FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2020 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

NNPC’s 2019 Audited Financial Report Shows N801.3bn Reduction in Losses Report puts corporation on recovery path Says new gas project to generate 2,400MW Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has released its 2019 audited financial statement,

about five months after publishing its 2018 report, which was the first in its 43-year existence. In the second audited financial statement made public yesterday, the

corporation achieved N801.3 billion reduction in its loss profile from a whopping N803 billion in 2018 to N1.7 billion in 2019. This represents a 99.7 percentage cut in its losses. The corporation also said

when completed, the Asa North-Ohaji South (ANOH) gas project would be able to fuel power plants to generate approximately 2,400MW of electricity for the country. Some of the national oil

company’s subsidiaries which posted improved performances included the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited (NPDC,) which recorded N479 billion profit in 2019 compared

to N179 billion in 2018, representing a 167 per cent increase. In addition, the Integrated Data Sciences Limited (IDSL) Continued on page 9

With 13.71% Inﬂation, Analysts List Ways to Grow Economy... Page 8 Friday 16 October, 2020 Vol 25. No 9321. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

UT H

& RE A S O

#ENDSARS: Governors to Begin Judicial Review of Police Brutality Supervise new tactical team, establish fund for victims IG cautions personnel on use of force Again, hoodlums attack demonstrators in Lagos Our Correspondents Youths protesting police brutality for the past nine days got hefty concessions from the federal and state governments yesterday as the National Economic Council (NEC) rose from a meeting in Abuja and directed the 36 state governors and Minister of

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to take charge of negotiations with the protesters in their respective states. Specifically, the NEC directed the governors to establish judicial panels to investigate alleged police brutality, supervise fresh Continued on page 10

Osinbajo Backs Constitution Review, Says Exercise Not Waste of Resources Yakubu restates February 18 date for 2023 presidential poll Udora Orizu in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has faulted claims by social critics that the serial review of the 1999 Constitution as amended is a waste of resources and has not achieved anything. Osinbajo, in his goodwill message yesterday at the inauguration of the House of Representatives’ special ad-hoc

committee on the review of 1999 Constitution, said the various amendments to the constitution have strengthened the document and made the nation's democracy better. In furtherance of the review, the House yesterday inaugurated a special ad-hoc committee to superintend over the exercise. Continued on page 9

#WORKING TOGETHER... Former President Goodluck Jonathan (left) and President Muhammadu Buhari during a visit by the former president to the president, on the political situation in Mali, in Abuja...yesterday

Protests Hit Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger over Insecurity...Page 5

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

FRIDAY, ͹;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Protests Hit Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger over Insecurity

John Shiklam in Kaduna and Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) yesterday took to the streets in Kaduna, Bauchi, Niger and Kano States to protest the escalating security challenges facing the North. In Kaduna, the protesters who marched peacefully from Waff Road to the Kaduna State House of Assembly Complex demanded an “immediate end to banditry, terrorism, and Kidnappings in Northern Nigeria.” They carried placards and banners with various inscriptions such as: "Stop the killings in the

North," "Empower SWAT to end insecurity," "End Boko Haram now," End Banditry Now," "The North is Bleeding," and "Stop Rape Now." The protesters were received by the Chief Whip of the Assembly, Hon. Shehu Yunusa. Addressing the Chief Whip, the coordinator of the protest, Mr. Sa'ad Bako, said the CNG was compelled to protest the unending insecurity in the North. The group lamented the recent violent attacks on innocent people in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Borno, Adamawa and other northern communities and other

Buhari Approves Reopening of NYSC Orientation Camps Directs all civil servants to resume work Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Muhammed Buhari has approved the reopening of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps and schools nationwide. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said the resumption of the NYSC camps was one of the major changes proposed by the PTF in its eighth interim report approved by Buhari to enable the national response against the pandemic to proceed to the next phase. The NYSC orientation camps are to reopen on November 10 after they were locked down seven months ago in order to curb to spread of COVID-19. Also approved by the president is the removal of the limitation on civil servants allowed to come to work. With the approval, civil servants below Grade Level 12 are to report to duty from Monday. The federal government has also approved the restart of sporting leagues, in particular all outdoor activities such as football and sustaining the midnight to 4 a.m. curfew on movement nationwide. Mustapha said the PTF had concluded arrangements to test additional 100,000 persons at the various NYSC orientation camps nationwide, upon resumption while full COVID-19 protocols would be observed. He added that guidelines have been designed in conjunction with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in conjunction with NYSC for preparation for the reopening of the orientation camps. According to him, all youth corps members are to be tested for COVID-19 prior to commencement of orientation programmes. Mustapha also said the president had approved the extension of the third phase of the national response to COVID-19 for a period of four weeks. The extension is with effect from 00.01 am on Monday and is in line with amendments to address economic, socio-political and health considerations.

Buhari also gave the PTF the nod to continue engagement with states and local government areas to improve community sensitisation and sample collection while monitoring the impact of school re-opening and the commencement of international travel and enforcing compliance with the protocols set out for the safe resumption of schools. The PTF has also concluded arrangements to execute the National Testing Week as part of the arrangements to ramp up testing. Mustapha said over 27,000 international passengers had arrived in Nigeria since the resumption of international flights. He said: ''The PTF, however, noted the huge challenge posed to our national response by states as a result of poor engagement, which manifests strongly in the form of low level of sample collection across the country. “As at date, only the FCT and Lagos have achieved the target of testing one per cent of its population followed by three states that have crossed 50% (Plateau, Gombe and Rivers). “Twenty-six others are yet to measure up to 25 per cent. This is considered a serious problem which is further compounded by the increasing general apathy and disbelief about the risk of COVID-19 in Nigeria.'' The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr. Sani Aliyu, also said the level of compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions did not support a complete relaxation and easing of restrictions. He said sustained reduction in new cases nationwide, reduction in death rate to less than one per cent, reduction of case positivity rate to less than five per cent and placing of measures to manage potential secondary outbreaks were used to evaluate the success of the current phase of the response. Aliyu said the lifting of restriction on outdoor sporting activities, including football, was in line with earlier consultation with the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and NCDC, adding that mass gathering is still restricted from football as it is an opportunity for the virus to spread.

disturbances across the North. "This sadly, has ultimately placed the current federal administration of President Muhammad Buhari and a section of the northern political, cultural and spiritual leadership on the wrong side of public opinion – and history. "The rise in the spate of banditry, kidnappings, cattle rustling and bloodshed in the North has become a major trying point for everyone but the authorities – who have remained detached from the reality," Bako said. The group demanded: "An immediate and comprehensive improvement of security in the nation, most especially all over Northern Nigeria. "The federal and state administrations should address major failings in their perception of the current desperate situation and their response to the people's demands for their rights to security. "A total overhaul of the leadership of the national security agencies, a review of the entire national security architecture and the national security committees in order to inject higher levels of competence, integrity and accountability in the manner they deal with the security

challenges in the nation and particular the North. "The promulgation of legislation to compel the review of the salary and general incentive packages of all men of the security services." However, hundreds of suspected thugs disrupted the protest, organised in Kano by the CNG against the lingering security problems in the North and petrol price and electricity tariff increment, among others. Two journalists and scores of others were injured in an attack by the suspected thugs during the peaceful protest tagged #EndInsecurityNow, along the Kabuga to Kofar Famfo area in the metropolis. The protesting youths carried various inscriptions on the placards written “Arewa is Bleeding,” “Stop the Killings in the North,” “Empower SWAT to Stop Killings, Kidnappings, Rape,” and so on. The two injured journalists identified as Mr. Aliyu Samba and Mr. Abba Gwale are working with local media organisations in the state. The incident occurred when the protesters were gathering at their meeting point along Bayero University Kano road to proceed with the protest. It was gathered that some

hoodlums descended on them and dispersed them. One of the leaders of the protesters, Mr Usaini Adamu, said the thugs, brandishing dangerous weapons, invaded the gathering, at the opposite BUK old campus and started attacking members of the CNG. According to him, "Only a few of us sustained some minor injuries because security operatives promptly intervened and dispersed them. "We were grouping here; suddenly these thugs descended on us and started beating us. Most of us scampered for safety while some of us resisted until security agents arrived and dispersed them. "Now the security agents have given us a cover to read our press statement and leave," said Adamu. The spokesperson of Police Command in Kano, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, said the incident has been reported and promised that investigations to reveal the persons behind the attack had commenced. In the press statement signed by the CNG's spokesman, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, the group said the protest, which would spread across the North-western region of the country is to show concern over

deteriorating national security and other pressing issues. Youths in Bauchi and Niger States under the aegis of CNG also staged a protest yesterday morning to demand an end to insecurity, poor road infrastructure, and the epileptic power supply in the North. The protesters visited the government house and the state police command in the two states to deliver their messages to the government. They also backed the creation of Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team, saying it is in a better position to tackle various forms of security threats such as killings, banditry, kidnapping, rape, and Boko Haram terror attacks in the region if they are fully equipped and trained. In Niger State, the protesters decried the poor condition of road infrastructures in the state, which they describe as death traps. “This peaceful protest is not against any movement, it is not against any government, we are here to only show our grievances that as Nigerians we are not enjoying what we should enjoy,’’ they noted. They urged the federal government to fix all its roads and address poor power supply in the entire Northern states.

WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE... L-R: Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Bisi; and Chairman, Ado Local Government Area, Mrs. Omotunde Fajuyi, during the inauguration of Ado Central Market by the governor in Ado-Ekiti…yesterday

Buhari Meets Jonathan, Lauds Successes Recorded in Mali

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his delight on updates on the political situation in Mali, which he received from the Special Envoy/Mediator to the West African country, former President Goodluck Jonathan. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina,

in a statement yesterday, said the president expressed delight that the Mali situation had calmed down considerably, following interventions by leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). “One is delighted at the successes recorded," the president said. Giving updates, Jonathan said the mandate given him by

ECOWAS leaders was almost fully done, as a government with a largely civilian face has been inaugurated. The former president said: “The president has been sworn in, the prime minister and ministers too. The military has only four portfolios for serving officers and the government has taken off. The council, which will work like parliamentarians, will be

inaugurated soon." He added that the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, will formally brief West African leaders soon. After the intervention by the military in Mali, ECOWAS had insisted on a transition government led by a civilian, and the return to constitutional order within 18 months, among others.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

FRIDAY, ΁˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

With 13.71% Inflation, Analysts List Ways to Grow Economy James Emejo in Abuja Analysts yesterday called on the federal government to leverage on the COVID-19 pandemic and incentivise local food production, especially agribusiness, to boost the economy as headline inflation increased to 13.71 per cent in September from 13.22 per cent in the preceding month. They said the support for local production would boost employment generation and reduce insecurity as well as curtail inflation in the long run. The analysts also called for further reduction in Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) to encourage the investment of more funds in the real sector, adding that moral suasion alone appeared to be limited in the current situation. The analysts, who spoke in separate interviews with THISDAY in response to the inflation outcome, also stressed the need for the government to support farmers in the entire agricultural value chain with credit and create avenues for foreign market penetration. They stated that the harvest season may not significantly curb inflation except issues of insecurity and foreign exchange pressures are addressed. They also asked the government to speed up the implementation of the mass agriculture programme in the Economic Sustainability Plan in order to arrest the rising inflation. The analysts were reacting to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation rose to 13.71 per cent (year-on-year)

in September compared to 13.22 per cent in the preceding month. According to the CPI report for September, which was released yesterday by the statistical agency, the 0.49 percentage increase occurred in all the divisions that determine the headline index. The composite food index rose by 16.66 per cent in September compared to 16 per cent in August. All items, less farm produce or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 10.58 per cent in September, up by 0.06 per cent when compared with 10.52 per cent recorded in August. This rise in the food index resulted from increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, meat, fish, fruits and oils and fats as the sub-index increased by 1.88 per cent in the review period, up by 0.21 percentage points from 1.67 per cent in August. On the other hand, core inflation was fuelled by the highest increases in prices of passenger transport by air, medical services, hospital services, pharmaceutical products, passenger transport by road, motor cars, vehicle spare parts, maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment, repair of furniture and paramedical services. However, against the backdrop of the rising inflation, economist, Dr. Muhammad Rislanudeen, predicted further rise inflation due to the hike in food prices, adding that "with the recent flood in many states, insecurity and border closure, the cost-push-induced inflation may continue heading northwards." He said: "We need to

CBN Invests N120bn to Revive Textile Sector James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday said it had invested over N120 billion across the Cotton, Textile and Garment (CTG) value chain since the inception of its intervention programme in the industry. CBN’s Deputy Governor in charge of Corporate Services, Mr. Edward Adamu, said at a meeting with stakeholders in the CTG sector in Abuja that over 320,000 farmers had been financed between 2018 to date, adding that expected output for seed cotton is projected to be over 300,000 metric tonnes in 2020. Adamu stated that this is expected to enhance the production capacity of the ginneries in producing over 102,000 metric tonnes of cotton lint, which should meet and surpass the cotton lint requirement of the textile industry in the country. According to him, the domestic demand for cotton is currently met through local production, thereby halting the importation of cotton for the textile industry as well as increasing capacity utilisation of

ginneries, which now operate throughout the year compared to months in the recent past. The CBN deputy governor added that a total of 19 ginneries had been resuscitated nationwide and more are expected to become operational this year. He said the apex bank's enhanced drive toward antismuggling was already yielding positive result with over 15 textile smugglers' accounts frozen. "A lot of progress has been made, but at the same time more needs to be done to ensure that we build an inclusive economy that supports domestic production of goods and services, while offering job opportunities to teeming Nigerians. "This assignment has been bestowed upon us all by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, who remains extremely supportive of the agricultural sector revolution due to its role in ensuring food security, creating jobs and stabilising the Nigerian economy," he added. Continued on page 9

positively leverage COVID-19 by incentivising local food production and agribusiness. That will also support employment generation and reduce insecurity. "We need to positively leverage on COVID-19 by incentivising local food production and agribusiness. That will also support employment generation and reduce insecurity.” Former Director-General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, said the continuous increase in the headline index was an obvious indicator of a weak economy. According to him, many failed economies of the world are characterised by high inflation rates and high exchange rate for their currencies. “Nigeria's high inflation rate is therefore indicative of

a struggling economy. This trend is expected to continue as far as the exchange rate of naira to other currencies continues to be high. The new petroleum products pricing has added to the pressure of the inflation rate," he added. On his part, Professor of Finance and Capital Markets at Nasarawa State University, Prof. Uche Uwaleke, said while the harvest season may not significantly control inflation, except issues of insecurity and forex pressure are addressed, the agricultural interventions by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should be monitored to ensure that the funds are utilised for intended purposes. He stated that the uptrend in inflation was not unexpected, adding that "it is the immediate outcome of the increase in the pump price of fuel, the value-added tax, electricity tariffs as well as

the implementation of stamp duties and continuous border closure." He added: "All these factors aggravated the legacy issues reflected in infrastructure deficit, especially power and transport, as well as illiquidity in the forex market and insecurity. "It is also not a surprise that food inflation is exerting the most pressure, rising by as high as 16.6 per cent in September, owing to supply shortages from the lingering effects of COVID-19 and insecurity challenges in some food-producing areas of the country." Also, an Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Port Harcourt, Anthony Onoja, stated that the persistent increase in inflation has negative implications for the receding Nigerian economy. He said the inflation rate was exacerbated by the full

deregulation of oil sector and hike in electricity tariffs in September, adding that the policies pushed up costs of production and delivery of services, which were transmitted to households via cost-push inflation. "Government needs to support farmers and agricultural sector with credit, avenues for foreign market penetration, reduce the ease of doing business and implement policies that will improve domestic production such as infrastructural improvements before the full harvest season arrives. "As we move towards the Yuletide season, there will be more pressure on the naira as demand for foreign exchange will increase. Hence small-and medium-scale industries should be aided with credit and insurance policies to enable them get out of liquidation," he added.

THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES... #ENDSARS protesters continue their demonstration against police brutality in Abuja…yesterday

Okonjo-Iweala Seeks Concessionary Funding for Low-income Countries Nume Ekeghe Nigeria’s candidate for the leadership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has called on multilateral institutions and developed countries to increase their support for low income countries, especially Africa, by providing more concessionary funding. She also stressed the need for global collaborative efforts towards acquiring and distributing COVID-19 vaccines when they are ready. She spoke yesterday on the sidelines of the ongoing IMF/World Bank Annual meetings, at the CNBC Debate titled: ‘The Outlook for the Global economy,’ where she featured alongside the IMF Managing Director, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva; President,

European Central Bank, Ms. Christine Lagarde and the Finance Minister, Indonesia, Ms. Sri Mulyani Indrawati. Okonjo-Iweala said: “These are the poorer countries, who don’t have the ability to have the kind of fiscal stimulus that you have seen in the developed countries or even in emerging markets like Indonesia. “We have seen the rich countries put about $12 trillion in stimulus with more on the way with 10 to 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, whereas, in many poor countries, in the African continent for example, maybe an average of two per cent of GDP fiscal stimulus. “And many of these countries do not have the fiscal space to stimulate their economies or even to be able to afford payments for vaccines and this

is something I would like us to talk about because they don’t have the resources for households or corporates. “We need to think about what that means because the world is very interconnected now and people in rich countries can stimulate their economies and come out of it by buying vaccines from as many sources and we would be fine because that is not true.” According to her, the developed countries should rethink their approach to global development because as long as people in developing countries and poor nations are unsafe, nobody in the developed countries will be safe. "We have got to think of how we are going to work with those poor countries be it on the health side.

“We are trying to raise $35 billion for the vaccines therapeutics and diagnostics and we have only been able to raise about $3 billion to $4 billion so far. This is a less than one per cent of the fiscal stimulus that has gone in so far in the rich countries,” she added. Okonjo-Iweala commended the IMF, World Bank and other multilateral institutions for their prompt support for Africa, even as she stressed the need for more assistance for the region. Responding to the state of global trade, she called for a return to a multilateral trading system. “The WTO is the only organisation that has rules that underpin the multilateral trading system. And this is the system that most of the world belongs to.

FRIDAY, ͹;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE NINE NNPC’S 2019 AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORT SHOWS N801.3BN REDUCTION IN LOSSES recorded N23 billion profit in 2019 compared to N154 million in 2018, representing over 14,966 per cent increase while the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) recorded N14.2 billion profit in 2019 compared to N9.3 billion in 2018, representing 52 per cent increase. The PPMC accounts were audited by KPMG Professional Services and Paul Akinade Adebimpe & Co, and as of December 31, 2019, its revenue stood at N32.5 billion compared to N29.5 billion in the previous year. Its profit before tax was N14.7 billion compared to 9.5billion in 2018, while the subsidiary paid N163million in taxes in 2019 as against N158million in 2018. The Nigerian Gas Company Limited (NGC) had its total asset increase from N221 billion to N361 billion, representing about 63 per cent rise in the company's asset base. Also, NNPC Retail Limited, a subsidiary established in 2002, recorded a profit after tax of N2.6 billion as against N1.9 billion in 2018. Among others, the company is engaged in the sale of refined products in the filling stations run by the corporation. Although some of the corporation’s over 20 subsidiaries recorded losses, the general administrative expenses of the national oil company witnessed a 22 per

cent decrease from N894 billion in 2018 to N696 billion in 2019. For example, Wheel Insurance Limited, which had one of its directors, Mr. Isiaka Abdulrasaq, resigning in 2019, recorded a loss, as its total comprehensive income for the year fell from $18.1 million in 2018 to $7.3 million in 2019. As expected, the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) recorded a loss before taxation of N46 billion, higher than the N45 billion recorded in 2018, and a total comprehensive loss of N50 billion in the year under review. But despite its loss due to the non-functional state of all the refineries in the country, the company stated that it donated N154 million for community development and assistance during the year under review. The story wasn't different for the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), which made a loss before tax of N49.2 billion against N44.4 billion in 2018. The company, however, has continued to retain its employees despite its total redundancy. But the total number of employees reduced from 585 in the previous year to 515 in 2019. It had total revenue of N921million in 2019 as compared to N1.9 billion in 2018.

NNPC Health Maintenance Organisation Limited with total revenue of N2.5 billion, however, bounced back from its N6.6 million loss in 2018 to a profit after-tax of N277 million in 2019. In all, while the NNPC Group had a revenue of N4.6 trillion as at December 31, 2019, the corporation had N2.5 trillion but recorded a loss before income tax of N93 billion compared to 2018 when a total loss of N714 billion was recorded. Similarly, the corporation posted a loss before income tax of N107 billion in comparison to N254 billion in 2018. Total comprehensive loss for the group, according to the NNPC audited report, was N20.1 billion in 2019 and N68.9 billion in 2018. But the total loss for the corporation, which was N203 billion in 2018, bounced back to the path of profitability with N16.2 billion income in 2019. The National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) also recorded a profit of N2.8 billion for the year against N1.2 billion in 2018. But it donated N135 million to various organisations in the year under review. As for the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company Limited (NPSC), the company which provides transportation and storage facilities for the distribution of petroleum products, it recorded a loss

of N1.3 billion for the year. This, however, represented a reduction when compared to 2018 when the company lost N2.4 billion. Earlier, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the corporation, Mr. Umar Ajiya, had stated that the release of the AFS was in keeping with the management's commitment to transparency and accountability and in consonance with the principles of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) of which it is a partner. He said though the NNPC’s refineries had maintained the same level of losses as in 2018, the string of losses would reduce significantly in 2020 due to NNPC cost optimisation drive. The corporation explained that the improved performance in the 2019 financial year was driven mainly by cost optimisation, contracts renegotiation and operational efficiency. “The 2019 AFS goes further to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the principle of Transparency, Accountability and Performance Excellence (TAPE) while the outlook for 2020 looks promising in view of the management’s strong drive to prune down running cost and grow revenues,” the organisation stated. It recalled that the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, had

promised to sustain the publication of the corporation's audited financial statement as part of efforts to deepen transparency and accountability and keep stakeholders abreast of NNPC operations.

New Gas Project to Generate 2,400MW of Electricity, Says NNPC The NNPC has also said when completed, the Asa North-Ohaji South (ANOH) gas project will fuel power plants to generate approximately 2,400MW of electricity for the country. The corporation stated that the 600 million standard cubic feet of gas per day project is part of concerted efforts to ramp up gas-to-industries and gas-to-power in the country, noting that it is one of the largest greenfield gas condensate development projects ever undertaken in Nigeria. Kyari highlighted the gains of the gas project in a goodwill message at 2020 South-east Gas Utilisation Forum in Owerri, Imo State. A press statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the corporation, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted Kyari as also commending the imminent completion of the landmark Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben “OB3” gas pipeline project.

He said the OB3 project would help commercialise over two billion cubic feet of gas per day and generate billions in revenue as well as create thousands of employment opportunities for Nigerians. Kyari, represented by the corporation’s Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr. Yusuf Usman, said NNPC as an enabler organisation has since realised the obvious economic importance of gas. He noted that the corporation has consistently made efforts towards building the right infrastructure and commercial structures, in a bid to deliver value to customers and all stakeholders. He stated that the laudable initiative of the Gas Aggregation Company of Nigeria (GACN) aimed at facilitating the optimal use of natural gas to drive industrial and economic growth aligns with President Muhammadu Buhari’s aspirations of prioritising gas development for economic growth, power generation and the eventual industrialisation of Nigeria. While saluting the ingenuity and enterprising spirit of South-east industrialists, entrepreneurs and business leaders, he said the business community was well-placed to support the federal government’s economic development plan to move Nigeria from being a crude oil export-based economy.

OSINBAJO BACKS CONSTITUTION REVIEW, SAYS EXERCISE NOT WASTE OF RESOURCES The committee listed its focus to include, among others, how to achieve federalism, state police, creation of more states and local government autonomy. Also speaking at the inauguration, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, reiterated his statement that the next presidential election will hold on February 18, 2023, and urged members of the House to speed up the process of reviewing the constitution, as only about 855 days are left before the next general election. Osinbajo, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, said President Muhammadu Buhari remains the president who has signed the most constitutional alteration Acts since the advent of democracy in 1999. He listed such amendments to include the Not Too Young to Run Bill that reduced the age a person must attain to contest elections and the law that granted financial autonomy to the judiciary and the legislature. Osinbajo while restating that the constitution review is a work-in-progress, urged the ad hoc-committee not to discountenance any constitution alteration proposal, no matter how idealistic but to look at ways to galvanise them to

improve the economy, create jobs, guarantee national safety and security and abolish corruption. He assured the ad-hoc committee that the executive will cooperate with it by making input into its work and assenting to the final product at the end of the process. ''My presence here underscores the importance this administration attaches to the review of the constitution to be able to address our societal ills and propel the nation towards greatness,” he said. He expressed confidence in the ability of the committee’s leadership and members to discharge their mandate excellently by liaising with relevant government agencies, civil society organisations, multilateral and supranational agencies and bodies to achieve a wholesome amendment to the Nigerian constitution.

Yakubu Restates February 18 Date for 2023 Presidential Election Meanwhile, INEC’s Chairman, Yakubu, has said the next presidential election will hold on February 18, 2023. In his goodwill message he urged lawmakers to speed up the process to facilitate the smooth conduct of the next general election. Yakubu told members of

the House that only about 855 days are left before the next general election. He explained that as in 2019, general elections in the country have to be held in the second week of February of each election year, and called on the National Assembly to ensure the timely review of the constitution. He also called for the review of the Electoral Act to give legal backing to the use of technology in the electoral process, adding that the present manual process is cumbersome and costly. Speaking for himself, the SGF urged the committee to select items that can be easily taken, to avoid stalling the process and destabilising the system. Also speaking at the inauguration at the National Assembly complex, the Chairman of the Committee and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Idris Wase, said the panel would consider the creation of states, state police, federalism, local government and judicial autonomy while reviewing the 1999 Constitution. He said already, over 15 constitution alteration bills had been referred to the committee touching on these broad thematic areas. He added that there have been attempts to amend the 1999 Constitution, yet the agitations for a much more fundamental amendment has not stopped.

According to him, despite the fact that Nigeria prides itself as a 'federal state,’ it is far from what federalism entails. He said until critical areas are resolved, the clamour for a new constitution may continue. ''These are burning issues that have been left to burn for so long without giving them the much-needed attention. The burning issues include the federal structure, local government autonomy, state police, state creation and judicial autonomy,” he said, adding: ''Some have stated that our federal system is more unitary than federalist, especially with the number of items on the exclusive legislative list where the federal government regulates even simple items like primary education and agriculture.” He said this has led to clamour for more devolution of powers from the centre to the states in order to makes states more viable and economically sustainable. On local government autonomy, he said: "As a third-tier of government, all the local governments are supposed to be independent. However, we have not seen such independence in a long time. Arguably, the framers of the 1999 Constitution, created a worrisome situation by giving validity to the existence of 3.162 (6), which prescribes the “State and local government joint

account.'' On state police, the deputy speaker said: "While internal security is of paramount importance, the concentration of the power of the police at the central government has created several policing challenges at the states. While some have advocated for the creation of state police, others have expressed worry on the possible abuse of such power by state governors. However, one thing that is clear is the need for us to take a second look at our internal security superstructure in order to make it work for our people and protect their lives and properties.'' Speaking on the agitation for state creation, he stated: "It is pertinent to note that the current 36 states of our federation were created via military decrees. Hence the true wishes and aspirations of the people were never considered in such creations. "There is a need, therefore, to examine the subject of state creation (and the associated constitutional rigours and difficulties surrounding it) in such manner as to reflect the wishes and aspirations of homogenous people in a democratic system." The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, while inaugurating the committee, asked the members to engage as many voices as possible in

The President of National Cotton Association of Nigeria, Mr. Anibe Achimugu, stressed the need for farmers to access funding from the Export Development Fund (EDF) to help them remain competitive. He said: "As we speak we have excess cotton in warehouses because the current capacity of the textile companies is not able to utilise the cotton for now.

But of course, since the CBN is intervening in the textile companies, they should be able to improve their capacities going forward. "Quality planting seeds are not available on the quantity needed. We only have an institute of agricultural research but that is not enough. But the government can open up the space for the private sector in seed production and processing."

CBN INVESTS N120BN TO REVIVE TEXTILE SECTOR Adamu said the revival of the textile sector remained vital to the country's growth objectives, adding that the CBN's interventions are designed to resuscitate and return the industries back to its glorious days of job creation, economic diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in cotton production as well as minimise and eradicate smuggling and dumping of

textile goods and facilitation foreign reserves' accretion. On his part, CBN Director, Development Finance Department, Mr. Yila Yusuf, identified smuggling of textiles as the biggest challenge in the efforts to reposition the sector. Speaking with journalists, he said, "As you are aware a lot of them (smugglers) their accounts have been blocked. As restitution, we are telling

them to go patronise the local textile factories". He said the CBN was also working with the uniform services to enhance patronage of locally-made fabrics which are of high quality. While addressing concerns raised by stakeholders on early funding to check arbitrage by middlemen, he said the CBN would ensure that farmer get funded with the right interest regime.

the course of its work. He said the committee should also consider the expectations of different interest groups of Nigerians. He said the House is determined to come up with a constitution that addresses most of the current challenges facing the country. ''I encourage you during this assignment to seek out and listen to as many voices as possible. Engage with as many interest groups as possible, reject misinformation, document the stories of our people, and consider their expectations,” he said, urging them: “Let the work you do demonstrate that this House of Representatives is fully capable of reflecting the most urgent concerns of the Nigerian people and acting in their best interests.” He said he was confident that the ad-hoc committee will act judiciously and produce for the consideration of the House a quality report that members can implement expeditiously.

TOP GAINERS NGN NGN % ETERNA 0.48 5.29 9.9 LAFARGE 0.70 18.05 4.0 GUINNESS 0.50 16.00 3.2 INTERBREW 0.15 4.85 3.1 PZ 0.10 4.30 2.3 TOP LOSERS NGN % AIICO 0.03 0.81 3.5 GSK 0.20 5.60 3.4 FIDSON 0.11 3.56 3.0 AFRIPRUD 0.16 5.54 2.8 GTBANK 0.50 29.50 1.6 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,175.00 Volume: 342.193 million shares Value: N5.039 billion Deals: 4,048 As at yesterday 15/10/2020 See details on Page 37

FRIDAY, ͹;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Aregbesola Rallies Support against Insecurity Says bandits kill 8,000 in North-west Kuni Tyessi in Abuja and Francis Sardauna in Katsina The Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday said bandits terrorising the North-west zone have killed over 8,000 persons in Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Niger States since the upsurge in banditry in the zone. Aregbesola, at a town hall meeting with stakeholders on internal security and conflict resolution in Katsina, Katsina State, solicited the cooperation of stakeholders to end banditry. In his speech titled, “You have government’s ears,” he said a delegation of the federal government was in

Katsina to seek the cooperation of the government on how to end banditry and restore normal life, especially to the rural areas and the farming community. He lamented that many farmers and herders have been killed with many more abandoning their farms, villages and profession due to the prevailing insecurity in the region. The stakeholders’ engagement on internal security and conflict resolutions was organised by the Ministry of Interior in collaboration with other security agencies. The minister explained that the nefarious activities

of the hoodlums had crippled the food supply chain and economy of many rural communities in the Northwest region. The minister added that transportation of goods is hampered as trucks taking cattle and farm produce to markets across the country were being attacked by the miscreants. He said: "According to the International Crisis Group, more than 8,000 people have been killed in the states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger and Zamfara by these blood-thirsty criminals in the past decades. "Their most threading attack was on April 18, 2020, on

Katsina villages where 47 people were killed. These criminals attack mostly people in the rural areas, where they kill, steal and rape without mercy. They are practically destroying the economy of rural areas and the food supply chain of the country. "Many farmers and herders have been killed and many more are abandoning their villages and profession altogether. The time has come to put an end to these killings. "The charge we received from the president is two-fold: the first is to put an end to banditry, while the second is to work with the government and people of the state to

restore normal life, especially to the people in the rural areas and the farming community." The minister told the stakeholders that the president and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are concerned about the killings, thefts and destruction being perpetuated by the criminals and assured them that the federal government will soon deal with the bandits. “I am assuring you that all the total, brutal and ferocious might of the federal government will be brought on them. The Nigerian security machine will be unleashed in its fury, the way we have never seen

before. The sickening criminal acts of these evil people will be brought to an end and all citizens will have the assurance of peace and safety once again,” he stated. Aregbesola said the security services are going after the bandits to end the killings. He commended the stakeholders for their doggedness as well as the efforts of the local vigilantes who have put their lives at risks to protect others. Responding, the Katsina State Governor, Hon. Aminu Masari, said the state would support the federal government in its bid to eradicate crime.

constitution and the president and affirmed its determination to defend the country and its democracy at all cost. The statement signed by Army spokesman, Col. Sagir Musa, said the military was committed to the sustenance of peace, security and defence of democracy.

“Our buses will never be involved in such activities and I have instructed the state team to get to the root of it. I will address our residents live today on developments. “I understand the atmosphere of distrust in which things are happening and how rapidly the situation has escalated, but I need to let every Lagosian understand that our government believes firmly in democratic ideals and will continue to act in accordance with our belief.” Meanwhile, the Feminist Coalition, a group of young Nigerian feminists formed in July 2020 with a mission to champion equality for women in Nigerian society with a core focus on education, financial freedom and representation in public office has raised millions in support of the campaign. Giving an account of what has so far been raised as at yesterday, the coalition said: “We have raised a total sum of N62, 643, 663.05, $11,474.34 US dollars; 5,595.89 Canadian Dollars, 5,733.49 pounds, 875.42 Euros, 1,256.70 Ghana Cedis, 53,016.60 Kenyan Shillings and 1.28827988 Bitcoins. Giving a breakdown of the figures expended already they said the coalition has supported 100 peaceful protests in 25 states, paid N759, 080 in medical bills for injured protesters, donated N400, 000 to the families of victims murdered by police officers while protesting peacefully, paid N500,000 in legal aid and spent N11,367,500 on supplies including food, water, mask among other things.

#ENDSARS: GOVERNORS TO BEGIN JUDICIAL REVIEW OF POLICE BRUTALITY tactical team being set up by the Inspector-General of Police, and raise a fund to compensate victims of cruelty by the defunct rogue squad, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). These directives, according to a statement by the spokesman of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. Laolu Akande, were given at a meeting of NEC presided over by the vice president, and attended by state governors. The judicial panels, which would be set up in all the states would include representatives of youths, students, civil society organisations and would be chaired by a respected retired State High Court Judge. According to the statement, NEC specifically resolved that state governors and the FCT minister should take charge of interface and contact with the protesters in their respective domains. NEC also directed that the state governors should immediately establish a state-based Special Security and Human Rights Committee to be chaired by the governors in their states, to supervise the newly formed police tactical units and all other security agencies located in the states. It said: ''Regarding the Judicial Panel of Inquiry, each state government is to set up the panel, chaired by a retired High Court Judge, with other members selected by the state governor as follows: Two representatives of civil society groups; one retired police officer of high repute; one youth representative; one student representative; one representative of the state Attorney-General and a representative from the National Human Rights Commission. ''The terms of reference for the judicial panel is to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings; evaluate evidence presented/other surrounding circumstances, and draw conclusions as to the validity of the complaints; and recommend compensation and other remedial measures, where appropriate. ''The panel’s assignment should be concluded within a maximum of six months unless it shows convincing reasons why the state governor should allow an extension. “There would also be Human Rights Public Complaints Team of between two to three persons to receive complaints on an ongoing basis. That team would be established by the Special Committee on Security and Human Rights.''

