THURSDAY 14TH JANUARY 2021

CBN Unveils Quick Response Code Framework to Facilitate e-Payments Issues safeguards for innovative products James Emejo in Abuja The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday unveiled a framework for Quick Response (QR) code payments,

directing all issuers, acquirers, switches, processors and other participants in the country to ensure full interoperability of the schemes.

The CBN stated that the

guidelines were in furtherance of its mandate to ensure the safety and stability of the Nigerian financial system, promote the use and adoption of electronic payments and

foster innovation in the payments system.

The QR codes are a kind of matrix barcode representing information presented as square grids, made up of black

squares against a contrasting background that can be scanned by imaging device, processed and transmitted by appropriate technology.

According to the apex bank,

the codes can be used to present, capture and transmit payments information across payments infrastructure Continued on page 8

NNPC Turns to Condensates to Offset Losses from OPEC Cuts... Page 6 Thursday 14 January, 2021 Vol 25. No 9412. Price: N250

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In Historic Move, US House Impeaches Trump Again... Page 20

Presidency Cautions Muslim Group to Leave Kukah Alone Says forum's apologise-or-leave-Sokoto conditionality unconstitutional Northern elders warn against inflammatory religious comments Deji Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The presidency yesterday waded into the raging controversy over the Christmas homily of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Hassan Kukah, with a caution to an Islamic group that demanded that he should apologise or quit Sokoto State,

to back off.

It said in a statement by a presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, that it was wrong for the group based in Sokoto, Muslim Solidarity Forum, to give conditionality to Kukah, over the homily in which he accused President Muhammadu Buhari Continued on page 9

Billionaire Businessman, Akin-Olugbade, Dies of COVID-19

Babalola, others disagree on closure of universities Alex Enumah in Abuja and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The COVID-19 pandemic continued its rage yesterday, claiming billionaire businessman and legal icon, Chief Bolu Akin-Olugbade.

According to family sources, he died in Lagos at a private hospital accredited to manage the killer virus. He was 61.

Known for his love for Rolls Royce, its largest collector, he was the Aare Onakakanfo of Owu Kingdom and had a massive business interest, spanning property development, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution, maritime and offshore services and Continued on page 8

RAGE OF COVID-19...

Business and legal icon, Chief Bolu Akin-Olugbade, dies of COVID-19 in Lagos…yesterday

Buhari, Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Others Mourn Kanu... Page 5

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NEWS Buhari, Tinubu, Gbajabiamila, Sanwo-Olu, Others Mourn Kanu

Group News Editor Ejiofor Alike

Email Ejiofor.Alike@thisdaylive.com, 08066066268

Segun James in Lagos and Udora Orizu in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari; former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Tinubu; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Imo State counterpart, Senator Hope Uzodinma; and a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, were among dignitaries who yesterday paid tribute to a former Military Governor of the Lagos State, Rear Admiral Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu (rtd), whose death was announced earlier in the day.

Kanu, a former chieftain of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the pro-democracy coalition that served as the launchpad for the campaigns that led to the rebirth of democracy in 1999, died yesterday in an undisclosed hospital at 77.

The Pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere; elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo; and the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Kalu, also mourned Kanu, who once governed Imo State.

Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, mourned Kanu, saying his service to the nation would continue to inspire younger generations.

The statement reads partly, “The President condoles with all professional colleagues of the gallant military officer, who distinguished himself in all positions and responsibilities during service, taking up more daunting, but historically rewarding challenges like speaking up for the weak and vulnerable, and the struggle for the country’s return to democratic government.

“President Buhari believes late Rear Admiral Kanu’s credentials in serving the nation, as a career military officer and as an activist with NADECO in actualising the June 12, 1993 mandate, remains commendable and will continue to inspire younger generations on patriotism.”

Gbajabiamila, in a condolence message said Kanu would be remembered for his commitment to the development of Lagos State and the other state he governed.

He noted that Kanu would be remembered by all those who knew him as a patriotic Nigerian who played a role in the making of Lagos State.

Tinubu described Kanu as a rare breed for his singular consistency and unwavering commitment to social justice, democracy and federalism in Nigeria.

Tinubu, an ally of Kanu in NADECO, described the deceased as "my brother and a very courageous partner in the struggle for democracy and enthronement of true federalism in Nigeria."

He said in a statement issued by his Media Office: “In everything he did, from his work as a former administrator of Lagos State to the sacrifices, he made to help NADECO during the struggle for the actualisation of June 12, Rear Admiral Kanu was highly principled. He provided democratic vision and meaningful ideas to advance that historic struggle."

Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, described Kanu as a complete gentleman and officer.

He said the former military governor contributed immensely to the development of Lagos State during his tenure.

The governor also praised his contribution to the country’s

democracy, especially his fight, alongside progressive elements during the dark days of the military junta for the enthronement of constitutional democracy in Nigeria.

Sanwo-Olu said the nation would miss the rich experience and knowledge of the late naval officer and democrat.

He said: “As one of Nigeria’s advocates of good governance, restructuring and true federalism, the late Ndubusi Kanu will be sorely missed by the people.”

In his condolence message, Uzodinma expressed shock at the death of Kanu.

The governor said the former governor was one of Nigeria's finest and brightest who devoted his energy to the good of the country.

Some eminent leaders of

thought, senior citizens and leaders of civil society also mourned Kanu.

The leaders, under the aegis of Project Nigeria Movement, led by elder statesman, Prof.

Ben Nwabueze (SAN), condoled with the bereaved family.

According to a statement by the National Secretary, Project Nigeria Movement, Mr. Olawale Okunniyi; the other chieftains of the group are Anyaoku, Adebanjo, Solomon Asemota (SAN), Maj. Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu, Prof. Akin Oyebode, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd), among others.

Afenifere has also described the death of Kanu as a huge loss to Nigeria.

In an interview with

NAN, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said: “It was a very painful death.

“We have lost a very ebullient, vibrant and progressive someone.

“There is nothing we can do than to accept the will of God." Kalu described the death of Kanu as `a big loss’ to Ndigbo and Nigeria.

The Senate Chief Whip, in a condolence message yesterday, commiserated with Ndigbo, the people and government of Abia in particular over his demise.

He urged the political class to emulate the worthy legacies of the late statesman.

Kanu was appointed into the Supreme Military Council in 1975.

Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo

(rtd) dissolved the council when he became the Head of State in 1976.

Kanu fought on the Biafran side during the civil war but was reabsorbed into the Nigerian military at the end of the war in 1970.

As a naval chief, who occupied many command and political offices as part of his military postings, Kanu civilianised himself when he retired from service.

He was a member of NADECO, which fought for the re-validation of the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election.

He was the chairman of NADECO’s Action Committee, which organised and participated in protest marches and public sensitisation activities.

REVENUE MATTERS....

L-R: Members, Tax Justice Network, Mr. Javier Garcia-Bernardo, Mr. Markus Meinzer and Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Muhammad Nami, during a workshop on Geographic Risk Assessment Tool for Transfer Pricing audit in Abuja…yesterday

APC Inflicting Poverty on the Masses, Says PDP We are making progress, ruling party chieftain insists Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plunging Nigerians into poverty as a result of its unfulfilled electoral promises.

It also accused the APC of rolling out artificial projects that do not have organic contents to sustain them, hence their failure in accomplishing national projects.

The PDP was reacting to the commencement of the 774,000 jobs scheme initiative of the federal government to engage youths for three months.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke yesterday on The Morning Show on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, said the project would also

fail just like others because of unfulfilled promises.

“The APC government keeps rolling out initiatives that are not people-oriented and they keep making promises that are never fulfilled. The N-Power project of APC is already a failure because they have not paid those recruited into N-Power job for the past five months,” Ologbondiyan said.

But an APC chieftain, Mr. Tunde Imolehin, who also spoke yesterday on The Morning Show, said: “Although the APC government is pained about the difficulties Nigerians are currently facing, but we are making progress in our initiatives to rebuild the nation and we need Nigerians to have some patience to enjoy the positive development emanating from the APC-led government.”

Ologbondiyan, however,

stated that the774,000 jobs scheme is not real, not organic, but artificial and would lead Nigerians to nowhere.

“We are in the second wave of COVID-19 and the Buhari government is talking of deploying 774,000 jobs when his government does not have a clue on how to address the COVID-19 challenges.

“The last six years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is all about making promises that are never fulfilled. Those that enrolled for N-Power have not been paid for the last five months and the government is deceiving Nigerians with the 774,000 jobs. We are waiting to see how serious this government is with the proposed 774,000 jobs scheme,” he said.

He said he will continue to sympathise with APC because the party has proven to be an unserious one.

“This is a party that dissolved all its structures and put in place a caretaker committee that is headed by a sitting governor, which is a clear case that the party does not have plans for itself and has gone into extinction with the dissolution of its entire party structure,” Ologbondiyan said.

Speaking on the programme of the APC-led federal government, Imolehin said: “APC is making progress in the areas of security, job creation and in fighting corruption. We have just commenced the 774,000 jobs scheme across 774 local government areas of the country and we are equipping the youths.”

When asked if equipping the youths with cutlasses and wheelbarrows does not amount to equipping them with weapons, Imolehin said wheelbarrows and

cutlasses may not be the most sophisticated agricultural tools, but that government must start from somewhere because Nigeria a developing nation.

He added that the youths in rural communities need these tools for farming.

“APC is a government of change and it will, therefore, come up with initiatives that will bring positive change to the electorate. APC recently set up a committee that will look at the rebuilding process and consolidation of our party, using technology to drive all of that so that at the end of the day, the party will come out stronger. As a party, we listen to the people in order to meet their expectations,” he added.

He warned against writing off the Buhari administration due to the challenges facing the nation.

"We should look at the

gradual execution of the change agenda of this government and how we are rebuilding the Nigerian economy,” he added.

According to him, the 774,000 jobs scheme initiative of APC will empower the people and it should be applauded by Nigerians that APC has commenced the 774,000 jobs initiative.

Asked why the Nigerian economy is in recession for the second time in Buhari’s government, with the increased inflation rate, Imolehin said he would not be able to give satisfactory answers because he is neither an economist nor the minister of finance. He, however, said although he is not happy with the current situation that Nigerians find themselves, the APC government is working to address all the challenges and to pull out Nigerians from poverty.

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NNPC Turns to Condensates to Offset Losses from OPEC Cuts Output curtailments affecting govt revenue, says Kyari Finally, Nigeria exits list of defaulting nations Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Peter Uzoho in Lagos The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has said it is now focusing on condensates, which are excluded from April 2020 production cuts announced by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to curtail the crude oil supply glut and boost the government's revenue.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, who spoke yesterday during a virtual “Gulf Intelligence Global UAE Energy Forum, 2021,” also explained that the decision by the cartel to compel members and allies to cut production has negatively affected the government's revenues.

However, he stated that the curtailment of crude oil production is in the best interest of the oil market and reiterated the commitment of Nigeria to abide by the output cut agreement, aimed at stabilising the global oil market.

Kyari, who spoke on the theme: “Outlook for Africa/ Nigeria's Oil & Gas Sector in Post-COVID-19 Era” added that Nigeria is no longer a “laggard” in the country’s compliance with the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC), the framework on which the output curbs is based.

He said as of November 2020, Nigeria had actually “over-complied.”

Kyari expressed hope that by the end of the year, demand for crude oil will pick up and there will be a marginal increase in output.

He added that the corporation is further focusing on gas, which proved to be a steady and reliable revenue stream in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

According to him, the biggest factor that will determine whether or not the prices of crude oil will bounce back soon is mobility, as people have learnt to work virtually, which has negatively impacted land and air transportation.

He said: “The road ahead is tough and difficult. As you can see clearly, every permutation around demand and supply has not been straight. But what is obvious today is that demand will pick up, not to the levels that we expect because I do not see demand coming back to pre-COVID levels earlier than 2022, that's very unlikely.

“Several things are going on today; new habits are coming up, transportation needs have changed, people have learnt how to work virtually. People have stopped going to work, not by choice. So, I see a clear decline, especially on transportation fuel consumption.”

On the country’s renewed focus on gas and condensates for revenue generation, he said the country’s plants now produce between 250,000 and 350,000 barrels of condensates daily, while projects to rev up gas production are in the offing.

He said:“The OPEC cut is a very convenient balance for us. By the middle of April, Nigeria was able to attain crude oil and condensate production of about 2.49 million barrels per day. That's

huge, looking at our capacity.

“That is now down to 1.6 million barrels, including condensate production.

That has also translated to reduced government revenue.

But we also don't want to sell crude oil like water. That's not what we want.

“Obviously, the OPEC understanding to cut production is the right thing to do because it's required, even by the consumers.

It's still a challenge to our revenue sources, but we see a better picture of getting the best out of the situation.

As a country, it's a balanced

situation.”

Kyari said Nigeria was at some over-compliance level in November, adding that it has no difficulty remaining compliant with the cuts.

He explained that what the country is doing differently is to increase its sources of condensate supply which is not curtailed by the OPEC+ cut.

“We are looking at low assets that can produce more condensates for the market.

Today, we are doing 270,000 to 350,000 barrels per day.

We are already in conformity with the compensation cuts,”

he said.

OPEC had on several occasions given deadlines to Nigeria and other countries which failed to comply with the cuts to do so or present a detailed plan and how they intend to achieve their assigned cuts.

Kyari said President-elect Joe Biden's position on oil use isn't much different from Nigeria’s, which is to give more attention to the environment and cut down its carbon footprint.

On whether rising crude oil prices will not lead to compliance fatigue

by OPEC+ members, he stated: "It’s very unlikely to have compliance fatigue as prices keep rising because compliance is the obvious choice. We are not worried over non-compliance.”

In his presentation, the Minister of Energy and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mr. Suhail Al Mazrouei, appealed to all oil-producing nations not to flood the market with products, stressing that the UAE is now more concerned about balance, rather than growing market share.

BRAND NEW JUDGES...

New Lagos High Court judges, Justice Rahman Oshodi (left) and Justice Florence Aigbokhaevo during their swearing-in at Lagos House, Alausa, Ikeja…yesterday

FG Disburses Fresh N123.348bn Grants to States Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers, Zamfara get zero allocations Govt limits collection cost of revenue agencies to 50%

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja The federal government has disbursed another tranche of performance-based grants totalling N123.348 billion ($324.6 million) to states under its States Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme for results.

This brings the total disbursement under the programme so far to N233.264 billion ($620.2 million) since the first disbursement in April 2020.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Hassan Dodo, said in a statement yesterday in Abuja that the disbursement followed the achievement of results by the states in the just-concluded 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA).

Dodo quoted the Minister

of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, as saying that the assessment was carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) and approved by the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

According to her, the disbursement included N91.048 billion ($239.6 million) of performancebased grants for the 2019 APA results achieved by 32 eligible states across various Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) covering fiscal transparency, accountability, expenditure efficiency, revenue mobilisation and debt sustainability.

The statement added that states received grants in

accordance with the number of results achieved, with Sokoto State receiving the highest amount of N6.612 billion while Kano State got the lowest amount of N1.710 billion.

The minister said: “Bayelsa, Imo, Rivers and Zamfara States got zero allocations due to their inability to meet the 2019 eligibility criteria, which required states to publish online approved annual budgets and audited financial statements within a specific timeframe.”

The 2019 APA results, she noted, were a significant improvement on those of 2018 where the total performance-based grants of N43.416 billion ($120.6 million) were received by 24 eligible states, demonstrating the substantive progress states have made on fiscal reforms.

She said the second part of the disbursement involved a

new COVID-19 response DLI. This involves the implementation of a tax compliance relief programme for individual taxpayer and businesses by states as of 30 September 2020.

Thirty four out of 36 states (only Anambra and Zamfara States missed out) achieved the results for this new DLI for the total of N32.3 billion ($85 million) of grants.

The statement said the disbursement came after the recent one in November 2020 by the federal government in which N66.5 billion ($175 million) was granted to 35 states that achieved results under another new COVID-19 response DLI: the passing of an Amended COVID-19 Responsive 2020 Budget by July 31, 2020.

The minister stated that since the first disbursement in April 2020, the federal

government has thus far disbursed a total of N233 billion($620.6 million) to the states under the US $750 million World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.

Ahmed reiterated that the World Bank-assisted SFTAS Programme is principally meant to strengthen fiscal management at the state level so as to ensure effective mobilisation and utilisation of financial resources to the benefit of their citizens in a transparent, accountable and sustainable manner. This is to ensure a reduction in fiscal risks and encouraging a common set of fiscally responsible behaviours.

She noted that the SFTAS programme could not have come at a better time, given the dwindling government revenue occasioned by oil

price volatility and coupled with the current impact of COVID-19, which has further intensified the need for improved practices in fiscal transparency, accountability and sustainability as enunciated in the SFTAS ideals.

"We have thus far successfully adapted and implemented the SFTAS Programme to provide timely support to states with a view to strengthening their fiscal capacity for responding to numerous fiscal challenges in their respective domains.

“The increase in the number of benefitting states and results achieved is indicative of the wider acceptance of SFTAS ideals by all states of the federation and this would herald a new era of transparency and accountability in fiscal governance at the sub-national level,” she said.

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PAGE EIGHT BILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN, AKIN-OLUGBADE, DIES OF COVID-19 investment banking.

His death coincided with a raging controversy over the constitutionality of the mass closure of Nigeria’s universities by the federal government as some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) disagreed with the position of a legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), who said the shutdown has no legal basis.

This is coming as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has kicked against prolonged closure of schools, stressing that schools are not the drivers of the pandemic and that “no effort should be spared” to keep children in school.

Babalola yesterday described as unconstitutional, the mass closure of Nigerian universities by the federal government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Babalola said such action would turn out to be counterproductive and disastrous to the education sector, especially closing down of private schools without prior consultation.

He spoke yesterday in Ado Ekiti at a press conference espousing his views about an attempt by the federal government to defer the resumption of universities earlier slated for January 18.

He was reacting to the statement credited to the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, that the January 18 earlier set by the federal government for school resumption would be reviewed.

Expressing opposition to mass closure of universities, the Legal icon said: "I am of the firm view that mass closure of schools is unconstitutional, disastrous and counter-productive.

"It is certainly unjust to the parents, teachers, students and proprietors of schools and also violates the rule of natural justice."

Babalola disclosed that the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had put all these into consideration when it officially recommended that universities should be accorded preferential treatment under COVID- 19

in terms of operations.

According to him, "The USCDC said universities are different in terms of size, geographical location, structure and in their abilities to put in place measures that will guarantee minimum risk to students and teachers in their schools, which in turn will ensure undisrupted and on-campus learning for students.

"On the contrary, universities which do not possess these facilities are within the high-risk category.

"I hereby strongly advise that the federal government should stop mass closure of schools. All schools, particularly the private universities that have the required world-class health facilities and have complied with Presidential Task Force regulations, which will enable them to implement low medium risk measures ought not and should not be shut down.

"To shut them down with those which don't have such facilities is unjust and violates the terms of natural justice and, therefore, unconstitutional."

He said his 11 years old university has been having a smooth and uninterrupted academic calendar before abrupt disruption by COVID-19, thereby stalling operations and closure of the university in spite of the world-class facilities it parades to prevent the spread of the lethal disease.

"The federal government should know that schools in Ekiti are safer than those located in the heart of Lagos. We must consider the geographical location.

Any worker here who goes to Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt goes for special test and seven days isolation.

This underscored the level of our preparedness," Babalola explained.

He urged the federal government to emulate foreign countries by paying the salaries of lecturers in the private universities, which were shut down because of COVID-19.

Babalola reminded the federal government that to make the low-risk private universities remain shut down to wait for high-risk one will make the ivory towers remain

in comatose for a long time.

On whether he will approach the court to challenge the closure of private universities, he said: "I am not going to court, because we have not exhausted the option of negotiation and local remedy.

I am a friend of the federal government and I know that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) will look into it."

On how his university has been affected adversely, Babalola explained: "We can't even quantify our losses.

We have been following international standard, which was September to July academic session before this global problem.

"We have done seven convocations in 10 years.

We used to pay salaries on the 24th of the months and nobody has been sacked despite this suspension of work. But this has affected our purse. How can we be paying for services not rendered? This is unfair.

"That is why we are calling on the federal government to pay the salaries of workers in private universities if they still want to continue with this closure. That was the method adopted in foreign countries."

SANs Back FG on Closure of Schools Reacting to the government's closure of schools over the COVID-19 pandemic, some senior lawyers, however, noted that protection of lives and property, which is one of the constitutional duties of the government should be paramount owing to the devastating effect of the pandemic.

The lawyers while calling for the understanding of Nigerians, however, advised the government to engage stakeholders on how to best mitigate the challenges posed

by COVID-19 in the entire polity.

According to Mallam Ahmed Raji (SAN), the decision to shut down schools in other to contain the spread of the virus "is a reasonably justifiable step which can be accommodated under the constitution."

While noting that rights

are not absolute, Raji said: "In a pandemic, the state must take proportionate extra-legal measures to secure the populace."

He, however, stated that such measures must be proportionate and reasonable.

"If you look at the UK and other parts of the world on the same issue, I don’t think the government has acted wrongly.

"The pandemic appears real and we should all cooperate with the government to control it especially having regards to our state of medical services, which are already overwhelmed," he said.

Apparently sharing similar views with Raji, another senior lawyer, Rev. John Baiyeshea (SAN), while stating that governors have the constitutional right to take any step(s), to protect children and students in educational institutions, stressed that with the ravaging effect of the pandemic, "governments whether federal or state must take proactive steps to protect their citizens and prevent disastrous consequences of massive loss of precious lives."

He urged Nigerians to put aside sentiment, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic is a global phenomenon that governments all over are struggling to grapple with.

He said: "We have seen the closure of schools and lockdowns in the United Kingdom, Europe generally, here in America and other places.

"This is not the time to be legalistic. But even if we want to be, I will advise that we focus on what I call on my own, 'legalistic reality.'

This is to the effect that we (the government and the governed), have to be alive to be able to take legal options.”

Saying everyone is from home or a family, he explained that the government officials, judges, lawyers, politicians have children or students in schools, and that no one wants to put the lives of their children at risk.

He appealed to Nigerians to tread cautiously and cooperate with governments for the safety and good of all.

Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) said: "It is not out of place for the government to take whatever measures necessary

to protect all and sundry at the expense of business interests.”

According to him, the government has a responsibility to safeguard public health and safety.

He, however, urged the government to strike a balance with other imperatives like education and related activities in the country.

To achieve such a balance he advised that the government engaged all stakeholders in proffering solutions to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Taking these into consideration, what the government needs to do in my humble view is to interface with all stakeholders with a view to ensuring that all interests are duly protected.

"The pandemic is really terrifying at the moment.

With proper interactions among all concerned, there will be understanding and mutual acceptability on the way forward," he explained.

Schools Not Drivers of COVID-19, Says UNICEF Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has kicked against the prolonged closure of schools, stressing that schools are not the drivers of the pandemic and that “no effort should be spared” to keep children in school.

In a statement posted to UNICEF’s website on Tuesday, the head of the UN agency, Ms. Henrietta Fore, argued that closing schools should be “measure of last resort,” as the pandemic continues into a second year.

“Despite overwhelming evidence of the impact of school closures on children, and despite increasing evidence that schools are not drivers of the pandemic, too many countries have opted to keep schools closed, some for nearly a year,” Fore said in a statement.

She highlighted that the cost of closing schools has been devastating, with 90 per cent of students globally facing shutdowns at the peak of the COVID-19 disruptions last year, leaving more than a third of schoolchildren with no access to remote education.

“The number of out-ofschool children is set to increase by 24 million, to a level we have not seen in years and have fought so hard to overcome,” she said.

“Children’s ability to read, write and do basic math has suffered, and the skills they need to thrive in the 21st-century economy have diminished,” she added.

According to her, keeping children at home puts their health, development, safety and well-being at risk with the most vulnerable bearing the heaviest brunt.

She pointed out that without school meals, children are “left hungry and their nutrition is worsening;” without daily peer interactions and less mobility, they are “losing physical fitness and showing signs of mental distress;” and without the safety net that school often provides, they are “more vulnerable to abuse, child marriage and child labour.”

“That’s why closing schools must be a measure of last resort, after all other options have been considered,” stressed the top UNICEF official.

Assessing transmission risks at the local level should be “a key determinant” in decisions on school operations, she said.

She also flagged that nationwide school closures are avoided, whenever possible.

“Where there are high levels of community transmission, where health systems are under extreme pressure and where closing schools is deemed inevitable, safeguarding measures must be put in place,” the UNICEF chief added.

Moreover, it is important that children who are at risk of violence in their homes, who are reliant upon school meals and whose parents are essential workers, continue their education in classrooms.

After lockdown restrictions are lifted, she said that schools must be among the first to reopen and catch-up classes should be prioritised to keep children who were unable to learn remotely from being left behind.

“If children are faced with another year of school closures, the effects will be felt for generations to come,” she added.

CBN UNVEILS QUICK RESPONSE CODE FRAMEWORK TO FACILITATE E-PAYMENTS while the technology further enables the mobile channel to facilitate payments as well as presents another veritable avenue for promoting electronic payments for micro and small enterprises.

The framework provides regulatory guidance for the operation of the scheme and aims to ensure the adoption of appropriate QR code standards for safe and efficient payments services in Nigeria.

The apex bank, in a circular titled: "Framework for Quick Response (QR) Code Payments in Nigeria," stipulated the acceptable QR code standards for implementing QR payments in Nigeria; interoperability of QR payments; roles and responsibilities of participants as well as risk management principles for QR code payments.

The CBN, however, warned that it will sanction any party that fails to comply accordingly with the QR

regime, adding that all consumer complaints shall be resolved in accordance with the CBN Consumer Protection Regulation.

The guidelines provide that issuers and acquirers shall clearly define risk management policy and guidelines for the operation of the QR code scheme.

It stated:"QR codes shall, at a minimum, be encrypted (AES) and/or signed; QR codes payments applications, updates and patches shall be duly certified by the Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA); issuers and acquirers, shall agree minimum due diligence guidance for merchant on-boarding without prejudice to the KYC/ AML requirements of the bank; issuers and acquirers shall ensure that only PTSA certified QR code shall be utilised; issuers and acquirers shall ensure behavioural monitoring and fraud management systems

are implemented to prevent, detect and mitigate fraud and money laundering."

Also yesterday, the CBN unveiled a framework for regulatory sandbox operations, to a formal process for firms to conduct live tests of new, innovative products, services, delivery channels, or business models in a controlled environment, with regulatory oversight, subject to appropriate conditions and safeguards.

The CBN noted that the move will enable it to stay abreast of innovations while promoting a safe, reliable and efficient payments system to foster innovation without compromising on the delivery of its mandate.

The bank added that the objectives of the regulatory sandbox operation are to among other things, increase the potential for innovative business models that advance financial inclusion; reduce timeto-market for innovative

products, services, and business models; increase competition, widen consumers’ choice and lower costs.

On providing appropriate safeguards to financial services consumers, the framework stipulated that an applicant shall identify the potential risks to financial institutions and financial consumers that may arise from the testing of the product, service or solution in the sandbox and propose appropriate safeguards to address the identified risks.

The CBN said in assessing the risks and evaluating the proposed safeguards, the bank will preserve sound financial and business practices consistent with monetary and financial stability; promoting the fair treatment of consumers; compliance with AML/CFT regulations; protecting the confidentiality of customer information; promoting the safety,

reliability and efficiency of payment systems and payment instruments as well as encouraging healthy competition for financial products and services The CBN said:"Entities shall put in place testing parameters to limit risks to the financial system and for the consumers, while achieving effective testing processes.

"The participants shall set consumer protection safeguards, to guarantee consumer protection.

Consequently, consumers participating in the testing phase need to be made aware of their rights and especially, be provided with information and contact details of the sandbox to report any complaint or problem they experience.

"The participants shall ensure proper maintenance of records during the testing period for a maximum of five years, to support reviews of the test by the bank. "

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NEWS

Clark Urges Akpabio to Give NDDC Free Hand President, minister didn't impose me, says sole administrator

Udora Orizu in Abuja A former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to concentrate on his mandate and leave the running of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for its appointed managers.

However, the Sole Administrator of NDDC, Mr. Effiong Akwa, has refuted the claims in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari and Akpabio imposed him on the commission.

Both spoke yesterday when Akwa paid a courtesy visit to Clark in Abuja.

Clark, while acknowledging remarks earlier made by

the sole administrator, said Akpabio was interfering unnecessarily in the affairs of the commission.

He urged the minister not to abandon his ministry to over concentrate on the agency.

The former minister said he was surprised when the minister announced that the East-West road would be completed by spending about N15 billion from the commission's budget, adding that there is no provision anywhere that part of the money in the budget of NDDC should be used for it.

He called on the president to provide enough money for the completion of the road.

He said: ''NDDC was under the presidency and we know what happened; how the NDDC was used by

people who had no interest in Niger Delta. Many of us never believed that removing NDDC from the presidency to Niger Delta ministry was the best thing to do because it could be misused. But we said okay, Niger Delta ministry is our own ministry, therefore, NDDC going to Niger Delta ministry is not a bad idea. ''We know how it started but NDDC is an independent agency. The minister should not abandon his own ministry to go and concentrate on this agency. That’s the problem we have.

"Some of us have advised the minister: you have a ministry, don’t abandon your ministry to focus on NDDC. It’s not fair. The problem we have, therefore, is the constant interference with the affairs

of NDDC by the minister of Niger Delta.”

He urged the federal government to make available funds for the completion of the economic road, adding that in the 2021 budget, Kano State alone has three roads costing about N50 billion.

“Do we have to go and beg for money to build roads ourselves? The minister should live above his personal interest and put the interest of Niger Delta first,” Clark said.

According to him, ''The president should provide enough money for the completion of East-West road.

NDDC belongs to the people of the South-south. There was a time Obasanjo realised that he made a mistake by bringing in Ondo, Abia and Imo. So, at a certain stage, he

made some amendments by saying that the coastal states of the Niger Delta reverted to the original six states.

That very law establishing the NDDC provides that the amount of oil produced in a state should also determine the quality of development in that state.

“But what we have found today - you produce two-and-a-half per cent, you want development in your area more than those who produce more than 40 per cent. No individual, including Mr. President, can change the law of Nigeria.

So, whatever appointment that’s made that’s contrary to the provision of the NDDC law is null and void.”

Speaking on the forensic audit, Clark said he believed in it as it will reveal a lot,

adding: "I think the forensic auditing will reveal so many things. There’s nothing to show in the Niger Delta compared to the total number of years that NDDC has been in operation.''

