THURSDAY 2ND FEBRUARY 2023

Buhari Charges MOFI to Grow FG's Assets from N10tn to N100tn By 2033 Directs finance minister to commence move to restructure, reposition company Deji Elumoye in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the Ministry of Finance

Incorporated (MOFI) to grow its Assets Under Management (AUM) from the current value of N18 trillion to at least N100 trillion in the next

10 years.

Buhari handed down the directive yesterday, at the State House, Abuja, at the launch of the new

MOFI and inauguration of the Governing Council and Board of Directors of the body shortly before the commencement of the Federal

Executive Council meeting.

The president further tasked the new board to be the clearing house for the management of

federal government investments and assets in line with global best Continued on page 16

After S’Court Judgment in Edo PDP Crisis, Obaseki Says No Victor, No Vanquished... Page 34 Thursday 2 February, 2023 Vol 28. No 10158. Price: N250

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Amosun: Why I'm Working against Dapo Abiodun... Page 16

Atiku Attacks Tinubu over Exchange Rate, Says He’s Hypocrite PDP: Ex-VP will bring back jobs, manage debts transparently Party plans big for Kano rally February 9 Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku

Abubakar, yesterday, took a swipe at his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Bola Tinubu, and described him as a hypocrite over his attempts to extricate himself from the failures

of the APC-led government.

This is as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has said Atiku and his running mate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, were adequately prepared

to transparently manage the nation's economy and create jobs for the masses.

At the same time, the party in Kano, has said it was planning a big

rally for its presidential candidate come February 9.

Atiku, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, had

reacted to Tinubu’s latest open attack on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Calabar rally on Tuesday.

Continued on page 16

FG Replies El-Rufai, Says Buhari Focused on Delivering Free, Fair Polls Declares no villa staff working for or against any of the presidential candidates Kaduna governor alleges some ‘elements’ in villa sabotaging Tinubu, APC Gets Aisha Buhari’s backing El-Rufai exonerates Emefiele from naira redesign blame APC PCC says Buhari most important person in presidency Deji Elumoye and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The federal government yesterday denounced insinuations by Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir ElRufai, that some fifth columnists in the State House, Abuja, were working to frustrate the victory of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, adding that the president has consistently demonstrated his commitment to free, fair and credible elections.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, while reacting to the allegation after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari held at Abuja, said the government was unaware of anyone within the presidential villa working against any candidate in next month's Continued on page 16

MINISTRY OF FINANCE INCORPORATED BOARD INAUGURATION...

L–R: President Muhammadu Buhari; Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Chief Executive Officer, the Governing Council and Board of Directors of Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), Dr. Armstrong Takang; Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, and Board Chairman Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, during the PHOTO: GODWIN OMOIGUI. Inauguration of the Governing Council and the Board of Directors of MOFI at the Presidential Villa, Abuja …yesterday

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Group News Editor: Goddy Egene Email: Goddy.egene@thisdaylive.com, 0803 350 6821, 0809 7777 322, 0807 401 0580

NEWS

SIGNING OF BILATERAL AGREEMENT ON THE CROSS BORDER FREQUENCY BETWEEN NIGERIA AND NIGER...

L-R: Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta; Minister of Post and New Information Technologies, Republic of Niger, Mr. Moussa Hassane Baraze; Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and Chairperson of the National Council Regulation of Electronic Communications and Post, Republic of Niger, Mme Bety Aichatou Oumani, during the signing of bilateral agreement on cross border frequency co-ordination in the trans-boundary zones between Nigeria and Niger Republic at Abuja... yesterday

OPEC Ministers Recommend Unchanged Oil Production Levels from March

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

An Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) committee has recommended keeping crude production steady and holding output at levels set late last year.

At that meeting, OPEC and its allies had announced a hefty cutback of two million barrels a day to balance markets amid a fragile global economy, mostly induced by the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

Oil prices have had a rocky start to 2023, with a rally in mid-January fading away by the end of the month. That had prompted OPEC and its allies to remain cautious even as industry voices from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to Trafigura Group predict price gains later this year.

The status-quo recommendation from the OPEC+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMCC) at its online session on Wednesday was widely anticipated and caused little reaction in crude prices. Brent crude futures were little changed near $86 a barrel, Bloomberg reported.

China’s decision to scrap almost three years of stringent Covid-19 lockdowns has spurred a travel revival in the world’s biggest oil importer. Domestic air journeys jumped by 80 percent as tourists flooded to popular local destinations.

Nonetheless sentiment remains fragile, with key indicators showing a muted economic recovery after the country had to contend with a resurgence in virus cases.

OPEC+ is also trying to gauge the impact of sanctions on membernation Russia. Forecasters expect a plunge in output as a European Union ban on imports of the country’s crude expands next month to encompass refined fuels. However, oil shipments have so far remained surprisingly resilient.

Last week, Equatorial Guinea’s Oil Minister Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, who this year serves as OPEC’s president, said the group had to “be very careful on any decision.”

OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al-Ghais said last month he remained “cautiously optimistic” on the global economy as China’s rebound is countered by weakening growth elsewhere.

The OPEC+ coalition's Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) recommended no changes to the group's output policy at its meeting.

The JMMC, which is made up of key OPEC+ ministers, is not a decision-making body but it can make recommendations based on its assessment of the oil market and also has the authority to recommend an extraordinary ministerial meeting be held if market conditions warrant.

As it stands, OPEC+ is not due to hold a ministerial conference until June.

The JMMC's recommendation to stay the course on current crude production targets comes against the background of similar supply and demand uncertainties that underpinned the group's December decision to roll over output quotas,

notably the outlook for Russian exports and Chinese consumption.

On the supply side, the EU's embargo on Russian oil products is due to come into effect on 5 February. Its impact, coupled with the effect of the ban on Russian

seaborne crude imports and the G7-led $60/bl price cap on Russian crude sales, remains unclear.

Russian crude exports have shown resilience in the face of the embargo so far, but a decree from President Vladimir Putin

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced the "Nigerian Girls Can Code," as part of efforts to bridge the gender gap between male and female stakeholders in the information communications technology (ICT) sector.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said this yesterday, during an award presentation ceremony at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking through the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC Ubale Maska, the EVC said the competition was designed to

enhance digital literacy skills and bridge the digital divide between the men and women.

He stated that the inclusion of girls in the ICT was in line with the United Nations’ efforts to empower girls in tech and close the digital He said: "The competition has been designed to enhance digital literacy and skills for the country's emerging digital economy, bridge digital inequality, improve digital access as well as narrow the digital divide between men and women in the ICT innovation and development.

"The Nigerian girl can code competition is also framed to support technology skills learning for girls and promote broader national audience amongst others."

According to him, "empowering

the market balanced.

Although there has been an improvement in oil production recent months, Nigeria has only been able to drill just about 60 per cent of its allocation for multiples of months.

AfDB Approves $50m, €50m Trade Finance Credit Line for ECOWAS Bank Bank partners Government of Canada to fund SMEs, agric

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a dual-currency Trade Finance Line of Credit for ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) comprising $50 million and €50 million.

In a statement yesterday, the AfBD stated that an additional co-financing of $30 million for the credit line would come through the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF) from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

EBID would use the three-anda-half-year facility to provide direct financing to local corporates, it stated.

According to the AfDB, part of the facility would also be channelled through select local banks for on-lending to key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and transport.

It stated further that the ultimate beneficiaries would be the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs),

local enterprises cooperatives and farmers in the West Africa region.

Speaking soon after the Board approval, the Deputy Director General for the West Africa Region, Joseph Ribeiro noted that regional development finance institutions like EBID are key partners of the African Development Bank and serve markets and client segments critical to the overall development of the continent.

“They play an important role in promoting trade and regional integration. This is the Bank’s first financing support to EBID, and we look forward to an even stronger partnership in the near future,” he said.

The Bank’s Head of Trade Finance, Lamin Drammeh, stressed the critical need for such support in the region.

“We are excited to work with EBID to increase access to trade finance in the ECOWAS region with a

NCC Moves to Bridge Gender Inequality in ICT Sector Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

banning Russian producers from selling under the terms of the price cap may weigh on output.

Nigeria has for months been a laggard in terms of meeting its OPEC production quota as the organisation struggled to keep

women and girls will fuel thriving economies, spur productivity and growth.

"Women lack access to decent work and face occupational segregation and gender wage gaps."

The EVC stated: "We believe that critical societal problems can be solved using technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things and data analytics.

“Application of these emerging technologies in agriculture has the potential to increase both operational efficiency of farmers and the yield of the land. It will provide competitive edge needed by farmers in terms of accurate decision making, improved productivity, and efficiency."

According to him, the aim of the Commission organising the

competition was to: “empower women and young girls through technology skills and leadership opportunities to present and promote their schools support for STEM programme, and show them capacity for innovation to leverage ICT to ensure equitable and quality lifelong opportunities.”

In his remarks, the Chairman, NCC Board of Commissioners, Adeolu Akande, stated that the competition was designed to address the challenges of digital inequality, bring equity and narrow the digital gap between men and women in ICT He disclosed that the winners of the competition were selected based on the application functionality, innovation, accessibility, commercial potential and overall national impact.

special focus on the agriculture value chain, SMEs and women-owned businesses”, he said.

“Regional institutions like EBID complement the Bank’s efforts to bridge the trade finance gap in Africa and serve as an effective conduit for channeling much-needed funds to underserved countries and sectors”, he added.

The AfDB estimated the annual trade finance gap for Africa to be around $81 billion.

“Compared to multinational corporates and large local corporates, SMEs and other domestic firms have greater difficulty in accessing trade finance,” it added.

Meanwhile, the AfDB and the Government of Canada have established a new special fund to support Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.

The Agri-food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism aims to catalyse and de-risk investment for agriculture SMEs, as well as strengthen agricultural value chains and improve food security across the continent.

The two organisations made the announcement at a press conference held during at the Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit, recently.

“At the Africa Food Summit, we have seen a strong commitment to addressing the financing gap for SMEs and creating an environment that encourages private sector investments in climate-smart, genderoriented agricultural solutions,” the bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford, told reporters.

“The Agri-food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism will help unlock opportunities for these businesses in Africa, particularly for women and youth,” she said.

Canada contributed CAD 100 million ($73.5 million) to fund the

mechanism, which was hosted by the AfDB. Small and medium agri-businesses produce, process or transport around 65 per cent of Africa’s food, yet they face a financing gap of more than $180 million annually.

The mechanism would provide concessional finance and technical assistance to financial intermediaries including agribusinesses, microfinance institutions and impact funds.

The finance and assistance aim to enable the intermediaries to make loans to agri-SMEs working with women, and businesses that build resilience to climate change.

The Agri-food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism would add to the Bank Group Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa’s (AFAWA) goal of closing the $42 billion access to finance gap for women-led SMEs and to accelerate their growth.

The mechanism represents the bank’s first blended financing facility to specifically target SMEs operating across the agricultural value chain.

It mobilises public funds to de-risk agricultural financing, crowds in support to make SMEs more bankable, and collaborates with providers of capital to make banks more ‘agriculture-friendly’.

“The best way to build up food security in Africa is to work with small-and-medium-sized agriculture and food businesses.

Through a shared commitment between Canada and the African Development Bank, the Agri-food SME Catalytic Financing Mechanism will advance resilient growth and climate adaptation. It will also help African SMEs to pursue climate smart models, and support women by shifting attitudes that perpetuate gender gaps in financial inclusion,” said Anita Vandenbeld, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of International Development.

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AERIAL VIEW OF REDESIGNED, RECONSTRUCTED ROADS IN LAGOS...

Aerial view of the newly redesigned and reconstructed Eleko T-Junction–Epe T Junction Phase I, inaugurated by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday. Inset L-R: Chairman, Ibeju Lekki Local Government, Engr Sesan Olowa; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; member of the State House of Assembly, Eti Osa Constituency I, Hon Noheem Adams; Sanwo-Olu and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr (Mrs) Aramide Adeyoye

FEC Okays N15.569bn for Road Construction Refund to Two States, OGFZA Project, Other Contracts Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its weekly meeting in Abuja, yesterday, with an approval of the total sum of N15,569,016,812 for various contracts in the Works and Housing, Education and Industry, Trade and Investment ministries.

Three ministers made this known while speaking with newsmen at the end of the Council meeting, which was presided over by President

Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

First to brief newsmen was the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fasola, whose memoranda received the highest funding of the day - N9,686,556,583 - said the Council gave approvals for refund of funds expended by Plateau and Borno states on federal roads, which fell within the period which the federal government gave fir such interventions.

He said: “We presented two

policy memoranda. The first was with regard to the policy of government to provide refund any form to state governments for previous interventions on federal government roads, subject to the July 26, 2016 cutoff, after which reforms would no longer be eligible.

“So the two states which had outstandings with respect to eligible roads were Plateau and Borno states and Council approved the refund of N6,601,769,470. 99, in favour of Plateau State, and the sum of

LCCI Calls on CBN to Clarify Grey Areas about New Naira Notes Scarcity Dike Onwuamaeze The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to “enlighten the public on grey areas about the scarcity of the new Naira notes."

It also advised the apex bank on the need to strengthen its policy implementation capacity."

This call was made yesterday by the Director General of LCCI, Dr. Chinyere Almona, in a public statement titled, “LCCI Statement on the Phasing Out of Old Naira Notes.”

The chamber lamented that, “businesses are suffering the consequences of the CBN’s currency management policy lapses.”

It also stated clearly that the chamber did not see any value in the CBN’s extension of the deadline for phasing out old notes as long as the, “scarcity of the new naira notes persist.”

The LCCI stated: “With the launch of the redesigned naira notes last December, expectations were high for the smooth transition to the use of the new notes for business transactions across the country.

“However, we regret to note that expectations have been dashed, business deals impeded, and loss of time and value experienced by many.

“The central bank needs to enlighten the public on grey areas about the scarcity of the new Naira

notes in addition to strengthening its policy implementation capacity.

This is the minimum expectation in the face of a currency crisis in which we find ourselves.”

It stated that the new naira redesign had triggered varied reactions and feedback that suggested that related issues like the phasing of old currency notes, withdrawal limit, and the scarcity of new notes might have started to impact businesses and social livelihood beyond intentions.

“While banks have endeavored to meet the currency demands of their customers through ATMs and electronic transfers, the scarcity of the naira has rendered their efforts ineffective.

“While we support the drive toward a cashless economy, redesigning the Naira and phasing out old currency notes could have been better planned and implemented with no hardship for businesses and individuals,” the LCCI said.

N3,084,787,113. 34 for Borno State,” he disclosed.

He further disclosed that his ministry sought and got approval of Council to hire the services of private sector operator, who would work with the federal government to build a central clearing house for the operations of toll plaza concessionaires, at his own expense, operate it, recover and then ultimately transfer back to government.

According to him: “Two weeks ago, we also approved the full business case for the concessioning of nine federal roads, which will include the concessionaires completion of those roads and also tolling operations, ambulance services, vehicle recovery services and so on.

“Now, this process we sought and obtained approval to start is to get a private sector operator to work with us to build a central clearing house at his own expense, operate it, recover and then ultimately transfer back to government.

“What a central clearing house will do is that it would synchronise interoperability between different toll systems that will be used by different concessionaires when they commence their tolls and

also provide a one-stop accounting system and a single payment recovery system where everybody is paid at the end of the operations and also provide visibility for government to see what is going on in the operations of each concessionaire”.

Also speaking, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, said Council approved N1,803,556,537 contract for the construction of a package sewage system for the authority’s head office within the Liberty Free Zone in Akwa Ibom State.

He said: “My ministry brought a memo on behalf of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, which is a parastatal under our ministry, as part of its responsibility of regulating and attracting foreign direct investments into the country is supervising certain oil and gas free zones in the country and one of which is the Liberty Free Zone in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State.

“To this end, they sought Council’s approval for the award of contract for the construction of a package sewage system for the authorities head office within the Liberty Free Zone in Akwa Ibom State, in the sum of N1,803,556,537.95, inclusive of 7.5 per

Sahara Group Unveils ‘MAD’ for Young Graduate Trainees Sahara Group has said it is presently receiving applications into its Graduate Management Trainee (GMT) Program which is a platform for young professionals desirous of ‘Making A Difference’ (MAD) in the world.

According to Executive Director, Sahara Group, Moroti AdedoyinAdeyinka, the program offers fast-paced growth within the organisation evidenced by Sahara’s proven record of transforming young professionals into worldclass experts. “Today we have success stories of former GMTs who have grown into sundry leadership positions within the Group, reinforcing our commitment to continuous human capital transformation. Just like our previous GMT programs, each applicant that makes it through

from this 2023 edition is set for a world of MAD opportunities in Sahara Group,” a statement quoted her to have said.

Speaking on the implementation plan, Group Head, HR, Ivie Imasogie-Adigun said the Sahara Group GMT program application would run from February 1st to February 15th, 2023. “We cannot hold our excitement here at Sahara as every GMT cycle heralds the addition of uniquely gifted young professionals to the Sahara Family, who are then given peerless platforms to hone and grow their skills across the energy sector value chain,” she said.

Imasogie-Adigun said the program was open to all young graduates across the globe aged 25 and below.

“Sahara’s business is spread

across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Consequently, Sahara offers a global platform and all our energy is geared towards making a difference. We call this being MAD, an attribute that continues to successfully drive Sahara’s vision of bringing energy to life responsibly,” she added.

“The Sahara Group GMT Program offers beneficiaries challenging and evolving careers, unique mentorship opportunities, multicultural exposure, entrepreneurial acumen, unorthodox learning and development, selfdiscovery and mastery, as well as volunteering platforms that promote sustainable development causes.

“Participants will be exposed to challenging real-life business scenarios in today’s rapidly evolving business environment with the

added benefit of experiencing all of this within a globally diverse group of companies.

“There will also be opportunities to be part of an organisation that believes in disruption as a tool for strategic development in today’s business world,” the statement added.

Describing the Sahara Group GMT experience as being “beyond words”, Ejiro Gray of GMT class 2007 who is now Director, Governance and Sustainability said, “Sahara Group is where you have the golden opportunity of discovering the best possible version of yourself. The GMT program I can confidently say, shaped and prepared me for what has been a remarkable journey. Every Sahara Group GMT is a potential world business leader,” she said.

cent VAT, with the completion period of 10 months, without variation and Counsel graciously approved the award of the contract.”

On his part, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, disclosed that FEC approved a total sum of N4,078,903,692 for three contracts in the Osun State University, Osogbo; the Federal University, Lokoja and National Commission for Nomadic Education.

He also stated that Council approved the memorandum that sought the takeover of the David Umahi University of Medical Sciences, Ebonyi, by the federal government, as well as the change of the name of the institution to David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences.

His words: “We presented four memos, three of them were contracts.

The first is for the construction of the Senate Building in Osun State University, in Osogbo. This is at a cost of N2,134,686,307.88, with the completion period of 76 weeks and the contractor is WAZLAF Engineering Limited.

“Second one is another Senate Building. This one is at the Federal University, Lokoja and it is at the cost of N1,607,471,754.77, with the completion period of 50 weeks and the contractor for the project is Amber Bliss Nigeria Limited.

“The third one is a contract for the erection of radio antenna for the National Commission for Nomadic Education. It is 50 kilowatt AM radio and the contractor is ECALPEMOS Technologies Limited and the contract sum is N336,745,631.70.

The completion period is 14 weeks.

“The last one is a memo for the takeover of David Umahi University of Medical Sciences, Ebonyi, by the federal government. What we brought in the memo is for Council to ratify the agreement that has been entered between the Ebonyi State government and the federal government and then to approve the renaming of the university from David Umahi University of Medical Sciences to David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and to approve a draft bill, which has been written, and then to approve the transmittal of this bill to the National Assembly for enactment into an Act”.

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ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE CONFERENCE...

L-R: Debt Capital Markets Senior Transactor, Rand Merchant Bank, Laju Atake; Head, Economic Development Alliances Group, FMDQ Group Plc, Ola Alassan; Executive Director, Investments at ARM Pension Managers (PFA) Limited, Abimbola Sulaiman; , Head, Environmental, Health, Safety and Quality at Axxela Limited, John Okoro; Sustainable Finance Transactor, Rand Merchant Bank, Cara Lishman; Co-Head, Debt and Trade Solutions, West Africa, Rand Merchant Bank, Chukwujekwu Onyekwelu, and Head, Sustainable Finance & ESG Advisory, Nigel Beck, at Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria’s ESG conference which took place in Lagos…yesterday

Moody’s Downgrades Nine Nigerian Banks Moody’s Investors Service, a global rating agency has downgraded nine Nigerian banks.