Govs Want IG to Consult Widely on SWAT Meanwhile, the 36 state governors have also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, who warned his personnel against the use of force on protesters yesterday, to consult widely before taking further decisions on SWAT. The governors pointed out that even though SWAT might be necessary and in good faith, the timing was inauspicious as the outfit may understandably be misinterpreted as a surreptitious move to dress FSARS in another garb. After a meeting with the 36 states' governors, Adamu was advised to halt further proceedings on the proposed SWAT until consultations with all stakeholders were done. According to a communique of the meeting between the governors and Adamu, which was signed by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), and the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governors stated: “The timing of the creation of SWAT is inauspicious as the mood of the nation negates it and may understandably be misinterpreted as a surreptitious move to dress FSARS in another garb. "Governors agreed that there was a need for greater consultation with the public before any decision is taken; “Governors advised the IG to immediately convene a meeting of all stakeholders and agree on a format of engagement with all state officials in order to address concerns; and that state leadership should meet simultaneously nationwide, to address matters arising." It added: “The governors were unanimous in their support for the IG and endorsed his plan to carry out far-reaching reforms geared towards greater effectiveness, accountability and transparency; members called for increased regularity in the meetings of the Nigeria Police Council in order for it to effectively carry out its regulatory and supervisory roles as contained in the Nigerian Constitution." The communique stated that the governors emphasised that reforms must include the training and retraining of operatives on the rules of engagement with the general public, adding that policing in Nigeria must ensure freedom for all Nigerians to carry out their lawful and legitimate businesses anywhere in

the country without fear of harassment, intimidation or molestation. The governors advised that throughout the reform process, the room for consultation may include sessions and direct feedback from the public, stressing that there is no single solution that applies to all the 36 States of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. It said: “The governors were unequivocal that all police officers who participated in the abuse or actions that might have led to injury or the death of innocent citizens must be fished out and brought to book while other Nigerians who have been adversely affected by police brutality or other actions that were injurious to them or their loved ones, should be compensated." They recommended that the IG, the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Council should immediately review the remuneration and emoluments of police officers and explore ways to fund this in order to incentivize and motivate police officers who have pledged themselves in service of the country. According to the communique of the meeting, Adamu said that the SWAT would be strictly intelligence-driven and that it will be constituted to carry out tactical operations across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. It said the IG informed the governors that after a psychological and medical evaluation, SWAT officers will be trained and posted to all state commands – about 50 per state, where they will operate only on intelligence-driven operation.

Northern States Back Push for Police Reforms In a related development, the Chairman of the Northern Governors' Forum (NGF) and Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Simon Lalong, has said that states in the north were comfortable with the operations of the disbanded SARS due to insecurity situation in the region. Lalong stated this yesterday while speaking to State House correspondents, after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on the improving security situation in the North as well as the upcoming National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST). He said what was needed was the reformation of the disbanded unit to enable it discharge its functions optimally.

Lalong stated: "When we see issues like this because most of the complaints vary from one state to the other. In one aspect, some people said they don’t want SARS, some said they want SARS but a reformed SARS. They want a reformed SARS because as far as they are concerned, some of these SARS operatives help them in addressing insecurity. "If there are bad ones, holistically, bring them together and reform them. Then, you work for them. So, our opinion and conclusion at that stage were that let us not just say that we are throwing away the baby with the bathwater. If there are good ones, you don’t chase them away. So, as SARS is banned, we are now looking forward to an opinion because most of the states in the North said no. They want SARS because SARS helps them. Borno said without SARS, he would not have been surviving today. Niger also wants SARS.” Lalong noted that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) met on Wednesday and it is expected that it's chairman to meet with the president on the issue.

Military Warns Thugs against Hijack of Protests The military high command yesterday warned thugs and miscreants taking advantage of the ongoing #ENDSARS protest to unleash violence on peaceful protesters to desist from doing so. It said attacks on peaceful protesters would no longer be tolerated. A statement signed by the Coordinator of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj. Gen. John Enenche, warned that acts capable of undermining democracy would not be allowed. He said: "The armed forces of Nigeria and other security agencies have observed with dismay some violence-related protests across the country particularly the increasing number of attacks on peaceful protesters by thugs and miscreants. "This unfolding event against peace-loving Nigerians will not be condoned. Hence, thugs and miscreants are hereby warned to desist from engaging in violent activities against peaceful Nigerians henceforth or face appropriate measures." A terse statement issued by the Nigerian Army had earlier warned trouble makers and subversive elements to desist from acts capable of undermining democratic rule. It restated loyalty to the

Suspected Thugs Attack Protesters in Lagos, Govt Distances Self The hitherto peaceful protests in Lagos became volatile yesterday when some armed thugs penetrated the chain of protesters and unleashed mayhem. Armed with cutlasses and other sharp weapons, the thugs had taken the protesters by a surprise given the success the former recorded on Wednesday in repelling the hoodlums. Brought to the protest grounds in Alausa in buses, the hoodlums unleashed mayhem on protesters without recourse to their right to protest. At the end of the attack, scores of protesters sustained varying degree of injuries including some that had deep cutlass cuts on their heads, shoulders and even body. With no weapon to match the brutal strength of the hoodlums, the protesters gave way and fled to different directions, with the injured lagging behind. After the hoodlums left while singing victory chants, the protesters regrouped and began to attend to the injured. One of the champions of the protest, Ms. Aisha Yesufu said: “They bring in thugs to disrupt election and scare voters away. They are bringing thugs to attack protesters demanding for Nigeria to be a better nation and you are supporting them because the protesters are stressing you. You are Nigeria's problem.” Reacting to the incident, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, distanced the government from that attack, reiterating its stance on democratic principles. He said: “I strongly condemn the attack of peaceful protesters by armed and unscrupulous elements trying to cause chaos in Alausa today. “My government will never tolerate the attack of protesters. Security agents will immediately protect peaceful protesters from miscreants.” Addressing allegations that the state mass transit was used by the thugs, he said: “I have received reports involving a bus in our state bus service.

FCTA Bans Protests in Abuja In another development, the Federal Capital Territory Security Committee has banned #EndSARS protests in Abuja, the nation’s capital, for alleged violation of the COVID-19 protocols. The FCT Administration said it was concerned that despite the scrapping of the SARS by the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mohammed Adamu, last Sunday, the demonstrations had continued, causing inconveniences to law-abiding citizens. The resolutions of the meeting were contained in a statement titled,’COVID-19: FCT Security Committee prohibits street demonstrations,’ signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the FCT minister, Mr. Anthony Ogunleye.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; 2020

COMMENT

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

TOWARDS ENDING POLICE BRUTALITY

Disu Kamor urges government to vigorously engage those genuinely interested in bringing about the change we all desire

he current situation in Nigeria demands some deep reflection and more importantly, decisive actions. Corruption and insecurity are both threatening the very existence of the nation, gnawing away at its foundation.

The new surge in these ugly incidents calls for the immediate and unrelenting attention of the government at the federal and state levels. Unfortunately, the Nigerian Police Force whose primary function is to safeguard lives and properties of Nigerians has over the years been enmeshed in corruption, unwholesome practices, naked brutality and most importantly, extra-judicial killings. Over the past five years, a division of the Nigerian Police Force called Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) which was founded to confront the grave challenges of increased cases of armed robbery and other related crimes have been accused of willful abuse of power, defining itself by its ability to wound and torment the underdog, targeting and profiling the youth (most of whom are released without charges after going through hellish treatments at the hands of SARS operatives and their colleagues), harassment, extortion, torture and extra-judicial killing. The name SARS filled many young Nigerians with fright across the nation due to their crude methods of dealing with actionable and circumstantial intelligence or simply through impulsive actions. Earlier this year, the human rights group Amnesty International said it had documented at least 82 cases of torture, ill-treatment and extra-judicial execution between January 2017 and May 2020. The victims were mainly men aged between 18 and 35. Over the years there have been many calls, and promises, to end SARSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; gross abuses and in fact a complete reformation of the Nigerian Police. Unfortunately, the calls have not yielded any results, and the promises have turned out to be false. r %FDFNCFS 0VUDSZ QSPNQUFE /JHFSJB T UIFO QPMJDF chief, Ibrahim Idris, to order an immediate re-organisation of the anti-robbery unit in the aftermath of a viral video showing a young man allegedly killed by police. r "VHVTU "DUJOH 1SFTJEFOU :FNJ 0TJOCBKP PSEFSFE an overhaul of SARS, wanting a new unit whose officers would wear proper identification while on duty. He also asked the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria to create a special panel to investigate previous wrongdoing by SARS. r +BOVBSZ 5IF DVSSFOU *OTQFDUPS (FOFSBM PG 1PMJDF Mohammed Adamu, announced a comprehensive reform of SARS and temporarily decentralised the unit. Rights group Amnesty says the reforms did not go far enough for citizens to trust the police. r 'FCSVBSZ 1PMJDF CPTT .PIBNNFE "EBNV HBWF JOTUSVDUJPOT UP EJTCBOE 4"34 TBUFMMJUF PGĂ DFT 4PVSDF ##$ Early this month, the #EndSARS protests erupted when footage emerged of officers pulling two men out of a hotel in Lagos into the street and shooting one of them. It is in the light of these that MPAC welcomes the BOOPVODFNFOUT CZ UIF *OTQFDUPS (FOFSBM PG 1PMJDF JO relation to the demands of the protesters and commend the President for making commitments to ensure that farreaching changes are implemented to completely overhaul the police and ensure all its taints are removed. Along with taking a stand against police brutality, corruption and extra-judicial killings by the police, MPAC calls for honest, broad and serious actions from the government, particularly the legislative and the executive arms of our government, to turn the Nigerian police force into a professional, well-

THE CRITICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE POLICE IN ANY NATION MAKE IT NECESSARY FOR ALL OF US, AS STAKEHOLDERS, TO ENSURE THAT THOSE PRESIDENTIAL COMMITMENTS ARE FOLLOWED THROUGH AND THAT WE ALL PAINSTAKINGLY AND VIGOROUSLY PURSUE THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHANGES TO DO THEIR JOBS IN A TIMELY MANNER

motivated and modern police outfit that will for once operate at a standard at par with best practices and at the service of all Nigerians. The charges against SARS are that it perverted its call of duty, flouted its rules of engagement without consequences and exploited a legitimate national security concern to become a dreaded unit of the police force mostly working GPS JUT PXO JOUFSFTUT #VU GPDVTJOH POMZ PO 4"34 FYDFTTFT or only on the deep rot within the Nigerian police force for that matter is all about fixing the mirror, not fixing the reflection Nigerians see in the mirror. As much as SARS has shown its grave negative impacts on the society, we should also not forget it was created for a purpose and that purpose is yet to be fully addressed and defeated. The systemic corruption, sense of impunity and legendary unethical practices in the Nigerian police force hamper meaningful progress on these fronts and, sadly, are symptomatic of the dysfunctional state of the wider society. There is a subsisting culture that makes it easy for crimes to be committed in Nigeria with impunity and some people engage in crimes almost with a sense of entitlement. It is this culture and the tragic heritage of the past where safe havens have been created for known criminals and crime profiteers that are at the root of this and many other ills in our society. The responsibility to ensure that the public puts trust in the commitments made by the President to wholly change the Nigerian Police Force for good lies squarely on the shoulders of Mr President. The critical functions of the Police in any nation make it necessary for all of us, as stakeholders, to ensure that those Presidential commitments are followed through and that we all painstakingly and vigorously pursue those responsible to implement the changes to do their jobs in a timely manner. Our prayer is that this ugly episode, will be a watershed event and a breakthrough to usher in a new era of responsible policing in Nigeria where the honesty, diligence, dedication and sacrifices (including loss of life on duty) of thousands of men and women in police uniform will not be rubbished by a wolf pack amongst them whose greed, selfishness, corruption and violent way of life have made the police force to become reputed to be a venal and brutal institution that works for everybody except Nigerians. Perhaps the creation of SWAT from the ashes of SARS might be the needed panacea to effective crime policing in Nigeria where the Police is truly your friend. We wait and see. MPAC takes this time to remember and pray for the souls of those senselessly slaughtered, those who have suffered violence, oppression, fear and deprivation. We pray to Allah to guide our leaders aright, give them the DPVSBHF BOE CMFTTJOHT UP CF (PE DPOTDJPVT JO NBOBHJOH the state affairs. We also pray for all those, communities and individuals, that are still struggling for peace, safety, security and justice. MPAC calls on the government to continue to create â&#x20AC;&#x153;Safe Spacesâ&#x20AC;? for those contributing intelligently to the public discourse on this important issue, and continue to engage with those genuinely interested in bringing about the change we all desire. These stakeholders must be viewed as a full partner in all areas of changes and improvements that will correct the mistakes of the past, and create a new future where all Nigerians will feel proud to be living in Nigeria where â&#x20AC;&#x153;peace and justice shall reignâ&#x20AC;?. rKamor is Executive Chairman Muslim Public Affairs Centre

TRUMPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CORONAVIRUS TOGA

As the US Presidential election closes in, Donald Trump will likely get more paranoid, writes Kunle Jenrola

ith a jaunty display of ignorant intelligence...a bloated ego...a tongue that outraces the brain , the portrait of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Roger Ramjet,â&#x20AC;? the hyperpatriotic American (Classic Cartoon) superhero of the T JT BMJWF BOE XFMM JO 1SFTJEFOU %POBME Trump. Indeed, the re-enactment of â&#x20AC;&#x153;the Ramjet reality â&#x20AC;&#x153; is being played out by Trump, the quintessential Reality Showman in his FQJTPEJD SPNBODF XJUI $07*% UIFTF MBTU couple of days. Somehow, the mealy-mouthed, straightfaced, cartoon animation found an expression in Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;America Firstâ&#x20AC;? mantra pitched against his prosaic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Trump Firstâ&#x20AC;?, handling of the pandemic and his inevitable contracting of the virus. :FU JO B UZQJDBM 3FBMJUZ TIPX GBTIJPO exemplified by the melodramatic confirmaUJPO PG 5SVNQ T $PWJE TUBUVT IJT TIPSU and risible hospitalization, an indiscretionary i5IBOL :PVu ESJWF QBTU UP IJT TVQQPSUFST while on admission and a discharge within 48 hours of admission at the Walter Reed Military Hospital, is a mockery of orderly conduct of a responsible leadership. Worse still, he showed up on the White House balcony yanking off his facemask and boasting about his superhuman invincibility against the virus; heightening the risk of infecting more family members

and staffers. Instead of using the occasion to eat the humble pie and educate the citizens correctly on the devastating effects of the pandemic that has claimed over 200,000 American lives, he chose a dangerous spin that his reckless exposure to the pandemic is a mark of chilvary. Of course, not many expected a more decorous conduct from someone who has been consistently selling deception and unscientific cocktail of cures to innocent Americans; all as part of a self -centered, desperate re-election stunt. With a host of credible polls marking IJN EPVCMF EJHJUT CFMPX IJT %FNPDSBUJD DPOUFOEFS GPSNFS 7JDF 1SFTJEFOU +PF #JEFO itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understandable why Trump is behaving worse than a cat on hot bricks. Leading to these developments is a Trump trail of heavy -handed paternalistic moves and an autocratic disposition that triggered a high turnover of top political appointees, confidants and personal staffers. It is pertinent to note that before SFBDIJOH UIF UJQQJOH QPJOU PG IJT $PWJE flip-flopping and his eventual date with the coronavirus, he had, like Roger Ramjet, waged a myopic and selfish battle against UIF iBTTPSUFE GPSDFT PG FWJMu TFUUJOH PGG trade wars and pulling out of World Health Organization (WHO ). He made a sport of prosecuting a campaign against such â&#x20AC;&#x153;evilsâ&#x20AC;? that made him

lose the popular votes to Hillary Clinton and castrated him taking any decisive action against Russian intervention in the American Presidential election that saw him into office. In pursuit of an illusory greatness, he stifled criticism at home while, employing subtle blackmails on foreign governments. This tactic came to a head in the Ukrainian Aid saga which resulted in his impeachment by the US Congress. Needless to state that under his orchestration, the country is going into a crucial election more divided along racial and religious lines. Where, then, do we go from here with iUIJT %FTQFSBEPu UISFBUFOJOH UP HFU CBDL PO the campaign rally to make up for grounds lost through indiscretions? What with the political optics of the next Presidential debate(s) which could determine where the undecided voters could swing. The emerging scenario is that after their principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impulsive rejection of a virtual debate, the Trump camp agreed to a face-saving debate on October 22- a week than earlier scheduled due to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;mysteryâ&#x20AC;? of Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Covid status. In response, the IBOEMFST PG 71 +PF #JEFO UIF %FNPDSBUJD candidate also seem prepared for another face-off knowing full well that there is need to follow up on the positive portents of the ,BNBMB )BSSJT 71T %FCBUF QFSGPSNBODF BOE DBQJUBMJ[F PO IJT #JEFO T DPNGPSUBCMF lead in the polls.

As events unfold, President Trump is likely to get more paranoid and spread a contagion of fear by levelling unsubstantiated allegations of a rigged election with a view to de-legitimise an outcome unfavourable to him; thereby causing restiveness among his cult-like followership. These quirks of behaviour tend to put many writers and researchers to work on Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bewildering persona and controversial books all of which have compelled a deeper prognosis are being published. #VU XF NBZ ZFU HBJO BO JOTJHIU JOUP Trumpâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind through the philosophical proposition of Friedrich Nietzsche that â&#x20AC;&#x153;a QPMJUJDJBO EJWJEFT NBOLJOE JOUP UXP DMBTTFT tools and enemiesâ&#x20AC;?. Even as Trump may not be a politician, his politics or lack of it seems to fit into that philosophical model as thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evidence to show that people are either tools or enemies to Trump. A peep through another prism also shows that Trump may, unwittingly, be acting out Nietzscheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Treatise on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Transvaluation of Valuesâ&#x20AC;?, in which he rejected subscription to traditional moral values of honesty, humility, patience and discipline as Signs of Weakness and evidence of â&#x20AC;&#x153; Slave- Morality which conflicts with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master-Moralityâ&#x20AC;?. Sadly, the perverse strong points of Nietzscheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Master Morality, are totemic of a Trump presidency; his solid evangelical base notwithstanding.

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; 2020

EDITORIAL

AVOIDABLE FATALITIES ON HIGHWAYS Regulators could do more to minimise accidents

o fewer than 30 people recently lost their lives when a bus plying Akaeze-Ishiagu highway in Akaeze, Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State plunged into Akaeze River. That tragic incident occurred the same week some 13 other persons also lost their lives in two crashes on Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road in Moro local government area of Kwara State just as eight other travellers were killed in another tragic road crash on Lagos - Ibadan expressway. While the affected families were yet grieving over their loved ones, another major tragedy occurred in Felele, along Abuja-Lokoja highway, when a tanker conveying fuel exploded and no fewer than 40 persons were roasted in the inferno. Last year, 2,699 lives were lost on the roads in Nigeria according to figures from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) which put the number of injured persons at 18,198. In total, the FRSC WE APPEAL TO VARIOUS stated that 5,423 MOTORISTS, TANKER crashes were DRIVERS AND OTHERS recorded during TO OBSERVE SAFETY the period. With the 2018 World STANDARDS IN THESE EMBER MONTHS WHEN THE Health Organisation (WHO) Global HIGHEST RATE OF CRASHES Status Report on OFTEN OCCURS road safety ranking Nigeria high on the list of countries where road crashes are frequent and almost always fatal, the authorities need to do something to avert the situation. In the Kogi State tragedy, for instance, billowing smoke overshadowed the Felele, Lokoja environs while several innocent children going to school as well as some students of Kogi State Polytechnic, taxi drivers and motorcycle riders were caught in the inferno which gruesomely consumed them. Some

Letters to the Editor

T H I S DAY EDITOR

DEPUTY EDITOR Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153; MANAGING DIRECTOR DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITOR NATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CAPITAL MANAGING EDITOR

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 GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153;

Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153;

DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153; DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR

SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS Ë&#x153; CONTROLLERS Ë&#x153; Ë&#x153;

DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION HEAD, COMPUTER DEPARTMENT Ě&#x201C; TO SEND EMAIL: ďŹ rst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

parents accompanying their children to school were not spared. Several pedestrians were also said to have been trapped in the fire which caused serious traffic gridlock on the highway. This tragedy was said to have occurred when a fuel tanker heading for Abuja had a brake failure, fell and caught fire. In the past three weeks, there have been two other tanker explosions in Iju-Ishaga and Ifako-Ijaye areas of Lagos respectively where tanker explosions also occurred resulting in inferno which consumed various houses and vehicles. The penchant of Nigerians to ignore safety standards are underlying factors behind several crashes and explosions. Sad enough, these tragic incidents have continued to occur because no one is held accountable. In recent times, the rate of tanker explosions and attendant wanton destruction of lives and property, for instance, are alarming; yet we are not aware of any stringent measure put in place to avert a repeat of this wave of tragedies. In saner climes, the frequent rate of fuel tanker explosions would have warranted rolling out various preventive measures by relevant authorities, which must be complied with. That section of the Lokoja road, just like several other sections of different roads across the country, has been bad for a long time. But there was never a proactive decision to fix it until several innocent lives were gruesomely cut short. Aside government failure, Nigeriansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; penchant to bend rules, use sub-standard products such as expired tyres, lack of maintenance culture and impatience on the part of drivers are also some of the causes of needless crashes on our roads. We appeal to various motorists, tanker owners and drivers to observe safety standards in these ember months when the highest rate of crashes often occurs. We also appeal to drivers to exercise the highest level of caution on our highways. In the same vein, we call on the Ministry of Works and Housing to fix all bad roads that can escalate crashes during these ember months while tasking road safety operators to be alive to their responsibilities.

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

SAMBO ABDULLAHI VERSUS NBET AND OTHERS

n 11th March 2020, National Industrial Court (â&#x20AC;&#x153;NICâ&#x20AC;?) delivered its judgment in Sambo Abdullahi v. NBET & 3 Ors. Abdullahi, was until 13th June 2017, the Head of Audit at Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc. (NBET). Sometime in June 2017, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (â&#x20AC;&#x153;OAGFâ&#x20AC;?) posted treasury accountants from its pool to head the finance and audit departments of NBET. These postings necessitated certain internal redeployments to accommodate the treasury accountants. Abdullahi was redeployed to the Learning and Development Department. He however rejected his redeployment on the grounds that he was being victimized and that by the financial regulations governing the civil service, he, being a professional auditor, could not be posted or redeployed to a department outside his professional cadre. He also contended that the management of NBET lacks the power to create a new department and redeploy staff without the approval of NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Board. In furtherance of this rejection Abdullahi seized the two audit stamps issued to NBET by the OAGF (One for his use and the other allocated to another staff of NBET). He also seized the keys to the

audit security safe maintained by NBET. Consequently, NBET through a memo dated 27th December 2017 communicated the stoppage of his salary on the grounds of his seizure of audit stamps and keys to security safe. The memo also said that having rendered himself redundant by failing to move to his new department, it was no longer in the public interest for NBET to continue to pay him. Abdullahi consequently filed his curious case before NIC essentially seeking an order of Court directing NBET and its MD to pay his salaries and emoluments from 27th December 2017 when it was stopped/suspended. The court delivered a judgment that partly granted the reliefs that Abdullahi sought. The court rejected NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s argument that it was not subject to the directives unilaterally issued by the Minister of Power, who is just a member of its Board of Directors and thus cannot unilaterally make decisions that remains exclusively within the purview of a board. The court relied on the testimony of Abdullahiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s witness that that NBET indeed took some instructions from the ministry, in the absence of the board and cannot therefore claim otherwise in this case. This position of the court is erroneous. NBET being a public limited

liability company registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (â&#x20AC;&#x153;CAMAâ&#x20AC;?) does not fall under the same category as government departments or agencies that can be controlled willy-nilly by its â&#x20AC;&#x153;supervising ministry.â&#x20AC;? This is because a company is run at two levels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; (i) management and (ii) board. Whilst the management is responsible for the day-to-day running of the company, the board which is the highest decision-making organ of a company, is responsible for providing policy direction and approving certain decisions of the management team. Hence, there is a limited role any ministry can play over an incorporated company like NBET. Another ground the court relied on was that by a letter dated 20th March 2018, the ministry had directed NBET to pay Abdullahiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accrued salaries, and being NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supervisory ministry, NBET should have complied with the said directive. A thorough reading of the courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s judgment shows that Abdullahi did not submit contrary arguments in opposition to NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenge to the admissibility of this document, which in legal parlance meant that he conceded to NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s argument on that issue. However, the court in its judgment failed to consider this objection and went ahead to rely on the same document in holding that the Ministry of Power has the power to set up a

ministerial committee and to issue directive to NBET which is to be carried out by the MD. Relying on the same document, the court held that the issuance of the document is proper and the decision of the committee declaring the non-payment of the Abdullahiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salary as unlawful ought to have been implemented by the MD. This is another palpable error in the judgment and a breach of NBETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right to fair hearing which invariably affects the validity of any finding(s) made based on the said letter. Indeed, as a company under CAMA, NBET cannot and should not be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;regulatedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by a ministerial committee. All issues that relate to the administration NBET should be resolved by its Board of Directors of the Company, in compliance with section 244 of the CAMA which was the operative law when the case was decided. The court also decided that annual leave is a statutory right which an employer cannot deny an employee under the Labour Act and on which basis the court held that the non-approval of Abdullahiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual leave was unlawful. The court in this judgment erroneously relied on the Labour Act in reaching this conclusion. r,BNBM 0MPMBEF "INFE JT B QPTUHSBEVBUF TUVEFOU BU UIF /JHFSJBO %FGFODF "DBEFNZ ,BEVOB

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 •T H I S D AY

CAVEAT EMPTOR NOTICE is hereby given to the general public that all lands at the Enugu Life Style and Golf City (AKA Centenary City) located at Obeagu/Amechi Awkunanaw Enugu South L.G.A of Enugu State covered by Certificate of Occupancy dated 10 November 2009 and registered as No. 20 at Page 20 in Volume 1622 at the Enugu State Lands Registry, and which land is more particularly shown on Plan No: EN (A) 594 dated 27/04/1985 belongs to Private Estates International West Africa Limited (PEIWA) whose registered address is Kilometer 7 Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Enugu State. PEIWA has not authorized any other person or company to sell, transfer, lease, rent or alienate its interest in any part of the land at Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City. The general public is hereby also informed that the company known as Titanium Project & Steel Resource Limited and Mr. Paddy Eke have been alienating, leasing and subleasing lands forming part of Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City without the consent of PEIWA. PEIWA hereby warns members of the public not to buy, engage or make payment to any person, company or proxy in the purchase of any land at Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City except through the company’s authorized representatives. Any purported transaction over the said parcel of land without the Company’s authorization shall be null and void and the Company will not hesitate to institute both civil and criminal actions against offenders. Any move to build or carry out any action on the land shall be deemed as trespass and PEIWA shall not hesitate to exercise its legal rights over the land. Be warned!

____________ ___________________ anageme g ent Management Private Estates International West Africa Limited

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020

POLITICS

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

Two Testy Days at Work for Sanwo-Olu Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso gives graphic details of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s eﬀorts to pacify the ENDSars campaigners

udge him by his modest frame, and you would be making a big mistake. Consider the weight of his office, and you might think that he would be averse to taking personal risks, and you would be wrong again. He is no heavyweight boxer, yet he packs a devastating punch. He does not possess the oratorical prowess of Marcus Cicero or the fiery Rev. Martin Luther King Jr, or Bola Ige, our own Cicero, God bless their souls; yet his eloquence is striking and his words can rouse a crowd to action. He is no soldier, yet he is as bold as a lion. I am speaking of my boss, the one whose administration is “bankrolling” me, as it were: Lagos State Governor Babajide SanwoOlu. The anti-Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) protests had been going on for days, with angry youths seizing some sections of Lagos – Nigeria’s business and financial engine-room by the neck. The tension anxiety that gripped the city were palpable. Prominent citizens and ordinary folks were worried that the gathering clouds portended danger. Hundreds of protesting youths camped on the Lekki Expressway. Another group was stationed at the House of Assembly gate, screaming: “No more SARS”; “No to police brutality”; “End SARS” and more. Their firered eyes spoke volumes. Some were roaring, their youthful necks expanding and contracting. They pumped the air with their fists. Sweating and screaming, hundreds of protesters pulled off their shirts and wound them round as protection from the scorching Lagos sun (31 C). The protesters vowed that they would not vacate the road they were occupying until their demands were addressed. Deputy Governor Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat elected to address the crowd at the Assembly gate. He mounted a truck, a microphone in his hand, and started slowly, even as music was blaring from some speakers mounted under a white canopy. “Great Nigerian youths!” Dr Hamzat shouted. “We are with you. We feel your pains. I once had an encounter with SARS; you are not alone,” he told the protesters and counselled them to leave the roads. He said the state government would not condone brutality and violation of citizens’ rights by security operatives, pointing out that the position of the State on the matter had already been communicated to the appropriate quarters by the governor. His words, “The tenet of the police operation is to protect the citizens. Security operatives don’t have the right to trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens, because of their unfamiliar looks, or because they are carrying laptops or iPhones. It is wrong for any police officer to expressly accuse or pronounce someone, irrespective of age, guilty because they have dreads or ride luxury vehicles. “As a government, we support evidencebased investigations and actions driven by intelligence. The procedure of arrest and prosecution must be followed through. We are equally aggrieved like every other law-abiding Nigerian. If a young man or woman who is legitimately doing his or her job is attacked or maimed by police officers for no reason, we will never support that. We condemn police brutality in whatever guise and we will continue to engage their leadership for change.” As the Deputy Governor left the scene at 1:15pm, the protesters continued to sing anti-police songs, calling for SARS to be disbanded. He instructed his security aides not to harass the demonstrators. That was last Friday. The next day, Saturday, the demonstrators stormed his home. He also addressed them, urging patience and restraint. But they were not in the least mollified. On Monday, Governor Sanwo-Olu cut short an Executive Council meeting to address the angry crowd. His security detail,

it was later learnt, had tried to dissuade him from embarking on a venture which they considered “dangerous”. “It is a mob with no known leader, who can tell them to come for a discussion,” the

governor was told. He disagreed. “Taking no action is no option,” the governor told his Executive Council members. He chose a few of them, the younger ones

Olawepo Advocates Police Reform, Justice for Victims of Police Excesses Politician and businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim canvassed for an eﬃcient police services run by well-trained men and women, motivated, and well paid, consistent with acceptable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), towards accountability, and the protection of citizens Fundamental Human Rights

he series of protests across the country sparked off the enduring incidents of police excesses bear grim semblance to the unfortunate occurrences that established my place as a notable civil rights leader, and a 1989 Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience. There is no doubt that the ongoing ENDSARS protest and the action of heroic Nigerian youths is a noble one, deserving prompt attention. But while the conduct of the protesters has been civil and peaceful, there have been regrettable widespread report of fatalities caused by police violent response to the peaceful protests, aside the hauling of scores of peaceful protesters into police cells. I condemn the excessive use of force to handle what is otherwise a peaceful protest and commend the protesters for breaking a two-and-a-half-decade long silence in the face of myriad of injustice in the land. As one who has been a victim of such brutality in the hands of Nigerian security forces as students’ leaders in the 1980’s; I know what these current event means. Being a veteran advocate of civil justice, I acknowledge the response of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to end SARS and ensure the redeployment of men of that dreaded unit but insist that something more comprehensive is urgently needed. In order to reach a point of agreement for all stakeholders, nothing must be done to apply force in crushing the on-going nationwide peaceful protests. As a matter of fact, under our laws, it is the obligation of the Nigerian Police to offer protection for peaceful protesters, not persecute and

kill them. I urge the police authority to ensure the immediate release of all detained protesters and to investigate and bring to book all those involved in the brutal murder of protesters. Other than that, there must be accountability for the murder of these young Nigerians, and no one should attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet as it is the usual practice. I offer my heart-felt sympathies to the families, colleagues and friends of the deceased protesters. I therefore call on the National Assembly not to be silent in the face of the on-going nationwide protest and indeed, all true leaders of the people cannot be dead quiet at this time. It is now clear to everyone that the snare is broken. The Lord Himself is taking a way the hearts of stones and replacing them with the hearts of flesh that will be sensitive to humanism, social justice and equity. The youth of Nigeria are taking the lead as they have already done historically in returning the nation to her true identity – lovers of justice, that who we truly are. In conclusion, the important work that law enforcement officers undertake every day to keep citizens safe must be appreciated by all and should recommend all disciplined service men for respect and honour, but this essential and noble duty should not always be at the expense of professionalism. This occasion must never be another event of police versus the people but police working with the people for better policing. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

mostly, to join him on the short drive to the Lekki Toll Gate, the heart of the protests. Sanwo-Olu told his security officials to stay back as he walked like any other person on the street. He was dressed like a typical Lagos boy – a fez cap, a grey sport shirt, a pair of jeans, and dark trainers. Smart. He was calm. Even as the roaring crowd surged forward, he was unruffled. A young woman was reciting all manner of grievances against SARS. She was barely audible. Some were hailing the governor. “Sanwo-Eko! Sanwo-Eko!” they yelled. The governor kept a straight face. His serious mien betrayed a critical fact - this is quite different from a campaign crowd; it is a crowd of seemingly implacable youths. A protester offered Sanwo-Olu his open-roof vehicle. The governor mounted it. He grabbed the mic and began to address the unruly protesters. “Your voice has been heard clearly and a clear pronouncement has been made on the activities of SARS. The operation has been dissolved by the police leadership and just a moment ago. Sanwo-Olu said. “Mr. President addressed the nation on the issues you have raised. The President has said all SARS officers that are involved in the killing of innocent people and engaging in human rights abuses will be brought to justice.” He went on: “My stance on this EndSARS protest is unmistakable and I have told you that we identify with this protest because you have legitimate concerns. I am saying it again here that this protest is in good faith. But, we must not be unruly when going out on a protest like this. We want you to be peaceful and decorous in expressing yourselves.” Were they pleased? No. Was the governor happy? Sure. He was in high spirits because his belief that the youths needed to be engaged had turned out to be right. Then, there were the backroom engagements. After a long Security Council meeting, Sanwo-Olu held virtual meetings with a group of youths who told him what they felt was the way forward. They wanted all those detained in connection with the protests released. Sanwo-Olu broke to them the news that they had been let off the hook – and the younger ones were allowed home to their parents. But the youths insisted that one of them was being held at Panti Police Station. Sanwo-Olu assured them that he would be released. And he was. The meeting ended about 10pm. But there was no respite for the governor and the deputy governor. They headed straight to another meeting that lasted till about 1a.m. After that, Sanwo-Olu called another meeting “to review the situation.” He went to bed at about 3 am. Amid the meetings, the governor was consulting with Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu. To the Police Commissioner, he issued a warning at every point that no shot must be fired. Still, the protesters were not pacified.. Early Tuesday, the crowd began to gather again at the Assembly gate. There was a long row of cars and, of course, an army of youths. The music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti – God bless his soul - was blaring in the background. Young women were wiggling their waists. The men were singing along with the musician. There was smoking, and there was drinking Sanwo-Olu was on his way to the office when he saw the crowd. He drove down to the scene. For minutes, he went round to give as many as possible the “chop knuckle” greeting, stretching out his hand. Beside him was Dr Hamzat. The governor crossed his arms and raised his hand in a Black Power salute. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020