Earlier, Akwa had said the idea that Buhari or Akpabio imposed him on the commission was not correct.

According to him, the commission will pursue payment of contractors that did their verified jobs.

“I’m pleading that people of Niger Delta should support our leaders and allow peace to reign. And in a short while, Niger Delta will be like any other country in the world. ''I gladly took up this job from Mr. President because as a son of Niger Delta, I know the problems of the region,” he stated.

EFCC Closes Money Laundering Case against Atiku’s Lawyer Davidson Iriekpen The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday closed its case against Mr. Uyiekpen GiwaOsagie, lawyer to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his brother, Mr. Erhunse Giwa-Osagie, who are being prosecuted before the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, for allegedly laundering $2 million.

Uyiekpen, a senior lawyer in the firm of Africa Law Practices (ALP) and his brother, Erhunse, were brought before the court, presided over

by Justice Cbukwujekwu Aneke, on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and

money laundering.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened 18(c), 18(a), 1(a), 16(1), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16, 16(2)(b)16(2) (b) of the same Act. The Giwa-Osagies had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During their trial, the prosecution had called its witnesses and tendered documents, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

At the resumed trial of the defendants, EFCC counsel, Uduak Kufre, told Justice Aneke that the commission

is closing its case against the Giwa-Osagies.

Following the submission made by the prosecutor, the defendants’ counsel, Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN), made an oral application for a no-case-submission, on behalf of his clients.

Quakers, however, told the court that the application for the no-case-submission would be filed and that same would be served on the prosecution.

He, therefore, asked the court for a short date, for the adoption of written addresses on the application.

By the consent of the prosecutor and defendants’ counsel, Justice Aneke adjourned the matter till

January 15, for the adoption of the written addresses on the ‘no-case-submission’.

Uyiekpen and his younger brother, Erhunse, were first arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on August 14, 2019, during the court’s vacation, on a three-count charge.

But they had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Upon resumption from the vacation, their case filed was reassigned to the court presided over by Justice Chuka Obiozor, where their pleas were taken again on the same three-count charge.

However, when their trial was about to commence before Justice Obiozor, their

lawyers, Ahmed Raji and Norrison Quakers, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), brought an application before the court for the consolidation of the charges with that of Atiku’s son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele, who was being tried before Justice Aneke.

Babalele was standing trial before Justice Aneke for allegedly laundering $140,000.

Lawyers to Giwa-Osagies had told Justice Obiozor that a letter had been written to the court’s chief registrar for the consolidation of the charge with Babalele.

After their pleas were taken, Justice Obiozor returned the case file to the court’s registry and it was subsequently

reassigned to Justice Aneke.

Meanwhile, upon the reassignment of the case file to Justice Aneke, the judge fixed January 14, 2020, for the re-arraignment of Giwa Osagie brothers.

The EFCC in a charge numbered number FHC/L/283c/19, had alleged that Uyiekpen and his brother was alleged to have on February 12, 2019, conspired among themselves and make a cash payment of $2 million without going through financial institutions.

In the charge, Uyiekpen, was alleged to have procured Erhunse to make the cash payment without recourse to financial institutions.

the country, and the right to move freely without any inhibitions. Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity. The right for all religions to co-exist is enshrined in this country's constitution.

"The duty of the government, more so, this democratic government, is to ensure that the constitution is respected. But all must respect the rights and sensitivities of their fellow Nigerians."

The presidency added that although Kukah had offended many with his controversial remarks against the government and the person of the president, with some even accusing him of voicing anti-Islamic rhetoric, "on matters such as these, responsible leadership in any society must exercise restraint."

"Knee-jerk reactions will not only cause the fraying of enduring relationships, but also the evisceration of peaceful communities such as Sokoto, the headquarters of the Muslim community as a beacon of pluralism and tolerance. The Sultanate has historically had good relations

with followers of all faiths.

That is why Father Kukah was received on his arrival in Sokoto with friendship and tolerance," it stated.

yesterday, said: "Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is concerned over disturbing comments with distinctly religious undertones, which are causing anger and fear in the public domain.

"The forum’s concerns have been compounded by published warnings from the Department of State Services (DSS) over attempts to cause breaches in security and peaceful co-existence through incitement in many parts of the country."

It added that it would be cruel and tragic if communities are set up against each other in the names of their faiths.

"There are no threats to any religion under current circumstances that would justify action, which will threaten peace and harmonious co-existence in this country. If there are indeed reasons that could be exploited to engineer religious conflicts, the forum demands that governments deal decisively with them."

It added that Muslims and Christians have no reasons to fight one another.

PRESIDENCY CAUTIONS MUSLIM GROUP TO LEAVE KUKAH ALONE of promoting northern hegemony, and interpreted by some Islamic interests as attacking Islam and Muslims.

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) also expressed concern over what it described as disturbing comments with religious undertones, which it said were causing anger and fear in the public domain.

Kukah, in his Christmas homily, had said that there could have been a coup if a non-northern Muslim president had done a fraction of what Buhari did.

His homily drew censures from the federal government and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), led by Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, which attacked the bishop for allegedly denigrating Islam and Muslims.

The Muslim Solidarity Forum joined the fray on Tuesday, with a call on Kukah to apologise for his alleged attack on Islam and Muslims or leave the Caliphate.

The forum, which labelled itself as an umbrella body for Islamic organisations, scholars and clerics, said

Kukah’s Christmas homily was capable of triggering religious violence in the country.

The Acting Chairman of the forum, Sokoto chapter, Prof. Isa Maishanu, said the message of the cleric was a direct attack on Islam, adding that that was not the first time Kukah was attacking Islam and Muslims, especially those from the northern part of the country.

He faulted the message of Kukah in which he said if a fraction of the nepotism committed by Buhari, a Muslim and a Northerner, was committed by “any non-northern president,” there would have been a coup in the country.”

However, Kukah, on Monday, rebutted the allegations and accused the JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, of inciting violence against him.

He also challenged the JNI to “as a matter of honour” show where he attacked Islam or Muslims in the statement, adding that he is “more than happy to apologise” for such.

However, in a bid to douse

tensions of Kukah's homily, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Shehu, cautioned the Islamic forum against issuing such an ultimatum and should, therefore, let Kukah be.

The presidency described as wrong and unconstitutional the ultimatum that was given to Kukah.

It said: "Under our laws, groups or factions must not give quit notices, neither should they unilaterally sanction any perceived breaches. Where they occur, it is the courts of law that should adjudicate. Unilateral action is not the way to go.

"Groups such as the Muslim Solidarity Forum must be seen to share and uphold the country’s multireligious principles. And individuals like Father Kukah must respect the feelings of his fellow Nigerians in his private and public utterances.

"Under our constitution, every citizen has the right to, among others, freedom of speech and expression, the right to own property and reside in any part of

Northern Elders Warn against Inflammatory Religious Comments Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has expressed concern over what it described as disturbing comments with religious undertones, which it said were causing anger and fear in the public domain.

NEF, reacting to the Department of State Services (DSS) alert of a plot to incite religious violence in some states, including Kaduna, Rivers, Kano, Lagos and Oyo called on Nigerians to be wary of mischief makers and subversive elements whose objectives could be to worsen the difficult circumstances under which Nigerians live today.

NEF's Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement

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COVID-19: Nigeria in Severe Shortage of Oxygen Plants, NMA Cries out Seriki Adinoyi in Jos With the recent spike in COVID-19 cases across the country, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has raised the alarm on the need for governments at all levels to immediately establish more oxygen plants to cater for increasing demand for oxygen by patients.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Jos, the National President of the association,

Professor Innocent Ujah also appealed to government to immediately suspend the NIN registration exercise, which according to him, exposes more Nigerians to the highly contagious disease, as COVID-19 protocols are highly violated.

According to Ujah, there is no such urgency with NIN registration that should make government give it a priority over the health of Nigerians.

“If I have the opportunity to meet President Muhammadu

UNILAG, UNIJOS Announce Resumption Dates After more than nine months of closure, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and University of Lagos (UNILAG) yesterday announced January 22 and 25, 2021 respectively for resumption of academic activities.

UNIJOS in a statement signed by its Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Abdullahi Abdullahi, said the reopening of the university was approved by the Senate of the institution at its 4th special meeting held on Monday, January 11, 2021.

Abdullahi said, “The Senate of the University of Jos has considered and approved an amended Academic Calendar for 2019/2020 Session of the University.

“At its 4th Special Meeting for the 2019/2020 Session held on Monday, 11th January 2021, Senate approved that students are to resume for the continuation of the 2019/2020 Session as from Friday, January 22, 2021 with the reopening of the various campuses of the university.

According to the amended Academic Calendar, lectures would continue as from Monday, January 25, 2021.”

The statement urged the returning students and members of the University community to note that all the COVID-19 Safety Protocols would be strictly enforced as directed by the

COVID-19 Presidential Task Force of the federal government, which he pointed out to include the use of facemasks, frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizers as well as social distancing.

For UNILAG, the revised academic calendar for the first semester of the 2019/2020 academic session released yesterday stated that lectures would end March 5 ahead of first Semester examination scheduled to begin March 15.

The examination scheduled to hold online would last until April 1 when the semester is scheduled to end.

Students would be on break for one week to resume April 12.

The first semester result would be considered by the University Senate on April 28.

The university also rescheduled the 2019 convocation which was expected to hold March last year to February.

The convocation, which was cancelled at the last minute because of crisis between the university management and governing council under the erstwhile chairman, Dr. Wale Babalakin, will now hold February 23–25.

It would begin with the convocation Lecture on February 23, while the two-day convocation would follow on 24 and 25.

Progressive Govs’ DG Calls for Audit of APC National Secretariat Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has called for the audit of the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a ‘contagious influence’ on the operations of all political parties in Nigeria, including the ruling APC, given all its negative orientation as a ruling party for 16 years at the beginning of the Fourth Republic.

He accused the PDP of encouraging the contemptuous mindset of political leaders against building a party bureaucracy.

The director general stated this in a statement issued yesterday and titled, ‘Bureaucracies and Political

Parties as Pillars of Strong Institutions in Democracy’.

He disclosed that the existence of strong bureaucracy in the United States ensured that it was impossible for Vice President Mike Pence to summon the courage to defy what could have ordinarily been interpreted to mean an instruction from President Donald Trump.

He said for Nigeria to be able to develop the needed democratic consciousness among the hierarchy of political leaders, there was need to focus on the issues that would support the development of strong bureaucracies in the political parties.

To this end, Lukman said there was need engage APC leaders with proposals that encourage them to recognise and respect the value of building a party bureaucracy.

Buhari, I will advise him to suspend the registration exercise.

Warning that hospitals are getting overwhelmed, he said, “Our primary concern now is for governments at all levels to establish oxygen plants across the country; we are in serious shortage of it. Even in Lagos state where there are about 10 plants, it’s not enough to cater for the oxygen demand.

In Plateau, there is just one, and it’s grossly inadequate.”

Ujah said that doctors have had hectic times in recent months confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting government to tackle the current

health challenge.

On the Pfizer vaccine, the NMA President rated it as 95 per cent safe, but warned that the cost of the supply chain, bringing the vaccine into the country and preserving it under appropriate temperature conditions was going to be expensive.

Earlier, Ujah had led the leadership of NMA on a courtesy called on Governor Simon Lalong, where he called on the governor to look into the implementation of the CONMESS which is at 83 per cent at the moment. He also solicited the support of the Government towards the

development of the National NMA Headquarters in Abuja as well as the training of more medical doctors from Plateau State to fill the gap that has continued to widen with the exodus of doctors from the country.

Lalong explained that his administration has worked for the establishment of the Faculty of health sciences at the State University as a way of ensuring that more health personnel are trained to increase manpower. He disclosed that the construction of the new faculty has gone far as the teaching hospital is also being constructed

in Shendam.

He appreciated the medical professionals for sacrificing themselves in the fight against COVID-19, which has seen some of them infected and others losing their lives, and assured them that the state government was doing everything possible to ensure that the Plateau Health Research team led by Prof. Noel Wannang comes up with homegrown solution to COVID-19 and other diseases. The three drugs developed by the team he said have passed pre-clinical stage and undergoing clinical trials before approval by relevant authorities.

DISCUSSING SECURITY…

Secretary to Delta State Governor, Mr. Chiedu Ebie (left); and outgoing Commissioner for Police/newly promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Hafiz Inuwa, during the official flag-off of community policing sensitisation and awareness campaign in Asaba…yesterday

Kwara APC Faction Rejects Removal of Party Chairman By Buni Committee Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja A faction of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the removal of the state party chairman, Hon. Bashir Bolarinwa by the National Caretaker Committee of the party chaired by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

To this end, the aggrieved members of the party in the state loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and Minister of State for Transport, Gbemisola Saraki, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to save the party from the imminent

destruction and deliberate journey to political perdition.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja after meeting with the National Secretary of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, Mr. Iyiola Oyedepo, said the decision of the committee worth nothing more than the value of the paper.

He stated: “We have resolved to reject the verdict of the National Caretaker Committee on the purported removal of Hon. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa.

It is worth nothing more than the value of the paper on which the letter given to Hon. Sanmari Abdulahi is written. It certainly

shall not work in Kwara State no matter who is behind it.

“Though when we told the secretary that the decision could sink the party in the state, he said they really do not care, and he repeated during the conversation more than five times that he was acting under the instructions of the Chairman, Mai Mala Buni.

“We shall prove to those that aborted the peoples’ revolution foisting on our party the present situation since 2018 that Kwara is not an appendage of any outside power conspiracy.

They continue to compromise our noble cause with these unacceptable decisions and

we shall henceforth prove to those that are not popular at home but rather rely on political manipulations from outside that, the game is up,” Oyedepo added.

He said members of the Kwara APC heard it as a rumour until they came faceto-face with the Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee, Akpanudoedehe on the 12th day of January 2021, when he told them that the caretaker committee had dethroned Kwara State chairman of the party on the January 11, 2021, by giving a letter of appointment to his deputy, Hon. Samari Abdullahi.

NECO Releases 2020 SSCE Results

Promises fresh opportunity for 233,000 candidates who missed examinations

Laleye Dipo in Minna and Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The National Examination Council (NECO) has disclosed that the 233,000 candidates, who missed the Senior Certificate Examination as a result of the #EndSARS protests would be considered in the February 2021 examination, even as the examination body has released the result of the 2020 examination.

NECO’s Registrar, Professor Godswill Obioma, stated this yesterday while speaking at the NECO headquarters in Minna, Niger State.

Obioma gave the names of

states affected by the protest to include Abia, Enugu, Edo, River, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun, Lagos, Oyo, Kano, Ogun and the FCT. He also said the affected subjects were Chemistry practical, Economics, Technological Drawing, Food and Nutrition, and Further Mathematics.

The registrar said four schools in Adamawa State, two in Kaduna State, two in Kastina State, two in Niger State, one in Taraba State and one in the FCT were de-recognised by the Council for engaging in mass cheating.

He said the Council also blacklisted 24 supervisors who

engaged in aiding and abetting, connivance with non-candidates to write answers on chalkboards and poor supervision.

The Registrar expressed gratitude that the Council was able to conduct the examination despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the EndSARS protests in 2020.

He said, “You will recall that the first case of COVDI-19 in Nigeria was reported in February 2020, in Ogun State and since then a new norm has been introduced in the scheme of things.”

“This new norm has altered not only our way of life but also affected our schedule of activities.

For instance, our 2020 SSCE (I) would have been written from May 28, 2020 to July 10, 2020.

“However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Examination was rescheduled to hold from Monday, October 5, 2020 to Wednesday, November 18, 2020. It is rather unfortunate to note that barely two weeks into the commencement of the examinations, the EndSARS protests erupted across some states in the country leading to the imposition of curfew and closure of schools by some State Governments in order to safeguard lives and property, thus truncating the process of examinations once more.

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Osinbajo Demands Cheaper Cost of Oil Production Deji Elumoye in Abuja Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the need to ensure increase in the nation’s oil production volume at cheaper costs.

He has therefore called on stakeholders to find and agree on cheaper means of producing oil while also ensuring a more competitive environment that meets the needs and purposes of Nigerian, including the largest production volumes possible.

Osinbajo canvassed this view, according to a statement issued yesterday by his media assistant, Mr. Laolu Akande, at a virtual meeting on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) with stakeholders in the industry under the auspices of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) in Nigeria, and Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).

“We need to agree on terms that will give us a more competitive environment. We should find a way of producing

oil cheaper at the largest volume possible given the circumstances and future of oil itself, and of course, given our requirements and needs”.

The vice president noted that in line with the focus of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, there is need for stakeholders in the sector to agree on terms to create a more competitive environment, while maximising opportunities in the oil and gas industry.

He said, “the other point is that of gas. To sound the question of reconciling and maintaining our domestic gas obligation, and at the same time improving the gas environment in such a way that we are able to benefit maximally from it as a business and government.

“I like the concept that gas should be an enabler for quick development and I think that we must reach some kind of balance with this, especially with this question around domestic gas obligation. I would like OPTS and IPPG to look more carefully

Court Dismisses Suit Challenging Akeredolu’s Nomination

Alex Enumah in Abuja

Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja yesterday dismissed a suit challenging the validity of the primary election that produced the Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State.

Justice Ekwo in a judgment dismissed the suit for being incompetent and lacking in merit.

The judge held that the suit filed by one Mrs. Olajumoke Anifowose was statute-barred having been filled outside 14 days allowed by law for a pre-election matter.

Anifowose in the suit filed on her behalf by her counsel, Mr. Adesina Oke had challenged the indirect primary election through which Akeredolu emerged as the governorship candidate of the APC. She contended that Section 87 of the Electoral Act and Article 20 of the APC Constitution and other relevant election guidelines were violated in the primary election by the state executive committee and local government committees

of APC that conducted the primary election.

The plaintiff therefore applied for an order of the court declaring the primary election as invalid and to bar Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising Akeredolu as a governorship candidate.

She also prayed the court to prohibit APC from submitting Akeredolu’s name as its governorship candidate and Akeredolu from parading himself as a gubernatorial candidate.

Delivering judgment in the suit, Justice Ekwo however, upheld the preliminary objection against the suit by Akeredolu and APC who claimed that the court action is grossly incompetent since it was not filed within 14 days required by law and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

Although Justice Ekwo noted that Akeredolu was nominated

by APC on July 20, and the plaintiff instituted the suit on July 29, which fell within 14 days stipulated by law, the suit however became incompetent due to the withdrawal of the initial originating summon and its substitution on August 20 by the plaintiff.

Death Toll Rises in Benue Cholera Outbreak George Okoh in Makurdi Benue State Government has announced an outbreak of cholera in the state, which it disclosed has killed 25 persons.

The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mrs. Ngunan Adingi, while disclosing this to journalists at the Government House in Makurdi, enjoined the people living at the river banks and other sources of water in the state not to use untreated water.

She said contaminated water has been identified as the cause of the death of 25 persons on Agatu and Guma Local Government Areas in the state.

Meanwhile, the State Executive

Council has placed a total ban on public gatherings.

According to Addingi, a gathering of over 50 people will not be allowed.

She also said all shops and supermarkets must ensure that those coming in must wear facemask and have water and soap with which to wash their hands or use sanitisers.

“Schools are going to be opened on the January 18, 2020, and the schools will be strictly monitored to maintain and observe all COVID-19 protocols.

Those with large numbers will stagger their programmes to ensure students and pupils are not over crowded,” the commissioner said.

and see in what ways we can come to some agreements as to how it should be done.”

Commenting on the benefits of harmonising interests in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before the National Assembly, Osinbajo observed that the passage of the PIB should be seen as an opportunity to transform

the industry by addressing lingering issues that have impeded development across the different sectors that make up the industry.

“Businesses would like to invest and invest more in this environment. So, that is the point of convergence. We want more investments and obviously state governments

like more investments, and you (private companies) would like to invest so that you can make more money.

No question about that; what we should seek to do is to see to what extent we can come to that convergence”.

Also speaking, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum

Corporation (NNPC), Mr. Mele Kyari said most of the concerns raised by stakeholders have been addressed in the proposal before the National Assembly, noting that the federal government has moved from its previous position to one that is more competitive and attractive to investors.

IT’S NICE MEETING YOU...

Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim (left), and Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, during Ibrahim’s courtesy visit to the NCAC office in Abuja …yesterday

Retired Soldiers Protest over Non-payment of Pension Arrears Retired soldiers yesterday stormed the Ministry of Finance, Abuja, in protest over the non-payment of their pension arrears.

They also demanded the inclusion of officers who fought in the civil war in the military pension scheme.

The President, Ex-servicemen

and Family Welfare Association, Anthony Agbas, said the exservicemen want a stop on all deductions on the pensions of all retired medical officers.

He equally demanded the payment of the minimum wage arrears accruing to them since 2019.

Agbas delivered a letter to

officials of the finance ministry while expressing the hope that their demands would be met without delay.

He said, “We veterans of the Nigerian armed forces are appealing to the President to graciously approve the payment of the minimum wage arrears

of pension (20 months), which was approved since April 2019.

“The government should pay the retired officers and soldiers who are still alive security debarment allowances and not a selected few from November 2017 till date as was done by the Ministry of Defence.”

FG: Nigeria Requires $4bn to Provide Clean Energy Annually Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The federal government stated yesterday that Nigeria would require $4 billion every year to provide Nigerians with universal access to sustainable, clean and renewable energy.

Minister of State, Power, Mr. Goddy Jedy-Agba who spoke at a virtual global power sector players’ conference presided over by the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, explained that the

off-grid power sources have become more competitive since the removal of fuel subsidy.

Jedy-Agba, in a statement by his Media Aide, Mr. Ofem Oket, noted that the government was desirous of ensuring that there is adequate supply of electricity to consumers through the provision of off-grid electricity.

“Our ambition is demonstrated by the recent removal of the fuel subsidy in Nigeria which now makes the off-grid sector more competitive, as well as

the 5 million solar connections programme which was included in the COVID-19 recovery strategy and the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP),” he said.

While urging global partners to support the programme, the minister stressed that Nigeria was taking steps to merge its energy access and energy transition plan as the largest population without electricity globally resides within its borders.

He argued that it was important to give access

to the country’s 85 million people without electricity, using renewable sources so as to maintain Nigeria and indeed Africa’s low contribution to carbon emission.

Jedy-Agba declared that financing has been a major constraint, saying the present administration had identified areas of conflicts including accountability, transparency and technical capacity and has gone ahead to address these challenges.

Former IGs Commence Nationwide Sensitisation Programme on Community Policing Hammed Shittu in Ilorin Former Inspector Generals of Police (IG) in Nigeria have commenced a sensitisation programme across the six geo political zones of the country on the implementation of community policing in order to stem the high rate of insecurity in the country.

Speaking on the sensitisation programme in the North Central zone held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday, a former

IG, Chief Tafa Balogun, who confirmed the move, said: “The security situation in the country has called for the sensitisation on community policing among the retired IGs so as to stem the criminal activities in the country.”

He said: “The former IGs had decided to convene a meeting at the office of the incumbent IG, Mr. Muhammed Adamu, in Abuja sometimes October last year on the need to offer advice on how to stem

the reported cases of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, among other vices.

“And since the federal government has put in place a community policing strategy to address the issue, it behooves on us as a former inspector generals of police to come out of our shed and be part of the move in order to support the effort through enlightenment programme on community policing in the country.

“We don’t have another

country, so we decided to begin this enlightenment programme for all the members of the public to enable them to know that war against all these challenges remain our priority through community intervention, government and royal fathers to move our country forward, and this is what brought us to this gathering in Ilorin, Kwara State, for the North Central region enlightenment programme on community policing.”

Kwara Begins Construction of $60m Roads Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

TThe Kwara State Governor, Mr. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has commenced the construction of 700 kilometres of roads at the cost of $60 million.

The roads are part of the World

Bank’s assisted projects in the state under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP) intervention.

AbdulRazaq said yesterday while flagging off the construction of the roads that the state government would “upgrade 125

kilometres of road to asphalt or sealed materials, carry out spot improvement on 450 kilometres of road and routine maintenance on 700 kilometres of road.

“The government will also carry out backlog maintenance on 200 kilometres of road, five

river crossings will be fixed while some existing markets will be upgraded to hubs.”

He also flagged off the construction of the AlapaArobadi pilot road in Asa Local Government Area, which is a 5.2 kilometres road.

THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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COMMENT

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

WHEN WILL AFRICA AND ASIA GET THE VACCINES? Treble production, understand the vaccine, involve WHO, urges Rajendra Aneja

T

he African continent with a population of 1.2 billion, is one of the largest in the world. It has many important countries like Nigeria, an oil producing economy with a population of 206 million. Kenya is an agricultural economy with 54 million people.

Africa recorded 2.7 million Covid-19 cases, with 65,000 fatalities, in 2020. South Africa with a population of 60 million, has had more than 1.1 million cases. It is the worst hit African country.

Developing Countries Need Vaccines Urgently: It is perturbing that many developing countries in Africa and Asia, do not have adequate contracts for souring the vaccines. The People’s Vaccine Alliance, an association of Amnesty International and Oxfam has opined that 67 lower-income countries will be able to inoculate only one in 10 persons. Oxford-AstraZeneca has assured that 64 percent of its doses will be available to people in developing countries. Covax, has secured only 700 million doses for 92 low-incomed countries.

Developing countries, are clearly low on the global vaccination agenda. World Health Organisation (WHO) has a goal of vaccinating three percent of Africans by March 2021 and 20 percent by end-2021. This is desperately dismal. Many of the 47 countries on the continent, do not have moneys to fund the vaccination. Bill Gates Foundation’s Covid-19 response team is ensuring that the vaccines reach 780 million Africans.

According to the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 50 percent of the vaccine doses have been booked by countries, representing less than 15 percent of the global population.

The world may face a colossal dearth of the Covid-19 vaccines in 2021. Vaccinations may continue for two or three years, unless production is boosted sharply.

Treble Vaccine production: The three top producers, Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca have indicated that they will be able to supply only 5.3 billion doses in 2021, which would cover 2.6 to 3.1 billion people, depending on the dosage. The richer countries have booked 10 billion doses, since a person needs two doses. Thus, many developing countries may receive these vaccines between 2022-2024. The Economist magazine in its 10 forecasts for 2021, has flagged a scramble for vaccines.

Boosting the production of the vaccines should be easy. It involves installing incremental production facilities. When the pandemic burst on the world in March 2020, there was a shortage of masks, ventilators, oxygen, PPE suits, etc.

However, within a few months, producers in every country delivered.

Pharmaceutical companies need to pick up the gauntlet, this time. Production needs to be trebled to ensure everyone has access to vaccines in 2021 itself. If the companies, do not have the resources to expand production capabilities expeditiously, they should share their technologies with other manufacturers. Governments should provide adequate financial and fiscal incentives to vaccine producers to catapult production. Interest free loans to expand capacities and tax holidays to vaccine producers can help. Developing countries in Asia and Africa should invest in vaccine research and production, to ensure future self-sufficiency.

Understanding the Vaccines: Though the vaccinations have

NO NATION OR COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER A PROTRACTED PANDEMIC JUST BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BUY THE VACCINES

commenced there is a lack of clarity on six issues. First, are all the vaccines going to require two jabs? This confounds the vaccination, in crowded localities in slums and villages.

Governments will find it difficult to ensure that every person returns for the second jab. Many people have ignored masking, despite fines. They may ignore the second jab, thinking that the first is adequate. Second, if a person returns for the second jab and the original brand vaccine is not available, can the second jab be with a different brand of vaccine? Johnson & Johnson are working on a single jab vaccine. This will be major relief.

Third, we need to understand the dosage of the two jabs. For instance, the AstraZeneca trials have indicated higher efficacy of the vaccine, with a lower volume first jab, followed by a higher volume second jab. Fourth, the exact time gap between the two jabs needs to be clearly and widely communicated.

Fifth, countries, may not approve all the vaccines. For instance, the Chinese and Russian vaccines have not been cleared by the USA or Europe. We need to understand the implications of getting inoculating twice. For instance, a person may take the vaccines his country is offering. He may then have to travel abroad. The destination country may have approved different vaccines. Will the person be safe, getting inoculated twice, with two different vaccines?

Sixth, we need to understand the time span for which a person is protected from the disease after vaccination. According to the CEO of Moderna, their vaccine can protect a person for about two years. So, are we supposed to be getting vaccinated very two years?

Everyone who get inoculated should be given a card, confirming that he has taken the jabs. This card should always be carried by the person, especially when travelling.

UNO and WHO Must be Proactive: The United Nations, WHO and developed countries, should ensure the funds and the vaccines to inoculate Africa and Asia in 2021. According to WHO, Africa needs USD 5.7 billion for vaccinating the priority sectors, plus 15 percent for ancillary equipment like syringes, etc. African governments should collaborate with the private sector to ensure that the vaccines reach every village.

No nation or country should have to suffer a protracted pandemic just because it does not have the resources to buy the vaccines. Many nations are poor due to the history of colonisation, weak infrastructure and inadequate educational facilities.

Gradually, they will overcome these hurdles. The world cannot let Africa and Asia fail.

In the long history of mankind, leaders have never had the opportunity, to make a difference to their people, as of now. The very lives of people, depend on the decisions that leaders make in these turbulent times. We cannot afford to be lackadaisical. Human lives are precious. When the history of Covid-19 is written, the quality of some of the populist leaders, who managed the disease in their countries, will make a putrid chapter. r"OFKB XBT UIF .BOBHJOH %JSFDUPS PG 6OJMFWFS 5BO[BOJB )F JT BO BMVNOVT PG )BSWBSE #VTJOFTT 4DIPPM BOE UIF BVUIPS PG CPPLT FOUJUMFE i3VSBM .BSLFUJOH BDSPTT $PVOUSJFT BOE i#VTJOFTT &YQSFTTu )F JT B .BOBHFNFOU $POTVMUBOU

THE SIEGE ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Ademola Abass writes that the attack on Capitol Hill will go down as one of the darkest days in US history

T

he almost unprecedented siege, laid by Trump supporters to the Capitol in Washington DC on Wednesday 6 January 2021 would go down in history as one of the darkest days in the US history.

Not only is the Capitol the seat of the American Congress, it is the seat of the US president, the cradle of American democracy from where that monstrously powerful country lectures the rest of the world about the ideals of democracy. The only other time the Capitol was invaded was on August 24, 1814 by Great Britain.

January 6 of any year following the holding of presidential elections in America is set aside by the US Constitution for the two houses of Congress to jointly certify the already state-certified elections. It is not a day for the Congress to audit ballots cast, much less to reject any, but a day in which the Congress, led by the Senate President fulfils a perfunctory function of reckoning the electoral college votes returned by the 538 State electors, and certify the winners of the presidential election. January 6 is the last ritual in the democratic rites de passage in the ridiculously convoluted American presidential elections process.

