and withdrew his resignation letter. Even more instructive, it appeared, was Odeyemi’s pledge to work with the Continued on page 8

BREAKING NEWS

IBB Rules Out Atiku, Tinubu from 2023 Says new president should be in his sixties ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱšŠ

Jega Proposes Devolution of Power to States, LGAs... Page 6

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 08033506821, 08097777322

SANWO-OLU RECEIVES MANAGEMENT TEAM OF NAICOM... L-R: Deputy Commissioner Technical, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Alhaji Sabiu Bello Abubakar; Director-General, Nigeria Insurance Association (NIA), Mrs. Yetunde Illori; Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, NAICOM, Mr. Olorundare Thomas; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; President, Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Dr. Bola Onigbogi; Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Ayoola Iyabo Oyeyemi and others, during a courtesy visit to the Governor, at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja...recently

Hand Over Refineries to Private Sector and Be Better Off, PwC Tells FG Says plants have recorded over N100bn in losses, produce zero barrel of refined products Report: Nigeria's CEOs highest paid in Africa

Emma Addeh in Abuja and Dike Onwuamaeze in Lagos The federal government has been advised to handover its refineries and other commercially viable projects to the private sector in order to reduce its debts and earn more revenue from the assets. The government was also advised to prepare for the future by investing more in human capital development in order to position its citizens as exportable ‘products’ and boost diaspora remittances. These views were canvassed yesterday by Africa Tax and Legal Services Leader, PwC Nigeria, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, and Partner/Chief Economist, PwC Nigeria, Dr. Andrew S. Nervin, during a webinar organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in collaboration with PwC. The seminar was titled, “2021 Mid-Year Economic and Business Outlook.” The advice came as a new report by PwC disclosed that Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Nigerian-listed companies were among sub-Saharan Africa’s highest earners. The federal government recently approved $1.484 billion for the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries. But Oyedele said the government should be more concerned about strategic issues bothering the economy than approving projects and contracts that might turn out to be unprofitable. He said, “I have my issues with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) that is just approving projects and contracts when we should be looking at more strategic issues to deal with in the economy. I do think that the amount of money we are spending on projects that are commercially unviable is unbelievable. “Just yesterday, the approval for the turnaround of refineries

for billions of dollars was given. These are refineries where we have recorded over N100 billion in losses and produce zero barrel of refined products. “If we have given these refineries for free to the private sector, Nigeria would have been better off compared to close to N10 billion that we spend every month maintaining and running assets that are not producing. “If we take something like rails, refining and the ports that are commercially viable and give to the private sector, they will bring money from within and outside Nigeria. They will do them better. "They will make money. They will run them efficiently and pay taxes to the government. This is what we should do. It will not only reduce our debt and the cost of servicing them, it will also increase the overall efficiency of the economy.” Oyodele also said Nigeria should be leading the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiation as the largest economy in Africa “We complain over poor infrastructure, but Nigeria is largely a service-driven economy and should be more concerned about how to improve services and export them to the rest of Africa,” he stated. He added, “The top import in Africa is petroleum products. Why can't Nigeria refine and export to the rest of Africa?” Nervin, in his own contribution, advised the Nigerian government to drive export and diversification of the economy through the service sector and human capital development. He said, “Two thirds of the global economy is made up of the service sector, which has higher value added than goods. Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries presently play an important role and will generate $1 billion export revenue.

“Nigeria’s Nollywood is a good export to invest in.” Nervin also pointed out that Africa was the only place with demographic growth in the world, stressing that this has big implications for the Nigerian economy. “Nigeria can develop its human capital as its most strategic assets that can go abroad and earn foreign exchange. “By investing in Nigeria’s young people and brains everything in the economy will take care of its self,” Nervin said. He added that climate change would be a serious matter for Nigeria, and Lagos, especially, as the temperature is increasing and the sea level is rising. CEO of Economic Associates

Limited, Dr. Ayo Teriba, who moderated the panel discussion during the webinar, agreed with the perspective shared by Nervin that Nigeria might become the world’s most populous country in the next century. Teriba urged the government to develop the country’s human capital just as India and China did in the past century. Teriba said, “Your perspective is that by the year 2100 Nigeria will have the largest population in the world, as India and China populations will be declining while Nigeria’s will be rising. So government must invest in them to generate more brains that will go to the Diasporas, like India and China have been doing, and earn big to remit

billions of dollars.”

Report: Nigeria's CEOs Highest Paid in Africa CEOs of Nigerian-listed companies are among subSaharan Africa’s highest earners, a new report by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) has indicated. The remuneration report published yesterday by the accounting firm said the median value of total-guaranteed packages, which includes base pay and benefits, for the heads of Nigerian companies was $323,000. That is the highest among seven sub-Saharan African countries, excluding South Africa, and is based on data published by 382

companies, according to the report. A Bloomberg report had also noted that chief financial officers in Africa’s biggest economy were among the best paid in the region, with median earnings of $219,000, according to PwC. Nigeria is home to the continent’s biggest buildingmaterials producer, Dangote Cement Plc, owned by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote. The country has the biggest companies by market value on the continent, outside South Africa, in the food and beverage, banking and energy industries through Nestle Nigeria Plc, Guaranty Trust Holding Co., and Seplat Energy Plc. Continued on page 8

CBN Recovers N89.2bn from Commercial Banks over Customers’ Complaints Bassey Inyang in Calabar The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, has disclosed that as of June 2021, the regulator has recovered about N89.2 billion from commercial banks in the country following investigations and verified complaints from customers of affected banks. Emefiele, who said this yesterday in Calabar, at the opening session of a twoday sensitisation fair with the theme: "Promoting Financial Stability and Economic Development," also disclosed that contrary to uninformed comments from some individuals, the nation's financial system was not in any form of distress, more so, as commercial banks are safe. Emefiele who was represented at the event by the acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, CBN, Mr. Osita Nwanisobi, said the recovered funds were based on 23,526 complaints received from customers bordering on

irregular charges, and other related matters. "What we do is that whenever we get these complaints they are thoroughly investigated and if they are found to be true, the CBN makes sure that these customers are properly refunded and we have so far recovered N89 billion," Emefiele said. The CBN governor also used the forum to dispel fears making the rounds that the apex bank was planning to convert domiciliary or dollar accounts to naira, saying such fears were founded in rumour and blatant falsehood. He said the sensitisation fair aims at providing adequate information on programmes, polices and interventions of the CBN. "The fair is targeted at keeping the public abreast and let them know the policies, programmes and interventions of the bank and how it benefits the people. "Also the sensitisation is aimed at also disabusing all rumours being peddled about distress in

the system. There is nothing like that. "We want Nigerians to know that there is no iota of truth whatsoever in these rumours," Emefiele said. He said the sensitisation exercise was also designed to make members of the public understand how CBN polices and interventions were affecting their lives. On its intervention programmes, the CBN boss said the apex bank currently has about 37 initiatives aimed at ameliorating the sufferings of the people as well as diversifying the economy. "We have healthcare interventions, commercial agric, discounted cash programmes, amongst others, not just in name, but are functional. “Since the Covid-19 experience, the global economy was shutdown, it affected families and businesses as many were shut down too. "First thing we did was to roll out interventions to mitigate the

adverse effects of COVID-19 on the livelihood of the people; we also tackled health infrastructure, we considered research components, and all these and more were based on gaps identified and an effort to rejig the economy,” he added. The CBN Governor also spoke on the proposed digital currency, stressing that it is different from crypto-currencies. "Let me make it clear, crypto-currencies are issued by unknown entities. No one knows who they are, nobody regulates them, nobody knows what they do, rather all they do is to issue the currencies and we (Nigerians) have seen what happened on a simple tweet by one man. "This is completely different from the digital currency that the CBN wants to issue, they would be under regulation by the apex bank. So, it would be regulated and can be used for monetary policy purposes and that's a huge difference," the CBN boss said.

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Jega Proposes Devolution of Power to States, LGAs Says return to regional structure not practicable Creation of states by military regimes helped to mitigate real and imagined/perceived marginalisation Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega has called for the equitable redistribution of power and resources from the federal government to the sub-national units like the state governments and the Local Government Areas. He said the redistribution of power will make the country efficient and effective towards satisfying the aspirations of its citizens. He made the proposal on Wednesday at a public lecture series at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi. Jega described the redistribution of power to the sub-national group from the federal government as the most realistic and sustainable after a critical evaluation of the benefits and costs of all different notions of restructuring, including the creation of six regions, the return to the regional structure of 1960-1966, a return to the 12 states structure of 1967- 1976, the call for resource control, a confederal system and creation of 42 states to bring to seven the total number of states in each of the six geo-political zones. “After a critical evaluation of the benefits versus the costs of each of these notions of restructuring, I believe that the starting point of the desirable and serious, even realistic and sustainable, restructuring-equitable redistribution of power and resources from the federal government to the sub-national governments/ units (i.e. from the federal government to state governments, and from states to local governments areas,’’ he said. He also noted that the dismantling of the current 36 states structure and reconfiguring the states into pre- 1966 Regional structure or into 12 states or 36 states or 42 is at worst unrealistic, a pipe-dream; and virtually impossible to do. He said the social and political costs of such an undertaking would far outweigh the benefits. He said: “In many fundamental respects, creation of states by military regimes since 1967 has gone a long way to mitigate real and imagined/ perceived marginalization of minorities; although given Nigeria’s complex diversity, the more states created, the more viability is threatened, and the more the newer majorities and minorities emerge with fresh demands by the new minorities for their own states”.

According to him contemplating any of the agitations would upset the democratic electoral agenda and key milestone of 2023 general election which may result in generalised anarchy and reversal of national aspirations for good democratic governance. Jega also warned of the challenges and tension that could arise from any attempt to resuscitate the old regional structure or create 42 states, noting that it would be difficult as it would be akin to asking the people to voluntarily surrender their autonomy. He conceded that the restructuring of the country will bring about the stability of the polity and make the environment amenable to accelerated socio-economic development, strengthen national unity, eliminate mutual suspicion, ensure peaceful coexistence and create equal opportunities for all citizens throughout the country. According to him, restructuring will make the existing states and local

government more functional and more viable as government entities as well as defend the rights of citizens throughout the country by giving primacy to citizenship and residency rights over and above the so-called indigenes rights. He said when the country is restructured and managed properly the benefits to the citizens of remaining together in one united country would by far outweigh the cost of separation into smaller sovereign ethno-religious entities. He gave suggestions on how to restructure the country, by calling for the reduction of the power and resources available to the federal government as specified in the exclusive federal and concurrent legislative lists in the 1999 Constitution, in addition to increasing the power and resources of the state government on the legislative list consistent with global best practices. The former INEC chairman also said that states can create development areas as the lower level tier of administration at

the grassroots level below the local government areas. He also proposed that the provision of healthcare, education, agriculture, housing and urban development and water resources should be state responsibility while the role of the federal government should be limited to interstate commerce, national banking, currencies, foreign relations, communications, aviation, seaport, foreign loans, armed forces and security services, postal service and telecommunications, mining and such. Afterward, according to him, the federal government should subsequently dismantle the MDAs and replace them with smaller, compact and focused departments as well as set up an agency for interdepartmental relations to facilitate and coordinate and nurture and strengthen federal-state inter relations. He urged the reduction of the cost of governance in form of reduction of frivolous foreign trips, cutting off governors’

pension as well as a reduction in the cost running of Presidential Villa and governors’ lodges and the reduction in the number of special advisers attached to political office holders. “The federal government should introduce governance reforms to improve efficiency and effectiveness of governance at all levels as well drastically reduce the cost of governance. “A lot can be done in this regard, within the extant legal framework, using executive orders and without the necessity of constitutional reforms. For example, frivolous foreign trips should be curtailed; our relatively liberal/ generous estacodes and DTAs for legislatures and high public officials should be drastically reduced, security votes’ for chief executives should be reduced and expenditures from them made more transparent, with strict accountability standards. Also, entertainment and meeting expenditures of MDAs should be drastically reduced and expenditure from them made more transparent, with strict

accountability standards. “Also entertainment and meeting expenditures of MDAs should be drastically reduced. Executives at both federal and state levels should pay for their own upkeep, as is the good practice globally, thereby reducing cost of running the Villa and Governors’ lodges, or those of heads of legislative organs of government. “The unethical humongous pensions of governors should be stopped; the numbers of PAs, SAs, SSAs among others as well as the number of vehicles in conveys of public officials should be reduced. “Other cost saving measures to reduce the cost of governance should include a consideration for reducing the size and composition of legislative bodies at both federal and state levels. For example, reducing the number of members of the federal and state legislatures by one-third or half of the present size and making legislative work part time as against being a permanent preoccupation as it the case presently,” Jega said.

ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION... L-R; Managing Director, Oil Data, Mr. Emeka Ene; Chairman, SPE Nigeria Council, Olatunji Akinwunmi and Group Managing Director, NNPC, Mele Kyari; during the 2021 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition organised by Society of Petroleum Engineers in Lagos...recently

FG: Kaduna, Ekiti, 5 Other States to Benefit from $700m World Bank Loan for Water Projects Deji Elumoye in Abuja The federal government has named seven of the 36 states of the federation as beneficiaries of a $700 million loan sourced from the World Bank for water projects. The states are Ekiti, Kaduna, Delta, Imo, Plateau, Katsina, and Bauchi. They are to benefit from the first tier of the loan. Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, disclosed the benefitting states on Wednesday at the weekly ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the State House, Abuja.

However, Adamu bemoaned the controversy surrounding the Water Resources Control Bill currently before the National Assembly. He alleged that politically motivated persons were deliberately misinforming the citizens on the proposed legislation. Adamu said the seven states would access between $50 and $60 million after meeting certain criteria set up by the World Bank for accessing the facility. He stated, “Certain criteria were set up by the World Bank and us. The states had to meet these eligible criteria.

And the projects are submitted into tier one and tier two. Tier one are for those that will get a substantial amount, maybe $50, $60 million for the urban schemes. The P-WASH (Plan - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Action Plan is the rural component and it is going to the state specifically. Some are going as grant while some of it is going to some specific projects. And like I said, there are eligible criteria that states ought to have met; it is not all the 36 states. There are conditions attached on which basis this money is going to be disbursed.

“So the whole thing has not been finalised yet, but what we have is an approval in general from the World Bank specifically for this. There will be some realignments here and there and that is something that we are going to be working on between our ministry, Ministry of Finance, and the World Bank.” Adamu said the federal government was working on 116 on-going and abandoned projects in the ministry, adding that 38 irrigation, 458 water supply schemes, and 37 dams and reservoirs have been completed.

The minister also said the days when the federal government served as Father Christmas in terms of providing water projects in states were over. He stressed that the maximum commitment to states henceforth would be 30 per cent, as it had been discovered that some states were deliberately laidback and unwilling to do their part in the maintenance of projects sited in their states. He mentioned the case of Bayelsa State, where the N6 billion Otuoke water project meant to serve 13 communities of 120,000 people, was locked

up by the state government because it claimed it could not afford to pay N3 million a month to provide diesel and chemicals, and pay supporting staff. Adamu said, “I know a scheme that we commissioned, N6 billion, handed over to the state government because the Federal Ministry of Water Resources cannot run a water scheme on a daily basis. So after completion, we handed over to the state government. “A year after we went back, it was not in use. It was for 13 Continued on page 8

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PAGE EIGHT WITH PDP ELDERS’ INTERVENTION, SECONDUS LIVES ANOTHER DAY Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure a successful national convention, which would usher in new national officers in December. The PDP elders comprised members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Executive Committee (NEC), governors elected on the platform of the party, and other prominent stakeholders. The BoT and NEC members at their meeting yesterday set up a committee to resolve the crisis in the party. Members of the committee include 13 PDP governors, three former governors, three members of the National Assembly, two former ministers, all NWC members, all former senate presidents, all former deputy senate presidents, all former speakers of the House of Representatives and their Deputies. Although the elders of the party, including the governors, at their meeting on Monday were to consider some of the last options before them. They gave the Secondus-led NWC a lifeline of 72 hours, inside party sources claimed the worst might have been over for Secondus and his NWC. Some of the PDP elders were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim; one of his successors, David Mark; former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido; Professor Jerry Gana, Dr. Iyochia Ayu, Senator Ahmed Makarfi,

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, and Senator Ibrahim Mantu. They said their goal was peaceful resolution by disagreements in the party. Other elders of the party, who shared this position, included Senator Adolphus Wabara, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo, Senator Helen Esuene, Hajiya Zainab Maina, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Hon. Austin Okpara, Sentor Biodun Olujimi, Senator Zainab Kure, Senator Agboola Hosea, Senator Odion Ugbesia, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe and Hajiya Hadiza Adodo. Secondus, too, warned that any dislocation in the party now would do the PDP no good. He said the meeting was essential, because “a time like this is a time that we must brace up and be able to come out very strong and even stronger.” Sources at the meeting said Secondus was able to survive his removal because a majority of the stakeholders held the view that the NWC he led should be allowed to conclude its tenure, which is due to end on December 9, 2021. They said the removal of Secondus would be a bad omen for the party currently. Those who wanted him out were bent on having him to publicly declare that he would not contest the office of the national chairman at the December national convention, for peace to reign. The importance of yesterday’s meeting also underscored by

the attendance of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who for the first time, attended a BoT meeting of the party and had been at the forefront of the Secondus Must Go movement. Chairman of the PDP BoT, Senator Walid Jubrin, while declaring open the meeting yesterday at the PDP national secretariat, said, "This meeting is very important at this crucial time, because of the numerous problems in our party especially, lack of cohesion within the party, among major stakeholders that needs the intervention of BoT as the highest advisory body and the conscious of the Party." He said with the total disorder and confusion at the recent congresses of APC, coupled with the failure of the government to protect life and property of Nigerians, it was important for PDP to sit up. "Now is the right time for PDP to set its house in order to prepare for the coming elective convention our national party leaders, and preparations for the coming 2023 general election,” he said. According to him, to achieve a complete success, the party must do away with personal interest and unnecessary inhouse fighting aimed at killing the objectives set by the party. The source said, "We must look critically at the party’s approved organs advising all to wake up from the slumber by functioning very well in order to fulfil the dreams of our forefathers.

"In the light of the foregoing, it is very important, therefore, that the BoT, being the conscience of the party, must today come up with necessary strategy for the election of the party’s national leadership based on free and fair election that will produce credible and competent officers of our party. The BoT is always ready to listen to any group, committee, or any individual, who has good intention for the Party. "Any individual or group, who has good contribution, therefore, will be nicely accommodated by the BoT provided that the intervention is aimed at promoting peace and unity in our great party as against the APC great threat to unity, stability and security of the nation. At any other business (AOB) in today's agenda, we will listen to such contribution from any group or individual" He explained that in order to operate effectively as the conscious of the party, the meeting should deliberate fully on the need to put the collective interest as true PDP members ahead of any personal interest against unity and stability of the party, "making sure that new leaders emerge only through free and fair election at National Convention." The source said there was also the need to take a firm stand to drastically reduce court cases by aggrieved members but to always follow the procedure enshrined in the constitution before referring any matter

to court of law, stressing that, "Anyone that takes the party to court should be seriously disciplined." He hinted that he had completed all arrangements with the governor's forum, the National Assembly caucus and forum of state chairmen, for effective consultation on the way forward for party. Secondus, on his part, said, "Today's meeting is critical, not only for members of the National Working Committee (NWC) but the entire party. It is critical because a time like this is a time that we must brace up and be able to come out very strong and even stronger. "Because I believe that in every human endeavour, where there are issues, the issues must be tabled, discussed and come out with solutions. That solution will make our party very strong. "The state of our party as I briefed you the last time we met here, is that we have on our hands nine state congresses that have to be conducted before the convention. And I believe that the reconciliation committee has done great work in Plateau State and Niger State. And by the grace of God, the remaining congresses in the remaining state, as we speak, the forms are being sold for those, who want to contest in their various states. "Let me commend the effort of the reconciliation committee in resolving issues arising in states and involving the stakeholders they have met. I believe that

their issues and the issues must be resolved. The reconciliation committee has been successful, so far so good. "After the main state congresses, both the public and our party are looking forward to a smooth and peaceful convention, which is coming up in December. We believe the preparation is being done in the office of the National Organising Secretary. And soon the schedule of events, the timetable and the others shall be presented before the Caucus, BoT, NEC and all organs of our party for action leading to the convention. "This is the first time in the history of our party, regardless of divergence opinions that this current NWC has been in office and nearly three months to the convention, we will be ending this regime in a smooth transition that will be taking place without rancour or problem. "Let me report to the BoT, that of truth, based on what the Chairman of the BoT has said, that seven deputies, members of the principal working committee, resigned. We met with them, the first day they brought their letters and we also met with them yesterday. We quickly deployed the internal conflict resolution mechanism so that the issues are not escalated to the point that our party will be greatly damaged. "You are aware that the National Youth leader took a

of blame game and media entertainment was over, whaat the nation needed was to put necessary machinery in place, to bring back normalcy in fragile states that would give government the opportunity to rarely do what it was suppose to be done. He added: "We are very much concerned because the purpose of governance is being seriously challenged.

The purpose of governance is protecting lives, property, honour and dignity of people but when it’s under attack, then, the entire system is under attack". To stem the tide, he said, the state government had amended the local government laws and created a three-tiers security structures across the 34 local government areas and 361 wards of the state

in order to restore the roles of traditional, religious, youths and women leaders in fighting insecurity across the state. Earlier, Yahaya, told the governor that he was in Katsina State on operational visit to inspect military units and forms under 8-division of the Nigerian Army, vowing to work with other sister security agencies to curb insecurity in the state.

Africa, Julius Berger, Guinness Nig Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc, and Zenith Bank. Interestingly, except for the CEO of Unilever Nigeria Plc, the entire top 10 rewarded CEOs pocketed more, in terms of basic pay, than the average CEO salaries paid by their respective companies in the preceding years. According to the report, "A closer look at the basic salary paid to the top 10 most highly remunerated CEOs in the year 2020 shows that the top three – Ferdinand Moolman of MTN Nigeria (who earned

N567 million), Austin Avuru and Roger Brown of Seplat Energy (who earned N484 million), and Michael Puchercos of Dangote Cement (whose basic salary for the year was N448 million) – earned a combined salary of N1.49 billion, an amount that exceeds the combined salaries of the second half of CEOs on the list by up to N106 million. "The bottom five CEOs which include those of Airtel Africa, Julius Berger, Guinness Nig plc, Unilever Nig Plc, and Zenith Bank all together earned a total of N1.393bn in the year under review."

Continued on page 10

MASARI TO COAS: KATSINA IS UNDER SEVERE BANDITS’ ATTACKS technology, you can fight your war with minimum number of personnel. "We, here in Katsina, if we say we are very happy, we are not being honest. We are disturbed with this issue of banditry accompanied with kidnaping, raping of innocent women, armed robbery on our highways. I want technology to be properly deployed to rarely bring this banditry

activities under control. "We are not deceiving ourselves that we will eliminate criminality; it has never been done before, it cannot be done today, rather, can it be done tomorrow, but we can bring it under control in such a way that it does not disturb the way of life of people as we are seeing today. "10 out of 34 Local Governments in Katsina

State are under severe bandits attacks daily. So, with that in mind, there is no way we can sleep. Our phones are permanently on to hear what is happening in local governments. Before breakfast, I am being briefed about what happened last night. So, General, we are not in a very comfortable situation but we thank God". According to him, the era

HAND OVER REFINERIES TO PRIVATE SECTOR AND BE BETTER OFF, PWC TELLS FG The market capitalisation of Nigeria’s stock exchange is $49 billion, compared with South Africa’s $1.1 trillion bourse, which boasts the biggest listed company in Africa, Naspers Ltd. Some of the world’s biggest mining companies, like BHP Group Plc, Anglo American Plc, and Glencore Plc, have secondary listings in South Africa and represent more than 20 per cent of the total market capitalisation of the benchmark FTSE/JSE Africa All Share Index. A separate analysis of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange

showed a median pay of 5.17 million rand ($359,265) for chief executives across all industries and 3.34 million rand for chief financial officers, according to the consultancy. PwC omitted percentage changes in annual compensation due to the unquantified impact of COVID-19, and its analysis excludes long-term incentives, leaving some South African executives looking poorer. South Africa is one of the world’s most unequal nations, a legacy of the apartheid system of racial discrimination that disadvantaged the black

majority and ended in 1994. The government is finalising legislative changes aimed at narrowing the earnings gap between company executives and the lowest-paid workers, in a country where the official minimum wage is about 20 rand an hour. “The time has come for leaders to step forward, take action and actively address fair pay in their organisations,” said PwC’s reward practice co-lead, Andreas Horak. “It is critical for leaders to be seen as committed to creating working environments in which

all employees are valued and rewarded and have equal opportunities to grow, develop and flourish,” he added. A report released a day earlier by Proshare on the salaries of Nigeria's top 10 CEOs in the 2020 financial year showed that the average salary earned by all the top 10 CEOs was N376.19 million, with the top five CEOs being those of MTN Nigeria, Seplat Energy, Dangote Cement, GT Bank, and Nigerian Breweries. The report added that the five company heads who earned below the group's median pay included the CEOs of Airtel

FG: KADUNA, EKITI, 5 OTHER STATES TO BENEFIT FROM $700M WORLD BANK LOAN FOR WATER PROJECTS communities of 120,000 people, the state government locked it. We asked why, they said they could not afford to pay N2 or N3 million a month to provide diesel and pay for staff and chemicals. So what can we do? “That is why we said the federal government is no longer going to be a Father Christmas by just doing these projects and handing over to them. We have to see their own commitment as well. “The state that locked up water project because they could not afford N3 million is Bayelsa State and the project is Otuoke water supply project.” Commenting on controversy surrounding the National Water Resources Bill currently before the National Assembly, the minister emphasised that the misinformation on the bill was deliberately being sent out for political reasons, insisting, however, that government

has taken a firm decision to regulate the water delivery system, as no data exists to effectively reform the sector. According to Adamu, "We are still working with the National Assembly on this bill. I think, probably, they were so engrossed with the PIB and the electoral bill, which are, of course, serious national priorities, and they were not able to come to talk about it. "But already, we have done all the things that needed to be done. The issue that was raised, the technical issue about gazetting, had been addressed. So the bill is still before the National Assembly. "Obviously, I have said so much about this bill, people have been deliberately misinformed. The bill was deliberately politicised unnecessarily, something that is good for the development of the country. And in any case, 96, 97 per cent of the provisions

in that bill are already existing in four different laws: Water Resources Act 2004, Nigeria Hydrological Services Act, River Basin Development Authorities Act, and the National Water Resources Institute Act. "The first purpose of bringing this bill was to put all these bills under one booklet, instead of having four separate laws, just consolidate them into one statute. That is number one. Number two is that Nigeria, like all other countries in the world, has adopted the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management. And that is why today we are enjoying the Category Two UNESCO centre of Integrated River Basin Management that is based in Kaduna. It is a centre of excellence, funded by UNESCO to promote integrated River Basin Management and we are getting people from all parts of West Africa region to come

and learn about River Basin management there. "So on the basis of that, powers that were hitherto vested in the Minister of Water Resources are being devolved to the communities, to stakeholders within the basins. And what this means is that whereas on the basis of the Water Resources Act that is existing, I as minister cannot determine where any project can be put without any recourse to anybody. Under this new Integrated Water Resources Management concept, we will have to go down and talk to the communities involved. "We have to have their buy in, we have to agree. So we will have to hold town hall meetings, we have to set up catchment management committees, the Integrated Water System Management Commission that is saddled with that responsibility was set up in 2007.

"This is the organisation that provides licencing, you cannot get a licence to have a power plant without a water licence. That is what is happening now through the Integrated Water Management Commission. So this law also, there is a provision within the bill to strengthen this agency. "All the people that are mining water have to go there to get a water licence and pay a tariff, it is gazetted by law. But right now, they are operating on the basis of delegated powers of the minister. And what we want is for them to stand alone, that means I can withdraw this delegated powers anytime and apply them myself." Adamu further explained, "But if we have what we have provided in the bill, there will be independence, like the National Electricity Regulatory Commission. They will not be answerable to the minister;

they will be answerable to the people. And the bill provides that the commission will have members nominated by the president, cleared by the National Assembly, they have to be confirmed by the National Assembly and they will be representatives of all the geopolitical zones of this country. "So we are democratising the process of water resources development in this country. And some people went to town and say that we want to cheat people.” The minister also clarified, "This bill, by the way, was drafted in 2006. The Buhari administration came in 2015. So it is something we met, just like our on-going project is exactly what we met. We just wanted to continue where others failed. The bill went to the Federal Executive Council and it was approved in September 2016."

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

NEITI Seeks FIRS Assistance to Recover $20bn Leakages in Oil, Mining Sectors Solid minerals producing states get N9.8bn derivation Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday urged the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) to assist in its efforts to recover over $20 billion from government agencies and the private sector as a result of leakages from under-assessment or underpayments of taxes, royalties and signature bonuses. Speaking when he visited the Executive Chairman of

the FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami, in his office in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the transparency initiative, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, said it was important for both government organisations to work together to ensure that revenues accruing to government get to the public coffers. The NEITI boss further said although attempts to ensure monies due to the federation had yielded about $3 billion into the government’s coffers,

it was becoming a challenge to retrieve the sum of $20 billion. This, he said was why he was seeking the cooperation of the tax authority. Going forward, NEITI stated that the organisation would require information on the country’s Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Company Income Tax (CIT), Capital Gain Tax (CGT), Value Added Tax (VAT), Withholding Tax (WT) as well as stamp collection from operators within the country’s

extractive sector. In addition, the transparency initiative requested financial statements, audit reports of covered entities, tax profiles and their capital allowance schedules as evidence of remittance of all the statutory deductions, including their tax liabilities. According to NEITI, through its efforts, over N9.8 billion of 13 per cent derivation has also been shared to the solid minerals producing states,

reiterating that Nigeria sold $721 billion oil and gas and got N507 billion from solid minerals between 1999 and 2019. Orji told his host that with the digitalisation of the FIRS by the new management, it would be easier to track any area the country was bleeding, and requested the timely release of reports by the federal tax agency to tighten the noose on companies and agencies cheating the country.

He stressed that it was important for the FIRS to have a transparency desk where issues relating to the extractives industries would be attended to, to avoid unnecessary delays in communication. The NEITI boss said there was need for the FIRS to support its contract transparency and beneficial ownership initiatives and underscored the need for both organisations to share data.

future of their country. They created and they destroyed.” Reiterating his belief in the future of Nigeria and urging Nigerians to remain patriotic, Babangida, who claimed to feeling good as he was about to turn 80 years, with gratitude to God for sparing his life, advised Nigerians to go for the person that has what it takes to transform the country when the time comes. IBB served as head of state

between 1985 and 1993. Born in Niger State, he received military training in Nigeria, India, Great Britain, and the United States. He rose through the ranks and was known for his courage, having also played a major role in suppressing an attempted coup in 1976, when he walked into a rebel-held radio station unarmed. After Murtala Mohammed became the military head of state in 1975, Babangida joined his Supreme Military

Council, and as military president after taking over power on August 27, 1985, he introduced economic policies such as the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), that altered the course of the nation and liberalise the economy. At 80 on the 17th, Babangida is one of the leaders like Muhammadu Buhari who have dominated Nigeria's political space since 1966.

IBB RULES OUT ATIKU, TINUBU FROM 2023 Obinna Chima Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), might have ruled out a former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, from the 2023 presidential run, because they would be in their 70s by the next election. Although IBB as Babangida is fondly called did not in any way mention their names as ineligible for the nation’s number one seat, he however suggested that individuals in their 60s should be the focus of Nigerians as potential presidential candidates in 2023. By the next general election in 2023, Atiku, who is 75 this year would be 77, while Tinubu, who marked an ofﬁcial 68th birthday in March, would have turned 70 years. Babangida, who himself will be 80 on August 17 this year, was conﬁdent that the nation is endowed with both human and natural resources, hinted at a few individuals, whom he said were in their 60s, had the capacity to become president and could effectively run the country. Speaking in a sneak preview of a two-part series of an exclusive interview to be aired on the ARISE News Channel this morning, focusing on the State of the Nation, IBB said one of the reasons Nigeria

has refused to progress and achieve the dreams of the founding fathers was because Nigerians no longer believed in the future of their own country. The former leader, who accused the Nigerian people of creating and at the same time, destroying their own country, identified bad leadership as yet a major reason for the socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria. Talking about the presidential hopefuls he had in mind, IBB said they were persons in their 6os with contacts across the nation and who had been traversing the geo-political zones marketing their acceptability and capacity. Specifically on the importance of leadership in nation-building and where he thought the likes of Atiku and Tinubu no longer fit the bill, IBB said: “If you get a good leadership that links with the people and tries to talk with the people; not talking on top of the people, then we would be okay. “I have started visualising a good Nigerian leader. That is, a person, who travels across the country and has a friend virtually everywhere he travels to and he knows at least one person that he can communicate with. “That is a person, who is very verse in economics and is also a good politician, who should be able to talk to Nigerians and so on. I have seen one, or two or three of such persons already in his sixties.”