PERSPECTIVE

Diri Strengthens Team with Eminent Appointees Kola Oredipe, Director/Co-ordinator, New Media to Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State celebrates the public persona of recent appointees into the Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline. governor’s team com salutes the courage of the organisers and emocracy all over the world revolves around the people; their participants in the ENDSars protests across the welfare and development of the society. The general well-being country for drawing attention to the existential of the people is measured by the quality of realities of their geo-political environments as leadership in place at the time. When one looks at the situations across the Nigerian Afrobeat music creator, Fela Anikulapo Kuti did state today, one will tend to agree with

Fela’s Ultimate Revenge

eyond the raunchy, sexually aggressive music videos distributed across the social media, weekly, by the new crop of Afrobeat superstars and artistes, I believe that most of them are socially conscious and politically aware. First, it’s refreshing that a productive and purposeful deployment of the social influences of U.S., Nigerian artistes and activists have converged against #PoliceBrutality in 2020. Let’s simply call it: Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s ultimate revenge through his musical grandchildren. While they celebrate the glam and glitz of youth, they have not forgotten the existential realities of their geo-political environments. Especially, the economic struggles and daily hustle by the almost 95% of the population who face the gut-wrenching uncertainty about breakfast for this week, unsure about dinner for next week; and unsteady lunch next month. That is, amidst the routine rounds of police violence against the youth for protesting inequities, squander mania and scandalous misplacement of priorities. Second, for very good reasons, for almost 10 days, Nigeria’s younger generation have rallied and protested. They came face-to-face with their tormentors, the Nigerian Police, and the footsoldiers of Nigeria’s incumbent ruler, President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari and that killer squad blinked! It was a remarkable first: The determination and purposeful resolve of Nigeria’s massively unemployed but very creative youth across all the major cities of the country forced the tactical dissolution of the dreaded, arbitrary SARS (Special Anti Robbery Squad). Third, let me note carefully that a few of what I will characterize among the

The Police Inspector General read the mood of the country and resolve of the youth and their global network of supporters and yielded to the #EndSARS. But the hawks and antidemocratic gatekeepers at the presidency, according to my contacts, argued it “will appear to our people as a sign of weakness.” Hence, the lag in getting a certain presidential okay

iron-gates of impunity and violent abuse of Nigerians are falling…. They have Not fallen. Fourth, evidently, the Police Inspector General read the mood of the country and resolve of the youth and their global network of supporters and yielded to the #EndSARS. But the hawks and anti-democratic gatekeepers at the presidency, according to my contacts, argued it “will appear to our people as a sign of weakness.” Hence, the lag in getting a certain presidential okay. Fifth, Buhari, a former military dictator (1984 — 1985), is historically inflexible and prefers the commandist finality of power; and I refer(red) to him as a “reluctant democrat” since 2011. A little bit of history would be useful at this point. I recall his unpopular order of bringing out armed police around Nigerian universities to suppress student protests, across the country, in 1985. I remember it vividly as I was one of leaders of the protests at the country’s first fully indigenous university, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). I was the Director of Communications for the Students’ Union. The late, great progressive icon Chima Ubani was President; Johnnie Nweze was Secretary; Wale Oyekanmi was the Speaker of the House and Adewale Adeoye was a member of the same Union House. Adeoye in 2001 became winner of the African Journalist of the Year — as adjudged by the CNN. Let’s get back to the present. Sixth, the most prominent AfricanAmerican Pastor T. D. Jakes (who has since proudly identified his ancestral roots as the Igbo of South-eastern Nigeria), Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and dozens of heavyweight social influencers are giving both moral and financial support. They support the admirable and commendable synchronization of opposition to the perennial issue of police brutality against mainly Nigeria’s traumatized youth. Seventh, award-winning singer Trey Songz brought in an insightful perspective when he noted “Police brutality here in America often is an abuse of power driven by race. To be brutalized, extorted, and murdered by your own people is unimaginable. Prayers up and I’m researching ways I can help. #EndSARS.” He probably does not know that Nigeria has a post-colonial, viciously under-paid and openly corrupt police force rather than a community relations police force. Police force that treats different regions and ethnicities different ways. They discriminate. Eight, fundamentally, the youth of Nigeria, inside Nigeria and around the world are altering the assumptions of influence, dynamics of public policy and (potentially) state power in the most populated country in the African continent. Those foundational elements of influence carry consequence in the public domain in the ways that remind most of us of the godfather of 1970s Nigeria musical activism, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. May his soul rest in peace. Long live the grandchildren of, Fela, the People’s President as they carry on the legacy of speaking truth to power and interrogating injustices.

the popular quote of the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, when he said, “Looking at the faces of people, one gets the feeling there’s a lot to be done.” This story is common with almost all the states in Nigeria. This piece is about Governor Diri’s decision to change the pace of development in Bayelsa State, especially with the appointments of notable Bayelsans into positions of responsibility. His actions, since he came on board, have clearly shown that he understands what the people are being confronted with, and he is taking bold steps to meet their aspirations. However, in the assemblage of men and women who will work with him, Governor Diri, indeed took his time to make the selection. He did that with the earlier appointment of commissioners, where experience and professionalism were the yardsticks in appointment and assignment of portfolios. Chief Patrick Erasmus and Mr. Kemebradikumo Warebi, were the last two commissioners to be inaugurated to make the list of a 26- cabinet member. It was a painstaking and commendable effort that has justified the six months wait for the inauguration of the cabinet. The technical delay in the appointment is immaterial once the soothing end is justified like in this case as aptly put by Afghan journalist, researcher and author, M.F. Moonzajer, in his quote, “Don’t be disappointed; sometimes people need more time to make the right decision.’ Even the Holy Bible says, “There is appointed time for everything”.” That was just the time barring any political consideration and the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed the phase of everything. Again, Diri got it right with the recent appointments of Advisers of different categories where six men of honour, values and integrity were appointed as Honourary Special Advisers. This story is about the sound judgment of the Governor to reach out to these set of leaders and professionals to help and join hands in the development of their state. But, how did he convince them? It is clear they have seen a paradigm shift in leadership and are convinced about the vision of the ‘Miracle Governor’, who has been preaching peace, love, equity and unity for all to join hands with him to reposition the state on the track of progress and prosperity. In the latest appointments, Diri, announced six Honourary Special Advisers, five Technical Advisers and 25 Special Advisers cutting across the eight Local Government Areas to reflect balance and fairness. That Governor Douye Diri, was able to convince renowned architect, Harcourt Adukeh, of the need to contribute to the development of Bayelsa State, is a real deal! A man known for quality and taste but modest in his professional accomplishments. From the old Rivers State, Adukeh has been a high flier, a name synonymous with touch of excellence and was fully involved in drafting the development blueprint for Bayelsa State upon creation in 1996. The document had well-laid out plans to build a modern and model Yenagoa city as the capital of the State. Truly, a lot has happened in the last 24 years but Yenagoa city has fallen short of all development indices for a capital city despite efforts of previous governments.

Who will help rescue the city? Construction and development had been lopsided due to non-adherence to the original development master plan and lack of development control. This appointment is a boost to the urban renewal programme of the prosperity government. And that the man whose indigenous company only recently built the tallest building in the entire South-south and South-east in Yenagoa, is the chief advisor is cheering enough. Arc. Adukeh, started and successfully delivered an architectural masterpiece and tastefully furnished 17Storey Content Tower of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB). This appointment and others showed clear direction and genuine commitment by a governor who means well for the development of his people. The appointment of another great son of Bayelsa State, Mr. Mathew Seiyefa, as Honourary Adviser on Security, is a testament to the security agenda of the government. A thorough-bred and seasoned security giant rose to the pinnacle of his career as Acting Director-General, Department of State Services. A new security strategy to combat the issues is insight to ensure safety on the water ways, tackle sea piracy, kidnapping, illegal bunkering, armed robbery and recent upsurge in cultism. With retired Commissioner of Police, Mr. Akpoebi Agberebi and a retired State Director of DSS, Mr. Felix Awaoikiega, as Special Advisers 1 and 2 to the Governor, the state is in for a robust security action plan. Mr. Seiyefa, on the other hand, is very deep in intelligence and operations and so, the three top retired security chiefs remain valuable assets to the prosperity government. Yes, Diri, got it right. The Governor has equally brought in a very vastly experienced and a technocrat in the oil and gas sector, Mr. Dora Owei, as Honourary Special Adviser on Oil and Gas. Mr. Owei, is a seasoned administrator with deep knowledge about oil and gas operations and he is expected to add real values to the government in the management of all issues relating to the petroleum activities in the state. Apostle David Zilly-Aggrey, General Overseer of the Royal House of Grace International and Archbishop Winning Willy Bunting, as Honourary Special Advisers 1 and 2 on Religion, are here to provide the spiritual guidance and direction to the administration, which is anchored on God. These are reputable and experienced men of God from the state who are deeply passionate about the development of Bayelsa State. Continuous prayers for the leadership to make good decisions are required to support the Miracle Governor and Diri, himself appreciates the hand of God in his emergence. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 16, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 4% 4.88 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

4% 5% 7%

O C T O B E R S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

Group Business Editor Obinna Chima Email obinna.chima@thisdaylive.com 08152447875

9 , 2 0 2 0

641.80 % 2% 2.41 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE 2.41 % YEAR TO DATE 33.39 %

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes Firm Unveils Vegetable Oil Brand

MEDIA BRIEFING

L-R: Chairperson, Marketing Committee, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Trade Promotion Board, Mrs. Bunmi Obadina; Director General, Dr. Muda Yusuf; Vice President, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa; and Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Segun Alabi, at the press conference to announce the 2020 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair, held in Lagos... recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

NCAA Strengthens Air Safety Measures, Audits Aviation Fuel Marketers Chinedu Eze As part of its safety regulations, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has started an audit of aviation fuel marketers, known as Jet A1, in order to ensure that contaminated product is not fed into the aircraft. This became critical when the regulatory authority discovered during checks that some aircraft took in water in their fuel tanks when they were stored during the COVID-19 lockdown and ensured that every airline carried out maintenance check to ensure that the aircraft fuel tanks were not contaminated. THISDAY gathered that contaminated fuel could cause significant damage to the aircraft and engine and such damage could range from fuel system corrosion, clogging of fuel filtra-

AVIATION tion components, failure of aircraft fuel system instrumentation, and even stopping the fuel supply to the engine during flight. THISDAY also learnt that NCAA has intensified the inspection of the marketers to ensure that they abide by safety rules to ensure that the fuel they sell to airlines meet standard specifications. The audit was confirmed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, who disclosed that the regulatory authority would shut down any marketing company that does not meet the high standard specified by the agency. Adurogboye told THISDAY that the NCAA engaged the services of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)

for the audit of the marketers, noting that DPR has the expertise and the equipment to efficiently scrutinise the operations of the marketers. “DPR is the appropriate agency to efficiently audit the marketers so we engage their services; just as the National Hajj Commission rely on us to ensure that they have airworthy aircraft for Hajj operations, so we rely on DPR when it comes to the auditing of the oil marketers. There are peripheral checks we can do on our own, but we rely on DPR for comprehensive audit of the marketing companies that supply aviation fuel to the airlines. “We collaborate in all of this. If we found out that any of the marketers did not meet our given standards, we close the facility down and you know, any violation goes with sanctions,”

Adurogboye said. He disclosed that NCAA closed the facility of one of the marketers recently because of suspected compromise of the quality of the product and report would be submitted on it soon after investigation. It was further gathered that some of the marketers do not have depots but use other people’s depot so DPR cannot audit such companies because they do not have facilities to audit. They only have bowsers, which they use to obtain the product when any airline or aircraft owner requests for fuel but they do not have storage facility of their own. So when they collect the product from a depot they pay the owner of the facility. “Some of the marketers do Continued on page 22

Korea, Belgium Pledge Support for NIMASA’s Trade Enhancement Drive Eromosele Abiodun The governments of South Korea and Belgium have pledged more support for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in its drive to enhance trade and security in the Nigerian maritime domain. The new Consul-General of the Korean Embassy, His Excellency, Kang Haenggu, and Ambassador Designate of Belgium, His Excellency, Daniel Bertrand, made the promise when they paid courtesy visit on the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, in Lagos. Jamoh expressed NIMASA’s determination to curb criminal attacks in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea. The envoys acknowledged the security challenge in the Gulf of Guinea and promised to support Nigeria’s efforts to improve security in

MARITIME its waters. Addressing the South Korean and Belgian delegations at separate meetings, Jamoh said the Nigerian government placed high premium on safety and security of shipping in its waters and the Gulf of Guinea, and had invested heavily in maritime security infrastructure. To confront the menace of maritime criminality head-on, Jamoh said: “Nigeria has made huge investments in the establishment of a comprehensive maritime security infrastructure. The Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project, is designed to secure our waters, up to the Gulf of Guinea. “The project is nearing completion, with more than 80 per cent

of the assets, comprising special mission vessels, fast intervention boats, unmanned aerial vehicles, and armoured vehicles, already in the country. “The information and intelligence hub of the Deep Blue Project, the command, control, communication, computer, and intelligence centre (C4i), was inaugurated in August last year. The centre is up and running with round-the-clock production of needed maritime domain awareness. The C4i has helped to identify and monitor activities in the black spots, leading to arrests of many suspects in recent times.” Jamoh, a graduate of the Korea Maritime and Ocean University, said the training of personnel for the Deep Blue Project had commenced and would be concluded this month, ahead of the deployment of the assets by December.

The DG also said investigation had revealed that Somali pirates were now active in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea. He said the pirates often navigated through Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, and sometimes came through the land borders. According to him, the Maritime Intelligence Unit, recently established by NIMASA to help nip maritime crimes in the bud through identification of early warning signs, had revealed a relationship between crimes in the Nigerian maritime domain and the Somali pirates. “We discovered a correlation between crimes in our waters and the activities of the Somali pirates. They have a means of navigating from the coast of Somalia to Nigeria, through the waters of our West African

SNFFoodsLimited,manufacturesandmarketersofActivapurevegetable oilandWhippymayonnaise,iscurrentlyonafreeproductsamplingofits flagshipproduct,Activapurevegetableoil.Thecompanysaidtheproduct had been certified to be 100 per cent trans-fat and cholesterol free. According to the General Manager Marketing, SNF Foods Limited, Mr. Goke Olaleye, the sampling activity is currently taking place in Nigeria, across open markets, retail outlets, motor parks and religious houses seeks to introduce consumers to the healthiest choice of cooking oil at no cost to them. HundredsofthousandsofexcitedNigerianshavereceivedfreesachets of Activa pure vegetable oil in the last three months and many more in months to come, she said. SNFFoodsLimitedisawhollyNigerianownedcompanywithastate-ofthe-art factory in Onitsha, Anambra State and a corporate head office in Lagos Nigeria.The organisation through its energized workforce and premiumbrands,isworkingtowardsbecomingthemarketleaderinthe edible oils category.

IATA, ACI Want Quarantine Shelved

The Airports Council International (ACI)World and the International Air TransportAssociation(IATA)havereiteratedthecallforgovernmentsto usetestingasameanstosafelyre-openbordersandre-establishglobal connectivity as well as to prevent the systemic collapse of the aviation industry with non-debt generating financial support. IATAandACIstatedthatsafelyre-openingborderswithoutquarantineby usingacoordinatedapproachtotestingwouldboosttheentireeconomy and be a revenue lifeline for airlines and airports. ACIandIATAcalledontheICAOCouncilAviationRecoveryTaskForceto provide an internationally agreed and recognised approach to testing that could be adopted at a national level. The two global aviation bodies said the dual measures would protect countriesfromtheimportationofCOVID-19cases,avertanemployment crisisinthetravelandtourismsector,andensurethatthecriticalaviation structure remains viable and able to support the economic and social benefits on which the world relies. The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) estimated that 46 million jobs are at risk because of the loss of connectivity caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The vast majority of these (41.2 million jobs) are in the travel and tourism sector, which relies on aviation, they noted. On the other hand, the remaining (4.8 million jobs) are spread across direct employment in aviation, including airports and airlines. The viability of the airline sector to support employment was being challenged by the severe and prolonged fall in business, according to ACI, estimating that the airport industry would suffer a contraction by 60percentreductioninrevenues,reachinganunprecedentednegative $104.5 billion. On the other hand, IATA estimated that airline revenues would be down at least 50 per cent ($419 billion compared to $838 billion in 2019).

Sharjah Airport Completes $11m Expansion

TheSharjahAirportAuthority(SAA)hascompletedtheEastExpansion project,whichextendedtooveranareaof4,000squaremeters.Itincluded new passenger, duty free, F&B and security facilities. Theprojectcost40milliondirhams($11m)andwillraisetheairport’scapacity fromaround13millionto20millionpassengersayearby2025.Inaddition tonewservicesandadditions,anumberoftheairport’scurrentfacilities have also been renovated and modernised. “ThecompletionoftheEastExpansionProjectrepresentsaqualitative additionwithinthecomprehensiveexpansionplantoenhancetheposition oftheEmirateofSharjahontheglobaltravelmap,”said,Chairmanofthe Sharjah Airport Authority, Ali Salim Al Midfa. “The East Expansion project will contribute to making the aspirations of the aviation sector and sustainable development a reality on the ground, by increasing the capacity and flow of movement, adopting the finesttechnologiesandsystemstoenhancecooperationwithstrategic partnersandairlines,andmeetingcustomerexpectations,ensuringtheir trip through Sharjah Airport is a distinctive experience.” The East Expansion project is an integrated building that includes four new gates and two floors equipped with new travel technologies and facilities to aid the, “comfort and happiness of travelers”, he said. It includes food and beverage outlets, which are open 24 hours as well as a duty free shop. Other facilities include nine waiting areas, security scanningequipmentandroomsandfacilitiesforpeoplewithpeoplewith limited mobility.

“We have been talking about the government creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs. We now have a system where perishable cargo can be stored and get to their overseas destinations quickly” CEO of Bubex Foods,

Miss Ijeoma Ndukwe Continued on page 22

T H I S D AY Ëž OCTOBER 16, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD NCAA STRENGTHENS AIR SAFETY MEASURES, AUDITS AVIATION FUEL MARKETERS not have storage facility of their own so DPR do not audit them. When their customers want fuel they will go to the marketers that have depot and collect fuel with the bowsers,â&#x20AC;? an inside source told THISDAY. THISDAY also spoke to the CEO of Cleanserve Energy, Chris Ndulue who said that the company has elaborate checking process to ensure that contaminated fuel is not fed into the aircraft. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have laboratory in all the locations where we operate, which include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kaduna. We carry out quality check on the fuel at the point of taking the product at Apapa, we conduct another one at our own depot and we conduct another one in our bowser at the foot of the aircraft before we dispense into the aircraft. This is to ensure that there are no contaminants because the product can be contaminated at any point. So we make sure our product meet standard specifications,â&#x20AC;? Ndulue said. On the side of the airlines, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi told THISDAY that the airline has quality assurance department that checks on the quality of aviation fuel it buys. The personnel in this department scrutinise the company that serves fuel to the airline and carries out investigation on the quality of the product it supplies to the company.

KOREA, BELGIUM PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR NIMASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TRADE ENHANCEMENT DRIVE neighbours. In some cases, they enter through the land borders and commission boats to carry out their activities,â&#x20AC;? he said. Jamoh said Nigeria had developed an action plan to monitor the progress of its National Maritime Security Strategy, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our goal is to achieve a sustainable end to criminal attacks in our territorial waters.â&#x20AC;? He called for South Korean and Belgian investments in the Nigerian maritime industry, particularly in the areas of wreck removal and shipbuilding, as well as assistance in the training and certification of Nigerian seafarers.

IASB Urged to Be Cost Consciousness in IFRS Amendment Oluchi Chibuzor The International Financial Reporting Standard Experts Forum (IFRSEF) Nigeria has called on the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB) to pay attention to peculiar problems of Nigeria and emerging markets in general in its current effort to amend primary financial statements. It gave the advice in a statement. The IASB is responsible for issuing the International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) which Nigeria and some other emerging markets had adopted. Recently, IASB issued an Exposure Draft on primary financial statements inviting comments from members of the public to enable it amend the statements. Primary financial statements are statement of profit or loss and statement of financial positions and their notes. The amendment if effected would mean that the way companies in Nigeria present their income statement and statement of financial position would change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Companies are likely to incur heavy cost to implement the new changes. Such costs may include training cost for accountants and audit staff and investment to update accounting system to be able to generate financial statements that comply

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2019;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2014; Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x; (Advertising) Correspondents

Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x; Ă¤Ă? (Aviation) Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă?Ă&#x2013;Ă? Ă&#x152;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2DC; (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2014;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x;Ă?Ă&#x2013; Ă&#x17D;Ă&#x17D;Ă?Ă&#x2019; (Energy) Reporters

Ă&#x;Ă&#x2014;Ă? Ă&#x2022;Ă?Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x2019;Ă? (Money Market) Ă&#x2122;Ă?Ă&#x2039; Ă&#x2013;Ă?Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x;Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2018;Ă&#x201C;Ă? (ICT) Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă?Ă&#x153; Ă¤Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2019;Ă&#x2122; (Energy)

with the amendment,â&#x20AC;? the statement added. The call for comment on the exposure draft ended on September 30, 2020 and organisations that submitted comments to IASB included Accountancy Europe, America Accounting Association, Japanese Bankers Association, IATA Industry Accounting Working Group, Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants, New Zealand Accounting

Standards Board, CPA Australia, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), Accounting Standards Board of Japan (ASBJ), New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, The Swedish Financial Reporting Board, Korea Accounting Standards Board, Johannesburg Stock Exchange Ltd (JSE), South African Institute of Profes-

sional Accountants, Financial Reporting Council, UK among others. However, a copy of IFRSEF response showed that the organisation has approached its response from cost benefit analysis taking into consideration the peculiar circumstances of Nigeria and emerging markets in general. Specifically, where IASB asked for other comments, IFRSEF advised was: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wish to draw attention to ambiguity,

complexity and lack of clear definition of certain proposals especially main business activity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are also concerned with requirement for additional disclosures that do not contain new information and are not useful information to providers of financial capital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The effects of ambiguity and additional disclosures that are not useful are increased implementation costs especially in emerging markets.â&#x20AC;?

Account

Construction of Quay Wall Commences at Lekki Deep Sea Port Eromosele Abiodun The Lekki Port LFTZ Enterprise Limited (Lekki Port), developers of the Lekki Deep Sea Port currently under construction at the Lagos Free Zone, Ibeju Lekki, has commenced the construction of the 680m long quay wall with the driving of the first pile. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the project site, the Chief Executive Officer of Lekki Port, Mr. Ruogang Du, stated that the commencement of piling of quay wall, which is a major phase of the construction, symbolises a significant step towards the timely delivery of the project.

He said despite the setback occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, both the investors and the contractors have demonstrated admirable commitment to deliver the project as and when due, with construction now at full steam. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thank you very much for coming today to witness this solid step in delivering the Lekki Port. As we all know, the pandemic has harmed global economic development and personnel mobility everywhere. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, developers and investors in Lekki Port have not stopped moving forward. We are actively resuming construction and are striving to fulfill our commitment to officially

open the port for operations in the first half of 2023. This is a commitment to Lagos and a commitment to Nigeria, and we will do our best to achieve it,â&#x20AC;?he said. Also speaking, the Board Chairman, Lekki Port, Mr. Biodun Dabiri, lauded the invaluable roles played by the project promoters and stakeholders including Tolaram, China Harbour Engineering Company, Lagos State Government, host communities and the federal government through the Nigerian Ports Authority. He explained that the completion of the port would greatly assist in accommodating the rapid expansion of trade cur-

rently being witnessed across the West African region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to thank all our shareholders for all the support and energy you have put into this project. I keep saying that it is an iconic project. From all indications, we are building history here. Some of the piles we are doing today will last for more than 100 years. With all the support from everyone that is here, I believe the port will be safely delivered on time, â&#x20AC;?Dabiri added. The Chief Technical Officer, Lekki Port, Mr. Steven Heukelom, explained that the construction of the quay wall marks a major milestone from a technical perspective, as it is

what will ensure that the port is capable of handling multiple container vessels of various sizes at the same time. Heukelom disclosed that during the Phase 1 of the project, the quay wall will be 680 metres long and can berth two Container Vessels each of up to 18,000 TEUs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That there will be a total of 857 steel piles on the Combi wall. The Container Terminal will be equipped with seven Ship to Shore Cranes, 21 RTGs, and other modern rolling terminal equipment. The Combi Wall will have a diameter of 1.15m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2.3m, a thickness of 23mm and between 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 41 metres deep.â&#x20AC;?

Firm Pledges to Drive Economic Diversification, Food Security Hamid Ayodeji

Group Business Editor

NEWS

The management of Green Eagles AgriBusiness Solutions Limited has disclosed its preparedness to drive economic diversification as well as a sustainable ecosystem with the execution of an initiative called, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The GreenWealth Project.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The project aims to establish Integrated Farm Estates (IFEs) in every Local Government Area (LGA) within Nigeria. The Chief Executive Officer, Green Eagles AgriBusiness Solutions Limited, Taiwo Oluwadahunsola, during the programme, which held in Lagos recently, pointed out that the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s solution would help achieve a rapid increase in crops and livestock supply at significantly lower production costs.

According to him, the firm was supplying cottage processing industries within the IFEs as it adds value to farm products upon harvest and for efficient application of waste to wealth integration of crops and livestock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These cottage industries would enjoy direct linkage to the whole food value chain; including guaranteed markets and export. Our solution would also create a sustainable livelihood for at least three million rural dwellers and youths whilst deploying agribusiness for an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of up to four hundred and two trillion Naira, which is a growth into a sustainable developed national prosperity,â&#x20AC;? he said. Speaking further, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We work with experienced

veterinary doctors, agronomists, plant pathologists, and soil scientists conversant with the best global practices. These experts would constitute a management portal created to facilitate timely intervention against disease outbreak in the IFEs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are collaborating with agricultural research institutes to develop solutions to our nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food and income deficit as our research shows that agribusiness can contribute up to four hundred and two trillion naira if bring key innovations, industrialisation and commitment to play at national scale.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;This initiative also helps in strengthening the Naira and invariably increase the purchasing power of every Nigerian as there has been the crucial need for an economic

diversification. Also, in order to secure the investment of our stakeholders we work with reputable insurance companies to provide comprehensive insurance plans at all stages of the value chain. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are persuaded that Lagos State Cooperatives can play a vital role in the achievement of the Green Wealth objectives as well as provide tremendous benefits to all individual members in terms of decent return on investment, lower food prices, a strengthened Naira and increased purchasing power of every Nigerian worker,â&#x20AC;? he concluded. Also speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Dr. Bolajoko Balogun, who was represented by the Director,

AgriBusiness, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Osi-Efa Akinbayo, revealed that the Lagos State Government is taking necessary measures to ensure that the required economical resources are channeled towards achieving the goal of food security in the state and country as a whole. Balogun said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This administration is seeing to it that there are enabling environments and policies which aid exportation of farm products, thereby boosting our foreign exchange rate and also growing the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GDP. Also, we have executed a trust fund initiated for youths to be enabled to venture into the agricultural space and thrive as this would reduce the rate of poverty and unemployment in the ecosystem.â&#x20AC;?

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

NAHCO Renews Deal with Airlines, Supports FGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Export Drive Stories by Chinedu Eze The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, (NAHCO) has won the keenly contested handling contract of Qatar Airways for another five years. NAHCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Group Executive Director, Business Development and Commercial, Saheed Lasisi, in announcing the development, expressed excitement about the feat, describing it as a boost for both companies, as NAHCO was primed to continue its excellent service delivery to the airline. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the new contract, which runs for five years and coupled with the additional frequencies of Qatar flights to Nigeria and Ghana, we are glad to go even further to provide the top -notched services for which we are known and have offered the airline for the past nine years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also, the recent addition of more Ground Support Equipment (GSE) especially

the brand-new dollies, Qatar Airways and our other clients will experience the best available handling service.â&#x20AC;? Also, NAHCO has signed a new contract with Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indigenous carrier, Azman Air on its international route, in addition to the previously held contracts for Azmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s domestic operations. Azman was recently granted approval to commence international operations with its newly acquired A340-600 series. NAHCO is well positioned and excited to help Azman Air succeed as it goes international. In another development, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, Mrs. Olatokunbo Fagbemi, has expressed NAHCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readiness to work with the National Trade Facilitation Committee of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to improve the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity for export. She made the state-

ment during a visit of the Committee on an inspection tour of the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facility. The committee, led by its Chairman, who is also a Director at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Aliyu Abubakar, had earlier been briefed by NAHCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S team on the Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities and processes. In his remarks, the Committee Chairman and leader of the delegation, Abubakar urged NAHCO to continue on the path to boosting export with the creation of additional cold rooms and storage facility for agricultural- products. NAHCO Plc is a Nigerian diversified enterprise with interests in aviation cargo, aircraft handling, passenger facilitation, crew transportation and aviation training. The company currently serves several airlines across the major functional airports within Nigeria, and handles the largest chunk of domestic, foreign and cargo airlines.

Emirates Launches New Connectivity Initiative In order to ensure direct access to Emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; content and other services, the airline has launched a suite of connectivity options for its trade partners around the world. Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trade Partners amongst others, can now benefit from the Emirates Gateway, which was developed using IATAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Distribution Capability (NDC) standards, and now available on the recently launched Emirates Partners Portal, a new state-of-theart-online platform. Emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Emirates Gateway suite of connection options has been built on new technology and is designed to address the limitations of current legacy distribution systems. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our aim was to create a

platform that empowers us to rapidly develop and deploy new products and services, thereby giving us and our trade partners the ability to offer even more value-added and differentiated services. It also prepares the way for Emirates to offer custom content and dynamic pricing that better responds to our changing marketplace.â&#x20AC;? Offering improved access to Emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; products and services with an intuitive and easy to ease interface, the Emirates Gateway offers the airlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trade partners the ability to enhance travellersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; journeys with customized products and services. Trade partners can connect to the Emirates Gateway via three flexible access solutions: Emirates Booking Portal, a user-friendly web booking portal available in 12 lan-

guages, connected directly to Emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reservation systems that simplifies the booking, ticketing and post-ticketing servicing of Emirates orders. Others include Emirates Gateway Direct which provides access to Emirates content through IATA NDC APIs, allowing trade partners to build applications that meet their needs with expert support from Emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; IT teams. In addition, there is the Emirates Gateway Sync, a facilitated link into the Emirates reservation system provided by industry leading, IATA registered, Emirates certified technology partners. Travel trade agents can find more information on the Emirates Gateway, via the Emirates Partners Portal, or contact the Emirates sales representative in their market.

Qatar Introduces Vegan Dishes Qatar Airways has introduced its first range of fully vegan dishes to its Ă la carte menu for Business Class passengers on all flights, designed to cater to the increasing demand for plant-based food while elevating passengersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; culinary experience when they travel with the award-winning airline. The newly crafted vegan dishes use only the freshest locally and internationally sourced ingredients and are available to all Business Class passengers flying from the airlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, and selected flights into Doha. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Mr. Akbar Al Baker said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We always strive to

provide our customers with authentic and indulgent experiences in the skies. We are delighted to incorporate a vegan main course choice to our on-board menu, offering our passengers yet another lifestyle choice that redefines the expectations from a fivestar airline.â&#x20AC;? Designed with sustainability and taste at its heart, Qatar Airwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; range of flavourful vegan dishes include smoked moutabel, spiral courgettes and arrabbiata sauce, tofu and spinach tortellini, asian barbecue tofu, noodles, scallions and shiitake, fried tofu with vegetable tajine, cauliflower couscous and kalamata bruschetta, and chickpea flour omelette.

The airline also offers a wide selection of special meals to cater to different dietary requirements. Passengers can request a special meal up to 24 hours before their flight. These include young traveller meals, vegetarian or religious meals and medical or health care meals. Qatar Aircraft Catering Company (QACC), the exclusive catering provider at Hamad International Airport, ensures that all in-flight meals are prepared to the highest quality using the freshest ingredients. Spanning an extraordinary 69,000 square meters, QACC is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest self-contained catering facilities.