Many world leaders have condemned the attack, laying the responsibility for the ignominy on President Trump, except Israel and France, whose leaders avoided naming Trump in their adumbration. As Emmanuel Macron of France said, “What happened today in Washington, DC is not America”, a sentiment shared by former president George Bush who likened the attack to one usually witnessed in the Banana republic.

No doubt the specter of thugs ramming the Capitol in the world’s leading democracy is uncommon, but to parse the entire event of ‘Jan 6 event’ as not America is a pander to the farcical and a blistering

hogwash. Except if by ‘America’ it means the America that people like are Bush always wont to see when, in fact, a far uglier America is always on the prowl.

The America that the world saw on 6 January 2021 is the America that black Americans have grown accustomed to in humph and sigh: An America where justice is served on two differently plates in that famous land of freedom; an America in which blacks are routinely killed, demonized, and comprehensively dehumanized, often by the very institutions sworn to protect them: The America in which thousands of National Guards beat and fired rubber bullets at peaceful groups in Washington just so that the President Trump could pose for a photo shoot in front of a church. It is an America where white domestic terrorists, armed with automatic rifles and motolov cocktails, who drove federal legislators literally to the ground, were met with timid and vacuous police officers, some of whom took selfies with the thugs and opened the doors of the Capitol to murderous insurrectionists.

Yet, it is this sort of rarification (madness is elsewhere!) of the banality of evil that black Americans have endured for decades that make it all permissible for monsters and demagogues to perpetrate the sort of carnage and orgy of violence that has gripped America in the last four years. What happened on the Capitol on 6 January was not just about goons attacking the house of parliament: it goes far beyond that. It is about how a system responds to crimes committed by various shades of its population, how politicians perceive their duty towards all citizens, and about how justice, which is supposed to be blind, is served in America.

Two days after Black Lives Matter protested in Washington in June 2020, the then Attorney General, William Barr, and the

FBI director, Christopher Wray, responded swiftly with press statements they read to vast media coverage, naming Antifar as responsible. Neither of these leaders, nor their successors, have done anything of such since the event of January 6 despite that the names of the far right organizations are in blatant display on the insurrection day. The now resigned Capitol police chief primarily responsible for the city’s safety, Steven Sund claimed that his many requests to call in the national guards into the Capitol were initially rebuffed by his superiors, contradicting the latter’s claim that no one had made any requests for national guards. Had the Jan 6 invaders been blacks or Muslims such claims would only concern who authorized the use of deadly force.

Even the reckoning of Trump’s comeuppance has been no less divisive and hypocritical. For many Republicans, a mere slap on the wrist is enough a punishment for America’s most dangerous president!

Writ large, there is little possibility in a Pence-driven Cabinet mounting an effective 25th Amendment against Trump before 20 January, not just because some key Cabinet members who could be counted on had left the government, but because Pence has no appetite to move against his mercurial benefactor. Impeachment is attractive but equally fraught with myriad challenges.

Reps might be able to impeach Trump easily, (counting on the simple majority rule and votes of disgusted GOP reps), awarding Trump the inimitable prize of the first American president to be impeached twice, but Mitch McConnell would be expected to run out the time in the Senate.

The other option open to the Dems is to impeach Trump and then wait until after 20 January when the Schumer Senate may be able to then hold a trial to hopefully banish Trump from ever holding public offices

again. This prospect may align certain GOP Senators with Dems. It is in the best interest of Senators Graham, Toomey, Murkowski, Sasse and Romney and many more daubed RINO (Republican in Name Only) or outright nooseable traitors, to ensure that they do everything to cripple Trump’s ability to ever run for US presidency again. Only then could they hope for respite. Not supporting Dems in this strategy will win these senators neither appeasement of Trump followers nor mercy from their vengeful godfather.

For senators Cruz and Hawley their fate is much simpler: they either fall under the 14th Amendment before 20 Jan, otherwise their singular prayer will be that all Democratic weapons fashioned against Trump’s future political ambition shall not prosper.

Whatever permutation play out in the last days of the Trump’s combustible presidency, it is hypocritical to regard the episode as entirely Un-American. Just as it is disingenuous to confuse the infeasibility of constitutionally holding Trump accountable for the insurrection with its needlessness.

These are two different things. Holding Trump accountable for inciting an insurrection against American democracy is a sacred constitutional duty that must be performed.

That duty inheres in the very nature of democracy. The executive levelled an insurrection against the legislature. Nothing is more violative of the most formidable gatekeeper of democracy: the principle of separation of powers amongst the three arms of government.

America democracy has never been tested to the extent it has been in these last four years. One can only hope that, like a boxing match, it is only knocked down, not out, and it will surely rise again before the referee’s counting runs out. r1SPGFTTPS "CBTT XSPUF GSPN -BHPT

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

EDITORIAL

A CULTURE OF CORPORATE BEGGING Begging is shameful. It should be stopped

F

rom airports to supermarkets, hotels to banks and the major highways across the country, a serious social disease afflicts many otherwise engaged Nigerians: begging while on duty.

While this is not a new practice, as it has been going on for several years, the situation seems to have worsened in recent months. Of course the economic downturn could be a convenient excuse for this disgraceful conduct but the malaise runs far deeper as the culture of begging predates the current challenge. That is why we enjoin the relevant authorities to find a way to deal with the situation that compromises both our national image and security.

In most of the important WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUT IN desks at practiUNIFORM BY THE STATE TO cally all levels SERVE THE PUBLIC, THEY ARE of government MEANT TO EXHIBIT A CERTAIN in our country, ‘anything for STANDARD OF BEHAVIOUR THAT OUGHT TO MIRROR THE your boys’ has almost become HIGHEST CODE OF CONDUCT the accepted FOR THE SOCIETY language of official interaction. Yet this pervasive and shameful conduct not only dehumanises the perpetrators but also makes our country vulnerable since unscrupulous elements can get away under a situation where a little tip would make officials shirk their responsibilities. And that is why we must begin to build a new ethos that places emphasis on self-respect and dignity of labour.

What makes this deplorable situation even more noteworthy is that in several of the critical places where this official begging occurs in the full glare of the public, there are also CCTV cameras installed to capture such unsavoury conducts. But in instances where the cameras do work, there is hardly anyone to keep track of what’s happening and where there are, they are mostly watching Nollywood movies or sport

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channels on cable television! Even at that, there seems to be some form of complicity in which nobody is ever punished for what has now become an acceptable behaviour.

Nigerians will recall the ugly incident in 1994 when Mr. Mike Wallace, then of the American CBS news programme ‘60 Minutes’, secretly recorded some officials openly soliciting for bribe at our major international gateway, the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja. When aired, the programme was a major scandal that had serious dent on our image as a nation and ultimately led to some house cleansing.

But that lasted only for a few years before the rot returned. That is why it is important that someone at the higher end of political authority with a sense of national pride intervenes to stop this shameful racketeering that gives our country a bad name and makes us vulnerable to disasters.

However, we also need to take a closer look at the sociology of a begging culture. There is a possibility that dire economic conditions have lowered the self-esteem of most Nigerians who ordinarily would feel too proud to be found begging or it could just be a popularisation of an unfortunate phenomenon that has become profitable. It may as well be the product of an underlying psychology of income redistribution in a society that has islands of stupendous affluence in a sea of crushing poverty. Whatever may be the cause, it is something that has to be dealt with and very quickly.

Indeed, the fact that most of the beggars are gainfully employed persons makes it a matter of urgent public policy concern. The fact that a significant segment in uniform makes it even more frightening. When people are put in uniform by the state to serve the public, they are meant to exhibit a certain standard of behaviour that ought to mirror the highest code of conduct for the society. Therefore, since this matter touches at the very ethical roots of our society, we urge critical stakeholders to work towards putting an end to what has become another emblem of shame in Nigeria.

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

LESSONS FROM TRUMP’S FOILED ‘COUP’

r$ontinued from back page

O

n Tuesday, the entire American Joint Chiefs of Staff (the eight most senior military officers in the country led by General Mark Milley) signed what was considered an extraordinary joint statement in which they condemned the violent invasion of the US Capitol as “sedition and insurrection” before concluding: “On January 20, 2021, in accordance with the Constitution, confirmed by the states and the courts, and certified by Congress, President-elect Biden will be inaugurated and will become our 46th Commander in Chief.”

Perhaps to further rub salt in his injury, tech giants have also dealt heavy blows to the ‘most powerful man in the world’. Twitter was the first to de-platform Trump (who actually helped to grow their brand) before Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitch followed and YouTube removed many of his videos. To cap it all, Parler, the app where the majority of his supporters are now camped, was yanked off by Amazon Web Services (AWS). “The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTUS (president of the United States) loudspeaker without checks and balances is perplexing”, said the European Union (EU) Commissioner, Thiery Breton who has joined other world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to express genuine concern about the implications of what these business

moguls are doing to Trump. But the import should not be lost on us: There are enough power centres (public and private) in the United States to deal with any emerging dictatorship.

Can we say the same of Nigeria or for that matter any other country in Africa?

Yes, it is true that the overwhelmingly white Trump mob breached national security at the Capitol and further exposed contradictions within the American society. At the same time, they damaged their country’s global brand.

Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential aspirant and Philip H. Gordon, a former White House coordinator for the Middle East in the Obama administration, wrote in their joint article for Foreign Policy magazine in July last year, “Trump has abandoned multiple treaties and agreements, undermined the credibility of U.S. defense guarantees, bullied and belittled allies, and cozied up to dictators who threaten those allies and the United States” with the result that he will now be bequeathing “a world in which the United States is less safe, less respected, and less able to deal with the enormous challenges it faces: climate change, pandemics, refugees, cyberattacks, election interference, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, modern technology, and the rise of China.”

For those who read their scripts upside down, this is not PR for America. What I am saying is that it is not our business to take Augmentin for their Covid-19. That is Biden’s problem now.

What should pre-occupy us on the continent are the lessons we can take from Trump’s failed attempt to use unconstitutional means to hold on to power and the pushback he got from the system. It is especially important in a year that no fewer than 21 African countries will be holding national elections. Ten of those 2021 elections include presidential. It begins today in Uganda where the incumbent Yoweri Museveni—who has been in power since 1986—is seeking re-election for the seventh time. Museveni of course will play Trump and we all know what the outcome will be!

There is no system that is entirely fool-proof from the subversion of any leader who is bent on imposing his warped values. But as we have also seen from the example of Trump, where the institutions are strong and there are enough good people to challenge the excesses of such leaders and their enablers, the rule of law will prevail. Rather than mock America over the mob attack at the Capitol, I would rather we learn from the experience. No matter how badly battered and shaken by Trump’s excesses, there is evidence that America’s democratic institutions have held through this crisis. Is our own system resilient enough to withstand such autocratic pressure?

I leave readers to ponder over that JAMB question! r0MVTFHVO "EFOJZJ "CVKB

MEXICO AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR

T

he election went south for Donald Trump. Truth is he visits his great wall that has nearly as many holes as his credibility. Since his election 452 miles have been built at a cost of 15 billion so far or just over three million dollars a mile.

So there must be some very well paid fence builders and if they finish the other 1500 or so miles they will be able to retire wealthy.

In time all that will be left is small bit of wall left which might be graffitied by a black marker pen saying “I won but they stole it” and “Trump 2024, 2028, 2032…” but they will all be crossed out.

Visit the border but just stay on the Mexican side until they pay for it. r%FOOJT 'JU[HFSBME .FMCPVSOF "VTUSBMJB

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THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

Court Halts Trial of Adeyanju, 49 Others on Alleged Promotion of #ENDSARS Protest Alex Enumah inAbuja Justice Bello Kawu of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Kubwa, Abuja yesterday halted the trial of Mr. Deji Adeyanju and 49 others accused of promoting the #ENDSARS protest that rocked the entire country last October.

Justice Kawu halted trial of the defendants in a ruling on an exparte application brought

by Adeyanju.

Following a Direct Criminal Complaint filed by the Police last November, Magistrate Omolola Akindele of a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja had ordered the Commissioner of Police in the FCT to investigate the role played by

the defendants in the protest that led to the loss of dozens of lives and property worth billions of naira across states in the federation.

An activist, Kenechukwu Okeke who filed the complaint had alleged that during the riot, his property were destroyed, insisting that the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS protests must be brought to justice.

Ruling in the application, the magistrate gave the police two weeks to investigate the matter and send a report for proper adjudication.

But Adeyanju in a suit marked: FCT/HC/BW/M/545/2020 filed on behalf of himself and 49 others is challenging the suit at the Magistrate Court.

In a motion exparte filed on January 13, 2021, the applicant prayed the court for an order granting him leave to issue and serve on the defendants, which include Okeke, Nigeria Police Force and CP FCT “an application for judicial review against the proceedings of Magistrate Akindele.

He also prayed for another order of transfer of the entire proceedings of the case file and

the Direct Criminal Complaint.

Adeyanju urged that if the orders are granted by the High Court then it should “serve as a stay of proceedings on the Direct Criminal Complaint of Akindele in the suit of kenechukwu Okeke against Adeyanju and 49 others in the suit number CR/49/2020”.

He further urged that if the order is made it should “restrain the defendants from taking any further steps, arresting and or

taking unconstitutional/illegal steps in the form of any guise as it concerns the subject matter before this court as it concerns all parties in the proceedings as referred to as Direct Criminal Complaint of Magistrate Akindele.

Justice Kawu after reading through the motion exparte and the 15 paragraph affidavit of one Dino Ihuman as well as argument by Ihensekhien Samuel Jnr, granted the orders

as prayed and adjourned to February 25 for hearing of the main suit.

Among the defendants are; Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi; Musician Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy; David Adeleke, otherwise known as Davido; Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz; and social media comedians, Debo Adebayo, aka Mr. Macaroni and Maryam Apaokagi, aka Taoma.

Afenifere, Gbajabiamila Hail Alaafin on 50TH Anniversary on the Throne Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and the pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, have congratulated the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, on his 50th anniversary on the throne.

Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, in a statement issued yesterday said Afenifere is delighted to congratulate the monarch who was coronated on January 14, 1971 at the age of 31 to succeed the late Alaafin Ladigbolu.

According to him, the Alaafin in 50 years has brought peculiar gravitas and character to the throne, adding that he is a great pride to Yoruba at home and abroad.

“We proudly celebrate his golden years and pray that

God will keep him for many more years in dedicated service that we are proud of always.

May Iku reign for long in full health and his coast enlarged.

“We cannot but mention in particular the peculiar leadership Baba provided for the Yoruba in the dark days of Sani Abacha when evil walked over Nigeria unhinged”.

Also, in a statement issued yesterday, Gbajabiamila said since his ascension to the throne 50 years ago, the Alaafin has been a source of inspiration not just to the people of the Oyo Kingdom but also to the entire nation.

The Speaker noted how Alaafin became an embodiment of peace and unity among Nigerians in the last 50 years.

He said the people of Oyo kingdom are lucky to have Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III as their leader.

DEEPENING TIES...

Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Joanna Tarnawaskar (left), and Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr. Mohammed Abdullahi, during the diplomat’s visit to the minister in Abuja…yesterday

Again, Bandits Kill Three Persons in Kaduna John Shiklam in Kaduna Three people have been killed by bandits in separate attacks on two communities in Chikun and Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna.

He said the killings took place in Gwagwada area and Garu village in Chikun and Igabi LGAs, respectively.

The statement said in Gwagwada, one hunter was

confirmed dead in the forest following a clash with the bandits, while one other hunter sustained injuries from gunshots.

He said the bandits invaded Garu village in the early hours of yesterday, killing two people.

The commissioner, however said, troops under “Operation Thunder Strike” have continued with fight against banditry in the state.

“Troops under the auspices of Operation Thunder Strike have continued fighting patrols in Gwagwada general area of Chikun Local Government

Area, which connects with the Kaduna-Abuja highway,” he said.

According to Aruwan, “an operational feedback to the Kaduna State Government revealed that the troops conducted clearance patrols to Napayako and Dajin Wuya, during which several bandit camps were destroyed.”

He said, “The patrol followed an earlier attack by bandits on hunters in the forest, when two hunters were left with gunshot wounds.

“During the clearance operation, the troops mobilised

to the location with some hunters who escaped the prior attack.

“While the camps were dislodged, one of the wounded hunters, Yohanna Yakubu, was found. The other hunter, Isuwa Tanko, was eventually confirmed dead.”

The commissioner said in another “sad development, armed bandits attacked Garu village of Igabi Local Government Area in the early hours of today (Wednesday), killing two locals - Aliyu Daiyabu and Safiyanu Muhammad”.

Lokoja yesterday in Lokoja, the state capital.

Bello noted that with the election of the professor of international relations to pilot the affairs of the Ndigbo, it has sent a strong message to the rest of the country, and indeed the world, that they remain willing to find common grounds with any other group ready to reciprocate their gesture.

He said the only thing left for the erudite Professor Obiozor, a former Nigerian ambassador to Cyprus, Israel and the United States, to do is to chart a

progressive path for Ohanaeze, “which accommodates Nigeria’s diversity and democracy, and he would find that all people of goodwill stand ready to cooperate with him.”

Bello noted that charity begins at home, explaining that more important than any outside support is the support that the new Ohanaeze leadership will get from its own people.

He, therefore, called on all Igbo people to rally round their new leaders, even as he promised to visit him physically soon in the spirit of true brotherliness.

Bello said the struggle to entrench democracy deeper into the fabric of the Nigerian society is a team sport, noting that Ndigbo remains one of the Most Valuable Players (MVP) on the field, just as he repeated his famous quote: ‘Ndigbo need Nigeria as much as Nigeria needs Ndigbo’.

The governor pledged the support of his administration for the new Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership, pointing out that Kogi State shares many similarities with Ndigbo, including contiguous territories, language and culture.

Mother, Son, Docked in Lagos over Alleged Assault Yahaya Bello Hails Emergence of Obiozor as Ohanaeze President on Policeman Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A 45-year-old woman, Aminat Salami and her son, Abiodun Salami, 22, yesterday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly beating up a police officer.

The defendants, who reside at Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Olasunkanmi Adejumola, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on January 6, at their residence.

He said that the defendants and one other person still at large, assaulted and willfully obstructed ASP Osadiaye Aifeshi, while on official duty.

Adejumola said the complainant went to the defendants’ house to arrest one Nurudeen Salami, for the perversion of justice by failing to produce a suspect he stood surety for at the station.

He said the defendants obstructed the complainant from arresting Nurudeen, who is the husband to the

first defendant.

Adejumola said the defendants assaulted the complainant during the arrest leading to escape of Nurudeen.

The prosecutor said that the defendants were arrested.

He said the offences violated Sections 174 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants, however, denied committing the offences.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. A. Odubayo, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Odubayo said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

She then adjourned the case until February 3, for mention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Section 174 stipulates three years jail term for assault while Section 411 prescribes two years for conspiracy.

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has commended the republican nature of the Igbo people, which he said was again on display in the recent election of a renowned diplomat, Professor George Obiozor, as the president-general to lead the prestigious apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

This commendation was made in a statement signed by Bello’s Chief Press Secretary, Muhammed Onogwu, a copy of which was made available to journalists in

Sanwo-Olu Swears in Two High Court Judges Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged members of the Lagos State Judiciary, to remain an example of equity, fairness and do their work with integrity at the highest level The governor, who promised that his administration would not be deterred or shy away from its responsibilities to make life more comfortable for

judges in Lagos State, reassured members of the judiciary that his government would continue to accord them the necessary support required to discharge their duties diligently to the people of the State.

Speaking during the swearing in of a 51-year-old Deputy Chief Registrar (Special Duties) Lagos Division, Mrs. Olubukola Florence Aigbokhaevbo and

40-year-old legal practitioner, Mr. Rahman Adesola Oshodi, as High Court Judges in Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu said the judges earned their nominations and appointments to the High Court of the state based on their sterling credentials and experience in their respective areas of engagement.

He said: “We have enjoyed tremendous support from the

judiciary led by the Chief Judge who constantly brings forward leadership that is second to none. And the least we can do is to continue to ensure that we give that arm of government all they require to continue to administer justice, to be the voice for the voiceless and to continue to let our citizens believe that Lagos State Judiciary is working well for all of them.

THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

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24 HOURS...

24 HOURS...

Vested Interests Delaying Passage of PIB, Ex-NNPC Scribe Alleges Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja A former Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, has disclosed that the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), is being delayed by vested interests within and outside the country.

Omorogbe, who appeared on Arise Television yesterday, declared that the journey of the bill which commenced about 20 years ago had been tortuous because many of the decision makers were putting

their interests above that of the country.

Omorogbe, who is a serving professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal studies (NIALS), argued that the rest of the world was leaving Nigeria behind and noted that the country’s oil asset is losing its value with increasing attention to renewable sources of energy.

The President of the Senate, Mr. Ahmad Lawan, also said on Tuesday that there were forces against the bill, declaring that “the demons will be defeated this year.

“The PIB is like a demon.

People, both within and outside the country, are ready to work against it as they have been doing for the past 14 years, but the 9th Senate and by extension, 9th National Assembly, will defeat the demon with the current bill before both chambers.”

But Omorogbe maintained that although Lawan did not mention names, he was perhaps talking about vested interests, including even within the national assembly.

“There are huge vested interests and it’s these vested interests that

have militated against the passage of the bill for a long time. We have been on this for about 20 year, from when the first oil and gas sector implementation committee (OGSIC) was created by former President Olusegun Obasanjo at the time.

“We worked on the oil and gas policy. We continued until 2006, then when the late President, Umar Yar’adua came in, the OGSIC was reconstituted. It was given the mandate to push the reform. I was part of the 2008 OGSIC.

“When I got in and I found out that there were huge interests and a lot of the interests were internal interests at that time militating against its passage.

The senate president did not tell us what the demons are or what their names are or where they are located, but my strong guess is that it is the same interest concentrated in Nigeria.

“Some are external that are working against the passage of the deal. We are still waiting for the passage, forgetting that that the passage of that law is the

beginning of reforms not the end,” Omorogbe said.

She argued that the bill is doable, but “if there are clauses there that we cannot live with, we can try to amend these clauses or work with them in some way.

“But to have an industry that is so important to us, being operated under obsolete laws that cannot assist the people of Nigeria is just untenable. These interests are not for Nigeria, otherwise the bill would have been passed by now.

NUT Directs Edo Primary School Teachers to Commence Indefinite Strike Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city

Primary school teachers in Edo State will next Monday embark on an indefinite strike to press home their demands from the state government.

The move to commence the industrial action was contained in a communique issued by the state council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) enlarged State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) on January 12, 2021, in Benin-city.

The union had on December 8 and December 29, 2020, issued 21-day and 14-day ultimatum respectively to the state government to meet and fulfill all its financial and other entitlements.

Some of the demands of the union include the payment of the 2013 to 2015 promotion

arrears of teachers in Oredo, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Local Government Areas.

Others are reinforcement and guarantee on the payment of primary school teachers monthly salaries on or before the 27th of every month as already directed by the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki; correct the implementation of the 30 percent Special Allowance for Teachers in schools for challenged children and all arrears paid among others.

The communique signed by the state Chairman, Pius Okhueleigbe; the Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty-Itua, and three others, said the ordered to embark on an indefinite strike was as a result of the failure of the state government to meet its 10-points long-age demands.

Borno Recruits Additional 40 Medical Doctors Michael Olugbode inMaiduguri Borno State Governor, Prof.

Babagana Zulum, has ordered the recruitment of additional 40 medical doctors.

The order was aimed at providing adequate doctors to meet the growing health care needs of the state with increasing population.

The decision was coming four months after the governor had approved the recruitment of 594 health workers-86 medical doctors, 365 nurses and midwives, 45 pharmacists and 100 health technicians and other supportive staff. Zulum, announced his latest approval for 40 doctors after last

Tuesday’s meeting with the chief executives of seven public hospitals and related institutions located in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area of the state. The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was centred on improving health care system and ensure effective and qualitative service delivery to the people of the state in accordance with the policy thrust of the Zulum-led administration.

After the meeting, the governor undertook an assessment of the state Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri, and directed the construction of additional ward to decongest the already overcrowded facility.

Ekiti Recruits 600 Primary School Teachers logging onto the state website.

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has released the names of 600 newly recruited primary school teachers on the state website.

The SUBEB Chairman, Prof.

Femi Akinwumi, who made this known in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday, explained that the newly engaged teachers were the first batch to be employed from successful applicants in the recruitment exercise and documentation process carried out by SUBEB recently.

Akinwumi, therefore, advised applicants to check the list by

He said the 600 successful applicants as well as the already notified 100 newly recruited teachers under the Federal Teachers Scheme would undergo a four-day induction training workshop from January 18, 2021, at designated centres across the state under strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocols recently announced by the state government.

The board boss added that the venues for the induction training programme and other relevant information would be made available to the successful candidates in due course.

ALL EYES ON SOLID MINERALS...

Executive Chairman, Oyo State Mineral Development Agency, Mr. Biodun Oni (left), and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Olamilekan Adegbite, during the presentation of the preliminary survey plan of the proposed International Gemstone Buying Centre to the minister in Ibadan …yesterday

Delta Unveils 378-man Special Constabulary for Community Policing Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba Delta State Government yesterday expressed its readiness to ensure the effective community policing of the state with the public presentation of a 378-member of Special Constabulary, comprising the trainees, who recently graduated from a special training exercise in the state.

Making the presentation at the Community Policing Sensitisation

Awareness Campaign held in Asaba, the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, said the new approach to community policing was prompted by the unacceptable increase in crime rate in the country.

Okowa, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Chiedu Ebie, charged the special constabularies to see their engagement as a clarion call to undertake the onerous

task of helping to secure their respective communities.

According to the governor, “Today’s sensitisation/awareness campaign is underscored by the need to bring to the fore the roles and duties of the 378 newly trained Special Constabularies, who will be deployed in their various local communities in the state, where invariably they would cultivate closer ties and affinity with community leaders, and hopefully ensure the security

of citizens at the local level.

“You will recall that not too long ago, this same venue played host to leaders of the South-south region, the Inspector-General of Police and the police high command in the form of a town hall meeting and interactive session where issues of security were extensively discussed, and the IG rolled out his plans on the concept of community policing in the face of rising insecurity and crime.

Bauchi Police Parade 22 Suspects for Allegedly Organising Sex Party, Engaging in Theft Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi The Bauchi State Police Command has paraded 22 persons in connection with offences bordering on thuggery, phone snatching, indecent acts and organising sex party in Dass Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Lawan Tanko Jimeta, who stated this while parading

the suspects at the command’s headquarter yesterday in Bauchi, said the command received intelligence report from Dass LGA which led to the successful arrest of the syndicates.

The state police boss, who was represented by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ahmed Wakil, also said: “The syndicates gained notoriety for thuggery, phone snatching and indecent acts, including sex

parties. The command raised a team of detectives led by the commander of Rapid Response Squad, who immediately embarked on a round the clock operation which resulted in their apprehension.

“The police command sustained unwavering efforts towards combating crimes in the state are paying off as the state is gradually becoming crime-free.”

In his confession, one of the suspects, Idris Abdullahi, 20, who spoke to journalists, denied having hand in organising the sex party in Dass LGA. Abdullahi said prior to his arrest, he usually indulged in minor theft, stressing that he has since retired.

“I have no hand in the sex party in Dass LGA. I did not even attend the party. I was at home when I was arrested.

Jegede, PDP Close Case at Ondo Election Petition Tribunal

James Sowole in Akure

Against all expectations, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the October 10, 2020, governorship election in Ondo State, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, yesterday closed their case before the state Election Petition Tribunal.

Jegede had approached the tribunal to challenge the

declaration of the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The PDP candidate in the petition alleged that Akeredolu was not validly nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fly the party’s flag.

Jegede also alleged that the

election was characterised by some irregularities, which made the declaration of Akeredolu as the winner invalid.

The PDP candidate, who listed 400 witnesses and many exhibits, was the first to give evidence before the tribunal last Tuesday.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Jegede and the PDP stunned the people

in the courtroom, when they announced that they were no longer interested in calling further witnesses.

The counsel to the PDP candidate and the PDP, Onyeachi Ikpeazu, SAN, said they were no longer interested in calling further witnesses aside Jegede, who was in the witness box last Tuesday.

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POLITICS

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

‘There is Practically no Governance in all Rural Communities Across the Country’ Chuks Okocha holds a dialogue with Dr. Umar Ardo an aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on the leadership crisis that has become the hallmark of President Muhammadu Buhari

W

hat was the campaign slogan of President Mohammadu Buhari in the 2015 campaigns?

In 2015, the campaign slogan of APC’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, was ‘APC Sak’. By this, Buhari was urging the electorate, especially of Northern Nigeria, to vote APC all through from top to bottom. In return, he promised that the ensuing APC government he would head will solve the teething problems of the country. Specifically, he named economy, insecurity and corruption as priority areas. From one campaign lecture to the other, the APC presidential candidate was hard on the PDP, accusing the then governing party of destroying the fabric of the Nigerian society in its 16 years rule. Understandably, majority of the electorate believed him and, particularly the electorate of Northern Nigeria (except for the lone state of Taraba), voted ‘APC SAK’. At the return of all election results, APC won the presidency, 24 state governors and almost 2/3 seats in the National and S state assemblies. Thus, Buhari was elected president; and by that, Nigerians had fulfilled their own side of the social contract. Having been installed to power, it is then the turn of President Buhari, as head of the APC regime, to fulfill the promises made to the Nigerian electorate.

Could it be said that he has achieved the letter and spirit of the slogan in view of what is going on now?

Nearly six years in office, with less than two and a half years to go, it is clear that the President Buhari-led APC administration has failed to fulfill its core promises. The facts are indisputable.

To start with, the economy has not improved; rather, it virtually collapsed. The national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), representing the total value of all economic activities in the country, has nosed-dived and remained down, pushing the country into almost a state of permanent recession.

With the value of the Naira plummeting to an exchange rate of N475 to $1, and the resulting inflation sending many Nigerians below poverty line into state of deprivation and destitution, Nigeria is pronounced the Poverty Capital of the World.