The development followed its recent slash in Nigeria’s rating.

In a statement posted on its website, it listed the banks affected to include Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Guaranty Trust Bank Limited, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, First City Monument Bank Limited, and Sterling Bank Plc. The rating agency downgraded to Caa1 from B3 the long-term deposit ratings, issuer ratings as well as the senior unsecured debt ratings (where applicable) of all the nine lenders.

Moody’s also changed the outlook to stable on the long-term deposit ratings, issuer ratings as well as senior unsecured debt ratings (where applicable) of the nine rated Nigerian banks.

It explained: “Today’s rating actions follow Moody’s downgrade on 27 January 2023 of the long-term issuer rating of the Government of Nigeria to Caa1 from B3, and change in the outlook to stable.”

Moody’s further stated that the

downgrade of the long-term ratings of the affected banks reflected a combination of two factors, which it listed to include weakening operating environment, “as captured

by Moody’s lowering of its Macro Profile for Nigeria to “Very Weak” from “very weak+”; and the inter linkages between the sovereign’s weakened creditworthiness (as indicated by the downgrade of the sovereign rating to Caa1from B3) and the banks’ balance sheets, given the banks’ significant holdings of sovereign debt securities.

The rating agency stated that the revised macro profile for Nigeria reflected the rating agency’s expectation that depressed and uncertain oil production, capital outflows amid flight to quality and the government’s constrained access to external funding would likely continue to weigh on Nigeria’s external position in 2023.

“Rated Nigerian banks have significant direct and indirect exposure to the Nigerian sovereign, with a significant portion of their assets located in the country, and sovereign debt holdings representing 28 per cent of their aggregate total assets as of June 2022.

“Government exposure links the banks’ credit profiles with the sovereign’s, whose rating was downgraded on 27 January 2023, to reflect Moody’s expectation that

the government’s fiscal and debt position will continue to deteriorate.

“The government faces wideranging fiscal pressure while the capacity to respond remains

of survivors in a private meeting at the papal nunciature in Kinshasa.

“To you, dear inhabitants of the east,” Francis continued, “I want to say: I am close to you. Your tears are my tears; your pain is my pain. To every family that grieves or is displaced by the burning of villages and other war crimes, to the survivors of sexual violence and to every injured child and adult, I say: I am with you.”

On his second day in Congo, part of a six-day trip that would also take him to South Sudan, Pope Francis focused on what he called a “forgotten genocide” in the Congo, seeking to bring a measure of peace to an overwhelmingly Christian country that has known little of it.

From cobalt to gold, Congo has a treasure trove of minerals that armed groups, and even neighboring countries like Uganda and Rwanda, continue to plunder and export, according to the United Nations.

Francis on Wednesday directly appealed to the warring groups to put down their weapons, and condemned “the massacres, the

issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings (where applicable) of the Nigerian banks were in line with the stable outlook of Nigeria’s government rating.

Let Every State Determine Salaries, Allowances of its Officials, Akeredolu Recommends to FG

Wants govt to reduce overbearing influence on federating units

Fidelis David in Akure The Chairman of the Southern Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday faulted the current practice of fixing salaries and allowances of public officials by the federal government to reflect uniformity across the nation.

Akeredolu, who said the practice was unacceptable in a polity which prides itself as federal, explained that the logic of mopping up revenues accruable to states and local govern-

ments into a general pool for the purpose of sharing, in accordance with some federal government legislation was anachronistic and retrogressive.

Akeredolu who stated these at the Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 2008 Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders in Nigeria by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) held at Akure, insisted that power must devolve to the federating units for the country to lay claims to

Pope Francis in Africa, Urges End to Congo’s Cycle of Violence Pope Francis yesterday began the second day of his visit to Africa with a direct appeal to the warring groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo to put down their weapons and forgive one another.

The thumping church music, booming choir and exuberant crowd of about a million people greeting Pope Francis for an open-air Mass yesterday, in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, felt a world away from the violence ravaging the country’s east, where scores of competing armed groups are pillaging villages, plundering resources and heightening tensions with neighboring Rwanda, the New York Times reported.

But Francis, who was forced to abandon his plan to visit the east because of the spike in fighting there, tried to touch the region’s wounds by bringing some of its victims of violence to him.

“We continue to be shocked to hear of the inhumane violence that you have seen with your eyes and personally experienced,” Francis said after listening to the searing stories

constrained by Nigeria’s longstanding institutional weaknesses and social challenges,” it added.

The rating agency said the stable outlooks on the long-term deposit,

rapes, the destruction and occupation of villages, and the looting of fields and cattle.”

Francis told the crowds that he lamented the country’s “wounds,” describing them as being “continually infected by hatred and violence, while the medicine of justice and the balm of hope never seem to arrive.”

The pope already set an urgent, angry tone on Tuesday when he referred to the decades of horrors in Congo as an overlooked “genocide” perpetrated by generations of exploiters, plunderers and power-hungry groups who had preyed on the country’s roughly 100 million people, many of them members of his flock. “Never again violence, never again resentment, never again resignation!” Francis reiterated on Wednesday.

Sitting beside Francis in the National Palace on Tuesday, the country’s president, Félix Tshisekedi, accused the world of forgetting Congo, of plundering its natural resources and of engaging in complicity in the atrocities of the

east through “inaction and silence.”

“In addition to armed groups,” he said, “foreign powers eager for the minerals in our subsoil commit cruel atrocities with the direct and cowardly support of our neighbor Rwanda, making security the first and greatest challenge for the government.”

Tshisekedi’s comments laid bare not only the rising tensions with Rwanda but also the violence in the country’s eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri that has shaken Congo, Africa’s second-largest nation.

The pope with President Félix Tshisekedi of Congo in Kinshasa on Tuesday. Francis said he sought to bring “the closeness, the affection and the consolation of the entire Catholic Church” to the country.

Around 120 armed groups operate in the three provinces, according to the Kivu Security Tracker, which documents human rights violations in the region, with many of those groups ransacking villages, killing residents with guns and machetes, and attacking medical centers.

being a federal State.

Akeredolu, who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, noted that it was not sufficient for RMAFC to regulate the salaries of public officials, charging the Commission to make conscious efforts to reduce the overbearing influence of the federal government and its institutions on the constituent units to encourage development.

His words: “Let every state determine the salaries and allowances of its officials. Let the states control their resources and pay tax to the centre."

Akeredolu lamented that the autonomy of the states had been eroded greatly, stressing that the Houses of Assembly have been relegated to the fringe in the affairs of their respective States.

“The appropriation of the sources of wealth of various States by agencies of the federal government is the fundamental reason for retardation.

Our recent pre-independence history, and immediately after it, depicts the immense potentialities present in the various regions and the manner through which the political leaders availed themselves of them.

“The level of development attained in all these semi-autonomous political entities points at the possibilities of attaining greatness if the current structure is tinkered with to reflect true federalism.

“It is on record that public officials in the defunct South Western Region were the highest paid in the country. The visionary leaders ensured that the best were recruited to serve the people.

“Each Region determined, to a very great extent, issues bordering on effective governance. Development was, therefore, achievable within a short period. The challenges encountered by the nascent Republic led to crises in different parts of the country, especially the South West and the Middle Belt", he stressed.

The governor, who identified revenue generation as the bedrock

of fiscal policies, urged the federal government to allow local economies to flourish.

“The incursion of the military into the political affairs of the country engendered a devastating effect on the country. The promulgation of Decree No. 34 of 1966, which abolished the regions and replaced them with the so called provinces, laid the foundation for the erosion of values and determination to excel through healthy rivalries which existed among them.

“The creation of 12 states out of these artificial entities, erroneously called Provinces by the military, to defeat the secessionists, ensured the perpetuation of the policies which militated against the ability of the erstwhile upwardly mobile socio-political entities to be creative.

“The oil boom of the early 70s encouraged redundancy, progressively. The discovery of oil, the reason for the remarkable progress of other countries, has thus become a huge curse on the land. Only those who benefit from this current dysfunction will want it to continue.

“The country continues to pretend that all is well when it is dithering on the brink of collapse.

All patriots must be resolute in challenging the present structural defects which stifle growth. The system which allows a very strong central government and weak dependencies is not capable of development.

“It will be much more profitable for the Federal Government to dissipate less energy in its pursuit of the misnomer touted as local government autonomy,” he said.

Akeredolu further called for the need to tinker with the current structure to allow real creation of wealth rather than concentrate all attention on how to share it.

“Most Nigerians participating in this public hearing will conclude, hastily, that its purpose is self-serving and highly insensitive to the plight of the ordinary people.

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Amosun: Why I'm Working against Dapo Abiodun Ogun governor challenges his predecessor over cost of renovation James Sowole in Abeokuta Immediate past governor of Ogun State and Senator Representing Ogun Central, Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday, declared that he was not supporting the governorship candidate of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun for his second term bid, because he has taken the state backwards from the development path his administration laid.

But Abiodun, has also challenged Amosun on the alleged cost of renovating a Model School he built for N830m but renovated with N3bn, saying his predecessor lied.

Amosun urged the people to cast their votes for the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Biyi Otegbeye, who hails from Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial District.

The former governor, made the call during the flag-off of the ADC campaign rally held at Ake palace ground in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Amosun had last year, openly declared his support for Otegbeye and vowed to work against Abiodun his long time friend now turned political foe.

Addressing thousands of ADC supporters, Amosun said, "This is my anointed candidate (raising Otegbeye's hand up). I'm APC, but for the governorship election, I'm going to support, I'm going to work assiduously for the candidature of Biyi Otegbeye and his deputy, Tunde Awonuga."

Amosun said, for justice, equity and fairness, the next governor of the state must come from Ogun West Senatorial District, which has never produced governor since the creation of the state.

He said, it was regrettable that his successor derailed from the development plan his administration stated, insisting that only Otegbeye could return the state to the positive trajectory his government recorded.

"The good works we started during my tenure must continue

and this is why I'm supporting Biyi Otegbeye. Everybody knows me. I don't hide behind one finger. Evil thrives when good men refused to talk, you know me, I'm APC, but this election that is coming, I support presidency coming to the South and that is why I'm supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that is why all the Amosun political family are supporting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

"There are two reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. The first one is based on equity, justice, fairness.

Ogun state is almost fifty years now, since the creation of this Ogun State, nobody from Ogun West has been governor. Some characters are saying Yewa don't have good people, I know they have. Yewa has good children I know that can do it. He (Otegbeye) is a lawyer he has been tested and trusted.

"The second reason and that is very important is that, Ogun State must not derail. We have set the path of development for Ogun State, we

must not allowed it to be derailed.

"I feel sorry, I feel disheartened everyday when I see what is going on in the state. We must revert to that beautiful concept, we have prepared it, for the next 35 years so that people will come after us and will continue to do their own.

If you see Lagos, you will say Lagos is doing this, Lagos is doing that, that is what they call continuity, just look at what we have designed for Ogun State.

"What we are here to do today is to take Ogun State back to that great position. I'm not the only governor, so it is not about Amosun. Amosun has done his bit, but Ogun State must go back to that positive trajectory and one person that I know can do the job very well is Biyi Otegbeye."

Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Abeokuta by the Chief Press Secretary to the Ogun State Governor, Kunle Somorin, Abiodun said, "Little doubt he is called Irokunle by people because he is known for dishing out putrid lies all the time.

BUHARI CHARGES MOFI TO GROW FG'S ASSETS FROM N10TN TO N100TN BY 2033 practices with a view to ensuring that these investments are delivering superior risk-adjusted returns to the government.

He also called on the new MOFI to, work with other MDAs to create a consolidated national asset register with a view to converting the assets into cashflow-generating entities.

This, he said would support the government’s revenue drive and partner the government with a view to using government-owned investments and assets to support the government in delivering on its social and economic obligations to the citizenry.

To this effect, he directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed to commence the process of amending the MOFI Act and other legislations to further institutionalise the reform and ensure that MOFI was restructured and repositioned to become a trusted custodian and manager of federal government’s investments and assets.

Buhari said the event was significant as the restructured MOFI would help identify “what we own” and how to get the best out of them.

According to him, the MOFI Act of 1959 now Cap. 229, Laws of the Federation, 2004, “explicitly empowers MOFI to enter into commercial transactions of any description on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria in its own name. As a result, MOFI was used as a Special Purpose Vehicle across different sectors, to invest in commercial entities over the last 64 years. To put this in context, MOFI was created even before Nigeria’s independence.”

The president further said MOFI was not structured to be governed or

resourced to deliver on the mandate that was expected of it.

“MOFI’s peers, on the other hand, that were deliberately set up with the institutional framework, governance structure, and execution capacity have gone on to make major social and economic impacts in their respective nations. Many of which have become global brands for investing domestically and internationally.

“As part of the governance structure, there will be a Governing Council headed by me, a Board of Directors under the leadership of a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, and an Executive Management Team headed by Dr Armstrong Takang," the president said.

Buhari reminded members of the Governing Council as well as Board of Directors that this administration expected much from them.

He specifically tasked Ministers who are members to create an enabling environment that would facilitate the creation of a National Asset Register that would be harnessed to strengthen our fiscal and economic realities and the, “optimisation of our investments and assets that will be under the purview of MOFI.” In her remarks, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning thanked Buhari for his support and approvals that have made the restructuring and repositioning of MOFI possible, assuring him that Council members and Board would ensure that the new MOFI delivers on its mandates.

Speaking with newsmen after the inauguration, Chairman of MOFI Board and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman,

said his team would swing into action immediately to fulfil the mandate given to it to raise the government's assets from N18 trillion to N100 trillion in the next 10 years.

He said: "Even though our task is mighty and difficult, I am reliant on a number of things. One is that the quality of the people that have been elected, or appointed to the board, and to the Governing Council.

Second is the amount of work initial work that has been done already and third the experience of other countries."

On the way forward for the board, the Chairman said a comprehensive inventory of all federal government’s property would be carried out, adding that no government official could ascertain total assets owned by government.

His words: " First of all, is that

we will do a detailed inventory of these assets to produce a credible National Register of these assets.

I can tell you some of them for now. But I think really the more important point is, there is no body in government today that can tell you, this is 100 per cent with certainty, the assets owned by the government.

"Unfortunately, we are in that situation, some work has started. That's why we arrived at this estimated at N18 trillion- N19 trillion. But there are some that are even not known.

There's a lot of uncertainty. Where are they? Where are they all over the country? What's the value? And how can we turn them around?".

MOFI Governing Council which is chaired by the president has Ahmed, as Vice Chair.

Other members included the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Timipre

but also a death-defying politician, who is trying to be clever by half.

He said it was funny that Tinubu, who proudly held the position of national leader of the APC for the last eight years, could throw the President under the bus in his failed and desperate quest for power.

The former vice president described Tinubu as a deceitful politician, who likes to throw his friends under the bus whenever there is a little challenge.

“Tinubu has disingenuously been criticising President Buhari, trying to extricate himself from the failures of the APC, which he had vigorously defended in the last eight years. Nigerians must not be deceived by this charlatan, who is now posing to be on the side of the masses.

“Tinubu is the APC, mind, soul and body. He was the national leader of the party even before Buhari became the presidential candidate.

Is it possible for a snail to deny its own shell? Tinubu needs to give up this rascally act and take ownership of the failure of his party in the last eight years. His latest outburst is nothing but diversionary tactics.

started last week by Biyi Otegbeye, his new party's candidate.

"While Otegbeye was awe-struck by the finesse of the Gateway City Centre and put a figure of N7b on a N350m project, Amosun at the flagoff of Otegbeye campaign rally lied to have completed a Model School at Kobape and slammed a N3b as renovation cost on the said school.

"It is a shame that the former governor does not know the difference between converting an abandoned project to a socially desirable Tech Hub at this age and time.”

ICPC Arrests Woman Offering New Naira Notes For Sale The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday allegedly arrested a woman, Oluwadarasimi Emma, with the Twitter handle Simisola of Lala, offering new Sylva (State); Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo; Central Bank Governor, Dr Godwin Emefiele and three experts appointed by the President: Prof.

Muhammad Sagagi, Dr Ayo Teriba and Prof. Ken Ife. The Board members apart from former Finance Minister, Shamsudeen Umar as Chairman include Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources, Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Olawale Edun, Fatima Mede, Ike Chioke, Muhammad Nda, Alheri Nyako and an executive from the CBN. Members of the Executive Management Team are: Dr Armstrong Takang (MD), Eric solo (ED, Chief Portfolio Officer), Sani Yakubu (Chief Investment Officer), Oluwakemi Owonubi (Chief Risk Officer).

naira notes for sale on social media.

It was gathered that the arrest was as a result of intelligence received which led the ICPC operatives to seek out and promptly arrest the suspect.

Oluwadarasimi Emma, a social media “serial entrepreneur” who deals in skincare, sales of fuel, facilitation of foreign travels through visa acquisitions, and other businesses, seized the opportunity of the scarcity of the new naira notes to openly market the new notes.

It was believed she was in collusion with key elements in the financial services sector diverting the newly released notes away from banking halls and payment channels into a “ black market” Oluwadarasimi is currently with ICPC officials and helping the Commission with its findings on the criminal trading of the naira and the attendant scarcity and negative economic outcomes being caused by the action.

The action was in furtherance of the collaboration between CBN ICPC and EFCC in implementing the new cashless policy and naira redesign.

FG REPLIES EL-RUFAI, SAYS BUHARI FOCUSED ON DELIVERING FREE, FAIR POLLS presidential poll.

El-Rufai had earlier during an interview on Channels television, blamed some of the government policies including the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity in the country on those he termed fifth columnists, saying the naira redesign and persistent fuel scarcity may cause unrest in the country. He alleged that the naira redesign project was the idea of few people in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, adding that it was never the policy of the ruling APC. The wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, yesterday shared the video clip of the El-Rufai on her Instagram page, implicitly endorsing the statement by the governor.

Aisha is the grand patron of

the Tinubu/Shettima women campaign team and she has been actively campaigning for the party’s presidential candidate.

But in reaction, Mohammed said: “On a more serious note, one thing I can assure you is that no matter who, this administration is focused and determined to ensure a free and fair election and I think in this administration, the most important person is Mr. President and I think he has shown by words and by deeds that he’s committed to a free, fair and credible election.

“Fair, free and credible election actually means not favouring anybody or disadvantaging anybody and everywhere he goes, he makes that very clear, even as recently as

AT I K U AT TAC KS T I N U B U OV E R E XC H A N G E R AT E , SAYS H E ’S H Y P O C R I T E Tinubu had said, “Today, they moved the exchange rate from N200 to N800. If they had repaired it, if they had arrested this, we wouldn't be where we are today; we would be greater. They don’t know the way, they don’t know how to think, they don’t know how to do it."

But Atiku, while reacting, said prior to the election season, Tinubu had defended the exchange rate policy of the current regime, when a group of youths led by Moremi Ojudu led a protest to his house located on 26 Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, on February 9, 2017, when the dollar hit N500.

He said Moremi, the daughter of Babafemi Ojudu, Special Adviser on political affairs to President Muhammadu Buhari, had challenged Tinubu over the declining value of the naira but Tinubu was seen on video telling protesting youths that, “I am not worried about the exchange rate, because your salary should be in Naira and you are not an importer. Maybe that is even teaching us a lesson to be dependent on our domestic product.”

Atiku said Tinubu was not only a pernicious and lubricious hypocrite

"As a governor, he promised to do everything and did virtually nothing. He abandoned most of them after claiming to have paid 100 per cent for them. We are known as a promise-keeping administration.

We promised only what we could do and did all that we promised.

"It is not surprising that the former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). What is surprising is that he has upped his deceit and political shenanigans by feasting on falsehood

“When some disgruntled APC leaders were against Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s ambition, Tinubu threw Ambode under the bus. He ensured Ambode never returned despite entreaties from President Buhari, Governor Atiku Bagudu and several others. Curiously, he is now taking credit for Ambode’s achievements, including the transformation of the Oshodi district.

“This is the sort of person Tinubu is. He is a user, who throws his friends under the bus when things get tough. Nigerians have been facing petrol scarcity for nearly a year. Why is Tinubu just speaking about it now that elections are a few days away?" he asked.

Atiku noted that as elections approached and the reality slowly dawning on Tinubu, he increased his attacks against the President in order to distance himself from the failure that his party has become, adding that, Nigerians must not fall for this trick.

Also, one of the spokespersons for the Atiku/Okowa campaign, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, has said, during a panel discussion on "Ensuring

Transparency in the Management of Foreign Loans" on "Focus Nigeria", a programme aired on AIT, that Nigeria currently spends hundreds of billion in excess of its earnings on debt servicing.