But when asked if the person could emerge victorious in the 2023 presidential election, the Minna-born former military leader said, “I believe so if we can get him.” Responding to a question on whether or not he still believed in the future of Nigeria, the former military president, who turns 80 on August 17, 2021, said: “I do believe in the future of Nigeria, but Nigerians don’t believe in the

COURTESY VISIT TO AYADE... Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade (left) exchanging souvenirs with the Chief of Naval Staﬀ, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, during a courtesy call on the Governor in his oﬃce in Calabar ...yesterday

WITH PDP ELDERS’ INTERVENTION, SECONDUS LIVES ANOTHER DAY stand that is outside the conduct of our normal process of settling grievances and thereafter he on his own has been going on, on the wide-scale allegations and so forth. "We believe that issues of this nature must be handle quickly and swiftly so that we can get back to the business of conducting free and fair conventions for a smooth transition, because any dislocation will cost an infraction and will result to several unknown issues that we may come out, we may not be able, but God forbid. “The intention is to come out that for three years, eight months now, it has been very peaceful. Not that no issue, the issues are usual issues of party – both party administration and those who know the running and the power game will understand. I’m happy to report to you that these are very critical issues, that the conscience of the party and another forum will look into. "My opinion is that anything contrary to the smooth running of our party, towards this threemonths that is remaining will not be good enough for our party.” Furthermore, he said, "Sacrifices have been made

from the beginning when we came in and by the grace of God, not without an error, because anyone that has no error is perfect. But as human beings you are aware that the convention that took place in Port Harcourt was transparent; it is a convention that put the party together and it was smooth, free, fair and we went into that election in 2019. "I believe that all hands must be on deck, because you are aware that the other party is falling apart and Nigerians are looking up to PDP to come out stronger and prepare themselves for 2023. And this, by the grace of God, we all are willing and I believe that the party will come out stronger from this situation and with strength, we will match forward to 2023 to rescue Nigeria from the crisis APC has taken Nigeria into. "I believe that members of the BoT who have worked so hard from the beginning and now in collaboration with the NWC and governors forum will be able to chart a way forward – a way forward that will bring victory to our party." In their intervention, a statement by all the concerned elders of the party stated: "In view of recent developments at

the national secretariat of our great party, we have resolved to issue this press statement urging all party organs, party officers and party members to remain calm, faithful and orderly, as we proceed with urgent consultations and initiatives to resolve the contending issues. “We wish to firmly reassure aggrieved stakeholders that we intend to be thorough, objective, creative and balanced in our efforts to find lasting solutions to the fundamental matters arising. Towards this end, we have initiated moves to urgently meet with our governors, the Board of Trustees, the National Working Committee and other critical stakeholders. “Since we all share the legitimate desires of our loyal members to offer a credible, effective and productive alternative, we have no doubt that we shall soon find positive, appropriate, pragmatic and lasting solutions to the problems facing the party. We shall emerge from this crisis stronger, better and more united. This is only a temporary challenge. "We assure all Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party is resolute in providing qualitative leadership, sound programmes, effective implementation strategies and

hope generating solutions to our national problems. "On behalf of the elders and founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party, we wish to use this medium to thank all Party Members and supporters across Nigeria and in diaspora for their commitment, loyalty and strong support." Atiku, while responding to the situation in the PDP, called on party leaders to unite in collective interest of the party and the country, adding that the party cannot afford to be divided at this critical point in time when Nigerians were desperately yearning for change in the face of their miserable living conditions. In a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said, an opposition that was being looked up to as an alternative could not afford to be fighting itself and lending its hands to the ruling party for its own destruction. The statement He, therefore, urged the party's faithful to understand that the price of having a fragmented PDP was too high to pay, but above all, a betrayal to the memories of the founding fathers of the party. Dismissing insinuations that he was fueling the crisis, the former vice president explained

that he was lately involved in reconciliation efforts within the party across the country and has backed reconciliation processes aimed at defusing tensions in the party. He called for calm and for the combatants to sheath their swords and give the reconciliation mechanisms of the party a chance, noting also that the interest of the PDP far supersedes that of any individual, confident that the party would overcome its current travails for as long as all hands were on deck. "The PDP is greater than our individual ambitions. We have to consolidate the party first before we talk about our ambitions. We have to be careful not to play into the hands of the ruling party. We can't afford a one-party system in Nigeria that denies our people a viable alternative for true change in 2023", he said. But Odeyemi’s withdrawal of his resignation letter had signaled more hope of reconciliation in the party, with speculations that more would follow suit soon. The letter read: "I write to withdraw my letter of resignation as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of our great party. This decision is taken in view of the activation of

the internal method of resolving issues by our leaders across the length and breadth of Nigeria. "I also wish to state expressly that whatever embarrassment the resignation has caused the party, its leaders, members and supporters is highly regretted. "Most importantly, in view of the fact that the tenure of myself and other members of the present National Working Committee (NWC) will expire in another three months, it is my view that the boat should not be rocked under any guise. "Consequently, I pledge my loyalty and commitment to the party and the Prince Uche Secondus-led NWC, and will continue to play my roles to ensure a successful national convention, which will usher in new national officers. May God endow our leaders with wisdom to navigate the ship of the party to a safe harbour. Amen." Meanwhile, Secondus and his NWC are likely to know their fate in the after BoT and the committee set up on the crisis had met with the governors of party on Tuesday. Mark, who hinted at the development, said the committee’s basic duty was to ensure proper reconciliation among all the contending forces.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

COMMENT

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

MEMORIALISING FELA ANIKULAPO-KUTI Uzor Maxim Uzoatu pays tribute to Fela, 24 years after his passing

et’s just begin by stating that Fela the Spirit transformed into a higher spirit some 24 years ago. There can be nobody else like Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The icon is quite simply indescribable and can never ever be written about in the past tense. He lives forever. Not so long ago, live on Broadway in America, FELA LIVE!, a musical, set the world stage on fire and broke all the records. There was a time we were doing a story on the Kuti brothers for the defunct THISWEEK magazine, and we asked the eldest Kuti daughter, Dolupo, to describe each of her three brothers. She said Olikoye was a gentleman while Beko was a diplomat. As for Fela, all she could yell was “yayoyoyooooo!”, because there was no word in English language to describe the phenomenon! On August 3, 1997 Olikoye Ransome-Kuti addressed a press conference at Fela’s Afrika Shrine at Pepple Street, Ikeja to announce to a startled world that Fela died of AIDS-related complications the previous day. My great buddy and brother, Adewale Maja-Pearce and I decided to take some of Fela’s band boys who were our friends out to drink. In the course of the drinks one of Fela’s boys unaccountably exclaimed: “Na God go punish that Fela sef!” We were shocked at his utterance and asked him to explain what he meant. The distraught fellow lamented that Fela had no business dying thus leaving them, his band boys, stranded on earth. The guy explained that Fela ought to have taken the Western medicines that could have saved his life; after all, the saxophone he was fond of blowing was equally made by the white man! I write now against the background of the beats of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s album ITT, where the iconic musician starts out by stressing that from the very beginning Africans never used to “carry shit”. The corruption of Africa’s original values that came with the arrival of the white man led to Africans staining their hands with shit. Fela makes his case by giving the names of the original shit-holes used by a very diverse range of the ethnic nations of Africa. The advent of colonialism elicited in its sweep the abandonment of the old African way of passing

IT CAN BE SAID THAT THE GREAT MAN DIED FOR HIS BELIEFS. FELA WAS NOT AFRAID TO DARE AND DIE, BELIEVING THAT WHAT IS NOT WORTH DYING FOR IS NOT WORTH LIVING FOR

faeces. Metaphorically, the “carrying of shit” has progressively led to the corruption of the entire cosmos of the African peoples. To underscore the validity of his conviction, Fela had to swear by most of the deities across Africa such as Edumare. Fela of course does not kowtow to the Godhead of Christianity as can be seen in his many songs such as Shuffering and Shmiling. The local comprador elite would in the course of time team up with the white colonisers to loot their own country as exemplified by Obasanjo and Abiola whom Fela audaciously named in the music. The failure of the society is therefore anchored on the lack of rootedness to the real values of the traditional society, Fela powerfully argues. It can be said that the great man died for his beliefs. Fela was not afraid to dare and die, believing that what is not worth dying for is not worth living for. Fela can be an uncommon fun to be with. How can one ever forget the nightly rides with Fela in his Brother Beko’s ambulance upon his release from prison in 1986? Those days, I would always accompany my friend Abdul Okwechime who used to live with Fela in Kalakuta Republic to visit with the music maestro at the Imaria Close, Anthony Village place of his younger brother Beko, where Fela had his temporary abode then. Fela would give us a ride in the ambulance all over Lagos at night, before ending up at his cousin, Frances Kuboye’s Jazz 38 club on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. At every police checkpoint the policemen on duty would hail and rejoice once they see who was behind the steering-wheel! Then Fela would tell them: “Yeye people, una dey here dey suffer while oga dey deal with una wives for house!” The policemen would then give him more ovations for insulting them! That’s Fela for you. Many of Fela’s ideas are simply out of this world. He once told me that Nigeria could win the World Cup by placing a very mighty drum behind the opposing goalkeeper! I told him FIFA would not allow that, and he replied me thusly: “But how would FIFA see it?” I kept my mouth shut, not knowing how to argue with him any further. Ah Fela, son of Kuti! Uzoatu is a journalist and poet

THE SENSE IN QUOTA SYSTEM Stripped of its abuse, quota system is not entirely bad, argues Fredrick Nwabufo

he quota system in Nigeria was conceived to address an inequitable system, but the prevailing “unjust system” betrayed the purpose for which the quota system was ideated and actioned. The quota system, principally, is not an unjust system. And it does not confer advantage on the north against the south. Much of what has been said about the quota system is jaundiced. Quotaism became a principle in Nigeria in 1958, essentially, as a response to fears of marginalisation and ethnic domination in education and government. Rightly so, the system was contrived to resolve the atavistic misgivings. The federal character principle as well was devised -- and it became a constitutional provision in 1979 -- to manage Nigeria’s diverse character; so that no section of the country will lord it over others or become overwhelmingly dominant in the public service. It was designed to ensure inclusive and equitable demographic/ethnic representation at all levels of government. It was for socio-political balancing. Nevertheless, I am of the view that the federal character principle and the quota system be reviewed when sufficiently practicable. It is sheer ignorance to assume ‘’quotaism’’ is a Nigerian thing or as some have said a ‘’northern concept’’. Quotaism is country specific and it

is to address peculiar disproportions and to build a more equitable system. In the US, there is the racial quota which was conceived to ensure equal opportunity for all classes of citizens. In France, there has been a series of racial quotas. And in about 21 EU countries, there is a form of gender quota. So, quotaism is not a northern contrivance, and it is by and large a gizmo of national cohesion, if effectively and efficiently deployed. What we have experienced in Nigeria over the years since 1966 is an abuse and disregard of the quota system. If the quota system, as conceived by Nigeria’s forbears, is righteously implemented it will solve some of the country’s immortal problems. Z The argument against quotaism is that it encourages ‘’mediocrity and indolence’’, and discourages industry, performance and excellence. This is not exactly accurate. An abuse of the quota system, and not the system itself, is what promotes laziness and kills merit. Quota system is designed to give opportunities to the best of under-represented segments of society while not shutting the door to others in the opportunity pool. In the UK, there is the Equality Act 2010 which protects people with ‘’certain characteristics’’ on job opportunities. “Section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 allows an employer to treat an applicant or employee with

a protected characteristic (eg race, sex or age) more favourably in connection with recruitment or promotion than someone without that characteristic who is as qualified for the role. The employer must reasonably think that people with the protected characteristic suffer a disadvantage or are under-represented in that particular activity. Taking the positive action must be a proportionate means of enabling or encouraging people to overcome the disadvantage or to take part in the activity,’’ XpertHR, UK says in its article, ‘What positive action is permitted under discrimination legislation?’ In Canada, there is the Employment Equity Act. In the US, there have been several affirmative polices to protect blacks and minority groups. In Germany’s Basic Law, where a man and a woman have same qualifications, the woman should be preferred for the job. These are chief ingredients of quotaism. We cannot run a country without justice where only the fittest of the majority shall survive. Everyone; all classes of people; the weak and the strong must be accommodated. If we insist only the strong amongst us should stand, how have we done justice to the weak – people who are made vulnerable not by their own disability but by classist designs? The south-east is the loudest antagonist of the quota system. Being

Igbo, I understand the concerns of my people. But even in our region, there are clamours and demands for quotaism at the state level and in every socio-demographic stratum. In Anambra State where I come from, some citizens in certain senatorial zones allege they are being excluded from holding political offices by the more dominant groups. Quotaism addresses the human problem of belonging and representation. In the state, there is a debate and agitation on why the next governor should not come from a certain zone because that area has had its turn. At the local government and communal level, there is also the importunity of quotaism. So, if quota system is desired at the sub-national level, why is it unacceptable at the national level? ‘’Quota system product’’ – this is a quotidian ethnic slur often hurled at northerners by southerners. But we are all ‘’quota system products’’. Our universities and high schools accord special consideration in admission to candidates from the region where they are located (catchment area). Even in some jobs in the private sector, some were employed to fill in a quota. Some of Nigeria’s finest minds come from the north. Intelligence is a gift of the divine which every group and class of people have proportionally. Let’s stop the prejudice. @FredrickNwabufo

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

EDITORIAL

ACCIDENTS ON ABUJA ROADS The regulators must do more to ensure safety of commuters

he recent death of five prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members on the Abaji-Kwali highway has once again brought to the fore the frequency of accidents within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). While we extend our condolences to the families of the deceased, authorities of the FCT must begin to find a lasting solution to these incessant road fatalities. As the seat of the federal government and foremost political city, it should not be allowed to live with this paradox. The road network whose master plan was modelled after some of the most efficient cities in the world must not continue to witness avoidable calamities. The roads in the FCT are the widest and smoothest in Nigeria. But driving on them is now being increasingly undermined by the dangerous habits of some young boys. In March 2018, an accident in Nyanya, THE NATION STANDS TO an Abuja suburb, GAIN FROM A CAPITAL involving nine vehicles resulted in 10 THAT CEASES TO UNWITTINGLY JEOPARDISE deaths, in addition to many injuries. At THE LIVES OF ITS ROAD Wuse, Abuja, the USERS following month, a truck rammed into three cars killing four persons. All the crashes happened at night. Similar disasters have continued to cause anguish and tarnish the image of a potential choice business and tourist destination complete with a pleasurable, memorable nightlife. Understanding the psychology of these classes of motorists and tackling their excesses frontally would be necessary steps towards achieving order and safety. The figures of related tragedies are indeed alarming. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the record of people lost to road accidents across Nigeria from January 2013 to June 2018 is as follows: 2013 (5,539); 2014 (4,430);

Letters to the Editor

2015 (5,400); 2016 (5,053); 2017 (5,049) and in the ﬁrst half of 2018 (2,623). These data clearly show that at least 28,000 lives were sent to their graves in just 68 months. That is approximately 415 people per month, 14 persons daily, and an individual every two hours. In May 2017, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) revealed that there were over 33 deaths per 100,000 people nationally every year. The report made Nigeria one of the nations with the highest number of fatalities on the continent. Unfortunately, two years after, not much has changed.

T H I S DAY EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITOR WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

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 SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

ny real search for solution to this sad situation should start with a proper understanding of its likely causes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified some reasons for road accidents. They are not new. They include over-speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and other intoxicating substances, non-use of protective gadgets like seatbelts, distractions caused by passengers, decrepit or substandard road amenities, unsafe vehicles, inadequate post-collision response, and poor enforcement of traffic laws. Interestingly, the profile of the offenders is as diverse as the triggers of road mishaps suggested by WHO. Some public transport drivers, their private and corporate counterparts, uniformed personnel, chauffeurs of dignitaries and convoys are united in unsettling an otherwise tranquil motoring environment. The exuberance of the last group of transgressors is traceable to the ubiquity of Very Important Personalities (VIPs) in the city. On a final note, like what obtains in other aspects of the nation’s life, impunity often leads to more lawlessness. Punishment of convicted persons is, therefore, mandatory. Functional streetlights are vital for optimal visibility. Appropriate road signs are also requirements for harmonious driving. The nation stands to gain greatly from a capital that ceases to unwittingly jeopardise the lives of its road users.

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

NIGERIA’S QUEST FOR CREDIBLE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

he just concluded local government elections in Lagos and Ogun States are a reaffirmation of the level of apathy in subnational governance despite local governments are the tier of government closest to the people. This is not unconnected to existing gaps in the administration of elections by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and the overbearing influence of state executives on local governments. There is no point regurgitating the abysmal turnout of voters in last week’s election in Lagos, as even the Lagos State Independent National Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is probably too embarrassed to release the statistics for voter turnout for the polls. The point of this article is also not to further expose the lack of human and technical capacity, and absence of a legal framework that could guarantee the sanctity of ballots, for these were made glaringly obvious at the elections. For example, there was inconsistency in the application of electoral guidelines and poor communication channels between state electoral commission and election stakeholders, which have been a familiar sight with local government elections in Nigeria. Another glaring lack of technical capacity witnessed during the Lagos local government elections was the contradictory information on the number of political parties contesting the elections and misinformation on accreditation of observers and journalists. However, despite these challenges, the LG polls have also revealed huge opportunities for better local government elec-

tions and by extension, better local government administration in Nigeria by championing reforms of laws and processes for managing and supervising local government elections that have the potential to reignite citizens’ interest in the process. For instance, the law guiding local government elections in Oyo State was passed, which goes without saying that it is long overdue for amendment after 22 years. State electoral commissions can work hand- in-hand with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to develop a robust legal framework that puts citizens at the center of implementation. There is also a need for the electoral law at that level to enable the deployment of technology for accreditation of voters, voting and transmission of results to enable credibility and transparency in the process in order to inspire citizens’ confidence in the process. There must also be intentional effort to bridge communication gaps between and among all election stakeholders in a bid to ensure participation of citizens in the process. For instance, the list of candidates for the Lagos local government polls was only available at the LASIEC headquarters rather than all platforms including social media for easy access. Early release of crucial election data across various communication platforms will not only enable access for review but it will also ensure citizens know their candidates. This will also provide opportunity for community-based organisations to engage the process as a catalyst for voter mobilisation. The local government elections did not witness apathy from

citizens alone, but also from civil society organizations within and outside the states. The lack of involvement of civil society actors robs our democracy of the crucial oversight, accountability and advocacy roles that they perform and allows the election management bodies, the state government and political parties to act with impunity in how they organize and participate in the elections. For instance, Yiaga Africa, a leading civil society organisation in Nigeria seemed to be the only citizens-led movement on ground to raise emerging concerns before, during and after the LGA election while the Center for Citizens with Disability (CCD) complained about inadequate plans for People with Disability to participate in the election. There is a need for more civil society actors to get involved in the election process at the local government level in order to be able to identify lapses and expose electoral fraud and malpractices while proffering recommendations and engaging the relevant stakeholders until the recommendations are implemented in order to ensure that citizens feel the impact of the government closest to them. Finally, Nigerians must wake up to their civic responsibilities as citizens and exercise their rights to vote especially at the grassroots level as Nigeria’s democracy can only be safeguarded if citizens actively participate and hold the government accountable. Voting remains a fundamental and the only determinant of the representatives who represent the people in government. Moshood Isah is the media ofﬁcer of Yiaga Africa

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

POLITICS

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

A Call to Involve Ebonyi Youths in Governance Nwuruku Ozor Alex, better known as Alex Ozone, a seasoned showbiz promoter challenges Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State to engage the youths more in governance

n a presumed growing community, where the leader does not carry, whether deliberately or otherwise, the youth along in its developmental programmes and other aspects of governance, there is bound to be disaffection, and disgruntlement among the youth and sundry individuals of the community. It is a known fact today, whether one likes it or not, that the future lies with the youth, and this is no exaggeration. This has been proven over time that the youth hold the magic wand for any nation to progress, because of the burning desires in them on all frontiers and economic spheres. Ipso Facto. This notion has not been so visible in Ebonyi State, going by empirical statistics of how the youth are not being deployed or carried along to exhibit their innate talents and potential. Ebonyi State, governed by His Excellency, Dr. David Umahi for almost seven years now, has not looked in the direction of the youth on how they can be harnessed to move the state forward for meaningful progress in the state, like all other states have been doing. The state, blessed with brilliantminded and eminently-talented artistes like Patoranking, Sinachi, Tekno, Angela Okorie, Nwuruku Alex Ozone who is a well-known international show promoter and events organizer and many more vibrant youths in the film making, movie, comedy, creative arts, visual arts et al, via the fast-evolving showbiz and entertainment industry in general, have virtually been left in the lurch by their government, much to the advantage of other states, who have been using the talents of these impressive young talents to better the lot of their states. These visibly talented youths of Ebonyi State, who have out of no encouragement or support from their government, single-handed broken out of the woods to carve a niche for themselves, who majority of the people (youth in particular) in the state now see as their role models on account of their ingenuity and dexterity, but are not identifying with the state, because there is no readily available avenue for them to participate, showcase and tutor these other yearning youth through the fast-evolving multi-million Naira showbiz and entertainment industry in general. A cue can be taken from states like Lagos, Cross River, Enugu, Ogun, Rivers, Edo and a handful of others, who have tapped into the yawning gap created by the mega-bucks entertainment industry viz: music, theatre arts, visual arts, cultural exhibitions, even when their environments are not that conducive to embark on such adventures. Ebonyi State is still far behind in this movement of youth emancipation and engagement. Sadly enough, Ebonyi State, being the Salt of the Nation, is blessed with so many cultural and tourists’ potential; just as the capital city, Abakaliki, is the hub of agricultural propensities, to which if entertainment, in all its entirety, is used to boost this natural potential, will further increase its GDP in many folds. It will interest many that in recent time, many sectors of the comatose economy of the country, have accelerated their conscious efforts

Ebonyi State, being the Salt of the Nation, is blessed with so many cultural and tourists’ potential; just as the capital city, Abakaliki, is the hub of agricultural propensities, to which if entertainment, in all its entirety, is used to boost this natural potential, will further increase its GDP in many folds

Ritalori Ogbebor’s Antics to Delay NDDC Board Inauguration Must Not Stand Akpoebide Okotiene and Edet Ekpenyong, President and Secretary of Niger Delta Integrity Group fireback at Chief (Mrs) Rita Lori-Ogbebor for attempting to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari from inaugurating the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission

ur attention has been drawn to news reports in the Tuesday, August 3, 2021 editions of Thisday and The Vanguard newspapers, among others, wherein Chief Rita LoriOgbebor claimed to have filed a court action to restrain President Muhammadu Buhari from inaugurating the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), pending the submission of the forensic audit report. This is without question one more instance of Lori-Ogbebor’s meddlesomeness taken too far. Her position is against the spirit and aspiration of Niger Deltans who have asked why a Board cannot be put in place while the audit of a previous period is ongoing. It is clearly the handiwork of a clique designed to perpetuate the illegal interim management contraptions that has been in place running the NDDC and utilising its funds totalling about N700 billion since October 2019 to date, with no developmental projects in any of the constituent states to show for it. Rita Lori-Ogbebor’s action is frivolous, attention-seeking, and quite in character. She is clearly acting for interests whose sole aim to introduce some confusion into the legitimate process of government. Her aim is to frustrate the proper functioning of the NDDC in line with its Act, which provides for the full representation of constituent states to ensure accountability, because there is no law or precedence that debars a Governing Board from function-

ing when an audit of a previous period is ongoing. Certainly, not at this time when the July 31 deadline given by Mr. President for the submission of the forensic audit by the Minister of Niger Delta has expired. Niger Delta governors, ethnic nationalities, statesmen and civil society organisations have been calling for the inauguration of the Governing Board in compliance with the NDDC Act and to ensure full representation of the constituent states since 2019, with the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta, Chief Godswill Akpabio, finally promising to have the Board in place by the end of July 2021, by which time he said the forensic audit report would have been submitted to Mr President after several postponements. Rita Lori-Ogbebor’s proposal cannot be accepted at this point in time, almost two years after the forensic audit started. Rita Lori Ogbegbor is clearly acting for interests whose sole aim is to continue to foster the illegal and illegitimate interim contraptions that have held sway in the NDDC utilising its funds for close to two years now. It is very clear that LoriOgbebor is working for persons who want to perpetuate the interim management contraption at the NDDC, in opposition to the clearly-stated demands and expectations of Niger Deltans from across the ethnic nationalities and the nine constituent states. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

by looking in the direction of the showbiz and entertainment world to accentuate their staying power in the industry they belong. A typical example is in the corporate world, where most emphatically the banking and financial sector, are now using the entertainment industry to boost their hitherto stagnant and traditional banking functions to boost their profit base, through sponsorship of many concerts, events, shows and what have you, where stars, emerging and budding are brought on stage to showcase their peculiar talents and spectacular performances, all with the mindset of inadvertently selling their unique edge to the public and their valued customers, with prizes and wowing services and products to the unsuspecting patrons. This, in essence, is what entertainment can do to an undiscerning government like Ebonyi, and it is obviously not too late to take a cue from this new movement in the world, where the youth have been used mutually to remain on course in whatever they are doing in governance. No one can doubt the fact that Nigeria eminently stands tall in the comity of youth that are making waves in the entertainment world, and they have proved this time and time over, and are still not done, picking laurels, awards, recognitions here and there from home and abroad. Many of these stars, who are now the emerging force in the globe, are being used covertly or overtly to galvanize the economy of those who are deploying their talents to better the lots of their sponsors. Imagine Ebonyi state collaborating with some of these talents in many aspects, all these jobless youth now variously into cyber-fraud will be greatly inspired and find something better to do. This is not even to mention the number of students in tertiary institutions in the state who often crave for concerts and shows that often draw them to socialize and wallow in the showbiz euphoria. But this, without being immodest, is nowhere to be found in the ready to bubble state. Apart from the Abakaliki Concert which last held in 2015, which had many A-list artistes and a mammoth crowd in attendance, nothing of this nature has been seen or heard of in the salt of the nation state. Specifically, Lagos has been most supportive of notable artistes, and the results are there for all to see in their giant strides; same for Flavour, Olamide and Phyno, who are not even from Enugu state, but are adding to the good image which the state now enjoys economically and socially. This is because these states created an enabling environment for these artistes to thrive and excel in their various acts, and by extension projecting the image of the states. Ebonyi state, should as a matter of urgency, support and create an enabling environment for these home-grown and budding stars to perfect their acts, thus bringing an immeasurable awareness of the abundant and abounding talents in the state and by extension a rubbing effect on the many potential of the state which will be showcased during many of these proposed concerts and shows. One hopes our government is reading this.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

At 60, Obama Still Boasts Unusual Power of Example

The Education Trap: Our Young People are Falling through the Cracks

Businessman and politician, Iboro Otu draws attention to the increasing frustration of Nigerian youths in their attempt to get quality education Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline.com and live their dreams commends former American President Barack lease let’s pray for our young Obama for allowing public safety to guide the people. Many of them are falling through the cracks of a broken choice of invitees to his 60th birthday party system. In my time we faced our

arack Obama’s election and leadership as a two-term President of the United States (January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017) have since become significant chapters in the continuing quests for a “more perfect union.” Former President Obama was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a Kenyan father and a Caucasian mother. For the avoidance of any doubts and for the record, he’s the 44th President of the United States and therefore the first African-American to be in that historic position. Obama’s presidency was the manifestation of the promise of the empowerment achievable through the gradualism of the power of the ballot even for the African-Americans who constitute part of the minorities in the United States of America. Realistically, by the year 2035, if the population trends and growth profile continue, the U.S is not likely to have a supervening majority who are Caucasian, White and Anglo Saxon. Significantly, the demographics and what constitutes and who constitutes the majority population are projected and expected to benefit the Hispanic/Latino population. Let’s get back to Barack Obama turning 60 years in the age of the pandemic as dangerously seen with the Coronavirus and the Delta variant. First and foremost, in the interest of public safety and the wellness of his friends and family, the former president had to substantially revise the A-List of the powerful and influential persons to the most necessary of only family and close friends for an outdoor birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard, near Boston, tomorrow Saturday, August 7, 2021. Essentially this was in reaction to the complaints by many progressives in the Democratic Party, epidemiologists and health officials who argued that such a big event will throw the spread of the Coronavirus and its new variants towards an upward spiral. It is important that primary consideration for public health safety come first regardless of who’s throwing the party! I think this has been amplified in the statement from Hannah Hankins, a spokeswoman for the Obamas, that “Due to the new spread of the Delta variant

over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends. He’s appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon.” At least, one of those “people” that he’s not going to see at the party at Martha’s Vineyard will be his former Vice President, now President of the United States Joe Biden. I think Barack should be commended as well as former First Lady, the very purposeful Michelle Obama, as good examples of sensitive, sensible and responsible public figures by their latest decision to massively reduce the scale of the birthday bash. Especially, these days when most of the Republican Party leadership in the U.S House of Representatives and some of its Governors pretend that there is nothing like Coronavirus. Have you not seen the Republican Governor of the state of Florida (former President Donald Trump’s current state of residence) dismiss and deny the value of wearing masks? Have you not read the same divisive and racially polarizing Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis attack public safety procedures as an assault on our individualism? The remarkable an interesting part is that his leader, former President Trump took his vaccines against Coronavirus. Yes, he did. Yet, some of the “guy man’s” followers in Nigeria — to this day — still argue foolishly and recklessly that coronavirus does not affect them in Nigeria. What manner of self-debasement and ultimately self immolation? There are millions of others in the United States who still make the same foolish comments. It is terrible nuisance and toxic disinformation and misinformation to watch these folks and their leaders (from any continent) spit in the face of scientific facts about Coronavirus and its latest variants. I recall, therefore, the timeless words of the Prophet, Martin Luther King Jr. who said “There is nothing more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Barack should be commended as well as former First Lady, the very purposeful Michelle Obama, as good examples of sensitive, sensible and responsible public ﬁgures by their latest decision to massively reduce the scale of the birthday bash

challenges of inadequacy but the challenges confronting our young people today is an existential threat. If we are not careful, we are about to see a multitude of youths with serious mental challenges as a result of their socio-cultural and economic disconnect. I had an experience recently and met some gifted and wonderful young men and women I struggled to believe resided in Akwa Ibom State. In a gathering of less than 40 people, I met four Asian returnees, young men, who had taken up different business positions in Akwa Ibom against the odds. They had sojourned, saw the world and attracted back home solutions to a multitude of problems while also trying to make businesses out of them. One of them founded Plastic Cultured, an organisation we celebrated for keeping the spirit after three years. Plastic Cultured is a group of young people looking to rid Akwa Ibom state of plastic waste by collecting and recycling them. I sat there listening to the audacity of their dreams and their determination to make it happen. They try to take advantage of government events and otherwise public spaces to collect plastics wastes for free. Unless these guys are engaged and encouraged in Akwa Ibom State, all forms of plastic waste will be lumped with others and dumped somewhere in Uyo and thereafter burning them - both acts destroying our environment and poisoning our soil, however this is a story for a different day. One of the other guys has a business in furniture manufacturing but it is of a different kind. This young man is artfully fusing metal with wood and glass, you needed to see what he has done and I can’t wait to visit his workshop after viewing some pictures of his work. Another is into digital art - using the computer to make different forms of art. Art can’t be explained, you just needed to see what this young man has done. Then I met the two ladies aged 20 and 21 who happened to sit at my table. While trying to hold a conversation, I realized both weren’t in school. Very intelligent, well spoken and articulate girls claiming they couldn’t find themselves schools in Nigeria. It sounded preposterous until we kept the conversation going, clearly they caught my attention as I am an education advocate. One of them had just dropped out of the final year Regional and Urban Planning Department in a federal university because she couldn’t keep up with her mental health as a result of the impossibility of the schooling system. It began to make sense to me when on asking her about her family’s position on the matter; they agreed with her. She said; her department had just one measuring tape, one GPS machine and four broken computers. To measure, majority of the students have to imagine three meters! She has never measured a house before. Class blocks are so few that when one level needs to hold lectures, another set has to sit under the departmental tree and this isn’t a figure of speech - it is a spectacle in a Nigerian federal university! It is endless. I can’t talk about the living conditions or the content of lectures, even the students who brave the endless night robberies to study can’t read at night because there is no power and the institution, on demand by students, usually responds by asking them if they have power in their own homes. It is what it is. As such she intends to get alternative education. The other lady had her mother seated

by our side. The mom is a UK educated woman who went through school all the way to doctorate in a first world country. Imagine such a mom listening while we had such a conversation. Imagine her pain and powerlessness. A fifty something year old woman agreeing with her young daughter, for mental reasons, to stay home and self-educate than mess about with Nigerian schools. Surprisingly, her mother was herself a lecturer in one of our state universities, she knew first hand what her daughter was talking about; the quality of graduates our universities were churning out alongside the unbearable abuse of power by the people in authority over these young students. It’s a desperate situation. In their determination to learn, these girls have gone online, they are world educated in several areas - thanks to portals of free learning but this too isn’t without its pitfalls. Many online portals don’t offer options for Nigeria because of our notorious global standing as a fraud capital. Often, one can’t make payment from Nigeria unless you have to change country and if by chance you are accosted by the Nigerian police, they say, you immediately fit their ‘yahoo-yahoo’ profile. In her determination and plan to leave the country and study overseas, one of the girls is fluent in Spanish, a language she leant online, from Uyo! That is what I call determination. Most of the young people I met probably live in Ewet Housing Estate and Osongama environs, both are postcodes for the privileged. These are youths armed with the most dangerous weapon on earth; the internet. They can connect with the world and instagram and can see what their mates are doing globally and they know they could do it too if not better but for their location on the wrong side of the world. This is the depression that can kill. Both ladies mentioned numerous friends and people they know who had already graduated from universities all over the world with decent education to tangible opportunities. My motivational speaking capability failed me when I needed it. These conscientious young people would rather self teach than deceive themselves in class blocks listening to antiquated lectures from irrelevant syllabuses. They are richly educated by world standards but are not certificated by Nigerian standards. They are illiterates here, caught up in a place that’s slowly getting left behind by the rest of the world. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

AUTOGRAPH

Tinubu: Die Like a Man Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that Senator Bola Tinubu may not be in good stead to win his last pitched battle for the Nigerian presidency. He may be hampered by age, a baggage of corruption allegations and rumoured terminal illness

here is no doubt that former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is one of the most talked about Nigerians alive. It is not impossible that long after his death, Tinubu may still be the subject of interest to many including the hoi polloi and the increasing number of persons all over the country who are sitting on a comfortable rung on the ladder of influence and authority, through his benevolence. That is why Tinubu should not die like a mere mortal. At this point in time, that is, arguably the only factor that can guarantee his elevation into the pantheon of the all-time greats; like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Lateef Jakande. I know that any attempt to draw a comparison between Tinubu and Awolowo/Jakande will annoy a good number of people; who think it may be demeaning to these late Nigerian leaders. Tinubu’s death should not be passed off as pedestrian news. It should be wrapped in all the magic and charm that will sustain an enduring spell of exaggeration. Till today, many still swear that at certain times of the year when the nights are illuminated from a full moon, an uncluttered image of Awolowo can be seen with the lunar light raising his two fingers in a victory sign, as if mocking a world that denied him of the Nigerian presidency, which he wanted badly; even for one day. That is the kind of stuff that should be wrapped around Tinubu when he is gone to be with His Maker; astonishing stories that will challenge the incredulous. It is already happening, anyway. In the aftermath of the EndSARS protests, the strongman of Lagos politics was rumoured to have “ran” to France. At the same time, he was also in Lagos. There were videos and photos of him purportedly in the European country. So, recently when Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu posted pictures of himself and the APC National Leader in a bid to dispel gossip about Tinubu’s health, his evidence was not strong enough to permeate the first layer of targeted hearsay. In this era of photoshop and lip-sync, Sanwo-Olu and Tinubu’s Media Aide, Tunde Rahman may not need to shout themselves hoarse, admirers of the APC National Leader love him passionately; just as those who hate his guts despise him fiercely. Trying to explain any circumstance involving Tinubu may not change anything. It is what it is; unfortunately so. How do they hope to convince those who believe that Tinubu “owns more than half” of Lagos? How on earth is that possible? They call him a ‘clever thief’ because some of the things they claim are his; like The Nation Newspaper, Oriental Hotel and Continental Broadcast Services, owners of TVC and Radio Continental can’t be traced to him at the Corporate Affairs Commission. To many he is a compassionate outlaw, who gives freely from what he is rumoured to have acquired illicitly. People like former military governor of Ondo State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Bode George are riled by his audacious claim to indigene of Lagos when in fact his roots have been traced to Osun State. Of late, his “kingdom”, which used to cover the entire Western region, has shrunk badly. The emergence of Young Turks like Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti; who has tacitly refused to yield an inch of his state to Tinubu’s control has dented the APC National Leader ’s reputation. Of course, he is yet to recover from backing the wrong horse in 2020 Governorship election in Edo State, where he was forced to beat a retreat

with the vehement and hostile chant of ‘Edo No Be Lagos’. At ‘home’ in Lagos, ‘insurgents’ like Fouad Oki and Abdulazeez ‘Jandor’ Adeniran and his Lagos4Lagos Movement are increasingly giving Tinubu sleepless nights. Anyone who has weathered the kind of political storm that Tinubu is constantly faced with will naturally fall sick; and that is considering the fact that his age is in dispute. Is he 69 years, as he claims or in his mid-70s, according to his detractors? From 1999 when he had to battle the ‘Babas’ in Afenifere, who constituted the Alliance for Democracy (AD). He was elected Governor of Lagos State on the ticket of the AD. But Tinubu had plans which did not quite align with the vision of the AD hierarchy, who queried his dominance of a political vehicle that he was accommodated and rehabilitated in. The elders of Afenifere/AD could not comprehend his overnight wealth and influence when he was ‘begging’ them for the governorship ticket, a little while ago. Right before their eyes, Tinubu had transformed to the ‘Lion of Bourdillon,’ to be worshipped by anyone who wanted to move up the ladder of Lagos politics. It was inevitable that he broke away and formed the Action Congress (AC). Every lion has a lifespan; even the human lion that lives at Bourdillon in Ikoyi-Lagos. Many will argue

that the Lion of Bourdillon does not have the strength and the speed to go after a quarry. Slowed by age, a baggage of corruption allegations and rumoured terminal illness, Tinubu, is not in good stead to fight and win his last pitched battle; the quest for Nigerian presidency. The array of enemies lined up against him, including those of his kith and kin, are formidable. But they don’t call him Jagaban for nothing. He can be trusted to spring a surprise from his famed cap, emblazoned with an artistically designed figure ‘8’. Some critics who are willing to give him a chance may be reluctant after the somewhat disastrous tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari who lies more on a hospital bed in foreign countries than sit behind his desk at Aso Rock Villa. The thought of another perennially sick president is not an option, at all. This is one of the factors that makes the idea of a Tinubu presidency a hard sell. While Tinubu himself has not expressly said he will run for the presidency in 2023, the closest admission he has made publicly is the recent statement that he will make up his mind after the APC National Convention. But his associates like Senator Dayo Adeyeye, the National Chairman of the South West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA) are not tip-toeing about their plans. The hid and seek game is close to an end, Tinubu has to throw his ‘figure 8’

A Tinubu in Aso Rock will combine the rambunctiousness of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the wheeler-dealer attitudes of an Atiku Abubakar. He has the courage to get things done. And even if he does not know what to do, he is street wise enough to identify the person who will deliver excellence on the job

cap in the presidential ring. This is the battle of his life; the battle he stepped aside from when he rejected the title of Aare Ona Kakanfo because of the alleged belief the holder of the title is prone to mysteriously and untimely. The late supposed winner of the June 12 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola was an Aare Ona Kankanfo. He died in the bid to actualise his mandate. For Tinubu, the quest for the Nigerian presidency may just be worth dying for. The legend of the Aare Ona Kakanfo beckons on Tinubu. Go Tinubu! Go, die like a man! A Tinubu in Aso Rock will combine the rambunctiousness of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the wheelerdealer attitudes of an Atiku Abubakar. He has the courage to get things done. And even if he does not know what to do, he is street wise enough to identify the person who will deliver excellence on the job. A veteran of many political battles, one virtue that both foes and friends of Tinubu agree on is that he is an excellent talent scout. He has an uncanny ability to identify the right person for the job. He has consistently managed to secure good managers for the affairs of Lagos; that is conceding that he holds all the aces for the choice of Lagos governor. Those who are blaming Sanwo-Olu for taking time out to visit his ‘ailing’ political godfather do not know what they are talking about. Think about the Lagos governor ’s alibi, ‘photo no dey lie’. The meaning of that photograph with Tinubu runs deep. So, you think Mr. Governor is so idle that he will travel all the way to London for a photo opportunity? And Tinubu is not a celebrity neither is Sanwo-Olu a bemused fan who wants a memento from his idol. This is an arranged opportunity to take a photograph of a politician who can determine his political future. Ask ex Lagos governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, Tinubu can be devious and unforgiving, just as his vast well of bounteousness never runs dry.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET

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ADVANCING QUALITY HEALTHCARE…

L-R: Head, Operations, Leadway Health, Dr. Gideon Anumba; Head, Distribution Channels, Mrs Temilade Daniel-Owo; Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Tokunbo Alli; Head, Business Development and Sales, Mrs Oluwatoyin Ogunmoyele; Head, Medical Services, Dr. Temitope Falaiye; and Head, Finance, Mr. Emmanuel Adebayo, all of Leadway PHOTO: KOLAWOLE ALLI Health, during the media launch of Leadway Health, in Lagos… recently

Why Cross River Government Planned Airline, Cally Air Failed to Obtain Operating Certiﬁcate Chinedu Eze The plan by the Cross River State government to establish an airline, Cally Air failed because the state was unable to meet the requirements for operating licence, THISDAY findings has revealed. It was learnt that promoters of the airline were only able to acquire two aircraft instead of three and was unable to meet other conditions required to

get the approval to operate scheduled commercial service. THISDAY investigations revealed that the two aircraft, Boeing B737-300 acquired by the state government have been handed over to Aero Contractors, which now manages them in operate and maintain arrangement. Industry insider told THISDAY that the best decision the state government took was to hand the two aircraft over to

Aero Contractor, which has aircraft maintenance facility and can carry out even D-checks on the aircraft type, known as Boeing classic. It was also learnt that the state government has withdrawn the plan to establish an airline and to distinguish the aircrafts from the Aero fleet, they are called Cally and the word Air, which designates it as an airline removed. This was done on the in-

sistence of the Directorate of Airworthiness and Standards (DAS) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which has recognised the two aircraft as being under the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) of Aero Contractors. “It would have been difficult for the Cross River State government to establish an airline now. In trying to establish an airline they will have to go through the process of obtaining their AOC.