On insecurity, the situation is no better. In fact, like the economy, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only that the dreaded Boko Haram insurgency is still rampaging, pillaging and killing like never before, thus belying government’s claims of ‘technically defeating’ the terrorist group, and Abubakar Shekau, it’s leader, releasing videoclips showcasing his prowess and mocking government and the President, again belying the Nigerian military’s several claims of killing him, but also the group has grown in power and influence, transforming into what is now known as The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). From its main base in the Lake Chad region, ISWAP has intensified its fierce and deadly guerrilla war, carving a territory to itself, setting up governance, imposing levies and taxes, facilitating commerce and cultivating support among local inhabitants. In addition, banditry, kidnappings, internecine communal genocides, cultism, highway robberies, militancy, etc. have become common phenomena in virtually all states of the federation, overwhelming the country’s security system. To all intents and purposes, nobody and nowhere is safe as there is practically no governance in all rural communities across the country.

Recognizing this fact, many communities and states of the country had to establish their own local militias and security units to

Ardo

protect themselves. Consequently, Nigeria is ranked No.3 on the list of world’s most terrorized nations.

How has the administration fared in tackling corruption?

The same failure is as well evident in the fight against corruption. With the appointment of Ibrahim Magu, the head of the EFCC, the key anti-corruption agency, in contravention of the law, the fight against corruption started on a wrong footing.

On account of security reports accusing him of corruption, thus denting his moral integrity to prosecute the war, the Senate declined to confirm his nomination as required by law. Still, the President put him in office for about five years, thus calling to question the sincerity of the administration’s commitment to fight corruption. Not surprisingly, Magu himself ended up being further accused by his supervising minister, Abubakar Malami, of re-looting recovered corruption loots and ignominiously removed from office. In

effect, the twin evils of bribery and corruption continued to thrive unabated under the Buhari-led APC regime. Hence, all over the country, persons on corruption charges are roaming about free. Many have even bribed themselves back into public offices either in elective or appointive capacities.

There are also widespread outrageous opened displays of stupendous wealth by several serving public officers, including the president’s family members and close associates, hitherto living from hand-tomouth, suggesting corrupt enrichments within the new government.

To what extent can this be linked to the leadership ability of the President?

Aside from these core issues, there are also many other aspects of our national life that have similarly deteriorated under the Buhari administration, principal of which is ethical decay. What is morally wrong, has today become politically right. But one needs not list instances, for they are endless! For a regime that promised so

The failing in President Buhari’s leadership style is temporization. The President hardly takes decisions on virtually every issue. In fact, it looks as if the President hates taking decisions at all until compelled to do so. We have seen that in him time and again on even the most serious issues, including the formation of his cabinet, acting on corruption allegations against his appointees, changing his Service Chiefs, injecting capable hands into government, etc. Not that long period of procrastination necessarily gives cause to taking right decisions, or decisiveness leads to taking bad decisions, but temporization is hardly a virtue in the books of leadership. In fact, as the saying goes, the more easy it is for a leader to do nothing, the harder it is for him to achieve anything

much and delivered so little on all scores, the bloom, as botanists would say, is well off the roses in its garden.

This dismal failure to deliver, in my opinion, is as a result of six major failings in leadership.

First, there is incapacity to provide strong and decisive leadership by President Buhari himself. Even though the regime’s apologists would tend to blame these failings on the enormity of the misdeeds of past regimes, or the dislocated structures of our society, the real reason is lack of leadership’s firmness, confidence and direction from the President. Almost any problem can be successfully resolved if there is effective leadership at the top. All that is required is the force of personal leadership, and this is manifestly lacking in President Buhari.

After nearly six years on the saddle, a clearer pattern of the President’s leadership style is deducible. He can rightly be termed as a passive leader – one who allows problems to solve themselves, refusing to intervene even when it is absolutely necessary! Given that problems don’t solve themselves, it ultimately requires direction and prodding of the leadership.

Principles and practices of good leadership demand for one dominant unifying purpose – to facilitate clear decisions and enable prompt, efficient execution of those decisions. Yes, some decree of collective decision-making of the cabinet on critical national issues is necessary, but such collective decisions still need a single leading mind that keeps close control and supervision of the overall strategic objectives and direction of government.

This entails the leader taking full charge and responsibility for the act and outcome of whatever events government sets in motion. Where this is lacking then there is a problem. And this is simply absent in President Buhari’s leadership.

Second, even in organizing for collective decisions, President Buhari exhibits another serious leadership deficit. Over the years, it became all too clear that there is lack of harmony and coordination among the various segments and agencies of the executive organ headed by him. There have been conflicts and acrimony among members of the government that affected the regime’s general output. In all these the president prefers to let his appointees thrash out issues and settle differences and disagreements themselves, with minimum or no intervention from him.

This is a wrong approach to leadership, as harmony and cooperation are bench phrases for a successful government, the role of the leader in ensuring this condition is essential.

All these boils down to little value of ideas and innovations. What is your take?

President Buhari seems to have little value for ideas and innovations. The essence of collective decision-making in a government is to aggregate various ideas from cabinet members with a view to evolving the best policy option for problems at hand. As we all know, there are plenty of good ideas out there if only they can be listened to and harnessed into use. Ministers to pass through his Chief of Staff in dealing, communicating and meeting with him. Needless to say, this is a bureaucratic process that will deliver nothing but mediocrity. A serious leader must evaluate and guide firsthand the initiatives of his appointees. In a situation where another appointee becomes responsible for evaluating and deciding on policy initiatives of other appointees, Continued on page 19

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POLITICS

‘There is Practically no Governance in all Rural Communities Across the Country’

Ardo

not only an unnecessary bureaucratic bottleneck is created but the process also diminishes the zeal, confidence and energy of the appointee concerned, ultimately hindering the general policy outputs of government. Naturally, this lack of direct evaluation and guidance of the president on the initiatives of his appointees will render the government slow, weak and bankrupt in ideas, and in policy formulation and implementation. Consequently, nothing will be properly or usefully designed and decided, as all initiatives and energy are paralyzed. Under such a situation nothing much can be achieved.

Can it be said that there is absence of good understanding and team work in the federal cabinet?

Whatever efforts put forth by other members of the government are mired in confusion from the outset owing chiefly to lack of good understanding of the real issues at play, thereby resulting in poor policy options and choices. The reason being that most of the personnel appointed do not fit the offices they occupy. Sourcing the right personnel to occupy key offices of government is no doubt important, but the refinement of the personnel to fit the offices they are assigned to is even more important. To this end, sufficient thought ought to be given in matching the character of the individual appointee with the demands of the office assigned to him or her. In this, President Buhari also failed measurably. A purposeful leadership must always have its policy makers strive to conceive and implement new initiatives so as to create and maintain positive momentum for the government. And this can only happen if the right persons hold the right offices.

From the look of things, it looks that the President doesn’t like taking decisions until compelled to do so?

The failing in President Buhari’s leadership style is temporization. The President hardly takes decisions on virtually every issue. In fact, it looks as if the President hates taking decisions at all until compelled

to do so. We have seen that in him time and again on even the most serious issues, including the formation of his cabinet, acting on corruption allegations against his appointees, changing his Service Chiefs, injecting capable hands into government, etc. Not that long period of procrastination necessarily gives cause to taking right decisions, or decisiveness leads to taking bad decisions, but temporization is hardly a virtue in the books of leadership. In fact, as the saying goes, the more easy it is for a leader to do nothing, the harder it is for him to achieve anything. A good leader must be decisive; he must abhor procrastination, temporization and equivocation. A critical virtue of an effective leader is ‘to ponder, then act and take full responsibility’. We have seen this virtue in President Obasanjo; for whatever may be said of Obasanjo’s leadership faults, he was undoubtedly, to his eternal credit, at least a decisive leader. President Buhari is not!

Arising from all the above, there is lack of strategic imagination on the need to and ways of breaking out of this stalemate.

These latter failings are directly related to the first – leadership failure at the top!

What then is Chik?

These manifest deficiencies, other than bringing the country to a complete halt (Chik), are both unsuited to the active requirements of a country in dire need of peace, economic growth and political stability, and uninspiring, discouraging and disappointing to zealous and devoted politicians, intellectuals, bureaucrats, patriotic citizens, etc. who are eager to see Nigeria leap forward into a developed world in the 21st century. I concede, however, that consequences of leadership failure may vary with the severity of the situation on ground. If, for example, institutions in the polity are strong and social conditions fairly stable, like in the United States, leadership failure may not be so disastrous.

We have just seen that in President Donald Trump’s leadership failures. But if the polity is weak with fragile institutions, demanding drastic changes and innovations to fix, like the Nigerian situation now and in 2015, under such circumstances, failure to provide strong, visionary and inspirational leadership to actively lead the country through the needed changes would be catastrophic.

But in both instances, leadership failure erodes a key characteristic of effective governance – trust! Good leadership creates conditions of trust by making clear mission and achieving it. Failures therefore erode people’s trust and make it impossible for the leader to succeed. Therefore, without a drastic change in President Buhari’s leadership capacity and style, I am afraid his presidency will be for Nigeria just another eight years of squandered time and resources that offered no solutions for salvaging the country, redeeming and securing her future. The regime will be, as Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, would say, “like a cloud that passes on without dropping rain.”

The same failure is as well evident in the fight against corruption. With the appointment of Ibrahim Magu, the head of the EFCC, the key anti-corruption agency, in contravention of the law, the fight against corruption started on a wrong footing. On account of security reports accusing him of corruption, thus denting his moral integrity to prosecute the war, the Senate declined to confirm his nomination as required by law. Still, the President put him in office for about five years, thus calling to question the sincerity of the administration’s commitment to fight corruption. Not surprisingly, Magu himself ended up being further accused by his supervising minister, Abubakar Malami, of re-looting recovered corruption loots and ignominiously removed from office

DISSENTING VOICE...IN HIS OWN WORDS

Igbo Elites at it Again

Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko, Founder, Igbo Youth Movement blames certain Igbo leaders for the seeming neglect of Igbos in Nigeria

F

or close to five decades, the Igbo elite and political class have unsuccessfully struggled to carry along the masses of Ndigbo in t h e q u e s t f o r g ro u p i d e n t i t y i n Nigeria. Because, they have been trading away the rights and future of Ndigbo for peanuts and crumbs for decades. Ndigbo and Igboland have suffered a great deal of neglect a n d d e n i a l , d u e t o t h e g re e d a n d selfishness of Igbo leaders over the years.

Igbo elders and leadership c a d re c o n s i s t e n t l y b u n g l e e v e r y opportunity to earn the trust of t h e p e o p l e , b y g re e d i l y p l a c i n g t h e i r s e l f i n t e re s t o v e r a n d a b o v e g ro u p i n t e re s t .

Early in this new year 2021, they have not disappointed. Same old song of greed and endless internal squabbles .

T h e e l e c t i o n o f o ff i c e r s i n t o t h e Ohanaeze leadership, has, once again exposed the selfishness and s e l f c e n t e re d a t t i t u d e o f t h e I g b o political and contractor class, t h a t i s l a rg e l y re s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e abysmal performance of Ndigbo i n t h e p o w e r p l a y i n t h e l a rg e r Nigerian playfield.

M o s t l y f a i l e d p o l i t i c i a n s c re e p i n g o u t o f t h e i r c re v i c e s t o a s p i re l e a d i n g N d i g b o , p ro b a b l y a f t e r e n t e r i n g i n t o d i s c re e t d e a l s w i t h their Northern masters, all for 2023 elections.

First of all, all the sudden intere s t a n d b i c k e r i n g i s p u re l y a b o u t 2023 elections and not about the l o v e o f N d i g b o n o r re a d i n e s s o r commitment to make sacrifices for Ndigbo.

Secondly, most of the actors maki n g n o i s e a re a c t u a l l y s h a m e l e s s vassals and agents of external p o l i t i c a l f o rc e s .

L a s t l y, t h e y s h o u l d b e t o l d i n no uncertain terms, to shut up and stop disturbing the peace of Igboland forthwith, as nobody is fooled by their nauseating pretentious shenanigans.

Ohanaeze has yet to earn the trust and confidence of the masses of Ndigbo. Ohanaeze is still work in progress. Ohanaeze has not become s t ro n g e n o u g h t o w i t h s t a n d t h e sort of internal squabbles this pretenders are precipitating now.

The most hurting of all, is the fact that the Igbo leaders battling for the control of the soul of Ohanaeze t o d a y, a re a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y g o i n g to bungle the political chances of Ndigbo, as usual, come 2023, as they have never been able to ever get anything right in the past.

Disturbing the peace of Igboland, bickering over Ohanaeze elections and splitting themselves i n t o t h re e f a c t i o n s o f d e s p e r a t e political hustlers, is nauseating and a clear confirmation that they do not give a hoot about Igbo interest a n d I g b o u n i t y.

For decades, over 80% of Ndigbo have remained disappointed with and suspicious of Igbo leaders and their endless gambits, especially w i t h t h e p re c a r i o u s c o n d i t i o n o f Ndigbo in Nigeria. Now same Igbo leaders who expect respect and support from the people, have broken Ohanaeze into three factions. What example are they setting for their c h i l d re n ? S a d .

The untidy and undignified desperation to lead Ndigbo, who by the way, remain the most disad-

Ugochukwu-Ugo

vantaged people in Nigeria, tells so much about the Igbo elite club.

T h e i r i n a b i l i t y t o o rg a n i s e p e a c e ful elections, sadly makes them unqualified to demand respect and f o l l o w i n g f ro m t h e p e o p l e . T h a t they are desperately breaking into factions just for the sake of 2023 elections, confirms that Ndigbo are in big trouble. So unfortunate.

It is disheartening to note that these elders seem unaware that the younger generation of Ndigbo are c o m p l e t e l y t i re d a n d f r u s t r a t e d w i t h t h e i r s e l f c e n t e re d h u s t l i n g t h a t h a s b ro u g h t N d i g b o o n l y h u m i l i a t i o n a n d d i s re s p e c t .

T h e t i m e h a s c o m e f o r t h e t ru t h t o b e t o l d . T h e s e g ro v e l l i n g a n d grumbling characters should kindly shut up and rally round the winner of the Owerri election. They should stop embarrassing Ndigbo. They m u s t re a l i s e t h a t I g b o m a s s e s a re merely tolerating them and theref o re , s h o u l d n ’ t p u s h t h e i r l u c k .

They ought to know that the only wise thing to do now is to place g ro u p i n t e re s t a b o v e s e l f i n t e re s t a n d r a l l y ro u n d P ro f G e o rg e O b i o z o r.

C re a t i n g f a c t i o n s u p a n d d o w n and ruining the future of the younger generation in their insatiable g re e d f o r p o w e r, w i l l d e f i n i t e l y earn them the wrath of Igbo youths.

They have held Igboland hostage for decades, same group are responsible for the sorry state of Ndigbo and Igboland. Obstinately trudging the path disorderlinese and chaos at this historic moment of Igbo re n a i s s a n c e a n d re s u rg e n c e , m a y lead to unexpected consequences.

T h i s g ro u p o f l e a d e r s m u s t b e told that they certainly have no divine rights to continue holding Igboland and Ndigbo down p e r p e t u a l l y.

Finally, nobody is begging them.

T h e y a re r a t h e r, b e i n g o rd e re d to shut up, if they know what is good for them and rally round the winner of the Owerri Ohanaeze e l e c t i o n s , t o p re p a re f o r t h e t a s k ahead, unless of course they have b e e n p re t e n d i n g a l l a l o n g a b o u t their South-east President project a n d t h e re s t r u c t u r i n g a g e n d a .

They have wreaked enough havoc in Igboland, now they are gearing u p t o d e s t ro y t h e f u t u re o f I g b o youths. They should take their time.

They are trying hard to provoke Igbo youths, who are already seething with subdued anger. I may not be kind enough to warn the power mongers again. This statement serves as last warning.

20

THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

INTERNATIONAL

In Historic Move, US House Impeaches Trump Again Pence refuses to invoke 25th Amendment Davidson Iriekpen with agency report The United States House of Representatives last night impeached President Donald Trump for the second time.

Trump was impeached for “incitement of insurrection” at last week’s Capitol riot.

The vote to impeach the president passed the Democraticcontrolled House 232 to 197, with 10 Republicans voting against the president.

By the latest, he is the first president in US history to be impeached twice.

The impeachment came on the heels of Vice President Mike Pence’s rejection of the calls from House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office.

Trump, a Republican, will now face a trial in the Senate, where if convicted he could face being barred from ever holding office again.

The impeachment measure passed largely along party lines.

Trump is due to leave office on January 20, following his election defeat last November to Democrat Joe Biden.

After several hours of impassioned debate yesterday, the Democratic-controlled House voted. The House is expected to immediately send the article of impeachment to the Senate for them to begin the process of holding a trial to determine whether to convict Trump and potentially bar him from ever running for any office again.

However, it is unlikely that the trial will begin before the Senate plans to reconvene on January 19, just one day before Biden is sworn into office.

Though a majority of conservatives remained loyal to Trump, 10 voted against him.

Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a member of the GOP leadership, was the highest ranking Republican to vote to impeach Trump.

She was joined by John Katko of New York, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan, Peter Meijer of Michigan, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Tom Rice of South Carolina, David Valadao of California, and Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington.

No House Republican voted to impeach Trump during the inquiry earlier in his term that resulted in a Senate acquittal.

Last week, 139 Republicans voted against accepting the result of the 2020 election and Trump’s defeat. The president was accused by Congress of inciting the storming of the Capitol with his January 6 speech to a rally outside the White House.

Following Trump’s remarks, his supporters broke into the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to suspend certification of election results and take shelter.

The building was placed on lockdown and five people died.

The article of impeachment

stated that Trump “repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted”.

It said he then repeated these claims and “willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol”, leading to the violence and loss of life.

“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government.”

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on the House floor: “The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country.

“He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.”

Most Republicans did not seek to defend Mr Trump’s rhetoric, instead arguing that the impeachment had bypassed the customary hearings and calling on Democrats to drop it for the sake of national unity.

“Impeaching the president in such a short time frame would be a mistake,” said Kevin McCarthy, the House’s top Republican.

“That doesn’t mean the president’s free from fault. The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.”

Pence Refuses to Invoke 25th Amendment Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence late on Tuesday rejected calls from Pelosi and House Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office.

Pence said in a letter that he would not invoke the 25th Amendment.

The letter read: “I do not

believe that such a course of action is in the best interest of our nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

The vice president argued that removing Trump with just eight days left of his term in office would not be “in the best interest of our nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

He also defended his decision by pointing out that he had also refused the president’s demands that he overturn the official confirmation of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

“Last week, I did not yield to pressure to exert power beyond my constitutional authority … and I will not yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our nation,” he added.

The vice president also vowed to work together with the incoming Biden administration to “ensure an orderly transition of power.”

British COVID-19 Variant Now in 50 Countries, Says WHO The coronavirus mutation first found in Britain has now spread to 50 territories, according to the World Health Organisation, while a similar South Africanidentified strain has now been found in 20.

The UN body also noted a third new coronavirus “variant of concern” found in Japan may impact upon immune response and needs further investigation.

“The more the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to change.

High levels of transmission mean that we should expect more variants to emerge,” said the WHO. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus which causes Covid-19 disease.

Since first being reported to the WHO on December 14, the British-identified variant VOC

202012/01 has been found in 50 countries, territories and areas, the agency said.

Test results showed the age and sex distribution was similar to that of other circulating variants, while contact tracing data revealed “higher transmissibility (secondary attack rates) where the index case has the variant strain”.

The South African-identified variant 501Y.V2, first reported on December 18, has now been detected in 20 countries, territories and areas.

“From preliminary and ongoing investigations in South Africa, it is possible that the 501Y.V2 variant is more transmissible than variants circulating in South Africa previously,” the WHO weekly report said.

Owner of Daily Telegraph, Barclay, Dies at 86 David Barclay, the secretive British billionaire whose portfolio included The Daily Telegraph newspaper and The Ritz hotel, has died aged 86 after a short illness, his newspaper reported Wednesday.

Barclay and his twin Frederick, described by the daily as “identical in appearance, lifestyle and often even in dress”, built a vast business empire from shipping to retail.

“The Barclay brothers operated as one throughout their active business career while doing their utmost to avoid personal publicity and discourage media scrutiny,” the broadsheet added.

Among those paying tribute to David Barclay was a former employee, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made his name on the newspaper as a Brusselsbashing Europe correspondent, and later a columnist.

“Farewell with respect and admiration to Sir David Barclay who rescued a great newspaper, created many thousands of jobs across the UK and who believed passionately in the independence of this country and what it could achieve,” Johnson tweeted.

The Barclay brothers entered the media industry in 1992 when they bought The European, a weekly newspaper launched two years earlier by the media magnate Robert Maxwell.

They later bought The Scotsman daily before finally realising their ambition of owning Conservative bastion The Daily Telegraph in 2004.

The brothers, long advocates of small government and low taxes, were strong supporters of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, putting her up in their plush Ritz in London during her final days.

President Trump

US Executes Only Woman on Federal Death Row The only female inmate on federal death row in the US, Lisa Montgomery, has been executed for murder.

She received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute stay of execution was lifted by the US Supreme Court.

The case attracted attention because her lawyers argued she was mentally ill and suffered serious abuse as a child.

The 52-year-old strangled a pregnant woman before cutting

out and kidnapping her baby in Missouri in 2004.

Her victim, 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett, bled to death but her baby was safely recovered and returned to her family.

Montgomery is the first female federal inmate to be put to death by the US government in 67 years.

According to witnesses, a woman standing next to Montgomery during the execution process, removed the inmate’s face mask and asked

her if she had any last words.

Montgomery responded “no”, and said nothing else.

She was pronounced dead at 01:31 (06:31 GMT). Montgomery’s lawyer, Kelley Henry, said that everyone who had participated in the execution “should feel shame”.

“The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman,” she said in a statement.

“Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice.”

The latest execution was postponed twice - first by Covid-19, then by a judge - until a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for it to take place in the early hours of Wednesday.

In a dramatic move late on Monday, a judge in Indiana had halted the scheduled injection until a mental competency hearing could be held.

Her lawyers argued that she had been born brain-damaged and was too mentally ill to be executed.

Senegal in Talks to Procure Chinese-made Sinopharm Vaccine Senegal is in talks to acquire 200,000 doses of the Chinesemade Sinopharm vaccine, the government has said, intended as part of an imminent vaccination campaign against Covid-19.

The West African state is already participating in Covax, a global collaboration scheme with pharmaceutical firms to ensure equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

However, Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr said in a video posted on social media

late Tuesday that, separately, Senegal is also in talks with China to procure its Covid-19 vaccine Sinopharm.

The figure of 200,000 doses is a “working basis,” Sarr explained, adding that the ministry intends to begin a roll-out “very soon”.

As with other countries in Africa, Senegal’s infection rate is far below levels reached in the West, having recorded over 21,000 coronavirus cases since March, with 480 deaths.

The poor nation of 16 million

people is nonetheless battling a second wave of Covid-19, which forced the government to impose new restrictions last week.

“As well as Covax, we have to adopt a … national strategy,” Sarr said, explaining that health workers, the elderly and people with comorbidities will be prioritised for vaccination.

Some 20 percent of Senegal’s population are initially expected to be innoculated, he added, but said the

government aimed to become “more ambitious with time”.

Sinopharm says its vaccine is 79 percent effective against the novel coronavirus, a figure lower than those announced by its western competitors Pfizer/ BioNTech and Moderna of 95 and 94 percent respectively.

On Sunday, the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population with Sinopharm — becoming the first African nation to launch a Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

21

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

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

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Quick Takes LBS Appoints Director Executive Education

ICT FORUM

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami (left) and Group Managing Director, VDT Communications, Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, at a technology event organised by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria in Lagos...recently

Brand Owners Urged to Adopt Technology to Sustain Consumers’ Loyalty in 2021 Raheem Akingbolu Companies that fail to effectively leverage on technology to connect with consumers may go under in 2021, experts have predicted.

They have also identified 2021 as a reawakening year for businesses that suffered set back in 2020 following the lockdown and other economic challenges.

Principal Consultant, ADSTRAT BMC Limited, Charles O’Tudor, told THISDAY that companies that want to remain relevant this year must key into what he described as ‘online communities.

He pointed out that the new marketing culture is necessary to build a sustainable interaction platform between consumers and brands.

“Online Communities

MARKETING Customer interaction has many faces. It can take the form of social media comments, instant messages, phone calls, emails, or even through the hashtags on their posts. Aside from these, there’s another kind of customer interaction that helps brand owners reinforce retention—online communities.

“These online communities serve as a platform for their customers to interact with each other. With brand owners taking full cognizant of this in 2021, they can connect well with consumers and create deeper relations between them and the brand they are projecting,” O’Tudor said.

The expert, who described the approach as participatory in nature pointed out that a

research carried out by CMA revealed that 37 per cent of shoppers stick with companies because of online communities.

“Having the option to participate in discussions about a brand makes consumers trust a company more. Consequently, this increases the likelihood of them purchasing from the brand. This was backed by a MarTech study that revealed 2 out of 3 brands with online communities experienced a revenue increase thanks to strong community engagement. Aside from boosting retention, online communities, in a similar light to hashtags, are also a great way to understand the wants and needs of your customers. This reduces the need to extensively monitor social media for trends as you can see what they are

discussing right on your servers,” he added, Another marketing communication expert, Bolaji Okusaga, who described 2021 as a watershed said it’s a year for brand owners to rebuild.

He admitted that 2020 was tough but added that the year has successfully created a new communication architecture that sets the pace for the New Year.

“With experience of 2020, we don’t need anybody to tell us that language of communication has changed and marketing platforms have been altered. In 2021, businesses need to be more strategic in communication to connect with consumers. 2021 is a year to rebuild and this comes with dynamic trends Continued on page 22

Report Highlights Subscription, Identity Fraud as Set Back for MNOs Emma Okonji A report released recently by Mobile World Live, a global multimedia resource platform that offers telecoms information to mobile professionals, has highlighted subscription and identity fraud as areas where mobile network operators (MNOs), including telecoms subscribers, often lose money to fraudsters.

It, however, recommended new ways by which such financial loopholes could be blocked.

The whitepaper showed how a digital identity framework could be the differentiating

TELECOM factor that sets one mobile operator apart in today’s highly competitive mobile market.

Giving details how mobile operators could use digital identity to fight identity and subscription fraud, the whitepaper report explained that subscription and identity fraud accounted for over 30 per cent of the losses faced by mobile network operators.

It predicted that global mobile subscription would rise from 5.1 billion in 2020, to 5.8 billion in 2025, and an increase in mobile devices from eight billion in 2020 to

8.8 billion in 2025.

According to the report, “Today, there are more than 5.1 billion individuals with a mobile subscription and 8 billion devices connected to mobile cellular networks. By 2025, these figures are expected to grow to 5.8 billion and 8.8 billion respectively, and nearly three quarters of internet users around the world will access the web solely via their smartphones.

“Mobile connectivity has been a powerful catalyst of much of the digital transformation taking place across the globe. In addition to facilitating access to countless services

including banking, insurance and e-commerce, mobile connectivity also has the power to bring financial inclusion to the unbanked and underbanked in developing economies. Today, 1.7 billion adults around the world remain unbanked, yet two-thirds of them own a mobile phone that could help them access financial services.”