As Airlines Face Slow Path to Recovery

Dana and Arik Air Chinedu Eze Airline operators have confirmed that there has been progressive increase in passenger traffic, but at slow pace. According to them, by end of September, passenger traffic was still less than 50 per cent of the pre-COVID-19 era. Industry observers said this is because the country still suffers from economic lethargy, adding that businesses have not really picked up due to the effect of coronavirus and weak macro-economic environment. With these realities, there is no strong hope that the airlines would be able to recover the losses they incurred during the lockdown, when many of them did not operate for over three months and even those that operated maintained skeletal services that did not bring in significant revenue. This was buttressed by the Chief Accountable Manager of Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo, who explained recently that domestic airlines are not likely going to recover these losses in one year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think airlines can recover the losses they incurred in a year because it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just the fact that we were shut down, airlines still had to pay for several things. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the airplanes are leased and we had to pay for them, even the airplanes that were not being flown had to be looked after on a schedule. Whether we fly or not, the engineers do some checks daily. Some engineers have to go in there, start up the engines, check major parts and fix what needed to be fixed. So, there was still money being spent even though we were not flying,â&#x20AC;? he said. Mbanuzuo said even now, due to low passenger traffic, the airlines are still incurring cost and not making profits and expressed the fear being entertained in the industry that some airlines would go under. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that we are flying it is even worse

Now that we are flying it is even worse because we are not making profit, but we are paying for fuel, spare parts, landing charges and several other charges. So, the palliative we expected was to get us through

because we are not making profit, but we are paying for fuel, spare parts, landing charges and several other charges. So, the palliative we expected was to get us through. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I see is that some airlines may go down. It is not something we wish for but it will happen if these airlines donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get support. Now we are flying, we are paying operational costs of flying these airplanes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are just trying our best to conserve cash and keep jobs. Without the airlines, the airports will be shut down; the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do anything. The aviation industry contributes a big chunk to the economy, to development and travel and tourism amongst others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just have to get urgent support or else thousands of people may lose their jobs,â&#x20AC;? the Chief Accountable Manager of Dana Air said. Some industry stakeholders have posited that for the domestic airlines to survive, they should fix fares that would leave them with profit, but there is the dilemma that if the fares are too high, majority of the Nigerian travellers would not be able to afford it, which means less passenger patronage and flying with low factor, except under charter, is unprofitable. Obi, explained why Dana Air has not significantly increased fares since it resumed operation after the lockdown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we wanted to start flight operations, we sat down and looked at the dynamics and we knew that fares were going to go up, especially as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) said they would increase Passenger Service Charge (PSC). â&#x20AC;&#x153;So we were thinking whether to absorb these internally or pass it to the passengers. We knew that somehow fares would go up. However, we are in a competitive market and some have decided that they can survive at a lower price, which drives the market down. So, we are trying to be intelligent at what we are doing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are trying to increase our average fares as we have a department that is focused on that. If you buy your tickets, you can still get some cheap prices but we have on an average increased the fares.â&#x20AC;? He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;For instance on a flight of 100 passengers, 50 people pay N20, 000 each and the other 50 people pay N22, 000 each; the average fare is N21, 000. So, we manage to get something extra from the fares. So, we have increased fares slightly, however we are in a market place and we cannot ignore competition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I might want to sell tickets for N35, 000, which will make us try to break even but we know the market is price sensitive. At this time, it is not easy for the passengers and it is not easy for the airline.â&#x20AC;?

T H I S D AY ˾ OCTOBER 16, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Boosting Tourism in South-east Intellectuals from South-east in the business and entertainment industry gathered to brainstorm on how to develop tourism in the region. Chinedu Eze writes that such venture will create jobs and attract local and international tourists to the geo-political zone

ne foreign exchange spinning sector that has largely been left underdeveloped in Nigeria is the tourism industry. Making a comparative review of sites, events and destinations that stir people to travel to different parts of the world to experience and witness, shows that Nigeria has so much in abundance to showcase to the world. Incidentally these areas of attraction are located in different parts of the country and the South East has its own share of it. From caves to lakes to festivals and historical sites, there are many places in the zone that when developed and marketed would attract local and international visitors. During the recent South-East Tourism Investment Summit, stakeholders brainstormed on how to grow the sector in the zone and some Nigerians have elected themselves to pioneer the development and marketing of these tourism destinations. At the vanguard of the campaign was the Vice-President (South East) Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) and Tourism Consultant, Ngozi Ngoka who recently convened the Summit where industry stakeholders, entertainers and entrepreneurs spoke on ways to develop areas of tourist attraction and also make them secure and attractive for people to visit. Ngoka who is also the operator of Zigona Travels and Tours Limited said FTAN, in partnership with Pine Hospitality and WeWe Network organised the summit to explore ways to develop tourism sites and destinations in the zone and also awaken the world on what the zone has to offer in terms of tourism. In addition, she said the state governments and local government councils would be made to become aware of the money spinning opportunities that tourism offers and provide conducive atmosphere for tourism to thrive. Networking In her opening remark, Ngoka said that there was need to push for the understanding of governments and their representatives the tourism eco-system; the linkages between creativity and the tourism industry, entertainment, culture, heritage, sports, the environment, transport and tourism. “We want to showcase the complex interaction between these sectors, that when fully utilised provide for a clearer and more productive, social and economic environment for custodians, practitioners and investors in the tourism industry,” she said. The President of FTAN, Alhaji Saleh Rabo, said one of the objectives of the body was to encourage the private sector in the development of tourism, travel and hospitality sector of the national economy in order to harness the abundant tourism resources in the country. He said FTAN was eager to encourage and assist professionals engaged in these fields to promote tourism in different parts of the country. “You can see the combination of tourism, sports and entertainment today. Together we can make the tourism industry much larger and much more appreciable. So I want to call on all the participants, the panelists to put in their best so that together we can move the tourism industry forward. “And I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the organisers for coming up with this tourism investment forum because it is quite timely especially looking at the effect of the COVID-19 on the tourism and hospitality industry. “This is the best time for it. I hope we are going to come up and then gain something that is going to help us really move the tourism industry forward and bring about a lot of investments in the tourism sector,” Rabo said. Sports as Tourism Attraction Sports management consultant, Nkechi Obi spoke on the need to develop sports

Ogbunike cave

as part of tourism because sports can open opportunities and attract international visitors. She said tourism is essentially attracting people to events or destinations and sites, noting that sports can bring people to visit, like the Lagos Marathon where people come from different countries to attend. “First you have to have the product and the product really, essentially is about events that people would pay to go to. The most common one that readily comes to mind is sports. One of the major sports is football league because the football leagues drive domestic tourism anywhere in the world. Fans follow their clubs and so they go away to matches outside their home territory and when they go away and the match is late in the evening, then they will book a hotel room, they will have dinners, visit one or two tourist sites and spend money in that locality. “Without a functioning league, without functioning clubs being run as businesses, you cannot get domestic sports tourism. So first and foremost the product must be built and by product, I mean the leagues must be functional. “Your leagues must be attractive; your leagues must ensure there are comforts in the stadium. Your leagues must ensure there is security in the stadium. So that when I come with my children, friends, relations I can be guaranteed that I will have a great time. “If I come to such a match I will be encouraged to spend money in that locality. So, we need to ask the sport’s governing organisations to begin to look at creating a sport product that is marketable,” she said. Obi explained that most sport tourism is actually domestic tourism driven by the inhabitants of that country. International tourism is seasonal in the sense that, “for

example, the world cup is four years. So you get that hosted in a country every four years. It is not something that happens week in week out but league are week in week out. So most leagues actually drive domestic tourism.” “It is because of leagues that people build hotels and sport bars, people build all the ancillary sectors and value chain sector. Without that essential product which is the league, in our case, we start up with the football league, the premier league of 20 top clubs, ensuring that there is a good enough product for people to be able to get up from Lagos to go and watch an Enyimba in Aba and be able to stay in a hotel in Aba, be able to see one or two things in Aba then there is no talk of domestic tourism. We cannot build this house from the roof, so we need to go back to the federation, Nigerian Football Federation in this instance, or the Basketball Federation to develop leagues that are good products for people to patronise. When you do that and have it consistently, then a basketball federation can bid to host international tournaments such as the world championship for basketball, which China just hosted last year. We can bid and host that and have people come in here but until we get a functioning league that is attractive, secure, that is marketable and that has everything to call it a product, we cannot begin to talk about international tourism as far as sport is concerned,” Obi added. National Heritage Nigeria’s renowned actor, Zack Orji spoke on heritage tourism. He said that the entertainment industry has promoted tourism a bit but not enough to showcase Nigeria’s heritage. “For me our national heritage has to

At all times we should be able to project stories across the spectrum of our heritage because it is not really the type of story you tell that matters, but how you tell it. For this land that is delicately weld between the River Niger and the Cross River, it is not just the birth place of Biafra, it is also the birthplace of the Oghene, of the ekwe, of the Udu

do with everything that defines us as a people. The kind of food we eat, the kind of clothing we wear, the houses we live in, the various landmarks that define our locale and everything that has to do with us as a people, our language and everything. “All of these come together to form our national heritage. And it is definitely through movies that these things can get across to the rest of the world in a very effective way that will create the desired impact and make people want to come to Nigeria or want to come to the South East to see some of the landmarks that define us as a people. “To the point that even some indigenes from the South East do not even know what are the landmarks, the destinations that define our environment. “A lot of people don’t know that we have a place like Ohum Falls, in the South East and a number of other falls and locations that can act as very film and tourist destinations that when you project in a film, people would like to come and see these places as a form of tourism. “One of the reasons why enough has not been done is that both the government that takes on more than it can chew and the entertainment industry have not done enough to engage each other to actually define and locate some of these destinations and have a kind of understanding that we should be using certain specific destinations in every movie we shoot in the South East. “So these are some of the things that become necessary for the entertainment industry and the government to collaborate and do,” Orji said. He said such tourism destinations could be made attractive by building good hotels around them so that people could come and stay for some days; spend their money in the local environment. This, he noted, could be achieved with government’s incentive and support. Orji suggested that the government of Enugu State could give an incentive to the entertainment industry to attract film productions to the state of Enugu. For example, they can give some rebate or they can setup film rebate scheme for film producers such that you know that once you go to Enugu to shoot films you will be able to enjoy certain things free of charge. Or you will have a rebate of about 15 per cent to 20 per cent of your production cost, in order to attract people to come and shoot movies there. “And then when you go to that place to shoot a movie the government insists that you must include certain locations, you must include certain aspects of our culture and traditions in these movies, knowing how far and wide these movies go when they get released. So a lot still needs to be done, the entertainment industry has done quite a lot to promote our national heritage through our movies but so much more still needs to be done especially when these two bodies come together – the entertainment sector and the government sector. And this is something that can easily be done, government has a lot in its power to be able to attract the movie industry to make sure that our national heritage is portrayed one way or another in the movies that we shoot,” Orji also said. Performance poetry artist, Dike Chukwumerije said at the summit that South East represents many things that could be an attraction to people from Nigeria and beyond and this is the time to harness those opportunities and make the zone a tourist destination. “At all times we should be able to project stories across the spectrum of our heritage because it is not really the type of story you tell that matters, but how you tell it. For this land that is delicately weld between the River Niger and the Cross River, it is not just the birth place of Biafra, it is also the birthplace of the Oghene, of the ekwe, of the Udu,” he said.

T H I S D AY Ëž OCTOBER 16, 2020

BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

Bickering over Operating Fee Collection Eromosele Abiodun who sampled the opinions of clearing agents writes that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria must dialogue with the agents before going ahead with the Practitionersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Operating Fee collection

Samuel Nwakohu

n a letter dated January 6, 2020, and signed by the Director, Home Finance, Okokon Udo, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, gave the approval for the commencement of the collection of Practitioners Operating Fee (POF) at the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seaports by the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN). The minister stated that freight

Lucky Amiwero

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 organised a sensitisation 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 nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. After several failed attempts by the council, it last week 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 last week 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 with their containers. The Registrar/CEO of CRFFN, Samuel Nwakohu, 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 comersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are glad to inform you that following successful integration with terminal operators in the western ports, enforcement of POF collection has now commenced,â&#x20AC;? he said.

PUBLIC NOTICE SOCIETY OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN NIGERIA

7KH *HQHUDO 3XEOLF LV +HUHE\ 1RWLÂżHG WKDW Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria wishes to apply to Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for Change of Board of Trustees SXUVXDQW WR WKH SURYLVLRQV RI WKH &RPSDQLHV DQG $OOLHG Matters Act, CAP C20 LFN 2004 (CAMA). 7KLV DSSOLFDWLRQ LV SUHGLFDWHG RQ WKH UHVLJQDWLRQ RI 6HJXQ /DZDO 0D\D -DUPDNDQL &ODXGH 1DGHU DQG /DQUH /DGLSR DV PHPEHUV RI WKH %RDUG RI 7UXVWHHV RI WKH 2UJDQL]DWLRQ 6HTXHO WR WKLV GHYHORSPHQW WKH DIRUHPHQWLRQHG 7UXVWHHV DUH QRWDEO\ UHSODFHG E\ WKH QRPLQDWHG DQG QHZO\ HOHFWHG SHUVRQV QDPHO\ Pastor Wale Adefarasin, Mr. Yemi Candide-Johnson SAN, Mr. Gabi Massoud, Mrs. Olufunmi Olajoyegbe, Dr. Massad Boulos, Mr. Fares Boulos, Mrs. Muna Onuzo and Mrs. Sarah Boulos $Q\ REMHFWLRQ WR WKLV &KDQJH VKRXOG EH IRUZDUGHG WR WKH 5HJLVWUDU *HQHUDO Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi 6WUHHW 0DLWDPD $EXMD )&7 ZLWKLQ GD\V RI WKLV QRWLÂżFDWLRQ 'DWHG WK GD\ RI 2FWREHU

6LJQHG STRACHAN PARTNERS

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 nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s internally generated revenue, first for the government and second to drive the necessary reforms and develop the industry According to him, â&#x20AC;&#x153;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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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,â&#x20AC;? the CRFFN boss added. Challenges expected On challenges expected from operators as regards the POF collection, Nwakohu said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did not wake up one morning and decided that CRFFN should start collecting POF from operators. POF is nine years old, Continued on page 26

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Bickering over Operating Fee Collection meaning it has been in the Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long before I became Registrar/CEO of the CRFFN. The laws have been made by government, and whoever decides that he or she wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay, then such a person will not take his or her cargo out of the ports. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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.â&#x20AC;? He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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.â&#x20AC;? He said that contrary to opinion in some quarter, POF collection would 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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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 canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go to any school at all without being able to pay for it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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,â&#x20AC;? he stated. 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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect that everybody will say well done, that you have done well. No! People will resist you because those people who are the beneficiaries would definitely resist you,â&#x20AC;? he said. Customs agents reject POF However, the large army of freight forwarders plying their trade at the Lagos ports rose against the payment POF. 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), have all warned their members of the implications of resisting the collection of the fees. Public Relations Officers, ANLCA, 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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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,â&#x20AC;? 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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ever since the council members were inaugurated, we have not seen any value they have added to members. We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. â&#x20AC;&#x153;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,â&#x20AC;? 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 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, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The contentious issue shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be whether the money be paid or not. CRFFN hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done enough. Let collect the POF but the question is; what will it be used for?â&#x20AC;? 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, â&#x20AC;&#x153;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.

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 08038901925

Bose Milan-Jack: Ensuring Better Existence for Women and the Girl-child

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

COVER

Bose Milan-Jack: Ensuring Better Existence for Women and the Girl-child As Soroptimist International Nigeria, a global organisation working to transform the lives of women and girls, early this week joined the world to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, an international observance day declared by the United Nations, the National President of Soroptimist International Nigeria, Mrs. Bose Adesite Milan-Jack speaks on her achievements so far and how her organisation has been spearheading issues concerning the girl-child and women in general especially. MARY NNAH brings excerpts

ow has the journey been like spearheading the activities of this noble organisation in Nigeria? It’s been a very interesting time in my life. It is a very demanding position but it is also very exciting and interesting because you have the opportunity to work with women of different age groups and you are focused on one thing, which is the education and empowerment of women. I became the president of this noble organisation in 2018 and my tenure comes to an end very soon, perhaps in the next two months. Soroptimist International has been in Nigeria for the past 56 years. We are the oldest and largest NGO for women in the world. We will be 100 next year. The organisation was established in Oakland, California in 1921. Soroptimist International is our umbrella body and has five federations under it: SI of the Americas, SI of Europe, SI of Southwest Pacific, SI Great Britain and Ireland and newly born SI of Africa. SI Nigeria association is under SI Africa. Soroptimist International is interested in what they called the “3E” – to Educate, Enable and Empower women and the girl-child and for the past two years, I have managed 20 clubs with the 21st club just chartered in Makurdi on October 10, 2020. And this new club is the first club that the Soroptimist International African Federation would be chartering. We had a new federation this year. And of course, we want to revive our old clubs in Jos, Ibadan and Kaduna, so we are in the process of doing that. Our oldest members are in their 90s and then of course we have women who are also in their 30s and a few in their 20s. But the interesting thing is that age doesn’t count in what we do. We are interested in health for women, water, human rights the environment, gender equality, food security, conflict resolution, sanitation, education and we also say in a very emphatic manner, no to violence against women. So we are committed to the fight against rape and any form of gender – based violence, including domestic violence. We have zero tolerance for these kinds of things. Like I said earlier on, the journey has been exciting and interesting. We work closely with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. We thank the ministry for her support. I’m particularly excited at this time because we are doing a compendium of women achievers and we discovered that most of the women who are first in their various professions are members of Soroptimist International Nigeria. We are the first group who have asked, “Why not a woman?” And we started asking this question since 1964 when we put together our first club, Soroptimist International Lagos. After the Lagos club, we had Soroptimist International Eko and then the other clubs started coming up. So, it is just to make sure that we transform the lives of women. We are in over 133 countries – women coming together to assist the women. For the past 68 years, we have been working closely together. Soroptimist International is Category A consultant with the United Nations. Soroptimist International and UN are like Siamese twins. What this means is that every UN Day, we mark it here with a project. We own schools too like Soroptimist

Girl Child Day is for October 11, we have till the end of October to do the projects. For those who were unable to do their projects on that particular day, they can do it later but this month of October would not pass without us doing very serious projects that would add value to the life of the girl child because that’s all that we do. All that we do is for women and the girl child but human rights for all. Wherever there is an infringement of human rights, we are involved whether you are a man or woman. But any other thing revolves around women and girls.

Milan-Jack

International School, Apapa and Soroptimist International, Surulere. We are also maintaining the braille we built at University of Lagos, Akoka. We are very focused on cancer and so we mark all the cancer awareness months and also do breasts screening for the women. We have a history of sponsoring surgery for market women who we detected early stage cancer. We donated a mammogram machine at LUTH and for us; to prevent cancer is something we are very focused on. Also, we have adopted two hospitals: Mercy Children’s Hospital and Island Maternity where we go from time to time to know the needs of the people; the management and we try as much as possible to contribute to the wellbeing of patients and staff of the hospitals. This year we inducted the Lagos State first lady as an honorary member of Soroptimist International Nigeria. There have cases of rape and domestic violence in recent times. What is your organisation doing to curb these occurrences? Over the years we have been involved in the Break the Silence campaign. We have been going to schools to teach girls about self-defence mechanisms. You should be able to know a few basic self- defence techniques can be used when you are at risk and that would give you enough time to escape from the aggressor. And we encourage women to speak out because we noticed that most of the victims of rape are unable to speak and if you do not speak, you cannot get help. Of course, when you are able to speak that is where the healing takes place. And then of course, we work with the government. Right now, there is a national emergency of rape and when we hear the cases of rape, we ensure we bring it to the notice of government. Again, every month we mark Orange Day. The Orange Day is on the 25th of every month and that day we set it aside to remember victims of domestic or any form of gender-based violence against women and girls. On this day, women

are to wear orange globally or a touch of orange and stop at their tracks or wherever they are and remember about these victims of violence, think about ways to prevent it and to actually get involved in fighting it. Also from November 25 to December 10, we dedicate this period to say no to violence against women. Last year, the Minister for Women Affairs switched on the orange lights at Louis Edet House Police Headquarters in Abuja and encouraged the police to fight violence against women and girls. We call this period, “16 Days of Activism”. Last year it was so serious that all the clubs were involved, and the women had orange umbrellas and we had protests at various places with a very clear message, saying, “No to violence against women”. The International Girl Child Day was marked early this week all over the world. As a female focused organisation, what are you doing to make this period remarkable for girls? In Soroptimist International Nigeria, each club determines how we want to mark each day. Like I have said, we educate, enable and empower (3Es) women and the girl child. These 3Es, as we call them, are the ones that guide us. So, on this day of International Day for Girl Child, one club might decide to give a lecture at an all-girls school on domestic violence while another group may decide to donate books. And in the past we have been involved in giving out reusable sanitary towels and also organising workshops on this because we discovered some girls don’t go to school when they have menstruation because they cannot afford to buy sanitary towels. So we give them out as gifts and also teach them how to maintain these reusable sanitary towels. We also teach them how to make these reusable sanitary towels on their own. So any project that is based on the 3Es is what we are going to do to make this period remarkable for the girl child. Without these projects, then we are a dead organisation. And since the International

So, in regard to the International Day of Girl Child celebration, what advice would you give to the Nigerian girl? For the Nigerian girl, the first thing I would say is to be focused; learn a skill or get a good education. Have a life plan; do not allow your life to float. Be morally upright and carry yourself with dignity. And wherever you are in the world, give a thought for women and girls because the slogan sisterhood is about us watching out for each other. And of course, we are looking forward to when a woman would become the president of Nigeria. We are even talking about it with the UN women in politics; we are interested in working with them because come 2023, God willing, if a woman can be in Aso Rock, we would have taken our agitation to see women at the highest level of governance to the very peak. We are partners with UN women in Nigeria, and we are interested in working with women in politics and all other strategic partners of the UN women. We thank the UN women country ambassador for extending a hand of partnership to SI Nigeria. When you got the mantle of leadership for this great organisation, you must have had some aspirations. Would you say they have been fulﬁlled? I must return all glory to God for a very eventful tenure. During my time, we had our own celebrations. We had an increase in the numbers of clubs. I have chartered four clubs in addition to the 16 I met on ground. And just recently, we chartered one in the North and the Lekki Club is coming up too, which I hope to charter before I leave office. And of course, we are reviving our old clubs in Jos, Kaduna, and Ibadan. We also adopted Massey children’s hospital. The club is growing and there is vibrancy in SI Nigeria. Women are even more excited about serving because SI Nigeria is not where you join in order to take; a lot of people have that mentality that sometimes when you join a group it is to gain. This particular group you join to give all you have – your time, talent and treasure to the advancement of women and the girl child. I am very much interested in the environment. I can call myself an environmentalist as you can see from all the plants in my domain. I plant and maintain all these plants myself because I do active gardening every day. I have created awareness about a clean and green nation. Our survival is dependent on these plants. It is a very important part of our ecosystem and anywhere we go, we must be very protective of the environment. When we see trees, we must be conscious of these trees, if they are sick, we should do something about it. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Í°Íˇ

AriseWomen Inspire Hope Despite Pandemic Stories by Mary Nnah As this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arise Walk for Lifeâ&#x20AC;? holds tomorrow, Saturday October 17, organisers of the annual event have assured Nigerians, especially women, of hope despite the present economic setbacks while encouraging people to rise above the setbacks and disappointments of the current times, to push forward and achieve their dreams. Speaking during a press briefing in Lagos to announce the forthcoming event, Founder, Arise Women and the Arise Women Mobile Clinics, Dr. (Mrs.) Siju Iluyomade said the Arise Walk for Life 2020 will commence by 7:00 in over 50 clusters across Nigeria, London, the United States of America, Canada, and various isolation centres. She said each cluster will have a minimum of 25 persons including celebrities, influencers and various champions. Amongst those who have signed on to participate in the walk are Kaffy, DJ Cuppy, Bimbo Akintola, Nathaniel Bassey, Daniel Amokachi, DJ Xclusive, and Peter Rufai. The theme for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arise Walk for Life, which is,

L-R: Adesanya Helen, Arueyingho Doyin, Pastor Dr. Siju Iluyomade, Mrs Iyabo Ladipo, Mrs Ololade Wakama at the event

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Staying Aliveâ&#x20AC;?, Iluyomade said is timely as many people die daily of common health issues due to lack of physical exercise and regular health checks. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is against this backdrop that we shall again embark on our annual walk for life this year and use the walk to inspire hope in many whilst encouraging participants and survivors alike to Stay Alive despite the battle against COVID-19 and all that the pandemic has brought with it.â&#x20AC;? The Arise Walk for Life will precede the annual Arise Conference, which is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2020.

The conference promises to be a confluence of inspiration and hope as it will be graced by serving and former First Ladies, Wives of Federal and State Legislators, Captains of industries, international guests, and technocrats who will share from their wealth of empirical wisdom. Over the years, 3.5 million women have benefitted from training through the Arise Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference, while 46,030 men and women have benefitted from the Arise Walk for Life. The focus and essence of the conference are encapsulated in its motto â&#x20AC;&#x153;Arise for a Woman

Todayâ&#x20AC;?, such that women of influence can take the message of hope to the grassroots. The theme for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Arise Walk for Life is Staying Alive, is encouraging people to rise above the setbacks and disappointments of the current times, to push forward and achieve their dreams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Staying alive is imperative to achieving oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams, something only possible when particular attention is paid to healthâ&#x20AC;?, Iluyomade noted. Speaking further, the Arise Women founder said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Courage is not the absence of fear. The brave woman is not she who does feel afraid, but she who conquers that fear. â&#x20AC;&#x153;COVID-19 has not only brought disappointments and obstacles, but it has also created a wave of fear; fear of the future and fear of the unknown. It is therefore a must that we all rise above this debilitating fear and push for our goals at this time.â&#x20AC;? Arise Women is a faithbased organisation which is committed to accelerating nation building through the empowerment of women in society. Towards this end, ARISE has been able to train many women in various skills, courtesy the skills acquisition training.

Oreka Godis, Ibrahim Suleiman Perform in Heaven Baby The fragile bond between a young married couple is tested when Mohini, who secretly got a contraceptive implant after her wedding, has to choose between a thriving career she painstakingly built over several years and having a baby â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the only thing her husband, Jaiyeola, has ever wanted more than marrying her. This is the plot of Heaven baby, the short film released by The Naked Convos on Thursday, October 8 ahead of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international day of the girl child. The film, which stars Oreka Godis, Ibrahim Suleiman, Dorcas Paul, Gbemi OlateruOlagbegi and Jude Okey is another milestone for The Naked Convos (popularly known as TNC), which has transformed from a choice destination for young Nigerians to share their thoughts and opinions using articles and short stories to fullfledged content production and distribution company. Heaven Baby is their second production of the year after the success of their gritty, dark drama web series titled My

Name IsA-Zed. The film, which is set in the metropolitan city of Lagos, tells the story of fiercely independent Engr. Mohini Gbadebo and her best friend Dr Anita Momoh in an obvious attempt by TNC to spot light issues related to women, family and career. According to Olawale Adetula, CEO of TNC and executive producer of the

film, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we set out to produce a film that would highlight the choices Nigerian women feel they need to make to balance their careers and personal lives because we felt there werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough people talking about this. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At TNC, our goal is to tell original African stories and while researching story ideas, it

became very obvious that many women in this part of the world arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t brought up to know that they can have the best of both worlds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; family and career.â&#x20AC;? In Heaven Baby, Godisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; character Mohini ends up making a decision to which Adetula added â&#x20AC;&#x153;at the end of it, viewers will leave wondering if she made the right or wrong decision and we hope this will start conversations on this topic.â&#x20AC;? At just over 17 minutes, the film packs a punch and delivers the quality fans have come to associate with productions from The Naked Convos. Even before its public release, Heaven Baby had been selected for participation at the First-Time Filmmaker and The Lift-Off sessions online short film festivals and it is in consideration for many more. Heaven Baby is now streaming on YouTube for everyone. UNICEFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Day of the Girl is celebrated October 11 every year and the theme for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebration is â&#x20AC;&#x153;My voice, our equal future.â&#x20AC;?

SRTV Show to Harvest New Creative Talents SRTV production is set to organise a talent expo and an international networking event designed to scout and empower new creative talents in Nigeria. According to a press statement issued by Christian Ashaiku, Creative Director of the organisation, the show which will harness talents in Nigeria, whilst rewarding, celebrating, and honouring those who have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian creative industry will take place from the 4th to the 6th of December 4th to 6th at Honeyland Resort, Lekki, Lagos. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This show is aimed to move talent discovery in Nigeria out of the polite drawing rooms into the clamour of the streets. Nigerians of all ages will be provided with the right tools to showcase their talent. Our goal is to bring Nollywood Talents

(Home and Away) together to share knowledge, skills, experiences, and contacts. Our programme demonstrates the things we all can do, to positively contribute to our viable creative industry. SRTV Talent EXPOâ&#x20AC;? is a global brand created to operate in Nigeria, Africa, and the rest of the world,â&#x20AC;? Ashaiku said. He also noted that the show will feature SRTV Moonlight Film Festival, SRTV Talent Hunts and SRTV Talent Awards. On the film festival, the creative director said that the Nigerian film industry has played a dominant role in protecting the country in a positive light to the rest of the world and a major contributor to the economy and employment creation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can be said that one of

the remarkable successes of Nigeria in her 60 years of existence is Nollywood, as it is not only contributing to the GDP of Nigeria but has helped to project Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image positively, and more so, have put Nigeria on various map among committees of nations. This was made possible by the innovations and creativity of individuals we call filmmakers. This is currently not happening in Nigeria alone but around the world. Nigerians in the UK, USA, and in other parts of the world are now making films, which relate to their experiences and their homeland. With that in mind, SRTV has designed these inclusive events, putting together selected Nollywood filmmakers (home and away) to come together; celebrate, network, and do business.

The 2020 edition will screen films from selected Nollywood filmmakers from the United States, United Kingdom, and Nigeria at the beautiful.â&#x20AC;? The talent hunt part of the show which targets the discovery of new talent that will be the future of the industry will see the winner go home with N500, 000 according to the organisers. On the long term goal of the organisation and impact it hopes to create within the growing creative economy of Nigeria, Ashaiku said his organisation will play a long game to build a brand that will attract the respect and admiration of industry stakeholders and the general public. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our long-term goal is to build a reputable brand known for empowering talents and exploring their crucial roles in national development.â&#x20AC;?

IC- GWODEF members during a visit to the Kirikiri Prisons to mark the International Girl Child Day

International Girl Child Day: Group Celebrates with Female Prisoners To mark this year International Girl Child Day Celebration 2020, which is celebrated every October 11, the International Charitable Initiative For Girl Child and Woman Development Foundation (IC- GWODEF), visited the female prison inmates at Kirikiri, Lagos so as to give them hope and a voice. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme which is â&#x20AC;&#x153;One Voice, Our Equal Futureâ&#x20AC;? saw the NGO who are mostly female lawyers coming to the female correction center with gifts and food items. President of the organisation, Mrs. Helen lbeji said the essence of the visit was to give the girl child and woman a voice as most of them are helpless. Ibeji went ahead to reiterate that their love and compassion for the girl child and woman has made them come to the correction centre so as to celebrate them and also offer free legal expertise to those who are in need of it. While stressing that her organisation carried the file of some indigent women and girls to render to them free legal services, Ibeji added that IC- GWODEF will continue to stand in the gap for them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our voices are our great future, I urge the girl child to always speak out whenever they are in great danger, any person who is trying to lure them into sin, they should not be afraid of speaking outâ&#x20AC;? , she stated. In the same vein, Mrs. Ify Uzokwe, a member of the team stressed the importance of the girl child in every society, stating that every girl child deserves a good and qualitative education, good upbringing and care. Welcoming the body, the Deputy Controller in charge of the Female Correction Centre, DCP Ekpendu Lizze thanked the organisation for finding time to celebrate with the inmates she calls her children. Speaking further Ekpendu described IC- GWODEF coming as a big boost to the inmates, stressing that since her assumption in office she has ensured that the inmates who she sees as her children never lack anything as God has always given them wisdom to lead. She posited that the prison headquarters, which is also known as correctional centre, through the Controller General of Prison, Alhaji Jaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; afaru Ahmed has improved the prison drastically and that since the inception of COVID- 19, the center has not witnessed any victim, as they have ensured that the environment is clean. While appealing to parents to always love the girl child, as mothers need to have time for their children, counsel and educate them on sex education, she opined that the girl child are the most special breed and for this, needs absolute attention and above all should be rooted in the word of God. Highlight of the event was presentation of gifts and offering of legal expertise to those who are in need of it.

MyKap to Change Standard in e-hailing Sector Oluwabunmi Fache The Chief Information Officer of MyKap, Mr KoladeAdebimpe, has said that MyKap has come to change the standard in the e-hailing sector for easy movement in Lagos State. He explained that MyKab is an indigenous developed ridesharing application that meets the need of partners, drivers and riders, adding that the status quo of transportation and ride â&#x20AC;&#x201C;hailing in Lagos state is unacceptable to the people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Logicians spend 75 per cent of weekly working hours in traffic, hence, the development of the MyKab application will help overpass the gap and provide for easy navigation in the stateâ&#x20AC;?, he said. MyKap has set up several vehicle assessment centres in the state which will serve as test facilities to ensure all MyKab vehicles are roadworthy at all times. Adebimpe further said that the app company is focused on five main values which include security, compliance, partnership, customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; service and value for money â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is noteworthy to say that at MyKab, we continue to operate towards the future. We will always optimise for the delight and joy of our esteemed riders and drivers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very much confident that our continued success will be hinged upon our strongly built mobile applications (available on 105 and google) and our amazing customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success team.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

NOLLYWOOD

Emmy’s Nomadic Start to Global Stardom Stories by Vanessa Obioha

The nomadic community of Kalenjin might be famous for its export of worldclass athletes who take to the world stage to win medals for their country, Kenya. But if one searches just hard enough, they, too, will discover a shining star. Only this time, not as one who runs, but one that sings the praises of God, Emmy Kosgei Madubuko. Spanning 17 years and six albums, the gospel songstress has taken the sounds of Kenya above and beyond. However, being a renowned artiste was never in her plans. She had barely stumbled upon it while exploring her options as a youngster. “Doing music for me started way back in church. I served in all levels of ministry.” Emmy, as she is fondly called, recalled her days under the guardianship of her parents who owned a church. “Of course I never went to music school, and I never envisioned myself to be a musician or something of that sorts. It came many years later after college and higher learning. I ventured into music after backing up one Kenyan celebrity star who is my mentor in Kenya. She asked me to join her band. After backing her, for a short while, she pushed me into recording my music. Then I used to model. She advised me to combine my looks and voice.” When Emmy went into music full-time, Kenya was going through a difﬁcult period. Tribal clashes were rampant and her community is one of the biggest in the country. “It was a very awkward moment to be doing vernacular music. And I wasn’t sure of the reception.”

Holmes Joins D’Luxe Family

Emmy

Advancing from her backup role to becoming a full-ﬂedged singer, the‘Ololo’hitmaker struck gold in the United States after she was invited to several organised festivals. She would later gain popularity in the Christian

community in the US. Eventually, her sounds would spread across Kenya with multiple hits to her name. “One of the biggest concerts I participated in is the MasterPeace in Concert. It happens

in Amsterdam. MasterPeace is a global festival that brings artistes from every nation. Their project is peace; to talk about peace in different nations.” With her level of success and exposure, the singer feels the continent has a lot to offer in terms of music “I have realised that African music is very powerful. It has so many untapped sounds. And right now the whole world is looking to Africa. What we have is very natural. It is very real.” In a bid to push the reach of her music, the singer who has lived in Nigeria for seven years with her husband Apostle Anselm Madubuko of the Revival Church pushes for more presence in Nigeria. Although her progress was mitigated by various factors as the pandemic and scouting for the appropriate outfit to manage her, she prevailed. “Since I came to Nigeria, I have not been able to get a team to work with, but luckily, during this COVID-19 period, one of the best things that happened to me is that I got to meet a producer and a production company that understands my kind of sound. It is so hard to find people that understand this kind of sound,”said the musician. Ahead of the release of her yet to be titled seventh studio album, she has her first single ‘Malo’ out to moderate success. The track is an afro-fusion sound that explores the Swahili, Igbo, and Kalenjin vernacular. For Emmy, music isn’t bound by the limits of language, instead, she defines the experience of her music as one in which the spirit behind it is more important than the language of communication.