According to him, “Because we are spending much more than what we generate, you can see how it reflects in the 2023 budget.”

Aniagwu added that Atiku was not just taking advantage of the Minister of Finance's comment on debt serving costs, but has studied what happened in a number of countries that found themselves in similar situation in the past such as Peru in 1980s, Germany after the first World War, United States in 1971 under President Nixon and of course, what he did with President Obasanjo in 1999.

"As at 1999, the jobs had gone and the middle class had been wiped off but Atiku and Obasanjo came in with Atiku heading the economy as Chairman of the National Economic Council and the economy grew to about 14.6 per cent as at 2006 and 2007. They were able to do it by Continued on page 36

Friday, when he was in Daura, he said the same thing.

“So, if there's anybody who's working against any candidate, we don't know officially”, he explained.

Earlier, El-Rufai had alleged that some elements in the Aso Rock were working against the victory of the APC and Tinubu in the forthcoming election.

The governor argued that “those elements” had their candidate in the presidential primary election, but he didn’t win the primary.

He said against this background, they were working against the ruling party and Tinubu.

The governor said the persons in the presidency were hiding behind the president's desire to do what was right to scuttle the party's chances.

El-Rufai, however, pointed out that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele was not to blame for redesigning the naira.

The former FCT minister recalled that the president did same as a Military Head of State with the aim of getting those that had stashed illicit funds.

The governor said while the president has his right to redesign the currency, doing it at this time did not make any political or economic sense.

El-Rufai explained: "I believe there are elements in the villa that want us to lose the election because they didn’t get their way; they had their candidate. Their candidate did not win the primary election.

“They are trying to get us to lose the election, and they are hiding behind the president’s desire to do what he thinks is right.

"I will give two examples: This petroleum subsidy, which is costing the country trillions of naira, was something that we all agreed would be removed.

"In fact, I had a discussion with the president and showed him why it had to go. Because how can you have a capital budget of N200 billion

for federal roads and then spend N2 trillion on petroleum subsidy?

‘This was a conversation I had with the president in 2021 when the subsidy thing started rising. He was convinced. We left. It changed.

Everyone in the government agreed, and it changed.

“The second example I will give is this currency redesign. You have to understand the president.

People are blaming the Governor of the CBN, but no. You have to go back and look at the first outing of Buhari as president. He did this; the Buhari-Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those that were stashing away illicit funds.

“It is a very good intention. The president has his right. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”

The presidential candidate of the APC during a rally of the party in Abeokuta, had alleged that the decision to redesign the naira and the fuel scarcity were all meant to scuttle his victory at the poll.

Though the presidency then refused to react to Tinubu's attack against the Buhari’s government, the APC presidential campaign had in a statement insisted that Tinubu did not mention, blame or accuse Buhari for the current challenges in the country.

However, on Tuesday in Calabar, Tinubu once more attacked the Buhari-led government, saying it met the exchange rate at N200/$ dollar and because of their poor management of the economy, the nation’s currency has depreciated to about N800/$1.

Meanwhile, following the allegation by El-Rufai, the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the APC yesterday said Buhari was the most important person in the presidency.

The campaign council also stated Continued on page 36

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POLITICS

Acting Group Politics Editor DEJI ELUMOYE Email: deji.elumoye@thisdaylive.com (08033025611 SMS ONLY)

Omo-Agege: I Have All It Takes to Win Delta Governorship Seat Deputy President of the Senate and All Progressive Congress governorship candidate in Delta State, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, in this interview speaks about the ruling party’s performance nationwide, his performance as a two-term Senator and why he’s optimistic about winning the February 15, 2023 gubernatorial poll. Deji Elumoye brings excerpts:

H

checked, they had received about N425 billion in loans that they’ve taken. and it’s not as if these loans are tied to specific projects. But we just know that this is a conduit to try to channel all these funds into the presidential campaign and we’ve been able to bring this to the consciousness of our people. They’ve since written off the House of Assembly Speaker who is the candidate now known as the man who drops the gavel at any moment’s notice just to give the governor whatever he wants.

We’re very unhappy with that and I’m confident that the bank knows the implication that if it goes ahead and releases that money, N40 billion to a government that has less than four months to go, I’m sure that in the event that we prevail-our prospect of prevailing is very very bright-in the event that we prevail, we intend to do something about that loan, should it be approved.

ow has your campaign to become the next Governor of Delta State been in the last few months?

It’s been exciting, tough, though not as tough as we envisaged. We knew we have a chance.

We felt that the sitting governor had not done well. We believe that buyer’s remorse had set in because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been in charge of governance here for 24 years and the last eight years have been disastrous. This is not my position, it is the position of most of the citizenry in the state.

And that is because they’ve been able to do a comparative analysis with sister states that are similarly situated in terms of receipts, FAAC (Federation Accounts Allocation Committee), derivation, and other payments that come either by way of reimbursements or shortfalls in some payments like the President (Muhammadu Buhari) did recently.

And in all of that, the total sum that has accrued to Delta in the past seven and half years, inclusive of these loans and these shortfall reimbursements from the Federal Government, totals about N4.2 trillion. Our people are very angry. They look around them and are not able to see anything on ground that is commensurate with those returns.

What is your assessment of the Okowa administration in Delta State since 2015?

Warri was originally conceived when the state was created, Asaba was meant to be the administrative capital while Warri was to serve as the economic nerve centre or hub of the state. Most of us grew up in this town.

The Warri we grew up in is a far better Warri than what we have today. The place is in a state of decay. If you go to our stadium, it is a total rot. In fact, there is even an allegation that most of the equipments in the stadium were carted away by the governor to refurbish the one in Asaba.

Come in here, the roads are in total state of disrepair, of course, all the companies have moved from here because of insecurity, which is a national challenge. But in addition to that insecurity, we also have cases of extortion by non-government actors who also happen to be actors in government collecting what we call ‘deve’ in this part of the world under the colour of government.

When you have companies that are interested in bringing business here, I’ve come in here as well trying to set up businesses as well. Our people are being told every now and then that unless and until you pay x-sum of money, not to government coffers, but to powerful individuals in government, of course you expect that those companies will run away to a place where the environment is more conducive for business.

Some people see that as our culture in this part of the state, which is not there in Asaba.

So, everything has pretty much moved to Asaba. Even in Asaba, people are still complaining.

Some civil servants have served this state for 8-10 years, with a clear understanding that there will be deductions in their salaries, while in government, and at the time of their retirement, not only will they be entitled to gratuity, they will also be paid their pension, as and when due.

But as we speak, some of them, for 8-10 years out of government, they have not been paid anything. Some of them have died. Some are dying. They protest every day. Why they’re even more bitter is because they know so much money has come into the state.

How much will it take to retire these pensions? But their bitterness is fuelled by their belief that Delta is not a poor state, has never been a poor state, consuming all of these

Omo-Agege

receipts.

The monies are being channelled elsewhere. Most people suspect they’re being channelled to funding a presidential campaign, as opposed to deploying the resources for the beneficial use of the people, most especially these pensioners.

What is your view on the Okowa administration’s plan to borrow more money few months before it leaves office?

On this issue of borrowing, we are tired of this thing. Everyday, today it’s more than N50 billion, the next day N15 billion, another day, N100 billion. We are just tired, and because we have a rubber stamp House of Assembly, a rubber stamp Speaker who is willing to do the governor’s bidding, they’ve been getting away with this.

What have we done to checkmate this? We did orchestrate some

litigation in court in the past to try and stop this. We were faced with the issue of locus that required us to prove interests and damages over and beyond what others are suffering; that was a challenge, and of course, we lost in court. I agree.

But on this last one (loan), we couldn’t take it anymore and we had to issue a caveat to banks.

There’s an issue as to whether I, as Deputy Senate President, the guber candidate, has the right, the legal authority to issue a caveat in law. Arguments go both ways, but you must not forget the real essence of the caveat.

We are putting the banks on notice, that as you give that loan, know that we, I am a major stakeholder, I’m a Deputy Senate President, even if I were not running for office today, I am a major stakeholder and we are saying that you cannot advance a loan of N40 billion to an administration that is leaving in less than four months.

What is it going to be doing with that?

What is it they could have used that money for that they have not used it for? They’ve received so much loans. As at the last time we

I made a conscious decision to serve my people and be selfless in that exercise, and I have done so. My campaign is very well received in all three senatorial districts, not just my zone.

Now, my zone has become very exceptional, the reception in the other two has been very very good. But I can’t even describe the level of acceptance we’ve received in my zone.

Am I surprised? I’m not. By the zoning arrangement, my zone is supposed to produce the next governor, therefore all the parties have their candidates from here. That will naturally entail the votes here being split, and making the other senatorial zones to make the final call.

But with what is on ground right now, no vote here is being split.

You are Deputy Senate President. Why are you leaving your comfort zone for the uncertainty of a gubernatorial election?

Why leave your comfort zone to go and run for governor?

This is Delta State, and there’s this misconception that it is a PDP state. It’s not really a PDP state as such. I told you the reason PDP has been getting away with these “victories” is because they’ve not really been confronted with a coordinated and powerful opposition.

The opposition they’ve had to deal with in the past, it’s like they had their numbers, and they always knew what to do. But they’ve never had to face an Omo-Agege in a general election, but they will face me now, in not just a party but a national party I’ve beaten them twice here at the Central (Senatorial District).

I beat them in 2015, they stole my mandate and I was able to recover it.

In 2019, I shot them down, and made sure that they were the ones who went to court.

So, I know how to beat them. I’ve beaten them twice. There’s no reason I can’t beat them a third time. But like I said, the state is ripe and ready for me. It is unfortunate that you guys have not been around. The report from a national daily has been tilting in a direction that is not representative of what is on ground.

I’m sorry I had to say that.

But, for those local journalists who are here, they will tell you that there’s so much resentment against this government and whatever it represents. Even the arithmetic we are dealing with right now is fake. We believe that if the elections were to hold today, we will win everywhere in the state.

When you become the governor of Delta State what will you do? What is your unique selling point?

I’m not the first senator of the state. You made the argument that I’m the first Deputy Senate President, and you’re right about that, but I’m the first senator that has touched everyone, every community, every village in my senatorial district. In the past, senators commissioned and celebrated 3-5 projects that they’ve done; I cant even count my projects. I set out to light up the entire senatorial district.

As you were driving in here, you may have seen street lights. All those street lights you saw all came from me, and we have this in every village, community and town. You can check before you go. To further boost power supply, we have provided transformers everywhere.

In addition to that, even though it’s not our obligation, we are reconstructing and renovating schools, building new classroom blocks.

Everywhere, we are doing drainages, shore protection, protection, providing potable water.

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

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TUNDE OLUSUNLE writes that many Nigerians are unhappy with the Buhari years

See page 22 JONATHAN AND BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN BARBARIAN The Jonathan-Buhari vaccine against postelection barbarism is a ‘democracy commodity’ for export, writes OKELLO OCULI

See page 22 EDITORIAL

THE LEKKI DEEP SEA PORT

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opinion@thisdaylive.com

www.thisdaylive.com

BUHARI’S KATSINA FORETASTE OF HIS ‘STREET CREDIBILITY’

Thursday February 2, 2023 Vol 27. No 10156

The current multiple travails of Nigerians can be converted to positive uses, suggests MONDAY PHILIPS EKPE

A SEASON OF HEIGHTENED PUBLIC DISTRESS There are fewer times in the history of Nigeria when a number of key social, economic and political variables team up almost spontaneously to pull virtually HYHU\RQH LQWR WKH ULQJ WR ÀJKW IRU VXUYLYDO DQG contend with the surges of anger, frustration and mounting helplessness. They must be very rare indeed. No matter their engagements, vocations, professions and locations, Nigerian citizens and residents are now compelled to engage in activities that should ordinarily not consume too much of their time and attention.

How did petroleum products, naira notes with dwindling values and fortunes, and Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) dramatically take the centerstage to forcefully make their way into the psyche of Nigerians? As if those in positions of responsibility in these critical areas have come under an overwhelming spell or have simply lost their way.

In so doing, they have separately or collectively disrupted the schedules and lives of majority of the people and, in the process, pushed them into deeper worries.

A country that has been at the mercy of vicious retrogressive forces is now waging psychological wars against the capacity of the average citizen to access even the minimum requirements for existence and moderate living. Ours is now a country in the grip of anxiety, tension and bottled-up anger and appears to wait for a trigger to descend into full-blown combustion.

I sought some views from the American Psychological Association (APA) which describes our troubling environment thus: “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns. They may avoid certain situations out of worry. They may also have physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness, or a rapid heartbeat. Anxiety is not the same as fear, but they are often used interchangeably. Anxiety is considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly IRFXVHG RQ D GLͿXVH WKUHDW ZKHUHDV IHDU LV DQ appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived UHVSRQVH WR D FOHDUO\ LGHQWLÀDEOH DQG VSHFLÀF threat.”

Without doubt, the psychoanalysis of an average person residing in the country would corroborate this description. In many parts of the federation, people keep vigil at petrol stations in search of fuel that may not be available or is cornered by racketeers who cash in on the desperation of prospective buyers to become overnight millionaires.

That way, the health of many people has been compromised. Industry regulatory and monitoring agencies have taken their turn to promise fuel consumers, threaten breakers of UHJXODWLRQV DQG HQDEOHUV RI KXPDQ VXͿHULQJ and announce supplies, both genuine and phony. At the end, relief is still epileptic, and product availability has largely remained a mirage.

A litre of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, is now sold at between 194 to 500 naira, depending on the marketers DQG ORFDWLRQ ÀJXUHV XQWKLQNDEOH MXVW IHZ years ago. The unprecedented stress that goes with its quest and the unexpected holes it digs into people’s pockets have already produced the kinds of symptoms presented

by APA. Livelihoods are being negatively and brutally impacted by this erratic energy sector. Like conquered and subdued people, some citizens are beginning to ask what the IHGHUDO JRYHUQPHQW LV ZDLWLQJ IRU WR R΀FLDOO\ remove the fuel subsidy. How much worse can the problem get? It’s now a case of double jeopardy since subsidy is said to be paid in the name of alleviating the burdens of the populace, a claim that has no practical or real truth. At the same time, the people are under the yoke of unscrupulous major marketers, middlemen and hawkers.

The bedlam that has so far followed the currency change policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is like nothing ever witnessed during similar exercises in the past. Take the one that took place in the early 1980s when President Muhammadu Buhari was the military head of state. His government instituted what it tagged War Against Indiscipline (WAI) which had queuing as a cardinal practice, something that soon became a national culture. The sort of savagery that goes into the struggle to obtain new naira notes today wasn’t recorded then. There was, in fact, no cause for any turmoil as the system quickly absorbed the pressures that came with the scheme. Even with the extension of the validity date of the old notes announced the other day by the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin (PHÀHOH WKHUH DUH QR UHDVRQV WR H[SHFW RUGHU and adequate distribution of the new notes soon. Banks still pay the old ones whose exchange value will expire in a little over one week. Many of the ATM machines saddled with the task of disbursing the in-coming 200, 500 and1000 naira notes are either not VX΀FLHQWO\ ORDGHG RU RXW RI VHUYLFH 6R PXFK IRU FXUUHQF\ VZDS HͿRUWV 6R PXFK WRR IRU DQ DVSLULQJ FDVKOHVV VRFLHW\ The length and attendant chaos of the queues at these withdrawal points are better imagined. And if the urban residents go WKURXJK VR PXFK GL΀FXOW\ LQ DFFHVVLQJ WKHLU own funds, what’s the fate of rural dwellers whose banking choices are very limited?

Nigeria is not only in dire need of staying afloat, it desperately requires a repositioning to enable it to properly live up to its superabundant potential. But can these present tribulations rally the needed power to liberate it from the hindering forces it has battled for too long?

Stories of sharp practices among bankers, touts and money traders, as bank transactions have become unduly volatile, can’t be dismissed. The consequences of this clear maladministration and sabotage, especially in terms of aggravating existing angst and anguish, are not debatable. Bottomline: with the other worrying monetary policies DQG SURÀOHV WKH VWDJH LV QRZ VHW IRU D PRUH disturbing social and economic climate. To compound this fouled atmosphere, the drama surrounding the collection of PVCs, to licence citizens to vote in the coming elections, has equally drained their patience, time, energy and, in some cases, love for country.

What exactly have Nigerians done to deserve this ungodly package? Fela’s OHJHQJDU\ VRQJ WKDW ZDUQV RI ´VXͿHULQJ DQG smiling” has never ceased to amaze me. In other climes, these strenuous experiences can become rallying points for collective action against oppression, ineptitude and JURVV PLVFDUULDJH RI R΀FLDO GXWLHV &DQ WKDW happen in Nigeria? Anxiety, a strong human instinct, we are told, can produce unexpected outcomes. Again, Medical News Today, an RQOLQH PHGLFDO SXEOLFDWLRQ SURͿHUV D ÀWWLQJ explanation in an article titled, “What to Know about Anxiety.” It states in part: “Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach RI SUHGDWRUV DQG LQFRPLQJ GDQJHU VHWV RͿ alarms in the body and allows evasive action.

These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings. The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called WKH ´ÀJKW RU ÁLJKW· UHVSRQVH 7KLV SUHSDUHV KXPDQV WR SK\VLFDOO\ FRQIURQW RU ÁHH DQ\ potential threats to safety.

“For many people, running from larger animals and imminent danger is a less pressing concern than it would have been for early humans. Anxieties now revolve around work, money, family life, health, and other crucial issues that demand a person’s attention without necessarily requiring the ¶ÀJKW RU ÁLJKW· UHDFWLRQ 7KH QHUYRXV IHHOLQJ before an important life event or during a GL΀FXOW VLWXDWLRQ LV D QDWXUDO HFKR RI WKH RULJLQDO ¶ÀJKW RU ÁLJKW· UHDFWLRQ ,W FDQ VWLOO EH essential to survival.”

At this point, Nigeria is not only in dire QHHG RI VWD\LQJ DÁRDW LW GHVSHUDWHO\ UHTXLUHV a repositioning to enable it to properly live up to its superabundant potential. But can these present tribulations rally the needed power to liberate it from the hindering forces it has battled for too long? Will this period give birth to a truly new Nigeria? For a pregnant woman, contraction and delivery pangs indicate the imminence of a baby’s arrival.

Perhaps, our troubles signify hope as we approach the polls.

Dr Ekpe is a member of THISDAY Editorial Board

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TUNDE OLUSUNLE writes that many Nigerians are unhappy with the Buhari years

BUHARI’S KATSINA FORETASTE OF HIS ‘STREET CREDIBILITY’ Alexander Abolore Adegbola Akande, better known by the stage name *9ice* it was, who produced and popularised the song “Street Credibility,” as one of his IDPRXV RͿHULQJV LQ WKH HDUO\ \HDUV RI KLV two-decade career. It was his message to critics and doubters of the genuineness of his artistic talent. It was signal of his preparedness to carve a niche for himself on the star-studded entertainment scene.

He dared dissenters to “check my fans,” to LQWHUURJDWH KLV ÀOH RI IROORZHUV KLV VWUHHW credibility,* as it were and be convinced he was on the social scene for good and

would distinguish himself. *Gongo aso,* (something momentous will be), was the ÀUVW KLW IURP WKH DOEXP ZKLFK UHFHLYHG global airplay. *9ice* has gone ahead to entrench himself on the artistic scene as one of the nation’s renowned musical artistes.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, on Thursday January 26, 2023, EHJDQ D WZR GD\ R΀FLDO YLVLW WR KLV KRPH state, Katsina. Aminu Masari his host and chief executive of the state, lined up one dozen projects for commissioning and inspection by his guest. Just before Buhari’s coming, Masari had approved a whopping N500 million, shared evenly among the local government areas in the state, for the mobilisation of their constituents. They were needed to accord rousing welcome to their special guest and homeboy, Buhari. People DFWXDOO\ KDG WR UHFHLYH ÀVFDO LQGXFHPHQW and be herded into all manner of vehicular contraptions, to enable them receive their president, a *son-of-the-soil* for that matter.

With a fair idea of government expenditure spreadsheet for events such as the coming of an August guest like the president or a KLJK SURÀOH IRUHLJQ GLJQLWDU\ JRYHUQPHQW spending would easily be more.

Government facilities would be freshly lacquered and adorned with new furnishings. There would be durbars, state banquets and souvenirs for the big masquerade and his entourage, among other subheadings. With Buhari’s FRQWLQXLQJ ÁLUWDWLRQ ZLWK KLV NLQVPHQ LQ Niger and Chad republics, there could be high level representation from both countries, of course at the expense of the host entity. This is not precluding the quantum guzzle of premium motor spirit, (PMS) by the hundreds of automobiles involved in the visit, ever racing at demoncrazed velocities, as though there will be QR WRPRUURZ :KHQ WKH ÀJXUHV DUH WDOOLHG %XKDUL·V R΀FLDO YLVLW FRXOG HDVLO\ RXWVWULS the billion naira mark!