The report however said before consumers would perform sensitive transactions, they need to trust that their mobile transactions would be protected against potential Continued on page 22

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Ashiru Becomes Ajua Country Head

Ôߢ ÐÜÓÍË˪Ý ØÞÏÑÜËÞÏÎ ßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ âÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏ Ù×ÚËØ㘠ÒËÝ ËØØÙßØÍÏÎ ÞÒÏ ËÎÎÓÞÓÙØ ÙÐ Ü˛ ËãÙ ÝÒÓÜß ËÝ ÓÞÝ ØÏá ÖÏËÎÏÜ ÐÙÜ ÓÑÏÜÓ˲ Ï áËÝ ÐÙÜ×ÏÜÖã ÞÒÏ ÏËÎ ÙÐ ËÜÕÏÞÓØÑ ËÞ ËÓØ ØÏ˛ ÒÏ ÝÞËÜÞ̋ßÚ ÍÙ×ÚËØã ÝÏÏÕÝ ÞÙ ÝÞÜËÞÏÑÓÍËÖÖã ÑÜÙá ÓÞÝ ÓØàÏÝÞ×ÏØÞÝ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØ ×ËÜÕÏÞ ËØÎ ÚÙÝÓÞÓÙØÝ ÞÙ ÒËÜØÏÝÝ ÞÒÏ ÚÙáÏÜ ÙÐ ÓÞÝ ÚÖËÞÐÙÜ× ÞÙ ÏØËÌÖÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝÏÝ ÞÙ ÜÏÞËÓØ ÞÒÏÓÜ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜÝ˪ ÖÙãËÖÞã ËØÎ ÜÏàÏØßÏݲ ÒÏ ËØÎ ÐÙßØÎÏÜ ÙÐ Ôߢ ܲ ÏØÐÓÏÖÎ ÜÓÐÐÓÞÒ˜ ÓØ Ë ÝÞËÞÏ×ÏØÞ ÝËÓν ˫ Ï ËÜÏ ÎÏÖÓÑÒÞÏÎ ÞÙ ÒËàÏ ËãÙ ÝÒÓÜß ËÞ ÞÒÏ ÒÏÖ× ÙÐ ÙßÜ ÙÚÏÜËÞÓÙØÝ ÓØ ÓÑÏÜÓË ËÝ ÒÏ ÌÜÓØÑÝ ÞÜÏ×ÏØÎÙßÝ ËØËÑÏ×ÏØÞ ËØÎ ËÜÕÏÞÓØÑ ÏâÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏ áÓÞÒ ÒÓ× ÞÙ ÞÒÓÝ ÚÓàÙÞËÖ ÜÙÖÏ˛ ˫ Ï ÒËàÏ ÝÓÑØÓÐÓÍËØÞ ÍÙØÐÓÎÏØÍÏ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØ ×ËÜÕÏÞ˜ ËØÎ ËãÙ ÔÙÓØÝ ßÝ ËÞ Ë ÞÓ×Ï ËÝ áÏ ÐÙÍßÝ ÙßÜ ÝÙÖßÞÓÙØÝ áÓÞÒÓØ ÓÑÏÜÓË áÓÞÒ ÝÓÑØÓÐÓÍËØÞ ÓØàÏÝÞ×ÏØÞÝ ÚÖËØØÏÎ ÐÙÜ ͰͮͰͯ˛ ˫ ÒÏ Òß×ËØÝ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ áÙÜÖÎ ÒËàÏ ÖÏËÜØÏÎ Ë ÖÙÞ ÐÜÙ× ÞÒÏ ÍÒËÖÖÏØÑÏÝ ÙÐ ÖËÝÞ ãÏËܘ ËØÎ áÏ ËÞ ÔßË ßØÎÏÜÝÞËØÎ ÒÙá ÍÜÓÞÓÍËÖ ÓÞ ÓÝ ÐÙÜ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝÏÝ ÞÙ ÒËàÏ Ë ÍÙ×ÚÖÏÞÏ ͱʹͮ ÎÏÑÜÏÏ àÓÏá ÙÐ ÞÒÏÓÜ Òß×ËØ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜݲ ˫ Ý ÍÙØàÏØÞÓÙØËÖ ÚÒãÝÓÍËÖ ×ÏËØÝ ÙÐ ËÞÞÜËÍÞÓØÑ ØÏá ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜÝ ÜÏ×ËÓØ ÍÒËÖÖÏØÑÓØј ÓÞ˪Ý àÓÞËÖ ÐÙÜ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝÏÝ ÞÒËÞ áÓÝÒ ÞÙ ÜÏÞËÓØ ÙÜ ÑÜÙá ÜÏàÏØßÏÝ ÞÙ ÒËàÏ Ë ÎÏÏÚ ÍÙØØÏÍÞÓÙØ áÓÞÒ ÞÒÏÓÜ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ ËØÎ ßØÎÏÜÝÞËØÎ ÞÒÏ ÏâÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏÝ ËÞ ÏàÏÜã ÝÞÏÚ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜ ÔÙßÜØÏã ̋ ÞÒÏ ÎÓÑÓÞËÖ ÞÜËØÝÐÙÜ×ËÞÓÙØ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝÏÝ ØÏÏÎ ÞÙ ÍÙ×ÚÏÞÏ ËØÎ ÞÒÜÓàÏ ÓØÞÙ ͰͮͰͯ ËØÎ ÌÏãÙØβ ˬ

US to Boost 5G Rollout

ÒÏ ØÓÞÏÎ ÞËÞÏÝ ̙ ̚ ÑÙàÏÜØ×ÏØÞ ÒËÝ ÌÏÑßØ ÍÙØÝßÖÞÓØÑ ÙØ ÚÙÞÏØÞÓËÖ ËÚÚÜÙËÍÒÏÝ ÞÙ ÝÚßÜ ÎÏàÏÖÙÚ×ÏØÞ ÙÐ ËØ ÙÚÏØ ͳ ÏÍÙÝãÝÞÏט ËÝ ÓÞ ×ÙàÏÝ ÞÙ ÙÐÐÝÏÞ ÚÙÞÏØÞÓËÖ ÓØÞÏÜÙÚÏÜËÌÓÖÓÞã ÓÝÝßÏÝ áÒÓÍÒ ÍÙßÖÎ ÒÓØÎÏÜ ÞÒÏ ÞÏÍÒØÙÖÙÑã˛

Ø Ë ØÙÞÓÍÏ ÙÐ ÓØÛßÓÜ㘠ÞÒÏ ËÞÓÙØËÖ ÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ËØÎ ØÐÙÜ×ËÞÓÙØ Î×ÓØÓÝÞÜËÞÓÙØ ̙ ̚˜ ÝÙßÑÒÞ ÜÏÍÙ××ÏØÎËÞÓÙØÝ ÐÜÙ× ÞÒÏ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÑÙËÖÝ ËØÎ ÐÙÍßÝ ËÜÏËÝ ÐÙÜ Ë ÚÜÙÑÜË××Ï ÎÏÝÓÑØÏÎ ÞÙ ÚÜÙ×ÙÞÏ ÙÚÏØ ÓØÐÜËÝÞÜßÍÞßÜÏ ËØÎ ÝÙÐÞáËÜÏ ÓØ ͳ ØÏÞáÙÜÕÝ ËØÎ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏݲ ÒÏ ÓÝ ËÖÝÙ ÝÏÏÕÓØÑ ÎÏÞËÓÖÝ ÙØ ÒÙá Ë ͳ ÍÒËÖÖÏØÑÏ ÝÍÒÏ×Ï ÍÙßÖÎ ÌÏ ÎÏÝÓÑØÏÎ ÞÙ ˫ÐÙÍßÝ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÑÜÏËÞÏÝÞ Ó×ÚÏÎÓ×ÏØÞÝ ÞÙ ×ËÞßÜËÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÏØÎ̋ÞÙ̋ÏØÎ ÙÚÏØ ͳ ÝÞËÍÕ ÎÏàÏÖÙÚ×ÏØÞˬ˞ áÒËÞ ÓØÍÏØÞÓàÏÝ ÍÙßÖÎ ÌÏ ßÝÏÎ ÞÙ ×ËâÓ×ÓÝÏ ÍÙÖÖËÌÙÜËÞÓÙØ ËØÎ ÓØÞÏÜÙÚÏÜËÌÓÖÓÞã˞ ËØÎ ÞÒÏ ÞÓ×ÏÖÓØÏ ÐÙÜ ÏâÏÍßÞÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÚÖËØ˛ ËßÞÒÙÜÓÞÓÏÝ ÒËàÏ ËÖÜÏËÎã ÚÜÙÚÙÝÏÎ ÙÚÏØ ÝãÝÞÏ×Ý ËÝ ËØ ËÖÞÏÜØËÞÓàÏ ÞÙ ÏÛßÓÚ×ÏØÞ ÐÜÙ× ÒÓØÏÝÏ àÏØÎÙÜÝ ÓØÍÖßÎÓØÑ ßËáÏÓ ËØÎ ˛ ÒÏ ØÙÞÏÎ ÞÒÏ ÚÜÙÚÙÝÏÎ ÚÜÙÑÜË××Ï áÙßÖÎ ÌÙÙÝÞ Ë ͳ ÓØÓÞÓËÞÓàÏ ÖËßØÍÒÏÎ Ìã ÞÒÏ ÏÚËÜÞ×ÏØÞ ÙÐ ÏÐÏØÍÏ ̙ Ù ̚ ÓØ Ͱͮͯͷ˜ ËÎÎÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ßÖÞÓ×ËÞÏ ÑÙËÖ áËÝ ÞÙ ÍÜÏËÞÏ Ë ÍÙ×ÚÏÞÓÞÓàÏ ÍÒËÖÖÏØÑÏ áÒÓÍÒ˜ ˫×ËâÓ×ÓÝÏÝ ÞÒÏ ÌÏØÏÐÓÞ ÞÙ ÌÙÞÒ ÞÒÏ ÙÚÏØ ͳ ÝÞËÍÕ ×ËÜÕÏÞ ËØÎ ÞÒÏ Ù ÙØ ËØ ËÍÍÏÖÏÜËÞÏÎ ÝÍÒÏÎßÖÏ˛ˬ

Ø ÍÞÙÌÏÜ Ͱͮͯͷ˜ ÞÒÏ Ù ÎÏÞËÓÖÏÎ ÞÒÏ ÍÜÏËÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ͳ ÞÏÝÞ ÌÏÎÝ ËÞ ×ÓÖÓÞËÜã ÝÓÞÏݘ áÓÞÒ ÍÙØÞÜËÍÞÝ ÐÙÜ ÞÜÓËÖÝ ÓÝÝßÏÎ Ë ãÏËÜ ÖËÞÏܲ Ø ÏÚÞÏ×ÌÏÜ ͰͮͰͮ˜ ÓÞ ËÖÝÙ ÓÝÝßÏÎ Ë ÍËÖÖ ÐÙÜ ÓØÐÙÜ×ËÞÓÙØ ÙØ ÝÚÏÍÞÜß× ÝÒËÜÓØÑ˛

“With the disruptions of 2020 behind us, a true test of 2021 will be how companies effectively utilise the right solutions to ensure resilience, agility and innovation to thrive, and I am excited for the opportunity to lead Ajua in Nigeria to maximise this next phase of growth” Country Head, Ajua Integrated Company,

Mr. Tayo Ashiru

22

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD BRAND OWNERS URGED TO ADOPT TECHNOLOGY TO SUSTAIN CONSUMERS’ LOYALTY IN 2021 that must align with global strategy.

“There must be technologybased strategy that is deeply ingrained in our day-to-day lives as well as the operations of various industries for brands to stay relevant in this fast-paced landscape.

We shouldn’t forget that consumers have become more sophisticated; delivery platform has changed and language has changed,” Speaking further, Okusaga, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Precise, a reputation management firm, also advised business owners not to play down the importance of marketing communication support in 2021 despite economic challenges as it would be needed to rebuild profiles and reputation in the market place.

“Meanwhile, despite the challenge the global economy is currently facing, it will be difficult for businesses to do away with marketing communication support in 2021 because the time to rebuild their profile is now and this cannot be creatively built without marketing communications agencies.”

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS SUBSCRIPTION, IDENTITY FRAUD AS SET BACK FOR MNOS fraud and security risks.

The report cited Juniper Research, which estimated that over half of the value of fraudulent remote payments in 2019 originated through mobile channels. The report expects this figure to increase to over 70 per cent by 2024.

“As the providers of communications infrastructures, MNOs have a responsibility to protect their networks and to verify who can access them.

As operators continue to extend their reach across the globe, regulators are paying much closer attention to assuring that telecom operators are protected against terrorist attacks, money laundering, and other criminal activities.

As a result, they are now requiring that telecom operators strengthen their KYC and customer ID verification procedures.”

NEWS

ALTON Urges FG to Honour NIMC Workers’ Demands Stories by Emma Okonji Following the two weeks ultimatum given to the federal government by the workers of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to meet their demands, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has called on government to honour the workers’ requests.

Chairman of ALTON, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, who spoke with THISDAY, said the need to honour the demands of the workers was necessary in order to keep the workers in their duty posts and avoid another strike action.

The NIMC’s union of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) last week Friday, suspended a nationwide strike it embarked upon last Thursday, after the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, intervened with a promise that their demands would be addressed by government.

The union, which gave government two weeks ultimatum to meet all their demands as stated, however warned that it would redirect the workers to resume the strike action, should government fail to act within two weeks as promised.

The workers’ union, on Wednesday last week, held a congress, after which it directed its members to suspend all enrolment of National Identification Number (NIN) and to

embark on a nationwide strike, to press home their demands.

The workers are asking for better welfare package, better working tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) against the spread of coronavirus.

The workers are also demanding for a review of the ‘lopsided and irregular’ promotion done in 2017 and 2020, implementation of the approved salary structure and its appropriation in the 2021 annual budget as well as adequate provision of work tools for civic data enrollment.

They are also demanding for the provision of adequate monthly operational stipends, work tools necessary for the process of enrolment of civic data.

According to Adebayo, the poor work condition of NIMC staff as stated by the workers, should be addressed, since they interface with different people while discharging their duties.

He said if federal government should handle the issues raised by the workers with levity and allow them to resume the

strike action after two weeks from the day the strike was suspended, as threatened by the workers, it would likely truncate the ongoing NIN enrolment exercise, which he said, would cause a great set back in telecoms development and erode its achievements in the past years.

“The implications of any strike action are that the NIN enrolment will be paralysed and Nigerians will not be able to get their SIM cards integrated with their NINs, which of

course will be a challenge for government in implementing SIM-NIN integration exercise.

“Without NIN, Nigerians can not integrate their SIM with NIN as directed by government.

Again, without NIN, no one can embark on activation and replacement of old SIM cards as well as registration of new SIM cards. So it becomes a challenge for both government and the subscribers, if they cannot enrol for NIN as a result of any strike action embarked upon by NIMC staff,” Adebayo said.

AWARD WELL DESERVED

Marketing Manager, Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Ifeoma Agu (left), receiving the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) Awards for Marketing Excellence 2020 on behalf of the company from the Treasurer of the association, Mr. Obum Okoli, at the ADVAN Community Hero Award ceremony held in Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

Firm Identifies New Trends in Nigeria’s Retail Sector TradeDepot, a B2B e-Commerce platform for consumer goods in Africa has released new insights from its market data that identifies the trends that will shape Nigeria’s retail sector in 2021.

According to TradeDepot’s report, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, border closures and other issues, drove significant changes in behaviour for retailers, distributors and manufacturers in 2020.

As the sector settles into the new year, TradeDepot predicts that some of the main trends that shaped 2020, particularly smaller packaging for consumer goods and increased spending

on food and essential goods due to dwindling disposable income and people spending more time at home, will continue to influence behaviour across the market in 2021.

The top insights from TradeDepot’s data, which were drawn from 2020, would likely influence retail business in 2021, the e-commerce platform said.

It added: “Across the retail sector, the pandemic led to an increase in store owners exploring alternative channels of reaching, acquiring and servicing customers, especially online and social media. Demand for TradeDepot’s services increased by 500

per cent, with a 300 per cent increase in transaction value and volume on the back of the pandemic.

“Consumer buying patterns shifted slightly towards more food items, with growth in purchase of food and essentials as opposed to other categories.

TradeDepot’s data revealed a 10 per cent increase in the overall contribution of food items to the distribution volumes, compared with 2019.

“In the drinks category, the lockdown impacted the ability of manufacturers and distributors to sell into bars, restaurants and clubs, which usually account for up to 60 per cent of their revenue. In

the detergent category, price increases driven by inflation led many manufacturers to either introduce or expand production capacity for smaller packs to drive more volume in the consumer segment of the market, which accounts for 65 per cent of the market.

The pandemic also saw the introduction of more hygienerelated products to help curtail the spread of the virus.”

Having listed 2020 trends, TradeDepot therefore predicted that for 2021, manufacturers would likely adapt to rising inflation and dwindling disposable income by extending the trend of smaller packs to other product categories.

It said manufacturers would explore more alternative route-to-market channels with capabilities to build retail networks and offer logistics-asa-service to mitigate the risks that come with serving new customer bases “We expect an increase in the number of challenger value brands and new market entrants offering lower priced products in key categories as consumers get increasingly price conscious and more eager to experiment with new, lower-priced products.

We also anticipate a rise in products and services designed to help consolidate and improve the industry.

Kaspersky Predicts Increased Cybercrime across Africa in 2021 Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Egene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

ÒÓØÏÎß äÏ (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafo (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ß×Ï ÕÏÑÒÏ (Money Market) ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company has predicted a growing economic turbulence, along with the impact of COVID-19, would contribute to an increase in cybercrime across South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and other African countries in 2021.

Kaspersky gave the prediction in its latest report released this week.

Enterprise Cyber Security Advisor for Kaspersky in Africa, Lehan van den Heever, said: “Even though every country globally has had to deal with the pandemic in its own way, developing economies across Africa have been especially hard hit by national lockdowns and

limited business activity. Thanks to the increased connectedness of people, the rise in unemployment will not only see a spike in traditional crime, but this will also extend to the digital environment, which is something we are already seeing.”

While the increase in these crimes was expected to vary by country, Kaspersky advised African nations to prepare themselves for the inevitability of increases in malware that already topped 28 million by August last year, according to Kaspersky research.

He said further pressure to this melting pot of cyber-attacks is an expected rise, along with

changes in strategy, in Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).

“Our researchers anticipate that in 2021, across the globe though where Africa is not immune, there will be a change in threat actors’ approach to the execution of APT attacks and as such, organisations must pay special attention to generic malware as it will likely be used to deploy more sophisticated threats,” Heever added.

Compounding this is the concern around hackers-for-hire and cyber mercenary groups targeting SMEs and financial institutions, Heever, said: “Businesses are under pressure to differentiate themselves

in a highly competitive market as they struggle to survive these trying times, amplified further by the effects of COVID-19.

The current landscape may likely lead to bankruptcy and an increase in legal disputes in court. This makes an ideal breeding ground for these malicious groups to operate in. And although such activity has not been rife in Africa yet, the region is not immune to this cyber threat,” he added.

Cyber-mercenaries are hired to search for sensitive, private information that can be used in disputes to win court rulings or to steal business trade secrets and provide their employers

with competitive intelligence to get ahead in the market.

Heever believes that the normalisation of remote working will further put existing organisational IT systems under pressure as companies now must content with an influx in connections into the corporate back-end.

“More companies are exposing their systems online while their focus turns to always-on availability. However, few of them have considered how to adapt their cybersecurity controls to this new environment. This results in some databases and systems inevitably being left open to intruders,” he said.

T H I S D AY ˾ JANUARY 14, 2021

23

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Setting Standards for Telecoms Regulation in 2021 Emma Okonji writes on the new standard set by the Nigerian Communications Commission for 2021

Danbatta

R

egulation in any sector of the Nigerian economy has always been a tussle between the regulator and the industry players, who sometimes feel that the regulator forces certain undue policies down their throats.

Regulation in the telecoms sector has not been too different from what is obtained in other sectors of the economy, as telecoms operators sometimes see certain policies implementation as harsh, but with collaboration, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had always carried telecoms industry players along, while remaining firm in discharging its duties as the telecoms industry regulator.

Telecoms industry stakeholders have had reasons to argue with their regulator, especially in issues around fines and short timelines in accomplishing certain tasks, but in spite of any form of argument, industry stakeholders have always believed that effective regulation, backed by global policy implementation, will always set the right path for telecoms growth and development.

The stakeholders are also of the view that wide industry consultation and collaboration, will further enhance telecoms growth, which NCC holds to a high esteem.

Bearing these in mind, the NCC has highlighted key areas that would help drive regulatory activities this year. Following the challenges brought by COVID-19, which led to a new normal in 2020, the NCC intends to positively impact the telecoms industry in 2021, especially in terms of improved service experiences for the current telecoms subscribers with over 208 million active mobile lines across networks.

The standards The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, provided insights into the various regulatory activities to be embarked upon by the commission this year with a view to consolidating the achievements of the past five years of his administration by focusing on broadband penetration, consumer protection and empowerment, efficient resource utilisation, and facilitation of fibre infrastructure deployment this year.

Being one of the six agencies of government under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, that believes in effective planning to achieve results as well as evidence-based regulatory activities to accelerate industry growth, the commission is of the view that set standards will enhance strategic planning that will further transform the telecoms ecosystem in 2021.

Directly tied to achieving its regulatory targets in 2021, is the plan by the Commission to unveil a new five-year strategic vision plan (SVP) that will provide affective framework for the implementation of an already unveiled Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024 by the commission.

Upon the expiration of NCC’s initial

Adebayo

SVP anchored on 8-Point Agenda, the implementation of which has helped the commission to increase service availability, accessibility and affordability, the NCC’s management led by Danbatta has initiated the process for the development of another five years SVP. Already, the development of the new five-year agenda, which has reached advanced stage, is bound to be unveiled soon.

According to Danbatta, the impending SVP would ride on the new Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024 unveiled in June last year. As a visioning document of the commission for planning, monitoring, analysing and assessment of the commission to meet its goals and set objectives, the proposed SVP and current SMP will be fully leveraged by the NCC management for serious improvement in performance matrix and its efforts in accelerating the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020 - 2025 of the federal government.

No doubt, the effective implementation of the former SVP initiated by the NCC, helped in achieving and surpassing the 30 per cent broadband penetration set by the federal government by 2018, up from about six per cent broadband penetration in 2015, among others. Today, broadband penetration has reached 45.93 per cent as at October 2020, translating to over 86 million broadband subscriptions across 3G and 4G networks in the country.

Last year, the commission constituted a committee to review the framework for the licensing of Infrastructure Companies (InfraCo) and recommend sustainable funding options for effective implementation of the proposed national fibre project, taking into consideration the delays in take-off, change in exchange rate, supply chain and other challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The result of this effort is expected to produce a more robust InfraCo framework that will facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure across the nooks and crannies of the country, thereby enhancing broadband penetration towards achieving the 70 per cent penetration target of by 2025, increased connectivity and better user experience in 2021 and beyond.

According to Danbatta, “The InfraCo project is dear to the government because of its ability to enhance robust and pervasive broadband infrastructure to drive service availability, accessibility and affordability and we hope, with the cooperation we are getting from the federal government, through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, will record more inroads in 2021 and beyond with respect to our reviewed InfraCo framework.”

Danbatta had, in October 2020, restated NCC’s commitment in ensuring that the project delivers maximum benefits for the economy at large, adding that the effective implementation of the InfraCo project and deployment of fifth generation (5G)

technology, once the federal government gives the approval for deployment, will support the increased connectivity being witnessed in the country and revolutionise the country’s digital ecosystem.

Other standards Another area of NCC’s regulatory focus that will receive increased attention this year, according to Danbatta, is in the issue of consumer protection and empowerment.

Over the years, the Commission has created multiple channels through which it educates the consumers on their rights and privileges, as well as ensuring appreciable protection for telecom consumers from unwholesome practices by telecoms licensees and cyber criminals.

According to Danbatta, the NCC has contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy by ensuring robust and resilient telecom infrastructure, making it possible for Nigerians to leverage the internet and, most especially, the social media and other digital platforms to run their daily activities as well as voice their views against corrupt practices in order to ensure good governance in the country.

Consequently, with the projected increase in the number of individuals, businesses and government institutions relying on broadband infrastructure in keeping themselves connected for personal and official communication activities within the context of the ongoing measures at containing COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing, the EVC said the NCC was committed to consumer-centric initiatives.

He said such initiatives would promote digital inclusion and advance the digital economy vision of the government in 2021.

Against the backdrop of the being ranked highest in terms of compliance to ethics and integrity by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) last year among other sister agencies within and outside the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the NCC said in 2021, it would be more committed to regulatory excellence, transparency and ethical standards.

Stakeholders’ position Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, commended the telecoms regulator for its consistency and standard regulatory policy implementation in 2020.

According to him, “Telecoms regulation in 2020 was consistent, which is good for the telecoms sector growth, because a situation where there is inconsistency on telecoms regulation, it will negatively affects telecoms growth and development.

Inconsistent regulation brings about a lot of anxiety and uncertainty on the part of subscribers.

“We were able to achieve so mush in 2020 because regulation was consistent.

Although we are not in a perfect regulatory

environment, but I am rest assured that our regulator, the NCC, has been much more reliable in its intervention and regulatory policy implementation. The telecoms sector is indeed glad to have one of the best regulatory agency in the country.”

National President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who also commended NCC for its prompt regulatory intervention, said the commission had always been on top of its game in telecoms regulation and policy implementation. According to him, certain proactive decisions taken by NCC, guided the sector in becoming resilient all through the period of lockdown last year as a result of the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, where activities shifted online and telecoms infrastructure was able to contain the shift and sustained the Nigerian economy at those trying moments.

Ogunbanjo however, called for increased telecoms financing and bailout for financially weak telecoms operators, especially smaller operators.

“I strongly support those calling for the establishment of telecoms bank, where operators could access loans without double digit interest and heavy collateral, just like the Bank of Industry and Agriculture that address the financial needs to industry players,” Ogunbanjo said.

Building on existing policies Danbatta said NCC would continue to build on existing policies, while turning out new policies that would best drive the telecoms sector.

According to him, “The further inauguration of the NCC’s Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) on December 10, 2020 in Abuja, would therefore, more incrementally, position the NCC to continually identify corruption-prone processes, practices and procedures within the system with a view to institutionalising compliant and corruption-free processes. In 2021, the NCC’s efforts will be directed at prevention of corruption through defined standard operating procedures and adherence to public service rules, circulars, guidelines, among others.”

“As an independent regulatory agency, the NCC, in 2021, will continue to prioritise regulatory activities in the area of raising the bar of quality of service (QoS) across the networks, advancing its regulatory trial of national roaming and e-SIM, and finalising the development of a regulatory framework on Virtual Mobile Network Operators (VMNO). NCC will also work towards increasing stakeholders’ collaboration with more regulatory agencies and other private and public institutions that are needed to support the Commission’s efforts at deepening connectivity at affordability rates. NCC will ensure improved user experiences across all network, and will continue to play even more significant roles in the transformation of the nation into a more truly digital economy,” Danbatta further said.

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Airtel Wins LAIF, Pitcher Online Tax Consulting Firm Launched Awards in Lagos

Airtel Nigeria won a total of 20 awards at the 2020 edition of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival Awards (LAIF), an award platform designed to recognise creative excellence as well as promote excellence in the field of advertising and marketing communications.

In what the award’s organisers described as unprecedented, Airtel clinched seven gold, six silver, six bronze and the most prestigious grand prize at the virtual ceremony, which held recently.

While Airtel won the grand prize with its ‘Data is Life’ advertising campaign, its 444 campaign earned it three gold awards in the Bank, Investment and other Financial Communication award’s category and also three gold in the Telecom Product/Services award category.

Airtel’s ‘Data is Life’ (DIL) campaign was also adjudged a gold.

Airtel’s advertising campaign also won nine awards, earlier last year, at the Pitcher’s Awards, taking the company’s total awards for advertising campaigns in 2020 to 29, the most it has earned in any year.

The Pitcher Awards is widely considered as one of the most valuable and internationally respected accolades for creative work coming out of Africa. It started as an annual celebration of creativity in West Africa, but beginning with the 2020 edition, the scope has now widened to include all work created, released

or implemented anywhere on the African continent in line with its vision to provide the true and authentic benchmark for African creative excellence.

Commenting on the awards, Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, expressed appreciation to the awards’ organizers for celebrating and promoting excellence while he dedicated the awards to the company’s over 50 million customers across Nigeria.

He noted that Airtel will not rest on its laurels and will continue to go the extra mile in connecting and bonding emotionally with all its stakeholders through compelling, relevant, bespoke and inspiring narratives.

Airtel Nigeria was recently recognised for its efforts in storytelling and PR innovation at the 5th edition of the Lagos Public Relations and Industry Gala (LaPRIGA), a prominent communications industry event at the instance of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

The Corporate Communications Department of Airtel Nigeria was also awarded the ‘Best Corporate Communications Team’ in Africa by the prestigious Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Responsibility Awards (SERAs), a prominent award platform designed to celebrate excellence in the practice of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Africa.

WD Delivers High Capacity SSDs for Consumer Brand Portfolio Western Digital Corporation (WD) is now delivering 4TB portable SSDs across its consumer brand portfolio, designed to give consumers and professionals more space to create. The new drives are built to keep up with today’s high-quality content demands.

The four drives now offer gamers, content creators, enthusiasts and creative professionals the performance, durability and greater capacity they need to capture, move and save their files.

Senior Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Solutions Products, WD, Jim Welsh, said: “This milestone allows us to deliver a new era of solutions with the capacity and performance our customers have been asking for. Our consumer brand products are used by millions of professionals and consumers around the world, and we continue to drive technology forward to deliver the performance, reliability and leading products they demand.”

WD is focused on delivering industry-leading solutions that keep up with the rich content created by consumers and pros alike. Whether using your smartphone to capture family milestones, backing up or expanding your video game library, or in the studio or out in the field creating a feature film, the company’s range of offerings are built to reliably store today’s

massive files, Welsh said.

ASC, SanDisk Extreme Team member, Sam Nicholson, said: “As a Director of Photography in film and television production, I rely on technology to achieve my creative vision and protect my work. SanDisk® SSDs are a critical asset when I’m out in the field or at the studio working with multiple 12K and 8K cameras.

“High-capacity, highperformance SSDs make it easy to reliably manage these files, and the SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSDs are my go-to drive when I’m shooting on location.

With added capacity, I have even more freedom to continue creating amazing content.”

WD’s new 4TB portable SSD portfolio offers an unmatched combination of performance and capacity to help fuel today’s content-rich world.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD, saves time storing and transferring data with powerful NVMe solid state performance featuring up to 2000MB/s read and up to 2000MB/s write speeds. A forged aluminum chassis acts as a heatsink to deliver higher sustained speeds in a portable form factor.

The 4TB SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is expected to be available later this quarter at select retailers and the Western Digital store at an estimated $749.99.

Stories by Emma Okonji Taxmingo.com, an online tax consultancy firm focused on helping Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take care of their taxes, has launched in Lagos.

Taxmingo hopes to leverage its cloud-based tax management solution and the expertise of its team of experienced chartered accountants, tax professionals, and its network of tax consultants to help SMEs meet tax obligations and allow the SME operators to focus their energies on growing their businesses.

Starting from as low as N7,500 monthly subscription, small business owners can explore the company’s tax computation, return filing, and advisory services by creating an account, providing relevant information and documents to obtain a free

tax health check. Once this is done, the business owner will be paired with certified tax professionals who will walk him/her through the business’ tax health and help the company to effectively comply with taxes.

The entire process from onboarding to payment is done online, providing the business owners the much needed time to focus on building and growing their businesses.

Taxmingo seeks to solve one of the most critical challenges Nigerian SMEs face in tax compliance - complex filing procedures - which accounts for non-compliance by the majority of SMEs, besides high and multiple tax rates. This low tax compliance by SMEs has contributed significantly to Nigeria’s low tax to GDP ratio which stands at abysmal six per cent compared to peer

economies such as South Africa which boasts of about 28 per cent tax to GDP ratio.

This is despite the Nigerian SMEs contributing 48 per cent of national GDP, and accounting for 96 per cent of businesses and 84 per cent of employment, according to a recent SME survey by professional services firm, Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC).

Speaking about the solution during the launch in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Taxmingo, Richard Ojo said: “Research has shown that business owners would willingly pay taxes if they know how to go about it.

We also believe that they would comply with these obligations if a process that simplifies the existing complex procedure is in place and when the cost of compliance is affordable. That is why we have launched Taxmingo.

“We believe that Taxmingo will

play a critical role in not only driving tax compliance among SME operators and reducing the tax worries of business owners but also mobilizing tax revenue for the government, thereby boosting Nigeria’s tax to GDP ratio.”

Ojo is a chartered accountant, chartered tax practitioner, forensic accountant and a fraud examiner, a member of professional bodies like The Institute of Chartered Cccountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), Austin, Texas, USA, International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals (IICFIP. Prior to founding Taxmingo, he founded DEEM Forensic Services, a forensic accounting and taxation firms working for large organisations and government agencies.”

ICT centre

Foundation Launches Applications for Gov Labs Ventures Platform Foundation (VPF), the social impact arm of Ventures Platform Hub, has launched a call for applications for its latest incubation programme, Gov Labs - a 12-week programme for tech solutions implementing accountability and transparency within the Nigerian government’s COVID-19 response. Created with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the new initiative will support Civil Society Organisations from across Nigeria as they build

innovative solutions promoting good governance and wide scale access to public services.

From the pool of applicants, five organisations will be selected and will each receive a $2,500 grant as well as access to mentorship, technical support and networking opportunities. During the 12-week period, participants will also work alongside key experts in policy advocacy, citizen engagement and public sector reform as they build scalable and easily adoptable solutions which target the pain points

of the Nigerian government’s COVID-19 response.

Speaking on the launch of Gov Labs, the Executive Director at Ventures Platform Foundation, Mimshach Obioha, said: “Since the pandemic began, there has been a major emphasis on the health and economic implications of COVID-19 however, we cannot deny that democracy and governance have also taken a huge hit during this period.