How Darey Retains Relevancy with ‘Way Home’ Iyke Bede

Home

Fast-rising talent Holmes recently inked a deal with D’Luxe Talent Management company, owned by a talent manager, Franklin Amudo.The company’s decision to reposition for a global market resulted in the new deal. “The vision is to nurture talent for global exposure and with global partners that include Starz Records in the UK, 1865blackflag Atlants,DDE Rwanda,and Escobar Entertainment in South Africa, we have positioned D’Luxe Management as the toast and gateway to talent management in Nigeria. And to this end, we recently signed Holmes as our first talent project,” said Amudo. The Nigerian artiste who hails from Warri in Delta State is currently signed to the indie label, Addictive Sound Records. Under his new management, the 28-year-old singer released songs include ‘Magician’, and his current wave-making track,‘Sade’. He also teamed up with singing sensation, Davido in the raving hit,‘Love’.Amudo’s talent management outfit boasts a rich portfolio. He has worked in various capacities with several Nigerian and international entertainers that include 2face, Tony Tetuila, Femi Kuti, Tamara Dey, Cassper Nyovest Nas, Jay Z & Beyonce, Global Citizen with D’banj and recently withYemi Alade.

There is a reason Darey is known as the showstopper. He pulls all the stops in every show. Not even the COVID-19 social distancing rules could prevent him from organising a top-notch listening party. Streamed on YouTube and Zoom, Darey performed songs from his new EP ‘Way Home’ for his viewers in a dimly lit stage, aesthetically designed to enhance his performances. Each performance was accompanied by choreographers including his daughter Tintin. To stay in the spotlight, creatives in the music landscape invent new sounds or genres to stay aﬂoat in their career. On the other hand, some pick up old works and polish them with a brush of modernity. Darey’s ‘Way Home’ exploits both approaches. Revered for his impeccable discography, the music star has managed to remain in the mainstream for close to two decades. While known for his peculiar taste in music, Darey, every now and then, looks to current music genres/trends to extend his reign. For instance, he takes advantage of the streaming era. Streaming platforms in recent times have been overwhelmed with a deluge of new materials unleashed daily, ultimately leading to a shorter span of attention for music consumers.To gain their attention, music executives now lean towards reducing the length of individual tracks – songs are less likely to exceed the four-minute mark these days.The seven-track EP observes this rule. The track with the longest duration is the rock-n-roll infused ‘Wild West’. Genre-wise, Darey experiments with his sounds. He doesn’t shy away from re-

Darey

cruiting help from this generation’s stars like Patoranking (‘Jojo’) andTeni the Entertainer (‘Show Me Love’) on ’Way Home’. On‘Show Me Love’, Darey relies on the male/female chemistry evident in love songs to deliver a groovy joint, propelled by Teni’s signature style. Although it takes a while to capture attention. ‘Jojo’ in contrast is a fast-paced, boisterous attempt positioned to take advantage of new dance cultures. While it doesn’t speak to any particular dance style in its lyrics, it is one that serves as a one-size-ﬁts-all to current viral dance steps. Evident that he is projecting a certain kind of contemporary ﬂair, the singer didn’t abandon his core music style that is dominated with vocals and background harmonies.Tracks like ‘Mo Oh’ — dedicated to the convicted cyber fraudster Hushpuppi — and‘Gone’are folksy. They allude to Johnny Drille’s musical outputs. What takes the cake on both tracks is how

effectively the instrumentation highlights the nuances of the background vocals that soar to the heavens. Surprisingly good is ‘Jah Guide Me’, the ﬁrst single released ahead of the EP. The track marries gospel sounds and funky afrobeat to deliver a soulful sonic experience. Perhaps, a nod to the late Fela Kuti, it reveals the timelessness of the Afrobeat genre.Veering from that space, he goes all house music on the last track,‘Way Home’. By and large, what this project reveals is Darey’s understanding of trends and how to infuse sounds without losing his identity. Yes, it sounds every bit him, but not dated. Applying all these metrics of knowing what it takes to thrive in the digital streaming world, what appeals to a broad spectrum of an audience at a current time while dictating creativity, surely helps him retain a spot on music’s pedestal. In the end, he always ﬁnds his way home – our hearts.

ͱͯ

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

Navy Pledges Continuous Collaboration with Foreign Navies

Chief of the Naval, Staﬀ Vice Admiral Ibok- Ete Ibas presenting a souvenir to the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria Stefano Pontesilli at the Naval Headquarters Abuja...DINFO NHQ

Chiemelie Ezeobi The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas has assured that the Nigerian Navy will continue to maintain existing relationships with its partners and work on the same trajectory towards sustaining the gains recorded in securing the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). He stated this while playing host to the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli who paid him a courtesy visit at the

Naval Headquarters today. The CNS stated that there was close collaboration between the GoG regional navies towards stemming the tide of recent incidences of insecurity in the region. He further informed that the navy had in the last four years reduced the incidences of illegalities, maritime insecurity and piracy in the Nigerian maritime space and within the GoG as efforts have also been intensified towards checking these crimes with positive results.

L-R : Brig Gen Rabe Abubakar, Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya, Stefano Pontellisi, Vice Admiral Ibok- Ete Ibas, Col Michele Devastato and Rear Admiral Matthew Emuekpere in a group photograph to mark the visit of the Italian envoy to the Naval Headquarters

Vice Admiral Ibas submitted that the cooperation of international partners through exercises like the recently concluded Exercise GRAND AFRICAN NEMO will go a long way in further improving the safety of the region’s maritime environment as well as boost economic activities. He also assured that the navy is open to exploring other avenues in the areas of training and capacity building for its sailors in hydrography as well as technical

expertise in the operationalisation and maintenance of the Leonardo helicopter. Speaking earlier, the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli stated that he was in the Naval Headquarters to introduce the new Italian Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Colonel Michele Devastato to the CNS. He stated that Italy was favourably disposed to further cooperation with the GoG in antitrafficking and maritime security

operations. According to the ambassador, the visit was also to intimate the CNS of the successful completion of Exercise GRAND AFRICAN NEMO and that the participating European frigates were currently docking in Tema, Accra. The ambassador added that the frigates will be moving back to the sea in the GoG of Guinea and remain there till the middle of December in order to consolidate on the successes of the recently concluded exercise.

Preach Stewardship, Unity, Religious Leaders Urged Nationwide Oluchi Chibuzor The Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, His Grace, Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, has called on religious leaders across the country to preach the message of stewardship, unity and harmony among the faithful, rather than focus on materialism. This, according to the clergyman, would serve to portray religion in a positive light to counter those who use it as a means to exploit people’s credulity while seeking divine intervention. Archbishop Martins, who made the call during the Catechist Rite of Commissioning organised by the Lagos Archdiocese Catechist Association, held at the Catholic Church of the

Transfiguration, Lagos, said those seeking to serve in God’s vineyard must put on love in order to serve others selflessly as exhibited by Christ to His followers. Imploring the religious leaders, the clergyman noted that, “As teachers of the Faith, the vocation of Catechist, you must go forth and make disciples of all nations. You must follow the path of Jesus. “The joy of being a disciple of Jesus is to listen to the Master’s voice, sit at His feet like Mary did, read and meditate on the Word of God regularly, bear witness to Christ, and be committed in loving and serving God. “No one is excluded from God’s banquet, but you must put on the right garment: compassion, forgiveness,

patience, kindness, meekness, humility and love. “Just as we have people who are not faithful to their commitment, so we also have many who are faithful, for which we give thanks to God. So we can only continue to encourage those who have not been faithful to do better because that is what God expects of them. “We have people today who are much more interested in the material gains that they receive personally; in fact, we have people who even go out of the way to exploit the credulity of people; we have those who go out of their way to literarily dupe people. “So all of these are sometimes done in the name of God, but the expectation of God cannot be reduced and we can

only continue to ask people to live up to that expectation,” he stated. On the need to use religion to build the nation, the Catholic Archbishop stressed that “Unity and harmony is a perennial message that has been given by the Church and Christ wants us to present this message to the whole world; so we have to continue to present that. But to ensure that the message takes effect is the individual responsibility of each one of us. “It is important that people in leadership positions should take a lead in this direction; in ensuring that whatever complaints that people may have about issues regarding distribution of positions and power of authority, the leaders need to take these seriously and do something

about it. “This must be done looking beyond our own personal and individual good, because in the end, whether we do it or not, we are going to account for what we do or do not do.” Meanwhile, while encouraging the newly trained workers, Rev. Sister Judith Madueke reiterated the Archbishop’s message, noting that they must display virtues as entrusted to them by Christ and the Church as they volunteer themselves to serve in making disciples of others. “That is our mission and is what the Church has entrusted to them. That is the same mission of evangelisation; forming the faith, and ensuring proper moral upbringing of everybody,” she added.

Kids Win Prizes at Cakeflair Baking Challenge Peter Uzoho Teenagers who participated at the maiden edition of Cakeflair National Kiddies Baking Challenge were at the weekend rewarded with different prizes for their excellent performance. The challenge organised by Cakeflair, a tradename of Bourffe Bakeries Limited, was initiated by the confectionery company during the lockdown and sit-at-home period for children within ages six and 16. The challenge used the new cakemix products, which is a pivot from their summer cake training for kids who used to attend hands-on classes. Due to the lockdown, the company considered it imperative to create an easy-to-use premix for home use - The Chef Juls Cakemixes, which come in five variants of chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, allergen-free and nutrisap.

They also have a locally produced Chef Juls Pancake mix, The challenge was intended to test the kids’ creativity, boost their confidence while spicing up their lockdown experience through baking on their own at home and posting the videos. Of the 25 children that applied for the competition, 10 made it to the final where top three winners finally emerged. The top three contestants who were unveiled during the prize presentation ceremony at the weekend included the Star Prize winner, Somto Omeje (Deep Freezer); 2nd Prize winner, Pharez Obioha (Cake mixer) and 3rd place, Zimi Ziora Mobi-Eluigwe (Cake mixer). Also the remaining seven best contestants were rewarded with consolation prizes including cake

decoration tools and copies of children’s books. Speaking at the occasion, the Founder of Cakeflair, Juliet Aigbe (Chef Juls), said “So the whole idea of the challenge is to take our minds away from this COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the world”. According to her, “For instance, people are locked down at home and they don’t know what to do. So we just said okay, let’s do something that would spice up staying at home. “So you bake at home, you post your video. You know how digital has become a new normal now. So when you do your video, you post it, be creative. “Even the music the kids used to present their baking was so inspiring and really motivating. We had a great time just watching the entries. It was keenly contested for.” Aigbe described the programme as

a success, explaining that “one of the kids’ total engagement was almost 10,000 views, with engagements, DMs, likes and followers; even our page soared by over one 1000 followers just because of the challenge. “So it was such a very powerful event that really helped the kids believe that they could actually do this and they can win. “I’m super excited about this and we hope to get more sponsors. We are looking for one who will say anybody that wins will get free ticket and anall-expense-paid-trip to DisneyLand.” She added that the challenge did not only impact on the children but also her, as she learnt new recipes from their presentations “I learnt even a few recipes from their recipes as well. So I’m so excited and really happy. I will do this again next year by the grace of God,” Aigbe

enthused. She thanked the donor organisations including Lagos Bake Tools, that donated cake mixers; Kogsy Sugarcraft Centre, for donating decorating tools; and Clever Clogs Book as well as Akada Festival for donating children’s books to them. On how the cake industry was faring in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aigbe, declared that patronage for the industry experienced heavy drop. “In short, we have people call us to say, ‘you know what, we have canceled the wedding because there is lockdown and we can’t continue with the wedding’. “So wedding cake really suffered, but we have pivoted. We didn’t just sit down there, mourning and waiting for things to change. We never let the crisis go to waste,” she said.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

J.P. Clark: Passage of a Poet-Playwright In honour of the great nationalist poet, playwright and journalist, Prof John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, who died recently at 85, YINKA OLATUNBOSUN reflects on how the socio-political realities in his writings remain relevant to present-day Nigeriat

he news of the death of a leading post-independence scholar, John Pepper Clark-Bekederemo, otherwise known as J.P. Clark coincided with the super-sonic updates on social media regarding the nationwide protests to end police brutality. As widely reported, the protests have left in its wake several casualties which unearthed the memory of the Nigerian civil-war inspired poetry written by J.P Clark titled, “Casualties.” The poet had been a product of the Mbari-club, domiciled at the University of Ibadan for grooming socially committed writers. The club which was founded by Prof. Ulli Beier was the convergent point for Nigeria’s literati such as Prof. Wole Soyinka, Christopher Okigbo, Chinua Achebe, Francis Ademola, Demas Nwoko, Mabel Segun, Uche Okeke amongst others. While at the University of Ibadan, Clark founded The Horn, a magazine of student poetry. After graduating with a degree in English in 1960, he began his career as writer and journalist by working as a Nigerian government information officer and then as the Features and Editorial writer for the DailyExpress in Lagos (1960–62). A year’s study at Princeton University on a foundation grant resulted in his America, Their America (1964), in which he attacks American middle-class values, from capitalism to black American life-styles. After a year’s research at Ibadan’s Institute of African Studies, he became a lecturer in English at the University of Lagos and co-editor of the Afro-centric literary journal Black Orpheus. In the spirit of romanticising Africa, some of his poetry celebrate the physical landscape of Africa. He was also a journalist, playwright, and scholar-critic who conducted research into traditional Ijo myths

Ben Tomoloju

Ben Tomoloju Celebrates with Freedom Park at 10

J.P. Clark

and legends and wrote essays on African poetry. Clark’s verse collections include Poems (1962) and A Reed in the Tide (1965) and in his best poems his sensual imagination makes successful use of the patterns of traditional African life. His Casualties: Poems 1966–68 (1970) is concerned primarily with the Nigerian civil war. Other poetry collections include A Decade of Tongues (1981), State of the Union (1985, as J.P. Clark Bekederemo), and Mandela and Other Poems (1988). The threads in J.P Clark’s poetry found its way into the fabric of his plays. Of his plays, the first are tragedies in which individuals are unable to escape the doom brought about by an inexorable law of nature or society. Song of a Goat (performed 1961), a family tragedy, was well received throughout Africa and Europe for its dramatic

skill and the poetic quality of its language. The Masquerade (performed 1965) again portrays a family tragedy, but it is The Raft (performed 1978) that is arguably regarded as his finest piece of dramatic writing. The situation of four men helplessly adrift on a raft in the Niger River suggests both the human predicament and the dilemma of Nigeria in the modern world. Clark’s characterisation is convincing and his symbolic setting richly allusive. A more experimental work, Ozidi (performed in the early 1960s; pub. 1966), is a stage version of a traditional Ijo ritual play, which in a native village would take seven days to perform. Like Yoruba folk opera, it is embellished with music, dancing, mime, and spectacle. Clark also veered into film production with Francis Speed; The Ozidi of Atazi in 1972.

As Freedom Park, Lagos marks its 10th anniversary this weekend, the multi-talented, multi-skilled artist, Benson Omowafola Tomoloju, will be a special guest artist on Sunday, October 18 in a virtual celebration. The composer, singer, dramatist, theatre director and culture communicator will be performing some of his 100 Songs, which were recently unveiled on a Google app with the same name. It is the first live unveiling of the 100 songs since the app was launched on August 29 by it’s producers andpromoters, Concrete Communications. “The collection of 100 SONGS OF BEN TOMOLOJU is about humanity, about fellow human beings growing spiritually, intellectually and materially”, states Tomoloju, who was at various times, Arts Editor and Deputy Editor of The Guardian newspaper. “They are a hundred in number. But the hundred are just a fraction -- between a quarter and a third -- of my entire repertoire of original compositions. It is a bumper harvest of music with a cross-over appeal.” Some of the songs stemmed from Tomoloju’s popular plays such as Jankariwo, Mujemuje, Askari, Iphigenia Finds Aiyelala,

Amona, and This Proverb, which was recently published by the US-based Omni Publishers, and now available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. The songs have been dedicated to members of the Kakaaki Arts Kult, the art producing fraternity, which Ben Tomoloju founded on June 8, 1980, while he was an English and English Literature teacher at the Saka Tinubu Secondary School, Agege, Lagos. One of the producers, Ropo Ewenla described the body of work as one that is more than art, pointing to its historical significance. “100 songs of Ben Tomoloju mines more than 40 years of creative exploration to bring you a variety of songs in a variety of genres. It is, to say the least, a collector ’s item. This is not just art. This is history and we hope that in times to come, we would be able to get the necessary support to do a lot more for Nigerian artistes and art,” he said. In the same vein, the CEO, Concrete Studios described the music collection as “a collectors’ item.” The month-long celebration which kicked off on September 30 runs till October 30, featuring a series of events, including lectures, concerts, exhibitions, performances and more.

LagosPhoto Home Museum Exhibition Set for Virtual Launch Rebecca Ejifoma The African Artists Foundation (AAF) is set for the virtual launch of the pilot edition of Home Museum to mark the 2020 LagosPhoto festival on October 24. According to the founder, AAF, Azu Nwabogu, the exhibition is curated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for cultural restitution. The Home Museum is born out of the connection between these two conditions. First, staying at home propelled many to reflect on their immediate environment, family heirlooms and personal belongings. Second, the project initiated a visual conversation across continents on restitution and the role of the museum in the 21st century. “Photography becomes the

democratic vector for a process of rapid response restitution, or fast shutter retrieval, promoting greater awareness of cultural heritage both absent and present. “One common factor to nearly all images is that they were taken in 2020, during the high point of COVID-19, by individuals living in home exile all over the world,” says Azu Nwagbogu in an interview with MoMA. He added: “we seek to create a counter-model of communication between artists and co-creators that works as an alternative to traditional and competitive forms of art and museum practice, promoting mutual aid and solidarity. “We want visitors to the Home Museum to be intrigued and feel excited about their neighbours. We want people to recognise themselves and their own journeys in those of

others. We want you to discover how different human experience can be, how meanings can be shared and yet remain individual at the same time. “How an object of virtue can mean home, heritage, journey, and culture. How it can stem from a sense of family, be passed down through several hands, become a witness of time, a guiding figure, a carrier of memories, a teacher that helps you to re-imagine, or a symbol that acts as a painful reminder of past times. Ultimately the object of virtue has infinite meanings.” The AAF has commissioned a research group from Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts, Birds of Knowledge to build the actual online architecture for LagosPhoto20’s Home Museum. THISDAY Art and Culture Journalist, Yinka Olatunbosun has been named as one of the co-creators of this maiden edition

View of an exhibition hall in African Artists’ Foundation building, Ikoyi

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; 2020

FERTILITY

with DR. KEMI AILOJE Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

DYSPAREUNIA: PAINFUL INTERCOURSE (PART 1) r $ZTUJUJT JU JT UIF JOĂĄBNNBUJPO PG UIF bladder mostly caused by Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). r *SSJUBCMF #PXFM 4ZOESPNF " EJTPSEFS that causes pain in the large intestine. r "EFOPNZPTJT " DPOEJUJPO JO XIJDI the endo-lining (inner lining of womb) grows within the womb. r )FNPSSIPJET )BFNPSSIPJET PUIFSwise called piles are swollen veins that are positioned in the rectum (internal hemorrhoids) or anus (external hemorrhoids) which can cause itching, irritation and bleeding. r 0WBSJBO $ZTUT 0WBSJBO DZTUT BSF ĂĄVJE filled sac that does not contain an egg in contrast to follicles which contains egg. Ovarian cyst usually go away on its own within few months but can also cause pain, discomfort, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and even dyspareunia. r "EIFTJPO DPMMFDUJPOT PG TDBS UJTTVFT sometimes results in pain during intercourse. r 3FUSPWFSUFE VUFSVT 0DDVST XIFO UIF uterus is positioned backward towards the rectum (the final section of the large intestine terminating at the anus) rather than forward towards the stomach.

ave you tried to be intimate with your partner and you realized you could not because you could not bear the pain or have you ever felt pains hours after sexual intercourse? Are you currently having issues in your relationship because of this intolerable pain? This kind of pain is what is medically known as dyspareunia. WHAT IS DYSPAREUNIA? Dyspareunia refers to persistent or recurrent pain (mild or severe) at the vaginal opening or deep in the pelvisthat may occur just before, during or after sexual intercourse. Dyspareunia is not a condition limited to women alone but studies have shown it to be prevalent amongst women than in men. CAUSES OF DYSPAREUNIA Painful intercourse can have causes that are not due to underlying disease. Examples include inadequate lubrication, rough sex, trauma or negative feelings about a partner. It is important to understand the duration, location and nature of pain caused by dyspareunia to identify the cause. Dyspareunia can be caused by many factors which could be physical (entry/deep), psychological or both. PHYSICAL CAUSE OF DYSPAREUNIA (Entry) Entry pain may be caused by vaginal dryness, vaginismus, size disparity, genital injury, inflammation/infection, skin disorders/irritation, (or) abnormalities at birth. r 7BHJOBM ESZOFTT .FEJDBUJPOT TVDI BT hormonal birth control, antidepressants, antihistamine could lead to vaginal dryness. The hormone estrogen helps in the secretion of fluid that serves as lubricant during sexual intercourse.When there is decrease in the level of estrogen like in menopausal women, the lubrication available is low thereby leading to vaginal dryness. r 7BHJOJTNVT WBHJOJTNVT JT UIF JOWPMuntary contraction around the pelvis wall that occurs whenever there is an entry into the vagina such as penis, tampons, speculum during gynecologicalexamination, r 4J[F %JTQBSJUZ 5IJT JT XIFO UIF FSFDU penis is too large for the vaginal entrance. It can cause tearing in the vagina and lead

to pains during and after sexual intercourse. r (FOJUBM *OKVSZ *T B GPSN PG JOKVSZ UP UIF genital area either in a man or a woman, such injury could cause a permanent or temporary damage to the urethra, bladder and the reproductive organs. r *OĂĄBNNBUJPO *OGFDUJPO %ZTQBSFVOJB can also be caused by inflammation around the vulva or byinfections such as Urinary 5SBDU *OGFDUJPO 4FYVBMMZ 5SBOTNJUUFE Diseases and yeast infections in the vagina. r 4LJO EJTPSEFS *SSJUBUJPO 4LJO EJTPSders or conditions such as eczema, lichen, ringworm, around the genital area when CSVJTFE DBO BMTP DBVTF QBJO BU FOUSZ 4LJO irritation from chemicals can also cause bruises around the genital area thereby causing dyspareunia. r "COPSNBMJUJFT BU #JSUI %ZTQBSFVOJB is often caused by the lack of a properly formed vagina (vaginal agenesis), or by the presence of a membrane covering the

vaginal opening a condition medically referred to as imperforate hymen. PHYSICAL CAUSE OF DYSPAREUNIA (Deep) Physical cause of dyspareunia leading to deep pain during penetration may be caused by surgeries or medical treatment such as cancer treatment, or certain mediDBM DPOEJUJPOT BOE JMMOFTT JODMVEJOH r &OEPNFUSJPTJT " EJTFBTF XIFSF UIF tissue that surrounds the uterus (endometrium) extend beyond the uterus. r 1FMWJD *OĂĄBNNBUPSZ %JTFBTFT "O infection of the female reproductive organ which causes it to swell. r 6UFSJOF QSPMBQTF 5IF TUSFUDI BOE weakening of the pelvic floor muscle or ligament resulting in inadequacy to provide enough support for the uterus (womb). r 6UFSJOF 'JCSPJET 5IFZ BSF OPO DBODFSous growth found in the uterus (womb).

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSE OF DYSPAREUNIA Psychological factors that could cause EZTQBSFVOJB BSF HVJMU GFBS IJTUPSZ PG rape or sexual assault, anxiety, depression, stress, low self-esteem, lack of communication between partners, poor body image, etc. A Person could be faced with the issue of painful sex which can be dreadful thereby resulting into relationship and marital challenges. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DYSPAREUNIA r 4UBCCJOH QBJO TJNJMBS UP NFOTUSVBM cramps during or after intercourse r 1BJO XJUI FWFSZ QFOFUSBUJPO FWFO XJUI the use of lubricant r #VSOJOH JUDIJOH PS BDIJOH EVSJOH PS after sexual intercourse r 1BJO BGUFS IPVST PG TFYVBM JOUFSDPVSTF &''&$5 0' %:41"3&6/*" r 3FMBUJPOTIJQ .BSJUBM JTTVFT r .PPE TXJOHT r -PX TFMG FTUFFN r -PTT PG MJCJEP r *OGFSUJMJUZ .To be continued next week

Adron Homes BeneďŹ ciary Reveals How N25, 000 Made her Landowner Mary Nnah Driven by the desire to keep its promise, increase its land bank, expand its client base and offer excellent services and affordable housing products with the singular mission to exceed expectations, Adron Homes and Properties Limited has continued to secure suitable, affordable housing for everyone, irrespective of their income level, social class, and all else. One of such beneficiaries of this scheme JT .ST 5PQF 0MBNJQP B DFSUJGJFE BSchitect. Recalling her ordeals before she came in contact with Adron Homes, 0MBNJQP TBJE i4IPSUMZ BGUFS NZ IVTCBOE and I moved into a beautiful house we had just rented on the Island, the pretty house we had seen made life miserable AdronHomes Stakeholders for us. It was after we moved in that we realised the house wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t built on a dry because we just had a baby and that alone land -water coming in at every drop of was sickening. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really sleep with rain left, right and center. It got really bad our eyes closedâ&#x20AC;?. that I started to think of the next steps as soon #VU MVDL TIPOF PO UIFN XIFO UIF IVTCBOE as I moved inâ&#x20AC;?. USBWFMFE EPXO UP TFF B GSJFOE i.Z IVTCBOE T Nevertheless, Olamipo and her family friend was so sure we would get a land to couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t continue with the discomfort. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We build the home we desire from Adron Homes. requested for 50 per cent of our rent of N1.8 I actually didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it and I told myself million but we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a penny. It was worse it would be a miracle if it actually workedâ&#x20AC;?,

added. At the time, she said Adron Homes was offering 40 per cent discounts off lands and properties, adding, â&#x20AC;&#x153;and guess what, we got our own property in less than three months with just an initial deposit of N25, 000 only. That was how we started developing the land and got rid of that unbearable landlordâ&#x20AC;?. 4QFBLJOH GVSUIFS PO IPX IFS GBNJMZ IBT CFFO

GBWPVSFE CZ (PE UISPVHI "ESPO )PNF TIF TBJE i4PNFUJNFT * UIJOL BCPVU NZ KPVSOFZ on housing issues and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe I am a landowner. It all seems pretty overwhelming, I know I am an architect and it feels like I already have a 9-5, but Adron Homes gave me another income idea, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only get a land, I also got empowered to start a business. Now I have a salon that gives me that extra income that I need all these because I got a hair dryer with just paying N25, 000 for land.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over the years, we have heard countless stories of land deeds gone wrong, people buying lands that are already owned by other people and also sold at ridiculous prices or just for a certain social class. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, Adron Homes and Properties has established itself as the number one real estate company having successfully built an avenue for land and property ownership for the mass market by introducing its, â&#x20AC;&#x153;60/60 Empowering Everyone Promoâ&#x20AC;?, the promo is solely aimed at offering deep discounts combined with gift items, and diverse small business startup kits to reward and support its customers both new and existing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All you have to do is relax and enjoy these benefits by subscribing to any of Adron Homes Estate with as low as N25, 000 initial depositâ&#x20AC;?, Olamipo added.

T H I S D AY Ëž ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

His Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Lord The life and times of Chief Ayoola Akanwo of the famous Jolliters Pharmacy

he transition of Chief Ayoola Alabi Akanwo, of Jolliters Pharmacists fame, is a reminder that the circle of honest, devout believers and patriotic Nigerians is gradually exiting the land and country they loved so much. Though some have departed at a reasonably expected elderly age, this generally should call for celebration for a fulfilled life. Sadly, some have left us at a very troubling point in Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history; and those still alive and in their dotage hope to see a better Nigeria before the end of their journeys. Nevertheless, and despite all the challenges we face daily as a country, the living must bury their dead and bear witness to their lives for moral guidance. We must leave the rest to God and hope that our fellow Nigerian citizens still on this side of glory will continue the legacy of the departed and emulate the good works they left behind. Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s departure is particularly sad for many of us and his community at large who have borne witness to his exemplary life. The vacuum he has left among us will be challenging to fill. Why is the sudden and painful transition of Chief Akanwo a national loss for Nigerian Christians, particularly Baptists, the guild of pharmacists, and humanity at large? What lessons can we, the living, learn from his time on earth? Chief Ayoola Alabi Akanwo was born on October 16, 1934, in Lagos to Chief Oni Akanwo and Madam Bamidele Akanwo of Aawe in Oyo State. His father was educated and worked as railway personnel who traveled around the country and raised his children along the way. Before his death, Baba Omitowoju, as he was fondly called, became the Baba Ijo of the Methodist Church, Ekotedo, Ibadan. Mama Bamidele Akanwo was a skilled trader. Chief Ayoola Akanwo did his primary school education first at St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Breadfruit, Lagos, and later at Ijero Baptist School, Ebute Metta, Lagos. He was baptised at the First Baptist Church, Lagos and attended the Baptist Academy, Broad Street, Lagos, 1950-1955, for his secondary school education. After that, he was admitted to the School of Pharmacy, Yaba, Lagos (1956-1959), with several of his childhood friends, including Chief Adebayo Makinde, the Sagua of Oyo. Upon completing his training at the School of Pharmacy, Chief Akanwo obtained a Diploma as a Chemist and Druggist, as was the custom then, and became a registered Pharmacist on July 3, 1959. After graduation, he worked as a Pharmacist in several government hospitals in the old Western Region (1959 to 1965), in Badagry, Ijebu Ode, Ilaro, and at the Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. In 1964, he was appointed Senior Pharmacist by the General Hospital, Ikeja, where he worked until he retired from public service. In 1962, Chief Akanwo married his sweetheart, Mrs. Comfort Akanwo (nĂŠe Adedigba), of Ogbomoso. In 1964, at the prompting of his childhood friend, Chief Adebayo Makinde, Chief Akanwo joined a group of friends and associates to build a new Pharmaceutical company, Jolliters Chemists, with branches in Ile-Ife, Ibadan, Abeokuta, and in Lagos where the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headquarters was based. Chief Akanwo established Jolliters Pharmacy branch in Ile-Ife in 1970. The friendship and bonds among these friends and associates were unparalleled. Jolliters Pharmacy would later become one of the most important indigenous pharmacy companies in Nigeria, until it was dissolved about four years ago when Chief Akanwo and Chief Makinde formed a new corporation, SATA. The new name was derived by combining the two letters of their chieftaincy titles, Sagua-Bobataiyese. The Jolliters associates desired to create a pharmaceutical company that would transcend generations into perpetuity. This certainly made Jolliters Chemists an excellent case study for Nigerian business studies, social sciences, history, and pharmacy. Such analysis may help in recounting the national history of pharmacy in Nigeria: why some business partnerships succeed and others fail. However, what is most intriguing about Jolliters Chemists and the role Chief Akanwo