The commissioning and inspection of SURMHFWV VXFK DV Á\RYHUV URDGV KHDOWKFDUH facilities, educational infrastructure, manufacturing concerns among others, featured on Buhari’s itinerary during the visit. Masari earned profuse plaudits from his special guest for the tangible and visible

investments of his administration in his state and the citizenry. Katsina seems to have been privileged since the outset of the fourth republic, with visionary and committed leaders. Umaru Yar’Adua who was a two-term governor before his shortlived stint as president, set the pace in visionary governance. I was on the entourage of former president Olusegun Obasanjo on a state visit in 2002, and was impressed by what I saw, especially in the area of the provision of road infrastructure across the state.

Yar’Adua equally earned adulation from Obasanjo for his remarkable frugality, which ÀWV LQWR 2EDVDQMR·V SULQFLSDO PDQWUD IRU leadership recruitment. Yar’Adua’s thrifty approach to administration, was one of the attributes which earned him consideration

by Obasanjo as successor. A few other very competent, committed alternatives, were bypassed by Obasanjo in the process. Atiku Abubakar, Obasanjo’s deputy, and Aliyu Mohammed Gusau, a heavily decorated former army general, were possibilities.

Ibrahim Shema, Yar’Adua’s successor in Katsina, progressed the state from that point, from the bit I glimpsed in 2014 when I attended the annual conference of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, (NGE), hosted by the Katsina State Government. Reports about Buhari’s most recent visit, seem to lend credence to the continuing endowment of the state with performing leaderships.

In some of the public functions he attended in recent weeks and months, Buhari has alluded to three principal issues, as his administration winds down in four months, inevitably. First, he believes he has done his very best serving Nigeria since he was inaugurated May 29, 2015. I imagine he probably wants us to be grateful to him IRU RͿHULQJ XV KLV ´YHU\ EHVW VHUYLFHV µ Secondly, he wants to stay as far as possible from the seat of government, Abuja, so as not be construed as meddling with the successor administration. Third, he desires that history be kind to him, when stock is taken of his eight-year regime, vis-a-vis the achievements of his predecessors.

Last July, daredevil terrorists ambushed Buhari’s advance party convoy in Dutsinma, en route the president’s country home in Daura. A few members of the president’s entourage received bullet wounds and were treated in a hospital. On the very day of Buhari’s most recent visit to his home state, rampaging youths pelted his convoy of vehicles with stones and sachet water.

7KH\ PDGH ERQÀUHV RQ WKH VWUHHWV FKDQWLQJ *bamuyi, bamuyi* in Hausa, meaning “we are not interested.” Shouts of “we no go do, we are tired of you...no jobs, no life,” equally enveloped the air at various points navigated by Buhari and his voyeurs in the cause of that visit.

If Buhari needed a foretaste of the manner of reception he would be accorded

by Nigerians upon the completion of his eight-year tour of duty, his kinsmen gave him one last week. Life has not been any OHVV H[FUXFLDWLQJO\ GL΀FXOW SUDFWLFDOO\ unbearable, thoroughly despairing and mortally despondent as has been witnessed under Buhari’s watch. Interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola missed the joke when he presented the scoresheet of his ministry, recently.

Olusunle, PhD, is Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar

The Jonathan-Buhari vaccine against postelection barbarism is a ‘democracy commodity’ for export, writes OKELLO OCULI

JONATHAN AND BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN BARBARIAN Brazil’s capital Brazilia is celebrated as a ‘City of imagination’ as planned by Lucio Costa and the architectural genius of Oscar Niemeyer. Its location 1,167 km from Rio de Janeiro is central in the country’s vast territorial expanse.

On 8th January, 2022, the ‘’simplicity’’ and oversized buildings of its Congress, Presidential Palace and Supreme Court (expressing ‘’Monumentalism’’), was desecrated by political barbarians.

Brazil’s ruling class recount gunning down ‘’wild tribes’’ inside mysterious depths of the Amazon Forest. President Bolsonaro’s championing farmers cutting down hundreds of trees to grow commercial soybeans, while COVID-19 that accompanied them killed hundreds of host tribes, was returning to Brazil’s past of feudal ‘‘primitive accumulation’’ barbarism.

The theme of progressive Brazil contending with primitive impulses went back to slavery against Africans and bonded labour for poor whites bought from British prisons and Europe’s wretched poor. These poor whites bought their freedom by providing labour on FRͿHH IDUPV RU PLQHV IRU D PLQLPXP RI ÀYH \HDUV In the mid-1770s, American, British, French and German exporters of their industrial products into Brazil, armed WKHLU ORFDO LPSRUWHUV WR ÀJKW D FLYLO war against patriotic economists and industrialists who wanted to protect the Brazilian market for her industrial takeRͿ 7KH VXVWDLQHG VXSSO\ RI ZHDSRQV IRU local allies of foreign importers, ensured defeat of the patriots.

Andre Gunder Frank used this example to formulate his notion of ‘’the development of under-development’’.

Brazil’s drive to become an industrialized economy and society was blocked and derailed by Euro-American capitalism.

Like racist South Africa, the economy did not need the Afro-Brazilian and SRRU ZKLWHV DV EHQHÀFLDULHV RI KLJK quality education to provide mass skilled workers and as consumers of products of local industries. President Bolsnaro’s LQGLͿHUHQFH WR KLJK GHDWK UDWHV DPRQJ Afro-Brazilians from COVID-19 suggested a consideration that their purchasing SRZHU ZDV QRW VLJQLÀFDQW WR WKH FRXQWU\·V industries.

The legacy of foreign “interference’’ in Brazilian politics was repeated in close allies of Donald Trump reported to have urged Bolsanaro to cast doubt in the 2021 elections, and deny the legitimacy of Lula’s victory. His encouraging supporters to camp near a military barrack and call for a military coup, hinted of dark clouds of a civil war.

The contemptuous opposition to the welfare of destitute African-descendants continues to plague post-slavery Brazilian and American cultures. It is used to manipulate voting choices among racists.

The 2010 census of Brazilia indicated 48.2 per cent Mulato (1,239,887); 42.2 per cent Whites (1,084,468, and 7.7 per cent Blacks (198,072). An electoral alliance by Mulatoes with Blacks around candidate Lula, may have accounted for the narrow election victory of Lula.

Donald Trump’s campaign slogan of

‘’Getting America Back’’ is fueled by claims that non-white immigrants are more in number; and will dominate American politics ‘till Jesus returns’.

Echoes of ‘’Black Lives Matter’’ in American politics was provoked by Trump’s rhetoric, and opposed, by “the PROUD BOYS’’: violent allies of Trump. If BLM impacted on the politics of neighbouring Colombia, it PXVW KDYH DOVR EHQHÀWHG /XOD ,Q WRS PLOLWDU\ R΀FHUV with active pressure by American intelligence operatives, toppled President Getulio Vargas to prevent the JURZLQJ LQÁXHQFH RI WKH &RPPXQLVW

Party. The military conducted a mass slaughter of members and allies of the Communist party.

President Bolsonaro openly praised Donald Trump, earning the title of “Trump in the Tropics’’. His sharing Trump’s denial of the reality of ‘’Climate Change’’ was good for his plan to cut down large numbers of trees in the Amazon to clear huge acres of land for farms by his supporters.

LULA’s legacy of injecting funds into lives of millions of poor families fanned racist sentiments against AfroBrazilians.

Racist, ethnic and religious fears of losing elections is lethal to liberal rules of contesting elections according to the rule of law; and the acceptance of the ‘’turn by turn’’ code. Moreover, losers accept reforms conducted by winners to meet interests of those who voted for them.

The Jonathan dictum that his political victory is not worth shedding blood to defend it, stands, in the “international war of ideas’’, against that held by current losers of elections in Brazil and TEA PARTY America. To promote the ritual of elections as a component of ‘’Democracy’’, a political vaccine which blocks spontaneous violence by losers Is critical.

Nyerere avoided this problem by advocating the technology of dialogue in African Familyhood (”Ujamaa”): as opposed to the ‘’Civil War’’ in multipartyism.

The barbarism in Brazil is of special interest to Africa. Dangers to democratic politics by eruptions from legacies of slavery and oppression have instigated military coups in Ghana, Uganda, Liberia and Ethiopia.

The claim that democratic and human development are linear, is currently, severely shaken in Brazil and Trump’s America.

Prof Oculi writes from Abuja

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EDITORIAL

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

THE LEKKI DEEP SEA PORT The port has immense potential for the economy

P

down by low water death and other challenges, the resident Muhammadu Buhari was Port Harcourt and Calabar Ports are still operating exultant last week as he inaugurated the peripherally. Meanwhile, access to the nation’s two /HNNL 'HHS 6HD 3RUW LQ /DJRV ,W LV WKH ÀUVW major ports in Lagos has remained paralysed for as of its kind in Nigeria and one of the biggest long as anyone cares to remember. in West Africa with immense potential for The Apapa ports have for years been a national the economy. Built within four years at the embarrassment, a serious of threat to national security, cost of about $1.5 billion, the deep seaport is equipped the economy, health, and the environment. Almost on with state-of-the-art technology, such as biometric daily basis, millions of containers laden with various scanners and facial recognition systems. It is expected cargoes are stranded due largely to the inability of to ease cargo congestion that costs billions of dollars importers to evacuate them. Yet, for inexplicable in annual revenue. At a banquet in his honour by the reasons, a government seriously in need of cash Lagos State government, Buhari said the completion deliberately allowed the revenue potential of the Lagos of the project was driven by the vision to “bequeath ports to be imperilled. a legacy of poverty The imSRVVLEOH WUD΀F elimination through the conditions saw to the provision of job-creating crippling of commercial infrastructure.”

All matters related to the operationalisation of the seaport must and industrial activities in Designed to handle be placed on top priority.

That is the only way of ensuring that the the area and beyond, while at least 2.5 million 20the cost of goods from the foot standard containers promise of the deep seaport is fulfilled ports are astronomical as per year, the port will D UHVXOW RI WKH GL΀FXOWLHV be operated as a joint in getting them out. Huge venture between the T H I S D AY trade cargoes are also lost to Benin Republic, Togo, federal government, Lagos State, Singapore-based EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU and other neighbouring countries from where they Tolaram Group (in charge of the Lekki Free Zone) and DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA DUH R΁RDGHG DQG WUDQVKLSSHG WR 1LJHULD GXH WR state-owned China Harbor Engineering Company.

MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO poor shipping connectivity, shallow draft of the port 7KH IRUHLJQ RXWÀWV RZQ SHU FHQW RI WKH SURMHFW DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU channels, and general infrastructural inadequacies.

CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI while the balance is shared between the Lagos State EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN These pitfalls are what the new Chinese-built deep government and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI seaport are expected to correct, especially by easing According to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, ships THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE congestion at the country’s ports and ensuring docking at the port could be up to four times the size connections between them and the outside world. of vessels that currently berth at both Tin Can and That it is done in partnership with the private sector Apapa ports. “This is a transformative project, a game T H I S D AY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D also guarantees proper management that would changer”, said Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA result in return on investment. The whole idea is Jianchun who also harped on the number of jobs that GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, that if properly managed, the Lekki deep seaport could be created at the port.

ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI can become an African hub for trans-shipment, and We commend the initiative, and we hope that there DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, handling cargoes in transit for other destinations.

ANTHONY OGEDENGBE will be more of such projects based on private-public DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI As President Buhari rightly said at the ceremony, all partnership. Indeed, the new multi-purpose deep SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH matters related to the operationalisation of the seaport seaport has come as a big relief for many businessmen ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI and Nigerians. Although Nigeria has six major CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI must be placed on top priority. That is the only way of ensuring that the promise of the deep seaport is seaports, more than 80 per cent of the country’s imports DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO IXOÀOOHG TO SEND EMAIL: first name.surname@thisdaylive.com are handled by just two of the ports in Lagos. Bogged

Letters to the Editor Letters in response to specific publications in THISDAY should be brief (150-300 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 (750- 1000 words). They should be sent to opinion@thisdaylive. com along with photograph, email address and phone numbers of the writer.

LETTERS OJUELEGBA’S BRIDGE OF DEATH

THE DEATH OF INFLUENCERS?

Continued from the backpage At about the same period, a trailer carrying a container which was poorly latched fell on a female pedestrian along Berger axis of the same Lagos-Ibadan expressway. In June 2013, D PDQDJHU DW 6/27 D SKRQH UHWDLO VKRS ZLWK KHDG R΀FH LQ ,NHMD /DJRV ZDV RQ KLV ZD\ WR work when suddenly the driver of a truck lost control and the container on top fell, instantly crushing the man to death.

In the bid to stop these needless deaths that have been with us for decades, the Lagos State +RXVH RI $VVHPEO\ LQ -DQXDU\ HQDFWHG WKH 5RDG 7UD΀F /DZ VWLSXODWLQJ WKH SHULRG VXFK articulated vehicles could move within the state. According to the law that has stringent punitive provisions, with the exemption of tankers, articulated vehicles should not be seen between 6am and 9pm daily. However, the law has been observed more in the breach. Indeed, a few weeks after the law was passed, about three people were crushed to death when a truck carrying a 40-foot container hit a pothole, tumbled, and crushed a Mazda car on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

Following Sunday’s tragedy, we have had the usual noise from those whose serial failure to enforce their own laws continue to lead to avoidable tragedies. But talk is cheap. What the situation demands is accountability. Measures must be put in place to ensure that innocent Nigerians do not continue to die needlessly.

They appeared from nothing, taking over our social media feeds, marching forward like mindless zombies, but much more attractive, with their advice on Bitcoin, which restaurants to be seen at, and the best choice of nappies for newborns and on rare occasions a hashtag that admitted they were paid for their wisdom. Why were they paid for their wisdom was puzzling as often someone else wrote their material and Bitcoin was a dubious investment?

7KHUH ZDV QR .U\SWRQLWH WR VWRS WKHP H[FHSW SHUKDSV WLQQHG LQVWDQW FRͿHH XQWLO RXU KHURHV URGH RYHU WKH ULVH WKH JRYHUQPHQW EXUHDXFUDWV DQG WD[ R΀FLDOV ,QÁXHQFHUV LQ $XVWUDOLD DUH going to be investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to make sure that they disclose they are being paid by the brands they are promoting, and that endorsements and testimonials are not misleading. Not revealing that she was paid for a cryptocurUHQF\ SURPRWLRQ FRVW .LP RYHU D PLOOLRQ GROODUV DOWKRXJK KHU UROH DV DQ LQÁXHQFHU KDV PDGH her very wealthy.

7KH $XVWUDOLDQ WD[ GHSDUWPHQW KDV DQQRXQFHG WKDW LQÁXHQFHUV ZKR PDNH PRQH\ IURP WKHLU posts are required to pay tax, yes tax, like everyone else. These two actions of having to be honest and pay your dues may sent many of them out to look for real work or it would if social media wasn’t their whole world. ,W LV D VWDUW EXW LW LV KDSSHQLQJ LQ PDQ\ FRXQWULHV DQG ZLWK D JOREDO HͿRUW 6RFLDO 0HGLD FDQ return to what it was designed for, funny cat videos and photos of family members.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

Olusegun Adeniyi, Abuja

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S & P INDEX

EXCHANGE RATE

OPR

11.25%

CALL

10.25%

INDEX LEVEL

613.31%

1/4 TO DATE

-0.85%

N416.86/ 1 US DOLLAR*

OVERNIGHT

11.50%

1-MONTH

9.56%

1-DAY

0.16%

YEAR TO DATE

7.64%

*AS AT LAST FRIDAY

3-MONTH

10.52%

MONTH-TO-DATE

0.44%

MTN Leads in Inward Porting as 30,491 Subscribers Ported to Other Networks in 2022

Emma Okonji The latest statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that 30,491 subscribers ported their mobile lines from one network to another, in search of better service quality within a space of one year.

According to the statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the website of NCC, from January 2022 to December 2022, 30,491 subscribers ported their GSM lines

from the network of their original service provider, to the network of other service providers, with MTN leading in the number of subscribers for inward porting.

In telecom parlance, inward porting, also known as incoming porting is the number of subscribers that ported from another service provider’s network into a service provider’s own network.

From the statistics, MTN, which has 40.06 per cent market share, recorded 20,123 subscribers that

ported from other networks into its network from January 2022 to December 2022, which is the highest inward porting followed

by Airtel, with a market share of 27.03 per cent, which had 5,030 inward porting. Globacom, the second largest operator after MTN, with a market share of 27.13 per cent, recorded 3,478 subscribers that ported into its network within the same period, followed by 9mobile, with a market share of 6.78 per cent, which recorded 1,860 inward

porting within the same period.

A breakdown of the porting figures showed that in January 2022, MTN gained 2,482 subscribers that ported from other networks to its network. In February 2022, MTN also gained 943 subscribers, and in March, it recorded 1,452 inward porting.

In April, May and June, MTN recorded 847; 1,731 and 2,047 inward porting respectively. In July, August and September, MTN recorded 1,547; 1,617 and 2.040 inward porting respectively. In

October, November and December, MTN recorded 1,925; 1,680 and 1,812 inward porting respectively, bringing its total to 20,123 inward porting in the year 2022.

In January 2022, Airtel gained 398 subscribers that ported from other networks to its own network. In February 2022, Airtel also gained 371 subscribers and in March, it recorded 306 inward porting. In April, May and June, Airtel recorded 267; 1,483 and 356 inward porting respectively.

In July, August and September,

Airtel recorded 437, 387 and 285 inward porting respectively. In October, November and December, Airtel recorded 347, 239 and 154 inward porting respectively.

In January 2022, Globacom recorded zero number of porting subscribers. In February 2022, Globacom gained 35 subscribers that ported from other networks to its own network. In March, it recorded 345 inward porting. In April, May and June, Globacom Continued on page 26

Purchasing Power Drops as Fuel, Currency Scarcity Takes Toll on Consumption Raheem Akingbolu in Lagos, Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Gbenga Sodehinde in Ado Ekiti Consumers across Nigeria are currently experiencing hardship as a result of fuel and currency scarcity in rural and urban areas, according to a survey carried out

by THISDAY in some markets in the South West.

The report revealed that the rate of consumption dropped with many consumers going only for essential needs.

THISDAY visit to Ile-Epo Oke Odo food market located in Alimosho area of Lagos, revealed unusual activities as the once bobbling market has become a shadow of its old self.

Speaking with THISDAY, a trader, Abdulahi Ankar, who brings pepper and tomatoes in large quantities from the north for sale in the market, said the last two weeks have been very difficult for him and others who sell food items.

“As you can see, I deal in perishable goods that require quick turn over but the reverse

has been the case in recent times.

We are recording loss daily because our goods are spoiling due to low patronage. Food sellers who normally buy large quantities have reduced what they buy because they could not access currency, and they have no steady electricity supply to store such perishable items in their refrigerators. Those that have generators for alternative source of electricity supply, do not have access to petrol to power their generators.

Many of us are apprehensive when it comes to accepting old currency

because of the fear that we might not be able to change them as a result of the difficulties in the bank.

At this point, we can only call on the government to help prevail on banks to ease the tension and create a level playing field for transactions.

Unfortunately, a few consumers who were ready to adopt online transactions are also facing network challenges. For us here, it’s a double jeopardy,” Ankar said.

In Ilorin and most part of Kwara State, many shop owners have put them under lock and key until Friday,

February 10, which is the extension date for changing new naira notes.

Last week in Gwaria and Kiama, both in the northern senatorial district, a report said the residents could not even buy food to eat as many shop owners closed their shops while those who didn’t close, insisted on collecting the new notes. At the peak of the crisis, the Saaki of Gwaria, Muhammadu Soliu, had to wield the big stick by issuing a warning that anybody who refuses to collect old naira notes should be brought to his palace.

The report from Ado Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, is not good either as consumers were said to have put on hold the purchase of luxury things and patronage of leisure spots.

A top player in the hospitality sector in the town, and Chairman of KSSD Hotels Group, Dare Oluwatayo, told THISDAY that the ripple effect of fuel and currency scarcity is telling on his businesses and those of other colleagues in the sector.