They will have to establish a company, which is outside the state control. They will get Air Transport Licence (ATL) and apply for AOC. Before they will obtain their AOC they will submit their manual and carry out demo flights. They will also get a third aircraft to qualify them to getting the certification. This process will last from 12 to 18 months or longer and I do not think the current administration will

be ready to go through that process, ”the inside source told THISDAY. An official who was involved in the arrangement told THISDAY that there is no Cally Air; that the aircraft operates under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aero, so the state has given the aircraft to Aero Contractors. The official said that the state Continued on page 22

NSC, Nigerian Maritime Law Association Moves to Challenge Hamburg Rules on Carriage of Cargo Eromosele Abiodun In a bid to ensure that Nigerian shippers are treated fairly, the Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) in collaboration with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), have commenced moves

to repel the Hamburg Rules on Carriage of cargo with a view to replacing it with the Hague Visby rules. Speaking at a reception in honour of the immediate past Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council,

Hassan Bello, organised by the Nigerian Maritime Law Association, President of the group, Mrs . Funke Agbo, said the Hamburg rules must be repelled tbefore the Hague rules can become applicable. The Hamburg Rules are

a set of rules governing the international shipment of goods, resulting from the United Nations International Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea adopted in Hamburg, Germany, while The Hague-Visby Rules stipulates the extent of the

governance of the waybill for a cargo ship being chartered alongside the liabilities that stand to be potentially imposed on the parties agreeing to the charter. Agbo therefore urged the newly appointed Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr.

Jime Emmanuel, to look into that aspect of the shipping law that could further enhance the capacity and capability of the Nigerian trading public. Agbo also called on the new Continued on page 22

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT T H U R S D AY, A U G U S T 5 , 2 0 2 1 FGN BONDS DESCRIPTION 11.668 FGNSB 15-AUG-2021 10.301 FGNSB 16-AUG-2021 11.150 FGNSB 11-SEP-2021 12.364 FGNSB 12-SEP-2021 12.175 FGNSB 10-OCT-2021

Price

Yield

BILLS Change (%)

MATURITY

OTC FX F U T U R E S

Discount Yield

Change (%)

100.24

2.85

0.01

NTB 26-Aug-21

3.00

3.01

0.00

100.22

2.87

0.01

NTB 9-Sep-21

3.10

3.11

0.00

100.80

3.16

0.00

NTB 16-Sep-21

3.15

3.16

0.00

100.94

3.17

0.00

NTB 30-Sep-21

3.25

3.27

-0.02

NTB 14-Oct-21

3.35

3.37

101.54

3.49

CONTRACT TENOR (MONTH) 1

Contract

Current Rate ($/₦)

NGUS AUG 25 2021 420.93

NGUS SEP 29 2021 422.38

NGUS OCT 27 2021 423.83

0.00

NGUS NOV 24 2021 425.28

0.00

NGUS DEC 29 2021 426.73

C Ps MATURITY

Discount Yield

Change (%)

MREP CP XXXI 13-AUG-21 UNCP CP III 27AUG-21 VAAG CP I 27AUG-21 TTNG CP II 31AUG-21 SIBP CP I 2-SEP21

8.67

8.69

0.01

4.10

4.11

0.01

10.03

10.09 0.01

4.49

4.50

0.00

4.04

4.05

0.00

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD WHY CROSS RIVER GOVERNMENT PLANNED AIRLINE, CALLY AIR FAILED TO OBTAIN OPERATING CERTIFICATE Governor, Professor Ben Ayade had a good plan but he was not well advised and wondered why the state wanted to obtain AOC with only two aircraft. “Cally Air is not registered. Their decision to hand over of the aircraft to Aero Contractors to manage saved the equipment because Aero has a maintenance facility. The second aircraft was due for C-check on arrival. In fact, the company that leased it to the state government would not have released it if it was not coming to Aero, which has the capability to carry out Ccheck on the aircraft. The two aircraft were not bought; they were leased. “Right now, only one is operating while the other is on maintenance and it operates Lagos, Calabar and Abuja, making six landings a day. But what is good about the acquisition of the aircraft is that it provided jobs for the Cross River state indigenes. They have been trained and they have relevant qualifications and they are now absorbed as personnel in the operation of the two aircraft,” the official said. The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Abdullahi Mahmood told THISDAY that the two aircraft under Cally Air are being managed by Nigeria’s oldest airline and would continue to manage the aircraft until the Cross River state government was able to obtain its own AOC. He also expressed the hope that the airline can obtain AOC if it meets the given requirements. “We are the ones operating the aircraft and they are also under our maintenance and management, pending when the airline will obtain its AOC. I believe that if they meet the requirements of NCAA they will get their AOC. Anyone can obtain it if you meet the requirements,” Mahmood told THISDAY.

Toriola: Telcos Maintained Steady Drop in Service Delivery Cost Since 2001 Emma Okonji Ahead of the 20th anniversary celebration of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) revolution in Nigeria, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Karl Toriola, has said the sector has witnessed steady drop in cost of service delivery since its inception in 2001. Toriola who spoke in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Lagos, said: “ In light of the enabling role of the sector, it will interest you to note that telecommunications is probably the only sector where consumer prices have dropped consistently year-on-year since 2001.” According to him, the steady decline in tariffs had been driven by increasing demand for telecommunication services, stimulating increasing minutes of usage and activities on the networks by a growing number of people. Toriola who wondered how the Nigerian economy and the global economies would have been without telecommunications, insisted that no other sector in Nigeria and the world has impacted the economy the way telecoms did. He gave instances of food items, manufacturing products, including building materials, whose prices have continued to increase without dropping, and compared them with the cost of telecoms services that have continued to drop since the rollout of GSM in Nigeria. According to him, the cost of SIM card in 2001 was N20,000, “but today SIM card is N100 and it is as good as free, because it comes loaded with airtime of some values.” Speaking on the exclusivity period granted early telecoms operators in 2001 by the Nigerian Communications

NSC, NIGERIAN MARITIME LAW ASSOCIATION MOVES TO CHALLENGE HAMBURG RULES ON CARRIAGE OF CARGO management team of the NSC to improve upon the flagship of the Council, which is the annual Maritime Seminar for judges for better understanding of the admiral cases. According to her, ‘‘Once there is a previous regime and you want to incorporate the new regime, the new law must be taken to the depository by the country seeking the change of law. “This can be done diplomati-

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun Comms/e-Business Editor Emma Okonji Aviation Editor Chinedu Eze Asst. Editor, Money Market Nume Ekeghe Senior Correspondent Raheem Akingbolu (Advertising) Correspondents James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) Emmanuel Addeh (Energy) Reporters Nosa Alekhuogie (ICT) Peter Uzoho (Energy)

NEWS

cally, politically, legislatively or otherwise so that the Hamburg rule can be applicable in Nigeria.” Speaking in the same vein, Hassan Bello said that there should be a denouncement of the Hague Visby rules and a repel of it in Nigeria here was not done before we jumped to Hamburg rules. He stated: “We have to do away with Hague and its Visby protocol before Hamburg becomes applicable. Now it is the convenience, everybody will take what is convenient. It is not elegant at all. ‘‘We are so sold out to international laws, off-course, we need international laws but Africa needs its own laws. The internationality of shipping has been questioned by Covid-19 and fairness is not a flagship of international shipping.” He added, “You remember how we fought the congestion charges, that was unfair, charges slapped on Nigeria and other African countries without consultation. Even when you go to restaurants, they will show the menu and the cost, but that was not done in this case. Anytime they want they slam charges. “So I questioned the internationality of the International Maritime Organization that we should reduce emission without saying who is going to pay the cost. So we have to design our African laws to serve our interest the of Africans.”

Commission (NCC), Toriola said it impacted positively on the sector in areas of investments and infrastructure development. Furthermore, he said the NCC took the right decision to grant five years exclusivity period to the early telcos. According to him, “It’s very common for new industries to be offered investment incentives, especially if the government is looking to attract new investors, and that was the case at the

beginning of the GSM roll-out. “Don’t forget that the early stage estimates for potential subscriber numbers were very small. The MTN business model was built on a target customer base of a few millions. “The rights and waivers gave us the confidence to invest more aggressively, and so played an important role in the subsequent rapid pace of growth. Today, the telecoms sector is the largest single contributor to GDP, and

that alone is enough testimony on how the enabling environment and the initial incentives have yielded fruits immensely.” “I think it’s been transformational in so many ways, some that are clear to all and some that are perhaps less easy for the ordinary person to see. “As I said earlier, I think many of the changes in the telecoms sector, have become so embedded that it’s often difficult to relate to life without them,

Toriola further said. Analysing the impact of telecommunications on the Nigerian economy in the last 20 years, the MTN Nigeria boss said in Q4 2020, the sector constituted 12.2 per cent of the country’s GDP, which he described as an industry that was virtually nascent in 2001, contributing N1.20 kobo for every N10 the Nigerian economy generates. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, he said.

L–R: Vice Chairman SPE Nigeria Council, Prof Olalekan Olafuyi; Chairman SPE Nigeria Council, Olatunji Akinwunmi and SPE NAICE 2021 Conference Planning Committee, Mr Ere Iyalla at the Society of Petroleum Engineers Nigeria PHOTO: ABIODUN AJALA Council Conference 2021 closing press briefing held in Lagos... recently

Three Suspects Arrested As NCS Intercepts N22.3bn Pangolin Scales, Elephant Tusks Eromosele Abiodun Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that it arrested three suspected smugglers in connection with different kilograms of Pangolin scales and Elephant tusks worth N22.3 billion in Lagos. While displaying the seizures to newsmen, the Controller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hammed Ali, said the 17,137.44 kilograms of Pangolin scales (196 sacks), 870.44 kilograms of Elephant tusks and 4.60 kilograms of Pangolin claws were evacuated at a location on eastern side of Ijeoma Street, Lekki, Lagos State after proper examination. According to him, NCS’s extensive collaboration yielded credible intelligence that triggered swift and comprehensive actions by the

Customs Intelligence Unit and NCS Headquarters Strike Force. He added that the seizures is inline with Section 63 “e” and “g” of Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA), Cap 45 LFN 2004 as amended, adding that it falls under Export prohibition schedule VI of the extant Common External Tariff, which prohibits their exportation. “Nigeria is a signatory to CITES convention hence cannot be used as a transit hub. This feast is a testimony of what sincere collaboration between nations can achieve for our world, and individual nations in particular. “Already three suspects who are non-nationals have been arrested. They are Mr. Traore Djakonba, Mr. Isiak Musa and Mr. Mohammed Bereta. The Kingpin, Mr. Berete Morybinet

is on the run thinking he can evade the long arm of the law. Security agencies at all entry and exit points are on red alert to track and arrest to face justice. He is therefore advised in his interest to surrender himself to the NCS,” he added. However, he said the suspects arrested would soon have their date in court, as NCS would leave no stone unturned to bring them to justice. He said the Service would extend same treatment to any person or organization remotely connected to this or any illegal wildlife trade. “While thanking our partners, especially the wildlife justice commission, let me give assurances of the Service determination to treat any and every information with utmost confidentiality and swift appropriate action(s) to them this tide of illegality,” he said.

Conversely, he said ever increasing and relevant functions of the global Customs community demonstrate the necessity of Customs actions to raise revenue, suppress smuggling and intercept illegal movement of items that can compromise national security, economy, health and environment protection. “Deforestation and depletion of wildlife especially the endangered species have been global concern with nationals collaboration, sharing intelligence and expertise that would stamp out indiscriminate killings of endangered species. “In line with global best practices, NCS has been in robust collaboration with embassies of US, UK, Germany with other quarterly meetings that provide platform for shared experiences,” he added.

NCS, FOU Zone ‘C’ Seizes Containers of Unprocessed Timber The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘C’ has intercepted three trucks conveying six 6×20ft containers of logs of unprocessed timber. The Zonal Coordinator for Zone ‘C’, Ag. ACG Olusemire Kayode while displaying the intercepted items at the zonal headquarters, Port Harcourt on Monday added that two suspects were arrested in connection to the seizure. Kayode who noted that the exportation of unprocessed timber contravenes schedule 6 of the Extant Common External Tariff (CET) added that deforestation comes with negative effects such as desert encroachment and environmental degradation.

He stated that when tree felling is not checkmated, the ecosystem and its biodiversity are left to suffer. He decried the economic loss brought upon Nigeria with the exportation of unprocessed logs adding that employment creation which results from local processing of the logs is vital for Nigeria’s teeming youth. He commended the Controller of the FOUC Comptroller Yusuf LAWAL and officers of the Unit for their resilience, doggedness and steadfastness in tackling smuggling and cautioned against senseless attacks on our operatives while carrying out their legitimate duties. “On July 16, 2021 at about 2.00pm, one of the surveillance teams of FOU Zone ‘C’, acting

on credible intelligence trailed and intercepted three trucks conveying 6×20ft containers of logs of rough timber along industrial road, Port- Harcourt. “We also arrested two suspected smugglers who were attempting to export the unprocessed logs but they have been released on administrative bail. Exportation of rough timber, which contravenes schedule 6 of the extant CET comes with negative economic and environmental effects and must not be condoned, “he said. Also speaking, the FOU ‘C’ controller, Comptroller Yusuf Lawal psc+ said that the logs were about to be smuggled out of the country without clearance from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

He gave the marks and numbers of the containers to include; MSCU-3470637, MSDU-1497355, MEDU-9739916, MEDU-5627573, MSDU-6248794 and MEDU-6792783. His words: “NEPC is an agency of Government which takes note of products that are meant for exportation so that the proceeds can be repatriated accordingly. Unfortunately NEPC is not aware of these logs and have not issued any Nigeria Export Proceeds form, further confirming therefore, that the logs were about to be smuggled out.” He however urged Nigerians to assist the service with relevant information to aid its activities for the general good of the country.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION NEWS

Need for Manpower Devt in Aviation Sector Chinedu Eze

viation industry stakeholders have over the years insisted that the best period of aviation manpower development in Nigeria was during the period the erstwhile national carrier; Nigerian Airways Limited (NAL). The former Chairman of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Dr Steve Mahonwu, would recall with nostalgia how the defunct airline trained him and others and had noted that it was the crop of NAL trained pilots and engineers that held sway in the industry and provided the key personnel that pivoted the sector for decades. But after the liquidation of Nigerian Airways, there was dearth of technical personnel because during the interregnum before the emergence of new airlines, many Nigerian pilots and engineers left the country and existing airlines began to rely on expatriates. Seasoned aviators have said variously that it was not only that it costs airlines hugely to employ expatriates; the expatriates majorly spend six months in Nigeria and six months holidaying overseas. The airlines pay them more and provide them luxurious accommodation and other outrageous packs. Yet, airline operators say that best of the expatriates do not come to Nigeria or most African countries. “Those that are good stay in their countries,” said a Nigerian major operator. Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria has always provided the need technical personnel in the aviation industry. But before its reawaking there was a time the federal government allowed the college to decay. It was abandoned. That was the hiatus that caused the draining of airlines funds, as they literally bled their financials paying expatriate pilots and engineers. NCAT does not only train pilots and aircraft engineers. They train air traffic controllers, aeronautical engineers, marshallers, fire fighters and others. Recently the Rector and Chief Executive of the college, Captain Alkali Mahmud Modibbo discussed the readiness of the school to train more technical personnel, the new training facilities in the school and the mileage it has gained over the years. Modibbo said the college, which was established

Modibbo in 1964 was approved by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as an Approved Training Organization (ATO) and is designated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as a Regional Training Centre of Excellence (RTCE). It is also a Council Member of the Association of African Aviation Training Organizations (AATO) and a Non-Accredited Educator Member of the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI). “The College also has full and interim accreditations from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the conduct of Higher National Diploma (HND) and National Diploma (ND) courses in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Technology, Electrical/Electronics, and Aviation Management. The College is a member of the ICAO TRAINAIR Plus Steering Committee (TPSC),” the Rector said. Modibbo explained that the college offers ab-initio and advance aviation training using state-of-the-art facilities and that the college has just acquired new training equipment like the Boeing B737NG Full Flight Simulator, Six Diamond DA40NG aircraft, One Diamond DA42NG aircraft, Computer Numeric Control

(CNC) Mechanical workshop equipment, Thales CVOR/DME Navigational Aids equipment for maintenance training, Thales DVOR/DME and ILS NAV (Instrument Landing System/ Navigational) Aids equipment for flight training and Automated Fire/Smoke Aircraft Training Simulator. He said that so far the college has trained 3376 graduates in the past five years, bagged ICAO Global Aviation Training (GAT) Awards, recorded the highest number of Trained Instructors 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, recorded the highest number of ICAO Courses conducted 2015 and 2016 and had eight ICAO Approved Standardized Training Packages (STPs) developed. The Rector said there are efforts to reposition the Nigerian aviation industry for speedy growth to reflect the changing times. “No doubt that the aviation industry is facing its most challenging period. Globally, airlines are facing a ’throat-cutting’ competition especially from low-cost airlines amidst dwindling passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic, which affected the financial capacity and operational services of airlines, is worst in Africa. While the challenges have already exposed the over capacities of certain airlines abroad, it is estimated that nearly half of Africa’s seven million aviation and tourism industry-related jobs have been lost in year 2020. “The airlines continue to face unpredictable cost, due to the devaluation of the local currency against the international currencies and irregular availability of aviation fuel, these among others, add up to the dreaded operational cost and technical input problems. As a result, operational services deteriorated when normal flight services were resumed, followed by frequent scheduled flight challenges and exorbitant ticket prices. This could be a symptom of the larger financial strain

that airlines currently face. Fortunately here in Nigeria the airlines are tremendously picking up the tempo with an encouraging passenger turn out,” he noted. He said the aviation industry would require a well-orchestrated recovery plan supported by the government and external agencies to overcome its current challenges and expressed the belief that it is time for the continued financial support for the industry through direct cash injections, provision of credits, offer of deferrals and discounts on charges and most especially concessions. “Governments and donor institutions should provide the funds to ensure the survival and the business continuity of key stakeholders of the aviation industry as recommended by the African Aviation Industry Group (AAIG) in 2020. Without sounding very conservative, the federal government via the Ministry of Aviation has been investing in standardising infrastructure across the various airports before even thinking of privatisation, partnership or concession. Aviation operational adequacy and efficiency will go a long way in boosting air travel, which is still the preferred and most safe option of mobility that has enormous impact on economic development in any nation, especially where the other options like speed rails are under-developed. “It will be unfair not to mention, here that the Ministry of Aviation under the dynamic leadership of the Hon. Minister, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika. This government has and will continue to upgrade infrastructure and services to the Nigerian aviation populace, in terms of security, safety and comfort of aviation end users,” he added. The college still holds the hope that Nigeria can train Nigerians to fully man the aviation sector.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION ANALYSIS

Of FG Policies and Private Sector Investment in Aviation Last week aviation industry stakeholders met in Lagos and brainstormed on how to move the sector forward following Covid-19 economic devastation, which adversely affected air transport. Chinedu Eze who covered the event reports that operators and administrators admit a change is needed in the industry

t the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) seminar on how to rebuild the aviation industry with the theme, “Management, Policy and Regulation,” held in Lagos last week, speakers x-rayed the importance of policies in the growth of the industry and the need to have policies and regulations that are dynamic and in tandem with global standard practices. The Chairman, West Link Airlines, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia who was also the chairman of the seminar lamented that the Nigerian aviation industry is battling too many oppressive forces, including processes that lead to the acquisition of Air Operator Certificate (AOC). Mshelia observed that a situation where an operating airline was compelled to renew its AOC every two years was anti-progress and a setback to commercial airline business in Nigeria. He noted that in Nigeria, irrespective of the mode of operations and specifications, airlines are made to undergo the same rigorous processes, stressing that nowhere else in the world are operators given such stringent conditions before they could commence flight services. According to him, “With the lopsidedness in the procurement procedures and the operational limits of AOC holders in Nigeria, there is an urgent need to amend our Act and policy in this area, to empower the civil aviation to also break down the certification process of our commercial operations. The word AOC has been so over-valued like a village masquerade that appears once in five years. This is not supposed to be so. Operation specifications in this regard are the masquerade and not the certificate. “Today, we have an unhealthy situation where there is a blanket issuance procedure of AOC for big, small, or large operations. Under this system, the roles of other segments of operators that are also entitled, by law, to operate commercial operations, unfettered as guaranteed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is not spelt out. By ICAO standard, small, large and medium operations, including; Air Taxi, Air Charter, Cargo Only, nonscheduled and scheduled operations and others are recognised.” Mshelia said that instead of subjecting airlines to the rigour of renewal of AOC every two years, the regulatory authority should have robust and efficient inspection and oversight team that scrutinises the activities of airlines. “One recommendation which has managed to dodge government action is a thorough overhaul of the inspectorate division of our civil aviation agency. This has to be done quickly, to galvanise the Nigerian aviation industry achievements. The staff of the agencies has done well so far but the new and desired NCAA will require a change of attitude as well. The AOC processing takes forever against the advertised. Proposals have been offered that need attention. The duration of AOC should be valid unless suspended or revoked. The Ops Specs (operation specification) is the operational document, which should, and must be over sighted from time to time via audits.

That should have the expiry date while the AOC certificate should remain valid unless suspended or revoked. If more and only qualified technical staff are hired for the agencies and paid salaries commensurate with their counterparts abroad. I am of the opinion that the sector will embrace issues with different approach,” he said.

INTERPRETING POLICIES On his part, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Captain Rabiu Yadudu called for a review of policies but more importantly stressed that those who implement the policies should be sincere and noted that there is the need for aviation agencies to work together instead of at cross purposes. Fielding questions from newsmen after his presentation, Yadudu said that old policies and new ones dovetail to guide the operations of FAAN, insisting that some of the policies are industry standards, which means they are what obtain in other parts of the world. He said that there are no policy guiding FAAN’s activities that are in conflict with airlines, noting that there could disagreements, which call for understanding. “I believe there is hardly any policy that is in conflict with operators. It is a question of understanding. The policies and implementation are all the same; it is interpretation that may be different. Usually, it is that interpretation, but you will find that you will all arrive at the same decision (if the interpretation is right). The same intention is being serviced. But if you have the wrong interpretation, then we have to agree when the regulator tells you that your interpretation is wrong. It will always go the way of the regulator. The interpretation and absolute understanding lies with the regulator. So, if there is a conflict, it is for the regulator to clear the misunderstanding. But there is no fundamental misunderstanding or conflict between policies and what the stakeholders want,” he said. But the former President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and Managing Director of Finchglow Group, Bankole Bernard said that part of the problem with policies in the aviation industry is their poor implementation. He said that over the years the sector has been dogged by poor implementation of the policies and called for the review and appraisal of these policies. “The truth is that policy implementation can never be overemphasized. It is something that has to be on a continuous basis. Over the years, many policies have been formed but how well have they been implemented? How has it reflected on the industry and lives of the people involved? I think we have to shift focus to the impact over the years. As I sat there (at the seminar), I realized that

the Act that governs NCAT (the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria) was enacted in 1964, whereas all others had been reviewed lately. How come the one that affects industry personnel has been abandoned for decades? It shows that we pay very little attention to the workforce in the industry and that explains why we more often export that aspect of the aviation business. We need to go back to the drawing board and make sure that the personnel are well trained. As at today, we only have 20 accredited training organisations in Nigeria, to serve a population of over 200 million people. It is not that the people are not interested, but there are no enabling laws to attract investors into this critical aspect of the aviation industry. I think we need to pay more attention to issues that affect human factors in the industry,” Bernard said.

COLLABORATION Speaking on how the agencies, airlines and others can work effectively together, Bernard said that such collaboration is crucial so that there could be seamless cooperation but noted that certain conditions must be met for that to be achieved. “For there to be a meaningful collaboration, we need to have a central data system. With that I can rely on information coming from one agency to another. But when you look at it, we have a disintegrated system as it were. Until we integrate the system to a point that we all know that the information that I am getting is factual, then we will not move forward. We are talking about code-sharing and interlining among the airlines, how do you think that will be possible when they cannot even rely on information that is available? The information available is coming from different sources. The earlier we have a central data system the better for us; so that agencies, captains for the industry and even the reporters can rely on the data that they have gotten,” he said. The House Committee Chairman on Aviation, Hon Nnolim Nnaji stressed the need for good management of the industry. He said that for set objective of moving the industry forward to be achieved, there is need to have good management of the agencies and airlines in the sector. “The success of any industry is management. If you have the right people in management, it is going to go a long way in achieving good results. Also, once you have committed people especially like we who are in the legislative arm, we are committed to what is happening in the executive. It’s not that we are trying to police the executive, we are not the type that would want to boss the agencies around because we feel that we have the power to do so, and it’s just that we are committed to the safety of the industry. Our duty in

the House of Representatives is to support the industry, “he said. On the bailout to save the sector after the devastating impact of COVID-19, Hon Nnaji said that government did not do much in terms of providing support for the agencies and airlines in the sector, compared to what other countries did to support the air transport sector, noting that the industry is critical and a catalyst to the economy of every nations and therefore serious attention should be paid to it. He added that the industry needed financial support so that thousands of workers in the industry would not lose jobs. “The government didn’t do much in terms of bailout for the airlines. The cost of the engine of a Boeing is close to $10 million and what the government provided for all the airlines is about N4 billion, so, when you compare what our airlines got to what other countries did for their own, you will find out that they didn’t do much for the industry. The aviation industry is a very expensive business and most people do not break even. What they just succeed in doing is to just keep the business going because everything about the industry is offshore and that is a challenge. “We have succeeded in getting zero duties for the airlines for the purchase of spare parts. Another issue that they are battling with is the issue of forex. Since they buy most of their stuff abroad, it is important that they have access to forex. The planes need to be in the sky all the time because the more you move, the more money you make so that you can pay your bills. We would want the Central Bank of Nigeria to create a window for Forex because it will help reduce the airfare,” he said.

POLICY IMPLEMENTATION Speaking on policy implementation, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Smart Adeyemi, said that the aviation industry is very dynamic so there is the need to review the policies guiding it and also ensure that there is effective implementation of the policies and regulations in the industry. “I think generally, when we talk about policy implementation, we would be looking at it from different perspectives. The National Assembly on one hand and the policy of the government on the other. As I speak, we still have about six bills pending in the National Assembly. These are bills seeking the amendment of some of the regulations governing the industry. Aviation is not a sector that you leave for a year without looking at the enabling laws. Over the years, aviation laws have not been revisited, so we have a situation where you have conflict between the standard of parties, when you talk about the standard of parties, you talk about the kind and sophistication of planes that we have now. They are all interwoven, so, if you don’t have enabling laws that would meet the standard of the modern day industry passed into law, there would be a new approach to management and oversight,” he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME ANALYSIS

The POF Controversy Eromosele Abiodun writes that the revelation that the Nigerian Shippers Council may not be in support of the collection of POF by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding means that the controversial initiative may not succeed

fter months of planed take off of the collection of the controversial Practitioners Operating Fee (POF) by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the controversy that trailed the initiative has refused to subside. When the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria introduced POF early last year, customs agents across the country vehemently opposed it, decrying the high cost of doing business at the nation’s seaports. As if the clearing agent’s opposition is not enough, it has emerged that the port economic regulator, the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) is not totally in support that the Practitioners Operating Fee be tied to cargoes leaving Nigerian ports. Even though the Council supports POF collection as a concept, it however argued that it should be collected as fees from practicing freight forwarders, and not collected on every cargo leaving the port. The port economic regulator argued that the cargoes belong to the “Shippers” and not the freight forwarders as being erroneously implemented by CRFFN. Speaking to newsmen at the weekend, a senior director at Nigerian Shippers Council who do not want his name in print said it was wrong for CRFFN to issue directives to terminal operators not to exited from Nigerian ports without payment of POF. He stated that, “I hope this directive is not coming from CRFFN, that cargo should not be exited without the payment of POF. The cargoes belong to Shippers and not freight forwarders. In as much as we support the payment of POF, the payment should not be tied to Cargo. It is practitioners fee for freight forwarders.” “This is akin to saying that a patient should not be discharged from a hospital because the Doctor that treated the patient failed to remit membership dues to Medical Association of Nigeria. Please let us be guided. Cargo can’t be delayed in port for that. But we encourage all Freight forwarders to pay their POF, ”he said. The Shippers Council top chief was reacting to reports of plans by CRFFN to begin collection of the controversial POF by 1st August 2021. In a notice to port users issued by Grimaldi Shipping, the terminal stated that payment of CRFFN dues is now a compulsory requirement for releasing of cargoes. The notice signed by management of the shipping company, warned that Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) would no longer be signed except POF payment is reflected. Under the POF regime, the CRFFN is targeting between N5 billion to N10 billion annually from the collection of the POF. Under the POF regime, importers would pay N3.5 per tone of cargo imported into the country, N1.5 per kilo for air cargo, N1, 000 on each imported 20-feet container and N2, 000 per 40-feet container.

FG’S APPROVAL

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed had in a letter dated January 6, 2020, and signed by the Director, Home Finance, Okokon Udo, gave the approval for the commencement of the collection of Practitioners Operating Fee at the nation’s seaports by the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria. The minister stated that freight forwarders must henceforth show receipt of payment of POF before they can exit their cargoes at the ports. To drive home the message, the CRFFN organized a sensitization workshop in Lagos earlier this year. A the forum, the agents lamented that the implementation of the new directive by the Finance Minister will lead to congestion and increase the cost of doing business at the nation’s ports. According to CRFFN, under the POF regime, importers will pay N3.50 per every ton of cargo imported into the country, N1.50 per kilo of every air cargo, N1, 000 on every imported 20-feet container and 2,000 per 40-feet container. Meanwhile, after several failed attempts by the CRFFN early last year announced that it has commenced the collection of the controversial POF. The CRFFN it was gathered is expected to rake in as much as N10 billion annually from the imposition of these fees on shippers. At a press briefing to announce the commencement of the collection of the POF, the agency warned that freight forwarders who fail to comply will not be allowed to exit the ports wit their containers. The Registrar/CEO of CRFFN, Samuel Nwakohu,

People will resist you because those people who are the beneficiaries would definitely resist you”, he said explaining why some people are opposed to it.

CUSTOMS AGENTS REJECT POF

said with the approval from the Finance Ministry and other government agencies at the ports, there will be no going back on the collection of POF. With the new initiative, he said the council would now be fully equipped to regulate freight forwarding in the country, adding that as a noble profession, freight forwarding is not an all comers’ affair. The CRFFN had following the conclusion of the integration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in January this year announced plans to commence the collection of POF in all seaports in the country, a move that was held back by fierce protest by freight forwarders and COVID-19. Speaking during the media briefing Nwakohu revealed that any freight forwarder that refuses to comply with POF payment will not be allowed to carry his or her cargo out of the ports. According to him, “We are glad to inform you that following successful integration with terminal operators in the western ports, enforcement of POF collection has now commenced.” This is just as he revealed that only 64 freight forwarders out of a total registered 787 freight forwarders are currently practicing legitimately at the nation’s ports and borders points. He added that the POF, which is derived from the provisions of section 6 of the CRFFN Act is a major source of the Council’s internally generated revenue, first for the government and second to drive the necessary reforms and develop the industry According to him, “Integration with terminal operators in the Eastern ports is on-going and we shall communicate to you accordingly with respect to enforcement of same in the Eastern ports. “The user public is strongly advised to verify the authenticity of the freight forwarder they wish to engage on the CRFFN website. This is to ensure you are dealing with a registered freight forwarder. “We really want to appreciate the body of shippers and freight forwarders who operate under very difficult conditions to keep Nigeria moving. The CRFFN will do her best to provide the enabling environment for the freight forwarding industry, ”the CRFFN boss added.

CHALLENGES EXPECTED

On challenges expected from operators as regards the POF collection, Barrister Nwakohu stated, “I did not wake up one morning and decided that CRFFN should start collecting POF from operators. POF is nine years old, meaning it has been in the Council’s long before I became Registrar/CEO of the CRFFN.

The laws have been made by government, and whoever decides that he or she won’t pay, then such a person will not take his or her cargo out of the ports. “We have written to all the Accredited associations. We are done with sensitisation. We will be publishing the names of freight forwarders whose subscriptions are up to date very soon on our website.” He added, “As at today, we only have about 64 freight forwarders whose payments and subscriptions are up to date in line with the law regulating the freight forwarding practice in Nigeria. These are the people we can validly call freight forwarders as at today. We will be updating that list as more people pay their subscription to the CRFFN. “On our register, we have 787 names of freight forwarders that are practicing at the ports and borders, but only 64 are practicing legitimately as at today.” He said that contrary to opinion in some quarter, POF collection will reduce the cost of doing business at the Nigerian seaports. He said it is mischievous when people say that that POF collection would add to the cost of doing business. He contended, “It will not add to the cost of doing business rather it will reduce the cost of doing business in several ways. POF is that service charge that a freight forwarder charges his client. For example, if the service charge for 20ft container is N20, 000, we are asking the freight forwarder to pay us N1, 000 out of that money. From that N1, 000, we will be able to train him; we will be able to look into other issues. Nothing comes free, for us to equip you for tomorrow; we need some funds to be able to help you. You can’t go to any school at all without being able to pay for it. “So, for me, I believe that it will bring down the cost of doing business because the man who is the beneficiary, at the end of the day will be better equipped on how to go about his business. It will no longer be an all comers affair.” He further stated that under the sharing formula, a certain percentage would go to the declarant who he said was that man who worked and paid the POF. “We also need money to administer ourselves. We are regulatory agency. Let the truth be said, over the period, some people have been collecting this money and putting it in their pockets. Naturally, you don’t expect them to be happy. Let me tell you something, if you have been sitting on something for a long time and that thing is going to the pockets of a group of people, when you want to do it legally, you don’t expect that everybody will say well done, that you have done well. No!