Chief Akanwo

played is its unique embodiment of the communitarian principle and the family (Ebi) ethos that I noticed among them as their company expanded across Southwestern Nigeria. Jolliters Chemists was modeled as an extended family and friendship-based business that maintained the cardinal principles of Yoruba cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;love, self-help, and communitarianism. Even though its founders belonged to different faith traditions, they acknowledged, respected, and celebrated each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faiths harmoniously. Whenever one celebrated a religious festival, others joined in celebrating with them, acknowledging Yoruba pluralism, peaceful coexistence and a nobility of spirit that is gradually fading away from the society today. The shared discipline and unity among them was strong. They never allowed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;outsidersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to have undue influence on their companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations; neither did they allow envy, jealousy, or sub-ethnic origins to interfere or to disrupt their unity, since they came from different sub-groups of the South West. Jolliters Chemists represents a classic case of what Nigerian businesses and enterprises can become if proper discipline, true friendship, and strong moral principles are maintained. Right business practices are fundamental to success because, as we know, failure to adhere to such practices have caused the downfall of many private and family companies and enterprises in Nigeria. I recall one such friendly gathering in Ile-Ife when Chief opened Jollitersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new office on Ibadan Road, and all the founding members gathered for the ceremony. Even though Chief Akanwo was an evangelical Christian in charge of the Ile-Ife office, one of their members brought a Muslim cleric to offer a special prayer for protection and success, Chief Akanwo consented. I also recall the young sales clerk at the new shop stepping out to drop her money into a prayer bowl in front of the Muslim cleric, giving her prayer as a worker in the establishment that someday they would be blessed to own their businesses. Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business ethic captivated me. Until his last day in Ile-Ife before traveling abroad, he was regularly in his pharmacy shop. His fervent prayer life never interrupted his professional life. Chief Akanwo was a devout Christian, a role model, and a moral witness. As a Baptist, his religious practice was unprecedented; he was ever mindful of the higher calling of the Christian faith. Having personally experienced the prayer life espoused in Chief and Mamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home, I can write endlessly about Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for God, his neighbors, and humanity in general. Unlike several Nigerian Christiansâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even clergymen and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; who profess publicly to love God, but fail to extend similar love to their neighbors, Chief Akanwo lived out and expressed his Christianity in honour of God as an acknowledgment of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in his life. Chiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moral sensibilities and commitment to good deeds, charity towards his neighbors, including his relations and outsiders alike, many deeds he did anonymously, were almost as sacred as a covenant between Chief Akanwo and his God. It is no wonder, then, that since his death on May 27, 2020, numerous testimonies came pouring in â&#x20AC;&#x201D;even from strangers who had just a single encounter with himâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;about his generosity, his kindness to the poor, the

widowed, and the underprivileged. Chief Akanwo was well-versed in Scripture and Christian worship, a tribute to his Baptist background. Through my encounters with him, I appreciated the depth of Nigerian Baptist Congregational understanding and interpretation of Scripture. For many years, during my field research in Ile-Ife, I intermittently stayed with the family of Chief and Mrs. Akanwo. No one in the household ever missed the early morning prayers, which began at around 6 AM with praise and worship. Baba would always be there before everyone else, rendering close to two or three songs before we all gathered for prayer. One of his favorite lyrics that I particularly remember and loved was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three Hallelujahs is Not Enough for the praise of God,â&#x20AC;? which would have us all shouting anywhere from ten to fifteen â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hallelujahsâ&#x20AC;? at a time! He invited us all to read the Bible together, to recite a memory verse, and to offer prayers. It was here, I suppose, that I began to think about the notion of what I would later call â&#x20AC;&#x153;rereading scriptureâ&#x20AC;? in my scholarship. The term conveys how scriptureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether of the Bible or the Quranâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;provides new meaning and lessons each time the same passages are reread. Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christianity did not prevent him from participating in Ile-Ifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city life and social circles. He was a member of the Lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club, the Gideonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Bible Societies, which often took him to visit institutions and places around the greater Ile-Ife area, distributing bibles and evangelizing. Not only was he a committed member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Eleyele, Ile-Ife, but also he chaired many of the strong church associations, notably Ibukun Oluwa, Morning Star, and Itesiwaju. He was a choir member and Lydia Society patron, serving as a member of the Royal Ambassador and an acting church leader during the resident priestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interregnum; he was chosen because of his in-depth knowledge of the Bible. Chief Akanwo was also a benevolent philanthropist and benefactor of the Church. One of the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior members described his transition, thus: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a big fish has disappeared from the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ocean of existence.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest in Education made the Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home a place where his relatives, friends, and even strangers sent their children to live and attend high school and the University. They were confident their children would undergo strict moral and Christian upbringing, sound tutoring, and spiritual support under Chief and Mrs. Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roof. The number of children who lived in his household is too numerous to count; we could argue that almost a hundred children passed through Chief and Mrs. Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care. Many of these children and teenagers have since become essential members of society today. Here are just a few: Dr. Olabisi Adigun of Bowen University, Dr. Diran Amosu, an Anesthesiologist in Atlanta, USA; Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s niece, Dr. Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, the wife of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, past Governor of Ogun State, Abeokuta, Mr. Tunde Owolabi, a Banker and Group Executive in the First Bank, Lagos; Mrs. Adekunmi Adegunle, RN, of New York, Ms. Kudi Badmus, a Chief Financial officer in Lagos, Adebayo Jones, a London based world renowned Fashion designer, Dr Yinka Oduwole, a Pastor in UK, Yanju Makinde, a pharmacist in USA, Dr Femi Akinboboye, a physician in UK, and many others. It is gratifying to learn that the young men and women who lived in Chief and Mrs. Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home in Ile Ife recently built a befitting library for the Ebenezer Secondary School in Ile Ife, in memory and honor of the deceased. Among this esteemed class of benefactors, I give an honorable mention to His Royal Highness, Oba Moses Olaleye, the Agbokejoye IV, the Oba of Ilogbo Eremi, Badagry, Lagos State, whom Chief and Mrs. Akanwo took under their wing as a ward when he was only a teenager and an undergraduate at the University of Lagos. Kabiyesi, in deep appreciation of their benevolence and guidance, bestowed upon Chief Akanwo the Chieftaincy Title of Bobatayese, in recognition of Chiefâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contributions to his upbringing. Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for his relations and in-laws was deep and genuine. This past academic year, I was on my sabbatical leave. By

the time I returned to Boston in March, Chief Akanwo had already arrived in California for his medical checkup. He had asked of me from my wife, his niece, many times, and when he finally heard that I had returned home, even on his sickbed, he began to hum to my wife the famous song, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ajala Travelled All Over The World.â&#x20AC;? Such fondness could only come from a person who nurtured deep and unprecedented love for others and towards one who is simply a nephew-in-law. From that incident, I drew another lesson of life on the love and relationship between young couples and their in-laws. Whenever these relationships reach a stage where the couple begins to see the in-laws as birth parents, rather than as in-laws, the association has transcended a significant threshold to deep love and familial harmony. As traditional Yoruba communities in their wisdom uphold, marriage is indeed a union of two extended families, rather than the individualist Western worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notion that limits marriage relationships to one person and their partner. Chief Akanwo belonged to many Christian associations, including the Egbe Ifelodun Christian Society in the greater Oyo Metropolis, an association of Christians of all denominations established in Oyo 65 years ago, predating the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as a unifying body of Christian fraternity. I mention CAN to demonstrate that the need for Christian unity through lay-led associations began from such humble sources in Southwestern Nigeria. Egbe Ifelodun Christian Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founding members intended to create an organization of Christian friends to participate in charity and mission work and thereby discouraged their members from belonging to what they considered to be unchristian associations. In summing up who this great man was, Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son-in-law, the Rev. Tade Agbesanwa â&#x20AC;&#x201D;in a Church farewell service at Custom Baptist Church, London, two weeks agoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;rightly remarked that one central theme in Chief Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life was his faithfulness. Faithfulness to his wife, children, relations, neighbors, home town, adopted town, Ile-Ife, his company, the church of God, and to his country. As he preached, my mind returned to my childhood upbringing and how one of my teachers in the secondary school, the late Chief Mrs. Victoria Oni, made us memorize a verse for a school assembly that keeps ringing in my ears to this day: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in a little thing is a great thing.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; How I wish our leaders would adopt this dictum for our national life as Chief Akanwo did. Chief Akanwo is survived by his wife, Deaconess Comfort Akanwo, their two children, Mrs. Abosede Agbesanwa, an educationist in London, Olusoji Akanwo, a Pharmacist in the United States, and their spouses, the Rev. Tade Agbesanwa and Mrs. Bisi Akanwo, a lawyer, and his grandchildren. Baba is also survived by his siblings, Mrs. Mojoyinola Fagbenro, my mother-in-law, Mrs. Olusola Odesanya, the mother of the wife of the former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosu, Mrs. Titilayo Kesinro, and five younger brothers: Mr. Agboola Akanwo, Mr. Bolaji Akanwo, Mr. Sunday Akanwo, and Mr. Lekan Akanwo, and numerous nephews and nieces, including my wife, Mrs. Modupe Olupona. Tributes and messages of condolences from the church, the civil society businesses, and the communities where Chief Akawo had worked keep pouring into his Akanwoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s country home in Ile-Ife. His Royal Highness, the Elejigbo of Ejigbo, Oba Oyeyode Oyesosin II, whose daughter Funmi also lived with the Akanwo family when she was a student in Ile-Ife, remembered him as an exemplary Christian, prayerful, kind, humble and highly principled. Chief Akanwo has fought the good fight and has faithfully finished the race of life, and now rest from his earthly labour. We believe that his service to God and humanity has not been in vain. He has undoubtedly inherited the covetous crown of glory. Baba will be buried on Friday, October 16, in his home town Aawe in Oyo state. May his place of rest be vested in peace and power. t1SPGFTTPS +BDPC , 0MVQPOB '/"- //0. )BSWBSE 6OJWFSTJUZ

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯʹ˜ ͰͮͰͮ

POLSCOPE

áÓÞÒ ÎÎã ÎÓàáÜÓ ÏÎÎã˛ÙÎÓàáÜÓ̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×˜ ͸΀͸ͽ ͻ͸; ΁ͻͽ;

#EndSARS Protests: Our Own Arab Spring?

f there was one more needed instance to prove that the ultimate power rests with the people, the #EndSARS protests that have rocked the nation in the last one week, is a perfect case. No responsible government can truly ignore the loud yearnings of the people. The protests have drawn out President Muhammadu Buhari (even though he has not really addressed the nation on the matter, but commented on it during a ceremony), Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, and of course, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu. The fire of the protests had begun in a little way. But it soon spread like wild harmattan fire across the length and breadth of Nigeria. By last Monday, what had hitherto been a peaceful protests in the various towns and cities, became rather violent and bloody, resulting in casualties. Roads wee blocked, toll gates around Lekki axis of Lagos were blocked, people could not go to work. That the protests continued on Monday, 24 hours after the controversial SARS had been disbanded by the Inspector General meant that there was more to the protest than just SARS brutality. Many had thought that since the protests were essentially demanding the end to SARS operations, there would have been some respite after the IG announced the dissolution of the body. But no. The fire raged on with greater ire, this time with a 5-point demand. Some of the demands include: justice and compensation for the victims of SARS killings, release of all arrested protesters; the reform of the Police force, psycho-medical assessment of the SARS members; and the improved welfare for the police force. One other reason that has fuelled the fire of the protests is that this is about the fourth time the notorious SARS has been banned, but yet it keeps bouncing back with even fiercer operational fervour. So it comes down to the issue of trust. It is even more disturbing following the prompt formation of Special Weapons and Tactics Team—SWAT, which will not perform the same original functions of SARS. But many fear it may just have been a matter of nomenclature, as the same uncouth and brutal officers of the disbanded SARS will be the same folks flocking into the new SWAT. What is the guaranty that the disbanded SARS will not resurge with another name and become even deadlier? Nigerians are wary of the police force. They are clamouring for a total overhaul of the force to be effective and pro-people. They should be seen to be protecting the people they are meant to serve, not killing them. By last Monday, the message was clear: Nigerian youths have had it to their hilt. And they are not willing to allow the status quo carry on with business as usual mode. The youths, vexed by sundry factors, seem avowed to take their destinies in their own hands and battle the forces perceived to have mortgaged their future. It is reasonable to argue that the fire of the protests flamed fervently because many of the drivers of the protests are unemployed and idle. Is it not said that the idle mind is the devil’s workshop? By last Tuesday, the scope of the protesters simply widened. Lawyers joined the protest calling for the end to SARS and an end to police brutality. Indeed, there was another set of protesters with a different motif: the native doctors. Many of them dressed in the red and white clothings of typical juju priests, with patches of white powder and

IGP Mohammed Adamu

native chalk all over their faces and bare body, they carried placards with diverse messages like “ We are broke. Native doctors no get clients again. #EndSARS”. For these set of protesters, it is purely economic. They are believed to have been the ones who have often prepared fetish charms and amulets either to armed robbers or the infamous Yahoo Boys. And with the viciousness of SARS, their “clients” have been hounded away. Different strokes for different folks. Unless it is well managed, market women and mechanics and all such artisans are warming up to join the rank and file of the protesters. The days ahead are uncertain. So, while the protest was triggered by the haughty and brutal actions of the SARS, the real content of the protests is a high volume of bottled-up emotions confronting the Nigerian youths. They have been denigrated, neglected, and their future mortgaged. Many of them have fled the nation to other countries, even poorer African countries, in sheer desperation for a better life. In Nigeria, they are not sure of tomorrow. The jobs are not there. There are no social safety nets to cushion their pains. There is despondency. There is disillusionment. There’s a forlon look at tomorrow. Their tomorrow seems stolen and swallowed. All they hear are tales of how the past was good. How graduates at the point of graduation had different jobs awaiting them and had to choose from the lot. Not anymore. Their today is tasteless and their tomorrow is bitter. Without justifying it, that is what has pushed many of them into untoward means of earning a living. One of them asked a pungent question: when I was poor, government and SARS did not know me or care about me. Why do they suddenly want to quiz me or profile me when I get rich? Are we all sworn to any affidavit of poverty? Many have likened the lingering protest to the Arab Spring upheaval that raged and ravaged many Arabic countries including some African countries like Egypt, Tunisia, about ten years ago. Indeed, just like the #EndSARS protest was triggered by the alleged shooting of a young boy in the front of Wetland Hotels, Ughelli, Delta State, last Sunday, by SARS operatives, so also was the Arab spring triggered by the ill treatment of a

street vendor, a 26-year old Mohamed Bouazizi by local officials who seized his wares. Frustrated, Bouazizi had set himself ablaze. And that was it. The flame blazed wild and wide. It overwhelmed the security agencies. All attempts to placate the protesters failed. It even resulted in forcing President al Abidin Ben Ali to flee Tunisia. And that was how it spread to Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libya etc. It was a protest that troubled the Arab world for over two years. Although the Ughelli video recording of the incident has been faulted by the Delta Police command, as being fake, it has already triggered a nationwide angst against the SARS. And the nation is feeling it hot and hard It is not for nothing. SARS has been a terror agent against Nigerian youths largely. The Special Police unit has been harassing, arresting, intimidating, terrorizing and even killing Nigerians, especially youths unduly. Noble as the intent in the formation of SARS was, the mandate for the unit has long been illegally expanded by the operatives themselves and not necessarily by the police authorities. For the records, it was formed to tackle armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes. They were specially recruited and deployed from the regular police force. Men considered suitable to be in SARS were men and officers of proven integrity in combating violent crimes. But over the years, the SARS operatives have become officers for all kinds of crimes and even misdemeanor, including being hired to settle land tussles between families. Such is the abuse that the fear of SARS has long become the beginning of wisdom. But no amount of wisdom is able to save the youths from the vicious SARS. It is worse with young men who look good. They become veritable suspects when they dare to drive a “fine car” or wear unusual hair styles, or wearing of ear rings. Having dreadlock or possessing iphone or even laptop collocates with being a fraudster, otherwise called “Yahoo-Yahoo boys”. And they get crushed by the SARS operatives. Too often, they are immediately arrested and harassed. They go further to search their phones targeting bank transactions etc. Many victims have accused the SARS operatives of demanding payment before they are released. Sometimes they escort the victims to withdraw cash from ATM machines, or at some other times they produce POS machines and ask the victims to make transfer to them. Nobody knows how they got those POS devices. Do banks issue POS to individuals? Forcing or threatening arrested persons to part with their monies and other valuables with gun pointed on their head is absolute criminality, especially as they never wear uniforms. What else is robbery? The abuse is monumental. It is remarkable that in the face of all the harassment, SARS hardly prosecuted its victims. They merely swooped on them, robbed them and released them. They clearly operated like laws unto themselves for so long. Nobody ever cautioned them. It is even worse that the SARS operatives are annoyingly rude and ruthless. They boast: “we will shoot you here and nothing will happen”. Indeed, for many years nothing happened as they killed young Nigerians everyday. Not anymore. Forever. Perhaps. Given their penchant for operating outside the law, Nigerians are skeptical whether deploying them into other units of the regular Police, as promised by the IG will not lead to the same thing: brutality and high handedness. For the like of SARS, Police can never claim to be your

friend. They are as heartless as they are savage. That explains why there is a demand for a psychological assessment of the SARS operatives so their normalcy can be established before they are deployed. The IG announced few days ago, that all the former SARS men will undergo psycho-medical tests. Many of them including even the regular policemen truly operate like abnormal human beings. Were it not so, why have they been killing innocent and unarmed protesters? Why should a responsible police force attack unarmed protesters with live bullets? What happened to tear gas canisters or even water canons as weapons of dispersing protesters (if they must) or at best rubber bullets? What is the correlation between placards and live bullets? Protests are legitimate so long as they are not violent. Police ought to protect protesters and ensure they are not harmed, not Police themselves harming and killing them. That is why there is a clamour for a general reform of the Police force. In response to the demands of the protesters, Gov Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State not only ensured that all arrested protesters In Lagos State have been unconditionally released, he called for a full list of all those who have suffered the brutality of the SARS for compensation. Many families have remained in sorrow because SARS had dealt them some unforgettable blows in the past by killing one or more members of their families. The governor went further to indeed hold a consultative meeting with President Mohammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police on the matter. He has striven to walk his talk. To appease the protesters a high level virtual meeting between some celebrities, human rights activists and the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele as well as Alhaji Aliko , Tony Elumelu, Segun Agbaje, Rabiu Abdullahi, Aisha Yesufu, four state governors (of Lagos, Delta, Kwara and Oyo states), etc., was held to help persuade the protesters to sheathe their swords. But the appeal has not cut any ice simply because there are no clear leaders. Worse still, the rank of the civil society has been broken as they are no longer on the same page. The social media has however remained the chief mobiliser of the youths. The fire is catching on. However, there is another set of protesters in Katsina and Zamfara States who are clamouring for the retention of SARS. They argue that without SARS they will all be routed from their homes because of the rampant cases of insecurity by way of kidnapping, cattle rustling and other violent crimes in those states. They argue that the excesses of SARS be curbed, but that the security outfit be retained. It is not that they too do not suffer the brutality of SARS and the other tactical outfits, but they would rather be brutalized by “government forces” than be killed by ruthless bandits. Indeed, many people argue that society needs the functions of SARS or whatever it transforms to because in the absence of SARS or any such special outfit, life and living will be greatly endangered in many parts of the country. That means that the regular police are not sufficiently equipped to combat the rough necks of the society. In all, Nigerians are not against the operations of the police, all they ask is that they should operate like human beings, not as sub-humans or even animals. SARS or whatever it transforms to (Special Weapons and Tactics Team—SWAT) must operate with a human face.

As J.P Clark Rows Away Eternally Last Tuesday, renowned poet, writer and scholar, Professor John Pepper Clark of the Bekederemo family of Kiagbodo, Delta State decided to row his canoe into the endless deep, after 85 years of fishing in the shallow waters called Nigeria. Famous for his riverine setting poems, J.P Clark, an Ijaw man, had earned his place in the literary world as one of the tripods of Nigeria’s literary world. The two other being late Professor Chinua Achebe and now the lone surviving Professor Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Laureate. The trio had strengthened the rampart of the literary community with Soyinka heading the Drama genre, Achebe the prose genre and Clark, the poetry genre. Beside Clark’s works being mainly set in his native riverine environment, he is famous and most admired for the simplicity of his works. There is no greater proof of the simplicity of his works than the poem titled Abiku. It is

significant that although there is another poem by the same title by Wole Soyinka, the message of Clark’s work is much clearer and more pungent than the complexity of Soyinka’s work, even when they both treated the same theme. Perhaps one of the most famous poems of J.P Clark is The Casualties which is a regretful reflection on the Nigerian civil war, where he rightly declared that we are all casualties whether we were on the federal side or the Biafran side. But how can we forget his Night Rain? It was, more than any other work, the poem that succinctly captured the poverty, deprivation and lack that characterized the life of the average Ijaw family. Night Rain encapsulates the foundation for the struggle for better life for the people of the Niger Delta. Yet, I remember his children-friendly Streamside Exchange: a conversation between a lonely child missing his mother who went to the

market and a bird perching on a mangrove tree by the river. One of the first poems of Clark I read was Ibadan. It was a classical example of reticence: saying so much with so few words. A 19-word poem that perfectly profiles the city called Ibadan. His love for poetry was legendary and boundless. It was that love, I believe, that made the trio of Achebe, Soyinka and Clark to lead a delegation on March 5, 1986 to then military president ,Gen Ibrahim Babangida to set free another poet, Mamman Vatsa, accused of planning a coup. Vatsa was executed same day after the trio left Doddan Barracks, Lagos His works in drama like Song of a Goat, Ozidi, etc all go to show he was a versatile and consummate literary icon. That he will be missed in the literary community is an understatement. The poet has hung his pen. Adieu!

J.P Clark

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; OCTOBER 16, 2020

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

In Expansion Drive, Stripe Acquires Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paystack for $200m Obinna Chima Stripe, an American financial services and software company has acquired Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start-up, Paystack in a deal estimated to be about $200 million. The acquisition is however, subject to standard closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The deal comes few months after Stripe announced it had secured another $600 million in funding. The US-based company explained in a notice on its website that the African internet economy was expanding quickly, with online commerce in the region growing at 21 per cent year-over-year, which was said to be 75 per cent faster than the global average. Therefore, in order to help increase Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Stripe said it entered into an agreement to acquire Paystack, the Lagosbased technology company that makes it easy for organisations of all sizes to collect payments from around the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, more than 60,000 businesses in Nigeria and Ghana use Paystack to securely collect online and offline payments,

launch new business models, and deepen customer relationships. Incredibly, Paystack already processes more than half of all online transactions in Nigeria. Paystack has ambitious plans to expand across the continent and recently started a pilot with businesses in South Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stripe and Paystack have been working closely together for some time. In 2018, Stripe led Paystackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Series A financing round and has provided ongoing guidance as the company rapidly scaled,â&#x20AC;? Stripe explained. Stripeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s co-founder and CEO, Patrick Collison, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;In absolute numbers, Africa may be smaller right now than other regions, but online commerce will grow about 30 per cent every year. And even with wider global declines, online shoppers are growing twice as fast. Stripe thinks on a longer time horizon than others because we are an infrastructure company. We are thinking of what the world will look like in 2040-2050.â&#x20AC;? According to Stripeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business Lead in EMEA, Matt Henderson, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In just five years, Paystack has done what many companies could not achieve in decades. Their tech-first approach, values,

and ambition greatly align with our own. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This acquisition will give Paystack resources to develop new products, support more businesses and consolidate the hyper-fragmented African payments market. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what they will build next and how their growth can turbocharge the African tech ecosystem.â&#x20AC;? However, the company pointed out that Paystack would continue to operate independently in order to grow its operations in Africa and add more international payment methods. But, â&#x20AC;&#x153;over time, Paystackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capabilities will be embedded in Stripeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Payments and Treasury Network (GPTN), a programmable platform for global money movement that currently spans 42 countries,â&#x20AC;? it stated. Commenting on the transaction, the CEO and co-founder of Paystack, Shola Akinlade said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paystack is a growth engine for modern businesses in Africa, and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be more excited to join forces with Stripe, whose mission and values are so aligned with ours, to nurture transformative businesses on the continent.

WAIFEMDG Seeks ConversionofLoansto African Countries, Others to Grants The Director-General of the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM), Dr. Baba Musa has advised multilateral institutions and regional development banks to convert the loans they had provided African countries and other emerging economies to grants. Speaking during a session titled: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Defusing Debt â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Creating Comprehensive Solutions,â&#x20AC;? at the ongoing 2020 virtual Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, Musa said this

would help cushion the impact of the Covid-19 on economies in the region. According to him, poor African countries do not have the means to launch the massive stimulus packages that had been seen in the developed economies. The WAIFEM boss explained: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Debt management matters right now because developing and emerging economies are facing new financial vulnerabilities and increased risk of them being distressed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.â&#x20AC;? He pointed out that the

pandemic had triggered health, social and economic crisis, saying that the fiscal pressures exerted by the containment measures of the pandemic has ruined public finances and debt sustainability situation of countries in Africa, moving them from moderate risk, to high risk and then distressed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To avoid crisis and minimise negative effects of the pandemic shocks, it is necessary that multilateral institutions and regional development banks convert the loans provided to grants and persuade the private sector to do same,â&#x20AC;? he added.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Businesses Need Customer-focused Innovation to Withstand Competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dike Onwuamaeze Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business leaders have been advised to define innovation from customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective in order to provide value to their clients. The advice was given yesterday by a Professor of Innovation and Marketing and Founder/President of the Nobel International Business School (NIBS), Accra, Ghana, Prof. Kwaku Atuahene-Gima, during a virtual presentation of a paper titled: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Innovation in Crisis Environment: The Role of Corporate Directors,â&#x20AC;? during the 2020 edition of Fellowsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Investiture ceremony of the Institute of Direcrors (IoD) Nigeria in Lagos. Atuahene-Gima said it was important for businesses to define and understand competition from customers and not productsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; perspective by focusing on creating and delivering unique value that makes competition irrelevant. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Differentiating your products or services from competition is best achieved by adding new tangible features,â&#x20AC;? he said while

emphasising that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;value to the customer should always be tangible and something that visibly adds to the customers benefit.â&#x20AC;? He also added that not every customer would be satisfied merely with a product or service that is of high quality, reliable, durable and error free. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What customers want from the core product,â&#x20AC;? according to him, are, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the features that make the product or service work, which are always the most important to customers and should receive the most attention from the company.â&#x20AC;? Speaking during the investiture ceremony, the President and Chairman of Council, IoD Nigeria, Mr. Chris Okunowo, charged the recipients of the awards to continue to uphold good corporate governance principles and be guided by the ethical code of the institute at all levels in their work places and in their business affairs. Okonowo said that it was important to note that despite the COVID-19 challenges, the

IoD Nigeria has continued to demonstrate greater concern and commitment to work with all stakeholders in order to engender a business-friendly environment for a robust economic growth. He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;More particularly, we have continued to canvass for good corporate governance of all private and public sector organisations in the country and will continue to partner with all business and thought leaders from both the public and private sectors to push forward innovative ideas for our collective benefits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I, therefore, implore both existing and new Fellows to be alive to their duties and responsibilities by rising up to the challenge by supporting the Institute and also continue to be great mascots of our Institute and wear this badge of honour with a consciousness that we look up to you as the custodians of our heritage.â&#x20AC;? The recipients of the fellowship award were Ms. Ngozi Chibututu, Mr. Ben Onuora, Dr. Ebun Sonaiya, Mr. Victor Eburajolo and Mr. Edmund Yomi Jones.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JULY 2020 Money Supply (M3)

36,822,751.47

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

3,476,121.25

Money Supply (M2)

33,346,630.22

-- Quasi Money

120,764,479.02

-- Narrow Money (M1)

12,582,151.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,002,026.89

---- Demand Deposits

10,580,124.31

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,637,137.23

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

29,185,614.24

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

39,711,115.95

---- Credit to Government (Net)

19,521,851.08

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

-130,189,264.87

--Other Assets Net

3,472,017.70

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,421,827.07

--Currency in Circulation

2,395,917.03

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

11,025,910.04 317,234.17

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x;Ă&#x153;Ă?Ă? Ě&#x2039;

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

Ëž Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă?Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x2122;Ă&#x2013;Ă&#x201C;Ă?ĂŁ Ă&#x2039;Ă&#x17E;Ă? Ě&#x2039; ÍŻÍąĎą

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT TUESDAY, 13 OCTOBER 2020

OPEC daily basket price Wednesday, 14 October 2020 The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $41.20 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $40.68 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), ZaďŹ ro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

T H I S D AY Ëž Ë&#x153; ÍŻÍ´Ë&#x153; Í°ÍŽÍ°ÍŽ

Trading Value Rises by 57% to N5 Billion Goddy Egene Trading value rose by 56.7 per cent as investors staked N5 billion on 342.2 million shares yesterday, up from N3.1 billion invested in 218.424 million shares on Wednesday. The most traded stocks by volume were the United Bank for Africa Plc (92.9 million shares), Zenith Bank Plc (67.2 million shares) and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (67.2 million shares)

while GTBank Plc (N1.8 billion), Zenith Bank Plc (N1.4 billion) and UBA (N613.6 million) led by value. However, the market ended flat for the second day as the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) closed at 28,344.04, while market capitalisation remained unchanged at N14.8 trillion. Consequently, year-to-date growth remained at 5.6 per cent. The price movement chart showed 13 gainers and 12

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

losers. Eterna Plc led the price gainers with 9.9 per cent, followed by Lafarge Africa Plc with 4.0 per cent. Guinness Nigeria Plc appreciated by 3.2 per cent, just as International Breweries Plc garnered 3.1 per cent. PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc added 2.3 per cent, while Vitafoam Nigeria Plc and Livestock Feeds Plc chalked up 1.6 and 1.6 per cent respectively. Sterling Bank Plc and Redstar Express Plc went up by 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent.

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

Conversely, AIICO Insurance Plc led the price losers with 3.5 per cent, trailed by Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc with 3.4 per cent. Fidson Healthcare Plc and African Prudential Plc shed 2.8 per cent. Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Transcorp Plc went down by 1.6 per cent and 1.5 per cent in that order, just Access Bank Plc depreciated by 1.2 per cent. Access Bank Plc said it recently received the Central Bank of

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

Nigeriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Approval-in-Principle for the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restructuring to a holding company (HoldCo), saying that proposed HoldCo structure would enable it to further accelerate its objectives around business diversification, improved operational efficiencies, talent retention as well as robust governance. The bank is also announced agreements to bolster its market position in Mozambique and enter the South African market. This

O F

followed the recent transaction with Cavmont Bank in Zambia and further embeds the bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in the SADC region, one of Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important trading blocs. According to the bank, these transactions will result in a more connected African banking network that builds on Access Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing foundation and enhances its value proposition to stakeholders, including customers and employees.

1 5 / 1 0 / 2 0 2 0 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Onyema, Sadiku for United Capital E-Conference Goddy Egene

conglomerate, United Capital Plc, is October 23, 2020, titled: ‘Unravelling The company said the panel Executive Officer of the Nigerian set to host the second edition of its investment opportunities in Africa: session which will be held virtually, Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyema; Investment and financial services pan African e-conference on Friday, The role of regulation & technology.’ would be headlined by Chief Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an ETF are bought by investors. Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager. investment vehicle that allows both small and Bid Price: The price at which Investors Investors with similar objectives buy units of the large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total that willl generate their desired return. investments. The assets are divided into shares that return an investor would have earned on An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. his investment. Money Market Funds report of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, Yield while others report Year- to-date Total bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, GUIDE TO DATA: Return. etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 14- NAV: Is value per share of the real estate shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the Oct-2020, unless otherwise stated. assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Yewande Sadiku and other crème of the crop professionals.

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 N/A N/A N/A Afrinvest Plutus Fund N/A N/A N/A Nigeria International Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 0.97 0.99 8.23% ACAP Income Funds 0.85 0.85 11.02% 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 4.86% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.35 3.47 37.06% 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 15.88 16.36 3.67% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 364.52 375.52 5.53% ARM Ethical Fund 31.79 32.75 9.31% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.16 1.17 16.47% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.10 1.11 10.38% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.09% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 107.93 108.69 12.34% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 N/A CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.23 2.23 20.59% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.02 2.06 29.14% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Paramount Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Women's Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.04% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 114.44 114.95 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 130.18 131.17 Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 103.20 103.20 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 2.98% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.05 1.06 13.22% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.67 1.67 25.55% 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 3.25% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.39% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,181.92 1,196.53 6.64% 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 1,471.21 1,472.87 20.22% FBN Balanced Fund 162.01 163.23 10.35% FBN Halal Fund 109.00 109.02 9.00% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.07% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 120.53 120.96 4.29% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 120.56 120.99 3.80% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 126.34 128.31 -2.91% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.73% Legacy Debt Fund 3.84 3.84 5.00% Legacy Equity Fund 1.27 1.30 12.50% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.12 1.12 3.99% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund N/A N/A N/A Coral Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH Treasury Bills Fund N/A N/A N/A GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.62% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 122.46 122.99 13.82%

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 2.97% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.46 2.52 12.64% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.32% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 151.59 152.36 5.77% 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 1.25 1.27 11.33% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,125.50 1,125.50 8.34% 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 1.46 1.48 18.74% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 11.74 11.82 4.45% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 2.80% PACAM Equity Fund 1.17 1.18 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.64 111.29 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 121.66 123.82 -0.28% 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 1.02 1.02 6.62% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 2,521.35 2,532.80 13.39% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 210.33 210.33 5.61% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.88 0.89 10.56% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 273.87 273.95 6.47% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 154.92 156.64 14.06% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.05% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 7,674.15 7,756.30 5.55% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.21 1.21 4.38% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 109.95 109.95 5.51% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.24 1.27 4.11% United Capital Bond Fund 1.86 1.86 7.72% United Capital Equity Fund 0.72 0.74 2.19% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.32% United Capital Eurobond Fund 115.25 115.25 5.46% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.02 1.03 -2.48% 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 11.09 11.22 7.89% Zenith Ethical Fund 12.31 12.42 5.89% Zenith Income Fund 24.52 24.52 7.94% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 3.10%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

117.93

5.15%

53.40

2.59%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

9.50 97.49 74.40

9.60 99.59 75.76

13.60% 3.20% -0.98%

Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.49 4.61 13.32 1.00 12.17 202.99

3.53 4.69 13.42 1.00 12.37 204.99

2.34% -21.81% 9.58% 3.00% 16.97% 7.15%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

108.03

15.02%

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 OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

FG, ASUU Talks on IPPIS, UTAS End in Deadlock FG agrees to pay N30bn earned allowance Parties to return to negotiating table on October 21

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja There is no end in sight for the lingering industrial action by university lecturers as the resumed negotiation over the implementation of the federal government- approved Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) proposed by Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) last night ended in a deadlock. As part of the negotiations to end the seven-month- old strike by ASUU, the federal government has agreed to release N30billion for payment of arrears of earned academic allowance to the university lecturers. The communiqué issued at

the end of the meeting, said that release of N20 billion funds for revitalisation of public universities will be payable by the end of January 2021. On the issue of Earned Academic Allowances(EAA), which had accumulated to N40 billion since November, 2019, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) made a commitment to release N30 billion on or before November 6, 2020. He said the remaining N10 billion would be spread equally over the two tranches to be paid in May 2021 and February 2022, respectively. The communiqué said that ASUU agreed to take the offer to its members for consideration and revert by Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Senate Promises to Pass 2021 Budget on December 3

“The Minister of Education will also follow up with the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning on its earlier Memo to Mr. President on sources of alternative funding for revitalisation to facilitate the process of additional funding of the university system. “This is with a view to reactivating the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of 2013 as agreed in the Memorandum of Action (MoA) of 2019 “The OAGF should quickly conclude the verification of figures of EAA claims so as to clean up the figures from 2014 to 2020. To this end, a Committee would be constituted by NUC to develop a template that would capture all the agreed allowances in the 2009 Agreement for all the Unions in the Universities. ‘Thereafter, the OAGF and the National University Commission

(NUC) are to quickly conclude the verification of the EAA figures, so as to defray the payment from 2014 to 2020. ASUU is to work with the OAGF and NUC to achieve that by the end of December 2020”. The meeting is to reconvene by Wednesday, October 21, 2020 by 3.00pm after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for ASUU to report back on the decision of her NEC, in order to facilitate the calling off of their strike. The issue of the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) almost stalled the meeting as federal government asked that IPPIS be allowed to operate in the interim until the test run on UTAS is concluded. But ASUU insisted on

payment of outstanding salaries on old GIFMIS platform before full implementation of UTAS. The meeting commenced on a peaceful note but later degenerated into confrontation with hot exchanges between the federal government side and the ASUU. Both parties maintained their positions on the issue of IPPIS and UTAS. As such, the meeting failed to tie up decisions on other issues as much of their and energy were devoted on argument for and against the two salary payment platforms. THISDAY gathered that things got to a stage where a top member of ASUU’s delegation accused the Minister of Labour and Employment,Senator Chris Ngige, of conspiring with other government officials instead of playing his role as chief

reconciliator. ASUU leadership also protested the late commencement of meeting which was slated for 2 pm but started an hour later. “See, you are talking to intellectuals, we will respect the constituted authorities as possible as we can because that is what we teach also in our various institutions but you must stop taking us for granted and stop treating us like kids,” a source quoted the ASUU official to have said. Another source privy to the closed-door meeting said the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris had appealed to ASUU to agree to receive their salaries through IPPIS platform pending when UTAS will be ready after integrity test is conducted on it but the union rejected the plea.

MDAs begin budget defence next Tuesday Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday gave an assurance that the N13.08 trillion 2021 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly last Thursday by President Muhammadu Buhari will be passed by December 3. To fast-track the budget passage, ministers and heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are expected from next Tuesday to defend their various budget allocations before relevant committees of the upper chamber. Chairman of the Senate committee on Appropriation, Senator Jubril Barau, who made this disclosure at a meeting with chairmen of all standing committees of the Senate, said everything possible will be done to ensure that all the

appropriation work is completed for the Senate to pass the bill on December 3, this year. According to him, there will be a two-day public hearing on the Appropriation Bill by the two chambers of the National Assembly from November 9 to 10. He added that the various committees that will be working on the budget estimates will be expected to harmonise their reports from November 11 to 18, while the Senate Committee on Appropriations will compile all the committee’s reports from November 19, to December 2. Earlier yesterday, President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, at plenary disclosed that the 2021 budget defence would commence Tuesday next week, adding that the exercise would end in the first week of November.