Continued on page 26

M A R K E T D ATA A S AT W E D N E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 1 , 2 0 2 3 BONDS DESCRIPTION Price ^14.20 14MAR-2024 ^13.53 23MAR-2025 ^12.50 22JAN-2026 ^16.2884 17MAR-2027 ^13.98 23FEB-2028

10.362, 00 10.459, 00 10.287, 00 11.168, 00 10.386, 00

Yield 10.82 11.11 11.35 12.60 12.92

Change Updated Time (%) -0.01 January 6, 2023 -0.71 January 6, 2023 0.00 January 6, 2023 0.00 January 6, 2023 0.00 January 6, 2023

BILLS MATURITY

Discount

Yield

NTB 26-Jan23 NTB 9-Feb23 NTB 9-Mar23 NTB 27-Apr23

3.01

3.01

3.01

3.02

2.21

2.22

3.20

3.23

NTB 11May-23

3.23

3.27

OTC F X F U T U R E S

CPS

Change Updated Time (%) 6, -0.01 January 2023 6, 0.00 January 2023 6, -1.71 January 2023 6, 0.00 January 2023 6, 0.00 January 2023

MATURITY FDHP CP III 17-MAR-23 VHPL CP III 1-APR-23 MREP CP VI 11-APR-23

Change Updated Time (%) 6, 9.26 9.43 0.00 January 2023 6, 14.15 14.64 0.00 January 2023 6, 10.52 10.81 -0.01 January 2023

Discount Yield

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CONTRACT TENOR Contract (MONTH) NGUS JAN 25 1 2023 NGUS FEB 22 2 2023 NGUS MAR 29 3 2023 NGUS APR 26 4 2023 NGUS MAY 31 5 2023

Current Rate Updated Time ($/₦) January 6, 469.87 2023 January 6, 472.05 2023 January 6, 474.23 2023 January 6, 476.42 2023 January 6, 478.60 2023

26

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

BUSINESSWORLD

E-BUSINESS

All Eyes on Mafab after 5G Rollout One week after Mafab Communications rolled out its 5G network in Abuja, Lagos and four other cities, Nigerians are waiting to experience the 5G high speed connectivity on the Mafab network, writes Emma Okonji

M

afab Communications Limited, which bided and won 5G licence along side MTN in December 2021, last week took the country by surprise when it announced a soft launch of its 5G network in Abuja and Lagos, with claims that it has also launched in four other cities and assured Nigerians of super high speed internet connectivity for data service as well as seamless voice service.

According to Mafab’s spokesman, Mr. Adebayo Onibanjo, Mafab will be offering voice and data services from day one of its rollout, stressing that Mafab will ride on an existing telecom company to rollout its services to Nigerians on the 5G infrastructure and will continue to expand as the market grows.

Some Nigerians are however concerned about the capacity of Mafab to rollout 5G, without an existing telecom infrastructure. At the moment, Mafab is not a known telecom operator and has no subscriber base like other established telecom operators in the country. It has no offices across the country and no customer care service centres where intending subscribers could go and make enquiry about their services in order to sign up on its network. Nigerians are therefore asking questions as to the possibility of a successful rollout of Mafab’s 5G services to Nigerians who have been waiting since 2021 when it won the 5G licence.

Onibanjo however tried to provide answers to questions raised by journalists during the Lagos launch, which addressed some of the concerns of Nigerians about Mafab’s 5G network rollout plan.

According to Onibanjo, Mafab has identified the areas of rollout and will be installing its Base Transceiver Stations

(BTS) also known as base stations in the identified areas, as it expands its rollout plans.

Addressing the issue of market penetration, Onibanjo, said the 5G technology would help Mafab to roll out fast and achieve deeper market penetration. He said the Nigerian population would need significant huge amount of data and that the market remained open for all plays and could accommodate more players in the space.

Although Onibanjo deliberately refused to mention the technical partners that Mafab is working with for its rollout plan, he however said Mafab would partner with all vendors and service providers to achieve results. “Mafab is more concerned about the service offerings and not about technical partners and vendors. What the customers need is quality service and not about the technical partners and vendors,” Onibanjo said.

Mafab, alongside with MTN, won 5G Licence in December 2021, and was expected to rollout its 5G services, but deferred its rollout plan till January 2023.

LAGOS 5G LAUNCH Speaking at the Lagos launch, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the State Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, said Mafab’s 5G launch in Lagos would further enhance smart city projects embarked upon by the state government.

According to the governor, “The historic launch of the Mafab Communications Limited 5G Network, marks another important milestone

in our nation’s technology and telecommunications journey. For us in the Lagos State government, this launch will bring us even closer to realising our dream of becoming a smart city.”

Though relatively new in the telecommunications industry, Mafab Communications Limited has recorded a milestone achievement in the tech space through the launch of the 5G Network.

I want to commend the management of Mafab Communications for working hard to deliver this next level technology that out guns the 4G network by a very wide margin and as such its capabilities exceeds expectations, Sanwo-Olu said.

“The telecommunications industry has been a significant economic driver for Lagos State in particular and Nigeria as a whole, contributing more than $70 billion and helping to create over half a million jobs. The prospects of what we can accomplish with the 5G network, which is next level technology, fills me with high hopes for the future of the different sectors of our economy, most especially the security sector,” Sanwo-Olu further said.

In his welcome address, the Chairman, Mafab Communications, Dr. Mushabu Bashir, said Mcom would play a major role in advancing new technologies that would push Nigeria beyond just being a consumer of technology but a country playing an active role in developing and implementing new technologies.

“It will also enable our country take its position as a global technology hub in Africa and the world at large. Our plans are quite ambitious and realistic.

With the initial rollout in six cities, Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano and

Enugu, Mcom plans rollout additional sites and cities across the country,” Bashir said.

The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.

Umar Garba Danbatta, who was represented at the Lagos launch by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, said 5G would usher in lots of opportunities for Nigerians and the service providers, and commended Mafab for keeping to its rollout promise, after getting an extension for 5G network rollout.

STAKEHOLDERS’ EXPECTATIONS Although some stakeholders present at the Lagos launch commended Mafab for rolling out its 5G network, most Nigerians are still in doubt about the capacity of Mafab to roll out 5G network across the country, since it is not a known and established telecom brand in Nigeria.

Nigerians want to know the technical partners that Mafab is working with for its rollout plan, and they equally want to know its infrastructure rollout plan and the number of customer centres it currently has across the country. Some are also asking how to sign up on the Mafab 5G network, and the number of subscribers that have signed up in the last one week of rollout.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had in August last year, granted Mafab Communications, five months extension period for the rollout of its 5G network.

In order to beat the five months extension, which elapses this week, Mafab, last week, had a soft launch of its 5G network in Abuja, Lagos and four other cities.

PURCHASING POWER DROPS AS FUEL, CURRENCY SCARCITY TAKES TOLL ON CONSUMPTION

He said: “Before the currency problem surfaced, we had been battling the challenge of making ends meet in the midst of a hike in price of fuel. For instance, the price of diesel is not friendly and we must strive to give customers maximum satisfaction. The question is; how do you make profit when the patronage has dropped and you have spent

so much on maintenance?”

Reacting to the issue, the convener Consumers Value Awards, Mr. Akonte Ekine blamed the situation on poor execution of the new naira note policy. “It is poor planning and a disaster to the consumers.

I was in a bank today and I saw how people are agonising. It is a sad and bad experience where

we can’t access our money and the infrastructure for the technology is not even available to enable transactions. It is a shame on the system when you look at it. Nigeria is now a nation with materials but lack management capability to even produce. There is no blessing but the shame of a nation. Look at the situation where a labourer earns like

N3,000 a day and yet he is unable to get it to use,” Ekine said.

Also speaking, the author of Pitch, a Brand and Marketing book, Mr. Ikem Okuhu said the whole imbroglio had already affected the entire market value chain. “Once purchasing power drops, it affects the viability of the market because when people are not buying, it means

brands are not selling. This leads to piled up inventory and a contraction of the market.

The life of an economy is measured by the viability of demand and supply. In this case, demand has locked up and it is even more painful because the cost of inputs has kept going high because of the high dollar prices. So, while

producers are recording higher costs, consumers cannot even access the money to complete transactions. It is a burden that appears to show the government wasn’t ready for this policy shift. It is therefore not a blessing because it has locked the economic value chain, from production to logistics,” he stated.

their choice of preferred network, by moving from one network to another at will, while retaining their original mobile number.

According to NCC, a subscriber who is dissatisfied with the services of his or her original service provider has the liberty to port to another network, while

still retaining the original number.

NCC however warned that a subscriber must remain on a particular network for at least 90 days after the initial porting, before such subscriber is allowed to return to its original network or port again to another network of choice.

MTN LEADS IN INWARD PORTING AS 30,491 SUBSCRIBERS PORTED TO OTHER NETWORKS IN 2022 recorded 112, 151 and 208 inward porting respectively. In July, August and September, Globacom recorded 531, 279 and 442 inward porting respectively. In October, November and December, Globacom recorded 363, 263 and 749 respectively.

In January 2022, 9mobile gained 114 subscribers that

ported from other networks to its own network. In February 2022, 9mobile also gained 116 subscribers and in March, it recorded 115 inward porting. In April, May and June, 9mobile recorded 131, 314 and 324 inward porting respectively. In July, August and September, 9mobile

recorded 87, 106 and 167 inward porting respectively. In October, November and December, 9mobile recorded 155, 117 and 114 inward porting respectively.

Commenting on the porting spree, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga

Adebayo, told THISDAY that subscribers were at liberty to port their mobile lines from one network to another, especially when they are not satisfied with the service delivery of their initial service provider. According to him, the NCC created the porting platform for subscribers to make

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, ͰͮͰͱ ˾ T H I S D AY

27

BUSINESSWORLD

BRANDS & MARKETING

Naira Redesign: Why CBN Deserves Support Rather than resorting to blame games and counter accusations, stakeholders in Nigeria’s market value chain have been urged to discharge their various responsibilities to create an enabling market. Raheem Akingbolu reports

T

he push by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the apex bank -Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to replace the paper money with newly designed currency notes has continued to create shortage of cash.

While many experts have insisted that the apex bank and its management should be blamed for poor logistics, some experts and analysts have accused operators in the financial sector of sabotaging the effort of CBN. A few have also expressed their dissatisfaction over the way members of the public are not playing by the rules, thereby creating problems where there is none.

According to CBN, the redesigned denominations of N200, N500 and N1,000 naira notes and new limits on large cash withdrawals would help curb money laundering and make digital payments the norm in Africa’s biggest economy.

But as observed by Ayokunle Olubunmi of Nigeria’s main ratings agency, Agusto and Co., the process to replace the old currency notes is “rushed,” and commercial banks don’t have enough new cash to give to customers, pushing demand higher than supply.

“The central bank “doesn’t want us to be spending cash; they want us to be doing transactions electronically, but you can’t legislate a change in behavior. You have to make people see reasons and ensure those channels are reliable,” Olubunmi said.

CBN’S STAND

Against the backdrop that the financial sector regulatory authority should be blamed for not releasing enough currency to the circulation, the CBN has denied scarcity of the new naira notes as alleged by some Nigerians.

Speaking in Jos, Plateau State recently, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, represented by Musa Jimoh, Director, Payment System Management Department of the bank, denied the allegation during a news conference “The CBN has massively supplied the new notes to commercial banks to dispense both at counters and ATMs. This is to enable quick circulation and we want to advise commercial banks to desist from keeping the cash away from the public or face the stiffer sanction,” he said Emefiele advised citizens to deposit their old notes at any commercial bank and acquire new ones with immediate effect, insisting that the Jan. 31 deadline remained sacrosanct. The date has since been extended to February 10.

The CBN governor explained that the decision to redesign the currency shows that the apex bank is in tandem with global standards, adding that currency notes ought to be redesigned within five years.

He, however, regretted that it took Nigeria nine years since such changes were last effected.

Speaking during a monitoring and sensitisation exercise held in some locations in Jos, the CBN governor said that the decision to redesign the country’s higher denominations of currency was a national project aimed at addressing problems related to cash circulation.

He added that it would also solve the challenge of prolonged savings in piggy banks, cash hoarding and incidences of fake currencies.

“The monitoring and sensitisation project was activated by the apex bank for investigation of the attitude of banks toward the spread of the new currencies.

“We are equally using it to create awareness on the use of agents to circulate the cash in communities with few or no bank branches available,” he explained He advised that faulty currencies be returned to banks for replacements and cautioned people entertaining the thought that the CBN might extend the deadline to desist as they could face losses.

SPENDING HABIT RESET

Speaking to THISDAY on Tuesday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of Ladybird Ltd, Mrs. Bunmi Oke said the scarcity of currency is causing ‘a spending habit reset.’

She said; “We are seeing the result of “demand outstripping supply. The good news is that everyone is more conscious about spending the cash at hand and more cashless transactions are taking place. This will be a trend going forward. Also, we are happy that we as citizens can finally get some mint crisp Naira notes from the few ATMs disbursing that are clean enough to put in our wallets, purses and bags. These ‘scarce mint notes’ are disbursed only when

absolutely necessary.”

Speaking further, Oke pointed out that the downside was the unnecessary queues and time wasted at ATM points.

“As the lower denominations of N100, N50 and N20 notes are not changing their designs, the average Nigerian can still use these denominations to purchase everyday necessary food items and are now giving lower denominations as tips and gifts. I think we should avoid the” blame game” as it will change nothing. All parties must share their side of making responsible implementation of this policy. CBN must ensure demand is met on time, banks must disburse responsibly (not just to ‘Owambe party mint money changers’.

All of us, as the customers and citizens collecting cash, should have a rethink about how much cash we really need at hand and use more cashless payment options for all transactions as much as possible. When we use cash, also use lower denominations, (which would further encourage more people to go cashless) as the volume of cash needed with lower denominations to make a basic business transaction in corporate and open market environment, is cumbersome and will fast track more people to be encouraged to go cashless in operations.”

On how to resolve the current crisis, Oke said it was high time Nigerians embraced the need to change fully to cashless payments in both urban and rural areas (as being done in Kenya, South Africa and Rwanda) as it will result in fast-tracking the emergence of a Smart Nigeria. She also stated that the development would help Nigerians to be better educated on fiscal policy matters and operation and make Nigeria and Nigerians more prudent as a people and respected as a country in the commity of nations.

This is also the position of the President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) Mr. Idorenyen Enang, who emphatically frown at those who are blaming the relevant authorities in the financial sector. According to him, the current ‘scarcity of currency’ is a reflection of who Nigerians are as a people.

“I honestly don’t believe in the blame game philosophy in any form or shape.

The current ‘scarcity of currency’ is a reflection of who we are as a people.

The fundamental construct of responsible leadership lies in a culture of responsibility and accountability. Can any Nigerian honestly say we have this locked in at the individual level? If self leadership which is the cradle for societal transformation is lacking, how do you expect governance to be right in any form? Indiscipline is our major undoing baked with the oil of impunity and disregard for the rule of law. Tell me with these missing items, why should anything be in abundance

or surplus, you must get the opposite.

OPPOSING VIEWS

In view of the current crisis, some analysts have insisted that the apex bank and the operators of the commercial banks cannot be absolved from blame. A Marketing Communication expert, Kayode Olagesin in his reaction concluded that the CBN is facing logistics challenges.

Olagesin said, “The new notes are printed locally and it is possible that the the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc, has not printed sufficient quantities to meet current needs. They are unlikely to admit this publicly but the fact that no bank is yet to be sanctioned lends credence to this. That’s my take.

As more Naira is printed, we will see an improvement in supply but it will take a while. They put themselves in this situation for political rather than economic reasons. The President is clear in his objective of reducing the effect of money in the electioneering process.

This is the reason why they have not given sufficient time for the new notes to find their ways into the market. The economic benefit of this move however is that it will force more people to use electronic channels and also improve the infrastructure for electronic transactions over the next few weeks and months.”

On its likely effect on consumption pattern, Olagesin pointed out that in the absence of the new notes and with the old ones ceasing to be legal tender by February 10, most consumers would be careful how they spend except for those payments that can be done electronically.

“So, we will witness a reduction in trade activities and this will impact GDP in the first quarter negatively. The fuel scarcity is another level of hardship Nigerians have to go through for a while. I doubt that is going to ease off soon.

It will certainly impact the cost of goods and services and we can expect that inflation rates will equally go up. It is certainly not the best of times for most consumers but, hopefully, things will ease up after the election,” he said.

In a similar way, another analyst, Temitope Ajayi also blamed the situation on poor logistics.

“This policy is good but non availability of the new currency notes is killing the informal market and creating

unnecessary social and economic tension in the country. Small and informal sectors are most affected. You can imagine going to the market, neighbourhood store, taking a commercial bus and commercial motorcycle and you don’t have cash to pay. Most people in the informal sector that this disruption has caught up with don’t use POS or bank accounts.

“For days now people have been spending long hours queuing at ATM points and can’t get the money. Banks are not paying the new currency over the counter. It is a whole mess and unnecessary stress on Nigerians.

The most annoying are the banks who are colluding with currency hawkers to sell these new notes. You get to parties and see tonnes of new notes with currency hawkers.

How are they getting the new notes and banks can’t pay their customers? The DSS and EFCC must now deal with the criminal and economic sabotage that are now obvious from the side of the banks,” Ajayi stated.

A Journalist and Public Affairs analyst, Mr. Remi Adelowo, blamed banks and the greed of some Nigerians for the current hardship and called for sanctions where necessary.

“I would have expected the CBN to supply the banks adequate notes immediately after the launch last year. By this, once a customer walks into a bank either for withdrawal or for deposit, he or she would be given the new notes. But that never happened, thus giving room for speculations and hoarding as we are currently experiencing.

Concluding, Adelowo said the way out would be for the CBN to improve on its monitoring and regulatory roles of the banks, adding that erring banks must be sanctioned heavily while law enforcement agencies should clamp down on hoarders.

28

T H I S D AY ˾ AY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

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

In Nigeria, an NGO is Making Children Born with Cleft Smile Again In this report, Arinze Chijioke tells the story of how Smile Train, a non-governmental organization is providing free cleft surgeries for children born with cleft deformities in Nigeria

I

nside the children’s ward at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, 1 year and months old Gideon Iboroma lay on the bed, whimpering as his mother, Destiny Iboroma, tried to lull him to sleep.

Gideon had just undergone a surgery that lasted for about 2 hours.

“I am happy that finally, my son can eat well and that he is in perfect condition “Destiny, 35 said.

Two years ago, precisely on September 28, 2020, Gideon was born with a cleft lip and palate- terms used to describe facial and oral malformations that occur very early in pregnancy, while the baby is developing inside the mother- at a health centre in Rivers State, Southern Nigeria.

Although his mother discovered that he had the deformity after delivery, the hospital could not do anything. The doctors referred her to the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

“When we got there, they did not take the matter seriously, “Destiny said. “They said he was too small and that we would have to go and come back after months. “When we did, they were not paying attention to us”.

Increasingly, Destiny became worried because each time she tried to feed her son with breast milk, it came out through his nose and he often cried. While some people advised her to abandon her son, Destiny was determined to find a solution.

“I had heard stories of how children born with a cleft in my village in Rivers State were left to die because their parents could not find a solution and because they felt the children were evil “she said.

Cleft remains a global nightmare Around the world, a baby is born with a cleft- a congenital malformation of the lip, palate, or both, every three minutes. On average, one in every 500–750 live births result in a cleft. While an estimated 19,000 children are born with the condition annually in Africa, about 6,186 babies are born with it in Nigeria every year.

A US Centre for Disease Control and Preventionn report, shows that though there is no single known cause of cleft lip/palate, a combination of complex genetic and environmental factors like smoking, alcohol consumption and certain kinds of medication during pregnancy could increase the risk of a child being born with the defect.

When left untreated, having a cleft condition can cause serious health issues, including difficulty in speaking, language development, dental problems, ear infections and hearing loss and difficulty in eating which can lead to malnutrition.

In Africa, some babies born with it do not receive the surgery they need to correct the problem due to the perception that clefts are an evil curse or punishment for parental sins such as witchcraft or prostitution . This leads to the social isolation of such children and their families.

In December, three months after Gideon’s birth, Destiny’s sister whose son also had a cleft of the palate told her about how she came to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where Smile Train – a non-profit organization that provides free cleft surgeries for children, sponsored one for her child and he became well again.

“She gave me a doctor’s contact and asked me to call,” Destiny said. “When I called, the doctor asked me to take a picture of my son and send to him, I did and he asked us to bring him, “she explained.

Solution at last In the same month, Destiny travelled down to Enugu with her son and when they got to the hospital, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Onah, a plastic surgeon, told her that the cleft lip will have to come first since Destiny was just three months old.