With governments imposing restrictions on civil liberties, we need stronger support for basic

human rights and something needs to change urgently.”

“In light of this, the Nigerian government has proven itself somewhat open to citizen input and that’s where Gov Labs comes in. We’ve always known Nigeria has a rich supply of entrepreneurs who are hungry for change but now, we’re giving them a platform to not only equip the government to make more informed decisions, but also drive access to vital public services at a time when people need them most,” Obioha said.

Samsung Introduces Galaxy A12 Nosa Alekhuogie Samsung has added a brand new mobile phone to the Galaxy A series, with the launch of Galaxy A12. The Galaxy A12, which comes in a stylish rear quad camera design, features a 48MP main camera. Together with the 6.5-inch large display and 5,000mAh massive battery, the Galaxy A12 is the affordable device that offers an incredibly wide array of features Nigerians want.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos recently, the Head of Marketing at Samsung Nigeria,

Mr. Iretiogo Oke, said: “With the launch of the Galaxy A12, Samsung Nigeria has entered the new year with a strong commitment to providing Galaxy fans with the amazing features at an unbelievable price. Through these new devices, A12, A02s and A02 we continue to showcase our commitment to listening to the needs of the Nigerian consumers and providing innovation for all.“ Samsung Galaxy A12 is equipped with a stylishly designed quad rear camera so you can easily capture wonderful moments and share happiness

with friends and families. The Galaxy A12 is available in three vivid and unique colours: black, white and blue. Combining truly awesome features for an awesome price, the device promises to change the game for everyone.

The Galaxy A12 has a massive 5,000mAh battery reservoir – enough power to make sure users get through their day uninterrupted. “When you do need to power back up, 15W Fast Charging makes short work of it,” Oke said.

According to him, “The Galaxy A12 houses 4GB RAM

with optional 64GB or 128GB internal memory. The A12’s powerful Octa-core 2.3 GHz MTK 6765 processor is optimised for gaming, so you can play your favourite games seamlessly. “ With the introduction of these devices as well the face of Galaxy A series, Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa AKA Joeboy, Samsung further reinforces their continuous drive in endearing their brands to consumers.”

The Galaxy A12 64GB and 128GB are available at a recommended retail price of N67,000 and N72,000 respectively nationwide.

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Revisiting Insurance Recapitalisation In this report, Ebere Nwoji looks at the history of recapitalisation in Nigeria’s insurance industry and the effects of suspension and cancellations of the exercise over the years on industry

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ecapitalisation in insurance industry is one exercise that has been volatile and often ends either in litigation, suspension or cancellation.

The controversy often erupts between the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the operators under the aegis of Nigeria insurers Association (NIA).

In recent times, industry shareholders have been lured into the crisis as operators who feel their companies cannot meet the minimum stipulated capital often engage the shareholder groups to approach the court for an order to stop the exercise.

The controversy often begin either with the deadline given by the regulator to operators to raise their capital or over definition of capital by the regulator and operators.

In one or two occasions, issues bothering on recapitalisation have cost insurance commissioners their jobs or at worst landed them in serious allegations that put them behind the bars.

The controversy in insurance industry recapitalisation dates back to 1997 when the then Commissioner for Insurance, Late Chief Oladipo Bailey raised the insurance industry capital from N20 million to N70 million and N50 million for general business and life underwriters respectively and N90 million for composite firms.

The operators then nearly set the industry ablaze agitating that the increase was geometric in nature therefore unattainable and cannot hold.

They took NAICOM to court while regulator on its part took them to another court.

Records showed that the industry was enmeshed in no less than nine court cases on account of the exercise.

Afterwards, both the operators and the regulator decided to settle out of court thereby allowing the exercise to stand.

After this, came the second wave of recapitalisation in 2003, under the regime of late Chief Emmanuel Chukwulozie as Commissioner for Insurance.

He increased the capital base of insurance firms from N70 million to N200 million and N150 million for general and life underwriters respectively.

The exercise then led to his suspension and removal and he later ended behind prison bars due to series of allegations .

It was Mr. Fola Daniel who concluded the exercise and later supervised a follow up exercise that saw the industry’s minimum capital increased to N2 billion for life underwriters, N3 billion for General business and N5 billion for composite firms.

Since then, NAICOM, as a regulator through the commissioners for insurance have been trying to raise the industry’s capital to match the level of risks coming the way of the industry. But this has been witnessing strong opposition from the operators and the shareholders.

This obviously was one of the reasons the immediate past commissioner for insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, lost his chance of having his tenure renewed, sources said.

Kari, who was the former Managing Director and Chief Executive officer of the hitherto federal government owned NICON Insurance Corporation knew the danger of small firms with low capital operating in the system and underwriting huge business tickets which claims they cannot pay.

He, therefore came up with the Tier Based Capital increase through which he classified the operators in terms of capital base into tier one, tier two and tier three.

But this was along the line kicked against by some operators who instigated their shareholders to head to court. Once more, this saw the suspension of the initiative.

After this, Kari, in apparent move to weed out those small operators whose interest he tried to protect by coming up with the tier base model, vehemently came up with the increase in share capital model which saw an over 300 per cent increase in operating capital of firms.

This brought an uproar among some operators and their shareholders who

NAICOM

again headed to court and in the process.

Kari’s first tenure elapsed and because of several negative reports by operators on his highhandedness, his tenure could not be renewed, a development that led to his exit.

When the present Commissioner for insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas came on board, there was much jubilation among industry operators who saw him as a home breed that is familiar with the terrain having been a Director General of the NIA. And Thomas tried to live up to their expectation by shifting the deadline for the pending recapitalisation exercise from June 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020.

After the outbreak of COVID-19, he divided the exercises into two phases, saying firms should provide 50 per cent of the required capital by December 31,2020, while making up the balance of 50 percent by December 31st 2021.

But surprisingly, some operators and their shareholders still went to court to obtain injunction stopping the December 31, deadline for completion of first phase of the recapitalisation and suspending the exercise, Their major reasons were that NAICOM should allow admissible capital in form of fixed assets to count as part of the capital.

They also said the commission should take into consideration, the effect of the pandemic and the #ENDSARS protest.

Before now, NAICOM, had been managing the situation underground to see if the operators would show sense of understanding on the need to grow the industry through adequate capitalisation but in the process, there was another court order on December 30th 2020 restraining the commission from upholding the December 31 deadline.

A source close to NAICOM, told THISDAY that the main problem in insurance industry recapitalisation over these years is that whereas NAICOM has been keen to build a strong virile insurance industry that can match other firms in the global insurance market, many insurers have remained as conservative as ever, preferring to remain and die as small entities Thomas, speaking about the nature of insurance industry he wants to see in Nigeria had said: “The exercise aims to strengthen the financial position of operating firms, reduce risk of insolvency in the sector and protect policy holders.”

He had said the recapitalisation exercise was, aimed at repositioning the sector for self-actualisation in terms of growth and development.

“But let me state in clear terms that the recapitalisation process is up and running in line with the roadmap and the commission will see to its logical conclusion,” Thomas had added.

Contrary to this, industry operators said the industry does not need huge capital .

Chairman, Mutual Benefit Assurance plc, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, had described the recapitalisation idea as a great disservice to the operating firms and the industry, saying the exercise has created confidence problem in the industry as it could kill the industry if it is not reversed or given a longer-term period as deadline.

“In fact, something drastic needs to be done to reverse this new capital exercise.

It has created a lot of confidence problems.

“Even the people doing insurance don’t know what will happen. If an industry is working with N5bn and they are not able to use it for profitability, and you say increase it to N18bn, what are we insuring?” he queried.

He said he did not agree with the purpose of the NAICOM’s recapitalisation initiative, insisting there was no reason for the requirement of the new capital base.

According to him, the current capital base of the insurance sector is the biggest in Africa despite not having the same level of penetration with some countries in Africa.

Arguing further, he said: “the insurance industry currently employs about three million people. If you have one insurance company that is able to recapitalise, will that take the place of the 10 that will go out of operation? No. “Many of the companies have not focused on fintech and retail business. All they focus on is corporate insurance and their balance sheet.

“This recapitalisation policy will kill the industry if the policymakers, the federal government, ministry of finance don’t quickly wake up and see that this is a retrogressive move “, Ogunbiyi insisted.

He argued further that capital base is not the only way to make insurance create value and be more relevant in the national.

According to him, the insurance companies have other problems that needed to be addressed. Ogunbiyi, said if insurance companies were unable to use their capital for profitability, increasing the capital base would have no impact.

Industry observers have frowned on this questioning how the operators hope to meet their counterparts in other climes with their prevailing low capital.

They also questioned how they want the insuring public to have confidence in them with their prevailing attitude of repudiating claims, a development which has been stalling the success of their much orchestrated deepening insurance penetration in the country.

Presently, most insurance firms do everything possible to deny claims even when it is obvious to them that the claims were genuine and this has denied such firms

the much needed public confidence and patronage.

This poor attitude is partly because of low capital of most operating firms.

Efeomo Olotu of George Etimi & Partners, an investment analyst was of the opinion that introduction of the new minimum capital requirement is a welcome development that will help improve the insurance sector just as similar laws in the banking industry in 2005 helped shape the future and development of the Nigerian banking industry.

According to her, currently, Nigeria’s insurance sector is still one of the most underdeveloped compared to its peers.

“With a population estimated at 200 million people, a growing middle class and increased life expectancy rate for Nigerians (55.2 years average for men and women in 2018 from 54.5 years in 2017), the potential for growth in the sector is significant.

“However, at 0.3 per cent, Nigeria has the lowest insurance penetration level amongst notable African countries.

“Currently, South Africa is at 14.7 percent , Kenya at 2.8 percent , Angola at 0.8 percent and Egypt at 0.6 percent . Similarly, the sector’s insurance density is still one of the lowest when compared to its peers”.

She noted that in the previous years, Nigerian insurers have operated on marginal scales adding that this may be cited as a reason why the market had not benefited much from the sector.

She noted that, the principal objective of the reform is to have an emergence of bigger and stronger players in the industry with enhanced capacity to reach and cover the majority of the Nigerian populace.

Presently, most insurance firms cannot handle capital intensive businesses in some capital intensive business class such as oil and gas, aviation insurances.

What Nigerian underwriters do in such businesses is to act as insurance agents and brokers for their foreign counterparts due to low capital Investment analysts, said the present level of capital in the industry is ridiculous compared to increase in inflation level between 2005, when the last recapitalisation exercise was carried out and the present time, hence the need for a successful recapitalisation in the industry.

This obviously has spelt the need for a fresh exercise that will upscale the present level of capital in the industry.

Industry observers said for this to happen, both the operators and the regulator should come to a round table on the need for capital increase and operators who feel they cannot make it on standalone base should embrace mergers instead of creating confusion using their shareholders.

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T H I S D AY ˾ JANUARY 14, 2021

BUSINESSWORLD

ANALYSIS

Strengthening Retirement Plan Raheem Akingbolu writes on an initiative being promoted by Investment One Pensions and how it can positively impact retirement plans

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ne major question that often provokes an average middleaged employee is when is the right time to start planning for future cash flows? When is it better to determine setting aside an appreciable portion of one’s active income years? Perhaps the time is now. Then the next question will be; what determines the very best way to ensure safe, secure, convenient; importantly peaceful and fun retirement?

Obviously, planning for sustainable future cash flow which includes identifying income sources, estimating expenses, adopting and implementing a savings initiative, whilst managing assets and the risks therein are the affirmations to the above inquisitions.

It was Danielle Duckery, global acclaimed author, who made a good case for fun and peaceful retirement “Stay young at heart, kind in spirit, and enjoy retirement living.”

She said. Just as the popular saying “Age is just a number, but retirement is one of the greatest gifts to mankind.”

Interestingly, the need for all present active working age class to consider retiring well regardless of global economic headwind with a well-thought out pension fund scheme, and from a credible pension fund manager, has inspired the ‘#TimeTo60’ retirement offering powered by InvestmentOne Pension Managers Limited; a licensed pension fund administrator (PFA), and subsidiary of the InvestmentOne Financial Service Limited.

Launched in October 2020, #TimeTo60 is conceived to cater to the retirement demands of corporate and private institution as well as public sector workforce.

It is structured to mitigate the retirement needs for the psychographics of the following working age distribution - young adulthood (ages 21-35); early midlife (ages 36-50); later midlife (ages 50-65), and up to the golden mean ages of 66 and above.

You may want to ask, just when is the best time to begin to plan for retirement?

Good question. The answer is simple. There is no better time than right now because, long-term planning consolidates your dream of retiring well. You are never too young to start planning for convenient life after your active years.

The answer above is further buttressed by the popular old Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a bamboo tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is now.” This thoughtful quote only shows two things; that life gives everyone a second chance to prove, improve and prepare themselves, contextually in retirement. Also, it shows the figurative symbolism of tiling the ground in your bloom for planting tree today that gives shelter for resting peacefully tomorrow in your old age.

Fortunately, InvestmentOne Pension Managers Limited has got all these answers to your pension and retirement needs with #TimeTo60 retirement plan. A viable pension sscheme that helps you to start preparing from your twenties and retire well at 60 years. #TimeTo60 offers you a sustainable and structural plan to save enough for those

golden years ahead where you would be fulfilling your active years’ fantasies of fun, peace, leisure, physical and mental wellbeing; just by starting early right now.

Standing on a structure of strong corporate governance antecedence with a high pedigree in innovative fund and pension management, InvestmentOne Pension Managers Limited is among industry’s top authority in pension fund administration (PFA) in Nigeria in terms of fund size and number of registered savings accounts (RSAs).

It annualised returns in 2015 stood at 6.21 per cent and grew exponentially to 34.36 per cent in 2020 for RSA II. Also, it returns for 2018 stood at 9.37 per cent and surged upwards to 42.95 per cent by 2020 for RSA III; whilst RSA IV returned 13.28 per cent in 2015 with a commendable rise to 44.85 per cent.

In the same vein, it industry average in 2017 for RSA II 16.49 per cent, and RSA IV 16.28 per cent stood at 16.39 per cent.

For 2018, RSA II was 8.74 per cent, RSA III was 5.49 per cent and RSA IV 12.50 per cent. In addition, it polled 8.91 per cent total industry average.

For 2019, RSA was 13.03 per cent, RSA III was 13.91 per cent, and RSA IV was 14.54 per cent. It recorded 13.83 per cent industry average.

Incidentally, for 2020 RSA II was 19.03 per cent, RSA III was 18.69 per cent and RSA IV 15.59 per cent; it thrust a staggering 17.77% industry high.

This figures, for all industry watchers and stakeholders, is a Midas touch of leadership, class and sustainability of returns on investment despite the economic uncertainties

occasioned by covid-19 pandemic on businesses particularly in 2020.

The data released on employment in Nigeria by the National Bureau of Statistics Q3 2020 indicated that the overall number of persons in labour force was estimated to be 80 million; whose active working years approximately is between 30 and 40 years depending on age and length of year variables. Hence, InvestmentOne Pension Managers Limited is offering this working segment life time opportunity to enjoy financial freedom and start their retirement long before they stop working with #TimeTo60 pension scheme - That you dare say is an audacious future assured proposition for the yet to be captured into the growing pension retirement net.

The benefits of #TimeTo60 far outweighs market contemporary. From investment in cutting-edge infrastructural development, seamless leveraging of technologically driven process of client service delivery, easy investment options and information, culture of leveraging best value proposition for success, highly skilled relationship managers equipped with emotional intelligence and cultural nuances of the pervading operational location.

To competitive annuity rate returns and timely reporting mechanics; backed by sustainable and profitable financials, much as the integrity of its parent institution InvestmentOne Financial Services Limited and professionalism of the board.

Commenting on the initiative’s impact, Director, Pension Portfolio Management, Tunde Abu Uche, InvestmentOne Pension Managers Limited said this is a feat aimed at revolutionising the quest for not just

starting early retirement plan but, to retire peacefully well.

“With our core focus on well-being and peaceful retirement which is fundamental in our pension mandate and driven by #TimeTo60 scheme, we are not taking our foot off the accelerator. We are poised to ensure retirement truly becomes a time for personal growth and path to greater lasting freedom for retirees”. He said.

Also speaking, Group Head, Marketing and Communications, Rachael Olajide-John, said “the gains of our #TimeTo60 pension scheme transcends bounds as it comes with yet unmatched retirement pension propositions for the Nigerian market”.

“At InvestmentOne Pension, we have a team with sincere responsibility to ensure humanity achieves the best at every stage of life. With this, we urge all workforce in corporate, private and public institutions to take full advantage of our pension scheme to secure peace of mind in retirement after the toils of their active and productive years.”

She buttressed.

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Fintech Lists New Consumer Focus, Expansion Plan for 2021 Emma Okonji TeamApt, the Nigerian Fintech company that provides digital financial services solutions and payment infrastructure, has announced new plans to shift its focus from delivering financial services products to banks, to delivering products for consumers and businesses, as it aims to build on a strong performance in 2020.

The Lagos-based Fintech company is also exploring opportunities to deliver financial services for underserved individuals and businesses in other countries in West and

North Africa.

Founded in 2015, TeamApt has worked with a wide range of African banks and several commercial banks in Nigeria.

As part of the company’s efforts to deepen financial inclusion across Nigeria, it will now focus on building products that make it easier for individuals and businesses to access financial services, as well as growing its agent network and other touchpoints for its existing products - Moniepoint and Monnify.

“Despite the global pandemic, 2020 was a very successful year for TeamApt,

with 150 per cent overall QonQ growth, $3.9 billion in transaction value across its products, more than 90 million transactions processed, and 500 per cent merchant growth,” the company said in a statement.

Moniepoint, TeamApt’s mobile money platform, which was launched in 2019, also became the largest non-bank mobile money operator in Nigeria (by value processed), despite being the latest entrant.

TeamApt grew its agent network to 50,000, about 900 per cent growth with agents in each state of Nigeria, thereby improving the ratio of financial

access points in the country.

The bank to population ratio in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, remains low - 4.3 branches per 100,000 compared to the global average of 11.7 branches per 100,000. For many Nigerians, agency banking with Point of Sales (POS) shops, represent a financial access lifeline and one of the most viable options for accessing the financial services they need without unduly risking their health or enduring the other inconveniences of the traditional banking system, such as longer queues, unreliable transaction channels and poor support.

According to Shared Agent Network Expansion Facilities (SANEF), which was set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria to accelerate financial inclusion, agent transactions surged by 859 percent during the first lockdown in March/April 2020 and despite restrictions being relaxed, the volume and value of transactions have continued to rise, the company further said in a statement.

Commenting on the plans and the new focus, the CEO and Co-founder of TeamApt, Tosin Eniolorunda, said: “We had a lot of success working with banks but we have identi-

fied some unique opportunities to empower underserved individuals and business with products designed to make it easier to access and manage their money more efficiently.

There are many synergies and opportunities that have been under explored in the journey of improving financial inclusion in Africa and other emerging markets, and we are excited by the prospects of what we can achieve. We are confident in our competence and the technical expertise to deliver products and services that will transform access to financial services across Africa”.

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BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Breaking New Grounds The Dangote Refinery and Fertiliser Plants are breaking new grounds in community development, writes Ugo Aliogo

Dangote Refinery

T

he Dangote Oil Refining Company and Dangote Fertiliser Limited have taken Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to another level through various social investments within the host communities around Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State.

Interestingly, as a project, the two companies were able to undertake activities that significantly support the improvement and enhancement of the living standards of the people in their host communities.

The complex has installed 14 boreholes in its host communities between 2017 and 2018 and also conducted regular laboratory tests to ensure the water from the boreholes are potable.

Dangote believes that quality education is the passport to the future and that an investment in knowledge pays the best interest. It has displayed interest in the development and empowerment of local youth through interventions such as the award of scholarships to 50 students selected across its host communities.

Dangote Oil Refining Company and Fertiliser Limited CSR initiatives were felt recently in Ibeju-Lekki Communities when the sistercompanies successfully graduated 200 youths in various skills acquisition programmes as a way of transforming society and providing employment opportunities for the youths.

Dangote Refinery and Fertiliser plants also embarked on diverse initiatives aimed at developing the local institutions within their host communities to enable them drive their own development initiatives.

In 2019, the companies held a Teachers’ Training Workshop for teachers within the host communities in Ibeju-Lekki and Epe in conjunction with Lagos State Ministry of Education, to develop the capacities of public school teachers to teach more effectively using 21st Century modalities.

For example, to help alleviate poverty in its host communities, Dangote Fertiliser Limited (DFL) empowered 150 farmers on cassava enterprises with hybrid cassava stems.

The programme, which is being implemented by external consultants, HarvestPlus in conjunction with the DFL Social team, involves capacity building for farmers and potential entrepreneurs for farming.

Agro-enterprise has also been set up where improved cassava stem bundles were delivered to farmers for planting. Weed control task force has been put in place as well as the establishment of cassava combobite chips’ processors for the beneficiaries.

One of the heights of the company’s social responsibility programmes was recorded recently when it handed over classroom blocks to the Lagos State Basic Education Board (SUBEB), which is expected serve the Abejoye host community in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos.

According to the Dangote Fertiliser management, the classrooms, built as part of the CSR efforts of the company, was to serve as replacement for the Abejoye Primary School, which incidentally was part of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) area allocated to Dangote Fertiliser Limited, but relocated to Abejoye community, consisting of staff rooms, head teacher’s office, toilet facilities, power generator and a borehole.

Speaking at the hand-over ceremony in Lagos, Group Executive Director, Strategy

Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin pledged the company’s continuous commitment to the provision of quality education, not only within the host community, but also in the country at large.

According to him, Dangote’s support for educational development involved assisting host communities to provide sustainable and qualitative education that would ultimately reach all the people.

Speaking further, he noted that the company is currently working on increasing the yields of farmers through the utilisation of fertiliser.

He said, as a socially responsible organisation and understanding the impact of project-induced migration on communities, the company organised a project induced InMigration (influx) workshop to sensitise its hosts on the impact of influx and issues related to influx, and it is currently supporting the communities to monitor in-migration into host communities.

The Executive Chairman of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Mr. Wahab Alawiye-King, who was represented at the event by the Director of Projects Department, Mrs. Ebaide Omokore, appreciated Dangote Fertiliser for funding the project, stating that the state government was committed to delivering all-inclusive, quality basic education in a conducive environment for learning aided by technology.

Also, speaking at the event, Chairman, Lekki Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, Ogidan Olaitan, commended Dangote Fertiliser Limited for the gesture, saying Dangote Fertiliser has proven to be a socially responsible company, which has the interest of the community at heart.

Speaking at the recent handover of cassava stems and farming equipment to farmers in Epe, Lagos, General Manager, Human Asset Management, Dangote Fertiliser, Akin Oladiran, stated that the company in partnership with HarvestPlus is working towards enhancing food availability across the communities.

“Food is very important for survival. We understand some persons have been impacted as a result of the installation of the pipeline, but we want to ensure these impacts are addressed quickly. We want to eliminate the impact completely. We are also using this to provide means of livelihood. We are ensuring food sufficiency as well as creating wealth for every individual in the community,” he said.

According to Oladiran, “If the soil yield is 80 per cent, we are assuring you that before the next one month, we are going to bring a product that will increase the soil yield to 100 per cent. The factory is at an advanced stage and we going into the production stage of our fertiliser.”

The Group Social Specialist, Group Health, Safety, Social and Environment (HSSE), Dangote Industries Limited, Adenike Olaoye said the company is already working to bring in other investors into the zone to have an integrated community development.

“We believe in institutions’ development, we have a five-year community development plan of building institutions and training.

Development takes a lot; please be patient with us, we will continue to build this region,” Olaoye added.

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BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

‘Tariff Increment Needed to Transform Electricity Sector’ Ugo Aliogo The Chief Executive Officer of Century Power Generation Limited, Dr. Chukwueloka Umeh, has said the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) failure to increase electricity tariff in smaller steady steps from 2015, as stipulated in the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) has made the almost 100 per cent increase for some consumers very discomforting, especially at a time of economic hardship.

Umeh, said for there to be

electricity available to every Nigerian, tariff increment was necessary for the power value chain to work effectively.

He admitted that the timing for the increase could be better considering the economic situation in the country.

Speaking as a guest on a television program in Lagos, he disclosed that government’s role in the power sector should be that of an enabler that provides a conducive investment climate for investors, as well as a regulator that oversees the operation of

the industry.

Umeh, also the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Nestoil Group, explained that an increase in the tariff to a cost-reflective level was necessitated by the need for the DisCos “to upgrade and maintain their infrastructure, provide the service that people expect, and also make a profit from the power they sell.”

He said the DISCOs needed to generate enough revenue for the other companies in the value chain, including TCN, the GenCos, and the gas suppliers and

transporters to get paid, adding that if these investments and payments are not made, people won’t get the power they’re required to pay for.

According to Umeh, “For electricity to be available, he said, government needs to create policies that encourage investment, ensure that contracts are respected and are backed by the rule of law. The private sector should be allowed to drive the entire power value chain, competition should be encouraged to grow and drive the right tariff pricing.

Finally, government should desist from trying to regulate a market into existence, but rather, relax regulations enough to allow the sector grow organically.

“Most of the public and even some pertinent persons in government are not sufficiently informed about the power sector, hence the lack of understanding that without a functioning value chain involving gas producers and transporters, GenCos, TCN, and DisCos, most Nigerians will regrettably continue to pay for darkness.”

MSMEs to Benefit from JCI Nigeria’s 2021 Agenda Nosa Alekhuogie

The Junior Chamber International, Nigeria, has disclosed that due to the high rate of youth unemployment in the country, it is prepared to support efforts aimed at empowering micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The non-profit humanitar-

ian organisation stated that its recently launched Junior Chamber International Rebuild, Invest, Sustain, and Evolve (JCI RISE) initiative would enable enterprising youthful individuals across the world to work together in order to ensure economies and workforces emerge more resilient and developed.

The President, Junior Chamber International, Nigeria, Abiola

Olorunnisola, during a media briefing in Lagos recently, said JCI would also continue to sustain its already existing projects such as, the peace is possible advocacy campaign scheme; the Go Green operation which is aimed at planting hundred thousand trees across Nigeria in 2021; and the JCI Nigeria mobile application, which was designed for networking and empowerment

of the ecosystem.

“Today, before us are challenging times with environmental and health crises, geo-political conflicts, corruption, unemployment to mention a few.

“Hence, the JCI values and mission are the guides towards steering the direction and imbue the organisation with a strong sense of integrity and purpose.

“I believe that we are ready

and capable of significantly contributing positively to the cultural, social and economic vitality of the ecosystem,” he said.

The 50th President further maintained that during his one year tenure as president JCI would effectively be carrying out the many worthwhile projects the organisation has pledged to embark on.

GCR Ratings Expands into Francophone Africa Global Credit Rating Company Limited (GCR Ratings) has announced its acquisition of a 65 per cent shareholding in West Africa Rating Agency S.A. (WARA), a Senegal domiciled and Francophone Africa focused Credit Rating Agency (CRA).

The acquisition supports GCR’s strategic objective to continue to develop its Pan-African reach as Africa’s leading CRA. WARA is an independent CRA registered with the Financial Markets Authority of the West African Monetary Union (AMF-UMOA).

It has been in operation since 2012 and provides credit rating services across the Francophone Africa region, and across the full spectrum of sectors.

“The acquisition of WARA provides GCR with an opportunity to build on WARA’s success, leveraging their experienced management and analytical team to continue to grow GCR’s presence across Africa, in particular in the Francophone region,” a statement explained.

In announcing the acquisition, Chief Executive of GCR Ratings, Marc Joffe, said: “GCR is delighted

to partner with WARA, an established CRA that brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the Francophone Africa region.

“We believe the combination of GCR’s 24-year track record, strong pan-African knowledge and focus on analytical excellence, coupled with WARA’s dynamic management and operational team positions the company well for the next phase of growth and capital market development.

“We also wish to recognise the immense contribution of WARA’s co-founder, Mr Seydina

Firm Donates N10m Intelligence Gadgets to Boost Police Operations James Emejo in Abuja

Leading indigenous and innovative ICT firm, Access Solutions Limited, has donated intelligence and ICT infrastructure valued at about N10 million to complement ongoing efforts by the police to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs of criminal elements.

The Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Access Solutions Limited, Mr. Elijah Olanrewaju, said the gesture was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CRS) to contribute to the society particularly in helping to address the security challenges in the country.

According to him, the donations which was provided to the Divisional Police Station in Gwarimpa Estate Galadima axis, FCT Abuja consisted of broadband internet connectivity, closed circuit imaging solution, intelligent

camera and solar power and battery solutions as well as ICT training for staff.

Speaking to THISDAY during the inauguration of the facility, he said: “We wanted to give something that will impact both government and the people. And So, we discovered that all over now and within us the issue of security is becoming a major issue in the country and the police with their total number of about half a million in the entire country of over 200 million people - if you divide the ratio you could see.

“One of the things that can help us in this kind of situation is introducing technology to help policing. Now, technology would help to scale - if one policeman is to 10 people, with technology you could do like one to 50 or 100 depending on the scale of your investment, which was one of those things that we also

demonstrated.”

Elijah said: “We decided that information is key and primary - how can we help the police to get information and get access to information.

“So we said let’s provide them with internet access.

So we provided a broadband: we built a mast from our end here to their end to provide broadband internet access.

“As I speak with you now they’ve been using it for several months. So, the entire officers in the place on their phones and machines have broadband so they can have access to information.”

He disclosed that in the second phase, the company planned to deploy some computers as well as artificial intelligence learning to alert them for a tracing if a criminal passes.

“We will start this year and train them on information technology,” he added.

Tandian, who sadly passed away in 2018, and whose vision aligns to GCR.” Commenting on the acquisition, Chairman of GCR Ratings, Olivier Beroud said: “WARA is a highly regarded credit

rating agency that is wellpositioned to benefit from the strong secular growth in demand for credit ratings across Francophone Africa. “WARA has played a critical role in deepening capital markets and

generating high quality credit research. We look forward to working with WARA management to continue to develop and broaden the company’s service offerings in French-speaking Africa.”