US Bars Nigerians from 2022 Visa Lottery Nigerians have been barred from participating in the United States’ visa lottery in 2022. This was contained in a document obtained from the US’ website yesterday. The 19-page document is titled ‘Instructions for the 2022 diversity immigrant visa programme (dv-2022)’. “In Africa, natives of Nigeria are not eligible for this year’s Diversity Visa programme,” the document stated. However, natives from other African countries are eligible to apply, but “persons born in the areas administered prior to June 1967 by Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are chargeable, respectively, to Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Persons born in the Gaza Strip are chargeable to Egypt; persons born in the West Bank are chargeable to Jordan; persons born in the Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria.” It stated that Nigeria was

barred because more than 50,000 of its citizens immigrated to the United States in the previous five years. Part of the document read, “Applicants who are selected in the program (selectees) must meet simple but strict eligibility requirements to qualify for a diversity visa. The Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer drawing. The Department of State distributes diversity visas among six geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year. “For DV-2022, persons born in the following countries are not eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican

TAPPING WISDOM…

Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Col. Dixon Dikio (rtd.), and former President Goodluck Jonathan, during Dikio’s visit to Jonathan in Abuja…yesterday

Again, Gunmen Kill Three in Kogi Community Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja No fewer than three persons have been killed by gunmen in Okofi community, Kogi Local Government Area of Kogi State following a renewed hostilities between two communities in the area. THISDAY gathered that the attack was said to have been carried out early in the morning yesterday when the worshippers were observing their prayers in the Mosque. Sources further disclosed that many people, including the Chief

Imam of Okofi were feared killed in the early morning attack which was speculated to have been a reprisal from the rival community. There has been a running battle between the Bassa and the Ebira communities, with a militia group of one of the tribes being fingered for this attack. It would be recalled that about seven persons were killed while several others injured by unidentified gunmen along kpareke- Agbudu- Agaga road in the same LGA few days ago The gunmen along OkparekeAgbudu road were said to have

ambushed a vehicle conveying some Bassa indigenes who were returning from Lokoja market. THISDAY learnt that the Government Girls Secondary School located in Kotonkarfe has been closed down to ensure safety of staff and students. Those who sustained injuries were rushed to Lokoja specialist hospital, while, security personnel have been drafted to the area. Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP William Ovye Aya confirmed the attack to journalists yesterday.

“The Commissioner of Police, Edeh Ayuba has directed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to move to the area where the sad incident occurred to avert further breakdown of law and order. We are yet to get information on the number of people that were killed. “We don’t know those behind the attack but the CP has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Investigations to commence investigation on the attack and to ensure that the Police unravel those behind the attack,” he said.

Suspected Assassins Kill Varsity Security Guard in Ekiti Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti In what looked like a mystery, a security guard working with the Federal University, OyeEkiti (FOUYE), Ekiti State, Mr. Matthew Malik, was reportedly killed by unknown gunmen last Friday. The deceased, 62, according to a family source, was slain in his farm by suspected gunmen last Friday in Oye-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of the state. Narrating the scenario to journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday,

the deceased’s son, John Malik, said his father was allegedly killed over a misunderstanding he had with an unnamed person as regards the farm. He noted that his father went to the farm in the morning last Friday but never returned to resume his shift at the university. According to him,” My dad is a security man in FUOYE, and on that day, he was scheduled to go to work in the afternoon but decided to visit his farm in the morning. It was his people in the university that called us

that he was yet to resume at his duty post. Immediately, we commenced a search to the farm where we met him dead. “There was this man he had issues with as regards the farm, and we are suspecting he might have masterminded the killing of our father.” Malik son demanded justice from the security agencies by arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators, adding that the family would not allowed the case to be swept under the carpet. When contacted, the state

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Abutu, confirmed the killing, saying the command had commenced investigation to unravel the killers. “Yes I can confirm that the man was attack in his farm few days ago, and we have started investigation into the unfortunate act. We will ensure the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law so as to serve as deterrence to others planning such dastardly act,” Abutu said.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;¢ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYOCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

Sanwo-Olu Names Policemen Involved in Brutality of Protesters Sets up judicial panel on police brutality Chiemelie Ezeobi The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed the identities of suspected police officers involved in the brutality of #EndSARS protesters in Area C, Surulere, Lagos State. Sanwo-Olu has also raised a seven-man Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution to investigate cases of brutality and human rights violations committed by operatives of the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state. The move is part of the steps being taken by Lagos Government to address the five-point demands of the youth demonstrating against SARS brutality. Sanwo-Olu made the announcement during a live address held at the State House, Marina. The panel, which is being headed by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, will sit for six months and is mandated to thoroughly investigate all verifiable claims of abuses and fatalities arising from SARS engagement in the state, with the objective to bring erring officers to justice and get compensation for the victims. The panel members have three individuals representing civil

society, one person representing security agency and one person representing the government. Human Rights Commission and protesters are also expected to nominate their representatives, before the panel commences sitting next week. Apart from the police brutality and harassment that occurred during the protest, one person also died. The deceased was subsequently identified as 55-year-old Ikechukwu Iloamauzor. Iloamauzor was allegedly killed by a stray bullet during Monday’s #EndSARS protest in Surulere. The governor noted that four officers have been arrested in connection with the incident. He identified the policemen as two inspectors and two sergeants. The governor said his government frowned at police misconduct seriously and would continue to respect the rights of the citizens to demonstrate peacefully. He condemned the violence that marred the EndSARS protest in Surulere on Monday. Sanwo-Olu disclosed “all the four erring police officers who fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters in Area C Police Command in Surulere had been identified and currently facing an

orderly room trial that is being monitored by the Government”. He gave the names of the erring officers to include: Inspector Bagou Michael, Inspector Ekpoudom Etop, Sergeant Nnamdi Majura,

and Sergeant Akinyemi Benson. “All the four officers have been identified and are going through an orderly trial. “We have also set up a panel to look into all cases of police

brutality and fatality and have set up a N200m compensation fund. Once again, I apologise to any protester that has faced brutality during any of the protests days. “There were express instructions

to Police in Lagos to cooperate with protesters and in situations where arrests are unavoidable, there must be full transparency and upholding of their legal rights.

CELEBRATING A NEW FEAT…

L-R: Managing Director of Caverton Helicopters, Mr. Rotimi Makanjuola; Director General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Shuaibu Nuhu; Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu; Minister of Aviation, Senator Siriki Hadi; and Chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, Dr. Aderemi Makanjuola, during the facility tour of Caverton maintenance repair and overhaul facility and flight simulator at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos… yesterday ETOP UKUTT

Obiano Bows to Protesters’ Protesters Storm N’Assembly, Demand Probe Demands, Sacks Security of Rogue Operatives Though they were stopped sent thugs to attack them and beatings before we took them to Udora Orizu in Abuja at the entrance by the security in the process they damaged the hospital; they damage over Adviser, Nwafor EndSARS protesters yesterday agents, the protesters insisted that their cars and other belongings. six cars here, we brought only David-Chyddy Eleke inAwka

Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, yesterday terminated the appointment of his Senior Special Adviser on Security, Mr. James Nwafor, in fulfillment of the demand of #EndSARS protesters. Nwafor was formerly the commander of SARS in Anambra State, and had severally been accused of killing and maiming many youths in the state. He was hired after his retirement by Obiano. The protesters had last Wednesday blocked the Government House and the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, insisting that Obiano must address them before they would leave, but

they were not addressed, leading to them staying late into the night. But while addressing the protesters yesterday at the Government House, the governor said he would take their demands to President Muhammadu Buhari, while also fulfilling the ones within his powers. “I am very happy with the way you have conducted yourselves. You have conducted yourself creditably. “I have a list of all your demands. Some of them have already been met, like the SARS being disbanded. That has already been met, and some are still in the pipeline which I am going to present to the president. The other ones are the ones I can handle myself.

Abdulrazaq, Deputy Join Kwara Protesters Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and his deputy, Mr. Kayode Alabi, yesterday joined scores of #EndSARS protesters in staging a walk to the state police command headquarters in Ilorin, the state capital. The protesters had converged on the Government House before the governor and his deputy joined them. He urged them to remain calm and peaceful while their grievances are promptly addressed. Acknowledging grievances of the protesters, AbdulRazaq said he with a few governors and some businessmen have recently held a zoom meeting

with some individuals involved in the protest movement. He added at the end of the meeting the protesters’ five-point demands were forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari. He said the president was already acting on the five-point demands of the protesters whose activities particularly in Kwara, the governor said, have remained peaceful and largely coordinated. He briefly addressed the protesters and led them to the police headquarters on their request. Addressing the protesters at the police headquarters, AbdulRazaq said the young people have spoken loud and clear and would have their interest protected by the government.

marched to the National Assembly complex, demanding probe of brutality and highhandedness by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police Force. The placard-carrying youths with placards blocked vehicular movements in the area and entrance of the National Assembly, chanting songs of solidarity.

the leadership of the National Assembly must address them before they would vacate the scene. After over an hour of singing, the aggrieved youths were met by the Senate Majority and Minority leaders, Senators Yahaya Abdullahi and Enyinnaya Abaribe. Addressing the legislators, the spokesman of the group lamented that SARS operatives

He demanded that the lawmakers should fix their cars and ensure that the erring officers are brought to book. He said, ‘’These thugs came across us and began to attack our people, peaceful protesters. They damaged our cars, injured some us. If not because we are very courageous Nigerian youths and resilient generation we would have ran away but we made sure they got some

the ones that we could; they stole our wallets and phones.’’ ‘’The Nigerian Police is a public institution that should protect the people and not send thugs to attack us. We know your chambers have constitutional command over the Nigerian Police. We don’t want money or promises, we just want you take the cars and tell us when you will fix them. We will come back and collect them.”

ENDSARS Protesters Ground Activities in Jos Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Traffic flow and commercial activities were disrupted in Jos, the capital of Plateau State yesterday as youths in their number stormed the city centre demanding the disbandment of the newly created Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) by the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu. This is even as the protesters called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Police Service

Commission (PSC) to overhaul the entire Nigerian Police Force. Displaying placards with various inscriptions such as #EndSARS; #EndSWAT; ‘We don’t want SWAT’; ‘There’s no difference between SWAT and SARS’; ‘We want complete and total overhaul of all security apparatus in the country’, the youths stormed the major streets in the city, denouncing the federal government and the Nigerian Police Force over the spate of extra-judicial killings by

the operatives of the Nigerian Police. Other placards read: ‘President Buhari, sack Service Chiefs now’. Though peaceful, the procession caused heavy traffic jam, especially on the Secretariat Junction flyover, while the major highway linking the state with neighbouring states of Bauchi, Gombe and Abuja was totally blocked. Leaders of the protesters, Timothy Gyang, said they were surprised that youths

came out in large numbers to support the protest, adding that the establishment of SWAT by the IG was a deliberate poly to whittle down the reverberating protest across the country. He said: “I can tell you that there’s no difference between SARS and SWAT; it is all a gimmick. What Nigerians want is a total overhaul of the police force and other security agencies. The Service Chiefs too must be retired in line with popular demand from Nigerians.”

Student Union Leaders Join Protests in Benin Condemn huge salaries of political office holders

Adibe EmenyonuinBeninCity

Commuter were yesterday stranded for several hours along the Benin-Lagos dual carriage as hundreds of young people took over the road protesting against activities of Nigerian Police and the humongous salaries for political office holders. The carnival-like procession took over the entire highway and the flyover opposite the

University of Benin main gate, Ugbowo with music blasting popular revolutionary songs of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Idris Abdlukareem and several other popular artists. Among the protesters were student union leaders of the University of Benin who were seen coordinating the demonstration. Some stranded commuters also joined the protesters, pledging their support for reforms. Policemen who came to

the scene stayed away from the protesters who conducted themselves peacefully for the almost five hours it lasted Speaking on behalf of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the university, Comrade Egwu Benjamin said; “We are adding our voice to what has been happening across the country and we are demanding an end of SARS. We are saying end SARS and they are giving

us SWAT. What we are saying is that we want police reforms. The government can do better; it should bring in more intellectuals into the police. More graduates and other intellectuals should come into the police, more persons will become interested. We were told Nigeria is the giant of Africa but now I can’t see our height. What we are saying is end SARS, end SWAT and give us a reformed police”

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS XTRA

CAN Condemns Nomination of Onochie as INEC National Commissioner Chuks Okocha in Abuja Ripples of the appointment of Laureate Onochie as a national commissioner-designate of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have continued as the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday condemned in strong terms the nomination of the presidential aide for such job, describing it an executive recklessness, a

dirty slap on the populace, and a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended). In a statement issued by the CAN President, Rev. Dr. Samson Olasupo, he said: “When President Muhammadu Buhari said he wanted to leave a legacy of free, fair and credible election behind, all right-thinking Nigerians were happy, and CAN has been praying for God to grant him the grace to do so.

“But the nomination of his personal aide to such a sensitive position may have revealed the type of electoral legacy the president is working on.” The leader of the Christian highest body called upon

on the Senate to reject the nomination of Onochie as a member of the INEC for the following reasons. The statement said according to Section 156 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) Act No 1, 2010,

a member of the INEC “shall not be a member of a political party.” It added: “Whereas Onochie is reportedly said to be a cardcarrying member of the ruling party. That disqualifies her from being nominated and

appointed to serve in INEC. “Although the president has the power to appoint members of INEC whenever there are vacancies, he is expected to abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in doing so.

Unions Lock Out Minister as FAAN Workers Embark on Warning Strike Chinedu Eze The efforts made to address the workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to forestall their one-day warning strike was yesterday thwarted when the unions locked up the venue of the meeting at the headquarters of the agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.Not sure of the plan of the workers, the minister sent the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu, who came with some top officials of his management to open discussion with the workers before the minister’s arrival, but the unions, made up of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN),

shunned the entreaties by Yadudu. Not ready to yield to the request of the minister, the unions addressed the workers and condemned the plan of the federal government to concession the terminals of the four international airports in the country located in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, and insisted also that FAAN management must restore full salary of the workers. The President of NUATE, Ben Nnabue, explained why the FAAN workers decided to embark on strike. According to him, “This is a warning strike, and the minister cannot come and talk to our workers directly without us. This action is just for today, after which, we will renegotiate with the management. But if the minister comes to meet with the FAAN management without the unions, the strike will continue.”

WOMEN AFFAI…

L-R: Chief Scientific Officer, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Yemisi Akpa; Deputy Director, Water Quality Control and Sanitation, Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Ruqayyat Bako; Hair Stylist Manager, Garki Modern Market, Abuja, Mrs. Promise Nnaji; and Special Duties Officer, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Ms. Itoro Duku, during the

Senate Asks Protesters to End Action Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate yesterday advised the #EndSARS protesters to leave the streets having secured the assurances of the federal government to implement their five-point demands. The Presidential Panel on Police Reforms had last Tuesday agreed to the fivepoint demands of the protesters against police brutality, which included halting the use of

force against protesters and unconditional release of arrested citizens. President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, who gave the advice at the plenary after the upper chamber was briefed by the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, on the intervention by the Senate leadership to wade into the protest, said the protesters should go back to their homes having secured the commitment of the government

to address their grievances. According to him, Nigerians have the legitimate right to protest against any policy or action of the government. Lawal said: “Nigerians have the right to peaceful demonstration. When they feel very strongly about issues, they can do so to call the attention of the leaders of this country for appropriate action to be taken. “I believe that the

government has responded; SARS has been disbanded, and all the five demands of the protesters have been accepted. “I believe that when protesters’ demands are met, their goal should have been achieved. Therefore, there is need for our compatriots to go back home and give the government the time to quickly and expeditiously implement those demands.

Ex-Appeal Court Judge, Ikwechegh, Dies at 97 House Summons IG over Police Brutality Udora Orizu in Abuja

Peter Uzoho A former Justice of the Appeal Court, Justice Abai Ikwechegh, 97, is dead. Ikwechegh’s family announced his passage in a statement issued yesterday and signed on behalf of the family by Chief Ibe Ikwechegh, saying the late jurist passed on Monday in the presence of his children after a vigil was held for him. According to the statement, his obsequies would in due course be announced by the family. Late Ikwechegh was born in September 1923 in Igbere, Abia State to Chief Ogbonnaya Ikwechegh, a merchant and a warrant chief. He began early education

in Igbere and later attended the Hope Waddell Training Institute in Calabar. He was a teacher and taught briefly at Owo in Western Nigeria and Western Boys High School in Benin City and Enitona College in Port Harcourt. He later trained in Kensington College, England and qualified as a lawyer in 1955 and was called to the English Bar in the same year. The late justice was of the Lincolns Inn barrister at Law, practiced briefly in Aba and in 1959 set up practice in Jos. He was appointed a Magistrate in 1962 and was notable as a Chief Magistrate for policing roads and arresting reckless taxi drivers and trying them himself.

Buhari Salutes Emeka Offor for Humanitarian Award President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated businessman and philanthropist, Chief Emeka Offor on his nomination for The Sun Newspaper Humanitarian Award, describing his nomination as well-deserved. President’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, made the disclosure in a statement in Abuja. According to the president, “I am elated to learn that you have been nominated for this humanitarian award by The Sun Newspaper, and I will say without any fear of contradiction that they couldn’t

have made a better choice. “Chief Offor has dedicated himself for years to humanitarian causes including the eradication of polio and river blindness, and I urge other rich men to emulate his noble deeds. “Using your wealth to touch the lives of others in the society is one of the greatest demonstrations of selflessness and compassion.” He added that Offor would have his name etched in gold by posterity and history because of his philanthropic activities in the country.

The House of Representatives Joint Committee on Justice, Human Rights and Police Affairs on the alleged brutality and extra-judicial killings by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force has summoned the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu. Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, Hon. Ugonna Ozurigbo said the joint committee has resolved to invite the IG to appear before the panel on October 22,

2020. Ozurigbo also said the panel was preparing to conduct public hearings in the six geopolitical zones of the country. He further announced that the panel created a dedicated WhatsApp platform with the following numbers (09130248644, 09075619076 and email address: bass.policeinvestigations@gmail. com for victims of police brutality, families of deceased victims and victims that are unlawfully detained by SARS. The decision of the committee

stemmed from the resolutions of the House at the plenary on October 7. The House had at the plenary after deliberating on the issue of police brutality resolved to “urge the IG to take decisive action to stop the brutality and human violation by SARS; produce comprehensive record of disciplinary and judicial actions taken against officers accused of abuse of power in the past five years; and produce immediate plan for identification and compensation of victims.”

‘The House further resolved to “commence immediate action to amend existing laws and the constitution of Nigeria to expunge Section 215 (5) and replace it with provisions that ensure that judicial review of police actions are entrenched and protected, as we call on the Nigeria Police Force to bear civil liability for failure in their conduct and operational procedures that lead to violation of citizens’ rights. Mandate the Committee on Justice, Human Rights and Police Affairs to ensure compliance with the above resolution.”

NANS Grounds Commercial Activities in Anambra over Prolonged ASUU Strike David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday crippled commercial activities in Anambra State, as they blocked the Enugu-Onitsha expressway in Awka, the state capital. The protesters who trooped to Aroma Junction at about

9a.m. yesterday refused to leave the road, causing gridlock on all roads linking the expressway, leaving motorists and travelers frustrated. Leader of the protesters, Mr. Peter Onyenwife, who identified himself as the leader of the students in Anambra State, said: “Our members are tired of staying at home and

doing nothing because of the ASUU strike. “That is why we raised a new hashtag, #EndASUUStrike. We are asking the federal government to put an end to the ASUU strike, so that our members can return to school. We are no longer happy, and we will not leave until we receive the assurance.” The Chairman of Academic

Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, chapter, Steven Ufoaru, who also addressed the protesters, said: “I’m very excited that the Nigerian youths have come of age to ask for what belongs to them. That’s why I’m here to solidarise with them to demonstrate ASUU support on what they are doing.

Tax Evasion Obstructs Progress, Devt, Says Fayemi Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said those evading payment of taxes to government are constituting serious impediments to the development of any society. Fayemi appealed to the people to pay all the requisite taxes to government to be able

to bring development in terms of infrastructure and social investment to the doorsteps of the people. Fayemi said this in Ado Ekiti yesterday while commissioning the new ultra-modern multi-million naira Ado-Ekiti Central Market, popularly called “Oja Oba market” in Ado-Ekiti, in

the state capital. Fayemi, who inaugurated the market as part of his second anniversary, said his government conceptualised the project as part of the urban regeneration programme for the state capital in his first term. He, however, commended former Governor Ayo Fayose,

who undertook the project to 55 per cent completion when he assume office in his second term on October 16, 2018. Fayemi pointed out that the market would promote commercial activities on a large scale in Ekiti State and boost economic growth and development in Ekiti.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

339 Foreign, Local Firms Bid to Sell Nigeria’s Crude Oil Grades Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja At least 339 crude oil trading companies applied for the sale and purchase of Nigerian crude oil grades contracts spanning 2020 to 2022 by the close of the bidding process at noon yesterday. Last month, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), invited “interested and credible companies” to participate in the open tender. It described credible companies as those who are either bona fide end users who own a refinery and/or retail outlet or possesses a refinery

that can process Nigerian crude oil grades. Other categories include government-to-government arrangement with high energy consuming countries, internationally established and globally recognised large volume crude oil traders as well as indigenous Nigerian companies engaged in Nigerian oil and gas downstream business activities. Declaring the bid process closed during the event which was partly virtual and partly physical, the NNPC team led by its Chief Operating Officer, Upstream, Mr. Adokiye Tombomieye ,

said the transparency and credibility of the process was of paramount importance. The corporation stated that it will ensure that the best will emerge in the entire process, stating that it will adhere with the public procurement act and other relevant laws in coming up with the final winners. “We guarantee all applicants that the evaluation process shall meet all due processes and all requirements and we are looking forward to the best emerging to lift Nigerian crude oil amid the current economic realities. We assure you of transparency in this process,” the corporation stated.

Kaduna Approves Partial Reopening of Schools John Shiklam in Kaduna The Kaduna State Government has announced partial resumption of primary and secondary schools in the state. The schools were closed down about six months ago following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. In a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Shehu Muhammad said

boarding and day students in Senior Secondary 2 (SSSII) and Junior Secondary 2 (JSII) will resume on Sunday, and Monday, 18 and 19 October 2020, respectively. The statement added that primary schools will also resume on Monday. The commissioner said resumption dates for the rest of the classes will be announced in due course. He directed all school principals to make

arrangements to receive boarding students on Sunday, and day students on Monday. The statement however said higher institutions in the state are expected to open based on the approved time table submitted to the ministry of education by the institutions. “Higher institutions that are yet to approach the ministry with their plan for reopening are expected to do as soon as possible,” the commissioner said.

Sirika Hails Caverton’s MRO, Flight Simulator Facility Chinedu Eze The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has commended Caverton Helicopters on its newly-built Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and Flight Simulator for the training of pilots. Sirika who toured the facility located at the airside of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos said that the MRO and the simulator were critical for the industry aviation because they would enable the maintenance of aircraft and the retraining of pilots locally, thereby saving the country huge foreign exchange. He said Caverton had done well, not only to boost the GDP of the country, but also in ensuring capacity building of the teeming Nigerian youths.

He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to continue to support businesses like Caverton and other enterprises in the aviation industry. “Our primary purpose in government is to provide full support to entrepreneurs for them to provide the needed service and employ our people. And this exactly what is happening here. I am very impressed and I am more than willing to support Caverton Helicopters and other entrepreneurs in aviation industry. And as I said in my earlier remarks, we are reorienting Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to shift focus from being police of the industry to becoming an enablers of businesses. The agency will be able to create that partnership that will help

develop the industry, provide the service, employ our people and kick-start the economy and ginger it up. These enterprises will contribute to the GDP of our country. Investments like the one done by Caverton will certainly do that,” Sirika said. In his brief remarks, the Chairman of Caverton Offshore Support Group, Dr. Aderemi Makanjuola thanked the minister for honoring the company’s invitation. “The minister has been part of it from the beginning in terms of advice and all that we needed to do to get it right. We are proud today that he is here to support us,” he said. Speaking about the facility, the Chief Executive Officer, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Mr. Bode Makanjuola explained that the facility was about 70 per cent completed.

Court Adjourns Trial of Ize-Iyamu, Four Others to January 14 The money laundering case brought against the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize -Iyamu, and four others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was yesterday adjourned till January 14, 2021 by a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State. Ize-Iyamu was the PDP governorship candidate in Edo State in 2016 election, when he was alleged to have committed the offence by the EFCC.

The other four defendants are Lucky Imasuen, former deputy governor of Edo State; Chief Dan Orbih, former PDP chairman in Edo State; Tony Aziegbemi and Efe Erimuoghae. At yesterday’s sitting, counsel to the first defendant, Charles Edosomwan (SAN), informed the court that he has filed a motion challenging its jurisdiction on the grounds that the charge filed against the defendants are based on election matters. According to him, the appropriate court to try electoral

matter was the Magistrate Court or High Court of the state. The same argument was canvassed by the counsel to the other defendants. However, the prosecuting counsel, Francis A. Jirbo countered the argument with the submission that the information before the court is a money laundering charge for which the Federal High Court has exclusive jurisdiction. After listening to both counsel, Justice M. G. Umar adjourned the case to January 14, 2021 for ruling.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

Panic as 30 Suspects Escape SARS Detention Facility in Lagos Chiemelie Ezeobi

Pandemonium erupted on Wednesday at the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) office of the Lagos State Police Command when 30 out of the 250 detainees broke out of their cells and escaped. This was contrary to claims by the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, that the command had transferred all suspects to the detention facility of the State Criminal and

Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba. The CP had on Wednesday night through the Police Spokesman, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, issued a statement that suspects in all tactical squads under the command had been transferred to Panti. But earlier that day, escaped suspects, who were arrested on grounds of armed robbery, kidnapping and murder, were said to have lured the station officer (SO) on duty to open

the overcrowded facility. The suspected were screaming at the top of their voices that they were in danger, and this lured the SO to open their cell and he was quickly overpowered by the detainees, who badly manhandled him. THISDAY gathered that there was inadequate number

of policemen at the squad complex to nab the escaping suspects because the former SARS operatives were on standby, waiting for instructions concerning their deployment. With their withdrawal from duty, few mobile policemen were deployed to SARS building at the command to watch over

the detention facility. Having trooped out of their cells, some of the detainees invaded different offices and escaped with laptops and even some weapons like machetes recovered as exhibits, which they used to attack the few mobile policemen that tried to stop them.

Though the mobile policemen opened fire into the air to stop them in their tracks, about 30 of them escaped while the others were successfully rounded up. Explaining why the compact SARS facility had such number of detainees, a police source blamed it on the COVID-19 pandemic.

UK Agency Questioned over Financial Support to SARS A member of the British parliament, Ms. Kate Osamor, representing Edmonton has written to question and seek clarification on the nature of aid the government of UK through the office of the Secretary of State, Foreign Affairs extends to Nigeria’s disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The letter written on October 15 and personally signed by Osamor called the attention of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Mr. Dominic Raab to the nationwide protests in Nigeria in the past seven days against the excesses of SARS. She warned that further assistance be withheld and also called for an audit of what the

previous aids were used for so that the UK government agency would not be unintentionally supporting or facilitating the actions of an agency notorious for human rights violations. The letter made available to ACE was written in a tone of caution to avoid a situation SARS got support from the agency without proper use. Osamor’s letter cited that there have been 82 proven and documented incidents of torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial executions and gross human rights abuses against SARS since January 2017 and cautioned it would be unthinkable that UK agency gives support to such body unless for training on proper conduct that respects human rights.

Bauchi Gov Receives over 10,000 of APC Defectors Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi No fewer than 10,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and the New Nigerian Peoples Party(NNPP) yesterday decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State in the buildup to the October 17, 2020, local government election in the state. THISDAY learnt that the APC defectors, who were received by the state Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, at the closing ceremony of the campaign rally for PDP candidates in the forthcoming

local council elections in the state held at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Square in Bauchi yesterday, also handed over their APC membership cards, brooms and posters, and replaced them with that of the PDP. The governor, who welcomed them to the ruling PDP, solicited for votes to all the PDP candidates in the forthcoming council elections scheduled for October 17. He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to open up the state for massive transformation in critical sectors of the state economy.

International Group Seeks General Reforms of Police Sunday Okobi NALT international Club, a social justice and not-for-profitmaking organisation of over 1,000 Nigerians across the world, has identified with the objectives and goals of the ongoing nationwide protests to address the excesses of the now proscribed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force. With the current outcry by the Nigerian youths against police brutality in the country, NALT is therefore calling for the complete overhaul of the very foundational structure of the Nigerian Police Force informed by genuine commitment and political will. According to the group in a

statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), NALT Club International, Okenna Nnamchi, and PRO, NALT Nigeria, Nwaeze, Okeoma, “We commiserate with all the innocent victims of alleged SARS brutality and the families of those who have suffered fatalities in the hands of this infamous police department. “NALT International, like many Nigerians, acknowledges that the Nigerian Police Force is faced with numerous challenges such as opaque recruitment processes, inadequate training, poor remunerations, poor working conditions and benefits, and a non-existent development incentive.

SECURITY ON THEIR MINDS…

L-R: Programme Manager, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Salawudeen Hashim ; Chief Executive Officer, CISLAC, Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa - Rafsanjani; Programme Officer, Ms. Bertha Ogbimi;and Board Member, CISLAC, Mr. Adesina Oke, at the interagency roundtable forum on security reforms held in Lagos… yesterday PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Jonathan, PDP, Govs Condole with Makinde over Mother’s Death Chuks Okocha in Abuja Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and state governors on the party’s platform yesterday consoled the Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, over the death of his mother, Mrs. Omojolagbe Abigail Makinde. In a condolence letter to the

governor and the people of Oyo State, Jonathan prayed for the repose of the soul of the departed, and encouraged Makinde to take solace in the fact that his mother was a conscientious woman who led an exemplary life. In the letter, the former president said: “I am saddened by the news of the passing on of your dear mother, which sad

event happened on October 15, 2020. “Although death is inevitable, the exit of a parent is always a painful experience. Even when God’s grace leads them to a ripe old age, their death elicits a discomforting feeling of loss that leaves grief in the heart of loved ones. “Mama led a life worthy of emulation, and contributed

her best to the growth of our society. Her legacies and memory will not be forgotten having nurtured her children, including Governor Makinde, to become accomplished and reputable citizens of our dear country. Your Excellency, I extend my deepest condolences to you and your family over this great loss.”

Court Orders Reinstatement of Sacked NIA Director Alex Enumah in Abuja Justice Olufunke Anuwe of the Abuja Division of the National Industrial Court (NIC), yesterday ordered the immediate reinstatement of Ambassador Mohammed Dauda of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). Although Dauda was sacked as acting Director-General of the

agency, the judge ordered that he be reinstated as the substantive Director General of the agency. The NIA by a letter dated March 6, 2018, had relieved the then acting DG of his appointment with the agency. Dissatisfied, Dauda had approached the court via an originating summons to challenge his sack by the NIA. In the suit marked: NICN/

ABJ/136/2018 and filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), are the DirectorGeneral and NIA as first and second defendants respectively. Among other things, the complainant asked the court to determine whether the procedure adopted by the defendants in the case leading to his purported dismissal is in compliance with Article 8(1) and (2) of the National

Securities Agency Act (CAPS 278) 1986. He also asked the court to determine whether the purported letter of his dismissal issued on March 6, 2018 is not unlawful, null and void and of no effect whatsoever. He said if the above questions were answered in the affirmative then the court should make an order reinstating him as director.

Lagos Bus Service Suspends Operations until Further Notice The Managing Director of Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL), Mr. Idowu Oguntona, has suspended all bus operations to ensure the safety of passengers following the ENDSARS protest in the city. A statement by LBSL’s Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Afolabi Olawale, disclosed that Oguntona said the suspension

was due to a viral video on social media of thugs who disrupted protesters at Alausa coming out of bus 240171. “This is contrary to the narratives being circulated across social media in respect of a bus belonging to LBSL captured at the Secretariat Bus Stop, Alausa this morning,” he said. Oguntona said that the bus

was heading towards Oshodi from Berger around 8a.m when some armed individuals disembarked from a particular yellow vehicle in front of the bus at the Secretariat Bus Stop. “One of our buses during the normal cause of operations ran into approaching armed people this morning. When the people were sighted

armed and heading towards our bus, commuters in the bus scampered for safety due to the imminent danger. “One of the passengers even tried to escape through the rear window of the bus. However, the armed group, whose identity remains unknown, later went their way without attacking the bus,” he said.