“Cleft lip and Palate is not common, but usually, we do the lip surgery first for children that have both” said Onah, who has attended several training and workshops- all Smile Train sponsored- to improve his skills in carrying out cleft surgeries After he examined Destiny and found that his minimum weight for age was five kg at three months, the surgery was done and Destiny took her son back home, relieved and hopeful that he

Destiny is all smiles will get better when the cleft palate is done.

In March 2022, when Gideon became 1 year and 4 months, his mother brough him back to the hospital to have his cleft palate repair.

Usually, Onah said, cleft palate repair is done when the child is about a year.

“We had to wait till he was up to 1 year and to also be sure that he is within the range of safe surgery because we also had to check if he was properly weighted for age, “he said.

Onah explained that at Gideon’s age, he was supposed to weigh 10kg, according to the World Health Organization, WHO weight for age standards. But he was 9kg and that was acceptable.

He said he would have done a combined lip and palate surgery if Destiny was a year old and had not had anyone done”.

“While the anaesthesia-use of medicines to prevent pain during surgery and other procedures- started around 11am, the surgery itself started at 11:45 and ended at 1:30,” he said. “Cleft palate takes a significantly longer time than the cleft lip which takes between 45 minutes and 1 hour to do”.

Now, Gideon is fine. He can eat without difficulties and his mother is happy.

“I am glad I did not listen to those who asked me to abandon him,” she said. “I did not even spend any money on the surgery.

“They gave us food, drugs and took very good care of us”.

Commitment to cleft surgeries Since 2007, Smile Train- which is the world’s largest cleft charity- has been providing free cleft surgeries for children and changing the narrative that clefts are an evil omen.

Working with its local medical professionals across Nigeria, the NGO has carried out over 22,000 cleft surgeries. But its program director in West and Central Africa, Nkeiruka Obi, hopes this figure will double in the coming years.

So far, the NGO has so far established 15 comprehensive cleft care partnerships in Nigeria including three for nutrition, five for speech, and seven for orthodontics.

For Onah, Smile Train has continued to add smiles to the face of parents and children born with cleft across Nigeria, helping to see that there are people who go to the interior to look for the patients where they are and engage with the to come.

“Smile Train’s work is quite commendable, Onah said. “Even when some of the children are not up to speed in terms of nutrition, they are enrolled with nutrition and those who get up to speed with nutrition and are properly weighted for age, we do the surgery”.

Continuing, he said “I have listened to the patients I have operated on and honestly, when you hear them talk, you appreciate the extent of their psychological and psychosocial deprivation,”.

According to him, it is beyond a physical separation in the lip or palate and goes deep

Dr. Onah who performs the surgeries into the persona of the patients because the sense of rejection and inability to communicate and be accepted and loved is something that only they can understand.

“But when they talk to you, after having had their surgery and are now able to communicate and reintegrate with people, you will see that what Smile Train is doing is great “he said.

More smiles Like Destiny, Sylverleen Okwu, 48 was determined to find a solution after she gave birth to her daughter, Marvellous Okwu and discovered that she had a cleft palate- an opening in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the tissues do not come together during development in the womb.

It was in August 2009 at a Hospital in Osisioma, Abia State, Southeast Nigeria.

After delivery, Sylverleen noticed that each time her daughter wanted to throw up fluids, it came out through her nose.

“At first, I thought it was because of how I lay her, “she said. “I had to change her position and even put pillow on her head, but nothing changed. She continued to throw up through her nose”.

After she was discharged, Sylverleen left the hospital and did not tell anybody what was happening. She felt it was nothing serious. But when she got home and started giving her daughter breast milk and discovered it was coming out through her nose, she became worried.

“Thesame thing happened when I started giving her infant milk three months after and Pap six months after,”Sylverleen said “At some point, she started running temperature and I took her back to the hospital where she was born”.

At the hospital, Sylverleen was given drugs and told that her daughter’s temperature will be normal again. But it continued and one day, she decided to visit a traditional birth attendant, thinking it was an abdominal injury.

“The TBA advised me to take her to a hospital, “she said. “Immediately, I went to the Abia State University Teaching Hospital this time and when I got there, I got a card, and we were directed to the doctor in charge of children.

After several examinations, the doctor found out that Marvellous had cleft deformity.

“He opened my daughter’s mouth and when saw the hole, I screamed and asked the doctor if there was any solution,”. “He said yes and that it is going to be surgery which can only be done when she is over a year”.

When Marvellous grew up and started going to school, with the cleft

palate yet untreated, she could not play with other children. She always stayed on her own, even in church.

“She always told me how other children laughed at her because she could not speak well,” Sylverleen said. “I told her we will find a solution and she will be able to play again”.

For years, Sylverleen searched for a solution without finding one. But she was not willing to give up, against advice by her husband, children and friends who told her it was not possible to correct the congenital anomaly.

However, in December 2021, when her brother’s wife came to visit and Sylverleen told her what was happening to Marvellous, she said It could be corrected and that she will help me with the contact of a doctor in Enugu.

“In January 2022, she got the number and when I called, we were asked to come to Enugu in February, “she said. My family was not happy with me because they thought of the cost of the surgery. I was bothered too”.

At the hospital, Sylverleen and her daughter who is now 12, were taken to the children’s ward and when she asked one of the doctors how much the surgery will cost, she was told that Smile Train had taken care of it.

“Finally, the surgery was done, and the doctor asked me to always give her soft food till she is okay to eat solid food, “she said. “I have been doing that and we are now at the speech therapy stage”.

A bit of improvement, not good enough Onah also said that there has been a bit of improvement in the rate at which parents of children with clefts present them for surgeries.

He said that he often gets calls from parents directly and each time they say the child was born a week ago or few days ago, he encourages them to come so that first contact can be established, and the parents can be thought how to feed, particularly those who have cleft of the palate.

He however regretted that the increase has not translated to the kind of numbers that are expected, adding that there are more patients who need to have their surgery done but are yet to be linked with health facilities.

“When we look at the cases we are doing, they are still trickle,” Onah said. “We are still looking at single digit numbers In a month, meaning that we need to do more so that we can see the people who have this condition linking up with free comprehensive care” Need for government partnership To achieve the goal of having more children born with a cleft have access to health facilities where they can get corrective surgeries, Onah said that there was the need for the government to partner with NGOs such as Smile Train.

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

29

T H I S D AY ˾ AY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

NEWS

PSHANSettoUpgrade Primary Health CentreinNingi Mary Nnah 'PMMPXJOH UIF JOFGGJDJFODJFT that are consistently plaguJOH UIF 1SJNBSZ )FBMUI TFDUPS JO /JHFSJB XIJDI JO turn is negatively affecting almost all aspects of the WBMVF DIBJO UIF 1SJWBUF 4FDUPS )FBMUI "MMJBODF PG /JHFSJB 14)"/ JT TFU to improve the healthcare situation for everyday /JHFSJBOT They plan to do this by providing quality and affordable healthcare using UIF "EPQU " )FBMUIDBSF 'BDJMJUZ 1SPHSBNNF "%)'1 as a vehicle.

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Some of the issues that the primary healthcare value chain face includes ineffective governance, financing, funding, and service delivery.

"DDFTT UP RVBMJUBUJWF BGfordable healthcare remains B DIBMMFOHF JO /JHFSJB GPS B MBSHF NBKPSJUZ PG UIF rural-dwelling, low-income earners whose first contact with the healthcare system

JT UIF 1SJNBSZ )FBMUI $FOUSF (JWFO UIJT DPOUFYU "%)'1 XBT DPODFQUVBMJTFE CZ UIF 1SJWBUF 4FDUPS )FBMUI "MMJBODF PG /JHFSJB XJUI UIF primary aim of adopting and standardising at least POF 1SJNBSZ )FBMUIDBSF $FOUSF 1)$ JO FBDI PG UIF -PDBM (PWFSONFOU "SFBT -("T JO /JHFSJB 5IF "%)'1 DPOGFST several benefits including saving lives, improving IFBMUI PVUDPNFT KPC creation, and gender empowerment.

5IF "%)'1 CZ UIF 1SJWBUF 4FDUPS )FBMUI "MMJBODF PG /JHFSJB XBT PGGJDJBMMZ MBVODIFE JO -BHPT PO UIF UI PG /PWFNCFS The theme of this launch FWFOU XBT i#SJOHJOH RVBMJUZ )FBMUI UP UIF 'JOHFSUJQT PG /JHFSJBOTu 5IF "%)'1 XJMM QSPWJEF equitable access to quality and affordable primary healthcare to rural dwellers, lower maternal and child mortality, and reduce morbidity rates in rural communities.

5IF QSPKFDU XJMM VQHSBEF health facilities and infrastructure to meet the minimum standards of care, strengthen governance and accountability mechaOJTNT UP FOTVSF 1SJNBSZ

)FBMUI $FOUFS SFGPSN BOE TFDVSF UIF (PWFSONFOU T commitment to expanding coverage of citizens under the social health insurance scheme.

The programme, acDPSEJOH UP UIF .% $&0 PG 14)"/ %S 5JOVPMB "LJOCPMBHCF SFRVJSFT 1SJvate sector resources, but everyone can pitch in by going to adhfp.org and getting involved. This involves donating funds, time, using word of mouth to spread the word and even volunteering expertise. "%)'1 BMTP IBT B live campaign on the QSFTUJHJPVT (MPCBM (JWing platform and would urge everyone to go on the platform and get involved from all over the world.

14)"/ JT B OPU GPS profit, business-led organisation founded to JNQSPWF /JHFSJB T IFBMUIcare system by mobilising resources and capabilities to provide accessible, affordable, and first-rate healthcare solutions to FWFSZEBZ /JHFSJBOT Recognising that the government cannot do it BMPOF 14)"/ BEPQUT B coordinated, nationwide multi-stakeholder approach to create transformative health outcomes.

Rotary to End Polio Worldwide Soon, Says District Governor Blessing Ibunge in Port ËÜÍÙßÜÞ "O JOUFSOBUJPOBM DIBSJUZ organisation, Rotary International, has disclosed that it is at the edge of eradicating poliomyelitis from the across the world. %JTUSJDU (PWFSOPS &MFDU 3PUBSZ *OUFSOBUJPOBM %JTUSJDU /JHFSJB .S &NFLF 6UFCPS EJTDMPTFE UIJT JO 1PSU Harcourt, at a media chat, during a seminar organised for presidents elect in the district.

4QFBLJOH PO UIF NBKPS achievements of the charity organisation across the HMPCF 6UFCPS FYQMBJOFE UIBU Rotary International and at local level have sustained its fight against polio in the society.

He revealed that across UIF XPSME POMZ 1BLJTUBO BOE "GHIBOJTUBO IBWF some little outbreak of the disease, expressed hope that in no time, polio would be eradicated from the world.

Responding to questions on the status of polio in "GSJDB BOE HMPCBMMZ 6UFCPS TBJE i'PS NF FSBEJDBUJPO PG 1PMJP JT 3PUBSZ T OVNCFS one priority in the world, UP SJE 1PMJPNZFMJUJT UP TUPQ stop children from having QBSBMZUJDT &WFS TJODF 3PUBSZ has been the champion and we have been in the forefront, trying to eradicate polio, for me that is the biggest success of rotary. i0VUTJEF UIBU * XJMM UFMM ZPV that the fulfilment you get for being part of those doing good in the world cannot be quantified in monetary terms. I tell people, being a

Rotarian I can’t be stranded anywhere in the world.

“Whether you are Rotarian or not you have benefited from rotary. If any child that is born from a day to five years old, we stop that child from having paralysis.

Somehow, people who have been living with this disease, some part of the world don’t LOPX UIBU 1PMJP TUJMM FYJTUT but those of us have seen polio incidence.

“My mum is a nurse and I have seen people who had brought their children to the IPVTF JO UIF T TP NBOZ complaints. Then some of them were ignorant, they didn’t know it was polio.

So with the help of Rotarians around the world distributing these vaccines free, the world is safer.

“Right now we have only UXP DPVOUSJFT "GHIBOJTUBO BOE 1BLJTUBO UIBU JT MFGU with the pandemic but so GBS GSPN UIF NFFUJOH * KVTU attended some few minutes ago, we have been informed that there has not been any case of wide polio virus so far in those two countries. “ So if it remains like that at the end of this year, those two countries will be certified polio free and there will be polio free world for all child.

A#VU XF NVTU OPU SFMBY because once there is a polio anywhere in the world, no child here on earth is safe.

So, we are at the edge of FSBEJDBUJOH QPMJPu 6UFCPS FODPVSBHFE FWFSZPOF in the society to advocate and urged parents to bring their children out for vaccination against the deadly disease,

adding that if many people in the society will appreciate and become Rotarians, the workload will reduce and the world become a better place for all.

“I want to encourage all PG VT UP KPJO JO BEWPDBDZ talking to people to bring out their children for vaccination. I want to also ask you to contribute to this MBVEBCMF QSPKFDU TP UIBU XF DBO BMM CFOFàU GSPN JUu )F BTTVSFE i6OEFS NZ governorship I will continue in the game of the past. In this coming Rotary year, first, I want to appreciate all the past leaders of my district because I have one believe that there is no decision that is easy for a leader and for you to be a good leader you must be able to to carry everybody along.

“I will continue in the QSPKFDU PG XBUFS BOE sanitation. Water is life, we will make sure there is water for everybody.

We have water but portal drinking water, the percentage is very little. It is my SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ UP KPJO PUIFS rotary leaders, other Rotarians and encourage clubs in our district to make that we provide this.

“The environment is supposed to be the last. I want to bring it up because many of us don’t care about our environment. “ If you look round you will that there is environmental degradation everywhere in the world.

We have to pay attention to our environment, we have to QMBOU USFFTu 6UFCPS BEEFE

Stress Management

Credit: Tolu Dogara Introduction: tress management is the amelioration of stress, especially chronic stress often for the purpose of improving everyday functioning.

S

What is Stress?

Stress is a mental, emotional or physical strain caused by a variety of factors e.g anxiety or overwork. It is also a feeling of emotional or physical tension.

Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations and society. These can include decline in physical health as well as depression.

Walter cannon and Hans Selye used animal studies to establish the earliest scientific basis for the study of stress. They measured the physiological responses of animals to external pressures. Such as heat and cold, prolonged restraint and surgical procedures, then extrapolated from these studies to human beings.

Subsequent studies of stress in human

by Richard Rache and others established the view that stress is caused by distinct, measurable life stressors and expressed further that these life stressors can be ranked by the median degree of stress they produce.

Thus stress was traditionally conceptualized to be a result of external stimuli beyond the control of those experiencing the stress.

More recently, however, it has been argued that external circumstances do not have any intrinsic capacity to produce stress, but instead their effect is medicated by the individual’s perceptions, capacities and understanding.

Vital Statistics/Epidemiology r PG WJTJUT UP %PDUPST BSF TUSFTT SFMBUFE r PG TFSJPVT JMMOFTT BSF EVF UP TUSFTT r0WFS PG XPSLFST EFTDSJCF UIFJS KPCT as very stressful · Millions of working days are lost yearly as a result of stress Those at Risk: r 8PSLFST F H OVSTFT CBOLFST FUD r :PVOH BEVMUT r 8PSLJOH NPUIFST r 8PSLFST JO CJH DJUJFT r -FTT FEVDBUFE QFPQMF r 8JEPXT %JWPSDFFT r 6OFNQMPZFE r *TPMBUFE )PNFMFTT JOEJWJEVBMT Causes of stress: The causes of stress are referred to as stressors and some of them are enumerated below: Symptoms & Signs: Some of the symptoms and signs of stress are: r 4MFFQ EJGàDVMUJFT r 1PPS BQQFUJUF BOE XFJHIU MPTT r 1PPS DPODFOUSBUJPO )FBEBDIFT r 'SFRVFOU BDIFT BOE QBJOT r 4UJGG KBX PS OFDL r 8FJHIU MPTT r .JTTFE EFBEMJOFT r "OHFS UBOUSVNT r "OUJ TPDJBM CFIBWJPST r "MDPIPM PS ESVH BCVTF r /FSWPVT IBCJUT r %FQSFTTJPO r *ODSFBTFE #1 r 4UPNBDI VQTFU pr$FSFCSPWBTDVMBS BDDJEFOUT r %JBCFUFT FUD Techniques of Stress Management: High demand levels loads the person with extra effort and work. It is then high time a new time schedule is worked up.

6OUJM UIF IJHIFS UIBO OPSNBM EFNBOE has completed, the normal frequency and EVSBUJPO PG UIF OPSNBM QFSTPOBM KPZT BOE

Google normal interpersonal fulfillment that time usually allows to be diverted must be politely curtailed or blocked but many techniques cope with the stresses life brings. Some of the following ways induce a lower than usual stress level, temporarily, to compensate the biological issues involved; others face the stressor at a higher level of abstraction.

Techniques of stress management vary according to philosophical paradigm but we will examine the following: r "VUPHFOJD USBJOJOH r $PHOJUJWF SFTPMVUJPO r $POáJDU SFTPMVUJPO r &YFSDJTF r (FUUJOH B IPCCZ r .FEJUBUJPO r %FFQ CSFBUIJOH r 3FBEJOH OPWFMT r 3FMBYBUJPO UFDIOJRVFT r "SUJTUJD FYQSFTTJPO r 'SBDUJPOBM SFMBYBUJPO r 1SPHSFTTJWF SFMBYBUJPO r $MJOJDBMMZ WBMJEBUFE BMUFSOBUJWF USFBUNFOU r -JTUFOJOH UP DFSUBJO UZQFT PG SFMBYJOH music, particularly; /FX BHF NVTJD $MBTTJDBM NVTJD 1TZDIFEFMJD NVTJD )JHIMJGF - Sleep music.

MEASURING STRESS: -FWFMT PG TUSFTT DBO CF NFBTVSFE 0OF way is through the use of the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale to rate stressful life events. $IBOHFT JO CMPPE QSFTTVSF BOE HBMWBOJD TLJO response can also be measured to test stress MFWFMT BOE DIBOHFT JO TUSFTT MFWFMT " EJHJUBM thermometer can be used to evaluate changes in skin temperature, which can indicate activation of the fight-or-fight response drawing blood away from the extremities.

MANAGING STRESS: Inspite of the enormous weight and the hazards of stress, the following measures of management can be proffered: Sleep/ rest r *NQSPWFE EJFUT CBMBODFE QSPNPUF OBUVSBM # WJUBNJOT UBLJOH PG GSVJUT "WPJE GSJFE GBTU GPPET r 3FEVDF UPYJO JOUBLF UPCBDDP BMDPIPM r &YFSDJTF SFHVMBSMZ r8BMLT KPHHJOH r%PO U USZ DPOUSPMMJOH VODPOUSPMMBCMF UIJOHT r 4IBSF XPSSJFT r 5BLF WBDBUJPOT MFBWF r &ODPVSBHF TPDJBM IBCJUT r 1SPNPUF IVNPS HPPE MBVHIT r #F QBSU PG QSPNPUJOH B KVTU DPVSTF r 5SFBUNFOU PG VOQMFBTBOU DPOEJUJPOT PREVENTING STRESS *SSFTQFDUJWF PG UIF LJOE PG 453&44 POF PS all of the following steps can be taken prevent it: r 3FNPWF UIF TUSFTTPST r 3FEVDF UIF TUSFTTPST r 3FNPWF ZPVSTFMG GSPN TUSFTTGVM DPOEJUJPOT r 1BZ SFHVMBS WJTJUT UP ZPVS 1IZTJDJBO %PDUPS r 5BLF FOPVHI SFTU r #F DPOUFOU CONCLUSION: Stress is known to be an ugly monster that gives men away to more potent monsters like Hypertension, High blood pressure, stroke and the àOBM %&"5) /FWFSUIFMFTT 4USFTT .BOBHFNFOU has psychological and immune benefits, effects and positive outcomes are observed using a combination of non-drug interventions like treatment of anger or hostility or talking therapy i.e good interpersonal relationship with people around you. Remember, life is in phases and NFO BSF JO TJ[FT /FWFS CJUF NPSF UIBO ZPV DBO DIFX 45": 453&44 '3&& t(SBDF A5PMV %PHBSB XPSLT BU UIF &EVDBUJPO 6OJU /BUJPOBM .VTFVN .JOOB

30

T H I S D AY ˾ AY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

HEALTH

Depression-The Journey to Healing Africa Health Report Dr Adeola Adeyemi

A

while ago, a young woman in her late 40s was found lifeless in her apartment. She had taken her own life. This woman was known to be a wonderful person with great virtues and people who knew her testified of her gracious qualities. Just as you might be thinking, it wasn’t marital problems, search for a spouse, or loneliness that drove her to do this, it was none of these things.