However, a large army of freight forwarders plying their trade at the Lagos ports rose against the payment of Practitioners Operating Fees. The leadership of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Association of Registered Freight Forwarders, Nigeria, (AREFFN), had all warned their members of the implications of resisting the collection of the fees. Public Relations Officers, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, PTML Chapter, Suleiman Ayokunle, expressed disappointment at CRFFN, saying that the Council has not done enough to address operational challenges faced by agents at the port but is more interested in the collection of POF. “We have series of problems at the ports, which should be a priority for whoever that thinks well for the country. POF as good as it is being projected, can then come after the infrastructures have been put in place because every delay in cargo operation has multiplier effect. The shipping company release that POF is directly attached to simple means that if POF is not paid, you cannot get your cargo release from shipping companies, and by implication, if there is a five minute delay, it can create a one week congestion. So we believe that the machinery to make things work should be put in place before issue of POF,” he said. On his part, an executive member of Tin Can Chapter of ANLCA, Emmanuel Onyema, said CRFFN has not made any positive impact to regulate the freight forwarding practice. He added that the POF collection would only amount to additional cost of cargo clearance for importers, which in turn, would be passed on the consumers. “Ever since the council members were inaugurated, we have not seen any value they have added to members. We don’t see them in the port. How can they come up with the issue of money? We expected them to work because we are having challenges at the port. At the moment, cost of clearing is high and they are coming up with POF. With the amount of money they want to collect per container that means cost of clearing will increase and the importer is the one that will pay but at the end of the day, whatever they spend will be passed to the final consumer,” he said. Another freight forwarder, Emmanuel Njoku, also expressed concern over the delay experienced in assessing the portal created by CRFFN to make the POF payment, saying that agents are finding it difficult to register on the platform. This, he said, would lead to delay in cargo clearance at the port. However, the former Chairman, Igbo Maritime Forum, PTML Chapter, Mr. Francis Uchechukwu Aniezechukwu said POF is a government order which makes it a constitutional issue. He explained that CRFFN was supposed to veer into capacity building for the betterment and welfare of freight forwarders first before venturing into POF matter. According to him; “The contentious issue shouldn’t be whether the money be paid or not. CRFFN hasn’t done enough. Let collect the POF but the question is; what will it be used for?” On the way forward, Aniezechukwu maintained that what CRFFN should do is for them to make their presence known by the freight forwarders in the industry because there are so many things hampering freight operations. The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), had in 2019 called on the federal government to halt the collection of POF by the dissolved governing board of the CRFFN through the Ministry of Transport. President of NCMDLCA, Lucky Amiwero, in a letter to President Muhammudu Buhari stated that CRFFN no longer exist. According to Amiwero, “Federal High Court ruling on Suit No FHC/L/CS/5172 /2008 as referred by the Court of Appeal, was delivered on the 24th of March 2015, which upheld that the tenure of the Council/Governing Board Expired on the 25th of November 2012, that the Council has vacated office, as there is no existing Council and no Council to deliver judgment.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

BANKING ANALYSIS

Zenith Bank: Proving Industry Mettle Zenith Bank Plc is reaffirming its bold industry leadership, writes Louis Achi

ith his appointment as the Group Managing Director/ CEO of Zenith Bank Plc., in June 1, 2019, Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu has clearly brought to his job astute strategic thinking, inspirational leadership, energetic and consummate entrepreneurial skills. He has demonstrated that a powerful vision indeed pulls in ideas, people and other resources, despite the tough challenges. It creates the energy and will to make change happen. It inspires individuals, diverse stakeholders, complementary organisations and institutions to commit, to persist and to give their best. It is then little wonder that this focused energy is paying off as mirrored in Zenith Bank Plc’s recent emergence as the Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance Magazine’s Best Banks Awards 2021, retaining the award for a second consecutive year. Zenith was among other banks from 35 countries in Africa recognised as the prestigious US magazine, Global Finance announced its 28th Annual Best Bank Awards Winners in Africa. Regarded as the industry standard for banking excellence, The Banker’s Bank of the Year awards is contested by the world’s leading financial institutions, with winners chosen across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe. The editors of Global Finance made all selections after extensive consultations with corporate financial executives, bankers and banking consultants, and analysts worldwide. Global Finance considered factors that ranged from the quantitative objective to the informed subjective in selecting these top banks. The objective criteria considered included: growth in assets, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, new business development and innovation in products. Subjective criteria included the opinions of equity analysts, credit rating analysts, banking consultants and others involved in the industry. Global Finance’s “Best Banks Awards” are recognised amongst the world’s most influential banking/finance and corporate professionals as the most coveted and credible awards in the banking industry, with winners chosen in 150 countries and territories across Africa, Asia-Pacific, the Caribbean, Central America, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Western Europe. In the words of Joseph D. Giarraputo, publisher and editorial director of Global Finance, “this year’s evaluations are more important and valuable than at any point in their 28-year history, given the unprecedented economic conditions wrought by the global pandemic. Banks are playing a key role in economic recovery around the world, and as such, our Best Bank awards highlight the leaders in restoring growth and mapping a way forward.” Commenting on the recognition, the elated bank’s GMD/CEO, Onyeagwu said: “This award is a strong indication of our resilience despite a very excruciating macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic”. He added that the award was made possible by the joint contributions of the bank’s key stakeholders - the Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, for his pioneering and foundational role in building the structures and laying the foundation for an enduring and very successful institution, the Board for the deep insights and outstanding leadership they provide, the staff for their commitment, doggedness, creativity and very outstanding talents as well as the Bank’s teeming customers for

Onyeagwu

their continued support and loyalty. Zenith Bank Plc has remained a clear leader in the Nigerian financial services industry, distinguishing itself through unique customer experience and sound financial indices. The bank is also the pioneer in the digital space with several firsts in deploying innovative products and solutions that ensure convenience, speed and safety of transactions. It is worth recalling that when Zenith Bank Plc. clinched The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, it significantly came on the heels of its awards as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria and the Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital the banker won earlier in the year. As a testament to its resilience and market leadership, Zenith Bank recently announced an impressive result for the year ended December 31, 2020, with gross earnings rising by 5% to N696.5 billion and profit before tax (PBT) growing 5% to N255.9 billion. Consistent with this superlative performance and in recognition of its track record of exceptional performance, Zenith Bank was voted as Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker’s Bank of the Year Awards 2020, Best Bank in Nigeria in the Global Finance World’s Best Banks Awards

2020 and Best Corporate Governance’ Financial Services’ Africa 2020 by the Ethical Boardroom. Also, the bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria, for the fourth consecutive year, in the Banker Magazine “Top 500 Banking Brands 2021” and Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the “2020 Top 1000 World Banks” Ranking published by The Banker Magazine. Similarly, the bank was recognised as Bank of the Decade (People’s Choice) at the THISDAY Awards 2020, Retail Bank of the year at the 2020 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards, and Best Company in Promotion of Good Health and Well-Being as well as Best Company in Promotion of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2020. In a clear demonstration of its resilience, the bank’s recently announced unaudited results for the first quarter ended 31st March 2021, showed that its profit after tax (PAT) rose to N53.1 billion, from N50.5 billion recorded in March 2020. This was despite a very challenging macroeconomic environment aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the bank’s unaudited

“This award is a strong indication of our resilience despite a very excruciating macroeconomic environment exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic”

statement of account for the first quarter of 2021, the Group’s profit before tax also grew from N58.8 billion to N61 billion in the same period. The profitability was driven by the optimisation of the cost of funds and improvement in non-interest income. Tracking back, the appointment of Onyeagwu as GMD/CEO is consistent with the bank’s tradition and succession strategy of grooming leaders from within. He is a vastly experienced banker and financial expert, trained in reputable institutions of learning in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and United States of America. A graduate of Accounting from Auchi Polytechnic where he obtained the Ordinary National diploma in 1984 and Higher National Diploma in 1987, Onyeagwu qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1989 while he was still undergoing the compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) post -graduation and was named a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) in 2003. He is an alumnus of the prestigious University of Oxford, England, from where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Strategy, and certificate in Macroeconomics. He also undertook extensive executive level business education in Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School of Columbia University, the Harvard Business School of Harvard University (all in the United States) and Lagos Business School of the Pan African University, Nigeria. He has nearly 30 years’ experience in the banking industry in Nigeria. He joined Zenith Bank Plc in 2002 as a Senior Manager, in the Internal Control and Audit Group of the bank. His professionalism, competence, integrity and commitment to the set objectives of the bank saw him rise swiftly between 2003 and 2005, first, as Assistant General Manager, then Deputy General Manager, and eventually as General Manager of the bank. In these capacities, he handled strategies for new business and branch development, management of risk assets portfolios, treasury functions, strategic top level corporate, multinationals and public institutional relationships, among others. As Deputy Managing Director, he oversighted the bank’s Financial Control and Strategic Planning, Risk Management, Retail Banking, Institutional and Corporate banking business portfolios, IT Group, Credit Administration, Treasury and Foreign Exchange Trading, as well as general administration of the bank, among others. He was named Executive Director of the bank in 2013, and put in charge of Lagos and South-South Zones as well as strategic groups/business units of the bank including Financial Control & Strategic Planning, Treasury and Correspondent Groups, Human Resources Group, Oil and Gas Group, and Credit Risk Management Group, etc. He was named Deputy Managing Director of the bank in 2016. He has been on the board of Zenith Bank Ghana, Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited, Zenith Nominees Limited and African Finance Corporation (AFC) within the last six years. In AFC, he serves on the Board Risk & Investment Committee (BRIC) and Board Audit & Compliance Committee (BAAC). At Zenith Bank Ghana, he chairs the Board Credit and Governance Committees. As Zenith Bank adroitly firms up its grip on the banking industry’s leadership, against the backdrop of the unprecedented economic conditions wrought by the global pandemic, spearheading economic recovery and watched carefully by its rivals, the sky can hardly be her limit.

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Enhanced Financing for Nigerian Small Businesses I Chukwuemeka Uwanaka

n the last few years, the 27th of June, has been a day for reflection by governments, stakeholders, policymakers and all those concerned with small businesses, due to the vital role they play in every economy. Undisputedly, Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) play important roles in the global economy. According to the International Trade Centre (ITC) the joint agency of the United Nations and World Trade Organization dedicated to supporting the internationalization of small businesses, MSMEs account for more than 90 percent of all businesses and around 70 percent of jobs worldwide. This category of businesses also stimulates economic growth and provide employment for large sections of society including women, young entrepreneurs, and poor communities. In recognition of the importance of MSMEs in encouraging innovation, creativity and decent work for all, as well as achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations General Assembly, in 2017, declared June 27 to be MSMEs Day by adopting resolution 71/279. The vulnerabilities that small businesses face, especially in accessing international market opportunities, alongside trade procedures when compared to bigger businesses, are quite known. In recognition of their importance, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda contain a global call for action, towards improving the access to finance, value chains and markets for MSMEs. The MSMEs Day is therefore dedicated to raising awareness of the importance inherent in supporting the development of MSMEs in developing countries, and also a celebration of the gigantic contributions they make to the vitality of the global economy. Given the rippling socioeconomic effects of Covid-19, the theme is for this year’s MSME Day is titled “MSME 2021: key to an inclusive and sustainable recovery.” In Nigeria, there are officially 41.5 million MSMEs, comprising of at least 41.4 million micro enterprises; and 73,081 small and medium enterprises. Together, they contribute about 50 percent of GDP, are responsible for 59.6 million jobs, which represent 86.3 percent of national workforce. They also contribute 7.64 percent of export receipts. The Nigerian government has overtime been aware of their importance, hence the establishment of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in 2003, as the primary agency of government for the promotion of MSMEs in the country. To underscore its importance, the agency was once under The Presidency of Nigeria, as against being under a Federal Ministry. The challenges that MSMEs in Nigeria have to contend with, are not different from those faced internationally; including access to finance, value chains and markets. A PWC report in 2020 identified obtaining finance, finding customers and infrastructure deficits are the most pressing problems of MSMEs in Nigeria. Small businesses are the most viable options for addressing some of Nigeria’s most pressing social and economic problems, hence the need to continuously address the challenges they face. With unemployment at 33.3percent and youth unemployment at 42.5 percent, the need to address their challenges, and in the process, create jobs that reduce the unemployment level in Nigeria, cannot be overemphasized. Nigeria’s GDP declined by 23 percent and household income fell by 25 percent, due to Covid-19. In 2021, the Credit Bureau Association of Nigeria estimates that only 4 percent of Nigerian MSMEs have access to credit. With the understanding of what their primary challenges are, the question then arises- what other approaches can be feasibly adopted to increase access to finance for MSMEs in Nigeria? Before attempting answers, there is need for some overview of previous approaches, so that what may be proposed are not simply a repeat of previous efforts. In Nigeria, Microfinance Banks (MFBs) are tasked with the provision of financial services to micro enterprises, among others. The 900 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) licensed MFBs tasked with providing financial services such as deposits, loans, money transfers and insurance to the poor and low-income household and their micro enterprises at affordable cost, have largely been unable to provide the required level

of financial support to MSMEs. The MSME Clinics is another of such efforts for MSMEs in Nigeria. Launched by Acting President Osinbajo on January 24, 2017 in Abuja, it is an initiative of the Office of the Vice President, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and 11 Federal Agencies, to create a platform for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to interact with Federal Agencies, and obtain practical and on-the-spot solutions to their business challenges. The initiative has access to finance as one of its key objectives. And not to be forgotten is the Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigeria’s oldest development financing institution which traces its history to 1964, and has the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) Nigeria (94.79 percent), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (5.21 percent) and private shareholders (0.01 percent) as owners. The BOI Microfinance Bank Nigeria is a subsidiary of Bank of Industry Nigeria that offers a broad range of financial services to MSMEs and various low-income earners. The Credit Reporting Act, enacted on the 30th day of May 2017, is another of such government efforts. The Act provides a statutory framework for the licensing and regulation of the operations of credit bureaux in Nigeria. The law provides legal teeth to the activities of the Credit Bureaux, which were previously regulated by the “Guidelines for the Licensing, Operations and Regulation of Credit Bureaux and Credit Bureaux Related Transactions in Nigeria 2013”. Designed to promote a credit reporting system, and the facilitation of the sharing of credit information, this legislation is expected to address the challenges that organisations face with providing credit history and credit information, in support of loan applications. The Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 that gave legal backing to the National Collateral Registry (NCR) platform, is also worthy of mention. A 2015 initiative of the CBN and the International Finance Corporation, NCR registration allows MSMEs to convert and register their movable assets into collaterals for credit, and still retain control and use of such assets, thereby increasing their access to finance. So far, lending banks have availed credit amounting to 1.80 trillion, US$1.36 billion and €10.92 million, to 273,435 borrowers, comprising: 262,904 individuals; 1,421 large, 4,260 medium, 1,433 micro and 3,417 small businesses under the NCR. Though commendable, the numbers are a far cry from the over 39 million MSMEs that lack access to credit. Another of the more recent efforts by government to increase access to finance for small businesses in Nigeria, is the CBN MSME Development Fund of 2013. Launched on August 15, 2013 with a share capital of N220 billion, the Fund was established

in acknowledgement of the important contributions of MSMEs to the economy, and the existing huge financing gap they are faced with. The 90 percent commercial component is given to Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) at 2 percent interest rate for on-lending to MSMEs at a maximum interest rate of 9 percent per annum. 10 percent of the fund is devoted to developmental objectives such a grants, capacity building and administrative costs. Cottage industries, agricultural value chain, services, artisans, trade and commerce and any income generating business as may be prescribed by the CBN from time to time, are the eligible enterprises for the fund. Another effort of the federal government to increase access to medium to long term financing for MSMEs, was the establishment of the Development Bank of Nigeria Plc. (DBN) in September 2014. DBN was established in partnership with several international finance institutions such as the World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB), KfW Development Bank (Germany), Agence Française de Développement (AfD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). As commendable as these government efforts and intentions for increasing MSME access to finance are, 96 percent of Nigerian MSMEs still do not have access to credit in 2021. While these government and development finance driven efforts are commendable, the fact remains that for a business, commercial banks remain the most feasible and preferred source of finance due to various factors such as spread, efficiency of service among others. That the bigger and more thriving businesses which MSMEs aim to become get most of their financing from private commercial banks, validates the need for increased access to commercial bank financing, for small businesses. A number of studies have identified meeting the requirements of the credit policy, as the major challenge that MSMEs in Nigeria face, in accessing finance at commercial banks. In particular, the challenges include no official registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC); lack of credit history due to non-registration with any of the three licensed Credit Bureaus; absence of audited financial reports; faulty business plans; and no insurance coverage. Are there approaches that commercial banks can adopt to increase small business lending, without unnecessarily expanding risk? Yes, there are. Despite the digital presence of the CAC, commercial banks still have more presence, and can be better reached by MSMEs in Nigeria. This is also because not all Nigerians have access to internet, as internet penetration stands at 46.6 percent, with over 50 percent of Nigerians not having internet access. The banks

can therefore partner with the CAC to have some level of presence at commercial banks, physical or virtual, were business registration services can be provided for MSMEs at an affordable rate. With this in place, small businesses who have met loan requirements but lack formal registration, should no more have their credit applications declined. A similar approach can be adopted by the banks and the three licensed credit bureaus, which are CRC Credit Bureau Ltd, CR Services Credit Bureau Plc, and XDS Credit Bureau Ltd. MSMEs that have not been registered with any of the bureaux, and therefore have no credit history to support their loan applications, can be registered at the credit bureau desks situated in commercial banks. This in turn increases their chances of accessing finance. In the rural and semi-urban areas where many MSMEs in Nigeria operate, it is easier to find a commercial bank than an auditing firm. This gap can be filled if the banks can partner with affordable auditing firms, who can audit the financial records of small businesses after contacts have been initiated through the banks. The audit firms can also provide some corporate governance advisory to MSMEs. Small business operators with good business ideas, but poorly written and presented formal business plans, can benefit from a similar business support package. The many Nigerian graduates of business faculties can be mentored and engaged by the commercial banks to render these paid but affordable services, leading to job creation. As many commercial banks now have insurance affiliates or partners, the extension of such services to MSMEs at affordable rates, should address the challenges they may have for small business insurance, and lead to increased lending in the process. As banks are businesses with shareholders, it is worth reiterating that these services are to be provided at a fee, albeit affordable. The numbers and scale available- over 41 million- mean that such collaborative efforts not only address the challenge of financing for 96 percent MSMEs in Nigeria without access to credit, but also simultaneously increase the bottom line of the banks. This approach understandably requires some modification in approach, from banks and credit officials, perfunctorily looking to just ‘tick the boxes’ when loan applications are made by MSMEs, to looking at ways in which they can support such challenges, through partnerships. This modification in approach can also be promoted within the framework of sustainable corporate social responsibility. This may also require the recruitment of credit officials with entrepreneurial backgrounds, by commercial banks. That way, they are more understanding of the challenges MSME face, especially micro enterprises, and can therefore make more informed credit decisions. Credit officials with finance only backgrounds, are more likely to quickly reject MSME loan applications. And there is a role for government in these, as setting lending targets for banks towards certain sectors does not really work. The absence of titled documents and proper street identification in rural areas and unplanned urban areas where many MSMEs operators either reside or do business, makes registration verification more challenging. While increased town planning and government legislation are required, some of the more immediate measures that can be adopted to address these challenges include allowing structured notification by local government authorities, Traditional rulers or Community Leaders, to serve as some form of legal documentation for residences of such areas. Google Mapping and other relevant technology can be used to complement this process, that can unlock capital for MSMEs in Nigeria. For advocacy, SMEDAN can partner with the CBN in getting the Bankers Committee, which is the exclusive forum for the chief executives of Nigerian banks and the directors of the different departments of the CBN, with CBN governor as chairman, to adopt these propositions. Given the limitations already identified with development financing, the drive by SMEDAN to establish an MFB for increased MSME lending, may not be the most efficient approach. As the Development Bank of Nigeria is already in place to do the same thing, SMEDAN could push for a larger role in the activities of the bank. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

AVIATION INTERVIEW

Sanusi: Special Economic Zones Key to FDI Senior Executive of up coming NG Eagle Airline, Captain Ado Sanusi, in this interview with Chinedu Eze said the recent designation of major airports, as special economic zones will be an incentive to foreign direct investment. Excerpts Recently the federal government designated the major airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt as special economic zones. What do you think will be the beneﬁts for aviation and the country? ow, this is a very, very good gesture from the federal government. It is again a testimony that this administration is actually trying to reposition aviation industry to its rightful place in the growth of the economy of the country. But let us understand first what a special economic zone means. A special economic zone is an area in a country that is subject to different economic regulation that other regions within that same country don’t enjoy. So, the special economic regulation tends to be conducive to attract foreign direct investment (FDI), and also attracts local investment. So it also promotes foreign direct investment and also local investment because the laws and the regulations governing that particular zone are different from what we get. So what are the things that typically that you get from that? Usually there are tax incentives, lower tariffs. This means that there are many benefits that you can get, which include custom duty waivers and all that stuff. So they are very good things about this economic special zones. And usually what does it do? It promotes economic growth, it facilitates job creation, it increases production in this country and increases technology transfer. So for us these airports, like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja designated as special economic zones is a welcome development. We just pray that it would be managed well. You know when you say you have declared Kano or these four airports as special economic zones and we leave it like that without following it up and making sure they perform to the standard of that economy zones the purpose for setting them will be defeated. Then it is going to be another white elephant project. But I believe we should have a very strong governance structure, a very strong performance review structure for these airports when they have been designated as special economic zones so that they would enjoy all the benefits that come to it and there would be some investment if the federal government would be going to invest in these airports. So we should be reviewing the performance to make sure that we recoup the investment. So that taxpayers’ money will not go to waste. And usually, these special economic zones that you see, the airlines enjoy from it, the entire economy enjoy from it because there will be a lot of development, companies that come around the airport, to ensure that they benefit, especially in the agro allied or agro-industry. In Nigeria we are blessed with a lot of agricultural produce, unfortunately we do not take it all the way to the finish product. So for us to participate in the global value chain for the agro industry, I think it is a good idea to have the special economic zones, so that our agric produce can be processed to a certain level before exports where they will have it finished to be to be given to the consumers. Because I think we don’t have the technology to do that all the way to get to the consumer. So we can now participate in the global value chain. So, these special economic zones is a very, very good thing to have and I pray that the federal government will see through to it, to make sure that it is implemented to the fullest and also monitor the performance.

their prices, airlines had already sold tickets at the old fares and now buy fuel at the increased cost to airlift passengers to their destinations. So the airlines continuous lose money. If the marketers notify the airlines in advance they will adjust their fares, know that they passengers that would be airlifted at certain period in future the cost of aviation fuel will be this or that amount. I believe that with time Nigerian airlines will embrace fuel hedging. And I don’t think also that airlines will make profits from sales of tickets. We don’t just increase airfares. We must get approval before we do so. Our only hope is that when Dangote’s refinery comes on stream it will cushion the effect of the high cost of aviation fuel on airlines. We also hope that government will do something on the problem of dollar by helping the airlines access it as lower exchange rate. Hopefully, government will look into that soon.

What do you think would be the contribution in manpower development of the planned Aerospace University that the federal government has kick-started

Sanusi

“I believe that one of the greatest achievements of this administration is the improvement of facilities at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The most important is the resurfacing of the runway.” its establishment? Again, this is another testimony of what this federal government has contributed to the aviation industry. The Aerospace University will contribute a lot to the development of aviation in Nigeria. It is a step in the right direction. If you look at the global trend now, people are longing to go into space. The billionaires are rushing to space. And space is a place where the next frontier for human beings will evolve. This is to make Nigeria to be part of the global trend for us to achieve the desired goal for our future. If you look at the aerospace technology, it cuts across all facets of our lives. You look at banking, it uses satellite; you look at even driving, it uses global positioning system. You look at medicine, it uses a lot of technology and Internet and all these things have space technology. So aerospace is not only for aviation. It is also going to improve the life of a lot of people, including the common man. It will improve the life of the farmer in the village because there will be accurate environmental condition forecast for him to understand what kind of plants or what kind of crops he is to grow the next harvest season. So this Aerospace University is a very, very good thing to have in the country. And Nigeria is full of young talented individuals that are innovative. We should not be sending them to the United States as they finish and they go to NASA and they become

strong and we celebrate them. We should grow them in our country. We should give them the opportunity to be quite innovative and start creating awareness, right from the secondary school so that our young children coming up can have the opportunity to actualize their dreams. It will enable us to have young scientists coming up with a lot of innovative ideas about space technology. I am really excited about the Aerospace University. And again, my prayer is that it should be implemented to its fullest. A lot of airlines are coming up and there is this fear that there may become overcapacity that will give rise to desperate competition and unprofitable fares. Do you share the same view? Well, first of all, you know, we will have to look at the total number of aircraft flying in the Nigerian airspace and the total number of passengers that are flying. And if you look at those statistics and those data, you understand that we probably will be bringing averagely between 20 to 30 aircraft flying in the country with a capacity of about a 120 to 140-passenger capacity per aircraft, that will be good for the market or the market will become saturated. Now, I don’t think the number of airlines coming up will saturate the market. I do not think so. I think what will happen is that we will grow the aviation industry, to make sure that the strongest and best airlines will survive and will tend to absorb the weaker ones at the end of the day. Because the era of you opening an airline, manage two or three aircraft for two years is over. You cannot sustain it. Will the airlines reflect the increase in the cost of aviation fuel by having profitable airfares? The airlines cannot reflect the actual increase of the prices of aviation fuel on the airfares in a profitable sense because if they do the fares might be too high. Airlines continue to lose money because of sudden increase in aviation fuel costs. They do not announce it to the airline in advance. By the time they increase

What is your view about the improvements of facilities at the Enugu airport? I believe that one of the greatest achievements of this administration is the improvement of facilities at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The most important is the resurfacing of the runway. It is one of the most challenging airports in the country because it had undulating runway so airlines didn’t like coming to the airport. Airlines were afraid of FOD (Foreign Object Damage) on their aircraft so they wouldn’t like to operate to the airport more than once a day. This singular act of resurfacing the runway has done so much. I remember when I was flying we used to go to Enugu but with scepticism because for the rough runway. But with the upgrade more airlines now fly to the airport and this has galvanized the economy of the state and more people now travel to the city. One of the greatest achievements of this administration is what it has done in the aviation industry. I think the Buhari administration has achieved more than past administrations in the sector. Enugu airport is a good example of its achievements in the industry. With the establishment of more rail lines in Nigeria, many believe that it will reduce passenger trafﬁc for air transport. Do you agree to that? I don’t think so. Aviation will always be part of the economy. Each has its own market. I was on a train to Ibadan recently and I was impressed by what the federal government has done. I commend the Nigerian railway for what they are doing. They system, the coaches and their service elevated the rail transport that it looked as if we were in a flight. That is something to be proud of. But rail transport will not affect aviation. The railway system in Europe is advanced but people still travel by air. We are not even talking about China with those their high speed trains but people still fly. So even if the rail system is modernized in Nigeria, aviation will still thrive. Their customers are different. In the next two to three years we are going to have three major airlines. Even with rail lines connecting the country air transport will still be growing and domestic passengers will record appreciable increase. This is because there is the growth of the middle class who have disposable income and who can afford to travel by air. There is also tourism, which will spur air travel. There are a lot of places in Nigeria where we have tourism destinations. As more people visit these places they do most of the travel by air. So despite insecurity, which I know is temporary, more people will travel and many more will travel by air, which is safer and faster. Rail transport is safe but air transport is the safest globally and it is also the fastest way to travel.

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Jim Iyke: Nollywood ‘Bad Boy’ Returns

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

COVER

Jim Iyke: Nollywood ‘Bad Boy’ Returns Nollywood first-rated actor, Jim Iyke was away from the movie scene for a while but returned suddenly with his debut film, “Bad Comments”, as the executive producer, which he said is deliberately out to make a statement. He spoke with Mary Nnah during a private screening of the film in Lagos on why he was away from the limelight for a while and the inspiration behind his new movie which is to address the menace of online trolls and the consequences famous and handling fame. We did a little bit too much that earned us the bad reputation, one, I can say that for myself, that I could not conduct myself in the best decorum in those days, but as you get older you understand yourself, your pattern and the people around you, the responsibility they entrusted to you, it’s no small gift to influence people, so you owe the world a certain responsibility whether we like it or not. We refused that responsibility along the way but once you embrace it and you understand there’s no need to exist in that world, and that you come into the world, to do what you have to do and go back; it becomes easier. That is basically what I do these days. It’s about my businesses, about my family, about my mental health at the end of the day, and every time that I have to come here and do what I have to do, I do. I have given about a decade and half of my life. I have been doing this since I was barely 20, so I have earned the right to come and go as I please. Every time I feel that I have a contribution, I have something to say, my voice, I believe, in my earnest awareness, is permanent in the sands of time of this establishment. I come here to say what I want to say and go back to the world that keeps me grounded, that’s how I live my life right now.

You were away from the limelight for a while and then suddenly you came up with ‘Bad Comments’. Tell us what happened? just felt at some point in my life that as you get older, different opinions and stands in life take place. I felt at some point in my life that I needed to take a back stage. You find out that you have lived a certain life in the pursuit of not only happiness but in pursuit of a lifelong career that you would not sacrifice for anything, basically. Of course there was also the narrative of the reality TV Show I was shooting then that obviously delved into my personal life on a day to day basis. I had my son at that time, and I felt it was grossly unfair to him to expose him to that lifestyle. I also understood that the demands of the job will not allow me to be the kind of father I have always dreamt to be, so I took two years off the Nollywood scene. I have never sacrificed for anything in my life; I just woke up one day and realised that I got into this job when I was barely out of my teens but one thing that has always been my mantra is leadership. I have been groomed to be a leader; I train myself to be a leader. I attended all the leadership conferences I possibly could but I have never really trained myself on how to be a follower. I was totally deficient of what it means to follow or sacrifice for anything. My son taught me how to follow; my kids taught me how to be attentive to their lives and it’s a full time job. I think you can’t sacrifice a better part of all your life without being able to afford two years for the first start to lay the foundation for your kids. That’s what I wanted to do. It was one of my visions in life and I felt that I had the resources and the mind space to do it and I did it for my kids. It is really that simple. There was no complicated reason for my absence.

You have always been seen as a tough and arrogant character in movies but in Bad Comments, you are portrayed differently. Who is Jim Iyke? We are evolving beings. That is what we called revolution in every sense of the word. For me, the person I was two hours ago is not the same person I am standing with you right now. My elevation is to constantly seek knowledge and embrace truth. I have been totally unbiased about how knowledge comes to me. Many times, I’m sitting in a car with my driver - my driver is slightly a decade older than me and this man gives me more advice than some of my business partners because this is somebody that sees me when I wake up, he sees me when I leave. He has come to understand my temperament, how things work, and he is a deeply knowledgeable person. When he says, you didn’t handle that one well Oga, I take it cool. Sometimes I ignore him, but I find in him far more solid advice than associates that have ulterior motives telling me what they tell me. Sometimes I throw tantrums at my house keeper, he comes back to me and explains certain things to me … this is somebody that deals with my inner caucus, deals with the environment that I live in, understands what is being said about me. So you have to take advice from different spheres of your life. I think that is one potent lesson my father taught me. I have seen my dad listen to business associates and to people that worked for us and he never devalued anybody’s opinion. I think perhaps that is one of the biggest and most potent weapons that I have in my life - I’m not discriminative of where good advice comes from. You are a man that is highly misunderstood as an actor. How do you feel about that? In misunderstanding me, it also gives me credence to certain mysteries that I have enjoyed over the years. I like being misunderstood. I just don’t like being disrespected. Being misunderstood is fine, that means we can have a conversation. We can change perspective at any time. Being disrespected is a whole different ball game and I think that’s fine, people are afraid of being misunderstood, I’m not. I like it, it drives conversation, it drives narratives,

Jim it offers perspective and I think that’s how life should be. You have had bad press in the past, how does this make you feel?

Yes, I have had my share of horrible press. You cannot make a difference in anything in life if you are not open to criticism. First, don’t forget we are not schooled along what we expect in being

Trolling is a horrible experience, some people have lost their lives in this regard. So, I think it is one of those subjects that has not been discussed or dealt with enough. People can wake up, because of their insecurity and their failures in life, project so much cruelty and hate for apparently no reason

From the looks of things, “Bad Comments” appears like an avenue through which you want to lauder your image because your role here is totally different from what people know you for. Or what exactly is the inspiration behind your involvement in this? The inspiration for this is simple. I wanted to make a statement. I wanted something that everyone can relate to. That’s the truest and honest answer. In order to make a statement, I wanted some things that everybody can relate with. The common denominator between the old and the young is the internet space and so we wanted to create a story that revolves around that lifestyle and that space. I just wanted something that we can all look at from every spectrum and identify with. Again, I wanted to do this because I came to a certain point in my life when I begin to question where I was heading to in the next phase - I didn’t understand where I was heading… and no matter how gifted and how good you are at something, at some point you begin to question if this is the singular purpose you’ve been birthed for. You begin to question if this is for you. And I asked myself that question. Is it the space – this art form that I would be identified with? Is this the legacy I will leave on the sands of time for the rest of my life? Is this what my children will remember me for? And truly at that time, the answers were all in the negative. So, I dusted what I went to school for; I brushed up my contacts and I asked myself again: As much as you love this, has this met all the financial needs, dependencies and height that you hope to get to? Again, the answer was in the negative. So I decided to take a bold step, I decided to move forward and I left the industry behind and went into mainstream business. We tried, we failed but we succeeded more than we failed and to God be the glory, a lot happened that stood us really well in life. So, one day I was coming out of a meeting with my sister, who happens to be the managing director of one of my establishments and she said, “Is this it for you?” And said, what do you mean by this is it for me? And she said, “Acting is done? And I said yes, acting is done. And she said, “Lair!” I knew what she meant when she said “Liar.” You see, acting is my first love, my first child, my first million, my first failure, my first heartbreak but at the end of the day this was practically the easiest thing that came to me. The easiest gift God has given me and I knew that I wanted to do something about it. No matter the kind of cheers and financial liberty that you enjoy, as you get older, you would find out that you are extremely good at other things as well - something will come very easy to you and you would be glorified

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

COVER for something. So, this was it. And I decided that I was going to make a statement. “Bad Comment”, is that statement. “Bad Comment”, is simply the best work I have done in my entire career. Bad Comments, depicts the story of a typical everyday life on social media where people come under the pretence of fans to troll celebrities and public figures with negative vibes and bad comments. This is an approach to a narration that it is seemingly every one of us that has passed through. In other words, no one present here has not found themselves in this space either as a troll or a victim. I felt I should tell a story that cuts across every divide and that will affect and touch everybody irrespective of where you stand. Yes, personally of course I have been affected. Nobody tells a story that is not similar or familiar to them. I told a story from my point of view. It’s really uncanny how this started. We were sharing a common experience as individuals while shooting the movie “Merry Men 2” at Hilton, Abuja and we were going back to our rooms and we were sharing something on social media where someone said something really bad about his kid and I thought what kind of person is this that will say something this annoying about a child. That means he was in a horrible state. That was my opinion. I have always thought that there were certain trolls that we all have suffered and believe me, trolling is a horrible experience, some people have lost their lives in this regard. So, I think it is one of those subjects that has not been discussed or dealt with enough. People can wake up, because of their insecurity and their failures in life, project so much cruelty and hate for apparently no reason. And people have taken their lives while other have attempted suicide of all sorts in different nation, as a matter of fact, it is on the rise and yet people think this level of mental illness is something that shouldn’t be discussed. I do not think so. We’ve all dealt with it to various degrees and different divides. So, “Bad Comments”, was what it was about. I wanted the members of the press to have a first look point of view. I am not afraid of criticism as you know. I am not afraid of failure because in failure lies success. What I did was to create the best possible film that I can. It is so good that a certain compatriot of mine chose to take it to Times Square in New York, where it ran for two weeks at the billboard. So, it is beginning to grow in leaps and bounds as we go but it was really important to me. I bring it home first of all for my people to see and appreciate it for what it is. It is a movie that everyone can relate to, even my 6-year old son and my 98-year old grandmother can relate to it. The internet space is a common ground for all of us. So, I needed to create a movie about that space, about that narrative and about that relative experience that all of us can take away. Everyone out there is represented in “Bad Comments”. There is nobody sitting in this room that has not found themselves in this space either as a troll or as a victim. So I felt I should tell a story that cuts across every divide and spectrum that will touch and affect everybody irrespective of where you stand. What informed the choice of cast? Basically, we needed to narrow down our options for the budget, and I had to draw the crew from many parts of the world to make this happen. Being away from the space for a while, I found out that there have been certain grooves in certain sectors that I was very unfamiliar with. I brought in four producers to work on this project for me and they found me who is “Hot Stuff” right now and I said okay. Everybody auditioned, I saw it and when we set forth our vision we decided that the way to go was to place the square pegs on the round holes. I never did anything that was typical of any actor that I brought on board. I would ask them traditional questions like what have they done? They showed me the backdrop of what they have done and I would say switch it. If you see the movie you would find out that a wide array of cast played roles that the public space was quite unfamiliar with. It is very interesting. I thought, creatively, to switch it up a little bit; get people uncomfortable and then in discomfort, you find your place and identity… There is nothing usual about Bad Comments, I can promise you that.

Jim

One thing I have learnt about life is, the more you mind your business the more peace you have. And seriously, it is really not rocket science. Immediately I became deaf, dumb and mute to whatever happens around me and focused on my family, my friends, my immediate support system and most of all myself, my life became far less complicated When is Bad Comments hitting the market? It will go live worldwide on August 27, 2021. What lessons has life taught you as a person? One thing I have learnt about life is, the more you mind your business the more peace you have. And seriously, it is really not rocket science. Immediately I became deaf, dumb and mute to whatever happens around me and focused on my family, my friends, my immediate support system and most of all

myself, my life became far less complicated. I’m not trying to knock the guys that like cliques, that is like the entourage, that like to move in a certain way, I mean, to each, his own but I’m trying to tell you that if your being different, is what your success is totally dependent on, find your peculiarity. My peculiarity is in the quiet space, another person’s peculiarity could be in the noise. There are people that thrive in that space of noise, gathering and so many people; it’s not my mantra, so to speak. I chose my path and made my path comfortably and that’s really how life should be.

You are fond of wearing sunshades. Is it a fashion statement? Well, I’m a little shy. I think most actors are. Most creatives are. Once you are removed from the space, it’s like fish out of the water. So, my shades have become far more a coping mechanism than a fashion statement. You are good looking and you are a man most women would want to have. Tell us, who is the lucky woman? You are delving into a very personal ground which is okay. Like I said, I don’t celebrate my personal life. My partner is also a very quiet, conservative but highly intelligent person. She totally does not have any say in the limelight because at some point I understood the implicity – I understood that it is simple arithmetic. You are out there, the focus is on you; find somebody that there is no focus on but meets your intellectual, physical and spiritual value; and settle down. We of the act are out there... Now I’m not trying to knock anybody’s relationship but I’m telling you, honestly, as a person, how it worked for me. Someday of course, you are going to find us on the covers of magazines; somebody that is smart enough to put one or two together and figure it out but then you have to cross a few continents to find out.

ͱʹ

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Moet, Nicole Abebe Launch New Visual Podcast, ’Spill the Tea with the Abebes’ Stories by Mary Nnah Award winning On-air personalities and cousins; Moet Abebe and Nicole Abebe, hosted an exclusive dinner party to launch their new brainchild visual podcast recently at the prestigious entertainment hub; LiVE! Lounge, in Victoria Island, Lagos. The dynamic cousins who are known for creating bold and audacious experiences, created an amazing atmosphere that accommodated some of Lagos’s finest crowd, upper crusts, socialites, entertainers, and celebrities to a day of merriment and exhilarating moments. The exclusive launch dinner, which was highly themed with the famous animated fairytale story - ‘Alice in Wonderland’, was held at the striking LiVE! Lounge, and was presented with beautiful aesthetics and an amazing ambience with a rare mix of lifestyle and scenery at its finest. Hosted by Soundcity’s foremost presenter, VJ Adams and Urban 96FM On-air personality, Ada Ooh, the event which began its unfolding at 7pm, was welcomed by a beautiful music mix by DJ Calix with Martell welcome cocktails presented to guests on arrival. In attendance were, Media

personalities; Ehiz, Stephanie Coker, Ada, Denrele Edun, Ex BBN stars- Mercy Eke, Tolani Baj, Lolu, top socialites; Ms. DSF, music stars; M.I Abaga, N6, Niniola, Loose Kaynon,

L.A.X, amongst other notable personalities. Guests were thrilled with great performances from guest artists and the highlight of the evening; a 17

minute mashup of the entire first season of “Spill The Tea With The Abebes”, as they nibbled on an amazing three course meal. The first episode of the

visual podcast has aired on the Youtube page; https:// w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=cEg7Xl9xu_I “We just know people are going to love the show

because we bare it all, with absolutely no filter. We look forward to an amazing first season while we prepare for season 2”, the cousins remarked.