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T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

IMAGES

Photo Editor ÌÓÙÎßØ ÔËÖË Email ËÌÓÙÎßØ˛ËÔËÖË̶ÞÒÓÝÎËãÖÓàÏ˛ÍÙ×

L-R Member of APC Caretaker Committee , Mr. Ahmed Ismail; Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; Senator Jibril Echocho; Senator. Smart Adeyemi and Sen.ator Yakubu Oseni, during the inauguration of women and youth mobilization committee for the forthcoming registration and revalidation exercise in Abuja...recently .ENOCK REUBEN

Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Abdullahi Candido (middle) flanked by representative of traders during his visit to the destroyed Kugbo furniture market, in Abuja...recently

mo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma (middle) and his Wife exchanging pleasantries with John Cardinal Onaiyekan (left) at the burial ceremony of Late Most Rev. Dr Gregory Ochiagha in Imo State...recently

L-R: Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs,Babayo Ardo,the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Honourable Minister of State Niger Delta Affairs,Omotayo Alasoadura during press driefing on the achievement of the Ministry in the past year and the way forward in the tear 2021 in Abuja...recently

L-R, Chairman Senate Pres Corps, James Itodo; Special Adviser to the President of the Senate on Media, Ola Awoniyi and President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan during the presentation of birthday Card to the senate president to mark his 62nd birthday in Abuja...recently julius atoi

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (4th right) and some officers interacting with a wounded soldier at 44 Army Referral Hospital in Kaduna...recently

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN discussing with the COVID 19 Research team led by Professor Femi Babalola during a virtual meeting in Abuja...recently

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THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 •T H I S D AY

THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ , JANUARY 14, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

Securing Public Trust, Confidence for COVID-19 Vaccines Scientists and world health authorities may have fought hard to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 within a record time, but the next stage and perhaps most important aspect of this battle is how to win people’s confidence and acceptability for the vaccines, writes Onyebuchi Ezigbo

S

ince the news of a breakthrough in the development of COVID-19 vaccines was reported, countries around the world, including Nigeria started making moves to secure these vaccines for their citizens.

At the onset, Nigeria joined over 196 countries to sign on to a collaborative initiative known as COVAX vaccine scheme that will help those countries with low income capacity to have relatively equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines when they are developed. The global initiative is aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, once they are licensed and approved.

COVAX currently has the world’s largest and most diverse COVID-19 vaccine portfolio - including nine confirmed vaccines, with a further nine under evaluation and conversations underway with other major producers.

Nigeria’s foray to acquire the vaccine was not surprising because it suddenly began to witness an upsurge in cases of COVID-19 Infections towards the end of 2020 after months of low reported cases. The country’s slide into second wave of COVID-19 was attributed to non observance of non pharmaceutical protocols by the citizens.

With the renewed threat of COVID-19, the federal government and other stakeholders in the health sector began to focus more attention at the option of securing vaccines to help avert an epidemic in the country.

To ensure that the vaccines are purchased at the earliest possible time, federal government first set aside the sum of N10 billion, followed later by another N400 billion allocated in the 2021 budget. While announcing plans by the federal government to procure vaccinnes for COVID-19, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire said the first batch of the vaccines are being expected to arrive the country by the end January, 2021.

Concerns Soon concerns began to mount over the arrangements put in place for the procurement of vaccines in the country. One of those who expresed worry over the level of commitment being made about acquiring the vaccines, is the Chairman of the committee on review of the strategies against COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Adewole Tomori . He had expressed fears that the January timeline set by the federal government to secure the first batch of vaccines might not be met.

Tomori who spoke to THISDAY in an interview in December, said his position was based on the fact that the country is yet to decide on several parameters that is necessary before procurement of vaccines can be effected.

Prof. Tomori said that as at the moment, government is yet to decide on which of the nine available vaccine type is best suited for the country nor has it considered the number of vaccine doses that can be procured in the first batch.

He said: “For instance in Europe, their own vaccines regulatory authority has approved vaccines for use, they are not waiting for the World Health Organisation approval, it is a mere icing on the cake. There are not waiting for any other approval because they have developed a system that can take care of this. Nigeria as a country will not touch those vaccines until the WHO gives its approval. Is America or Europe waiting for the WHO?” According to him, waiting for the WHO

Courtesy visit of the Ambassador of the Russian Federation on COVID-19 Vaccine last September 2020 at the Federal Ministry of Health Conference Room, Abuja

means that countries like Nigeria are going to wait to use the crumbs of vaccines after the developed countries have taken what they need.

Tomori said, “l learnt the government is budgeting N400 billion for vaccines but can anyone tell how many doses of vaccines the country is expecting or the brand of vaccines we want to procure at the moment? You see, we are just paying for underdevelopment”.

Tomori further lamented that while America and countries in Europe have already developed an effective system of analysing the vaccines to know which one is good, African countries, including Nigeria are still waiting for assistance from WHO. He added that at a time when other countries were taking a gamble and ordering for vaccines four months in advance, Nigeria is still waiting for WHO’s approval.

On his part, the president of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah suggested the beefing up of sensitisation efforts by the National Orientation Agency, especially at the grassroot to ensure that it counters all the misinformation and negative impression in the minds of the people. Ujah said that NOA should consider local means communication in various communities to raise the needed awareness about healthy practices aimed at containing the virus.

While expressing concern at the situation of things in the country, Ujah said there is an urgent need to convene a stakeholders meeting to discuss the current development with regards to the spike in the Infection.

Ujah said: “We need to convene a stakeholders meeting to discuss the way forward, it is not a one-off thing. We need to sit down to evaluate the situation. It is also important that leadership religious groups and faith-based organisations should be brought together from time to time to wide

the scope of understanding of the implications of allowing the spread of the virus.”

Measures But just as Nigerians were begining to be agitated over the arrangements for acquiring vaccines, the federal government came up with what looked like timelines and procedures for procurement and introduction of the vaccines in the country.

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) which has been assigned the responsibility to handle the roll out of the vaccines said the country is expecting to take delivery of 100,000 doses of vaccines by the end of January. The agency explained during a sensitisation programme for the media in Abuja last week that the first batch of the vaccines will be administered to a select group of Nigerians- 50,000 of them who will be given two doses of the vaccine each within 21 days.

The agency said that federal government has put in place a technical working group for COVID-19 vaccine headed by the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib that will coordinate the implementation of the vaccination in the country.

It said the technical group, made up of all relevant ministries, parastatals and partners had concluded arrangements with suppliers of the vaccinnes, COVAX vaccines and GAVI. Director of the Department of Diseases Control and Immunisation at the agency, Dr. Bassey Okposen who disclosed this during the virtual meeting with media stakeholders organised by NPHCDA last Friday, said health workers across the country will form the bulk of the initial beneficiaries of the vaccines.

It explained that the team is planning to introduce COVID-19 vaccine with the sole aim of interrupting the transmission of COVID-19 in all parts of the country,”.

Okposen said that there are many vaccines currently available globally for dealing with COVID-19 but that country is zeroing down on two options, the COVAX scheme which is coming through the GAVI - Global Vaccines and Immunisation that we are used to in the country.

He said that through GAVI, poor and low income will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccines when they are ready, adding that apart from the COVAX scheme, Nigeria also has other alternative sources to obtain the vaccines, like the Russians and United Arab Emirates.

According to him, the technical group is working out plans to also source vaccines from these countries as an alternative platform to get enough vaccines for citizens.

Speaking on the timelines for the introduction of the vaccines, Okposen said as soon as the vaccines arrive the country, there is going to be some kind of prioritisation in order to optimise the limited resources available, adding that the arrangement will be based on global best practices, especially for the frontline health workers, airport workers, immigration, security men who are on essential duties.

He said the segment of the society that will be prioritised are the elderly, those above ages of 50 and those that have comorbid conditions like asthma, diabietes, heart disease and hypertension.

Okposen said that the agency is targeting to vaccinate 70 per cent Nigerians between this year and next year.

While explaining the handling and distribution mechanism for the vaccines, NPHCDA had explained that immediately the vaccines arrived Abuja, they will be taken

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T H I S D AY ˾ , JANUARY 14, 2021

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NEWS SECURING PUBLIC TRUST, CONFIDENCE FOR COVID-19 VACCINES

to the National Strategic Cold Store in Abuja where they will be kept in the ultracold chain freezers for storage. It said before being loaded to the freezers, a sample of the vaccines will be taken by officials of NAFDAC for analysis and eventual certification in line extant laws. The agency said that it will not release the vaccines to any state untill they are sure that the states are ready to implement the vaccination. According to the agency, as soon as each state is ready to implement the vaccination, NPHCDA will USBOTQPSU TVQQMZ UP UIFN XJUIJO IPVST *U further explained that the implementation is going to last for five days in each state when the vaccinne will still retain it’s potency.

Fear of Acceptance But as the government is busy sorting out issues about the procurement of vaccines for this novel virus, another hurdle appears to be building up in the area of acceptance of the vaccines by the Nigerian population.

Several views have been expressed by some Nigerians and people from other parts of world over the safety of the vaccines.

Even though health authorities in the United States and Europe had given some of the vaccines so far developed a clean bill of health, the doubt over their safety still persist in the minds of many people.

Unsubstantiated claims of negative after effects of the vaccines have continued to surface in the social media.

But what is really worrisome in Nigeria is the recent campaign being spearheaded by a well-known politician and a Senator who had taken to social media to allege that the version of COVID-19 vaccines currently in the market is a death sentence to any one that takes it.

There are also those who came up with the insinuation that some developed countries may be planning to use the vaccines to inject diseases into Africans or to render them impotent, thereby reducing the population.

Whether we accept these rather weird postulations or not, they are indeed going to have a lot of impact on the acceptability of the new vaccines by the people, hence the need for a counter advocacy to change the narrative.

Okposen said that it is important to use the occasion of media sensitisation event to clear the fears about the safety of those that will take the vaccines, stating that as far the agency is concerned, the COVID-19 vaccines to be administered are “safe and effective”.

According to the director, a lot of work is going on to ensure that the vaccines that will be introduced in Nigeria is safe and effective.

Priority However, in a bid to promote positive acceptance of the vaccines being introduced, /1)$%" TBJE 1SFTJEFOU .VIBNNBEV #VIBSJ Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and other top government officials may be the first set of people to be administered.

The agency said health workers will also be among those that will take first shot

in order reassure everyone that it has no negative effect. Speaking at media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on Control of COVID-19 in Abuja, the Executive Director of the NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said as part of strategies to roll out use of vaccines to contain the spread, the agency will be prioritising health workers and some strategic country leaders.

He said that the agency intends to make a public show of the president’s vaccination to help create the needed awareness. Shuaibu said: “ In terms of the prioritisation, yes I mentioned that we are prioritising health workers and some strategic country leaders.

I would like to see a situation where the President, Vice President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and other critical leaders come and take the vaccines in the full glare of the public to demonstrate that this vaccine is safe.

“So we have to make provisions for those.

Even in developed countries, we have seen that apart from the prioritisation of health workers, you have to also identify critical leaders that you don’t want to be wiped away by the virus. As much as possible, we also do not want to leave our leaders vulnerable to COVID-19, and it doesn’t mean that we want to prioritise politicians - that is not correct.”

Concerning how long the protection of the vaccine will last, he said, “one thing that we are aware of is that this vaccine is new.

So we do not have absolute information about how long they will last because the vaccines are just a few months old. It is only a question of time before we know exactly how long their immunity will last.”

New Variant Shuaib also spoke on the prevalence of the new variant: “It is only so far in the United Kingdom that we are aware of the predominant strength of the new variant.

I want us not to be so much obsessed about this new strain.

“What the manufacturers have indicated is that even if there is a need to tweak the vaccine, it is not going to be a major problem in terms of what needs to be done to provide a vaccine against these new strains”.

Shuaib further said that technology has advanced to be able to produce vaccines in such a short time as to counter whatever new strains of the virus that are available.

Summarily, beyond the measures being taken by the NPHCDA to win the acceptance of Nigerians on the introduction of the vaccines, the federal government should put all its public information mechanism at work immediately.

For instance, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the NOA have a duty to champion the campaign to educate Nigerians especially those at the grassroot on the need to embrace the vaccine as one of the potent means of avert the disaster posed by the pandemic. Also leadership of faith-based organisations and civil society groups should be enlisted by government to help in explaining the positive gains of embracing use of the vaccines.

FERTILITY

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

STRESS AND INFERTILITY (Part 2)

L

ast week we addressed the issue of stress reduction to enhance fertility, overall wellbeing/quality of life, below are some helpful tips to successfully achieve that: Change how you react to stressful situations: When faced with ongoing stressful situations, the only thing you have control over is on the way you react. Pay attention to how you react to stressful people/situations around you. Do you turn over in your head all what would happen? Getting control of how you react will have a big impact on what happens inside of your body when a stressful situation presents itself. This takes some attention and practice. It is an indirect way of refusing to allow situations and events control your feelings because it bounces back on your overall health.

It is important to have a practice or habit that helps you to reduce stress on your health such as: Sleep: Sleep is a necessary human function and a powerful stress reducer. Regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood and sharpens judgement and decision, thereby making it easier to cope with stress. Ensure you are getting enough sleep daily.

Exercise: Adequate amount of healthy exercise daily helps to promote blood circulation thereby releasing energy necessary to manage stress.

Meditation: Meditate on good things and always keep a positive mindset as much as possible.

Eating right: Eat natural preferably homemade balanced meals , avoid junk foods, increase daily fruits and vegetables intake, take supplement that are rich in vitamins with high antioxidant activity to boost your immunity.

Avoid Medications :In an effort to reduce stress in your life to achieve healthy fertility/ overall wellbeing, it is important that you try to avoid unprescribed medications and drug abuse as this merely masks the stressful feeling you are experiencing, and does not help it.

Additionally, some of these medications can cause infertility themselves, or have negative effect on the baby if you happen to become pregnant.

Dancing: This is another technique to reduce stress and increase life satisfaction, so crank up your favorite jam and dance like nobody is watching.

Prayer: it has been reported that people who pray often are less anxious, feel more hopeful and are better able to cope with stress.

Reading a book: Books that can help transform the way we perceive life issues will certainly help relieve stress, they afford us the opportunity to learn from others too how to live in peace

despites external circumstances. One of the places to learn how to manage stress is through books. Knowledge they say is power and it equips an individual with inner strength to manage stressful situations with ease.

Smile/ Laughter: Most often, smiling leads to laughter. Choosing to smile even when situations around us does not warrant it, is essential and can only happen when we meditate on all the positive sides of life and refuse to focus on the present stress, learn to count your blessings and name them one by one. Laughter has been said to be the best medicine. It has been reported to be a powerful antidote for stress, pain and conflict.

Benefits of a hearty laughter r 3FMBYFT NVTDMFT FWFO VQ UP NJOVUFT after the laughter exercise thereby relieving physical tension and stress. r %FDSFBTFT TUSFTT IPSNPOFT BOE CPPTU UIF immune system. r 5SJHHFST UIF SFMFBTF PG &OEPSQIJOT UIJT JT the hormone that promotes an overall sense of wellbeing and can temporarily relieve pain. r *ODSFBTF CMPPE áPX UP UIF IFBSU BOE WJUBM organs thus relaxing the entire body. r %JGGVTFT BOHFS BOE DPOáJDU QSPNPUJOH interpersonal relationship hence it is able to tackle stress due to anger. r *NQSPWFT NPPET NBLJOH POF GFFM IBQQJFS and reduced tension.

Laughter is contagious, so spend at least 30 minutes every day laughing. Create humor and bring humor into conversations. Go ahead and give it a try. Turn the corners of your mouth up into a smile and then give a laugh, even if it feels a little forced. Once you have had a chuckle, take stock of how you are feeling.

Stress is a powerful component in a person’s life and can quickly run the body down. While some stress are completely natural and expected, too much stress will cause the body to go into survival mode.

Pregnancy is a naturally stressful event for the entire body organ and best achieved when the body is not under any form of stress and functioning optimally. Struggling with infertility can make you feel like you have lost control, why not try out the options listed above which must start with an open mind and willingness to explore new lifestyle. This may just be all you need to make the long-awaited babies come even naturally.

You have just gone through a long list of how you can combat stress in an effort to increase your chances of fertility, sometimes all we need is to Surrender and let go, taking it easy, one day at a time. Life may not always go as planned, we need accept life as it comes and move on.

Life may not be fair and may never be ideal but we must learn to enjoy every moment of it because being alive in itself is the greatest gift of life.

34

T H I S D AY ˾ , JANUARY 14, 2021

HEALTH

Adamu: Our Target is to go into Heart Surgery Dr Yahaya Baba Adamu is the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Keffi. In this interview with Igbawase Ukumba, he speaks on efforts to improve on the services rendered by the hospital

T

FMC Keffi?

Well we really thank God, I think the job is about challenges. I don’t think it’s something to worry about. I think what we are doing everyday is actually the challenges. The primary mandate is to ensure that services are being rendered and people are satisfied with the services we are rendering to them. So in one of the major challenges which we are facing is what I will call “Out of Stock Syndrome in Drugs”.

Ma be nonavailability of laboratory service, and maybe procedure for consumables to be done were not on ground which I consider as the major responsibility of the hospital. So we need to tackle that and by God’s grace it won’t take us time to tackle that. The rest I consider it as part and parcel of the day to day running of the hospital. Everyday we face one challenge or the other, we cross them and then we move on.

But most importantly, we need the emergency service to be upgraded. And that is what we have been working on. And by God’s grace, we are getting better and better on that. And we will never stop until we reach to what we consider as a standard that is acceptable world-wide.

here are allegations that the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi is in terrible condition. Could you give the exact situation of that facility?

Well as far as I am concerned, I am not aware of any problem with my mortuary facility. Infact very recently, I think I have some people who came in here and were very impressed telling us how good they saw the improvement of the facility. Infact recently my brother’s wife died and was kept in that mortuary. I am aware that the mortuary is in a perfect order.

But there are allegations that corpses were being kept outside the mortuary. How about that?

Infact, the opposite is that my sister called back to me because they were around, I was not even around in the country, I am talking about two weeks ago, she said when she used to come here before you go to the mortuary, corpses would be scattered over the floor and all that. But when she entered the mortuary, she couldn’t believe her eyes that everything was neatly arranged and so on. You can follow the PRO to go and see the mortuary yourself. It is not an exclusive zone, if you are ready to go and see. We don’t hide anything in this hospital.

Could you highlight the method of preservation of corpses in your mortuary?

I am not a pathologist. I am a heart surgeon. If I begin to tell you method of preservation now and begin to make errors. I don’t like speaking about what I don’t know. If you want me to tell you the method of how to go through the chest and open the heart, I will tell you.

But if you want me to tell you the method of how preservation of corpses is done, I don’t want to deceive myself. I am the CMD, yes, but I am not the master of every aspect. I cannot use my elementary medical school knowledge and start discussing what is not right.

Recently your hospital successfully separated a co-joined twin, after that, did you have another case?

Well, we are very grateful. The truth is that co-joined twin is not very common. It occurs once in a blue moon. So it is not something we wish to see all the time. You know sometimes these things come as if they are coming in groups.

Those two came at the same time, one was taken to National Hospital, Abuja and operated. We kept one here and operated. Since that time I am not sure neither National Hospital nor us have seen another one. So that is the story about that.

But we thank God, the story is about there for everybody to see. The children are there as evidence and they are alive and doing well with their parents. So as far as we are concerned, we have done our own. The rest is for God and their family to take care of them.

Is there any new initiative that you have introduced in the hospital under your leadership?

Adamu

Well immediately after that, we succeeded in planting what we call a pacemaker in the heart of one lady for the very first time in the history of this hospital. We did that successfully and the patient is doing fine. And of course we hope to build on that. Maybe in not too long a time, hopefully we can advance on that when we get the necessary personnel here. We may even go into heart surgery but not immediately. But as we continue working, we hope that we can get there.

The thing is that we need a heart team before we have a heart surgery. But we are already improving our facilities. We have already interviewed and employed one person. When he has resumed, we can build the team around him. If we have a team on ground, our target is that in the next one and half years, we would be able to do it.

On COVID-19, could you give the number of people you treated and discharged so far?

You all notice from the media that the COVID-19 is on the downward trend either we are not doing enough test or we are doing and it is not available.

What I mean is as a country. I am not talking to us as an institution. But however because of the low number that we have currently, we do no longer have plenty patients as it used to be.

Infact sometimes we don’t even have any patient.

But recently, I am aware that we have one or two patients on admission and I have not been told that they have been discharged. Besides that is the current norm that any patient that is not symptomatic, even if they are found positive, we

keep them in their home under seclusion and treat them from their home. We don’t keep them in the hospital. But when they are symptomatic, like the one or two that we admitted recently, we kept them in the hospital and we treat them.

In this hospital as of my last count, we have treated over 170 cases and discharged. Among that I think three directly died in the hospital after about two or three days on admission.

Most of the others actually we discovered to have COVID-19 after they died; which is about either four or five. But the real deaths that were on admission and being taken care of are these 170 that I have just said.

Do you have any case where any of your medical personnel was infected with the virus when carrying out treatment of patients with the dreaded disease?

No, no, no. In the course of treating them, zero.

But if you have any doctor that is positive, yes they are part of the community. Somebody is there, he is interacting with the community, he catches it, we will not say he is not COVID-19 positive. We receive him and treat him like every other patient. At that point he is no longer staff, he is a patient. We had staff patients that were COVID-19 positive. But we never had any staff who was among treating patients that contacted COVID-19 throughout the period.

What are your challenges as CMD of

There are allegations also that administrative staff outnumber the clinical staff in your hospital. How do you confirm that?

Well, when you take any position you inherit assets and liabilities. I met it too the way you asked. But I cannot sit down and be asking and asking. The only thing I needed is to stop that trend from continuing. And I can assure that when I came in, our focus is that any staff that resigns, dies or retires; whether you are admin or non-admin, our replacement is clinical. And that has been the principle.

Even in the clinical, we look at the areas that are actually neglected and ensure that those are places that we only seek for replacement. So we can replace admin staff in a nurse, we can replace an account staff in a doctor; it doesn’t have to be account for account or admin for admin because we want to resee the way we can balance all these.

It may take a while. We can’t do it at once because those who are already in are in, you cannot bring them out. But there are natural means of people leaving. So when you leave, you can’t expect your colleague to take over. It has to be somebody who is going to be attending to the patients.

What are your footprints in FMC Keffi since your assumption of duty as the CMD of the hospital?

The truth is if you go round the hospital, you will see infrastructures clearly with your own eyes. I don’t want us to go into more detail now; from our new lab, new dialysis building to ward extension to the Multi Specialist Clinic that has gone so far. We have modified the way theatre sections are being run, we have modified the way clinic sections are run.

In fact, we have achieved several accreditations and reaccreditations in the hospital. Infact, these are some of the things we have done. And we want to focus on these things. I don’t want to go into nitty gritty of departments; what we have changed and what we have not changed.

Don Calls for Establishment of Home Economics, Nutrition Extension Agents A leading nutrition expert has called for the establishment of Home Economics and Nutrition Extension agents across the country in furtherance of efforts to curtail the menace of malnutrition, particularly protein malnutrition in Nigeria.

Prof. Henrietta Nkechi EneObong of the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Cross River State, who made this call recently at the Protein Challenge Webinar themed ‘Bridging the Knowledge Gap’, noted that the agents would function much like agricultural extension officers, in the nutrition space.

She argued that the message about nutrition must be brought to the level of the people across every stratum of the society and where possible, provided in the local languages to help boost nutrition education.

According to her, “Home economics and nutrition extension agents would be in the best position to simplify the nutrition message and bring it to the people to bring about the desired outcome in behaviour from the citizenry.”

She called for the introduction of nutrition education in schools, nursery, primary and secondary, as students can learn and equally be able to teach their parents

at home. The don stated that capacity must be developed to bridge the knowledge gap and put such knowledge into action.

Reports indicate that food consumption habits in Nigeria depend on the availability of food source, affordability of the food and knowledge of the nutrition value along with the personal choice or preference of the buyer.

On the importance of protein, she explained that proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body tissues; hence they are found throughout the body.

Pregnant and lactating women need extra proteins to help in the

development of the foetus and milk production, she noted. She said that healthy adults need to consume an average of 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight, for individuals with minimal to intense physical activity.

In family meals, it is important that carbohydrates with proteins are mixed, she said. “For example, rice and beans, yam and eggs. We must ensure that infants and young children consume foods from at least four food groups: grains, roots and tubers; legumes and nuts; dairy products; flesh foods and eggs; vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (like carrots and

sweet potatoes) and other fruits and vegetables.”

Prof Ene-Obong revealed that of all measures designed to stop all forms of malnutrition, the food-based approach is the most cost-effective.

She stated that with adequate nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life and adequate maternal and adolescent nutrition, the nation stands a better chance of curbing the menace of malnutrition. The home economics and nutrition agents will be at the forefront of pursuing this agenda.

The nutrition enthusiast stated that mothers need to be encouraged to engage in exclusive breastfeeding for

the first six months and to continue breastfeeding for two years. Adequate complementary feeding should also be promoted, the professor of human nutrition said.

Protein Challenge is the tag of The Nigeria Protein Awareness Campaign, a protein pull media campaign that seeks to create awareness about the prevalence, status and impact of protein deficiency in Nigeria.

The campaign aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger – which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

35

T H I S D AY ˾ , JANUARY 14, 2021

HEALTH

Fish and Soyabean : A Great Combination for Improved Human Health

Fish and soybeans combination

Adewolu Morenike A.

is linoleic acid, which accounts for about 50 per cent of the total fat. Soyabeans are low in carbohydrates, hence very low on the glycemic index (GI), which is a measure of how foods affect the rise in blood sugar after a meal.

Soyabeans contain a moderate amount of soluble and insoluble fiber. It is a good source of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K1, the B-vitamins, folate, copper, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and thiamine. They are a rich source of various bioactive plant compounds, including isoflavones, saponins, and phytic acid. Generally, composition, protein quality and nutritive value of soyabeans depend on numerous factors, including seed variety, environmental conditions during growing, harvesting and storage of the beans.

Introduction

O

ne of the serious problems facing developing countries today is how to match food production levels, particularly proteinous foods, with increasing demand by a growing population.

The magnitude of this problem is shown in the prevalence of kwashiorkor and other diseases associated with protein deficiencies. In Nigeria, the average protein intake is low; it is estimated as 45.4g per day. This is below the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)\World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of 70g per day with half coming from plant sources and the remaining half from animal protein sources. This article highlights the importance of fish and soybean protein as crucial diets for Nigerians.

Fish as the Healthiest Animal Protein Source Fish, when compared to beef, chicken, and milk protein has a higher tendency to support health in terms of digestibility, biological value, protein efficiency ratio and amino acid profile.

Fish is the most easily digestible of all the dietary animal proteins because of the presence of lower connective tissue. Human beings can utilize up to 85% (WHO). In addition, the cost of fish production when compared to other livestock is cheaper. Fish is more available and readily affordable than other animal protein sources.

Nutritional Benefits of Eating Fish Nutritionally, fish can be classified into three major categories: Oily Fish - These fish contain significant amount of oil (about 30%) in their body tissues, belly cavities and guts. Examples are mackerel, salmon, sardines and catfish Lean Fish - These are the white fish with lower amount of fat content. Examples are soles, cod fish (panla) and tilapias Shell Fish - These are fish that are covered with shell. Examples are crabs, oysters, lobsters and prawns\shrimps Fish is an important source of high-quality and digestible protein that contains all the essential amino acids.

It contains water soluble vitamins like vitamin B complex, vitamin B12, B6, B2, folic acid, biotin and very little quantity of vitamin C. It is also rich in fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. Fish also contains important micronutrients (minerals) such as calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, lead and copper. These minerals may be beneficial or toxic to man, depending on the level of exposure. Fish, especially marine fish, are a dietary source of iodine. It is an important source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Basically,

Rebecca Ejifoma

the most important nutrients needed for human body are found in fish. Several factors may affect the nutrient composition of fish, these include the age or size, sex, environment, season of the year, amount of food available and physical activities.

Some fish species stop feeding before spawning and draw on their protein and fats reserves, thus affecting their nutrient content. Also, fish, when overcrowded, may not have enough food intake thereby affecting the nutrient composition. It is important to mention that nutrient content varies within an individual fish. For example, fat may not always be distributed uniformly throughout the flesh of a particular fish. In Pacific salmon, there may be twice as much fat in the muscle around the head as in the muscles of the tail.

In the lean fish of cod family, the fat content of the muscle is generally low, below 1%. Majority of the fat content is in the liver, which is not normally eaten, and may contain greater quantities of oil soluble vitamins A and D. In contrast, these two vitamins may be present in the flesh of other fish, eg eels. The nutrient content of fish, if carefully processed, are not affected by preservation, provided storage is not very prolonged.

Eating fish may lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes because of the presence of omega-3 fatty acids. The high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids in oily fish is valuable in decreasing the serum cholesterol. Fish, as a good source of vitamin D and calcium, can improve bone health and growth. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish are beneficial to improving visions and eyes health.

Eating of oily fish may improve quality of sleep due to the high concentration of vitamin D. Fish as a high packed nutrient, when eaten, may boost our immune system, especially during this period of COVID-19 pandemic. Fish oil is

supportive in lowering blood pressure due to its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids help in the breakdown of triglycerides and fatty acids in the liver, thereby lowering the risk of fatty liver disease.

It helps blood flow to the brain and improves its performance during mental tasks.

The fat and the pituitary gland in the fish head are rich in Vitamin A, which can fight free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.

Higher consumption of fish can reduce the inflammation of joint in rheumatoid arthritis, prevent depression and may reduce the risks of autoimmune diseases. Research has shown that children who consume fish regularly have lower risk of asthma, improved memory and reduced risks of contracting diseases. It is recommended to eat two to three servings of fish per week to enjoy all the benefits.

Soyabean as the Healthiest Plant Protein Source In line with the FAO/WHO recommendations that half of the estimated protein needed by man may come from plant sources, the plant protein source may come from soybean, which is affordable and contains essential nutrients.

Soyabeans are unique from other legumes because they have a concentrated source of isoflavones and have weak estrogenic. They have higher amount of protein and fats than other legumes. They are relatively low in carbohydrate.

Nutritionally, soyabean is one of the best sources of high-quality plant protein, containing about 40-56 per cent of the dry weight.

The fat content is approximately 18 per cent of the dry weight, mainly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids and zero cholesterol.

The predominant type of fat in soybeans

Health Benefits of Soyabeans Soyabeans have a number of health benefits.

It may reduce the risk of cancer. The isoflavones and lunasin in soyabean may be responsible for the potential prevention of cancer. Exposure to isoflavones early in life may be protective against breast cancer later in life.

The high levels of antioxidants in soyabean may prevent the onset of several cancers; it may help to kill several cancer cells and remove free radicals from the body. Research studies indicate that isoflavones, found in soyabeans, may alleviate menopausal symptoms. A number of studies suggest that consumption of soybeans can help lower the cholesterol in the body by 4-6 per cent.