Kano Govt Approves N2.3bn for LG Elections Ibrahim Shuaibu inKano Following the release of schedule for the conduct of the January 16, 2021, local government council election in Kano State, the state government has approved the purchase of sensitive and non-sensitive materials with the sum of N2, 365, 469, 525.00 billion. The state Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad

Garba, told journalists yesterday in Kano that the State Executive Council has approved the revocation of contract awarded to Messrs Tiamin Multi-Services Global Limited for the rehabilitation and asphaltic overlay of Ahmadu Bello Way for non-performance and lack of timely completion of the project. According to him, the council has, therefore, approved the award of

the contract for the project to Messrs Traiacta Nigeria Limited at the cost of N1, 240, 637, 737.50 billion. Garba said so far, 15 per cent advance payment amounting to N84, 957, 172.88 million was released to the contractor while about 12 per cent progress was achieved. He said following the reconciliation of account

between the state government and the contractor’s engineer, a reconciliation certificate raised indicates a negative value of N11, 392, 124.88 million against the contractor and a balance of 10 per cent retention money amounting to N3, 006, 103.75 million in favour of the contractor pending the expiration of the ‘Defect Liability Period’.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2020 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

FG, States, LGs Share N639.9bn in September Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) has distributed a total of N639.901 billion as September 2020 federation account revenue to the federal, states and local government councils as well as relevant agencies. The amount is however N36.499 billion lower than the N676.400 billion shared in the preceding month of August. This September figures were announced after a FAAC meeting in Abuja, which was chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Aliyu Ahmed. The total distributable revenue of N639.901billion comprised statutory revenue of N341.501 billion; Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N141.858 billion; N39.542 billion from Forex

Equalisation; N45 billion from Non-oil Excess Revenue and N72 billion Federal Government Intervention Revenue. The gross statutory revenue of N341.501 billion available for the month of September 2020 was lower than the N531.830 billion received in the previous month by N190.329 billion. The gross revenue of N141.858 billion available from the VAT was also lower than the N150.230 billion available in the previous month by N8.372 billion. A communiqué issued after the meeting indicated that from the total distributable revenue of N639.901 billion, the federal government received N255.748 billion, state governments received N185.645 billion while the local government councils got N138.444 billion. The relevant states also

received N36.188 billion as 13 per cent mineral revenue under the derivation principle cost of collection and transfers accounted for N23.876 billion. Similarly, the federal government received N161.131 billion from the gross statutory revenue of N341.501 billion; the state governments received N 81.728 billion and the local government councils received N63.009 billion. The sum of N21.688 billion was given to the relevant states as 13 per cent mineral revenue and N13.964 billion was the total for cost of collection, transfers and refunds. From VAT revenue, the federal government received N19.789 billion from a total of N141.858 billion generated, the various states received N65.964 billion; local government councils received N46.175 billion,

Glo Delights Customers with Another Season of Smartphone Festival After a highly successful Glo Smartphone Festival held in July, national telecommunications company, Globacom has unveiled another season of the customer reward programme, in response to calls by millions of its customers. The Smartphone Festival enables subscribers of Globacom network to enjoy free data all through the duration of the programme. In a press statement in Lagos on Wednesday, Globacom said that the Glo Smartphone festival guarantees subscribers who purchase smartphones from any of its outlets across the country up to six months’ bundled data. The company explained that its subscribers who enjoyed the benefits of the last season have been calling for the return of the programme since it ended

CHANGE OF NAME l, formerly known as MISS OLAMIDE VALENTINA BANJO now wish to be known and addressed as MRS OLAMIDE VALENTINA ODUGBOSE. All former documents remain valid. General Public take note. I formerly known and addressed as MISS IDIOHA DANIEL BLESSING, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. UDEJI EMMANUEL BLESSING IFEOMA. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank and the general public please take note. I formerly known and addressed as MISS JOY OMOVIYE ATOE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS JOY OMOVIYE OSAMOR. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as MBANUGO LYNDA AMAKA now wish to be known and addressed as OBIUKWU AMAKA LYNDA. All former documents remain valid. The general public should please take note. My Surname; formerly known, called and addressed as EZEKWUECHE now wishes to be known, called and addressed as AKUCHUKWU. All document bearing my former names remain valid. The relevant authorities and general public please take note.

in July. Globacom stated that best price deal await subscribers who buy smartphones from any of its Gloworld outlets across the country, as well as access to free data ranging from 500 MB to 2GB per month for six months. “The festival period provides opportunity for all subscribers (prepaid and post-paid) to visit Gloworld outlets to get the best price deals on any handset of their choice and enjoy bundled benefits,” Globacom said, adding that potential subscribers from other networks are also free to pick up any of the handsets covered by the Smartphone festival and a sim. However, the subscriber has to register

the sim before activation. The company said that a customer can choose out of the wide range of devices available in Gloworld which include Afrione, Apple, Imose, Infinix, Itel, Lava, Nokia, Samsung, Tecno and Vivo, adding that his/her choice will determine the volume of the bonus he will receive. The company further said that data received from the programme by customers will be automatically credited to individual’s lines and added to his or her existing data plans which can be checked by dialing *127*0#, or by sending SMS ‘info’ to 127. They can equally visit the Glo portal at http://hsi. glo.com.

Tambuwal Rejects Nomination of Onochie as INEC Commissioner Oniminya Innocent on Sokoto Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to withdraw the nomination of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie as a federal Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC). Tambuwal made the call yesterday when he swore in the chairman and members of the Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission (SSIEC) at the Council Chamber of the Government House in Sokoto. According to him, in the event that the president fails to withdraw Onochie’s nomination, he should know that the world is watching what is happening, thus appealing to the Senate to reject the nomination. “I am appealing to the president to rise above sentiments and do the needful by going by the constitution as the president of Nigeria and not as the president of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and withdraw the nomination of Onochie in the interest of this country. “We must be seen to be doing what will consolidate our gains

in the electoral process, not what will obviously put us in reverse gear. This is an individual who is not only ultra-APC; she is partisan, and a person who cannot be recommended for such office. I think the president should reconsider his position and respond to the comments of well-meaning Nigerians who have rejected this nomination,” Tambuwal stated. Asking Buhari to go back and search for a more credible and competent person to occupy that office, Tambuwal, who is also the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF) stated that “we should all know that as leaders, we are expected to live above board, as there are some minimum expectations of Nigerians from us when it comes to certain things. “When you appoint someone who is clearly partisan into an electoral body, the signs are not too good; and they cannot be taken for anything else.” He further added that: “I believe that the best legacy that Buhari can live for Nigeria and indeed Nigerians is improvement upon our electoral process.

WORLD OF ISLAM

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

Humanity, Religion, & Peace: Finding Common Ground -1 Mufti Shuaibullah Khan/ilmgate The religion of Islam is the religion of peace and tranquility, and this fact stands out clearly in the teachings of the Holy Qur’an which preaches that it is the religion – the complete way of life – that has been perfected by Almighty Allah (God) in the pages of the Holy Qur’an. [If truly followed by mankind], it is a religion of peace, tolerance, harmony, and tranquility for all human beings on this earth. It is for this reason that Allah (SWT) has called this religion “Islam” in the Holy Qur’an, His last testament to mankind, which finds its source from the root word “Salam” which means “Peace” in Arabic. It is a well-known fact in history that Islam appeared at a time when the people of the world were enveloped in clouds of ignorance. They fought incessant wars against one another and terrorized other nations into submission for the sake of conquest, false pride, and selfglory. They inflicted great cruelties upon one another, and acts of barbarism and brutality were common among them. Among them were those who believed in racial superiority, considering all the other races of the world as inferior to their own, which gave them the right to plunder the weak and the helpless. Mass slaughter, plunder, genocide and other acts of brutality became commonplace on a daily basis, and the people of the world despaired for better lives in a forest where the people behaved worse than the beasts of prey left loose in a jungle. So when the whole world stood in need of a Prophet, Allah (SWT) sent Prophet Muhammad (PBOH) on this earth to bring about a new world order on this earth. Soon, with the advent of Islam, the world witnessed a remarkable change in the attitude, mindset, and the character of people. The Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (PBOH) through the Divine teachings of the Holy Qur’an began to preach the Divine commands and in a short span of ten years the people of the Arabian Peninsula accepted Islam as their religion. Under the rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the message of Islam illuminated itself to the neighboring countries [and emerged as] an Islamic empire that stretched to cover one-third of the world’s population who were among the strongest adherents of Islam to this present day. The Divine teachings of the Holy Qur’an took hold over the hearts of the people and fashioned their minds in such a way that the world witnessed for the first time an era of peace and tranquility that was unknown in the centuries before them. As the teachings of the Holy Qur’an took a firm hold on the minds and hearts of men, people who were earlier fearful under the tyrannical rule of their tribal chiefs, kings, and monarchs began to breathe freely in the peaceful atmosphere that reigned in the different corners of the Islamic empire. In brief, the religion of Islam saved the people of the world from the brink of extinction as a human race. The teachings of Islam presented to the world for the first time the idea of peace that all people stood equal before the Divine Law of God irrespective of a person’s position, or whether he was a friend or a foe, rich or poor, ruler or the ruled, people of distinction or the working class, both high and low, and placed them all on an equal footing. The Holy Qur’an announced, “Whoever kills a person not (to retaliate) for a person killed nor (to punish) for spreading disorder in the earth, is as if he has killed the whole mankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole mankind. And, certainly, Our Messengers have come to them with clear signs. Then, after all that, many of them are there to commit excesses on the earth.” (Qur’an 5:32) The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBOH) had announced time and again in his various sermons, “One of the great sins is to kill someone.” For this reason, Islam strongly unequivocally denounces all acts of terrorism

and killing; and teaches all human beings to become united against all forms of injustice and intolerance, practiced in whatever form around this globe in the present day. Islam commands its adherents to imbibe the qualities of love, mercy, and peace which are taught to them in the Holy Qur’an. Terrorism and extremism, on the other hand, are exactly the opposite of what is taught by this Divine religion. The people who give pledge to the communist and fascist ideology, and those who have a narrow racist outlook of life should be suspected as potential perpetrators of intolerance and injustice across the globe. Terrorism is violence committed against non-military targets to attain certain political objectives. For this reason, terrorism means making innocent people victims of acts of violence without any provocation or moral justification. Among the victims, there could be those people who do not approve and condone the acts of injustice done by their respective governments, and making them the targets of any act of violence goes against all norms of civilized behavior. The criminals who carry out these acts are guilty of spreading mischief and violence on this earth irrespective of their religious labels. The Holy Qur’an, which is a universal book revealed to all of mankind acts as a guide for human beings, leading them to the true path that leads a person to win the pleasure and approval of Allah by our good deeds. In His book, Allah commands all human beings and Muslims to adopt good morals. This morality should be based upon positive concepts such as love, compassion, tolerance, harmony, and mercy to those from other religions. Islam is a religion revealed to mankind with the purpose of constructing a peaceful and harmonious life. The values set by the Holy Qur’an hold a Muslim responsible for the way he treats all people whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim. Additionally the Qur’an absolutely forbids every Muslim from committing any act of mischief and misconduct, which comprises all forms of anarchy, chaos, and terror that threaten the security, comfort, and peace of their surroundings. The Holy Qur’an clearly states, “Allah does not love corruption.” (Qur’an 2:205) Wickedness in all forms has been plainly condemned in unambiguous terms, and Allah has commanded all human beings and Muslims to avoid committing all kinds of evils: murder, bloodshed, oppression, and cruelty amongst themselves and upon others. In the present age when acts of terrorism, genocide, and massacres occur all over the world and where innocent people are being savagely killed; and countries which are unsafe, ought to be made secure and safe by upholding the morality preached by the Holy Qur’an. For a Muslim who fears Allah, believes in the Last Day, and has grasped the true morality of Islam, it is impossible to support violence or terror or to take part in such actions in a direct or an indirect manner. And that is why the religion of Islam is the true solution against the acts of terrorism that are practiced by people on one another. When the magnificent morality of the Qur’an is explained to people in its precise form – in the language in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed along with its translations – then it will be impossible for people to connect the message of true Islam with those who support or join extremist groups that aim at spreading hatred amongst people and aim for chaos to reign in the place of peace and harmony on those people co-existing together in a society. The first thing that needs to be done to rid the world of the present day insecurity that exists among people and root out terrorism in all its forms, wherever it is practiced on this earth, is to educate people on the teachings in the Holy Qur’an in order to do away with deviant beliefs that are put forward in the name of religion and to teach people the true Qur’anic morality that should be practiced by all believing Muslims, and acquaint them with the basic Islamic principles. To Be Continued

˜ ͹;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com 0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

FG to Honour 60 Sports Icons in Abuja Today Duro Ikhazuagbe Sixty of the men and women who have made Nigeria proud in sports since independence in 1960 are

to be honoured today in Abuja as part of the activities to celebrate the diamond anniversary of the country. The 60 Sports Icons were selected from a list of over

3,500 nominations who were voted for through television, radio and other social media platforms. The event which will hold at the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja is expected to be graced by President Muhammadu Buhari, members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as well some of the awardees and members of their families. Nigeria’s first individual Olympic gold medalistº, Chioma Ajunwa, the Under-23 Dream Team that won Africa’s first Olympic football gold at Atlanta ‘96, the late Sunday Bada-led 4x400m relay team that won silver that was later upgraded to gold at the

Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and the country’s 1994 ‘Golden Generation’ footballers are among some of the sports icons to be honoured. That ‘Golden Generation’ qualified Nigeria for her firstever World Cup in 1994 and also won the 1994 AFCON in Tunisia. Some of the stars from this era were part of the Dream Team that won Nigeria’s historic Gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with Nwankwo Kanu as the inspirational captain. Both Mary OnyaliOmagbemi and Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo who similarly won medals in their track events at several Games are also believed to be among the 60 sports icons

listed for the big occasion. Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, while receiving the Report of the Committee set up to collate the votes by Nigerians for the 60 awardees recently, said the event was initiated to reward excellence and hard work. “We initiated this award because of the need to reward our heroes and heroines who have sweated to put the name of Nigeria on the world map. “Unfortunately most of these patriots have died, but we are also consoled that many of them are still alive. “Another import of the award is that it will encourage the younger athletes and indeed Nigerians in other fields to always give their best to the country, knowing

that their efforts would be appreciated by the country,” observed the minister ahead of today’s event which is the first of its kind in the history of Nigerian sports. The Minister appealed to other deserving awardees who may not have been voted for in the first edition to be patient, assuring them that they could also be rewarded in subsequent editions. “I appreciate the efforts of the collation committee. Arriving at these 60 names was not an easy task because there are so many more deserving Nigerians but for the fact that we wanted to restrict the number to 60 to commemorate the Diamond jubilee of our country,” concludes Dare.

Chioma Ajunwa...also listed to be honoured

PTF Lifts Ban on Football and Other Sports After seven months of lockdown, the Nigerian domestic football may roar back to life as the restriction imposed on contact sports, especially football has been lifted by the Nigerian government. In a tweet released on Thursday evening, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare reported that the ban imposed on football by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 has been lifted. Although the minister insisted that all health protocols like wearing of face masks, social distancing and absence of fans in the stadiums are still going to be observed. The League Management Company (LMC) had on 18 March issued a press statement announcing the suspension of the league owing to the global outbreak of the coronavirus.

That was after some clubs had honoured the Match-day 25 fixtures of the Nigerian topflight. The minister’s tweet explains: “We welcome the lifting of D ban on football by the PTF. “The lifting of restriction on outdoor activities including football is in line with earlier consultations with Ministry of Youth and Sports and NCDC. However, this is limited to the actual sports itself & not mass gathering.” In essence, the football matches, as is done in Europe at the moment, will be played without crowd. Nigeria is expected to host Sierra Leone next month in match-day 3 of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series in Benin City before flying into Freetown for the reverse fixture. Nigeria’s Under-23 Dream Team that won Africa’s ﬁrst Olympic football gold at Atlanta ‘96 will be among sports icons to be honoured in Abuja today

Victor Moses Joins Spartak Moscow on Loan NBBF, Others Mourn One of Nigeria’s Greatest Nigerian international, Victor in Nigeria and former clubs Moses, yesterday completed his switch to Russian club Spartak Moscow on a one year loan spell. The Chelsea player who was on loan until end of the disrupted season at Inter Milan will remain with the Russian team till end of the season. The club have the option to Keep Moses on a permanent deal “Spartak Moscow and Chelsea have agreed the transfer of Nigerian star Victor Moses to our club. “The loan agreement with the 29-year-old midfielder is until the end of the season with the option to buy! Welcome, Victor!” reads a statement on the club’s official website yesterday. Moses is a versatile footballer capable of playing in a variety of offensive positions, while

he has been more likely to play on the right flank. Including – as an extreme attacking defender. “Victor was born in Nigeria, where he lived until the age of 11, and then ended up in England and studied at the academy of the London club “Crystal Palace”, where he began his professional career. “Moses has also played for English Wigan, Chelsea, Liverpool, Stoke City, West Ham, Turkish Fenerbahce and Italian Inter. “As part of Chelsea, the red-and-white rookie became the champion of England, the winner of the National Cup and the Europa League. In total, Moses played 128 matches for Londoners, in which he scored 18 goals and made 13 assists.

Basketball Players, Sangodeyi The Nigerian basketball community has been thrown into mourning following the death of the first Nigerian basketball player to be awarded Sportsman of the Year, Yomi Sangodeyi. Popularly known as Yomi Basket, he was a regular face in the various Nigerian national teams to many international tournaments in the late 1970s and 1980s. In an emotion laden statement issued by the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) board led by its President, Musa Kida, Sangodeyi who died

on Tuesday was described as a big brother and a legend of the game. Reminiscing on the life of the deceased, Kida said, “He was like a big brother to many of us then in the National Team. He made it easy for us as young athletes to find our feet and settle in the team during our active days. “We have not just lost a great basketball mind that got drafted by the NBA in 1984 by the New Jersey Nets, we have lost one out of the two FIBA Hall of Famers from Nigeria, the other being Mr. Babs Ogunade, the VP of the

NBBF. He was our national treasure who typified everything basketball stood for in Nigeria and beyond.” According to a 2017 ESPNAfrica article, Sangodeyi was listed alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, Alabi Adelanwa, Joe Garba and Emmanuel Chagu as one of the five greatest Nigerian basketball players. Sangodeyi was arguably the first and best centre of the modern era who became Nigeria’s first full-time professional basketball player. “Yomi was a complete

basketball player which many today would have found difficult to handle. He had a great impact on our generation with the famous NBA Hall of Famer, Hakeem Olajuwon being one of his students while in the national team.” Sangodeyi studied Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, Texas in the USA, as a student-athlete. He went on to play in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Argentina and Brazil where he left his marks. He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

˜ ͹;˜ ͺ͸ͺ͸ ˾ T H I S D AY

FridaySports MERSEYSIDE DERBY

Everton’s Renaissance Set to Be Tested By Klopp’s Red Army Tough Covid-19 restrictions have cast a pre-winter gloom across Merseyside but at least Everton supporters have something to lift their spirits after their side’s storming start to the Premier League season. On Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti’s table-toppers host champions Liverpool at Goodison Park flushed with a rare sense of superiority over their Mersey rivals. Everton boast the only 100% record in the Premier League from teams that have played four games, are averaging three goals per game and in Dominic Calvert-Lewin have the division’s joint-leading scorer. By contrast, Liverpool, who

were in a league of their own last season, went into the international shutdown licking their wounds after a 7-2 defeat by Aston Villa and after four games have the joint secondworst defensive record in the top flight. Of course, it is far too early to be talking about a shift of power from the red to the blue half of Merseyside, but Everton’s invigorating football so far and Liverpool’s fragility have certainly heightened interest in Saturday’s clash outside of the city itself. Calvert-Lewin has been grabbing the headlines with his six league goals so far but it is Everton’s new signings who have transformed Ancelotti’s side from

the sterile under-achievers they were last season into potential top-four candidates. Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez has been a revelation so far in an attacking trio alongside Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison while the industry of Brazilian Allan and the power of Abdoulaye Doucoure have turned Everton’s midfield into a formidable unit. With back-up options such as new central defensive signing Ben Godfrey, Alex Iwobi, Bernard and Tom Davies, Everton’s form does not look like being a flash in the pan.

They have won seven out of seven in all competitions so far but Saturday’s derby will be the ultimate litmus test as they seek a first league win over Liverpool for 10 years. Ex Everton defender Sylvain Distin said former Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid manager Ancelotti’s impact has been a key factor in Everton’s revival. “He is in the same circle as Klopp, Guardiola, Mourinho. You can sense that he is committed to the long term,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “Let’s not get carried away!

“Saturday’s derby against the Reds comes at the best moment. Liverpool are an injured beast after their defeat at Villa.” While Liverpool will be looking to rebound, so will Manchester City and Manchester United who have both started the season in worrying fashion. Guardiola’s City followed up a 5-2 home defeat by Leicester City with a 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Leeds United while United have lost two of their opening three games, including a 6-1 thrashing at home to Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

FIXTURES PREMIER LEAGUE Everton v Liverpool Chelsea v Southampton Man City v Arsenal Newcastle v Man Utd LALIGA Granada Celta Vigo R’Madrid Getafe

v v v v

Sevilla Atletico Cadiz Barcelona

SERIE A Napoli Inter Sampdoria Crotone

v v v v

Atalanta AC Milan Lazio Juventus

Sports Minister to Flag off Ogbomosoland Marathon Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, will flag off the maiden edition of the Ogbomosoland marathon race on Saturday, November 28,2020 in Ogbomosho, according to organisers of the race. “The Honourable Minister who is a proud son of Ogbomoso will flag off the historic race at the start off point at Oja Akande,” said Chairman of the Organising Committee for the race, Prince Oyebamiji Aderemi. “The race is the first ever road race in Ogbomoso land and has received the backing of all the sons and daughters of the town including His Royal Highness, Soun Ogbomosho, Oba Oladunni Oyewunmi Ajagungbade, Honourable Oyedokun Oyeniyi Timothy, chairman of Ogbomoso South Local Government, Honourable Ibrahim Toskay, chairman of Ogbomosho North Local Government and Honourable Adeyinka Remi Oluwaseun, chairman of Ogbomoso Central Local Government as well as His Royal Majesty Oba Francis Olushola Alao, The Olugbon of Orile-lgbon Kingdom,” said Prince Oyebamiji who revealed all arrangements have been concluded for a hitch free race come November 28. “We are dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s to ensure we have a race that we can use to benchmark subsequent editions,” he said. Prince Oyebamiji revealed that about 1000 participants have so far registered for the race via http://bit.ly/ ogbomosolandmarathonrace2020and that registration is still ongoing as the race is open to athletes and students in Ogbomoso and its environs. “The essence of the race is not just to put Ogbomoso on the map of the world as a destination for sports and recreational activities but also to ensure our people live a heathy life. Scientists have told us the importance of running and jogging which among other things help to build strong bones. Exercises strengthen muscles, help improve cardiovascular fitness and maintain a healthy weight,” said Prince Oyebamiji who believes the staging of this event will help inculcate the habit of looking after ones health through regular jogging and running in the people of Ogbomoso in particular and Nigerians in general. “The race will also help to unearth hidden talents who can be developed to represent the town and the state (Oyo) in major national events and of course represent Nigeria in international events. “With the decision of the Sports Minister to develop middle and long distance running in Nigeria, this event could not have come at a better time to key into that wonderful and thoughtful vision. “In essence, it is a sport development programme aimed at taking the youth out of unproductive ventures to showcase their talents with the hope of getting it maximised.’’ Prince Oyebamiji assures athletes and spectators who will throng the start (Oja Akande ), major roads in Ogbomosho which serve as the route for the race and of course the Palace of Soun Ogbmosho where the race will end (Finish Point) of adequate security.

Everton players are savouring their perfect start to the new season

Italian Sports Minister Says Ronaldo Violated Covid-19 Protocol Cristiano Ronaldo could have violated Italian coronavirus measures by returning to Turin from Portugal after testing positive, Italy’s Sports Minister, Vincenzo Spadafora, announced on Thursday. “Yes, I think so, if there were no specific authorisations from the health authority,” Spadafora told Radio Uno when asked whether the 35-year-old Portuguese star’s return had breached Covid-19 rules. Ronaldo left the Portuguese team camp near Lisbon on Wednesday to fly back to Northern Italy on his private jet. “Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Italy with a medical flight

authorised by the competent health authorities at the request of the player and will continue his isolation at his home,” Juventus said. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was “asymptomatic” after testing positive on Monday, the day after Portugal drew 0-0 with France in Paris. However, the incident renewed controversy over his departure from Turin the previous week, which local health authorities said breached virus protocols after two Juventus staff members tested positive. “I think that, at the moment, the protocols in force for the

sports championships, both for Serie A football and for the sports associations and clubs are valid as long as they are respected,” said Spadafora. “And if there is someone who does not respect them, then the cases that we read in the news are created. “If they are respected, and if the general situation of the country allows it, I hope that leagues at all levels can continue in the best possible way in the interest of the players, staff, but also all sports fans in Italy.” The entire Juventus team were back in isolation on Wednesday evening after US midfielder Weston McKennie

tested positive. Both McKennie and Ronaldo are in quarantine, for at least ten days, and must test negative before rejoining their teammates. Under Uefa rules a player must provide evidence that he is no longer sick a week before a European match. Ronaldo who will miss Juventus’s Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev on October 20, must test negative on October 21 to play against Barcelona a week later. Spadafora rejected a call from the Italian regions to open stadiums to 25 per cent capacity from the current maximum of 1 000.

Zamalek, Raja Set for Champions League S’final Showdown Zamalek and Raja Casablanca will meet for the first leg of their CAF Champions League semifinal at Stade Mohamed V in Morocco on Sunday evening, with the White Knights hoping this clash is a good omen. The Egyptian side has not won the Champions League since way back in 2002, but that triumph came at the expense of none other than Raja – the Cairo giants won 1-0 on aggregate over two legs for their fifth African crown. Zamalek were last in action on Monday, defeating Haras El Hodood in an Egyptian Premier League clash to tune up nicely for this trip to Morocco.

However, the White Knights suffered a major blow when manager Patrice Carteron resigned from his post several weeks ago, while they will head to Casablanca minus key man Ferjani Sassi, who is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. Nonetheless, new manager Jaime Pacheco – who is in charge of Zamalek for the second time – has openly stated his aim to bring the Champions League trophy to the club for the first time in 18 years. “I am happy and proud to return back here. I returned this time with greater passion,” said the 62-year-old Portuguese. “I

had a good group of players in my first spell [in 2014] with Zamalek and this time the group is excellent. My target is to win the African Champions League title.” Raja’s Green Eagles, meanwhile, claimed a dramatic title triumph last weekend, defeating FAR Rabat 2-1 – thanks to a brace of goals from Abdelilah Hafidi – to end just one point ahead of arch rivals Wydad Casablanca (who will tackle Al Ahly in the other semifinal). Raja manager Jamal Sellami allowed his team to celebrate their first Moroccan

championship in seven years, but wants them focused and ready for the challenge offered by Zamalek. “It was a great triumph for our club and our supporters,” said Sellami. “Now we must look to this semifinal against Zamalek – a great team, especially in the history of African competition. We will need to bring our best form but we look forward to this challenge.” The return match between these teams is set for Cairo on Saturday 24 October, with the winners facing either Al Ahly or Wydad Casablanca in the final on November 6.

Friday October 16, 2020

UT H

& RE A SO

Price: N250

MISSILE

Ekweremadu to FG “Nigeria is the only federal state with a unitary police. It has never worked anywhere. It is not working here and it will never work. Therefore, whether we call it SARS or SWAT, we will only be addressing the symptoms instead of the diseases until we decentralise policing” – Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, advising the federal government to look beyond creating SWAT.

OKEYIKECHUKWU SARS and Proceeds of Crime Agency? EDIFYING ELUCIDATIONS

okey.ikechukwu@thisdaylive.com

he ongoing anti-SARS protests, the fluctuating industrial disputes between the government and university teachers, oil workers, doctors, etc., are signs of a deep national crisis. The hundreds of billions of Naira allegedly spent in feeding Nigerian children in school, even while the schools themselves were shut down, is also indicative of a totally unimaginative approach to looting. One thing is becoming increasingly clear by the day: The people are tired of being lied to. The feeling is that everyone is being taken for a ride by a recalcitrant leadership class that has become a danger to the survival of the average Nigerian. The youths see no future, as things stand today; because the government institutions deliver nothing. The government officials make empty speeches. The privileges of people in office increase by the day. The citizens, on the other hand, are squeezed beyond measure. Harassed, harangued and hounded by SARS in a nation that is being drowned by a doubly reinforced debt bind, the people seem eager to say: “Thus far and no further.” The fact that the solution the police high commend can think of is to rename its Mayhem Unit and propose a change-of-mindset training for its members shows that we are nowhere near a solution at all. Assuming we take the matter of retraining seriously, why were they not given such training in the first place? If they were initially given the training, what happened along the way? The point is this: there is an “industry”, a massive economy that makes returns, which has been the driving force behind the excesses of SARS. A contrived change of name, itself a cosmetic measure to disguise oneself and continue what one is doing, does not lead to a change in the DNA of the entity concerned. What needs to happen is that SARS should be comprehensively scrapped and its officers and men reintegrated under the Commissioners of police in their respective states. Its members who are not liable for any crime should be redeployed in less visible roles. The reported, and even video-recorded, cases of the excesses of SARS should be seen to be exhaustively treated and justice done. But, beyond SARS, there seems to be a more fundamental issue at stake here. People are more informed and also more frustrated in Nigeria today. There is hunger and hopelessness in the land. The nation is in debt, as never before. The debt is also growing. We are still borrowing more; and cheerfully too. And the borrowing is from everyone; on all sides. Worse than the mere fact of borrowing, and even of the disgrace of borrowing from just anyone, is the fact we have been (and still are) borrowing mostly for consumption and not production. Meanwhile, our external reserves stand irredeemably depleted, even as the borrowings are going on. Irredeemably, because everything needed to improve our chances of repayment and recovery in the short and medium terms are just not there. There is also the matter of the collateral damage these debts are poised to do to the future of the youths. Then, think of the implications of these borrowings for the nation’s economic sovereignty. In sum, the Nigerian State has been boldly “investing” in folly in recent years. We speak of folly here, because all the borrowings were deployed in non-yielding ventures. The question of the government being able to bring about any

IG, Adamu likely dramatic turnaround does not even arise at all. We are just spending, taxing the people, watching businesses close down, staring at rising unemployment and making empty speeches about “gains” and “progress.” Whatever little gains were recorded in the economic standing of the nation in the past have been comprehensively and summarily reversed. The budgetary provisions and expenditure headings of the last twenty years show a benumbing record of dreadfully low performance on all fronts. Roads, health, electricity, national security, education, policy consistency, war against corruption, equipping of the armed forces are all in the red. And there is no coherent explanation for the whereabouts of the hundreds of billions of Naira allegedly recovered from those who looted our patrimony. In the midst of all the foregoing, and as Nigerians, mostly youths, have been on the streets for days over the SARS menace, youth unemployment, elite irresponsibility, rising food prices, unchallenged insecurity, nonperforming institutions of state, unfocused and confounded political parties of no particular ideological persuasion, the major concern of the

federal government is the creation of a special agency to receive and manage all monies and assets recovered from corrupt individuals and organisations in the alleged on-going war against corruption. After five years? Recovery and management of the proceeds of crime as a major executive bill to move the nation forward? There are Transparency Monitoring Units and SERVICOM offices in our MDAs. Then there is the Bureau of Public Procurement. One of them, or all of them put together, should be in the first line of fire whenever cases of inflated, poorly executed, inflated, or unexecuted, contracts are mentioned anywhere in Nigeria. For instance, SERVICOM (Service Compact with Nigerians) is an agency of government set up to ensure that “Nigerians are well served” whenever a dime is spent in their name. It should ordinarily have been the main, and only, whistle blower in the Federal Republic of Nigeria since it came into existence. But what do you see today in the MDAs? Ask yourself what SERVICOM, and many other agencies of government, bring to the table. Check out their monthly wage bills. Sad, is it not? That over 400 parasatals incur a lot of overhead, for doing nothing. It is actually the failure of government to provide the right environment for the private sector to create jobs has led to the wrong notion that it is the primary business of government to create jobs within its services departments. That we now have a Bill for the creation of a “Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) agency”, as recently sent to the National Assembly by the Presidency, blows the myopia of the federal government completely out of the water. An agency to receive and manage the proceeds of crime? If established, the Agency will receive and manage all recoveries, including seized properties and assets, on behalf of the federal government. This is an outright Vote of No Confidence on the existing anti-graft agencies. The assumption, or presumption, is that we need a new agency, rather than that we need to find out how to fix what is wrong with the “processes and methods” within the existing agencies. This habit

Beyond SARS, there seems to be a more fundamental issue at stake here. People are more informed and also more frustrated in Nigeria today. There is hunger and hopelessness in the land. The nation is in debt, as never before. The debt is also growing. We are still borrowing more; and cheerfully too. And the borrowing is from everyone; on all sides. Worse than the mere fact of borrowing, and even of the disgrace of borrowing from just anyone, is the fact we have been (and still are) borrowing mostly for consumption and not production

of tumbling out an epidemic of new agencies, instead of bending down to do things properly, has become the bane of governance in Nigeria. Just consider the killed Bill on Hate Speech. It called for capital punishment, as penalty for hate speech. Hare-brained ideas, everywhere! Every new agency created by the government must have a Chief Executive. The expenditure profile associated with most heads of agencies comes to an average of five million naira every month; and that is assuming that the fellow does not travel. Each such Chief Executive will also most likely have a bullet proof SUV. This could be in addition to a Pilot Vehicle, escorts, CSO, a media crew and much more. Add a fully staffed outfit, complete with a “befitting” National Headquarters and much more. What do you get? Consumption and avoidable expenses, with little of lasting value to deliver, everywhere! Look at the Diaspora Commission, for instance. This should actually be a Unit, or Desk, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But is now has a life of its own. This government, like many before it, has been going about creating a plethora of agencies. The impact of all of this on recurrent expenditure and the ability to retain the cohesiveness of government are not being considered. The question for me is: “Do we need such an agency?” I dare say that we do not. We should also ask how such things are handled in other climes. The other question to ask here is what we have to show for all the budgets the nation has presumably “executed” in the last twenty years of democracy. Let us look at our roads, for instance. The less-than-two hour drive from Abuja to Kaduna, the nearest metropole to the nation’s capital has had bad patches in the last 20 years of democracy. Ditto for the drive from Abuja to Lokoja. Beyond Lokoja, Ajaokuta and through Ayimgba, the story is the same. Anyone driving to Jos through Bwari, Kafanchan, Manchok, etc. will encounter sections of bad road that have been bad since 1999. You will fair no better if you set out from Abuja to Jos though Keffi, or Akwanga. Try the road from Kaduna to Kano, if you will, or the one from Jos to Bauchi, or the Jigawa and related axis. The story is not different from Lokoja to Okene, to Ibadan, all the way to Lagos. The LagosBadagry road is a 30 years people’s misfortune of indescribable proportions. The roads from Makurdi to Otukpa, Makurdi to Enugu, Enugu to Onitsha, Enugu to Port Harcourt, etc, have all not been fully in commendable conditions all these years. Ikot Ekpene road in the Calabar, Uyo axis and the tiny stretch called Patani road that links Adeje in Delta State to Bayelsa State are no different. The aforementioned roads are all federal roads. The state roads are no different in most states of the federation. Federal government officials and State Governors have been driving on them for the last twenty years. So have senators and federal and state lawmakers. This means that the designers and implementers of national budgets have been wading through the overwhelming evidence of their non-performance for the last 20 years, without bathing an eyelid? The governments walks around totally unperturbed by a never-seen integrity deficit. That is why the protests against the menace of SARS may yet birth problems that could have been avoided if the government was a little more honest in serving the genuine interests of the people.

Printed and Published in Lagos by THISDAY Newspapers Limited. Lagos: 35 Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. Abuja: Plot 1, Sector Centre B, Jabi Business District, Solomon Lar Way, Jabi North East, Abuja . All Correspondence to POBox 54749, Ikoyi, Lagos. EMAIL: editor@thisdaylive.com, info@thisdaylive.com. TELEPHONE Lagos: 0802 2924721-2, 08022924485. Abuja: Tel: 08155555292, 08155555929 24/7 ADVERTISING HOT LINES: 0811 181 3085 0811 181 3086, 0811 181 3087, 0811 181 3088, 0811 181 3089, 0811 181 3090. ENQUIRIES & BOOKING: adsbooking@thisdaylive.com