Depression stemmed from deep sadness drove her to do it. This lady had been depressed for a long time and had struggled with depression till she couldn’t contain it anymore. And as an established career woman who was thriving in her career, it came as a rude shock to everyone who knew her!

Depression is real and can creep into a person’s life, wreak one’s feelings and r $POTUBOU 'BUJHVF 'FFMJOH UJSFE cause havoc in such a person’s life without exhausted, and drained of energy can showing visible symptoms. be a pointer to depression. Studies have shown that 90% of people with depression According to the World Health Or- experience fatigue. ganisation (WHO), one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds and untreated r1PPS $PODFOUSBUJPO -PTJOH ZPVS depression can lead to suicide. It can also train of thoughts frequently during undermine a person’s relationships, disrupt conversations is an indication that you workflow and make maintaining sound are struggling with your memory and health very difficult, if not impossible. that might be related to a depressive illness.

What then is depression?

Depression is a common mental health r*ODSFBTFE "QQFUJUF 6OMJLF UIF UZQJDBM disorder that affects over 280 million poor appetite experienced in deprespeople globally. It is characterised by sion, increased appetite, referred to as persistent feelings of sadness, inability “Emotional Eating” is also a symptom to feel pleasures and reduced energy of depression. People with depression levels for no clear reason. At some sometimes eat to satisfy emotional and point in our lives, we have been sad not physical hunger. and overwhelmed. But in the case of depression, one experiences this feeling r#FIBWJPVSBM 4ZNQUPNT 8IFO of sadness persistently for a long time. someone who is the life of the party According to the National Institute of suddenly becomes withdrawn, angry, or Mental Health, depression (also called irritable, depression may be the cause. a major depressive disorder or clinical Research revealed that men are more depression) is a common but serious mood likely to experience anger or irritability disorder. Depression is the leading cause than women. of disability worldwide, affecting about seven million Nigerians. r1IZTJDBM 4ZNQUPNT 1FPQMF XJUI Another sad incident happened some- depression sometimes complain of time back when a young man left a suicide physical symptoms like headaches, note behind after battling depression for backaches, body pains, joint pains, etc. a prolonged period. Unfortunately, the In a survey done by WHO, 69% of those people around him had no clue because with depression reported only somatic he would put on a façade of wellness, yet symptoms as the reason for their visit. they didn’t know he was experiencing Depression has many faces. It is possible inner turmoil. to be depressed, and still get up from bed, He had left a note saying he was have a shower, wear make-up, do daily sorry, he didn’t want to bother others tasks, take care of the family and do a yet wanted out of the pain. However, host of other things. This can be referred he added that people struggling with to as a high-functioning depression. depression shouldn’t place a lid on their According to a well-renowned psychofeelings and emotion, as vocalising their therapist in California (Mayra Mendez), feelings was more important and would “High-functioning individuals with set them on their journey to healing. depression tend to forge ahead in an Sadly, this is one of many cases. effort to succeed with their goals.” This Depression is different from mood further hinders them from seeking help fluctuations, popularly referred to as early and might worsen their symptoms. mood swings or changes in your mood Thus, early identification of symptoms in response to different life experiences. and treatment is advised. Before depression Depression is definitely more than that. gets chronic, seeking help as quickly as possible is advised. But how can one seek Causes of Depression help when these common symptoms of r#JPMPHJDBM GBDUPST MJLF HFOFUJDT DIFNJDBM depression are ignored? imbalance, hormonal changes, etc.

So, we highlight 10 other symptoms that are usually common in stories of r1TZDIPMPHJDBM GBDUPST MJLF OFHBUJWF EFQSFTTJPO 5IFZ JODMVEF thinking patterns, personality type, traumatic childhood experiences, etc. r-PX NPPE r5FBSGVMOFTT &YDFTTJWF DSZJOH r4PDJBM GBDUPST MJLF BEWFSTF MJGF FWFOUT r'FFMJOH IPQFMFTT financial difficulties etc. r'FFMJOH XPSUIMFTT r4VJDJEBM UIPVHIUT r7VMOFSBCJMJUZ GBDUPST "DDPSEJOH UP r-PX FOFSHZ Brown and Harris, there are vulnerability r-PTT PG JOUFSFTU factors that can further increase the risk r-BDL PG NPUJWBUJPO of developing depression, especially in r1PPS TMFFQJOH IBCJUT women. They include early maternal r$POTUBOU OFHBUJWF TFMG UBML loss, lack of confiding relationships, Sometimes we wonder why people with unemployment and having more than depression do not speak out until they three children who are under the age succumb to suicidal thoughts. Secretly, of 14. we even go ahead to blame them. See Now if depression is this real, don’t you this - the major reason people with think being able to identify its symptoms depression find it difficult to speak to is crucial? This is not only for ourselves people is that they feel they will become but for the people around us, our friends, a burden to others. They don’t want to mates, and loved ones. This is because “disturb” others with their problems and people can act normally yet be fighting thus, try to manage them by themselves. a losing battle against depression.

Also, research has shown that stigma is It’s high time we knew its hidden one of the leading risk factors contributing symptoms. to poor mental health outcomes. Many Here are some hidden symptoms of people who are depressed are unable depression that you should look out for to speak out because they are afraid JO ZPVS EBZ UP EBZ MJGF of being stigmatised. Stigma ultimately

leads to delay in treatment and reduces the chances that the affected person will receive appropriate and adequate care.

However, speaking out to people we trust is very important and this leads us to how we can treat depression.

First of all, depression is treatable especially if spotted on time. The treatments include therapies, medications, and lifestyle modifications.

Practical treatments for depression r$PVOTFMMJOH 4QFBLJOH UP B NFOUBM IFBMUI professional goes a long way in your healing journey. Your counsellor helps you identify and address your problems, and goes ahead to suggest coping mechanisms to you. r4FMG IFMQ &YBNQMFT PG TFMG IFMQ FYFSDJTFT include getting enough sleep, engaging in physical exercises, taking a walk, etc. r5SZJOH TPNFUIJOH OFX (P PVU BOE explore. If you can, visit a new city and relish nature’s offers. Try new activities such as taking swimming classes, reading a new book, etc. r4QFOEJOH UJNF XJUI MPWFE POFT 8IJMF depression may want you to do the opposite, deliberately choosing to spend time with loved ones will help you greatly. Create time to be among those who truly love and care for you. r $PHOJUJWF SFTUSVDUVSJOH 5IJT JT B therapeutic process that helps to identify and challenge automatic negative thoughts.

Replace them with alternative thoughts.

Cognitive restructuring has proven to be very effective in treating depression if done in a structured manner with the help of a therapist. You can speak out loud and set a rule that says, “for every negative thought that comes to my mind, I’m going to counter it with two positive thoughts.”

Be intentional about guarding your mind. r .JOEGVM KPVSOBMJOH ,FFQ B EBJMZ KPVSOBM It allows you to express yourself in the best possible way that will bring you relief.

You can get a diary or journal, put words to your emotions in this journal and take mindful walks. Mindful journaling helps you to be conscious of how you feel.

However, treatment options are based on the severity of the depression. Some lifestyle changes that have been proven to help with depression include adequate water intake, eating a balanced diet, maintaining social connections, networking, etc.

Common Misconceptions about Depression According to a study, there are different misconceptions about depression. Some PG UIFN JODMVEF ri:PV DBO ATOBQ PVU PG *Uu %FQSFTTJPO is not something you can easily snap out of. People who do not understand what depression means see it as deliberately choosing to wallow in deep sadness. So, the next solution to them is for such persons to simply “snap out of it”. However, depression is beyond that; such people cannot easily snap out of it. ri*G ZPV DBO GVODUJPO ZPV SF OPU EFQSFTTFEu 1FPQMF FYQFSJFODF EFQSFTTJPO in different ways. While some may find it difficult to get out of bed, others may still find it easy to do their day-to-day work. That a man can do his work excellently does not mean he should be taken less seriously when he manifests symptoms of depression. ri1FPQMF XJUI EFQSFTTJPO BSF VOHSBUFGVM PS MB[Zu 1FPQMF XIP IBWF many things to be grateful for can still struggle with depression. Depression is neither a result of laziness.

Though depression is real, the good news is that it is also treatable! Also, suicide is preventable!

Help is available, please do not hide your feelings. We understand how you feel and we want to help you.

To this end, TMH provides support to individuals experiencing various mental health issues including depression. For more information, contact us at www.talkmentalhealth.org/ t%S "EFZFNJ JT B QTZDIJBUSJTU BOE QTZDIPUIFSBQJTU BT XFMM BT GPVOEFS 5BML .FOUBM )FBMUI

Berths in Nigeria

The Africa Health Report, AHR, www.africanhealthreport.com, a specialised online newspaper for health and development stories debuts today in Nigeria.

The newspaper is Africa’s first online one-stop-platform for generating, aggregating and distributing news and information about health and development in over 100 news platforms across the continent.

Announcing the debut, its Founder and Publisher, Martins Ifijeh said Nigeria and Africa at large still lag behind in areas of health and development hence the need to amplify the issues and the successes through quality reportage.

He described the newspaper as a hub for investigative and exclusive reportage that will challenge the bad and louden the good in the health sector across Africa through dedicated, professional and skilled journalists who are not afraid to tell the truth or challenge bad governance in the health and development space.

“It is also a platform for informed health commentaries and analysis by experts in the sector. We pledge to serve as a public trust dedicated to truth, objectivity and reason for a better Africa,” he said.

The Editor of Africa Health Report, Louis Achi, ex-Associate Editor of THISDAY Newspapers oversees a crop of young driven team committed to leveraging cutting-edge health reportage to enhance Nigeria and Africa’s development space.

The Africa Health Report office is located in Abuja, Nigeria. It also has an office in New Jersey, United States.

Improve Institutional Frameworks in Community Primary Health Centers, FG Urged Kasim Sumaina in Abuja A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) has urged the federal government to as a matter of priority invest and improve the institutional framework within the local and the grassroots community Primary Health Centers (PHC).

This is even as the foundation charged President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to come up with implementable policies that will revitalise PHCs for the transformation of the country’s healthcare sector.

The Executive Director, AYGF, Arome Silifu, made the call in Abuja at the foundation retreat for its workers.

He noted that health system is the most important because “until we have good health, we cannot think of improved living conditions.

“So on this note, AYGF is using this opportunity to call on the federal government, the state governments and even the local governments, and the organised private sector to prioritise public health, investment, and improving the institutional framework within the local and the grassroots communities to guarantee improved health conditions for the vulnerable, particularly the children of under five, the women and the elderly.

According to him, “We have suddenly forgotten that the countries we visit for our medications and healthcare have gotten their country’s built by their leaders.”

While presenting the impact of the organisation on accelerating nutrition results in Nigeria, the AYGF boss hinted that the organisation through the funding of Word Bank project on, “Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria, ANRiN, AYGF has been able to partner with the Kogi and Niger state government, among other Ministries of Health.

He said among other things the ANRiN project was geared towards providing quality, cost-effective package of nutrition services, BPNS) to preganant lactating women and girls nder 5 children in Niger and Kogi states.

He further noted that results of, “these efforts have been truly remarkable as AYGF within a short period of time has reached a target of 3,484,692 contacts across 13 LGAS in Niger State and 1,988,595 contacts for women 356,782 across 10 LGAs in Kogi State respectively.”

He added that, “out of the total number of 1,466,946 services provided in Kogi state, Zinc/ORS (298,954), was the most service given to beneficiaries(Children), followed by Vitamin A (292342) given to children.

“Deworming (290050) followed into third. MIYCN came fourth at 174171, followed by IFA 151961 at fifth, IPTP(138855) and MNP (120613).”

He explained that regardless of the massive impact of the project, AYGF would continue to make strategic partnerships in a bid to reach out to more children and women by providing nutrition services for then.

“AYGF through its strategic partnership, is reaching more children and women and saving lives by providing nutrition services to children under five years. These efforts have been focused on increasing access to nutritious food, improving healthcare and sanitation, and educating communities on the importance of proper nutrition.

“The impact of AYGF’s work goes beyond just improving the health of individual. By addressing the root causes malnutrition, we are also helping to break the cycle of poverty and improve the overall quality of life for communities in Nigeria.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2023 • T H I S D AY

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T H I S D AY ˾ AY, FEBRUARY 2, 2023

32

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

New Naira Notes: Ex-CIBN Boss Tasks CBN on Financial Inclusion Funmi Ogundare A former President and Chairman of Council of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Prof. Segun Ajibola, yesterday, stressed the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to drive financial inclusion especially in rural areas so that Nigerians would not be stampeded into exchanging their old naira notes for new ones.

Ajibola who was a guest on The Morning Show, Arise News Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspaper, spoke on the backdrop of the apex bank deadline of old naira use.

He stated that regulators owe Nigerians a duty to ensure that the exercise is seamless within the time frame, adding that there is no reason why the old notes should be stockpiled in homes or offices.

According to him, “as a country, we still have a lot to do in terms of financial inclusion.

Available statistics showed that barely 50 per cent of Nigerians from the age of 18 and above, are not financially included as at today which means half of the population that should be financially inclusive, are still excluded.

“That is one of the reasons why there is still so much pres-

sure. If majority of Nigerians have embraced financial inclusion, as a way of life, we will not have the kind of pressure we have been having in terms being stampeded to change from the old to new naira notes. It doesn’t have any reason being stockpiled in homes or offices.

So we need to re-evaluate.”

He however expressed concern that there is a limit to what the apex bank can do about the bank’s swapping the old naira notes to new ones within the spate of time until the recent extension, saying that with the efforts of the regulators, there is need to know where the disconnect is.

Cadbury Nigeria Announces 110.22% Increase in Profit for 2022FY Kayode Tokede Cadbury Nigeria Plc has announced N946million profit after tax for the year ended December 31, 2022 unaudited results, an increase of 110.22 per cent from N450 million reported in the corresponding period of 2021.

The multinational company announced a

turnover of N55.21billion in 2022, representing an increase of 30.3 percent over N42.37billion recorded in the same period in 2021.

The company’s recently released unaudited financial highlights for the full year 2022 (covering the period January 2022 to December 2022), also indicated that its gross profit

grew from N6.48 billion in 2021, to N7.76billion in 2022, representing an increase of 19.87 per cent.

Its Managing Director, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye in a statement said Cadbury Nigeria has continued to push the boundaries to sustain its current growth trajectory in a tough business environment.

Okomu Oil Donates Relief Materials to Owan Fire Victims Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc has donated relief materials worth millions of naira to the victims of the November 18th, 2022 fire disaster in Owan community, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The fire incident occurred when a tanker carrying petroleum product fell in the community and went into flame destroying shops and buildings.

In a statement, Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc explained that the items presented include 100 Bags of Cement, two bags of four inches nails, three bags of three inches nails, one bag of 1.5 inches nails, 30 bundles of Zinc, 10 Iron doors, 70 pieces of ceiling board, and 165 pieces of different sizes of wood.

Presenting the relief materials to the Odionwere of the community, the Managing Director, Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, Dr. Graham Hefer said the gesture was

in fulfillment of management’s promise to come to the aid of the victims of the fire disaster.

Represented by the community liaison officer (CLO) in its extension 2 plantation, Mr.Bashiru Kadiri, Dr. Hefer said Okomu believes in good neighbour relations and are happy to assist her neighbouring communities when the need arise.

He said “I wish to on behalf of management of Okomu to present these building materials to assist the victims of the fire incident.

He added: “During our last visit in December, we promised to assist victims of the fire disaster and this is the fulfillment of that promise”.

“We hope that this gesture from us will be accepted by the community as our little way of helping to cushion the effect of the fire on the victim and help them get back to their feet.”

The Okomu MD urged

the leadership of the community to ensure that everyone affected by the fire incident benefits from the materials while praying that such disaster will not be experienced again in the community.

Receiving the items on behalf of the victims, the Odionwere of the Owan community, Chief Michael Ifiabor thanked the management of Okomu Oil palm company for the gesture, adding this has shown the company’s interest in the growth and development of its neighbouring communities.

He further stated that they never expected this kind of love and support from any private company especially when it was Okomu response to their distress call that aided the putting out the fire, stressing that this has further endeared the company in the heart of the people and will strengthen the relationship between the company and members of the community.

LIRS Boss Bags Vanguard’s Public Sector Icon Award Executive Chairman, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr Ayodele Subair, has been conferred with the 2022 Public Sector Icon of the year at the 11th edition of the Vanguard Personality of the Year Award held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, January 27, 2023.

The glamorous ceremony chaired by Mrs Ajoritsedere Awosika, Chairman of Access Bank, is an annual event where eminent personalities who have distinguished themselves in professional excellence and service to humanity in the

private and public sectors are honoured.

According to the organizer of the event, Vanguard Newspaper Limited, the LIRS boss, Subair, was conferred with the special award in recognition of his magic wand in the Lagos state tax revolution during the last seven years of being in office.

Receiving the award, alongside some of the LIRS directors, Subair expressed gratitude to the Vanguard Newspapers’ management for finding him worthy to be selected for the honour.

“I must thank the chairman

and management of Vanguard Newspapers. They’ve been there as the vanguard leading the way in developments and new ideas for many years. To be on top is not very easy.

They are one of the best newspaper organisations in Nigeria. I say kudos to them.”

Speaking further, Subair noted; “I feel very proud about our achievements at LIRS. It’s not just about me. It is about LIRS, the management, the directors, and staff, including most importantly, His Excellency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his immense support and encouragement.

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

AUGUST 2022 Money Supply (M3)

49,356,443.6

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

50,601.36

Money Supply (M2)

49,305,842.3

-- Quasi Money

27,869,678.3

-- Narrow Money (M1)

21,436,164

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,680,236.81

---- Demand Deposits

18,755,927.2

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

5,074,909.92

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

27,869,678.3

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

61,195,142.4

---- Credit to Government (Net)

21,001,401.5

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

40,193,740.9

--Other Assets Net

6,785,979.22

Reserve Money (Base Money

14,040,351.9

--Currency in Circulation

3,210,664.98

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,829,686.9 390,557.8

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

July 2022

Inter-Bank Call Rate

13.00

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

2.76

Savings Deposit Rate

1.42

1 Month Deposit Rate

3.64

3 Months Deposit Rate

4.96

6 Months Deposit Rate

5.87

12 Months Deposit Rate

5.76

Prime Lending rate

12.10

Maximum Lending Rate

27.61

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE ͰͲ ˜ ͰͮͰͰ

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $92.17 a barrel on Monday, compared with $92.09 the previous Friday, 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), Basrah Medium (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

33

T H I S D AY ˾ AY, Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͱ

Stock Market Commences February Positive, Gains N142bn Kayode Tokede The stock market of the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), yesterday extended the bullish run for the fourth consecutive session as the market capitalization appreciated by N142 billion to start February on a positive note At the close of business, the NGX All Share Index (ASI) rose by 261.01 basis points or 0.49

per cent to close at 53,499.68 basis points. Also, investors gained N142 billion in value as market capitalisation went up to N29.140 trillion.

Market breadth closed flat with 20 gainers and 20 losers.

Industrial and Medical Gas Nigeria and Seplat Energy recorded the highest price gain of 10 per cent each to close at N7.70 and N1,210.00 respectively, while Northern

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

DEALS

F O R MARKET PRICE

Nigeria Flour Mills (NNFM) followed with a gain 9.46 per cent to close at N8.10, per share.

International Energy Insurance went up by 9.33 per cent to close at 82 kobo, while Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) appreciated by 9.26 per cent to close at N8.85, per share.

On the other hand, Guinness Nigeria led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N63.00,

S E C U R I T I E S QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N )

per share. Ardova followed with a decline of 9.95 per cent to close at N17.20, while Academy Press went down by 9.85 to close at N1.19, per share.

R.T. Briscoe Nigeria lost 9.68 per cent to close at 28 kobo, while Cornerstone Insurance shed 8.33 per cent to close at 55 kobo, per share.

However, the total volume traded decreased by 19.91 per cent to 200.368 million

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

shares, worth N5.524 billion, and traded in 3,716 deals.

Transactions in the shares of Universal Insurance topped the activity chart with 57.785 million shares valued at N11.557 million.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) followed with 16.607 million shares worth N415.176 million, while United Bank for Africa (UBA) traded 11.152 million shares

AS O F

valued at N91.379 million.

Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) traded 8.798 million shares valued at N10.913 million, while Geregu Power transacted 8.482 million shares worth N1.634 billion.

Analysts at GTI Securities Limited said that “we expect positive sentiment to be sustained as investors continue to pile into defensive and financial stocks.”