The high amount of fiber in soyabean may help to lower the cholesterol from other foods.

It plays a vital role in the digestive system.

People suffering from constipation are advised to consume fiber-rich foods to help them excrete regularly. Soybean also contains oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that is known to stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria, acting as a prebiotic.

Soyabeans help in healthy weight management.

Its high protein content allows for the development of leaner muscle it helps in regulating insulin levels thereby curbing obesity. Soyabeans may lower high blood pressure because of its high protein, high potassium and low carbohydrate content, a mixture that helps to bring down blood pressure.

Fish and Soyabeans Combination The combination of fish and soyabeans makes it a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids and other important nutrients needed in the human body. Dietary habits of consuming soybeans and fish have a lot of health benefits, as this combo can lower the risk of diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, cancer and other diseases affecting millions of Nigerians. This combo is cheap and readily available. Nigerians, especially the pregnant women, children and the elderly, can survive and live healthily on it. This superfood is recommended to all. rMorenike is a professor at the Lagos State University and specialises in Fish Nutrition

36

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͲ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

Report Foresees 13.5% Monetary Policy Rate for Nigeria in 2021 Obinna Chima Nigeria’s benchmark Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) has been predicted to rise by 200 basis points to 13.5 per cent in 2021, up from the 11.5 per cent it is presently.

Bloomberg Economics made the prediction in the media outfit’s quarterly guide titled: “Ultra-Low Interest Rates Are Here to Stay: 2021 Central Bank Guide,” obtained yesterday.

It pointed out that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has been under pressure to aid the recovery of the economy that’s in recession, even after a 200 basis points cut of the MPR in 2020.

However, it stated that inflation at 34-month high and a currency that had to be devalued three times in 2020, “complicates the outlook for monetary policy.”

“Nigeria’s system of multiple exchange rates and curbs on dollar access have been key drivers of inflation and a drag on economic growth, with importers resorting to the more

expensive parallel market to get hard currency.

“Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele and Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed have said they would seek a more flexible and unified naira. Still, there is no timeline for this yet and the IMF and World Bank said in December authorities should speed up these reforms to support the economy.

“Inflation will remain at double digits if the central bank doesn’t reform monetary policy to focus on price stability, and easing is unlikely to give any additional boost to output, according to the IMF. Bloomberg Economics’ forecast for end of 2021: 13.5 per cent.”

Commenting on the outlook for Nigeria, Bloomberg Economics’ Boingotlo Gasealahwe said: “Nigeria’s inflation rate continues to surge, and has been stuck above the central bank target range for the past five years.

However, the Central Bank of Nigeria has overlooked the recent uptick, choosing instead

to support the economy with a 200 basis point interest rate cut.

“We expect it to hike rates again this year, when the recovery has gathered pace and the policy focus shifts back to inflation.”

Globally, the report stated that central banks are set to spend 2021 maintaining their ultra-easy monetary policies even with the global economy expected to accelerate away from last year’s coronavirus-inflicted recession.

Bloomberg’s quarterly review of monetary policy that covers 90 per cent of the world economy predicted that no major western central bank would hike interest rates this year.

But, China, India, Russia and Mexico were among those predicted to cut their benchmarks even further. However, it stated that only Argentina and Nigeria were expected to raise rates.

The assumption was that central bankers would want to guarantee that recovery is safe before they even start to consider tightening policy.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

Ozigbo Laments Anambra’s Rising Debt Profile David-Chyddy Eleke ÓØ áÕË The immediate past president of Transnational Corporation, Plc (Transcorp), Mr Valentine Ozigbo has lamented the high debt profile of Anambra State under the leadership of Governor Willie Obiano.

Ozigbo, quoting the Debt Management Office during a media briefing yesterday said the state’s debt profile has risen by 1,600 per cent since Obiano became governor of the state.

He added that what was more annoying was that the infrastructure on ground in the state was not commensurate with the humongous sum already borrowed since 2014.

The ex-banker said, “Anambra’s debt profile under this

government has risen by 1,600 per cent since this administration came in 2014. For bankers like us, we like to make meaning off numbers.”

Ozigbo, who is also a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said he was in the race to lead Anambra to the path of greatness again, insisting that if the state makes a mistake in the next election about who governs her, she will regret it for many years. “I’m here (governorship race) because I want our story to change. I am here because I’m not satisfied with the status-quo. We need to change the way people look at politicians, we need to change the way people see Anambra. I’m convinced that I have the capacity to bring the

kind of change we yearn for.

“I want to be the answer to the prayer of the poor masses for a good leader. I have the capacity, and not just my ability to do it alone, but being personally authentic and the humility to admit what I do not have, and what I do not know.

“The problem we have is that we have too many people who think they know it all. What I don’t know, I know where to get someone who knows it. I have emotional intelligence and I am grateful to God for it.

“I want to tell Anambra people that we must be careful in choosing the next governor of the state. If we make any mistake in the next person that will be governor, it will be recipe for disaster.”

Lagos to Hold Ehingbeti Summit in February The Lagos state government yesterday announced that ‘Ehingbeti,’ the private sector-centered economic transformation conference will now hold from February 16-18, 2021.

The economic summit was previously fixed for November 2020, but was postponed to this quarter. According to a statement, the three-day summit, which will be a hybrid of virtual and live events, is expected to draw participation from different sectors of the economy and across the globe.

“As an ingenuous socioeconomic apparatus with significant contributions to the evolution of Lagos State into a major economy in sub-Saharan

Africa and an admirable megacity, this edition of Ehingbeti has yet another significant role in the wider Rebuild Lagos Agenda of the current government and its developmental campaigns.

“Over the last two decades, successive governments in Lagos State since the beginning of the fourth republic, have hosted the summit to consistently redefine the dynamics of public-private sector collaborations for development across social and economic indices in the state,” the statement added.

Commenting on the forthcoming summit, the state’s Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, who is also a Co-chair of the Steering Committee, Sam Egube, while explaining

the role of Ehingbeti 2021 in the ‘Rebuild Lagos Agenda, said: “Deploying Ehingbeti as a recovery strategy from the shockwave of COVID-19 and as a socio-economic reinforcement tactic at this period in the history of our state is timely.

“In the last two decades, Ehingbeti has played a pivotal role in the transformation of Lagos State, with useful inputs into the Lagos State Development Plans (LSDP).

“Our realities from 2000 when the first Ehingbeti held, exactly 21 years ago, have significantly changed. Now, we have to cater to the infrastructural needs of more than 22 million population and ensure that Lagos remains on the path of continuous growth”.

AgBiTech, GAIL Partner on Fawligen Biological Control Farmers in Nigeria, the first country where Fall Armyworm (FAW) was detected in Africa in 2016, will soon get access to a biological tool that will prevent an infestation of the invasive pest.

The product which is called Fawligen belongs to the new IRAC mode of action Group 31 (host-specific occluded pathogenic viruses). It contains a nucleo-

polyhedrovirus specific to the Fall Armyworm pest and has been undergoing several regulatory trials and evaluations across several African countries since early 2018.

To ensure that Farmers in Nigeria, a country which has the largest maize acreage in Africa of five million hectares can protect their crops from severe injury and economic

damage caused by the FAW infestation, Golden Agri Inputs Limited (GAIL), a member of the FMN Group have partnered with AgBiTech as its exclusive distributor for Fawligen in the country. Commenting on the partnership, the Group Managing Director, FMN, Boye Olusanya, was quoted in a statement to have said:

(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

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ˜ ͯͰ ͰͮͰͯ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $54.76 a barrel on Monday, compared with $54.39 the previous Friday, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $55.41 a barrel on Tuesday, compared with $54.76 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zafiro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

37

T H I S D AY ˾ ͯͲ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Ardova Plc Moves to Acquire Enyo Retail and Supply Limited Goddy Egene Shares in Ardova Plc (AP) rose to N20 per share yesterday as the company disclosed that it had entered into discussions with the shareholders of Enyo Retail and Supply Limited relating to AP acquiring Enyo.

The Nigerian integrated energy company explained that Enyo is one of the newest and fastest growing retail and supply

companies in the downstream sector.

Enyo is a technologically driven player and currently operates over 90 stations across Nigeria attending to over 100,000 retail customers daily across 15 states of the country.

In notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) AP said the announcement was pursuant to the acceptance in principle of its offer and acquisition

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R

DEALS

framework by the shareholders of Enyo, which is subject to the successful completion of a due diligence exercise and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals.

The Chief Executive Officer of AP, Mr. Olumide Adeosun, explained that immediately following completion, AP will look to retain the Enyo branded stations which will operate side by side with the AP brand whilst

S E C U R I T I E S

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

leveraging the strengths of AP and its group companies.

According to him, the parties are committed to concluding the deal by the end of first quarter (Q1) 2021, noting that AP and Enyo Retail & Supply Limited will provide further information on progress made on the proposed acquisition.

Enyo Retail and Supply Limited was established in 2017 as a customer-focused,

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

technology driven fuels retailing company, intent on providing best-in-class retail experiences, whilst leveraging complimentary brands and optimising return to investors.

Enyo’s primary focus is to integrate first level customer service experience with fuels retailing and renewable energy products in Africa. Enyo is pioneering the technology revolution in the downstream

O F

sector to see what additional value can be created to support the massive industry. Enyo is affiliated with Folawiyo Energy, one of the leading players in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Meanwhile, the stock market sustained its bullish performance with the NSE All-Share Index chalking up 0.11 per cent to close at 40,341.05, while market capitalisation added N23.6 billion to be at N21.1 trillion.

1 3 / 0 1 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

38

MARKET NEWS

NSE to Review 2020 Market Activities, Provide 2021 Outlook Goddy Egene The Nigerian Stock Exchange

(NSE) will hold its annual 2020 market recap and 2021 outlook on Tuesday, 19 January

A Mutual fund (Unit Trust) is an investment vehicle managed by a SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) registered Fund Manager.

Investors with similar objectives buy units of the Fund so that the Fund Manager can buy securities that willl generate their desired return.

An ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) is a type of fund which owns the assets (shares of stock, bonds, oil futures, gold bars, foreign currency, etc.) and divides ownership of those assets into shares. Investors can buy these ‘shares’ on the

2021 virtually. According to the NSE, its chief executive officer, Mr. Oscar Onyema,

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg.

Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 12Jan-2021, unless otherwise stated.

supported by members of the executive committee will review global capital

market review, particularly the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance

of the NSE and its strategic performance across business development.

Offer price: The price at which units of a trust or ETF are bought by investors.

Bid Price: The price at which Investors redeem (sell) units of a trust or ETF. Yield/Total Return: Denotes the total return an investor would have earned on his investment. Money Market Funds report Yield while others report Year- to-date Total Return.

NAV: Is value per share of the real estate assets held by a REIT on a specific date.

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 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 Afrinvest Dollar 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 N/A N/A N/A ACAP Income Funds N/A N/A N/A AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.44% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.55 3.70 -0.25% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 0.85% Anchoria Equity Fund 134.25 134.73 0.38% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.33 1.33 0.00% 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 17.72 18.26 15.71% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 409.50 421.85 18.55% ARM Ethical Fund 34.22 35.25 17.66% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.22 1.23 22.54% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.11 1.11 10.90% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 0.44% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 129.07 129.98 2.30% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.12% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) N/A N/A N/A CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 0.02 0.00 2.02% Paramount Equity Fund 16.25 16.57 1.67% Women's Investment Fund 134.27 135.81 0.89% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 0.82% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 131.93 132.81 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 108.95 108.95 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 1.32% Coronation Balanced Fund 1.20 1.21 -0.32% Coronation Fixed Income Fund 1.60 1.60 0.72% EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED mutualfundng@ecobank.com Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B N/A N/A N/A EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund 1,391.06 1,392.70 -0.60% FBN Balanced Fund 187.72 189.13 0.02% FBN Halal Fund 111.50 111.54 -0.03% FBN Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.06% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional 122.57 122.99 0.81% FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 122.71 123.13 0.80% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 154.26 156.59 2.04% 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 N/A N/A N/A Legacy Debt Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Legacy USD Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,803.61 3,851.33 1.25% Coral Income Fund 3,316.40 3,316.40 1.54% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 1.82% 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 1.19% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 127.89 128.42 18.92%

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 1.08% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.90 2.96 32.49% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 7.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 157.02 157.98 9.61% 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 N/A N/A N/A Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.62 1.65 5.26% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.21 12.33 8.82% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.50% PACAM Equity Fund 1.58 1.59 PACAM EuroBond Fund 108.52 110.99 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 132.31 134.60 8.40% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 0.24% 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 N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) N/A N/A N/A Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A 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 1.39 1.42 1.91% United Capital Bond Fund 1.89 1.89 0.14% United Capital Equity Fund 0.89 0.91 2.32% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.47% United Capital Eurobond Fund 117.31 117.31 0.20% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.09 1.10 0.29% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.36 12.48 4.20% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.68 13.80 12.01% Zenith Income Fund 24.09 24.09 -2.90% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.95%

REITS NAV Per Share

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

120.87

6.05%

52.46

0.00%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

13.00 123.81 97.61

13.10 123.81 99.73

-1.65% 1.70% -1.63%

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

4.16

4.20

9.61%

Vetiva Consumer Goods Exchange Traded Fund

5.89

5.97

3.50%

Vetiva Griffin 30 Exchange Traded Fund Vetiva Money Market Fund Vetiva Industrial Goods Exchange Traded Fund

17.67 1.00 20.15

17.77 1.00 20.35

7.93% 0.87% -1.79%

196.89

198.89

-11.64%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.71

13.11%

Fund Name Vetiva Banking Exchange Traded Fund

Vetiva S&P Nigeria Sovereign Bond Exchange Traded Fund

Yield / T-Rtn

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.

39

THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS

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

N P F L M A T C H - D AY F O U R

Jigawa Stars Put Imama’s Job on the Line with Fourth Defeat Duro Ikhazuagbe

Imama Amapakabo’s romance with Abia Warriors appears close to hitting the rock following the Umuahia club’s fourth NPFL defeat of the season to visiting Jigawa Golden Stars.

Warriors suffered a 3-1 defeat right in front of their fans shortly after similar woeful outings against Enyimba, Rivers United and most recently Akwa United.

Sadly, it was Abia Warriors that drew the first blood when Arit Utibe Archibong who headed the hosts into the lead just seven minutes into the game from Ndube Anaezemba’s free kick.

And that goal was all Imama’s wards have to show for the day as Golden Stars seized the momentum, and cancelled out that advantage in the 24th minute when Quadri Olasukanmi leveled from a goal mouth scramble.

Two more goals in the 74th minute and 85th by Samuel Stone gave Golden Stars the only away victory of Match day

four of the Nigerian topflight and left Warriors wondering what manner of start to season for them.

Unless there is a massive turnaround, Coach Amapakabo should better be looking for other openings before he’s kicks out of Umuahia. Four defeats in four games appears a dent on his profile.

Elsewhere in Bauchi, Rivers United’s fairytale run was halted by hosts Wikki Tourists.

Chinedu Udeagha’s 30thminute goal was all that Wikki Tourists required to end River United’s unbeaten run.

That defeat however failed to uproot the Pride of Rivers people from the summit of the NPFL on nine points.

Rangers who caged FC IfeanyiUbah at the Cathedral in Enugu 2-1 are now challenging Rivers United for the top spot.

The Flying Antelopes are on same nine points as the Port Harcourt team but second on less goal difference.

Rangers victory was however

not without drama.

It took the Flying Antelopes 13 minutes to score after Patrick Egeonu fouled Christian Nnaji in the area earning himself a yellow card and penalty against his team FC IfeanyiUbah.

Israel Abia made no mistake from the spot.

Six minutes into the second half and Ekene Awazie curled the ball into the net after the Rangers goalkeeper, Nana Bonsu left his goal area to clear a shot but his half hit shot presented Awazie with the easiest of finishes.

Rangers again shot into the lead within six minutes thought Shedrack Asiegbu with Chidiebere Nwobodo giving the assist.

In Uyo, Akwa Ibom team,

Dakkada were pecked by by visitors MFM FC 1-1 to share points at stake.

The home side, Dakkada FC scored just before half time when a Kokoette Udo pass located Chigozie Solomon who scored a beauty of a goal from 25 yards.

But MFM equalised with 13 minutes left to play when Temi Adebayo’s effort beat Thomas Omokhudu in goal for the hosts.

Dakkada FC are now fifth on the log with MFM seventh.

In Akure, Lobi Stars thought they had won all three points at stake as they led 2-1 up till the 92nd minute when that advantage was cancelled.

Sunshine raced to the lead in the 9th minute as Fuad Ekelojuoti tapped in the ball from a low cross from Ayo Adejubu.

Lobi however fought back to equalize just before the half time whistle sounded. Mathias Samuel slid the ball under the arms of the Sunshine goalkeeper from six yards out, assisted by Thomas Zenke.

Lobi showed they were not faffing around when they thought they got the winner late in the game.

With thirteen minutes left to play, Onuwa Chukwuka’s shot took a wicked deflection and Ossy Martins was well placed to volley home a rebound from close range.

But in the 92nd minute, Sadeeq Yusuf reacted quickest to tap into an empty net after Seun Olulayo’s free kick had rattled the woodwork. Sunshine levelled it at the death.

MATCH DAY 4 Heartland

2-0

Enyimba

W’Wolves

3-0

Katsina Utd

Sunshine

2-2

Lobi

Dakkada

1-1

MFM FC

K’Pillars

1-0

Plateau Utd

Rangers

2-1

Ifeanyiubah

Adamawa

0-0

Nasarawa

Kwara Utd

1-0

Akwa Utd

Abia Warriors 1-3

Jigawa

Wikki

Rivers Utd

1-0

Coach Imama Amapakabo...four defeats in four games for Abia Warriors

Everton Boss, Ancelotti, Hails Iwobi, Digne Partnership Eberechi Eze in Crystal Palace’s Squad for Arsenal Clash Everton Manager, Carlo attack the flanks with Iwobi Alex Iwobi (right) scored his first goal of the league season against Wolves on Tuesday night

Ancelotti, has expressed his delight with the productive partnership between Alex Iwobi and Lucas Digne in their 2-1 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

The Nigeria international has been delivering eye-catching performances for the Goodison Park outfit recently and against Wolves, he scored his first league goal of the season.

The 24-year-old forward opened the scoring only six minutes into the encounter after a fine combination with Digne to end a 15-game drought in the division.

Ruben Neves then levelled for the Toffees before Michael Keane scored the match-winning goal as Everton clinched their second consecutive victory.

Ancelotti is delighted with the performances of his team and praised the partnership between the Super Eagles star and the 27-year-old.

“We had a different approach without Richarlison and CalvertLewin. We played more to

and Digne and it worked well because the first goal was a fantastic combination,” Ancelotti said to BBC Sport.

“Michael Keane is unbelievable with his head.

His goal helped us to stay in a good position in the table.”

Iwobi has now scored two goals and provided three assists in 19 appearances across all competitions this season to help Everton move to the fourth spot on the Premier League table.

The forward took to social media to express his joy with the impressive performances of the Goodison Park outfit.

Iwobi teamed up with the Toffees in the summer of 2019 after leaving his boyhood club Arsenal, where he started his career.

The versatile winger has made more than 40 appearances across all competitions for Everton and will be expected to continue his fine form against Aston Villa on January 17, although Covid-19 appears to have caused the postponement of the game.

Eberechi Eze was naive to visit former club Queens Park Rangers last week and flout Covid-19 health protocols but the winger will not be dropped from the Crystal Palace squad for his actions, manager Roy Hodgson said on Wednesday.

Eze was pictured not wearing a mask while sitting in the directors’ box at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium during QPR’s 2-0 defeat in the FA Cup by Fulham on

Saturday.

Palace said on Tuesday second-tier QPR admitted they made a mistake by hosting Eze without the Premier League club being aware.

“A lot of naivety on his part thinking it was ok - it obviously isn’t,” Palace told reporters before today’s league game at Arsenal.

“Does what Eze did deserve leaving him out? I don’t think so.

But it does merit a fine. We don’t

want our players breaching coronavirus regulations.

“He did it naively and foolishly, not a determined gesture to break a rule but he did. We’re not happy at all and we show that by fining him.

“I’m not a big fan of that over the years, but on this occasion, I think this error of judgment deserves it and he has to be cautious not to make them again.”

Hodgson said centre back

Gary Cahill is fit to make the trip to the Emirates Stadium, but Mamadou Sakho is still injured.

Palace, 13th in the standings with 22 points from 17 games, face a confident Arsenal side who are 11th with 23 points after winning their last three league games.

Hodgson said Arsenal were “one of the best teams in the country” despite their poor start this season.

European Matches Live on DStv, GOtv This Weekend Football fans on DStvand GOtvcan look forward to loads of action from the 2020-21 Premier Leagueand Serie Aseasons, with matches scheduled for 15-18 January 2021.

The pick of matches from the Premier League this weekend sees Liverpool and Manchester United meet at Anfield. The match will be broadcast live at 5:30pmon SuperSport Premier League (channel 203) exclusive to DStv subscribers.

This classic English rivalry

is always fiercely contested, but it will have even more importance this season as United have emerged as potential title challengers to Jurgen Klopp’s men. United are currently three points adrift top of the log after defeating Burnley 1-0 Tuesday night.

The Red Devils are particularly good away from home with the pace and penetration of their counter attacks proving too much for host teams to handle, though producing a similar showing

against the class of a team such as ‘Pool” will be no easy task.

This round of Premier League action also features a Friday nightLondon derby between an improving Fulham and a Chelsea side looking to recapture their prime form at 9pmlive on SuperSport Premier League; a Saturday-eveningbattle between two European hopefuls in Aston Villa and Everton at 6:30pmliveon SuperSport Grandstand (DStv Channel 201) and SuperSport Premier League (DStv Channel

203).

Sunday and Monday will also feature Tottenham Hotspur visiting Sheffield United at 3:00pmon SS Premier League, Manchester City hosting Crystal Palace at 8:15pmlive on SuperSport Grandstand, SuperSport Premier League and SuperSport GOtv Football (GOtv Channel 31) while Arsenal will welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates Stadium on Monday at 9pmliveon SuperSport Premier League.

Thursday, January 14, 2021

UT H

& RE A S O

N

Price: N250

MISSILE Ibrahim Sheka to Kano People “Our elections are always warlike, while it is trailed and marred with chaos and uncertainty. Election in Kano state requires adequate security because it always looks like the entire world is coming to an end”—Chairman, Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. Ibrahim Sheka, speaking ahead of the LG polls in the state coming up this Saturday

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OLUSEGUNADENIYI THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

Lessons from Trump’s Foiled ‘Coup’

S

uccession does not come easy for despots. Which is why elections under their watch are most often conducted as a mere formality to validate assured ‘victory’ - regardless of how the people exercise their franchise. The President of the United States, Mr Donald Trump, was not supposed to be a despot. But by proceeding from electoral defeat to the incitement of mobs, he behaved like one. In the process, Trump has inflicted damage on the image of his country that will take years to repair.

Given what transpired yesterday in Congress, Trump will also go down in history as the only twice-impeached president. This appears a strategic move by Democrats and a number of Republicans to ensure he is ineligible to contest again in 2024 as his rhetoric suggests he might. His removal from office will of course depend on his conviction by the Senate. That trial is now expected to happen after he will have left office since Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday that he will not reconvene the chamber for an emergency session on impeachment proceedings. But it is nonetheless humiliating for the embattled president that ranking Republican House members, including Liz Cheney, yesterday aligned with Democratic members to endorse his impeachment. “The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack”, said Cheney, Chair of the House Republican Conference and eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney. “Everything that followed was his doing.”

The ugly drama started last week Wednesday, when thousands of Trump supporters, some of them heavily armed, invaded the Capitol building in Washington DC in a futile bid to halt legislative proceedings meant to officially ratify former Vice President Joe Biden as president-elect.

No fewer than five deaths—including that of a policeman trying to restore order— were recorded. Scores of others were wounded in what has been described as a premeditated “assault on the sacred heart of US democracy.”

Before the 3rd November 2020 presidential election, Trump had made it very clear that losing was not an option for him. His actions and utterances since his defeat are a fitting climax to this ‘end justifies the means’ approach to politics. In words and deeds, Trump has jeopardized not only trust in democracy and the rule of law but also the moral authority that has for decades factored ‘Washington’ into the calculation of principal actors at every election cycle in numerous countries, most especially in Africa.

The invasion of Congress by those seeking to overturn the choice of the American electorate has validated fears around the world that four more years of Trump in the White House would imperil global stability.

A prolongation of his tenure into a second term would also endanger American domestic peace. Already, the ease with which the rioters breached security at the Capitol building and vandalised congressional offices, including that of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has raised allegations of double standards within the security apparatus. “If it had been a group

Trump of Black Lives Matter protesting” according to Biden, “they would have been treated very, very differently than a mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol.”

As president, Trump has stoked hate and division in his country and nobody is too high or low for his name calling: ‘Crooked Hillary’ (Clinton), ‘Sleepy Creepy Joe’ (Biden), ‘Phony Kamala’ (Harris), ‘Nasty Nancy’ (Pelosi), ‘Lying Ted’ (Cruz), ‘Sneaky (Dianne) Feinstein’, ‘Wacky and Deranged Omarosa’ (Newman), ‘Fat Jerry’ (Nadler), ‘Foul Mouthed (Ilhan) Omar’, ‘Crazy Arnold’ (Schwarzenegger), ‘Fake Jake’ (Tapper) etc. are some of his characterizations of those with whom he disagrees politically.

Although it is convenient to mock the US for the misfortune of having such a man lacking in basic decency as president (as many are currently doing), it is also important for us to take appropriate lessons from the events of recent weeks. Last Thursday, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa tweeted: “Yesterday’s events showed that the US has no moral right to punish another nation under the guise of upholding democracy.” That is becoming the dominant view across the continent, especially by dictators who want to hide under what happened at the Capitol to justify the manner they trample on the rights of their citizens. We should not allow them. Despite Trump’s desperation and machinations, the enduring lesson remains that the president of the United States can still be held accountable through institutional checks and balances.

In all the gloating statements from the continent, I find that of Floribert Anzuluni, the co-ordinator of DR Congo opposition movement Filimbi, instructive.

“What happened reminds us that human nature, regardless of colour or origin, needs safeguards, education, strong institutions, responsible leadership, to restrain its basic instincts,” he said. This provides a more productive reading of the situation. That American institutions stood firm as a bulwark against the excesses of Trump should not be lost in this conversation. Were he to be

the leader of some other countries, Trump would be preparing for his second term inauguration by now—regardless of how the vote count went.

I was in the United States during the election. On the night of 3rd November 2020, Ms Jackie Farris (Director General of the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation) and I were at the residence of the Chief Executive Officer, BayZx Global Strategic Solutions, Mr Bayo Oyewole, just outside Washington DC, to monitor results. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant night for the two Democratic supporters. Leading in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, the three Democratic states he had flipped in 2016, Trump declared himself the winner despite the fact that most of the mail-in ballots and that of early voting were yet to be counted. He even tweeted ‘Stop the Count!’ until he was reminded of the implication and changed it to ‘Stop the steal’. Still, nobody paid attention to him in any of the states.

Now, let us imagine the president of an African country making such a declaration in the middle of an election. The police and other security agencies would have moved in immediately to abruptly end the process.

Even in Asia or Latin America, there are few countries where such a desperate presidential call would not have been enforced. So, while Trump played Trump, the American system stood up to him. When that gambit failed and it became clear he had lost the election, Trump initiated a deluge of law suits. And this was, literally and figuratively, to be the ultimate Trump card! He often boasted about the courts. And he had reason to: Very few American presidents in history have nominated more appointees to the bench than Trump.

To date, his judicial appointments include three Justices of the US Supreme Court, 54 judges for the US Courts of Appeal, 174 US District Court judges, three judges of the US court for International Trade, 10 judges for the Court of Federal Claims, seven judges for the Tax Court, six judges for the Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims, two judges for the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and one judge for the Court of Military Commission Review. None of them proved to be of value to Trump. In dismissing one of his numerous law suits as lacking merit at the Pennsylvania-based Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Stephanos Bibas, (a former professor of law and criminology at the University of Pennsylvania elevated to the bench in 2017 by Trump) stated on 27th November 2020: “Charges require specific allegations and then proof. We have neither here.”

Trump played his final judicial joker with the lawsuit filed by Texas against four states he lost and whose results he was seeking to overturn: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. For a man whose life revolves around quid pro quo, Trump saw no reason why those he helped to the highest judicial positions in the country would rule against him. When pushing for Amy Coney Barret to be quickly confirmed to the Supreme Court by the Senate last year, Trump had specifically stated that she would be needed for any post-election lawsuits. In the end,

Barret joined the majority to dismiss Trump’s suit on the technical ground that Texas “has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”

Unable to conceal his displeasure, Trump tweeted that the Supreme Court decision was “a legal disgrace, an embarrassment to the USA!!!” A few hours later, he posted another tweet: “a great and disgraceful miscarriage of justice. The people of the United States were cheated, and our Country disgraced. Never even given our day in Court!” In how many countries on the continent would the judiciary exhibit such independence given a similar scenario?

Trump of course did not put all his eggs in the judicial basket. When he realised Michigan had flipped in favour of Biden, he sought the intervention of the Republican-controlled legislature by inviting their leaders to the White House.

That gambit also failed. “We will follow the law and follow the normal process regarding Michigan’s electors, just as we have said throughout this election,” Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (a Republican) and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield (also a Republican) said in a joint statement after their meeting with Trump. We can hazard a guess as to what would have happened on the continent after such a meeting between a sitting president and the leadership of a state legislature controlled by his party.

Following that abortive effort, Trump turned his attention to the executive in one of the states he lost. In an hour-long phone conversation with the Georgia secretary of state and fellow Republican, Brad Raffensperger, Trump was direct about his request: “So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state…The people of Georgia are angry, the people of the country are angry…And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you’ve recalculated…” And to this, Raffensperger responded: “Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong.”

Can you imagine such effrontery from a local state official?!

When his pardoned former National Security Advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn flew a kite that Trump could impose martial law and deploy the military to re-run the election, he was invited to the White House by the president to hear more about this formula. You don’t even need to remind military leaders on the continent that their main job is regime protection. But the Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville responded with a joint statement that, “There is no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of an American election.”

Checkmated at every point, Trump and his mob remained undeterred. But after their madness in Washington, Congress reconvened to put a final nail in the political coffin of the president who will leave office next Wednesday whether he likes it or not. r/05& 1JFDF DPODMVEFE PO QBHF

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