Social media comedian, Mr. Macaroni, ﬂanked by Nicole and Moet Abebe

1,000 Nigerian Businesses to Benefit from Elev8 Technical Skills Training Elev8 education, Nigeria’s leading technology educational partner and digital skilling academy for businesses and governments, has concluded plans to help to train up to 1000 companies in technology specialised training programmes by 2022 to help businesses reach their full potential. This announcement comes on the heels of the earlier release of an elev8 report on

the path to Nigeria’s knowledge economy, specifically the role of digital transformation and upskilling in driving economic growth. With this, Elev8 aspires to replicate its success in other countries in order to help transform Nigeria’s business landscape. Speaking at a media event held at the elev8 education office in Lagos, Country Head, Ashim Egunjobi

said, the country is currently recovering from the economic repercussions, and that her company recognises that businesses/companies, both public and private, are also trying to recover. “As we enter the second half of the year, it’s critical to reflect, strategise, and ensure that businesses employ all available technology tools to scale up their operations in order to fulfil their objec-

tives. “While information technology drives innovation, and innovation is the path to business success, elev8’s commitment is to help equip IT specialists, business managers, and leaders in over 1000 companies by 2022 to upskill and reskill so that they can comprehend, adapt, and implement these technological advancements and tools in a variety of ways and

thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape, thereby increasing the value chain and growing the economy”, Egunjobi said. She explained further that across the world, businesses across all sectors were accelerating adoption of technology and digitalisation to establish a competitive edge, drive growth and ensure efficiency. “Nigeria’s workforce

has to be technologically educated, trained, and upskilled as the country strives to stay up with the rest of the globe. Failure to do so would be devastating, as our country and industries would be swiftly left behind in today’s global economy. “Elev8 aims to be a leading global player for mass digital skilling and transformative education initiatives”, she added.

Pater’s Heritage Workshop for Aspiring Stage, Movie Practitioners The Creative Bank Network (CBN), an initiative of The Pater’s Heritage, a social advocacy platform, recently held the third edition of its free drama workshop for aspiring theatre and movie practitioners. Ben Chiadika, President of Paters Heritage and Technical Director of Tinsel, Nigeria’s longest running soap opera said the event was designed to give young,

budding stage and film enthusiasts a platform to hone their skills and gain valuable experience from interaction with key stakeholders within the Nigerian theatre and movie industry. According to him, the Creative Bank Network is a social intervention initiative designed to build capacity within the Nigerian creative industry, particularly in the film and theatre space.

“In over 20 years of working in the industry, I have come across several prospects with the passion and potential to make a significant impact in Nigeria’s creative space. Sadly, their aspirations are limited due to their lack of proper training and exposure.” “At The Pater’s Heritage, our response has been to leverage our experience and network across the industry

to create a practical learning environment that will equip these aspiring thespians with the necessary skill sets they need to unlock and grow their potential within the industry. “One of the ways we are doing this is through The Creative Bank Network. We also understand that financial constraints can be a major stumbling block for many young people who

see acting as their preferred career path. That is why we have made the sessions free in order to broaden the pool of talents we can reach,” he added. According to Chiadika, the responses to the workshops have been positive with more than 100 participants trained so far. The next edition of The CBN will be held on August 28, 2021. Paters Heritage is a faith

based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that advocates for positive society change using the medium of the performing arts. The organisation has produced over 50 skits, short dramas, live plays and full-length feature movies. Established in 1995, it has become a veritable mentorship and training platform for youths passionate about the performing arts.

Anaroke Bags Ikeja Club Excellence Award For Gender Advocacy The Founder of MMS Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame (WoFHoF) Initiative, Mr. Kingsley Anaroke has bagged an Award of Excellence for Gender Advocacy and Empowerment from the prestigious Ikeja Club. Anaroke and other distin-

guished personalities will be conferred the award on August 27, 2021 when Ikeja Club marks its 55th Anniversary at its premises, 23 Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos. In a letter signed by the Club’s President, Mr. Ayodeji Randle and its Honourary

General Secretary, Olugbenga Ajisafe, titled “Letter of Invitation and Conferment of Award”, the club commended Anaroke for the MMS WoFHoF Initiative’s strides in bridging gender gaps and empowering women. “We congratulate you on

this well-deserved honor which is an encouragement for you to do more. We are hopeful that you will honor this invitation and have your family, friends, well-wishers and business associates to felicitate with you on this occasion of honour,” the

letter read. Ikeja Club was established on July 27, 1966 at the instance of its founding members, who realised then, the need to have a serene place of relaxation and socialisation after a hard day’s work. As a tradition, the club

celebrates its anniversary annually with the induction of new members and award conferment to some distinguished and outstanding individuals as well as corporate organisations with excellent performances in their various areas of specialisation.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

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MUSIC SHOWBIZ

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Who Wins the Ultimate Game of Streaming Numbers?

Leading global music streaming platforms

Iyke Bede Globally, the top one per cent of musicians on streaming services collectively amass a majority of streams. They are established acts. To offset this effect, streaming companies have increased focus on new enterprising acts in other countries such as Nigeria, but in this game of numbers, who is the biggest gainer? According to RollingStone, its chart database between January 18, 2019, and July 17 of 2020, revealed that of its 1.6 million artistes, 10 per cent (160,000) snatch about 99.4 per cent of the streams, leaving the remaining 90 per cent of artistes to slug it out for the remaining 0.6 per cent streams. But this was not what the model revealed initially. A walk back to the early 2000s. Upon its advent, music streaming’s biggest feature was its democratised configuration that allowed for all artistes, irrespective of status, to gain a fair shot at fame and prosperity. That happened until it didn’t. It suddenly turned into a superstar affair, with big names attracting a majority of revenue, and younger acts grovelling for scraps. To add salt to injury, the music industry started to experience a monopoly at the hands of streaming giant Spotify. Reports published by MiDiA Research, says that in Q1 of 2021, Spotify led global streaming shares with 32

per cent while Apple Music secured second place with its 16 per cent share. In revenues, Spotify and Apple Music, for every 1,000,000 streams, pay an average rate of US$4,000 (0.4 cents per stream) and US$5,000 (0.5 cents per stream) respectively. Comparatively, Tidal pays US$12,000 for the same number of streams although it controls an insignificant size of the market. Its high rates barely trickle down the chain. In 2020, Billboard reported that Burna Boy was atop its Top 15 Sub-Saharan African Artistes with a total of 435,570,000 streams. This means he would have earned about US$2,177,850 on Apple Music, or US$1,742,280. JoeBoy placed 15 on that list with 106,080,000 streams (US$530,400 on Apple Music). To an extent, it is safe to say these artistes in the Top 15 represent the one per cent of artistes amassing a good chunk of streams in the region. What the rest 99 per cent earned is left to the imagination. To redistribute revenue, streaming services like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music, have in recent times, launched programs to spotlight new enterprising acts. In 2018, Burna Boy was named YouTube’s Artiste on the Rise. In March 2020, Spotify

launched the Spotify RADAR program to spotlight new acts, and more recently, Apple Music revealed Ajebo Hustlers as its Up Next Artistes. Indeed, these platforms have helped bolster the careers of the likes of Teni, Niniola. With so much enthusiasm shown in promoting new artistes rather than increasing royalties (an issue affecting all), one is compelled to question motives. For starters, the same artiste that is launched into the mainstream ends up earning meagre pay. The initial boost at that point is only cosmetic. Arguably, beyond all of that fanfare lies the real intention of profit generation. Between Q1 and Q2 of 2021, Spotify global monthly active users (MAU) rose from 356 million to 365 million users. An increase of 9 million. Similar increases in MAU have been marked across most platforms post-COVID lockdown. As noted earlier, streaming companies like Tidal pay artistes better rates albeit controlling a smaller portion of the market. With fewer profit margins, less MAU, Tidal yet manages to stay afloat. So it begs the question: why can’t Spotify or Apple do the same? This same question

formed the basis of the Justice at Spotify protest, where creators demanded an increase in royalty at Spotify offices on March 15. The following month, Apple stated that it paid royalties at the rate of one cent. However, industry experts say the revenue rates fluctuate. Earlier in March, SoundCloud adopted ‘fan-powered royalty’ to help less known musicians earn more. It prides itself on this move. The model allows for artistes to get paid when their fans either listen to their songs or songs of other musicians. That way, the artiste earns more with their fans’ constant loyalty to SoundCloud. This concept has been lauded by music experts, musicians, and fans alike. What’s left now, is for other platforms to adopt it into their model. If streaming platforms truly want to help musicians on their platforms, the better thing would be to increase royalties. Other than these, it is a futile effort galvanising creators under the pretence of promoting them but at the same ensuring they stay dependent on the platform due to poor royalties. In the end, tech companies profit the most from building an app that streams music. The bulk of the creative work remains the brunt of the artiste to bear.

AFA Nation Durban FilmMart 2021 is Back on Track is Here Vanessa Obioha Originally scheduled to take place last July, the Durban FilmMart (DFM) was postponed due to the civil unrest that affected parts of South Africa. But the organisers are ready to host the virtual event this August. The event will now take place from August 13 to 22. “We are glad that we were able to overcome the challenges that the riots in parts of KwaZulu-Natal presented us to get the Durban FilmMart back on track so that we can once again showcase the best of African filmmaking,” said Magdalene Reddy, acting General Manager of the Durban FilmMart Institute. “Despite the disruption we faced, our programme for the virtual event remains largely unchanged and we look forward to providing African filmmakers the platform to network with an international market.”

Themed ‘Disrupt! The shape of stories to come’, this year marks the 12th edition and comprises 100 speakers over 40 sessions. Some of the key highlights include the DFM Conversations, in-depth conversations with prominent film industry professionals; Durban Does Docs will unpack the world of documentary filmmaking; Talents Filmmaker Talks seeks to interrogate stories, messaging and filmmaking processes and director of the EbonyLife Film Òlòturé, Kenneth Gyang will be joining the conversation; while the new feature Animation @ DFM will explore animation as a dynamic driving force within the continent’s creative industries. The session will allow animators to engage with leading professionals from organisations such as Toon Up (Nigeria), Kugali (Nigeria/Uganda), Na Aap Production (South Africa), Katanimate Studios (South Africa), among others.

Vanessa Obioha Top Africa sportswear brand AFA Sports Apparel has debuted its quarterly publication: AFA Nation. The 157-page magazine is a glossy potpourri of text and images that details the journey of the brand founded by Ugo Udezue, a former basketball player and NBA agent, and introduces readers to their new luxury products such as the Afrileisure collection. For its cover story, the magazine has Ezinne Kalu, a Nigerian basketball player who plays for the national women’s team D’Tigress. Paul Okoye, also known as Rudeboy was also featured. It also highlighted its latest feat as the first African sports brand was represented at the Olympics. AFA is the official apparel sponsor of D’Tigress. In a recent THISDAY interview, Udezue had disclosed that his core objective upon returning to Nigeria was to

AFA Sports fashion models start a basketball league that would rival the NBA. He started the African Basketball League with six teams in 2017 and rebranded it into the 10-team Continental Basketball League in six African countries. Through his efforts, the NBA Africa was born, and recently, he was appointed the chairman of the Anambra Basketball Association. AFA, he said, in that interview was born out of necessity to kit his basketball players.

However, the dream has expanded to include athleisure wear, footwear and accessories. The brand today is known for its originality, conscientiousness and creativity. Its slogan ‘This is Ours’ — which is also the debut edition’s theme’ — speaks to creativity by Africans for Africans. The brand prides itself on filling the niche to satisfy the necessity for sports and athleisure apparel as well as shoes that cater to the needs

of the African environment. Udezue in a recent chat said that he was inspired to start the publication to chronicle the journey of the brand. His new collection Afrileisure incorporates African traditional concepts in a modernised way to suit the athleisure and sports environment. For instance, one can get a Kaftan tee or hijab hoodie. Other styles include CAT (Contemporary, African Tribal), a reflection of the unique mosaic of the African ecosystems.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Welcome to Diddy’s Love Era Vanessa Obioha

E-TREND BUZZWORD

Wildcard, Wild Card, or Wild-Card? Vanessa Obioha

It is official! The Sean ‘P.Diddy’ Combs’ ‘Love’ era is finally upon us. On Sunday, the rap mogul deleted his Instagram posts, ushering his over 18 million followers into the love era with a single post on Tuesday, August 3. The post coincided with the publication of Vanity Fair’s cover story on him. Diddy, who recently changed his middle name from John to Love, spoke extensively on his purpose and mission in his new dispensation. Arguably, the rapper’s over two decades music career has witnessed three distinctive periods. There was the Puff Daddy era when Combs fresh-faced was the emblem for bold and unapologetic hip-hop millionaire. Then, he said, he was doing it for the art and the only thing he knew was hip-hop. By 2001, the music entrepreneur changed his name to P.Diddy, an appellation given to him by the rapper, The Notorious B.I.G. “Biggie had called me Diddy because of my bop, the way I walk, my swagger, and they got something called the diddy bop... it’s not me, it was something before me. That’s the diddy bop,” Combs says. “It’s the way a brother would walk around, walk down the street.” Now, 20 years later, Diddy has started a new era which in the interview he described as a mission and a movement from ‘me’ to ‘we’. “Love is a mission...I feel like that’s one of the biggest missions that will actually shift things. But besides that, we—the world—is different. We have the internet, we have the power, we have a culture, I have us on a five-year plan,” he explained. “My people taking time to feel like it’s all right to love. Take time to huddle up your tribe, take time to communicate and know your power. Take time to heal. You know what I’m saying, [taking care of] yourself without feeling like, oh, you’re going to be labelled a racist now because you talk about taking care of yourself.” To understand his purpose on earth, Combs said he had to reconnect with the Supreme One. “It clicked in and went from me to we, that [I] was sent here not to

P.Diddy is Vanity Fair’s cover story for September

just do those things that are kind of rooted in personal success but to be able to transfer to we, and do things that are real change and communal success.” He continued: “I feel like God sent me, God, put on my heart, ‘What’s your purpose?’ I was looking at all these things, it’s preachers and just different people talking about purpose because I was like, man, purpose is something deep. Have I really found my purpose? I know I’m making money and I’m successful and I’m changing the so-called game, but is that my purpose? And then I really prayed on it and God told me, ‘Your purpose is to play a part in saving the Black race.’ And then I immediately, I was like, I need to talk to Harry Belafonte.” Harry Belafonte was Martin Luther King Jr.’s confidant and known for using his celebrity status to raise money for civil rights actions and organizations. Diddy talked about social responsibilities for artistes and how Black Lives Matter is a Black

renaissance. However, he is concerned that people are too engrossed with serious stuff that they forgot how to have fun and fun is an integral part of the Love era. “The fun part [of the Love era] is the music, the beat, the style, the rhythm, the walk, the talk, the fashion, the joy, the travels, the places we have never been before.” Wrapping up the interview, Diddy disclosed that he was returning to music, but not in the genre he’s famous for. This time around, he is shifting his lens to R&B. “Yeah, all R&B label, because I feel like R&B was abandoned and it’s a part of our African American culture. And I’m not signing any artists. Because if you know better, you do better. I’m doing 50–50 partnerships with pure transparency. That’s the thing. [The new label is so that] we can own the genre; we don’t own hip-hop right now. We have a chance to—and I’m going to make sure that—we own R&B.”

GoldbergTakeover Party Crowns New DJ King

Did you find yourself scratching your head on the correct way to spell ‘wild card’, the new twist introduced by Big Brother Naija? You are not alone. Not only were fans and viewers perplexed by the meaning of the twist, but they were also confused on how to spell it. Is the term spelt together, hyphenated or as a single word? On Google trends, the ‘wildcard’ search by regions placed Nigeria in the fourth position with the leading query being ‘what is the meaning of wildcard in bbn?’ So, being a wildcard means gaining the opportunity to play in a game when they have not qualified in the usual way. In the ongoing Big Brother Naija Show, Maria and Pere were allowed to play in the house provided they masked their pseudo status from being discovered. Eventually, both wildcards escaped elimination to become eligible contestants, vying for the N90 million prize money with the other 20 housemates. The live show ended, and everyone in the house moved on. Well, except for those of us who became confused as to how to correctly spell the compound word that was the hashtag of the day: Wild Card, Wildcard or Wild-card? If you type the three words on your keyboard, you are likely to get a thumbs up from Mr Autocorrect. But that doesn’t in any way clear the fog. On the internet, every dictionary site adopted a different iteration but with the commonly used form being ‘wild card’. As it stood, a wild card is an amorphous compound word that assumes whatever form it pleases. It just doesn’t care if it’s hyphenated, torn apart, or glued together as one word. The other compound words must be seething at this privilege. You can heave a sigh of relief now because irrespective of how you spelt it, you were right. For once, we can be grateful that the term is not as complicated as ‘mothers in law.’ Oops! It’s mothers-in-law.

E-TREND WATCHLIST

What to WatchThis Weekend Vanessa Obioha It’s not summer in Nigeria but it doesn’t stop us from basking in summer movies. Below is a list of movies you can watch in cinemas or streaming platforms. The Suicide Squad The much-anticipated sequel to the DC Comics superhero film ‘Suicide Squad’ will be premiering in cinemas in Nigeria today. The standalone sequel sees the most dangerous supervillains in the world — Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn — invading the remote enemyinfused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave. The Suicide Squad parades a star-studded cast that included Sylvester Stallone, Idris Elba, John Cena, Margot Robbie, Pete Davidson among others. Are We Done Yet? It’s a summer of laughs on ARISEPlay. The streaming platform from THISDAY and Arise News Group has an array of movies to keep you in a lighter mode this weekend. We advise you to settle for ‘Are We Done Yet?’, the 2007 sequel to ‘Are We There Yet?’ The family comedy film follows the life of Ice Cube who after learning that his wife Nia Long is expecting twins tries to get a bigger house for his family. Crazy Grannies Still in the mood for laughs? Head to cinemas this weekend to watch ‘Crazy Grannies’, directed by Kayode Peters — also the producer — and Tope Alake. The film follows the hilarious adventure of three grandmothers played by Ngozi Nwosu, Shaffy Bello and comedian Princess. The trailer suggests that the grandmas are in for a rollercoaster ride. Sky Rojo The second season of the Spanish crime action TV series premiered on Netflix on July 23. Created by the makers of the popular Spanish heist series ‘Money Heist’, Alex Pina and Esther Martínez Lobato, the actionpacked series tells the story of three prostitutes (Veronica Sanchez, Lali Espósito and Yany Prado) fleeing from their pimp (Asier Etxeandia) and his henchmen (Miguel Ángel Silvester and Enric Auquer). We would have advised you to skip the first season but you need to watch it to understand the latest season. The content is for mature audiences.

DJ Diamond emerged winner,Goldberg Takever Party

Vanessa Obioha The Goldberg Takeover Party recently crowned a new disc-jockey king Adeyanju Ridwan Ishola (DJ Diamond) at Stalad Hotel, Abule Egba, Lagos. With playlists that kept the audience active, in between smooth transitions, the winner won the votes of the beer brand ambassador DJ Kaywise and Small Doctor to edge out fellow contender, Nwafor Afam Daniel (DJ Danigee). DJ Diamond was awarded a N250,000 cash prize while DJ Danigee received N150,000. The Takeover Party is another way the Goldberg brand is nurturing and encouraging talents to maximize

their potential as the artistry of disc-jockeying increasingly becomes notable in Nigeria. “Our tradition at Goldberg necessitates us to remain close enough to our consumers, to promote their outstanding talents. It was indeed a battle of great talents in the entertainment industry, and we are very happy to be a part of their success; we have no doubts they will all go far in the industry,” said Senior Brand Manager, Olaoluwa Babalola. By bringing enjoyment to millions of fans and actively supporting the development of young talents in the country, Babalola further reiterated that “Goldberg is always honoured to initiate a movement in the mainstream entertainment scene that can

further contribute pillars of support for unique creatives through healthy competitions, and we will not relent our efforts to provide opportunities and recognition for DJs and other talents whom we recognize as kingmakers in their own stead.” The Goldberg Takeover Party experience will continue with a sponsored mentorship for contestants with the show’s top headliner and judge, DJ Kaywise at his renowned DJ Academy. In a statement, Kaywise highlighted the potential impact of the project. Having toured cities like Benin, Warri and now Lagos, the Goldberg Takeover Party will be making its next stop at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,

Big Brother Naija Watch out for the live eviction show on Sunday when we will discover the housemate with the least votes. During the week, the two wild cards, Maria and Pere were given the nomination burden to choose four housemates each for possible eviction. JayPaul, WhiteMoney, Yerins, Beatrice and Niyi topped their list. However, Boma, who won the Head of House title for the week, was given the power to save and replace one of the nominees. He saved JayPaul and put Yousef in his place. Of the five nominees, WhiteMoney is likely to garner more votes than others, going by his popularity on social media and among celebrities, particularly Nollywood actors like Yul Edochie. Besides the live eviction show, catch up on the brewing relationships in the house and of course, the expected drama on the dedicated channels DStv 198 and GOtv 29. The reality TV show is also available on Showmax. My Village People In honour of the late Rachel Oniga who passed away a week ago, we recommend watching/rewatching ‘My Village People’ which she featured in. The movie is written by comedian Bovi Ugboma and directed by Niyi Akinmolayan. It stars Bovi, Nkem Owoh, Amaechi Muonagor and Charles Inojie in the lead roles. It tells the story of a young man whose weaknesses for women eventually lands him in a bizarre love triangle with witches.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Okediran Unveils Another War Thriller ‘Madagali’ At the just-concluded Nigeria International Book Fair 2021, the award-winning author, medical doctor and politician, Dr. Wale Okediran delivered his latest work of fiction titled“Madagali’’which is inspired by true events in North-east Nigeria. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

he latest novel- a war thriller- by the Secretary General of the Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) Dr. Wale Okediran titled, ‘Madagali: A Skillful Fictional Account of Boko Haram Insurgency’ was recently launched on July 29 before a gathering of literati. The literary feast was a part of the activities at the 20th edition of the Nigerian International Book Fair festival which took place at Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. A hybrid event, it was chaired by the Minister of State for Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora who acknowledged the contributions of literature to documenting wars in history. With reference to war classics such as Eric Maria Remarque’s account of World War I in the novel, ‘All Quiet on The Western Front, Margaret Mitchell’s take on the American Civil War in ‘Gone With The Wind,’ and Boris Pastemack’s depiction of the Russian Revolution in ‘Doctor Zhivago’, the senator recounted how literary history has been replete with fictional works that captured the temperament of the period. “Nearer home in Nigeria, a plethora of novels have been written on the Nigerian Civil War such as Cyprian Ekwensi’s Divided We Stand, Eddie Iroh’s Forty-eight Guns for The General, Aniebo’s Behind the Rising Sun as well as Chimamanda Adiche’s Half of A Yellow Sun, among others. For the past decade or so, Nigeria has been battling with the Boko Haram insurgency which has affected many Nigerians however far they were from the specter of the crisis. As expected, Nigerian Writers at home and abroad have commenced the necessary and very important duties of documenting the insurgency in Fiction and Non- Fiction,’’ he said. Published by Evans Publishers Plc, the novel -set in North-east Nigeria- spotlights the pathetic state of Nigeria’s war against insurgency. The novel, ‘Madagali’ is named after a town and local government area in Adamawa, located adjacent

L-R: Mr Ernest Oppong, Executive Director APNET; Mr Asare Yamoah, President Ghana Publishers Association; the author, Dr Wale Okediran, SG, PAWA; Mr Ahmed Waziri Hassan, Chief Presenter; Prof Chris Bode, Chairman; Mr Lukman Dauda, MD Evans Publishers; Dr Abubakar Othman, Book Reviewer; Mr Dapo Gbadega, President NIBF and Mr Camilus Ukah, President Association of Nigerian Authors

to the border with Cameroon. Madagali is a tale of love and ambush in a time of war told through the lead character Bukar, a young lance corporal in the Nigerian army. Born of a Nigerian father and Liberian mother, he is injured in a deadly ambush by Boko Haram. While in recovery at the hospital, he discovers that the injury has rendered him impotent. Still, he finds love in a hopeless place- Safiya a humanitarian worker and daughter of a former Boko Haram leader. The intrigue that follows Safiya’s blackmail forces Bakar to make a moral decision between seeking selfish interest via cure for his erectile dysfunction or defending his beloved country. On his part, the book reviewer, Dr. Abubakar Othman described the book as “a manual for the study of military intelligence and guerilla warfare. Madagali serves a s a very useful

book for the medical doctors who will be involved in the counselling and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in persons.’’ Furthermore, the scholar of English Literature added that Madagali shows the politics and risks involved in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria. According to him, the narrative in the book peers into how the Boko Haram group is organized, spy into the Nigerian military, gather intelligence and other issues such as corruption and the lack of strong political will to tackle the insurgency. Trained as a medical doctor, the author who later became a Member of the Federal House of Representatives in Abuja is a writer of great distinction. His award-winning book, ‘Tenants of The House,’ which captures his experience at the National Assembly was adapted into a movie was screened in Abuja in 2019.

Olamide Adams Returns to Roots with ‘Native Tales’ Yinka Olatunbosun He may be tucked away in France with his family but his connection to his Nigerian roots are palpable through his stories. The Francebased entrepreneur, teacher, music enthusiast and author of Native Tales, Olamide Adams had always wanted to be a writer as a young child who was weaned on stories. In his first year in secondary school, he began writing some of the stories in this collection released in October 2020 as a gift to his daughter who turned five. Having discovered his little girl’s interest in stories, he decided to complete his writing and publish his stories after being on a self-imposed hiatus. “Storytelling was part of our lives,’’ he said during his recent visit to Nigeria. “My brothers and I used to enjoy our uncle telling us stories sometimes in the evenings. The most memorable of those childhood years was when I would be playing with friends in our compound and you’d suddenly hear the theme song of Tales by Moonlight start from the neighbour’s television. I would scramble to our own living room to put on the television to watch one of NTA’s attempts in preserving the rich Nigerian culture. The children entertainment programme dramatized moral-teaching folklores from different ethnic groups in the country.’’ In addition to the oral tradition, literary texts such as Chinua Achebe’s ‘Chike and

Book cover

the River,’ Cyprian Ekwensi’s ‘The Passport of Mallam Ilia’ and Kola Onadipe’s ‘Call me Michael’ fired up his interest in storytelling. But as he approached his late teens, he stopped writing. But then, he kept the manuscripts carefully through the years. After studying Business Administration at the University

of Lagos, he worked as the cultural animator at the French Cultural Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos before leaving to work as a senior executive at the Air France KLM group in Nigeria. He has also worked in the recruitment and banking sectors in Paris. He refocused on his writing skills and completed five stories for his daughter’s fifth birthday. The book Native Tales: A collection of Short Stories includes stories such as ‘A Dance to Save the King’, ‘The Old Man’s Potion’, ‘Ayangoke and His Magical Talking Drum’, ‘Journey to Oke Oro’ and ‘Rere Lope.’ The stories teach the values of kindness, courage, wisdom, problem-solving and heroism. For instance, in ‘Journey to Oke Oro,’ the author deploys the travel motif that is reminiscent of D.O Fagunwa’s ‘A Forest of A Thousand Daemons.’ That edge-of-the-seat adventure story will excite young readers and help them develop strong imaginative minds. “Initially, I didn’t even want to sell the book. But now, it is selling on Amazon, Jazzhole, Terra Kulture and the Narrative Landscape online. My daughter speaks only French but she understands English sparingly. My objective is to speak English to her repeatedly. But just to make her happy, I have got the book translated in French,’’ he said.

Duro Ikujenyo Launches New Album, ‘Divine Union’ Yinka Olatunbosun Jazz musician and former pianist for Fela’s Africa 70, Duro Ikujenyo has launched his latest album titled ‘Divine Union.’ The album was presented at the documentary screening for ‘Lagos: Fastest Growing City in the World and the Future of Planet Earth’ by produced by Angelbeth Theuretzbacher and Duro Ikujenyo. The album which is the sixth from Ikujenyo, was conceived and recorded during the first and second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic between March 2020 and April 2021.The four-track album boasts of the retro sound of Afro-beat with a structural template of jazz elements drawn from the African traditional instrument including the once popular ‘Agidigbo.’ In its entirety, the album mirrors the Nigeria’s social realities especially on matters of global health, social and economic experience since the pandemic struck. The tracks include Divine Union, Mibele (Lagos Agidigbo Blues), Ibadan and Eye je. The music has a unique traditional and English linguistic vocal delivery and accompanied choruses, melodic, harmonic horns lines and modulation arrangements performed in fast and mid-tempos. Ambassador Ayo Olukanni, in a brief speech at the end of the performance to herald the new album at the Mike Adenuga Centre, paid glowing tributes to Nigeria music and film industry as a vital revenue earner and positive image maker that is necessary for Nigeria’s international relations.

‘Awo’ and ‘Aremu’ Plays Set for Glover Memorial Hall Yinka Olatunbosun The Duke of Shomolu Productions has ramped up plans to stage two exciting plays at the prestigious Glover Memorial Hall this August. The plays would parade over one 100 cast and crew members. With support from the Lagos State Government through its Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the plays will light up the cultural landscape in Lagos. There’s no gainsaying that theatre plays a central role in the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s economic rejuvenation plan that targets job creation, youth empowerment and infrastructural development. Aremu is a de-politicised depiction of the life and times of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo written by Prof. Ahmed Yerima. It would take the audience through the mysterious birth of its principal, throwing up his growing up years, touching the very deep and rich trado-cultural ethos that has molded him and guided him through his very colorful sojourn in life. Awo is a musical that captures the life of the great nationalist, Chief Olufemi Awolowo to shape our national outlook, inspire new leadership and serve as a guide to aspiring arrowheads in nation building. Supported by First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Wema Bank, Timekeepers, AIICO Plc, Cruxstone Development and Investment Limited, all performances would be guided by the Covid-19 protocols alongside safety marshals from the Lagos State Safety Commission. Aremu and Awo will be staged from August 22 and run every Sunday through to September 12, 2021 at the Glover Memorial Hall Marina, Lagos.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

HLF Team duirng one of its visits to Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos

Foundation Launches Crowdfunding Platform with Insurance Beneﬁts Mary Nnah After impacting over 130million people spending over N18 Million on a series of CSR activities covering the six points of concern of the foundation, His Love Foundation (HLF), the charity arm of Redeemed Christian Church of God, has announced the launch of a new crowdfunding campaign. The aim is to raise and dispense funds in an honourable, transparent, sustainable and structured manner with a view to continue to deepen her initiatives, spread, and broaden the level of impacts in benefiting millions of Nigerians that are in desperate and dire needs. In the last three years, the Redeemed Christian church of God in Nigeria, has spent on various CSR activities over N18, 444,618,335.97, impacting over 130,753,857 people in her 43,000 operating centres spread

over the 36 states of the federation. The funding to be raised will be used to support His Love Foundation’s efforts in addressing a wide variety of in-the-moment, on-the-ground needs in six specific areas of health, education, feeding, social enterprise, rehabilitation and prisons at the local, state, national and international level. The crowdfunding campaign was inspired by growing demands of intervention programmes and projects of the church through the foundation which are in response to the clarion call of Jesus Christ to every believer to be mindful of the sick, the poor, those in prison and the hungry. Intercontinental Overseer, Christian Social Responsibility (CSR) of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, while taking members of the press community through the strides of the foundation stated that, “CSR is a matter

of life and death, so this crowdfunding campaign provides an incredible opportunity for individuals, philanthropists and corporations to take part in ameliorating the suffering of people across the world especially in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic”. He went on to say that there were a wide variety of urgent demands where government support will not be available at all or available in time to meet all the rapidly-changing needs on the ground, hence the need for donations from individuals, philanthropists and corporations to fill critical gaps and make a tremendous difference. “We therefore need to bring our resources together, so that we can make a tremendous impact”, he said. He further stated that, with as little as N1000 a month or N12,000 lump sum

as a year donation or more, from a partner, the foundation will be able to do more for more people, impact more communities and transform more lives. In addition, the HLF has entered into partnerships with four Insurance companies in Nigeria to give one-year free Accident Insurance Policy to partners who make lump sum donations of N12,000 or more at once. According to Iluyomade, the insurance partners are: Axa Mansard; Leadway Assurance Company Limited; Veritas Kapital and Cornerstone Insurance. The policy provides a worldwide cover on 24-hour basis and pays prompt compensation in the event of injuries, disability or death caused solely by accident, external and visible events such as road accidents, Motorcycle and Tricycle ( Keke NAPEP) risks are covered, however, power bikes or bikes used for racing are excluded.

We Must Ensure Girls of the Future do not Inherit Today’s Inequalities Rachel Toku-Appiah While many parts of the world are experiencing a decline in birth rates, in Africa we see a very different picture. By 2030, a fifth of the world’s population will be from the continent. As millions of young people join the labour market every year, governments are struggling to create employment to meet the demand for jobs. Countries like South Africa, for example, are reporting that three quarters of all youth are now unemployed. These numbers are staggering and reminiscent of the worst economic downturns of the past. However, unlike many previous recessions, this crisis has a distinctively female face. The “she-cession” triggered by COVID-19 is pushing women out of the labour market - often with little or no prospect of return. By some calculations, women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable to this crisis than men’s jobs. In Ethiopia and Uganda, the gender gap in employment has now widened by at least 14 percentage points. In South Africa, it is estimated that women have suffered two thirds of the job losses due to the pandemic. One important reason for this impact on women is that the measures put in place to contain the virus significantly increased the burden of unpaid care. This type of work is disproportionately carried out by women and born from stereotypes that have dictated women’s place in society for centuries. Some of

these social norms, which relegate women to family roles and domestic chores, mean they have had to take a step back to care for their children as measures like school closures came into effect. Women’s employment rates are dropping faster than average. And with women making up 50% or more of the workforce in many African countries, this presents us with both a huge risk and opportunity. We can either take action and change our future for the better or confine our continent to decades more growth-restricting inequality. 2021 must be a year of action for gender equality. In bringing together leaders from across society, the Generation Equality Forum taking place later this month is the opportunity for our leaders to match the urgency of this moment and deliver for women and girls. One area where we can be encouraged is African entrepreneurship. Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest rate of women entrepreneurs. Having grown up in Botswana, a global leader in women-owned businesses, this isn’t news to me. Whether it is designing, textile manufacturing, food processing, wellness products or business services, women leaders are inspiring new generations and showing us what is possible. The fantastic achievement in African entrepreneurship points to the vast potential that we can draw on to help our continent grow and be more prosperous. But all is not as it first may seem.

During the pandemic, women-owned businesses have been more likely to close and less likely to reopen. Although some women have a real desire to open their own business, many are driven by necessity. They need income to help care for their family and run their household, so a home-based or flexible venture helps them juggle these priorities. Women-owned businesses also consistently earn less than their men-led counterparts. Female entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa continue to make lower profits than men (34 % less on average). While African women make up almost 58% of the continent’s self-employed population, they are granted less funding, receive less training, mentorship, start-up advice, and fewer opportunities to scale. If we could encourage and incentivise women’s businesses, we can help them grow and accelerate their recovery from the financial impact of COVID-19. Imagine what the continent would look like if empowering women to succeed in business was the status quo. It would mean more than half of the continent’s potential workforce in jobs, contributing to their communities and the economy. Empowering women is simply smart economics. In Niger, for instance, the World Bank predicts that GDP would be over 25 percent higher if gender inequality were reduced. To really bring about lasting and transformative change, however, we need

to change entrenched views about women’s role in society. We must start to see women as having autonomy over their health, their education and their futures. We know that with greater access to information about reproductive health, contraceptives and services, women and girls are more likely to stay in school, join the workforce and keep their jobs. As a woman with a background in science and technology, I am used to being a minority in the system. It doesn’t matter where you look, there are not many women in STEM to provide leadership, mentorship and inspiration. In countries like Nigeria and Kenya, only 1 in 4 women are working in the field. We know that when women are involved in decision making, they achieve better outcomes for everyone in science and research. This is the future we want to build. Women are an untapped and underutilized talent pool. We all make better decisions when we’re working with diverse teams, bringing a range of lived experiences and perspectives to the table. We must tackle gender equality now so that women are able to live full, healthy and productive lives. It is absolutely essential to our national – and global – recovery plans. Only through concerted action, led by parents, teachers and leaders at every level, will we ensure the girls of the future do not inherit this inequality. t5PLV "QQJBI %JSFDUPS 1SPHSBN "EWPDBDZ BOE $PNNVOJDBUJPOT "GSJDB

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Coca-Cola Foundation, AREAi’s Recycle and Win Promo Promise to Reward Sustainability Eﬀort Nume Ekeghe Coca-Cola Foundation, in partnership with Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi) recently announced the launch of its Recycle and Win Promo, a three-month campaign with a goal to increase the overall recycling awareness, collection rate of PET bottles, cans and other plastics across six states in Nigeria.

This campaign will reward consumers and households who bring in their PET bottles for recycling with exciting gifts and vouchers. To participate in the Recycle and Win campaign, residents of Kwara, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Oyo and Ondo states who are subscribers under the Recycle and Win Promo will be expected to exchange their recyclable items which are counted at the point of collection/drop-off, for

redeemable points which can then be used to buy valuable goods, such as airtime, basic food items and other household needs. The Recycle and Win campaign is aimed at reducing the amount of recyclable waste that ends up in landfills and neighborhood drainage systems, while also reducing the increasing risks of infectious diseases, flood, and psychological stress that results from mismanaged waste heaps. This is in line with AREAi’s

Mission Zero Plastic objective, a program funded by the CocaCola Foundation which aims to recover, recycle and repurpose 600 tons of plastic over the next 12 months across six states. Speaking on the campaign, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria, stated that, “The recent flood situation globally is an indication of how much attention we all

should be paying to recyclable waste. It’s why the Recycle and Win campaign presents a chance to reinforce a more environmentally conscious world, and an improved attitude towards waste management. “This is in line with CocaCola Foundation’s vision for enhancing communities, protecting the environment, and driving behavioural-change initiatives.”

Founder, AREAi, Gideon Olanrewaju added that, “the Recycle and Win promo comes at a time when Nigerians are experiencing very high levels of inflation. “Rewarding individuals who have made environmentally responsible decisions during this time with a valuable household will go a long way to reinforce a sustainability mindset and develop a better environment for us all to live in.”

NAOWA Inaugurates Inter-command Competition for Quality Education among Students Rebecca Ejifoma The Chairperson of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) 81 Division Chapter, Mrs. Oghenerukevwe Fejokwu, recently inaugurated the inter-command school game to promote quality education for children and wards of the Nigeria Army serving within 81 Division in Lagos State. The chairperson said this at the opening ceremony of the competition held at the Nigerian Army Ikeja Cantonment, as the contest aims to enhance knowledge and foster cooperation among the students across command schools. Fejokwu said: “It is gratifying that we have this unique opportunity as a platform to organise command schools within 81 Division area of responsibility for a competition of this nature.” She emphasised that the competition is in accordance with her mandate as the chairperson of NAOWA 81 Division Chapter of providing humanitarian service. “This competition can be seen as my humble contribution to promotion of quality education for the benefit of children and wards

of Nigerian Army personnel serving within 81 Division area of responsibility.” While noting its relevance as a credible platform to encourage peer review among the school and to showcase the inherent talents among the students, Fejokwu added that the competition would further array the beauty in cultural diversity. Speaking also, the Special Guest and First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, acknowledged education as the bedrock as well as paramount to the success of children. She added: “The rate at which students misbehave in the society these days is a call for concern and as such I want to use this opportunity to thank the Nigerian Army for not only protecting the lives and properties of the citizens, but also providing a conducive atmosphere of learning for children and communities around the barracks.” According to Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mr. Sobowale Safiudeen, command schools everywhere in the country are known for sound teaching and discipline which is the bedrock of the Nigerian army. “This competition is to encourage our children that education pays and as such

they have to read their books, and listen to their parents,” she implored the participants including teachers and students

from various command schools. The schools present at the maiden edition were: Command Secondary school

Ikeja, Command Day School Ipaja, Command Secondary school Oshodi, Command Secondary School Ojo,

Command Children School Bonny Cantonment, and Command Secondary School Yaba.

Mrs. Oghenerukevwe Fejokwu ﬂanked by other senior oﬃcers and members of NAOWA at the opening ceremony of the inter-Clcommand school competition in Lagos

LEAP Africa Takes Youth Day of Service to 20 African Countries Rebecca Ejifoma In commemoration of International Youth Day, LEAP Africa is set to impact over 100,000 beneficiaries in the second edition of its PanAfrican Youth Day of Service (YDoS) campaign across 20 African countries. The youth-led social impact campaign, which is on the theme, Youthful and Useful, will be held from August 12 to 18 this year. The YDoS aims to foster the spirit of service to community and encourage volunteerism among the youth population

in Africa, with focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also on the quest to inspire them to be active social change agents in society. This was according to the Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Femi Taiwo, at a media briefing held in Lagos. “We seek to rally young people, corporate organisations, public and social sector organisations to become advocates and renew the spirit of active youth citizenship with emphasis on spreading the culture of service and collective

responsibility. “The campaign will feature different projects championed by young people in various communities across Africa.” The YDoD 2021 presents a unique opportunity to mobilise the energy, creativity, and agency of young Africans while collaborating with an ecosystem of like-minded organisations to support and advance efforts towards localising and achieving the SDGs. “One of our strategic pillars as an organisation is to raise talents for the actualisation of the SDGs, the Youth

Day of Service initiative is a demonstration that LEAP Africa remains committed to championing conversations on youth actions for Sustainable Development across Africa. “The week-long campaign will bring together young people in different African countries, and communities to champion laudable community development projects.” Taiwo concluded. On how people can participate, participants can either register their own project, volunteer for existing projects or sponsor the execution of a project as listed on the

campaign portal, www. youthdayofservice.org. The registered projects can be physical projects or active virtual advocacy in different locations across Africa between August 12 to 18. Youth Day of Service is personal leadership in action; intended to empower young people, strengthen communities and trigger collective actions that would move the continent closer to achieving the SDGs with 2030 in view. The International Youth Day is celebrated annually on 12th August to bring youth issues to the

attention of the international community and celebrate their potential as partners in today’s global society. The day also gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions, and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. While the representative of Lagos Food Bank, Favour Dada, said they were impressed with the impact of the volunteers last year, she added that her organisation looks forward to a fruitful YDoS this year.

particularly. “Aside the rich content and practical sessions, the training comes with internship opportunities in the film and media industry to make its graduates competent and very marketable upon graduation,” she said.

The programme is run in collaboration with Ovueta, a film and television company, and will avail students contemporary content in film and media. NIJ alumni and current students interested in running the programme are entitled to fabulous discounts, the

release added. The NIJ film and television academy is one of the many innovations introduced in the school by the current management led by an experienced media practitioner, and former president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Gbenga Adefaye.

NIJ Floats Film, Television Academy Ayodeji Ake The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), has taken its manpower training in media and communication studies to another level by floating a film and television academy.

The academy which commenced academic activities this August, offers courses in screen acting, film directing, film sound editing and film editing, according to a release by NIJ Registrar, Mrs Patricia Kalesanwo. “The coming of the

academy is in line with NIJ’s pursuit of its dual heritage in academic learning and professional development, and that experienced professionals have already been mobilised to provide cutting edge teaching in the film and media industry generally and Nollywood

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

METRO Sudden Demise of a Gallant Cop, DCP Kenneth Akubue …Your city life in print

Dr. Chinedu Idike

enneth Ikechukwu Akubue was born on December 31, 1965 into the family of the Late Chief John Ndubuisi Akubue (an Assistant Commissioner of Police) and late Chief Mrs. Grace Oboise Akubue (Nee Jatto Omizegba) and hails from the famous and highly respected Idikwuogu Nweze family of Nua, Aku in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State, Nigeria. He was the second son in a family of six children comprising three boys and three girls, namely, Innocent Akubue (who passed on in 2017), Kenneth Akubue, Dr. Ifeyinwa (Ify) Nwankwo (Nee Akubue), Lady Chika Ugwu (Nee Akubue), Philip Akubue (JP) and Mrs. Chioma Anifowose (Nee Akubue) (JP). Kene, as he was fondly called by his siblings, had his primary education at St. Patricks Primary School, Maiduguri, Bornu State and completed it in 1974. He started his secondary education in 1976 at Boys High school, Nsukka (now, Nsukka High School, Nsukka), Enugu State and completed his secondary education with flying colours in 1981. At his early education, DCP Ken Akubue already started to show flashes of brilliance and extraordinary intellect which stood him out from his peers. Upon the completion of his secondary education, Kene had his eyes on the university education, scaled all the hurdles and was admitted to the University of Maiduguri to study Political Science. Early in life, he was visionary, displaying a purpose-driven life and wanted to have a successful career in public service. He studied Political Science in the University of Maiduguri where he was one of the outstanding performers in his year and graduated in 1987 with a Second Class Honours, Upper Division. After his impressive academic performance and accomplishments in the University of Maiduguri, he completed his National Youth Service Corps program in 1988 at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria where he subsequently obtained a Masters Degree in International Law and Relations in the university. His academic sojourns in both the University of Maiduguri and University of Benin formed the core of who he eventually became. He was positively defiant and resilient in his intentions. In line with his natural inclination for public service leading to a distinctive scholarship in Political Science and International Law and Relations, it was only natural he chose the Nigerian Police Force as a dream and career path. Kene was inspired, on the one hand, by his personal vision and ambition to join the Nigerian Police and, on the other hand, by his father’s very successful career in the Nigerian Police Force. He started his career in the Nigerian Police Force in self-satisfaction of a life ambition and to the admiration of his late mother and siblings who viewed Kene as a natural replacement for their late dad. The Almighty God employed the services of his beloved aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth Azeke, who through the immense assistance of Mrs. Mary Anegbode, placed his impressive resume before the relevant authorities and he was quickly offered a career in the Nigerian Police Force after successfully undergoing rigorous entrance tests and examinations. Kene’s life and career have been positively impacted and horned by these two wonderful and amazing women, Mrs. Elizabeth Azeke and Mrs. Mary Anegbode. Kene subsequently attended the Nigerian Police Academy, Course 17, where he also posted a great performance and drew respect and accolades from his coursemates. After his program at the Nigerian Police Academy, Course 17, Kenneth Akubue had his first posting at the Olusegun Obasanjo Police Station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as a Cadet (ASP). He posted an outstanding performance demonstrating excellence, gallantry, heroism and fearlessness in the performance of his risky public service duties. He quickly rose through the ranks as his superiors were immediately attracted by his sterling qualities and they elevated him to become the 2nd in

Late DCP Akubue Command Swift Operations Squad in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. His job moved him to volatile areas within the environs and he was part of the special police team that engaged the militants and others in the heat of the Niger Delta militancy and upheavals of the year 2000s and assisted in maintaining peace in the region and stabilising the oil and gas business therein for the benefit of Nigeria. DCP Kenneth married his lovely and amiable wife, Mrs. Chinyere Akubue (Nee Idike) of the Idike Family of Aku and they were blessed with three amazing children,

Adanna Chiemerie Chrystabel Akubue-Kenneth, a girl and a bundle of beauty and intelligence, and twin boys, Kester Chimbudike David Akubue-Kenneth and Kayce Chimdiebube Daniel Akubue-Kenneth, the love of their daddy who passionately drew comfort and warmth from him endlessly. Overall, his service of the Nigerian Police Force was eventful, insightful and remarkable. He was posted to several cities in Nigeria including Warri, Enere, Agbo, Sapele and Ekpa. Due to his exceptional performance, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command. He also served as a directing staff

His job moved him to volatile areas within the environs and he was part of the special police team that engaged the militants and others in the heat of the Niger Delta militancy and upheavals of the year 2000s and assisted in maintaining peace in the region and stabilising the oil and gas business therein for the beneﬁt of Nigeria

in Police Staff College, Jos and also undertook a course where he was awarded PSC+. He also worked in the Nigerian Federal Intelligence Bureau (FIB), Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos. He had a memorable tenure at the FIB before he was moved to Oshogbo and later, to Okigwe, Imo State Police Command. In the light of his continued brilliant performance and dedication to his duties, he was further promoted to the glorious rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). Subsequently, he was posted to the Nigerian Ports Authority, Eastern Ports Police Command as second in command around May 2021, where he served the Nigerian Police Force until his death on June 19, 2021 after a brief illness. DCP Ken has left enduring legacies on his death upon which societies, families and the Police Force should be built on. He was hardworking, he was visionary, he was loyal, he was courageous with a gusty mien, he was a great leader who believed in serving others, showing acts of kindness and lifting others from their challenges. His bravery and magnificent police display earned him accolades and he was christened “Super Cop” by his numerous colleagues and members of the society in appreciation of his stellar security interventions. Most people knew and called him Akunatakasi, which he always gladly acknowledged with his calm, beautiful, effective and infectious smiles. Chief Akunatakasi’s achievements and outstandingly positive impact on the world stage are longer than 100 years. Super Cop, we will miss you. DCP Ken lives on!!!

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Tivlumun Nyitse: From Bartender to Permanent Secretary ˾ ÏÖÏÌÜËÞÓØÑ ÑÜÓÞ˜ ÜÏÝÓÖÓÏØÍÏ ËÞ ;͹ Tunde Olusunle

thought I could articulate a diamond birthday tribute to a longstanding, longserving classmate, friend, brother and confidant, Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse, on his 60th birthday, July 23, 2020. The COVID-19 scourge, a global menace in its own right, however, upset not a few plans and projections, locally and globally, throwing more than a spanner in the wheels of several calculations and conjectures. Indeed, he had planned to invite traditional artists to perform *kucha* and *bakka* from the rich repertoire of Tiv indigenous motifs, for his family and friends in his Makurdi home. Tiv performances have always been Nyitse’s strong forte, by the way. For his Bachelor of Arts degree in English programme at the University of Ilorin, he had written about Tiv Oral Poetry for his long essay, also called project in other institutions. The effort received positive appraisals from the Faculty because of the originality of the concept and content. Four full decades ago, when I secured a place as a direct entry student at the University of Ilorin, my fellow entrants included Gbenga Ayeni (who started out as a journalist in (Daily Times, but is today a professor of communications at the East Connecticut University); Dapo Adelegan (entrepreneur and initiator of the *Lekki Sunsplash Carnival* of the late 1980s) and Blessing Wikina (who served as Director of Press Affairs to former Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi in Rivers State and has since retired from the Rivers State Civil Service). There was of course Bisola Oluwole (better known now as Segilola Oluwole, a dynamic and multitasking lady entrepreneur) and Ukeh Useh, amongst we new entrants into the institution. We went through the mills of the registration, orientation and familiarisation processes together in what then was the *Mini Campus* of Unilorin and formed a bond of friendship. Oluwole was the only lady amongst us, and so we knew we had an obligation to protect our sister. As we settled into our accommodation in the hostels and began to attend classes, we discovered classmates with whom we shared similar interests and inclinations, who got into the university before us as *Jambites* the way students who were admitted as freshmen, immediately after secondary school, into the first year, were called. Those of us who came in at 200 Level, actually carried ourselves with some haughtiness having survived the furnace, in my own instance and Ayeni’s, of Higher School Certificate Examination, moderated by the Cambridge University. We soon discovered several intersections and commonalities between us and some older students, by year of admission, and not necessarily by seniority, and friendships and relationships blossomed between them and us. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse, Samuel Mopah Aileku, Tunji Bamishigbin, Kunle Sanni, were some of these new friends. I will come back to the others, but Nyitse is the focus of this tribute. Nyitse started out as a *French major* in Unilorin, but made an about turn to English, the year we were admitted. Together, we took courses in English Language; Literature in English, and electives in Linguistics. Outside the classroom, we were both involved in the same extracurricular activity in some instances. Principal among these was the Creative Writers Group, mentored by Professor David Cook, one of the iconic figures in the evolution of Ngugi Wa’ Thiongo, the famous East African writer, when he, Cook, taught at the Makerere University, Kenya. The group consisted of creatively-inclined students in the university, so it was open to enthusiasts, irrespective of course or seniority. Stephen Hesbon Lubega, Prayag Tripathi and Olu Obafemi, were the other lecturers, who shared perspectives with us at the meetings of the group. Cook, Obafemi and one of the younger members of the group, Wumi Raji, would later co-edit a collection of poetry, written by those of us who were members of the writer’s group. *Rising Voices: An Anthology of New Poetry Nigerian Poetry* (1991), is the title of that collection. Nyitse and I were contributors. Contemporary writers who have since evolved from the Unilorin Creative Writers Group, include: Sunnie Enessi Ododo (professor and General Manager of the National Theatre); Sola Babatunde (professor of English in Unilorin); Abdulrasheed Na’Allah (professor and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja); Mopah Aileku (a public servant) and this writer among others. Nyitse, Raji, Aileku and this writer, were part of that pioneering effort. Upon our graduation, we were deployed to different states for the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. While he was posted to the Old Cross River State, I was deployed to the Old Imo State. Nyitse came ahead of our departure date and passed the night with me in my parents’ home in Ilorin, before we both travelled together. We boarded the same vehicle which took us to Onitsha, where we both continued our journeys to our respective destinations.

Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse

Tivlumun Nyitse has evolved from that secondary school leaver in 1979, who served as a bartender in Benue Hotels, Makurdi the premier hospitality resort the Benue State capital, to one of the major opinion leaders in his state, and indeed in the North Central. He clobbered the obstacles on his path with uncommon grit and resilience While Nyitse went back to his home state, Benue after the service year, I also returned to the Old Kwara State, my erstwhile abode. Coincidentally, our careers have followed the same trajectory. He secured an appointment, first as a classroom teacher in a secondary school in Markudi, while I also hired by the Kwara State Education Management Board, to teach English. In 1987, Nyitse secured a new job in the erstwhile *Concord* newspapers, while I joined the *Daily Times* in 1990. From being the Chief Correspondent of the newspaper in Benue State, he was elevated to Zonal Editor, in-charge of seven states, including Benue, Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe, with his office in Jos. He left Concord for the Benue State owned *The Voice* newspaper in 1992, first as Editor, and then as Managing Editor. Nyitse nearly got fired by Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu, who was civilian governor of Benue State between January 1992 and November 1993. He was deemed too independent-minded as Editor-in-Chief of *The Voice,* approving of the publication of stories and reports in the newspaper, which were deemed inimical to the interest of the state. He was twice invited to face the Benue State Executive Council, to explain why *The Voice* interrogated and criticised certain actions and policies of the administration. For the avoidance of doubt, though, Nyitse who ran for election as Secretary General of the Unilorin Students’ Union in 1984, had demonstrated the radical streak in him in a few instances. He once sided with the students against the authorities of the university, who were opposed to the hosting of a zonal conference of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, in 1985. The military administration of Muhammadu Buhari at the time, resented opposition of any kind and NANS was considered an adversarial body. Nyitse was temporarily sent away from school while

official inquest in the matter proceeded. He was subsequently vindicated by the investigative panel set up by the school authorities and was recalled in time to write his final exams. With the ouster of the Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, ING, by General Sani Abacha in November 1993, the newly appointed Military Administrator of Benue State at the time, Joshua Oluyemi Omoniyi Obademi, appointed Nyitse as his Chief Press Secretary. It is a measure of Nyitse’s professional competence and the confidence reposed in him, that the two successors to Obademi, Aminu Isa Kontagora and Dominic Oneya, retained his services and even deployed his expertise in administrative capacities. He was, for instance deployed to Gwer West local government area as Caretaker Chairman, by the administration of Brigadier General Oneya in 1998. Following the dawn of democratic governance May 1999, Nyitse returned to his original duty post in *The Voice.* In 2001, he was appointed Permanent Secretary by the administration of George Akume. He was first deployed to the Office of the Head of Civil Service, Benue State, where he functioned as Permanent Secretary in-charge of Service Welfare. He was subsequently deployed to the Ministry of Information and Culture, in the same capacity. Following the election and inauguration of Gabriel Torwua Suswam as governor in 2007, Nyitse was redeployed to Government House as Permanent Secretary in-charge of Administration. He served creditably in this capacity for seven years before retiring early 2014, to contest for the governorship of Benue State. Nyitse ran a very well received issue-based campaign across the 23 local government areas of the state, on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. He co-opted me into the think tank for the project and I temporarily relocated to Benue State, to offer as much support as I could. He had perhaps, the most

profound manifesto and mission statement of all the aspirants, articulated by intellectuals, technocrats and bureaucrats after several sessions of retreats and workshops. He envisioned a state which will leverage, maximally on its infinite agricultural potentials, to rewrite its narrative of poverty and backwardness. He was equally going to emphasise education, healthcare, youth empowerment and infrastructure, in his developmental plan. He was very easily, the topmost contender for the position. This was until all gubernatorial aspirants were advised to step down for a particular anointed aspirant, on the eve of the primaries. The decision proved calamitous for the PDP as it would subsequently impact negatively on the performance of the PDP at the polls. The party was roundly trounced by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Samuel Ortom, one of the few PDP governorship aspirants on that occasion, who refused to step down and instead, moved over to the opposition APC at the time. He remained undaunted and simply moved on with his life. Armed with a doctorate degree in Mass Communication from the Benue State University, BSU, he secured a contract appointment as a lecturer at the Bingham University, Karu, Abuja, in 2016. Last year, he was elevated to the position of Senior Lecturer in Mass Communication in the institution. Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nyitse’s constituents once more, brought pressure to bear on him to run for the governorship of Benue State on the platform of the PDP. Once again, he began consultations and subtle campaigns for the top job. Following the defection of Governor Samuel Ortom from the APC, to the PDP, however, all aspirants to the position of chief executive of the state, were advised to withdraw from the race and to join forces with the incumbent. For the second time in five years, therefore, Nyitse was compelled to jettison his political aspirations, against his wish. Tivlumun Nyitse has evolved from that secondary school leaver in 1979, who served as a bartender in Benue Hotels, Makurdi the premier hospitality resort the Benue State capital, to one of the major opinion leaders in his state, and indeed in the North Central. He clobbered the obstacles on his path with uncommon grit and resilience. The journalist-technocrat, was born July 23, 1960 and hails from Utyondu in Guma local government area in the state. His pursuit of knowledge has taken him around Nigeria from Benue, through Gombe and then Kwara States. This is not forgetting his eye-opening one year stint as a youth corps member in present day Akwa Ibom State. He belongs to several professional groups and associations, notably the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA; the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ and the Association of Communication Scholars and Practitioners Nigeria, ACSPN. Those who know Nyitse and I have always chosen to label us “five and six,” the numbers usually emblazoned behind the jerseys of the two central defenders in a football team. Both players must function as a unit, to keep invaders at bay and to keep their team in the game. We are almost always together, attending conferences of professional media associations or creative writers’ summits, across the country. We were together at the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE Conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State in 2015 for instance. We holidayed in the US, UK and Turkey, during the summer of 2015. We participated in the 2017 annual reunion of the Unilorin Alumni Association, in Chicago. Back in Baltimore on that visit to the US, we enjoyed the *Amtrak* train ride to visit our old friend and brother, Gbenga Ayeni in Connecticut. He is as much of a very well known face in Isanlu, my hometown in Kogi State, as I am amongst his folks in Benue. He has been married to Mrs Helen Nguper Nyitse, incumbent Registrar of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, for about 30 years, and the union is blessed with children. He is well travelled and has visited the United States of America, USA; the United Kingdom, UK; United Arab Emirates; Germany, Turkey, Israel, India, Malaysia, among others. Nyitse has authored many academic essays and articles, published in books and journals across the world. He has also co-edited a book on mass communication, (with Tyough Emmanuel Terlumun) titled *Introduction To Mass Media: An Introduction,*(2010). He has similarly edited a collection of poetry, *Dancing Naked,* (2011). He remains a connoisseur of literature, his primary acaydemic course, and still desires to study for a masters degree in the subject. This is in addition to the educational attainments already in his pouch. He has severally attempted to develop his passion for farming by growing yams, melon and rice, back home in his community. Unfortunately, he has barely been able to make a success of the effort. * Olusunle, PhD, is a Member of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA.

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Sanwo-Olu Tasks NAICOM to Assist State in Activating Capital Based Tax Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has tasked management of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) on the need to assist the state in activating the Capital based tax in claims as enshrined in the Nigeria Constitution. Speaking while receiving the management of NAICOM led by its Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Olorundare Thomas, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu noted that the State has considerably tapped into opportunities available from the Insurance sector, especially for its workforce, pledging to collaborate more. The governor also tasked the sector on continuous advocacy and education of residents on the benefits of the Insurance sector to businesses, promising

to be a partner in progress. In the same vein, Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit by the executives of the Conference of Auditors-General of Local Governments in Nigeria led by its Chairman, Musa Atiku at Lagos House, Ikeja, on Wednesday stressed the importance of separation of power among the tiers of government. He said accountability and probity should be a way of life for leaders to gain trust of the citizens. Speaking during the visit, Atiku commended Sanwo-Olu for being the first Governor to sign the new Audit law in the country. Atiku who disclosed that the Conference of Auditors-General of Local Governments in Nigeria were in Lagos State for their 26th annual conference, commended Governor SanwoOlu for all his developmental

programmes and projects in the State, especially the role he played to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. He also urged him to support their quest to ensure that Auditors in the Local Government are duly recognised in the Nigeria Constitution. Also speaking during NAICOM courtesy visit, Olorundare Thomas, commended Lagos State Governor for all his efforts in the state, adding that NAICOM is set to partner with all the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government in the State. He also informed the Governor on the Commission’s plan to organise an interactive session for Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs to create awareness on the importance of Insurance to their businesses.

Sanwo-Olu

MARKET INDICATORS

Adefarasin, Ekeh, Other Business Moguls Win Big in Forbes 2021 Awards Eromosele Abiodun Some of the Africa’s leading lights in business, politics, innovation, leadership and the economy have been slated for honour and celebration at the forthcoming Forbes Best of Africa Award, which will hold at the Foreign Investment Network (FIN) Leadership and Philanthropy round table today virtually. In a statement, the organisers of the event said the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who will be represented by the Minister of Trade and Investment Niyi Adebayo, will deliver the goodwill message during the event. The statement added that the Chairman of FIN Group, Mrs Olayinka Fayomi, will deliver the welcome address while the keynote address will be delivered by the Prelate and Metropolitan Senior Pastor of the House on the Rock Nigeria and Founder and President of The Rock Foundation, Pastor Paul

Adefarasin. The statement reads in part, “A major highlight of the event which has been described by analysts as one of the biggest and most prestigious in 2021, will be the celebration of important personalities who have and continue to have significant influence on the business, political, leadership and economic landscape of Africa. “The Prime Minister of Lesotho, Dr Moeketsi Majoro and the King of Lesotho Kingdom, His Majesty Letsie III, David Mohato Seeiso will also deliver good message during the event “The awards is coming after months of intense research and thorough verification exercise by FIN and FORBES and will be presented by none other than Mr. Mark Furlong, President of Customs Solutions at Forbes.” According to FIN, some of the recipients are Mr. Sam Matekane, Kwame Bediako, Mr. Mahmood Ahmadu and Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh.

Other awardees include: Ms. Wendy Ackerman,Dr. Rajan Mahtani, Mr. Ken Sharpe, Claver Gatete and Pastor Paul Adefarasin. Other panelists for the event include: Wendy Ackerman, His Excellency Ghadiyali Zuliquar, a multi-faceted technocrat, businessman and leading entrepreneur in the middle East, Dalith Steiger, co-founder of the award-winning, Startup, Swiss Cognitive; Rajan Mahtani, a Zambian business magnate, Chairman of Finance Bank Zambia Limited and Sam Matekane, an entrepreneur and chairman of Matekane Group of Companies Lesotho. The FIN – Forbes Best of Africa Award is usually given annually in connection with the Best of Africa event held in New York City around the United Nations General Award (UNGA) meetings to highlight business personalities with a record of creating and building great global businesses that have made far-reaching and positive contributions to the development of Africa.

Heirs Life, Insurance, Promise Efﬁcient Service Delivery Nume Ekeghe Heirs Insurance Limited and Heirs Life Assurance, have confirmed that customers are now able to purchase insurance policies from their websites in mere minutes. The company in a statement said the interactive websites ensures that customers have access to quick insurance, completing transactions in minutes wherever they are, without any human intervention. The development, it added, signals the kick-off of its ambition to digitalise insurance and provide a viable alternative for customers to purchase products and request claims without delay, as well as learn more about insurance. The Managing Director, Heir Life Assuance, Mr. Niyi

Onifade, in the statement explained that the websites were designed to remove the barrier of accessibility. He said: “For us at Heirs Insurance and Heirs Life, our business revolves largely around satisfying our customers and we understand the important role technology plays in making that happen, as well as widening the scope of our offering to underserved markets. Presently, our websites offer a web app feature that allows customers to buy and pay for policies in just five minutes and request for claims within 24 hours. This, we believe, is the ease customers truly deserve and we are glad to be pioneering that.” Also, the Acting Managing Director Heirs Insurance Limited, Dr. Adaobi Nwakuche,

confirmed the companies’ stance on technology offering ease and comfort to customers. She said: “We are delighted that customers can now purchase products via our websites. This milestone speaks to the innovation we are bringing into the insurance industry and more importantly, our commitment to our customers. Our promise of simple, quick, accessible, and reliable insurance service is closer than ever.” The duo of Nwakuche and Onifade have repeated severally in their series of media engagement that the companies will constantly be at the intersection of technology and innovation, leveraging the power of both factors to provide for customers, well-tailored, value adding products at affordable prices.

MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͯͳ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $73.15 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $75.29 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zaﬁro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

T H I S D AY ˾ ʹ˜ 2021

Stock Market Decline on Profit-taking in MTN Nigeria, Zenith Bank Darasimi Adebisi The Nigerian stock market depreciated by 0.32per cent yesterday following investors profit-taking in MTN Nigeria Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc and 13 other stocks. The profit-taking of yesterday paused the stock market positive trading in August as investors were reacting to impressive half year (H1) unaudited results

declared by listed companies. The Nigerian Exchange Limited All-Share Index (NGX ASI) dropped by 0.32 per cent or 126.32 basis points to 38,801.51 basis points yesterday from 38,927.83 basis points the stock market opened for trading. With yesterday’s profit-taking the stock market Year-to-Date (YTD) returns currently stands at -3.65per cent Consequently, the value of all

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

listed stocks, market capitalisation dropped by N65.82billion or 0.32 per cent to close at N20.216trillion from N20.282trillion. Sector performances were mixed today with the Banking dropping by 0.3 per cent to close at 379.33 basis points from 380.46 basis points, while NGX Oil/ Gas index depreciated by 0.04 per cent to close at 371.12 basis points from 371.28 basis points the market opened for

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

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

trading. NGX Insurance rose by 0.25 per cent to 195.51 basis points while NGX Consumer Goods closed yesterday at 594.8 basis points, 0.26per cent from 593.28 basis points. In addition, the Industrial inched up by 0.04 per cent to 1,970.95 basis points. However, the market closed negative with 16 losers as against 18 gainers.

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Conoil Plc led the gainers’ chart in percentage terms with 10 per cent to close at N20.35 per share. CHI Plc followed with a gain 8.93 per cent to close at N0.05, while Sovereign Insurance went up by 7.69 per cent to close at N0.02k per share. Regal Insurance rose by 7.14 per cent to close at N0.03, while Mutual Benefits gained 5.56 per cent to close at N0.02 per share.

O F

On the other hand, Ardova topped the laggards’ chart in percentage terms by 6.25 per cent to close at N15.00k per share. Veritaskap followed with four per cent to close at N0.24k, while AIICO Insurance lost 2.06 per cent to close at N0.96 per share. Japual Gold lost 1.92 per cent to close at N0.51k, while Wapic shed 1.92per cent to close at N0.51per share.

0 4 / 0 8 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

˾ FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021

06 August 2021

Thisday Afrinvest 40 Index fell by 21bps The dŚŝƐĚĂǇ ĨƌŝŶǀĞƐƚ ϰϬ /ŶĚĞǆ ĚĞĐůŝŶĞĚ ďǇ ϮϭďƉƐ ƚŽ ƐĞƩůĞ

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 INDEX

at 1,609.63 points on the back of sell pressure on MTNN (1.8%), GTCO (-1.2%), and ZENITH (-0.4%). These stocks

Fundamental Performance Metrics for THISDAY AFRINVEST 40 Index

ĐƵŵƵůĂƟǀĞůǇ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚ ĨŽƌ Ϯϭ͘ϱй͘

Local Bourse Records Losses... ASI down 32bps

zĞƐƚĞƌĚĂǇ͕ ͕ ƚŚĞ ůŽĐĂů ďŽƵƌƐĞ ƌĞĐŽƌĚĞĚ Ă ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƉĞƌĨŽƌͲ mance due to sell-ŽīƐ in MTNN (-1.8%), GTCO (-1.2%), and ACCESS (-1.1%) as the All-Share index declined by ϯϮďƉƐ ƚŽ ϯϴ͕ϴϬϭ͘ϱϭ ƉŽŝŶƚƐ͘ ŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůǇ͕ zd ůŽƐƐ ǁŽƌƐͲ

Price Previous Current Change Price YTD Weighting Change

Ticker

Current Price

THISDAY AFRINVEST 40

1,609.63

-0.21%

650.00

0.0%

26.4%

68.00

0.0%

10.9%

-12.1%

28.00

-1.2%

8.9%

-13.4%

1 Airtel Africa PLC 2 BUA Cement Plc 3 Guaranty Trust Holding Co PLC 4 Zenith Bank PLC 5 Dangote Cement PLC 6 MTN Nigeria Communications PLC 7 Nestle Nigeria PLC

Price Change Index to Date

ROE

ROA

P/E

5.1x

P/BV

Divindend Earnings Yield Yield

9.7%

61.0%

15.0%

3.5%

-23.7%

12.3%

4.4%

0.7x

5.6%

14.9%

-12.1%

19.1%

11.2%

32.7x

6.2x

-13.4%

26.6%

4.3%

4.0x

1.0x

10.7%

24.8%

2.3% 3.1%

24.40

-0.4%

7.3%

-1.6%

23.1%

2.9%

3.3x

0.7x

12.3%

30.4%

248.10

0.0%

6.7%

1.3%

44.7%

17.5%

12.5x

5.4x

6.5%

8.0%

168.00

-1.8%

5.3%

-1.1%

143.0%

12.4%

13.5x

17.1x

6.3%

7.4%

1,540.00

0.0%

4.5%

2.3%

143.5%

17.1%

31.2x

53.4x

4.3%

3.2%

22.00

0.7%

3.8%

4.5%

9.9%

7.1%

9.9x

1.0x

4.5%

10.1%

16.4%

1.4%

2.8x

0.4x

8.8%

36.2%

2.2x

0.4x

6.9%

45.4% 29.4%

ened to -ϯ͘ϲй ǁŚŝůĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĐĂƉŝƚĂůŝƐĂƟŽŶ ĨĞůů ďǇ േϲϱ͘ϴďŶ

8 Lafarge Africa PLC 9 Access Bank PLC

9.10

-1.1%

3.3%

7.7%

ƚŽ േϮϬ͘ϮƚŶ͘ dƌĂĚŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƚǇ ǁĂƐ ŵŝǆĞĚ ĂƐ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ

10 United Bank for Africa PLC 11 FBN Holdings Plc

7.50

0.0%

2.6%

-13.3%

7.30

-0.7%

2.8%

2.1%

10.6%

1.0%

3.4x

0.3x

6.1%

12 Nigerian Brew eries PLC 13 Stanbic IBTC Holdings PLC

57.00

0.0%

2.3%

1.8%

5.6%

2.2%

47.8x

2.7x

1.7%

2.1%

41.00

0.7%

2.4%

8.6%

20.7%

2.9%

7.3x

1.4x

8.4%

13.7%

-5.9%

-2.5%

ĨĞůů ďǇ ϯϮ͘Ϯй ƚŽ ϭϯϵ͘ϴŵ ƵŶŝƚƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ǀĂůƵĞ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƌŽƐĞ ďǇ ϯϭ͘ϳй ƚŽ േϭ͘ϰďŶ͘ dŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌĂĚĞĚ ƐƚŽĐŬƐ ďǇ ǀŽůƵŵĞ ǁĞƌĞ UBA (16.4m units), GTCO (13.0m units), and ZENITH

14 International Brew eries PLC 15 Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC

5.00

0.0%

1.4%

-16.0%

30.45

1.5%

1.3%

17.1%

0.0%

2.2%

91.4%

16 SEPLAT Energy PLC 17 11 PLC

770.00

;ϭϭ͘ϵŵ ƵŶŝƚƐͿ ǁŚŝůĞ GTCO ;േϯϲϰ͘ϵŵͿ͕ ZENITH ;േϮϵϭ͘ϲŵͿ͕

18 Okomu Oil Palm PLC 19 Fidelity Bank PLC

110.00

0.0%

and UBA ;േϭϮϯ͘ϱŵͿ ůĞĚ ďǇ ǀĂůƵĞ͘

1.1%

20.9%

2.40

0.4%

0.7%

-4.8%

5.35

0.9%

0.7%

17.70

1.4%

0.6%

3.12

2.0%

0.6%

-6.3%

1.53

0.0%

0.3%

-25.0%

-12.8%

0.7x

5.4%

20.5x

0.6x

5.3%

91.4%

3.1%

1.7%

-100.0%

7.4%

3.2% 2.8x

6.4%

-4.8%

11.4%

1.1%

2.4x

0.3x

9.2%

41.8%

-10.8%

1.5%

0.1%

17.8x

0.2x

0.6%

25.5%

12.6%

7.3x

1.7x

8.5%

13.8%

-25.0%

8.9%

0.8%

3.9x

0.3x

3.3%

25.9%

8.5x

3.1x

2.8%

11.8%

0.6x

1.1%

-2.3%

2.3x

2.8%

0.0%

20 Ecobank Transnational Inc 21 Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC

0.9x

4.9%

5.6%

Mixed Sector Performance

22 FCMB Group Plc 23 Sterling Bank PLC

14.65

0.0%

0.4%

1.0%

22.5%

6.8%

WĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ

24 NASCON Allied Industries PLC 25 Transnational Corp of Nigeria

0.93

-1.1%

0.4%

3.3%

-1.3%

-0.3%

age ǁĂƐ ŵŝǆĞĚ ĂƐ ϯ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ůŽƐƚ ǁŚŝůĞ ϯ gained. The AFR-

26 Presco PLC 27 Unilever Nigeria PLC

72.60

0.0%

0.3%

2.3%

17.9%

7.3%

14.50

0.7%

0.2%

4.3%

-6.2%

-4.1%

/ d ŝŶĚĞǆ ůĞĚ ƚŚĞ ůŽƐĞƌƐ͕ ĚŽǁŶ ϭ͘Ϭй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƐĞůů-ŽīƐ in

28 PZ Cussons Nigeria PLC 29 United Capital PLC

6.00

0.0%

0.3%

13.2%

6.70

-1.5%

0.3%

42.3%

35.5%

4.2%

31.50

0.0%

0.4%

65.8%

-17.8%

-9.0%

6.20

0.0%

0.2%

6.0%

24.7%

7.5%

3.1x

0.7x

0.95

-2.1%

0.2%

-15.9%

20.5%

3.3%

2.9x

0.2x

203.20

0.0%

0.3%

56.3%

2.0%

15.5%

24.50

0.0%

0.2%

39.0%

18.3%

2.4%

4.9x

0.8x

1.6%

20.3%

0.89

-1.1%

0.2%

29.0%

19.8%

0.0%

-0.2%

0.2%

ĂĐƌŽƐƐ

ƐĞĐƚŽƌƐ

ƵŶĚĞƌ

ŽƵƌ

ĐŽǀĞƌͲ

MTNN (-ϭ͘ϴйͿ͘ &ŽůůŽǁĞĚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ Banking and Oil & Gas indices ǁŚŝĐŚ ĨĞůů ďǇ ϯϬďƉƐ ĂŶĚ ϰďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ƉƌŝĐĞ ĚĞƉƌĞĐŝĂƟŽŶ ŝŶ ACCESS (-1.1%), GTCO (-1.2%),

30 Guinness Nigeria PLC 31 Custodian and Allied Insurance 32 AIICO Insurance PLC 33 Total Nigeria PLC

OANDO (-0.2%), and ARDOVA (-ϲ͘ϯйͿ͘ KŶ ƚŚĞ ŇŝƉ ƐŝĚĞ͕ ƚŚĞ

34 Julius Berger Nigeria PLC 35 Wema Bank PLC

ŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ 'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚĞǆ ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ͕ ƵƉ Ϭ͘ϯй ĚƵĞ ƚŽ ŐĂŝŶƐ

36 Union Bank of Nigeria PLC 37 Oando PLC

DANGSUGAR

(+1.4%),

UNILEVER

(+0.7%),

and

HONYFLOUR (3.9%). Similarly, the Insurance and Industrial

38 Notore Chemical Industries Ltd 39 Beta Glass PLC 40 Transcorp Hotels Plc

'ŽŽĚƐ ŝŶĚŝĐĞƐ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞĚ ďǇ ϮϱďƉƐ ĂŶĚ ϰďƉƐ ƌĞƐƉĞĐƟǀĞůǇ͕ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ ŽĨ ďĂƌŐĂŝŶ ŚƵŶƟŶŐ ŝŶ MBENEFIT ;нϱ͘ϲйͿ͕ SOV-

RENINS (+7.7%), and WAPCO (+0.7%).

/ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌ ^ĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ^ƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶƐ /ŶǀĞƐƚŽƌƐ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ͕ ĂƐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞĚ ďǇ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ďƌĞĂĚƚŚ ;ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞͬĚĞĐůŝŶĞ ƌĂƟŽͿ͕ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶĞĚ to 1.2x from 0.9x recorded in the last trading session as 18 stocks advanced

4.60

24.3%

1.3x

5.1x

1.6x

10.4%

0.9x 8.9%

0.7%

5.0x

0.6x

4.5%

7.4%

0.9%

5.8x

0.6x

4.8%

24.3%

14.5%

2.6%

2.0x

0.3x

5.4x

0.7x

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

-38.7%

-9.5%

0.1%

-4.4%

12.8%

8.7%

3.57

0.0%

-0.8%

32.8% 34.6%

11.7%

0.0%

19.5% -20.6%

29.0%

62.50

7.3% -4.8%

6.5x

52.95

17.2% 50.5%

2.1x

-21.2% 2.0%

18.4%

0.6x T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V o l u m e Vo lum e

P ric e C hg %

UB A

16.4

0.0%

GT C O

13.0

-1.2%

7.7%

Z EN IT H B A N K

11.9

-0.4%

0.45

7.1%

WEM A B A N K

9.6

-1.1%

0.38

5.6%

A IIC O

9.4

-2.1%

0.25

4.2%

T R A N SC OR P

8.3

-1.1%

1.60

3.9%

FB NH

6.3

-0.7%

0.61

3.4%

M B EN EF IT

5.7

5.6%

2.0%

J A IZ B A N K

4.2

3.4%

1.7%

OA N D O

3.3

-0.2%

T ic k er

P ric e

P ric e C hg %

C ON OIL

20.35

10.0%

C H IP LC

0.61

8.9%

SOVR EN IN S

0.28

R EGA LIN S M B EN EF IT C OUR T VILLE H ON YF LOUR J A IZ B A N K

3.12

VIT A F OA M

13.8x

-100.0%

T o p 10 G a i n e r s

FCM B

4.8%

15.40

T ic k er

ǁŚŝůĞ ϭϱ stocks declined. CONOIL (+10.0%), CHIIPLC T o p 10 T r a d e s b y V a l u e

T o p 10 L o s e r s

(+8.9%), and SOVRENINS ;нϳ͘ϳйͿ ůĞĚ ŐĂŝŶĞƌƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ARDOP ric e

P ric e C hg %

T ic k er

Value

A R D OVA

15.00

-6.2%

GT C O

364.9

-1.2%

VER IT A SKA P

0.24

-4.0%

Z EN IT H B A N K

291.6

-0.4%

A IIC O

0.95

-2.1%

UB A

123.5

0.0%

J A P A ULGOLD

0.51

-1.9%

M TNN

102.7

-1.8%

WA P IC

0.51

-1.9%

N EST LE

76.4

0.0%

M TNN

168.00

-1.8%

WA P C O

47.1

0.7%

UC A P

6.70

-1.5%

FB NH

46.1

-0.7%

GT C O

T ic k er

VA (-6.2%), VERITASKAP (-4.0%), and AIICO (-2.1%) led ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƌƐ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĮŶĂů ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƐĞƐƐŝŽŶ͕ ǁĞ ĂŶƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ŶĞŐĂƟǀĞ ƐĞŶƟŵĞŶƚ ǁŽƵůĚ ƉĞƌƐŝƐƚƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬ of ƉƌŽĮƚ-ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘

Afrinvest West Africa Limited

P ric e C hg %

28.00

-1.2%

VIT A F OA M

36.3

1.7%

WEM A B A N K

0.89

-1.1%

F LOUR M ILL

31.0

1.5%

A C C ESS

9.10

-1.1%

A C C ESS

26.9

-1.1%

Brokerage

Asset Management

Investment Research

Adedoyin Allen | aallen@afrinvest.com

Robert Omotunde | romotunde@afrinvest.com

Abiodun Keripe | AKeripe@afrinvest.com

Taiwo Ogundipe | togundipe@afrinvest.com Christopher Omoh | comoh@afrinvest.com

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 • T H I S DAY

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

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 04Aug-2021, unless otherwise stated.

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS

MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS

AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 156.97 158.53 2.97% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 4.66% Nigeria International Debt Fund 310.88 310.88 -22.94% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 111.42 111.42 -0.60% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 5.21% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.24 3.40 -4.59% info@anchoriaam.com ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 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 19.76 20.36 8.96% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A ARM Ethical Fund 38.28 39.43 13.55% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.09 1.09 -0.92% ARM Fixed Income Fund 0.96 0.97 -7.94% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 8.04% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 105.53 105.53 3.76% AVA GAM Fixed Income Naira Fund 1,014.55 1,014.55 1.46% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund N/A N/A N/A AXA Mansard Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.00 2.00 -12.09% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.12 2.16 -9.40% CARDINALSTONE ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfunds@cardinalstone.com Web: www.cardinalstoneassetmanagement.com ; Tel: +234 (1) 710 0433 4 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CardinalStone Fixed Income Alpha Fund 1.01 1.01 2.16% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.95% Paramount Equity Fund 16.60 16.91 3.81% Women's Investment Fund 137.18 138.77 3.08% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 7.25% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 118.78 119.54 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 107.49 107.49 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 7.08% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.19 1.21 -0.63% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.36 1.36 -14.23% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 8.53% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 7.22% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,139.47 1,154.54 -1.08% 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 1,397.69 1,397.69 11.34% FBN Balanced Fund 191.92 193.30 2.26% FBN Halal Fund 111.62 111.62 7.78% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 9.45% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Legacy Money Market Fund Legacy Debt Fund Legacy Equity Fund Legacy USD Bond Fund FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Coral Balanced Fund Coral Income Fund Coral Money Market Fund

126.46 158.33

126.46 3.29% 160.55 4.73% fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com

Bid Price 1.00 3.96 1.59 1.18

Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn 1.00 5.33% 3.96 2.36% 1.62 4.24% 1.18 4.03% coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com

Bid Price 3,724.21 3,358.16 100.00

Offer Price 3,777.02 3,358.16 100.00

Yield / T-Rtn -0.57% 2.50% 3.45%

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 7.81% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.80 2.86 -1.93% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 151.95 152.23 -2.28% Vantage Equity Income Fund (VEIF) - June Year End 1.28 1.32 1.75% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.10 1.10 1.01% 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 1.43 1.45 4.86% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,139.67 1,139.67 4.99% 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 1.66 1.69 7.17% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.49 11.54 -5.30% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 5.50% PACAM Equity Fund 1.65 1.67 4.56% PACAM EuroBond Fund 112.62 114.39 2.49% 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 134.57 137.17 10.02% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 10.06% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 3,281.12 3,316.31 2.17% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 231.88 231.88 3.13% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 1.22 1.24 4.24% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 305.37 305.37 3.63% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 224.88 228.21 3.04% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 8.00% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 10,356.56 10,506.41 -1.30% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.27 1.27 3.25% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 115.06 115.06 3.58% Stanbic IBTC Enhanced Short-Term Fixed Income Fund 102.76 102.76 UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 01-6317876 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Eurobond Fund N/A N/A N/A United Capital Wealth for Women Fund N/A N/A N/A United capital Sukuk Fund N/A N/A N/A QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.95 13.06 9.09% Zenith Ethical Fund 14.27 14.40 16.79% Zenith Income Fund 24.25 24.25 1.12% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 6.83%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

124.98 51.79

10.62% 2.65%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.49

13.59

2.06%

127.30 100.92 17.91 18.16

130.37 103.06 18.01 18.26

5.83% 1.68%

Fund Name SFS REIT Union Homes REIT

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS Fund Name Lotus Halal Equity Exchange Traded Fund SIAML Pension ETF 40 Stanbic IBTC ETF 30 Fund MERGROWTH ETF MERVALUE ETF

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.92 5.89 17.63 1.00 19.60 151.32

3.96 5.97 17.73 1.00 19.80 153.32

3.92% 3.54% 8.62% 6.33% -4.45% -30.92%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

I Control Zamfara Not You, Yari Dares Buni Says even Buhari can’t deny members their constitutional power

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja A former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’aziz Yari, has described any attempt by his successor, Governor Bello Matawalle and the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dismantle the existing structure of the party in the state as an effort in futility, because he controlled Zamfara and not Buni. He also added that not even President Muhammadu Buhari had the power to deny existing party members of the state their power as enshrined in the constitution of the party,

warning further that APC in Zamfara was too powerful to be taken for a ride as against the case withCross River and Ebonyi States. Yari, at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday night, where he was joined by Senator Kabiru Mafara, the party chairman in the state and other APC faithful, insisted that he would not accept anything below the initial agreement reached by both sides, which exclusively reserved the state party chairman for his camp. He said while he would continue to open door for talks to fortify the party’s chances ahead of 2023, Governor Matawalle and the leadership of the APC at the

national level should play by the rules as there was an existing gentlemanly agreement earlier proposed by the governor and his camp on who takes what and gets what. Yari noted that he summoned the briefing to keep the public abreast of the position of his camp after a purported dissolution of the existing structure of the party

by the Buni-led CECPC in June, which a subsisting court order has invalidated. He expressed disappointment over a directive issued by the national body of the party, instructing a committee said to have been purportedly set up to open new registers to commence registration of new members into the party. At the defection ceremony of

Matawalle, Buni, who is also the Governor of Yobe State, had announced the dissolution of the executive council of the party in Zamfara and declared Governor Matawalle as the new leader of the party in the state. But Marafa had immediately said Buni’s pronouncement was not part of the agreement reached before his defection and

insisted that his declaration as leader of APC in the state would not stand. Matawalle had taken with him to the APC, all but one member of the state House of Assembly, all senators and six of the seven members of House of Representatives from the state, which could be a good ground for horse-trading.

Ponzi Scheme: Police Arraign Man for Defrauding 170 People of N10.8bn Wale Igbintade Men of Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, AlagbonIkoyi, Lagos, yesterday arraigned a 22-year-old Joshua Adeyinka Kayode for allegedly defrauding 170 unsuspecting investors to the tune of N10.8 billion under a fraudulent investment. He was arraigned on 170 counts of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence alongside his company, Quintessential Investment Company Limited. The Prosecutor, Mr. Williams Tijjani, informed the court that the defendant and others now at large committed the offences between July 2020 and March 2021. Tijani told the court that the defendant defrauded his victims under the pretence of false multiple returns on investment. He told the court that the offences are contrary to and

punishable under section 8(a) and 1(1) (a) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006. However, the defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all the counts charge. Upon his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, urged the court to remand him in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), pending when his bail application would be heard and determined. Counsel to the defendant, Mr. Emeka Okpoko (SAN), did not oppose to the prosecutor’s remand request but asked for a short date to enable him to file a bail application. After listening to the submission of parties, Justice Tijjani Ringim adjourned the matter till July 11 for hearing of the defendant’s bail application. Ringim also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the NCoS till the hearing and determination of his bail application.

YOUR SUPPORT APPRECIATED…

L-R: Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje (left), receiving an award from the former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Press Corps Second Quarter Public Lecture titled, “Sustaining a United and Indivisible Nigeria, a Myth or Realty,” in Abuja…yesterday

Lagos Assembly Reduces Pension for Tinubu, Fashola, Ambode, Others by 50 Percent Adopts report to stop houses for ex-governors

Segun James The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday approved the report of its committee on establishment which recommended the reduction of pensions to former governors and other affected officials by 50 percent. The committee also expunged the provision of houses in Abuja and Lagos for former governors as stipulated in an earlier law operated by the state. The Speaker of the House, Dr. Mudashiru Obasa, suggested

that former governors should get two vehicles (a car and a van) instead of three as recommended by the committee. He also suggested that the amended bill should provide that the cars be changed every four years instead of the three years recommended by the report. The report had suggested that a reduction in the number of vehicles to be made available to former governors and their deputies. While some of the lawmakers, at plenary, had suggested for an upward review of the pension

for the affected public office holders by 75 percent, others urged that the pension remain as stipulated in the old law. However, Obasa argued that it should be left at 50 percent, especially as the report had recommended the removal of houses and reduced other benefits. He recalled the recent murder of the President of Haiti and said it was necessary to secure the lives of the former office holders. “By virtue of my office, I have seen former Speakers who we

just had to intervene in their lives because of the situations they found themselves outside office. We have also seen former governors in a very bad situation,” he said. Obasa noted the argument of his colleagues that the projected downward review of the pension for the former governors and others could also be affected by inflation and other economic considerations, but reminded that the House must meet the wishes of the people one of which is a cut in the cost of governance.

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has called for proper monitoring of Nigeria’s crude oil production to ascertain volume, ensure transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. Okowa made the call yesterday while opening a twoday retreat of the Investment Committee of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Asaba.

“Repositioning Federation Investment for Enhanced Revenue Performance” was organised to enhance the RMAFC’s revenue generation and monitoring strategy for improved public spending. The governor said that to ensure effective monitoring of crude oil production and export, there was the need to deploy the latest technology such as Artificial Intelligence/Robotics to guarantee effectiveness and management of cost.

delays arising from granting of agency permits that often led to high cost of drilling and for urgent addressing of security challenges, including crude theft, kidnapping, piracy and bunkering. He said that it was a consensus that many oil and gas agreements reached with International Oil Companies(IOCS)/Operators had not been closely monitored, hence the observed low level of compliance.

agreements were formulated and signed a long time ago and did not reflect present economic realities, adding that Delta government was particularly concerned about agreement with host communities. He, therefore, urged the IOCs/Operators to keep faith with the General Memorandum of Understanding with the host communities for meaningful infrastructure development and employment generation for the purposes of peace and stability.

Osun Speaker: Animal Grazing Regulation Bill will Control Okowa Calls for Proper Monitoring of Nigeria’s Crude Oil Production Herdsmen’s Activities The retreat, themed, He called for the reduction in Okowa pointed out that the Goddy Egene Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, has said that putting State Animal Grazing Regulation and Cattle Ranch Establishment Bill in place would reduce clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the state. Owoeye stated this yesterday during the plenary at House of Assembly Osogbo. He enumerated the advantages and disadvantages of the bill during the policy thrust of the bill. The speaker observed that the passage of the bill would control activities of herdsmen and reduce degradation of land in the state. He lamented the damages that were caused by open grazing in the state and the country at large while urging for laws that would guide cattle rearing. The Osun State’s lawmakers noted that the bill is a welcome development in agriculture sector and would put a stop to open grazing and protect the

environment. They said that the bill would control and prevent the spread of animal diseases in the state if passed into law. They also observed that the bill would put stop to herder’s criminal activities and help the economy of the state. The legislators also said that the bill would bring unity among farmers and herdsmen in Osun if passed into law. They said: “The bill will provide job opportunity to the people and curtail spread of animal diseases. “The bill, if passed into law, will reduce sudden accident cause by herdsmen movements and increase farm products in the state.” They urged for the speedy passage of the bill for the development of the state. Meanwhile, under the personal explanation, Hon. Elizabeth Abioye representing Ifedayo State Constituency brought to the notice of the house an attack by herdsmen on Oora town where a lady was taken away by evil perpetrators.

Kwara, Niger Seek Ties to Fight Insecurity Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that Kwara and Niger States are prepared to strengthen existing collaboration to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties in the two states. In a statement issued in Ilorin on yesterday shortly after the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting held in the Government House, Ilorin, and signed by

the Special Adviser on Political Communications to Kwara State Governor, Mr. Bashr Adigun, and made available to journalists, stated that the gesture would also boost socio economic development of the two states. The governor, who also expressed grave concern with reports of degradation of multi-billion Naira natural endowments by some criminal elements in parts of Baruten Local Government of the state, said that

he would reach out to his Niger State counterpart for maximum security collaboration to put an end to such criminal activities. Governor AbdulRazaq disclosed that Kwara and Niger States accounted for 60 percent of Shea butter production in the country, regretting that deforestation activities by some of the criminal elements in parts of the state constituted serious danger to the preservation of natural endowments.

He lamented the increasing exportation of firewood and charcoal from the state and stressed that the state government would deepen mass enlightenment on the use of gas in place of firewood and charcoal to protect the forest. He also said that the Governors’ Forum might also need to work to bring down the cost of cooking gas to make it more affordable to the people as a sustainable alternative to fire wood.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Kidnappers Demand N700m for Abducted Bayelsa SSG’s Mother, Night Club Owner Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Abductors of the 90-year-old mother of the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government (SSG), Hon. Kombowei Benson, have demanded the sum of N500million as ransom for her release. Also demanded was the sum of N200million for the release of Tari Ajanamih, the owner of a popular night club, Club 64, in the state. It was gathered that investigators in the two incidents were already looking at the possibility that both abductions were planned by one group. While both abductions occurred few days from the other, the ransom demand also occurred few hours apart. Attempts to get the

confirmation on ransom from the spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command was not fruitful, but a member of the family of the abducted club owner, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that the family have been contacted and ransom demanded. “It was shocking when they demanded N200million ransom. I hope and pray that they release our brother unhurt,” he said. The SSG mother, Madam Betinah Benson, was abducted at her residence in the Old Assembly Quarters, Yenagoa. Her abductors were said to have been dressed in military fatigue on July 20, 2021. One week later, gunmen also abducted a popular night club owner identified as Tari

Supreme Court Judgement Validates Buni’s Committee, APC Govs Insist Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have said that the Supreme Court Judgment on Ondo State election validated the Caretaker/Extra Ordinary Convention Committee of the party, which is led by the Governor of Yobe State, Mr. Mai Mala Buni. The Chairman of Progressive Governors, Mr. Atiku Bagudu, in a statement yesterday prior to the release of the written judgment that delivered by the Supreme Court, said that a lot of analysis and interpretations had been made, with some clearly mischievous. He said that the early release of the written judgment had availed the public with the

judgment of the court, which settled issues conclusively. The forum recalled that on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Supreme Court pronounced its split decision on the appeal and counter appeals before it in the judgment of Ondo Gubernatorial Election petition, with the written judgment to be delivered afterwards. It added that the written judgment released on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, the apex court upheld further the ruling of the Court of Appeal that “it is evident that the said Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed only in an acting capacity on a temporary basis to temporarily carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman of the party pending the elections of new members.”

Electronic Voting Possible in Nigeria, Says Kaduna Deputy Gov John Shiklam in Kaduna The Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, has said the state government has proven that it is possible to use electronic voting to conduct elections in Nigeria. Balarabe stated this yesterday at a sensitisation programme organised by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) for stakeholders ahead of the September council polls. In 2018, the state government conducted local government elections using electronic voting machines. According to her, the state government has invested considerably in electronic voting, stressing that the deployment of technology is aimed at ensuring that votes count and that the results reflect the choice of voters. Balarabe commended the State Electoral Commission for making efforts to improve on the challenges faced during the 2018

council polls “by reconfiguring the electronic voting machines to integrate the card reader and ensure that each voter’s card can only be used once.” The deputy governor said: “Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration has demonstrated its commitment to a viable, democratically elected and responsive local government system. “In 2018, the state government introduced electronic voting for the local government elections of May and June 2018. “This required considerable investments, and we consider it a worthwhile deployment of technology towards ensuring that votes count and that the results that are declared reflect the actual preferences that the voters expressed. “Across the state, voters found it easy to use the electronic voting machines, thereby proving that user interface is not a problem and that elections in Nigeria can be safely conducted electronically.’’

Ajanami. Ajanami, an indigene of Ayamasa town in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state was abducted at his building project site on Otiotio Road in the state capital. Although the state

government has vowed to fish out the kidnappers of Madam Benson, they has not been able to rescue her after 15 days in the kidnappers captivity. A statement issued by the state government had boasted

that the state in collaboration with security agencies were committed to pursuing and apprehending the criminals involved in the condemnable kidnap, “no matter how fast they run or how deep their

hiding hole is, and return mama home to her loved ones.” The statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Ayibana Duba, condemned the abduction of the aged woman.

ECOWAS NEW VISION…

L-R: President, ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Jean Claude Kassi; Deputy Director, International Economic Relations Department, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Vivian Nwosu; and Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Eddison Agbenyegah, during the retreat for permanent representatives committee on the draft ECOWAS Vision 2050, in Abuja... yesterday KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Initiate Poverty Reduction Programmes, Sanwo-Olu Charges LG Chairmen Segun James Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has given a matching order to local government area (LGA) and Local Development Council Areas (LCDAs) chairmen to embark on projects that will have impact on the grassroots and help to alleviate poverty in the area. The governor gave the order

during a three-day induction retreat for the newly-elected chairmen of the 57 LGs and LCDAs in the state. Sanwo-Olu admonished the council bosses, “to think out of the box and build enabling environment for wealth creation among people at the grassroots.’’ At the event organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, with

the theme: ‘Engendering Peace, Security and Development at the Grassroots’, in Lagos, the governor called for peace among the council chiefs and the electorate, saying it is only under a peaceful atmosphere that jobs can be created. He emphasised that it is their responsibility to serve the people, adding that: “You have to write your names in gold as you work with your people.”

Earlier, the state Commissioner of Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr. Wale Ahmed, congratulated the elected chairmen, and lauded the governor for graciously acceding to the actualisation of the retreat “to allow the chairmen add their collective contributions towards the actualisation of the THEMES agenda of the government, particularly at the grassroots.”

Robbers Attack Two Banks in Osun, Kill Policeman, Resident Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo A gang of armed robbers yesterday evening raided two commercial banks in Iree, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun state, killing one Police and resident as well as carting away an undisclosed amount of cash in the process. Sources said some customers,

who were transacting businesses in the banks when the incident happened took to their heel. The robbers, 15 in number, according to eye witnesses, entered the town at about 3.50p.m. and operated for about 20 minutes unchallenged. It was gathered the robbers came in different vehicles

positioned themselves at strategic locations within the town while the operation lasted. They were said to have later made their escape through Ada, a nearby community. Among the two persons said to have been killed by the armed robbers was an officer of the Special Constabulary

Unit of The Nigeria Police Force. Simply identified as Jelili Aladeokin, he was said to have joined the police as constabulary not up to six months. THISDAY further gathered that the deceased was the son of All Progressives Party (APC) women leader, ward 10, Iree.

Meadow Foods, Premier Feeds Partner to Assist Farmers Meadow Foods Nigeria Limited, through its GrowIT Project, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Premier Feeds, an animal feed brand in Nigeria, to supply 16,000 metric tonnes of maize and soya beans for the 2021/2022 farming seasons. Speaking at the event on

Wednesday in Yola, Adamawa State, the co-founder of Meadow Foods, Adaku Omidosu said: “The partnership will provide linkages to smallholder farmers so they can have access to premium markets and earn decent profits”. Omidosu noted that one of the challenges smallholder

farmers face is the numerous middle men who further shrink their already lean profits. “What you just witnessed today is ground breaking. Our off takers are committed to mopping off all the harvests of the farmer groups in our network”, she added. On his part, Head of Sales

and Marketing, Dalyop Austin Pam, said: “The agreement is key in the efforts of Premier Feeds to empower smallholder farmers by off taking their harvests, thus strengthening the food value chain. Our organisation is happy to work with smallholder farmers to ensure a win-win situation.

Economic Recession: We Reduced Salary Rather than Downsize, Says Yobe Michael Olugbode in Damaturu Yobe State Government has explained that it took the decision to reduce salary of workers at the local government areas of the state instead of downsizing. Addressing a press conference yesterday, the state Commissioner for Information,

Mallam Abdullahi Bego, noted that the economic recession has left the state with no other option than to take the harsh decision. Bego said: “Over the past years, the state government has been very prompt-every single month-in ensuring that workers receive their salaries without fail. “In the recent period, however, the global economic downturn-

some would call it economic recession- in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic the revenue receipts up and down the levels of government are plummeting. “These revenue shortfalls, as you all know, have begun to affect everything-from the capacity of the government to provide key social services to the people to the fare you pay at the motor park. But it is the basic

responsibility of the government to provide basic social services to the people, including water supply, medicines and drugs in hospitals, clinics, and health centres, feeding for students in schools and general support for educational development, agricultural input to farmers, and the roads that make commerce and commuting easier. These are facts which we all agree.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Alleged Infractions: Senate Orders BPE to Refund N8.7bn Into Consolidated Revenue Fund Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate has directed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to refund N8.7 billion into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) over alleged financial

infractions committed by the agency between 2014 and 2015. This was sequel to the adoption of the 2015 AuditorGeneral of the Federation’s (AuGF) report that indicted the BPE which was presented

Court Jails 16 Cyber Criminals in Rivers EFCC arrests 41 suspected internet fraudsters Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has secured the conviction of 16 cyber criminals in Rivers State. They were on Wednesday convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by Justice Adamu Tukur Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The conviction is coming as operatives of the Enugu and Abuja Zonal Commands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yesterday arrested 41 suspected internet fraudsters in separate operations in Owerri, Imo State and Abuja. Their arrest was made possible through credible

intelligence received on their alleged involvement in cybercrime. A seperate statement issued by EFCC listed the convicts as Saheed Ibrahim Odunayo, Oduwa Osagieduwa, Ahmed Rilwan, Okpodu Samson, Abimbola Akinboyejo, Akande Oluwaferanmi, Samson Fadugbagbe and Prince Ifeakachukwu Abandi. Others are Dogo Samson, Olurunlayo Busayo Adewale, Joshua Temiloluwa, Oniye Damilare, Oluwagbemiga Blessing, Lucky Morrison, Adekolurejo Femi James and Alasa Solomon. The 16 convicts were arraigned on one count charge each for offences bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretences.

at plenary recently before the Red Chamber went on vacation by the Chairman of the Senate committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Urhoghide. The upper legislative chamber had on the strength of queries issued the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) by the AuGF and upheld by the committee directed the former to remit the said sum into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) . The BPE ,as alleged by the

2015 Audit Report, sustained by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and adopted by the Red Chamber was reported to have committed series of financial infractions between 2014 and 2015 financial years, to the tune of N8, 757, 353, 089.09 billion in violation of several extant rules of financial regulations. One of such violations was the alleged non - remittance of N4, 736, 932, 467.67 billion dividends received on Federal

Government Holdings which BPE failed to remit to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). Although BPE in its response to the query, said all dividends received on Federal Government Holdings in the year under review totalling N6, 819, 388, 791.00 billion were transferred to Treasury Single Account (TSA) in September 2015, but the Senate faulted the submission for lack of documentary evidence to

back it. The Audit report adopted by the Senate reads: “The Committee observed that there was no evidence provided by BPE to show that the dividend was remitted to TSA “Consequently, the Committee recommends that the Bureau remit the sum of N4, 736, 932, 467. 67billion to the CRF, evidence of which must be submitted to Auditor General of the Federation and Senate Public Accounts Committee”.

SEEKING BOI’S BOOST...

L-R: Member, Board of Trustees, Apparel and Accessories Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (AAMAN), Chief Gabriel Egbule; Vice 175m Nigerians Lack President, AAMAM, Mrs. Folake Majin; Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Olukayode Pitan; and President, AAMAN, Mrs. Folake ETOP UKUTT Access to Clean Cooking Oyemade, during a meeting in Lagos…recently Energy, Says Minister One Dead, Five Injured as Police, Christian

The Minister of State for Power, Dr. Goddy Jedy Agba, has said about 175 million Nigerians still lack access to clean, reliable and affordable cooking energy. Agba, who put the global figure of people lacking access to clean cooking solutions at 2.6 billion, stated this during the sixth Nigeria Energy Forum (NEF2021) held virtually yesterday. Presenting a keynote address on the theme: ‘Maximising Nigeria Energy Perspectives at COP26’, the minister also revealed that about 759 million people in the world with 90 million from Nigeria alone still don’t have access to electricity. The figures, according to him, pose serious threats to achieving the Social Development Goal 7 (SDG7) targets; therefore, the world must find solutions to

the issues as energy access is the life wire of every sector of the economy. He maintained that the energy sector is a critical sector for climate change negotiations, saying: “As we engage in these negotiations in the run up to COP26 and beyond, it is critical that we work towards aligning on an energy transition outcome that is equitable, inclusive and just.” While noting that Nigeria, with the help of the United Kingdom Energy Transition Council has developed its energy transition plan, he, however, added that financing is most critical as several reports have indicated that there’s a huge gap between required investments and what’s currently being deployed.

SARS: Oyetola Receives Judicial Panel’s Report Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has expressed his administration resolve to rid the state of all forms of injustice against and oppression of the weak. He called on citizens of the state to hold external and internal institutions and other citizens accountable in ways that public conducts and behaviours conform to the ethos of Omoluabi. Oyetola stated these yesterday when he received the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry against Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra-judicial Killings, at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo. The governor had constituted the panel led by a retired Judge

of the state High Court, Justice Akinwale Oladimeji, to look into cases of assault, illegal arrest, killings, brutality and other forms of rights abuse by the officers and men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police. Oyetola, who appreciated members of the panel for giving their best to comfort the oppressed and strengthen the weak, assured the people that the government would implement the recommendations of the panel in a manner that will ensure that justice is served. Oyetola said: “We have resolved to heal the wounds of those that were hurt among us, so as to reintegrate them into our fold, get the best out of them and move on as one big, strong family.

Worshippers Clash in Maiduguri Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri One person was killed and five others injured in a fracas between security agents attached to the Borno State Geographical Information System (BOGIS) and some worshippers at a branch of EYN Church in Maiduguri, the state Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, has confirmed. It was gathered that troubled started when some members of the church had confrontation with operatives of the BOGIS, who is saddled

with the task of marking landed property in the state as well as collecting revenue for the state government, and members of the church last Wednesday. The confrontation degenerated to a situation while the BOGIS staff and the security escorts were pelted with stones while the security operatives retaliated by firing gunshots with led to death and injuries. Speaking on the incident, Zulum ordered the state police command to immediately investigate the violent collusion between a joint security task

force operating with the BOGIS and some worshippers at a branch of EYN Church in Maiduguri. The governor, while condemning in strong terms the firing of gun shots by a member of the security task force as well as some persons who hurled stones at the task force during an encounter yesterday, lamented that one person was killed and five other persons injured and were hospitalised, in the confrontation. Zulum’s spokesman, Isa Gusau, said the governor has

commiserated with families of the person who died and those injured. He said the governor had meanwhile called the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN) in Borno State, Bishop Mohammed Naga, to commiserate with the Christian community and leadership as well as the family of the EYN church in the state. Zulum also invited the CAN leadership for meeting scheduled for yesterday at the Government House in Maiduguri.

Buhari Inaugurates Model Ranching Hub in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba in Laﬁa President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday inaugurated a 22,000 hectres of Awe Model Ranching Hub Project (AMRHP), under the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), in Awe Local Goverment Area of Nasarawa State. Nasarawa State is one of the states in Nigeria selected by

the federal government for the pilot of the NLTP to provide land for livestock farmers to practice their profession. THISDAY gathered that the federal government has secured €400,000 grant from the Netherlands to kick off the project in five states of Nasarawa, Adamawa, Plateau and Gombe. The AMRHP, which was launched by the Minister

of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Sabo Muhammad Nanono, on behalf of President Buhari, has a capacity of accommodating about 360 households, while about 96 pastoralists were said to be available to settle. President Buhari said the essence of the NLTP was to stem the tide of insecurity, not only in Nasarawa State, but across the country as

22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have so far registered for implementation of the plan in their geographical divides. “The NTPL will also improve the value chain of animal husbandry better the lives of the pastoralists. It will also be a game changer in the history of Nigeria, which will confine livestock even in dry season,” he said.

Bayelsa Residents Lament Rising Cases of Cult Wars, Robbery Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Palpable fear is presently griping residents of Amarata community, a suburb of the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, over the ongoing cult war which escalated last week after a leader of one the cult groups was killed. Apart from the rampaging cultists who use the opportunity to rob residents of their valuables, especially mobile phones and

cash, there are other sets of armed robbers who specialise in breaking into cars and stealing brain boxs at night. Over five persons have been feared killed in the last one week as the war between the cult groups, who some identified as ‘Bobos’ and ‘Aiyes’, continues unabated. Last Monday, a young girl was said to have been killed by a stray bullets when she was

cut in the crossfire, while last Wednesday, two young men were rushed to an unknown hospital after they were shot in the stomach at the Apex area of Amarata community. Last Wednesday night, residents in the area were once again thrown into panic when some of the boys coming back from one of their fights used the opportunity to rob shops and people on the street.

The arrival of the cult boys, who brandished cut-to-size guns, axes and cutlasses, caused pandemonium as the people took to their heels in different direction while those who were unlucky were robbed at gun point. Some of the residents, including young women who sell food on the street, were seriously injured as they fell into the gutter while scampering for safety.

FRIDAY AUGUST 6, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

North-east on the Brink of Catastrophic Food Crisis, Says UN Michael Olugbode in Abuja The United Nations has raised the alarm that North-eastern Nigeria is on the brink of catastrophic food insecurity as 4.4 million people in the area are expected to face critical food shortages. A statement issued yesterday by the United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) said: “In North-east Nigeria, the

outlook is dire. Without sustained humanitarian assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States, millions will struggle to feed themselves during this critical 2021 lean season.” The statement, relying on the March 2021 Cadre Harmonised food security assessment, lamented that an estimated 4.4 million people, including internally displaced people (IDPs), are expected to face critical food shortages.

Some 775,000 people are at extreme risk of catastrophic food insecurity-the worst outlook in four years. It added that the humanitarian community, the United Nations and nongovernmental organisations, have joined efforts to address the rapidly deteriorating food security situation in the North-east region, working closely with the government of Nigeria at federal and state levels.

Ganduje Calls for Dialogue over Secession Agitations Adedayo Akinwale and Udora Orizu inAbuja The Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has called on secessionists to embrace dialogue as secession is not the way out of the current challenges afflicting the nation. Ganduje who spoke yesterday at

CHANGE OF NAME I formally known and address as ELEKWA IJEOMA KALU, now wish to be known and address as NNAMDI-IGWENYI, IJEOMA. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MR. STEPHEN OLADIPO OLAOLU BALOGUN now wish to be known and addressed as MR. STEPHEN OLADIPUPO OLAOLU KOLABALOGUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I, formerly known and addressed as DIKE LINDA OJUIGO AND DIKE LINDA OJIUGO, now wish to be known and address as UGWU LINDA OJIUGO. All former documents remain valid. Please public take note. I, formerly known as BOSE BOLANLE OJETUNDE now wish to be known and addressed as BOSE BOLANLE USMAN. All former documents remain valid. General Public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as UZOMAH NNEKA, now wish to be known and address as UZOMAH NNEKA ULOMA GRACE. All former documents remain valid. Please public take note. I, formerly known and addressed as MISS TAIWO OLUWATOYIN OSHIKOYA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. TAIWO OLUWATOYIN KOLA-BALOGUN. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME I, PATIENCE BOLOEBI AGBUDJE is the same person bearing PATIENCE FUNKE AGBUDJE which I used for my BVN. Henceforth, I wish to be known and addressed as AGBUDJE PATIENCE BOLOEBI. All former documents remain valid. The general public take note.

I, formerly known aS OLATUNDE AMOS ORILOYE is the same as OLATUNDE AMOS ORILOYE ITOYAN. All former documents remain valid. Please public take note.

the second quarterly public lecture series of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Press Corps, in Abuja, also opined that discussion on the restructuring document currently with the governing party is the way to go. He stated that the recent developments by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Oduduwa Republic groups pointed to the fact that lessons have not been learnt from the three-year bloody war which began in 1967. The governor noted that the unity of Nigeria should be discussed, but urged the agitators to channel their grievances to the

appropriate quarters without perpetrating acts that could be interpreted as an attempt to enthrone instability and dismember the country. He said the leadership of the groups in the two geo-political regions spearheading the bid for secession, have gone too far, inciting followers to acts of violence against Nigerian security forces and the nation cannot risk another civil war. Ganduje cautioned that no Nigerian should welcome another war, because violent secession by any part of Nigeria would compound the problems of all Nigerians.

26,300 Filling Stations Risk Denial of Licences Renewal by DPR Peter Uzoho No fewer than 26,300 filling stations across Nigeria are risking their chances of having their licences renewed by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) if they fail to migrate to the digital tracker put in place by the agency before December 31, 2021. This is just as the DPR again met with the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) to collectively find ways to combat smuggling and other corrupt practices associated with the importation and distribution of refined petroleum products in the country. Speaking yesterday at the stakeholders’ engagement meeting

involving heads of the agencies, which was held at the National Oil and Gas Excellent Centre (NOGEC) in Lagos, the Director of DPR, Mr. Sarki Auwalu, said out of the existing 33,000 filling stations registered with the DPR, only 6,700 had migrated to its digital products tracker, the Downstream Remote Monitoring System (DRMS). He said those who were yet to migrate to the platform (the 26,300), had been given between now and December 31 this year to migrate or face denial of licence renewal by the agency. DRMS also known as e-Station is an inventory and regulatory tool launched in February this year by the DPR for the purpose of tracking product level across retail outlets and depots as well as movement of products from depots to retail outlets using a USSD code *7117#.

Only Truth Can Unravel the Misery Behind Keren’s Death, Says Premiere Academy Raheem Akingbolu in Abuja The management of Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja has appealed to stakeholders, who are directly or indirectly concerned about the death of the 14-year-old Miss Keren Akpagher, an S.S 1 pupil of the school, to allow truth and justice be the guiding principle as Police and other concerned bodies move to unravel the misery behind her sudden death. Karen was said to have died on June 22 under a questionable circumstance. Speaking at a press briefing

organised by the management to address some recent developments about the young school girl’s death, in Abuja yesterday, the Lead Director at the Academy, Mrs. Stella Oluremi Fawehinmi, said:“It’s sad and touching that the death of our daughter, our pride is being twisted by 5th columnist to score goals. While we mourn the death of our dear student in peace as we pray for the peaceful repose of her soul, it is very heart-rending that we have to respond to controversies that seem to be generated to cast aspersions on the school.”

WORLD OF ISLAM

Edited by: MJO Mustapha Email deji.mustapha@thisdaylive.com

Remember Who You Are – 1 By: Spahic Omer/IslamiCitA

This article is about man and how his life is torn between remembrance and forgetfulness. The article shows that man’s primordial origins were in Heaven and were pure. His task on earth is merely to remember who he is, and to live accordingly, while constantly fending off the forces of evil - and of forgetfulness. There is nothing more captivating and more mystifying than human destiny. There is likewise nothing more exhilarating and promising than human abilities and talents. However - above all - there is nothing more disappointing and more anticlimactic than the ways most people’s lives are lived and concluded. Most people live their lives – waste their only opportunity – perplexed and deluded. They are full of illusions, wishful thinking, buts, and what-ifs. Life has been turned into a tragedy. Happy endings are getting ever scarce. The only thing that keeps people somehow going is the eternally-enduring false zest of Renaissance humanism, which is now quickly turning into various forms of posthumanism. Consequently, people live their lives according to their own constructs and paradigms, eventually falling out with the truth and life’s actual reality. Such lives, in essence, signify the acceleration, as well as perpetration, of own deaths through hubris (in Greek tragedy: excessive and even foolish pride, or dangerous selfconfidence, often in defiance of gods and Heaven). People are thoughtless, hasty, and conceited. They live suicidal lifestyles, glorifying their inadequacies and flaws. They do not know – nor do they care - who or what exactly they are. Life is taken for granted, regarding it as neither known nor knowable. In the end, one starts wondering if life is a tragedy or a comedy.

The Case of Islam In Islam, however, things are not only poles apart, but also simple, straightforward, and sensible, for there should be nothing simpler, nor clearer, than the truth. Life is neither a mystery, nor an accident, nor a bane. It is a gift and a miracle. It is a perfect example of Almighty Allah’s creative will, infinite power, and boundless love as well as compassion. At the center of the creation, phenomenon stands man as Allah’s vicegerent, to whom everything in the heavens and on the earth has been subjected. Man has been greatly honored and cherished and has been preferred “over much of what We have created, with (definite) preference” (al-Isra’, 70). In his capacity as the crown of creation, everything about man has been spectacular, yet dramatic. The Covenant between Allah and Mankind Allah informs us that before the actual creation of mankind, He brought into existence at one and the same time every person that is to be born up to the Day of Judgment. He did so from the loins of their father and the first man, Adam. He then imbued mankind with a suitable provisional amount of life and intelligence, and having brought them all forth in His presence, Allah asked them to bear witness of themselves that He is their Lord. “They said: ‘Yes, we have testified.’ (This) - lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Indeed, we were of this unaware’” (al-A’raf, 172). Some people think that this verse of the Qur’an is a figurative account. However, there is nothing in it that suggests so. Instead, every word and expression therein, plus several authentic traditions of the Prophet (PBUH), clearly demonstrate that the recounted event of the covenant between Allah and mankind had actually taken place. If some things appear far-fetched to us, they do not to Allah. Allah is Omnipotent and “verily, when He intends a thing, His command is, ‘be’, and it is!” (Ya Sin, 82).

The Meaning of Fitrah Moreover, every individual is born in a state of fitrah (sound human nature and natural inclination towards the Creator) which is implanted in every human being’s soul and heart. It pushes us to know Allah, to believe in and

worship Him. It likewise makes us long for Him and crave for a reunion with Him. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Every child is born in a state of fitrah, then his parents make him into a Jew or a Christian or a Zoroastrian, just as animals bring forth animals with their limbs intact; do you see any deformed one among them?” (Sahih al-Bukhari). To most scholars, being born in a state of fitrah is the result of the covenant that Allah had taken from mankind before their actual earthly lives. Fitrah also means the sound natural state of a person and his intrinsic spiritual and rational urge to believe in his Creator and Master. Hence the Prophet (PBUH) added in the said hadith: “just as animals bring forth animals with their limbs intact,” which means: just as people are born physically complete, they, in the same way, are born spiritually sound and disposed to the truth, i.e., complete. Both the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah also refer to this condition as being hanif (plural: hunafa’), which connotes “innately believing in monotheism and snubbing false creeds.” The Prophet (PBUH) related that Allah had said: “I created all of My servants as hunafa’, but the devils diverted them from their belief” (Sahih Muslim).

Progressing versus Returning Adam’s and his wife’s temporary stay in Jannah (Paradise), prior to their descent to earth, among other things, underlines this fundamental character of mankind. While in a state of their original and impeccable blamelessness and virtue, they were fit to reside in Jannah. Nonetheless, as soon as their condition was affected, they were removed from there. Their own and their progeny’s lives were thus about instituting and maintaining the highest standards of consciousness, goodness, and virtue, in order to succeed in this world and so, return to Jannah in the hereafter. A believer’s life, it stands to reason, is as much about progressing towards Jannah as about returning to it. Similarly, it is as much about advancing towards a spiritual perfection as about returning to the primordial self. All this means that a person is born innocent, pure, and on the right path. His existential task is just to stay the course and to maintain his innocence, purity, and righteousness. A person needs to stay true to himself and his inborn disposition. He needs to remember who he is and to always act accordingly. He cannot forget. Forgetting who he is rendering a person isolated from his heavenly association, disoriented and vulnerable. He becomes easy prey for Satan as man’s arch-enemy. For the same reason when a non-Muslim embraces Islam (the truth), even though technically he converts to it, yet ideally he reverts to it and to his original self.

Man and Forgetfulness According to the Qur’anic message, there are two types of forgetfulness: normal and anomalous. The former is in small and mundane matters. It is inescapable and, therefore, inconsequential. It is harmless. No human being, including the prophets, is exempted from this type of forgetfulness. Prophet Musa, for example, at one point said to Khidr: “Rebuke me not for forgetting” (al-Kahf, 73). The Prophet (PBUH) has been commanded thus: “And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people” (al-An’am, 68). Satan as well was given a license to freely operate in the domains of this type. Four times in the Qur’an is forgetfulness related to Satan as its source and also cause. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said that Allah pardons what people from his community (ummah) do as a result of sheer mistakes and forgetfulness, and under force or duress (Sunan Ibn Majah). While believers have been instructed to supplicate thus: “Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred” (al-Baqarah, 286). It is human, so to speak, and unavoidable to be from time to time afflicted by such forgetfulness. That is why the word “man, or human being” in Arabic is insan. It is derived from the word nisyan, which means “forgetfulness.” To Be Continued

FRIDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

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

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Messi Ends 21 Years Romance with Barcelona One of the greatest footballers of the modern era, Lionel Messi, 34, has ended his 21-year journey with Spanish La Liga giants, FC Barcelona. The Catalan club announced yesterday that Messi will not be staying at the club "because of financial and structural obstacles". Messi has been a free agent since 1 July when his contract expired. He agreed a new deal on reduced wages with the club two weeks later, but it was dependent on Barca selling players to afford his salary. However, it appears Barcelona could not pull through as expected to be able to afford the huge wage of the Argentine. "Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of the player and the club will ultimately not be fulfilled," the club said with regrets. Barcelona had said Messi was poised to extend his 21-year career with the club by signing the new deal last Thursday, and blame La Liga for the failure to do so. He had reached an agreement to stay with the Catalan side until 2026 - but La Liga said the club must reduce wages before he and any new players can be registered. "Despite FC Barcelona and

Tokyo Olympics: Team Nigeria Sits at 71st as Games End Sunday

Lionel Messi...end of an era at Nou Camp

Femi Solaja

AFN Insists: We Are Not AwareofAnyPUMAContract The last may not have been heard on PUMA’s termination of its kits deal with Nigeria as the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development backed Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has insisted it never had any dealings with the German company to warrant ending any contract. In the federation’s official reaction to PUMA’s statement of pulling out of the deal, Prince Adeniyi Adisa Beyioku, Secretary General of AFN insisted yesterday that the federation was not in possession of any contractual documents signed between it and equipment and sportswear manufacturer, PUMA and cannot be liable for what it knows nothing about. AFN said the federation does not know anything about the contract outside what has been written in the media space. Beyioku further clarified that AFN made attempts to clarify from PUMA, pointing out breaches of the AFN constitution by Messrs Ibrahim Shehu Gusau and Sunday Adeleye who PUMA confirmed negotiated the deal. ''The attention of the AFN has been drawn to a media statement signed by Shehu Ibrahim Gusau confirming the termination of the agreement he and Mr Sunday Adeleye signed with sportswear and equipment company, PUMA purportedly on behalf of the AFN in July, 2019.

''The AFN wishes to state unequivocally that it is not aware of any contract as there was no document in the Secretariat of the federation pertaining to any contractual agreement with PUMA,” the AFN said in the media statement. Gusau had claimed the last board he was president of signed the deal with PUMA but majority of the board members some of whom are in the new board had denied any knowledge of the contract. ''Following media reports of the said contract especially in the lead up to the ongoing

Tonobok Okowa...AFN President

Lionel Messi having reached an agreement and the clear intention of both parties to sign a new contract today (Thursday), this cannot happen because of financial and structural obstacles (Spanish La Liga regulations),” the club said. "FC Barcelona wholeheartedly expresses its gratitude to the player for his contribution to the aggrandisement of the club and wishes him all the very best for the future in his personal and professional life." Messi is Barcelona's record scorer with 672 goals and has won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Copa del Reys, as well as claiming the Ballon d'Or on a record six occasions. Keeping Messi at the Nou Camp had been Chairman Joan Laporta's top priority this summer. The Argentine arguably now becomes the most in-demand player in world football. Messi has long been linked with a move to either Paris St-Germain or Manchester City, where he would be reunited with his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola. America's Major League Soccer, which Messi has previously considered experiencing, is another option.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the inauguration of a new executive board of the federation, the Secretary General of the AFN Prince Adeniyi Beyioku, appointed pursuant to article 8.7.2 of the federation's constitution (2017) and recognised by World Athletics had in a letter dated July 19, 2021 requested Mr. Gusau to avail the AFN of the contract details and return whatever had been collected from PUMA to the Secretariat of the federation at the Moshood Abiola stadium Abuja recognised by World Athletics. ''Mr Gusau refused to heed

the advice and acted as if only two out of 13 members constituted the former board of the federation and must be the only ones allowed to know details of the contract, citing a non-disclosure agreement. Yet Mr Gusau and Mr Adeleye reportedly negotiated the deal on behalf of the same board.'' ''The AFN also wishes to state that the constitution of the federation states in article 8.7.2, sections 4.4.2, 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 that the Secretary General must not only be privy to all decsions, contractual or otherwise entered into as its chief administrative and accounting officer but must also be the custodian of such documents, records and properties. “This constitutional provision was flagrantly violated by Mr Gusau, wielding the power of a emperor that the constitution did not give him. ''The AFN wishes to put on record that the new board did not see any documents indicating there was an agreement with PUMA and noted that majority of members of the previous board, acting on newspaper reports wrote PUMA through its lawyer, Oluwole Afolabi that they were not aware of the said contract but PUMA insisted it signed an agreement with the AFN despite glaring constitutional breaches which invalidated the said contract.

Following the dashed hope of Chukwuebuka Enekwechi to win anything in the shot-put final event in the early hours of yesterday and the failure of the country’s women to reach the final of 4 x 100m relay, Team Nigeria occupies the 71st position on the medals table. The Tokyo Olympic Games delayed for one year due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 is billed to end on Sunday. Nigeria’s standing is seven steps better than the final position attained five years ago at Rio Olympic Games in Brazil where Nigeria won a solitary bronze medal from the men’s football event. The silver and bronze medals won by Blessing Oborududu and Ese Brume in wrestling and long jump events respectively placed Nigeria in that position. The chance of Nigeria to improve on her ranking was blown on Wednesday as medal hopeful, Odunayo Adekuoroye lost by a pin fall in the women’s

freestyle wrestling 57kg category. She was leading Anastasia Nichita of Moldova 8-0 with just minutes away from picking the remaining two points when the unexpected happened. Nichita defeated Adekuoroye by a pin. In the men’s shot put, the field was too strong for Chukwuebuka Enekwechi as he finished last in the final. His best throw was 19.74m but he fouled in his opening throw, then threw 18.87m on his second attempt and his final and best throw did not shake the table in the pool of best throws. With multiple medals still to be won going into final day of competition, Nigeria may still drop further in the rankings. The Tokyo Games tagged ‘United by Passion’ played host to 205 countries from various continents. The African continent has about 54 countries participating in various events. On the average, the athletes from the African continent have not performed up to expectations with only three African countries having won one gold medal each.

Nigeria's Ambassador to Japan, Ambassador Abubakar Moriki Husaini; Silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu; Bronze medalist, Ese Brume and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare at a Grand Reception for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalists in Tokyo... yesterday

FRIDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Rivers Utd to Play CAF Champions League, End Season as Runners up Profit from NFF’s Disciplinary Committee’s Ruling on Jigawa Duro Ikhazuagbe Rivers United finished the 2020/21 Nigerian Professional Football League season in second place yesterday and are primed to play in the CAF Champions League next season. The Pride of Rivers despite conceding a lone goal defeat against Sunshine Stars in Akure, tied on same 66 points as Enyimba FC. United are only ahead based on superior goals difference. Rivers United yesterday profited from the the decision of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) that awarded them three points and three goals from their appeal against Jigawa Golden Stars who fielded an ineligible player in their Match-Day 34 fixture in Kaduna. The LMC had dismissed the case on the ground that it could not reach the Jigawa team to rule out Richard Christopher from the clash with Rivers United. In deciding in favour of Rivers United, the Disciplinary

MATCH DAY 38 MFM FC

2 - 0 Jigawa GS

Lobi

2 - 1 Akwa Utd

Sunshine

1 - 0 Rivers Utd

Dakkada

1 - 3 Enyimba

Rangers

1 - 0 Plateau Utd

Abia War’

3 - 1 Nasarawa

Kwara Utd

3 - 0 Katsina Utd

Wikki

2 - 0 Adamawa Utd

Heartland

1 - 0 Kano Pillars

*FC Ifeanyiubah 1 - 0 Wolves *(Match was interrupted)

NPFL Committee ruled that C5Rules of the NPFL “cannot be interpreted to make the punishment for the act of fielding an ineligible player subject to ‘intention’. “It is a strict liability offence. Intention is established upon the confirmation that the player was ineligible for the match. The word “intentionally” cannot be interpreted to excuse the negligence or ignorance of the club (Jigawa Golden Stars) in this case.” The committee therefore deducted three points and three goals from Jigawa and awarded them to Rivers United. Based on this ruling, Enyimba that was sure of playing in the CAF Champions League have now dropped to the second tier Confederation Cup competition as the third placed team of the season. Enyimba defeated Dakkada 3-1 in Uyo with Anayo Iwuala firing a brace in the 11th and 78th minutes. Musa Bashiru pulled one back for the hosts in the 29th minute, when it was 2-0 following Samad Kadiri’s second goal for Enyimba in the 25th minute. Nasarawa United on 65 points and plus 17 goals will have to wait to play the final of the Aiteo Cup against Bayelsa on Sunday to know which team will join Enyimba in the CAF Confederation Cup next season. In the battle for relegation, two teams, Adamawa United and FC IFeanyiUbah had already known their fate going into the final day fixtures. Jigawa’s 2-0 defeat at Agege Stadium coupled with the three points deduction by the Disciplinary Committee of NFF automatically signaled trouble and

Ex-NFF President, Dominic Oneya, Passes on at 73 Sylvester Idowu in Warri A former President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Brigadier-General Dominic Obukadata Oneya is dead. He was aged 73 years old. Oneya was scheduled to be the Match Commissioner for the men’s AITEO Cup final between Bayelsa United and Nasarawa United at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City on Sunday. Family sources confirmed that Oneya died yesterday morning at his Effurun GRA residence in the Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. The deceased hailed from Agbarho Kingdom of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta. He was a former Military Administrator of Kano State from August 1996 to August 1998 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He was also a military Administrator of Benue State from August 1998 to May 1999 during the transitional regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar. In his reaction to the news of his passage, General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said he was devastated beyond words because he spoke to the

drop from the topflight. Warri Wolves that was behind 1-0 before the game was interrupted against FC Ifeanyiubah in Nnewi are the fourth team to drop out of the NPFL. Sunshine Stars survived the

drop with a 1-0 win over Rivers United. In the race for who wins the Eunisell Boot Award for highest goals scorer, Nasarawa United striker Silas Nwankwo and Akwa United

forward, Charles Atshimene remained locked at the top of the chart on 19 points apiece. Both players had 18 goals after impressive league campaigns and were on the road on the final day of the season, to make their

task more daunting. Nwankwo scored in his side’s (Nasarawa United’s) 3-1 loss at Abia Warriors, while Atshimene also scored in his side’s (Akwa United) 2-1 loss in Makurdi to Lobi Stars.

Rivers United ...vindicated at last

AFA Sports Celebrates Nigeria’s Athletes at Tokyo 2020 Athletes AFA Sports, the official apparel partners of Team Nigeria is celebrating the Nigerian spirit as shown by the country’s athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics ending in 48 hours from today. The wholly Nigerian brand served as the apparel partner to the Nigerian contingent. The Chief Executive Officer of AFA Sports, Ugo Udezue who spoke on Thursday said as a former national athlete, he could identify with the aspiration of those who represented the country in Tokyo; could feel their pains while believing that the future remains still bright for the athletes and Nigeria sports. Udezue said: “They all arrived in Tokyo with the determination to do the country proud and they have been able to put in their best. Every event has just medals for the top three athletes but the spirit of the Games is to compete spiritedly and respectfully.

“To those who have finished for a local kit manufacturer from their term at this stage we say Aba to Lagos. They visited over congratulations and for those 10 operations and AFA stood looking forward to Paris 2024, out. That was how we became we stand by you all the way.” a part of the big dream. The AFA CEO is also highly “We did not solicit for this. The delighted that the continent of administration was determined Africa was able to take a huge on using the Olympic platform to position at the Olympics with promote local brands and this is AFA Sports being the first wholly African manufacturer to kit a national delegation at the Games. Udezue said his company remains grateful to the Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the NOC and the athletes for daring to support the growth of the indigenous firms. Udezue said, “The sports ministry Ugo Udezue...kitted Team Nigeria to canvassed the country Tokyo 2020

all good for the Nigerian industry. Udezue admitted that AFA may not have profited from the transaction but remained determined to empower Nigerians through his brand. “We may not all be counting in millions of dollars now but we are determined to empower Nigerians in our production, distribution, sales and other opportunities as no foreign outfit would do.” AFA Sports has a long standing tradition of support to Nigerian teams which first began with providing apparels for D’Tigers and D’Tigress to the Afrobasket and the World Cup games, then Nigeria’s men and women volleyball teams, the Parapowerlifting federation, the first ever African Knockout involving mixed martial arts and down to local athletes. It has all been fulfilling times with the teams, athletes and the federations.

HiFL 2021: UNIBEN Royals, AAUA Luminaries Qualify for Q’ﬁnals OAU Giants, UNICAL Malabites bow out

Late Dominic Oneya...former NFF President revered former military chieftain on Wednesday – a matter of hours earlier. “We spoke on Wednesday because I conveyed to him information that the NFF had appointed him as match commissioner for the men’s AITEO Cup final coming up on Sunday in Benin City. “He told me he would prefer to drive down to Benin from Warri on Sunday morning. He sounded healthy and full of life. May his soul rest in peace,” observed the NFF scribe.

Defending champion of the Higher Institutions Football Leagues (HiFL) UNICAL Malabites have been knocked out of this year’s competition by UNIBEN Royals despite winning their home game in Calabar. The Malabites needed two goals to edge the Royals and cancel the deficit from their 4-2 loss during the first leg in Benin. After the ceremonial kick-off by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, the Malabites showed their intentions to win the game through series of attacks on the Royals. Uloko Simon eventually gave the Malabites the lead in the 45th minute, keeping the team’s hope of canceling the deficit in

the second half. However, the Royals had other ideas as they stood firmly and defended tenaciously to keep the Malabites strikers at bay as the match ended 1-0. The Royals qualified on a 4-3 goals aggregate while Ujah Christian of the Malabites won the StanbicIBTC Man-of-the-Match Award. In the game played in Minna, the FUTMINNA Transformers scored three goals in the first half against the LAUTCEH Hunters. Abubakar Mahmud got a brace for the Transformers in the 22nd and 41st minutes while Nda Ogubile scored in the 37th minute. The Transformers however got a scare in the second half as the Hunters reduced the deficit in

the 46th minute through Owoade Joseph and Aremo Mathew in the 81st minute, but could not get the needed equalizer to qualify on the away goals rule. The match ended 3-2 on the aggregate in favour of the Transformers. In his reaction after the games, Chief Strategy Officer at Pace Sports, Mr. Goodness Onyejiaku said “This fine display of sportsmanship gladdens our hearts. “Again, our sponsors, StanbicIBTC, Nivea Men, Minimie and Bold have continued to demonstrate their love for youth development in Nigeria through their support for HiFL. “While they pursue academic excellence, these youths have an opportunity to explore other talents

thereby providing them with an array of choices as they grow into becoming the better persons they crave”. In other matches, AAUA Lumanaries played a 1-1 draw against the OAU Giants to qualify on the away goals rule. The first leg played at OAU ended in a nil draw. In Maiduguri, UNIMAID Desert Warriors defeated BUK Stallions 3-2 to qualify on a 5-3 goals aggregate. In other matches, AAUA Lumanaries played a 1-1 draw against the OAU Giants to qualify on the away goals rule. The first leg played at OAU ended in a nil draw. In Maiduguri, UNIMAID Desert Warriors defeated BUK Stallions 3-2 to qualify on a 5-3 goals aggregate.

FRIDAY, ;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

SPORTS

Mpoh Kelosiwaag...one of South Africa’s top golf instructors on duty during the training programme at GGWF in Abuja...recently

Runsewe: Golf's Game Changer with GGWF Duro Ikhazuagbe Golf has always remained an alluring passion for Otunba Olusegun Runsewe. For years, he remained committed to the sport with Catholic zeal. Wether in the country or out of this shore, golf destinations are his places of his first call. It therefore was no surprise that he opted to go further than being mere player. Those familiar with his interests in the game were not surprised that he has actualized his dream of having his own course where skills to play the game can be honed. Welcome to Otunba Runsewe’s posh Golf Garden Waterfront Golf Club (GGWF) in Wuse, Abuja! Penultimate Saturday, a week-long digital golf training for selected Nigerian golf professionals ended on high with lots of praises for the club. Most golfers who attended the programme admitted that this novel addition to the game in the country was capable of taking Nigerian golf to the world stage in five years time. Interestingly, one of South Africa’s top golf teachers, Mpoh Kelosiwaag, was flown into the country as an instructor in the first golf training Nigerian golf professionals would be opened to since the late sage, Chief Anthony Enahoro, as Information Minister in Chief Obafemi Awolowo Western Region sent the country’s first five golf professionals for training in London. Mpoh, who is equally an eminent member of the Botswana Professional Golf Association, said he was amazed at the hi-tech golf facilities he met on ground at the Golf Garden.

He further disclosed that apart from South Africa, no other African nation could boast of such facilities that are in tandem with modern day digital golfing. “This is reason I make bold to say this man, Otunba Runsewe, is a blessing to your country”, said Mpoh, a man of uncommon insight, patience and gentle humour combined with an unsurpassed knowledge golf. “Otunba had a dream years back and he is living it right now. I remember 10 years ago, he came to South Africa to search for a top golf teacher who could help impact modern golfing knowledge to Nigeria professionals. I never met him before but I was recommended to him. He invited me to Nigeria to see what he had on ground and the directions of his dreams. “When I came around I met nothing but just this site of the Golf Garden. Then he told me about his dreams of bringing digital golfing facilities to Nigeria and then build a model golf facility that would be the envy of other African nations. I could imagine the type of resources and commitment that would be needed. I had my doubts. The project was tasking and I didn’t believe it could happen. And here I am now and I can see all he said he would do on ground. This is simply awesome and unbelievable. “With these facilities on ground, it is now clear Nigerian pros would be opened to electronic golfing. If I add this to the golfing talents that abound in your country, I could see pros here moving toward golf world big stages in, say, another five year’s time. Your country should

am indeed delighted that my husband agreed that I studied Golf Management and de-emphasize taking all funds to party for Mpoh which put a Administration so I could bring football alone. Golf is the future wrap on the week-long pro the experience back to Golf and people are already seeing training, the Group Managing Garden”, Olori Runsewe said. it. Even at the Olympics, the Director of the Golf Garden, “ I am happy that I am here honour one man could bring you Olori Adekunbi Runsewe, running things at the Garden. through golf would definitely admitted that with the founding But I must tell you what is here surpass what a 23-man football of the digital golf facility by her is quite vast and so I still have to team could give. Your country husband, it was evident that run to my husband most times should start investing on golf Otunba Runsewe was totally for advice so I can run this place since one man has blessed you committed to the development as smooth as I can.” with digital golfing facilities,” of the game of golf in Nigeria. Otunba Runsewe who is observed the top golf teacher. “Even though I am not equally the Director General After a fabulous ‘sent forth’ playing the game yet, I of the National Council of Arts and Culture said he was never on a goose chase when he was developing Golf Garden for eight years now. He said he knew it a long time ago that come 2023, a stunning four billion dollars would circulate around golf in Africa and that he wanted Nigeria to be in prime position to partake from this windfall. “This largesse would only go to nations which are prepared”, Runsewe revealed. “By preparation, I mean what we are going to have on ground before that time. Since the fund would revolve essentially around golf equipment, hotels and logistics, this is reason I am ensuring capacity building at the Golf Otunba Segun Runsewe (left) and Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong dressed in the Garden. I can tell you traditional golf attire designed by the GGWF patron that before that time

S P O RT S P E O P L E

I must have created my own golf brand, the OSR brand, which will undertake manufacturing of golf equipment and golf apparels. I really want to create a healthy synergy, I mean digital golfing synergy, between our Pros and the ones in Europe and America. I have started with ten of our pros and I will take those ten to places across the world. I want us to really reap from goodies world golf would bring to Africa,” enthused the GGWF patron. A former Nigeria’s No 1 golfer, Musa Ayuba, who was part of the training disclosed that in his two decades of professional golfing, it was the first time he would be exposed to digital training. Hear Ayuba: “I and other Pros who were fortunate to be part of this training are really grateful to Otunba Runsewe for building such digital golfing facility in Nigeria. This is what other African Pro golfers pay so much to be opened to such facilities in Europe and America. And we have it here in Abuja. This is incredible. I only pray such facilities should be replicated across Nigerian states. We have big and passionate golfers like Otunba Runsewe in Nigeria. They should come and emulate him and do the needful for the sport to grown bigger,” concludes the country’s former number one pro golfer. With such passionate golf enthusiast as Otunba Runsewe leading this project, it is just a matter of time for Nigerians to refocus their attentions to the sport awashed with so much money on the pro circuit. GGWF appears the answer to making that dream becoming real.

Friday August 6, 2021

UTH

& R E ASO

Price: N250

MISSILE Mamora to House Officers “House officers are undergoing training; they are not full fledged doctors. They are not and should not go on strike” – Minister of State for Health, Olorunmimbe Mamara, asking house officers undergoing training not to join t Doctors’ strike.

UT H

& RE A S O

26 years

AKINOSUNTOKUN DIALOGUE WITH NIGERIA

akin.osuntokun@thisdaylive.com

Igboho and the Ooni Caucus I

n the late evening of July 19, 2021, the news of the interdiction of Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho in Cotonou, Benin Republic en route the Federal Republic of Germany, broke out in the media. I was doubly disappointed, a disposition that was pervasively shared among the Yoruba. You see, one man’s poison is another man’s cup of tea and the secessionist criminal of one is the freedom fighter of the other. I am not in the habit of making undue concessions to political correctness at the expense of the naked truth. It is rather late in the day for a left handed sixty years old to start learning how to become right handed. My initial disappointment had to do with his carelessness and recklessness in not adequately anticipating and sensing the response of the Nigerian state security services to his emergence. If Nigeria has deteriorated to such a degree that this is my perception of Igboho, blame President Muhammadu Buhari for making identification with Igboho a growth industry in the South-west; for taking Nigeria captive to an agenda that is tolerable or beneficial to some and completely degrading to others. If we are getting increasingly powerless to positively influence his presidency, we are, at least, entitled to the right to repudiate the Nigeria he now personifies. You can challenge my position with the argument that we will be rid of him sooner than later with the promise of a new beginning. The problem with this mindset is that the kind of damage the President has wreaked on Nigeria will be difficult if not impossible to reverse- that is even if the country does not cave-in in the near term, before the expiration of his tenure. The damage is so deep and vastly polarising that any meaningful attempt to reset Nigeria will provoke the backlash allegation of reverse discrimination against the constituency he pampered and promoted under his ruinous stewardship. He has polluted and poisoned the Nigerian well with the destructive power politics of the winner-takes-all and the genie, so to say, is already popped out of the bottle. Where before, the custodians of Northern hegemony thread Nigeria with stealth and pulled their punches (in the execution of the hegemony), Buhari has ripped off the mask, charge furiously ahead with the execution and dared all of us to take it or leave it. He has substantiated the fears (that people on the receiving end had harboured all along) of a repressive northern regionalist thrust and emergent apartheid caste system. He has earned the left handed salute to his capacity to boldly clarify the choices Nigerians are called upon to make. The other day, one of his major Yoruba enablers returned from Abuja and reported that ‘a ti wo gàù’ (jocularly attributed as ‘entering a one chance bus’ with no plausible exit strategy). As he unapologetically trudge on with his political agenda, Buhari has latterly sought refuge in the dubious and distorted legalism of ‘I have not violated

Igboho the constitution’. If this is true, that the Nigerian constitution, by omission or commission, condones the perpetration of his unique excesses, then there is no better justification for throwing such a subversive and destructive constitution to the dustbin. Who would have believed that a presidential dispensation can become so insufferable as to compel the compliant Southern Governors’ Forum (SGF), to the defiance of becoming the champions of regionalism! It is the reason why Bishop Matthew Kukah concluded that if a putative President of Southern Nigeria origin had conducted himself the way Buhari has done, he would have long become toast of military take over. Necessity being the mother of invention, it is the same state of affairs that has produced the Igbohos of contemporary Nigeria. It is the reason I feel disappointed that Igboho didn’t do enough to evade the forces arraigned against his freedom of action. How, for God’s sake, can a man of his profile still believes he can continue to live a settled normal family life? Live and sleep in his well known family residence after crossing the rubicon at Igangan? Letting his guards down in this manner certainly bespeaks of the apt characterisation that “he doesn’t have the wisdom of the learned nor the tush of the exposed yet he has achieved so much in his liberation struggles”. In the subsequent event of his arrest at Cotonou, I could not but be reminded of the unenforced earlier error of revealing he had a second home in Germany and how he generally spews out information for the benefit of anyone interested in his entrapment. It was against this background and within this context that the inauguration not the formation of the Ooni Caucus took place. On the 28th of May 2021, foremost Yoruba monarch, Oonirisa, Arole Oodua, Enitan

Adeyeye Ogunwusi, had sent out letters of appointment into the membership of a Pan Yoruba caucus he has initiated. It reads: “In order for me to better secure the honour, safety, integrity and well being of the Yoruba heritage especially in this challenging and perilous times, I have decided to exercise the power conferred on me as the Arole Oodua, to constitute a caucus of eminent Yoruba sons and daughters, to support and advise me in the discharge of the royal mandate. In recognition of your social and political esteem regionally, nationally and internationally, it is my honour and privilege to invite you to the membership of this distinguished caucus. The caucus will serve as a body of primary advisers and companion to me in moving forward the institutionalisation of the ancient Oodua stool. We shall hold quarterly meetings at the Palace court in Ife and as occasion demands. In view of the prevailing security issues in the country, it will be the responsibility of the palace to ensure the safety and security of members in their ingress and egress to and from Ife. It will be the obligation of members to join kabiyesi in hosting major palace social and cultural events at Ife and accompany him in attendance at similar events to which the kabiyesi is invited. Members shall individually and collectively hold the obligation to protect and project the goodwill, prestige and power of the foremost Yoruba monarchy”. The inauguration of the caucus was scheduled for July 20th and was thus fated to fall victim to the arrest of Igboho the previous evening; and the propensity of the media to speculate and draw correlations between unrelated events. It would have been clairvoyant of the Ooni to know before hand that Igboho would be arrested on July 19th and thereby convene a meeting (of individuals travelling from different parts of the country) on the event for the following day. This clarification is by no means a distancing from the responsibility a Pan Yoruba caucus bears for intervening in any event that is of active concern to the Yoruba people. Perhaps the coincidence was a way of providence acclaimig the formation and cutting out for us our task. It was a responsibility imposed on us by unforseen circumstances from which we cannot walk away. In the furore that followed, it however became impossible to organically separate the inauguration of the caucus from the Igboho development. To boot, the extraction and circulation of the so-called full membership list of the caucus went viral on the social media and became a celebrity cuase celebre attracting applause, cynicism, blackmail and the occasional venom. In the penchant for ignoring the ball to kick the leg, there arose the criticism of lopsidedness in favour of PDP. Of course, partisanship did not feature at all in the composition of the membership and I have argued, for that matter, that the partisan divide in Nigeria is not PDP vs APC as it is Buhari writ large

versus the rest of us. The challenge confronting the Yoruba and the other sub national communities comprising Nigeria today transcends the superficial divide between the two major parties. Compelled, nonetheless, to do an appraisal of the frequency distribution of the partisan divide of the membership, we arrived at a perfectly balanced composition with a tally of seven members apiece for the two parties and non-partisan affiliated 14 members. And then the Alaafin courtesy visit controversy ensued. We figured that a Yoruba-monarchy-centred-initiative should prioritise goodwill visits with the other leading monarchs hence the quick order courtesy call on the Alaafin. But since there is no good way of reporting the drama of the visit from the two conflicting accounts of what transpired the sooner the whole episode is forgotten the better for us all. Regardless, we seize this opportunity to reiterate our respect and unqualified goodwill for the Alaafin. These are trying times for the Yoruba and all other communities who have found themselves at the short stick end of the Buhari dispensation. It does not require a soothsayer to predict that, in the current trajectory, things are going to get rougher and tougher for Nigerians. Monumental efforts and energy are going to be deployed to divide and dismember our ranks and render us prey to a renewed bid for internal colonialism. It is a period that will test our individual and collective resolve to stare down the political menace with which Nigerians are, once again, confronted. I could not resist the urge to pass on the report below:

Vanity and Wastes on Protocol “Normally, the president moves around with a convoy of 23 vehicles, eight armoured Mercedes, two BMW 7 series armoured, one Range Rover armoured assorted SUVs with a pick up used by FRSC. The Senate President and his deputies use convoys of about 10 expensive vehicles that include Mercedes S500 armoured, two SUVs, two security vehicles,and other SUVs for aides. The speaker uses two S600 V12 Mercedes, two Land Cruisers, two Hilux for security, one Camry LE and Peugeot 508. There are two despatch riders. Ministers use 4 vehicles, Land Cruisers and. Prado SUV, one of them armoured. The IG of police moves with 22 convoys, two of them armoured BMWs 7 series. All state governors, use Toyota Land cruiser or Lexus (bullet proof) SUVs in convoys of about 20 vehicles. The nation does not produce cars, does not produce tire, does not produce spare parts and does not produce petrol or diesel (does not refine crude oil), and yet we complain of falling value of the Naira against the Dollar.”

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