0 1 / 0 2 / 2 3 DEALS

MARKET PRICE

QUANTITY TRADED

VALUE TRADED ( N)

B T

34

THURSDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͻ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

GIVE US YOUR MANDATE...

L-R: All Progressives Congress Senatorial candidate for Ogun West, Sen. Olamilekan Adeola; Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele; APC State Assembly candidate for Ado-Ota II, Musefiu Lamidi's hands being raised by the State Governor, Dapo Abiodun at the Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa... yesterday

INEC Deploys 3,508 BVAS, to Conduct Mock Accreditation in Kogi February 4 Gunmen attack electoral body’s office, police station in Anambra, kill one Election materials destroyed David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka, Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deployed no fewer than 3,508 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the general election in Kogi State.

The electoral umpire also announced Saturday, February 4th, 2023, for the conduct of mock accreditation of voters using BVAS across three Senatorial Districts in Kogi State.

This was just as gunmen yesterday attacked the office of INEC in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The Head of Department, Voter Education of INEC in Kogi State Haliru Haruna Sule, disclosed the planned mock accreditation yesterday, when he featured on a current affairs programe on a private radio station in Kogi State, Grace FM, which was monitored

by THISDAY in Lokoja.

Sule stated that, the Commission had set aside many back up BVAS in case the any of the system malfunctions during the election period.

According to him, the mock accreditation would take place in six local government areas in the state.

They are Lokoja, Kabba Bunu, Okene, Ajaokuta, Dekina and Ibaji Local Government Area.

"Every voter has digital identities.

The BVAS is meant for the accreditation of voters and testing the voter’s biometrics. We deliberately choose some local governments especially in Ibaji, which we believe has the remotest polling units in Kogi State and the inhabitants of Ibaji are predominantly farmers.

"Most of them are engage in hard labour and we feel that, the BVAS should be tested there. If they cannot be authenticated with their finger prints they can be authenticated with their facials. We want to ensure that their footprint is authenticated. We want to test the durations of the batteries of the BVAS practically.

"On election day, election is supposed to start from 8:30am and close by 2:30pm. But the rule says all the people on the queue either they are 200, you must attend to them. You can't say because it is 2:30pm you won't attend to them.

You must attend to those that are

on the queue. It is part of what we want to test between 8:30am to between 5pm or 6pm and more," he stated.

Gunmen Attack INEC Office, Police Station in Anambra, Kill One

Meanwhile, gunmen yesterday attacked INEC’s office in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

A source said the hoodlums burnt the commission's headquarters in the area, using improvised explosive device (IED).

The gunmen also attacked a Police Station in Nnobi, in the same local government area, where a residential building inside the station was also attacked and a boy in the house was killed, while and a girl was injured.

The level of damage in the police station was however not ascertained as at the time of going to press.

The state police command's spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incidents in a press statement.

He said the attack happened at about 1:45 am on Wednesday, confirming that the attackers came in huge number, and we're ferried to the scenes of the incidents in four Toyota Sienna vehicles.

He added that the command has made heavy deployment of security personnel around the state to forestall such attack in other places.

The statement read: "Anambra State Police Command today 1/2/2023 has reinforced security deployment in the state, following an attack on the INEC office in idemili south, Ojoto and Nnobi Police Station.

"The hoodlums came in their numbers by 1:45 am today 1/2/2023, with four unmarked Sienna vehicles, armed with IEDs, petrol bombs and other explosives.

"They invaded the INEC office, the police station and the residential building in the station. Unfortunately,

one boy aged 16 years a relative of a serving policeman in the station was murdered by the armed men, while the other, a female aged 15 years old sustained a gunshot injury.

She has been taken to the hospital where she is receiving treatment."

Also, INEC also confirmed the attack of its office in Idemili South Local Government Area (LGA) and set ablaze by unknown gunmen.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed this in a statement

issued yesterday.

The latest attack made it 51 attacks the commission has suffered in the last four years.

He said the building was substantially damaged, while all furniture and other items were destroyed, including non-sensitive materials recently delivered in readiness for the 2023 polls.

He said: "The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, reported that our office in Idemili South LGA was attacked and set

ablaze by unknown gunmen. The incident occurred in the early hours of today Wednesday 1st February 2023.

"Among the items lost to the inferno are 729 ballot boxes, 243 voting cubicles, 256 election bags, 11 megaphones, 1 electric power generator and large quantities of indelible ink and liquid gum.

“However, uncollected PVCs kept in the fireproof cabinet were not affected by the inferno. Similarly, no sensitive materials have been delivered to the LGA office."

After S’Court Judgment in Edo PDP Crisis, Obaseki Says No Victor, No Vanquished Let's unite to rescue Nigeria, he declares Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, said the ruling by the Supreme Court hasfinally put to rest, the long-drawn legal tussle over the candidates that would fly the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state in this year’s general election.

In a statement personally signed, he said, “As the leader of the party in the state, I implore all members to consider this development as the end of all strife within the Edo PDP

and to note that this is a victory for all members. Our resolve now is to win the forthcoming general election as this experience has made us stronger and better prepared to clinch victory.

“This disagreement, which has now been amicably resolved attests to the maturity of actors,who as law-abiding party members have subjected themselves to and accepted the verdict of the courts.

“As there are no victors or

vanquished in this issue, I want to call on all members of our party to come together to speak with one voice against the real opponents since our party is big enough to accommodate our variegated interests.

“The ongoing crisis in our nation, which has been choreographed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is subjecting Nigerians to perhaps the most tortuous living conditions in our

history since the Civil War between 1967 and 1970. Our efforts must now be directed to removing the APC from power and restoring our blessed Country.

“I, therefore, call on all our members in Edo State to stand up and be counted among the brave party men and women, who stood to be counted in the execution of this all-important task to rescue Nigeria and pull it back from the precipice,” he stated.

800,000 PVCs Uncollected in Oyo, REC Reveals Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan With about 23 days to the presidential election, over 800,000 Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 33 local government areas of Oyo State.

The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Tella Adeniran, who made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ meeting on Mock Voters Accreditation/Verification Exercise, held at the headquarters of the commission in Ibadan, said the electoral body has distributed over 400,000 PVCs. He stated that it would conduct mock voters’ accreditation/verifica-

tion exercise this Saturday in 12 of the polling units in three of the Senatorial District of the state.

The INEC boss while urging those who registered to go and get their PVCs, describing it as their power on the election day, disclosed that the mock exercise would hold from 8am to 2:30pm in all the affected local government areas/polling units.

According to him, affected polling units include Oyo Central : Polling Unit 001, Anglican Primary School, Akingbile 1, Ojoo/Moniya, Akinyele local government; Polling Unit 034, Olugbode, Akinyele local government; Polling Unit 010, St Michael Esiele, Agunlopo III, Atiba local government and Polling Unit 010, LA Primary School, Sabo, Atiba

local government.

Oyo North: Polling Unit 024, Kabiyesi Street, Ekunle, Iseyin local government; Polling Unit 002, LA Demonstration School, Isalu, Iseyin local government; Polling Unit 014, Oke Anu Town Planning 1, Sabo/Tara, Ogbomoso North local government; Polling Unit 13, Blinding Center, Osupa, Ogbomoso and Polling Unit 006, Methodist Primary School, N5 (NTA) 1, N5A, Saki.

Oyo South: Polling Unit 017, Oba Akinbiyi High School II, N6B Part II, Ibadan and Polling Unit 001 and St Peters Secondary School, Apete/ Awotan, Ido. Adeniran said the exercise was crucial for the preparation of the

Commission towards the forthcoming general election in the state, urging registered voters in the affected polling units to appear on the scheduled date with their PVCs. He added that the exercise would assist to assure people in the state of the robustness of INEC's system and further strengthen the electoral process ahead of the general elections in the state, stating that at the end of the exercise the 12 BVAS machines involved would be reconfigured before they are deployed for election proper in the state.

He said, "The essence of the mock exercise is to conduct field tests across the three Senatorial Districts in the state using 12 Polling Units at Oyo North, Oyo South and Oyo Central

Districts of the state.

“The Commission has taken delivery of the BVAS machines for the elections in the state and we have also tested each machine so as to enable its functionality on election day.

"The Commission is fully ready for the election as series of trainings are being conducted for both staff and ad-hoc staff members in order to have seamless elections in the state.

“The Commission is to deploy technology for the conduct of the forthcoming elections through the use of BVAS for Accreditation/ Verification of voters and uploading Polling Units results through INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) on election day."

35

THURSDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͻ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

CAPACITY BUILDING FOR POLICE...

L-R: Coordinator, Canada Fund for Local Initiative, Tochie Odele; Secretary, Political Affairs, Canada High Commission, Grace Mieszkalski; Canada High Commission to Nigeria, Jamie Christoff; Country Director, Avocas Sans Frontieres/ PHOTO: ENOCK REUBEN Lawyers Without Border, Angela Uzoma-Iwuchukwu, during the training of Officers of the Police Complaints Response Unit (PCRU) on response to human rights violations in Abuja... yesterday

Wike: I Didn’t Say I’d Publicly Announce Presidential Candidate to Support Carpets police in political crisis in Rivers Reverses stadium approval for Atiku’s rally Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has denied reports that he’d publicly announce his choice presidential candidate, saying he never told the public the method by which he would disclose his choice At the same time, Wike has accused the Rivers State Police Command of supporting some political parties to instigate violence in the

state, even as he has withdrawn the approval granted the PDP Presidential Campaign Council to use the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium to campaign for its candidate, Atiku.

Replying to a reminder served him by a former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, about his promise to announce his preferred presidential candidate in January 2023, he denied

ever making any such promise.

According to him, “You have the guts to tell me I should name my presidential candidate. Are we at the same level? Failure and success, are they the same?

“Look at the man who is always failing every day. He does not understand the activities of G-5. I have told most people who don’t know, G-5 that we’re fighting is like guerilla warfare. The more you look,

the less you see.

“I never told anybody one day, I will bring a camera and announce to you this is who will go. I said I will tell Rivers people the candidate they will support. I did not tell you the method of saying it. I did not tell you I will bring live coverage and say it. But Rivers people know.”

While further deriding Peterside over his defeat in the 2015 and 2019 governorship races, Wike said, “Look

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, the witness stated he was saddled with the security challenge the country was facing then, especially how to tackle Boko Haram.

The witness however under cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, distanced himself from the operation of Silver Maclamaran Nigeria Limited, the company account that was used to warehouse the N2.2 billion from NSA's impress account.

When asked what he knows about a Committee for fund raising towards the 2014 Ekiti State governorship election, Obanikoro said: "yes, I was the chairman of the Committee and a lot of funds were contributed even up to the national level of our party."

help your people, and you’re coming out to open your mouth, simply because you didn’t get [the ticket] and they did not give you a second term to be DG of NIMASA,” he said.

Meanwhile, Wike, while expressing worries on the alleged encouragement by the state Police Command in the prevalence of violence, he said the development has continued to push some political actors to act lawlessly with their political activities.

He said the state government would be compelled to deploy its Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps to maintain law and order if the Nigeria Police continued to allow political parties in the state to violate law and order.

Wike, who made the assertion at the state PDP Port Harcourt rally, held at Elekahia, said the command cannot support people who were breaking the law, just as he advised the State Police Command to rise to the occasion and safeguard the laws of the state in order to forestall a break down of law and order.

"And this is what I want to tell the Nigerian Police, Rivers State Command. You are the one supporting them to disobey the law to cause violence. Police, if you don't want to do your duty, let us know. I will release our Neighborhood Watch Safety Corps instead.

"If you don't do your work, we will take over your work from you.

You cannot support people who are breaking the law. You know the truth of the matter. You are scared, so that they don’t transfer you. Your duty is not to be permanent anywhere. As far as you are a security man, you can be sent to anywhere, any day.”

Conversely, Wike who vowed to hit back at the Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led PDP after the party’s national chairman replaced his lawyers handling some important cases for Rivers PDP at the Court of Appeal, has withdrawn the conditional approval granted Atiku to access the facility 48 hours to the rally scheduled for Febuary 11 was one of the governor’s reactions to Ayu’s action.

The governor cancelled the approval in a letter dated January 31 written by the Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, and addressed to the Director-General of PDPPresidential Council and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State.

The letter accused the Rivers Presidential Campaign Organisation of planning to share the use of the facility with a “faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led

by Tonye Cole.”

Continues online

Continues online

at this small boy whom I flogged in 2015. I don’t know where they say he comes from – is it Abia or Opobo side, which of the areas?

Envy! I flogged him out in 2015.

“He has not recovered from that.

He thought they would give him a ticket in 2019, but he didn’t get [it].

They sent him to be NIMASA. Ask him, what did he bring for Rivers people?

“You have a position, you cannot

Ayu Inaugurates Ekiti Caretaker Committee, Says PDP Ready to Reclaim State Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday, inaugurated the Ekiti State Caretaker Committee, and declared that the main opposition party was ready to reclaim the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party recently suspended the State Executive Committee and in its place, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party approved the appointment of Ekiti State Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the party in the state for a period of three months effective Friday, January 20, 2023 and to function pursuant to Section 24(2) of

the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017).

However, speaking at the inauguration yesterday in Abuja, Ayu, who was represented by Deputy National Chairman North, Umar Damagun, admitted that the state chapter of the party had been in crisis.

He pointed out that the task of the new caretaker committee was

Investigation Reveals IPOB Leader, Kanu, Hale, Hearty Seeks transfer from DSS Custody Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja In spite of claims that the health of of the incarcerated leader of the Indeginous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, had deteriorated in custody, it has emerged that the separatist leader remained hale and hearty.

There were recent reports that the IPOB Leader had become indisposed in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS). He was also alleged to have been poisoned in custody.

There were also claims that he had sought bail application through his legal representative, Mike Ozekhome, on health grounds.

THISDAY Checks, however, showed that Kanu remained in good health and has had meetings with his legal team and family members.

It was gathered that Kanu requested to be moved from DSS to a separate custodial center,where he would be more comfortable.

It was not clear whether the DSS was considering that option or not, but further investigation revealed that at a recent meeting, the IPOB leader urged his brother, Emmanuel Kanu, to stop making public statements so they were not misconstrued as his position or that of his group.

"He asked him too to confirm status of some accounts from a certain person and revert to him on next visit," a

reliable source told THISDAY. It was further gathered that Kanu asked Ozekhome to write a petition to the human rights council to draw attention to his plight to which the senior lawyer agreed.

"He also told his lawyer to write a petition to the NJC against three appeal court justices that gave a stay of execution on his earlier discharge but Ozekhome argued otherwise and declined to take such a step, insisting that such a move would be an affront and against his long years of relations in the court," the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, alleged.

THISDAY learnt that the IPOB leader had expressed concerns about his continued incarceration and asked Ozekhome to expedite action for him to be transferred to a custodial centre instead of the DSS custody.

On allegations of lack of access to his doctors, THISDAY further gathered that the IPOB leader had enjoyed full medical attention.

“Nnamdi Kanu can’t be denied access to his doctors. He is treated well. There is no truth in the claim that DSS is poisoning Kanu. It’s all a lie. He has access to his doctors", said a competent source.

Directorate of State of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), had said the group was disturbed by the report it received regarding the deteriorating health condition of Kanu.

It said despite Kanu’s worsening health condition, he was still being held in the custody of the DSS, “notwithstanding the fact that the Court of Appeal had discharged and acquitted him of all the trumped up charges brought against him by the federal government.”

to ensure that all stakeholders were under the umbrella to deliver the state to PDP on February 25.

“If you noticed recently, we had an election in Ekiti State, the state chapter of the party has always been bedeviled by crisis. As a result of that, we had one of our worst outings in the election in Ekiti State," he said.

The chairman pointed out that Ekiti has always been a PDP state, saying from what the leadership of the party witnesses during the recent presidential campaign in the state, Ekiti still belongs PDP. His words: "That gave us the courage to sit down and say we have to get things right. How do we do this thing? Is to be able to dissolve that executive that has always been in one crisis or the other and give a new life to the party by constituting a caretaker Committee, which will give us a brand-new executive, that will be all inclusive.

“First of all, I believe you must have been selected from wherever you come from, because you have distinguished yourselves in the activities of this party and we know you have the capacity and the capability to drive this party to where we are expecting. Mind you, we are in an election year.

"In the next few days, we'll have our first election, which is the election of the President and National Assembly member followed by the State Assembly election because you don't have gubernatorial election in Ekiti." The chairman urged the committee to bring everyone together to work assiduously for the benefit of winning this election in Ekiti.

Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Sadiq Obanoyen, said though the task before the committee was enormous, he pledged that members would work together to deliver the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar in the state.

Alleged N4.6bn Fraud: EFCC Cleared Me of Fraud after 21 Days in Detention, Obanikoro Tells Court Wale Igbintade A Former Minister of State for Defence, Misiliu Obanikoro, yesterday told a Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, how he was incarcerated for 21 days by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but later exonerated of any financial crime.

Obanikoro stated this while giving evidence in the trial of former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, who is facing trial over allegation of N4.6 billion fraud.

The former Minister told the Court that the EFCC acted in ignorance because after all the investigations carried out by the Commission, “common sense” prevailed and he was exonerated.

He explained: "I was invited by

EFCC in 2016, and I came in from United States of America, but was incarcerated for 21 days, even when there is a presumption of innocence in law when allegation like this arise.

"Yes, a letter of complaint was written from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) but I believe that it was written out of ignorance because after all the investigation common sense prevailed and I was exonerated."

Obanikoro in his evidence on how the sum of N2.2 billion was budgeted for the 2014 Ekiti State governorship election from the office of NSA. The former minister said the funds came from the National Security Adviser's impress account to Silver Maclamaran Nigeria Limited, a company under his control.

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NEWS

UNVEILING FACTIONAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR APGA...

L-R: National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku; Vice Presidential Candidate, APGA, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed, and Presidential Candidate Dr. Chekwas Okorie, PHOTO: KINGSLEY ADEBOYE during the party's unveiling of its vice presidential candidate in Abuja... yesterday

Taraba Guber Poll: S'Court Sacks APC Candidate

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The Supreme Court, yesterday, sacked candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 11 governorship election in Taraba State, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.

A five-member panel of the apex court, in a judgment delivered, agreed with the judgment of a Federal High Court in Jalingo, Taraba State, that the APC indeed failed to conduct a valid primary election to produce its flag bearer for the governorship poll in the state.

Subsequently, Justice Adamu Jauro, who read the unanimous decision of the apex court, set aside a Court of Appeal judgment, which had declared Bwacha candidate of the APC. A governorship aspirant in Taraba State, under the platform of the APC, Hon. David Kente,

had dragged the party, Bwacha and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court challenging the nomination of Bwacha as candidate of the APC. He had faulted the process of the party's primary, claiming that the whole process was manipulated in favour of the Senator.

But a Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo, in its judgment, agreed with the submissions of Kente and subsequently nullified the nomination of Bwacha as the APC governorship candidate in the state.

The trial judge Simon Amobeda, went on to order the APC to conduct a fresh primary election within 14 days in line with the party's guidelines and the law.

Dissatisfied, Bwacha approached the appellate court in Yola, Adamawa State, which delivered judgment in its favour, thereby

necessitating the appeal at the apex court.

Delivering judgment, the apex noted that the lower court ought not to have set aside the judgment of the trial court, because it was evidently clear that the APC did not conduct a valid primary.

Justice Jauro subsequently set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, which had on November 24, 2022, reinstated Emmanuel Bwacha as governorship candidate of the APC, noting that the results of the primary elections were concocted and fraudulently allocated to Bwacha.

The Court of Appeal, Yola division, reinstated Bwacha as the validly nominated governorship candidate of the APC. In a unanimous decision, the three-man panel led by Justice Tani Yusuf Hassan set aside the

judgment of the Federal High court and ruled in favour of Bwacha.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the court proceedings, the

to accommodate dissenting views within his own milieu.

He added: "And I have a personal experience of this and I continue to have it. We sit down when we are strategising and planning policies and all that, we argue a great deal and he is one leader in my experience that has a very large heart, whose horizon is so wide, who is so accommodating of opposing views with a view to reaching a logical conclusion from which policies germane policies come out. And the example is what you have in Lagos today.”

Alake added: "So for, El-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna state stating the obvious is nothing to glare about.

We know that the mischief-makers, the opposition would latch on it and twist it out of context. But that is the way of the opposition, especially the opposition that we are contending with in Nigeria today."

Speaking further, Alake accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of conducting the most divisive, abusive and most irresponsible campaign in the history of the country.

He said the main opposition party has no record of performance to put before the Nigerian voters, hence, it's resort to abuse and lies.

Alake stated: "So what do they do? They resort to personal abuses, fabricating false fake stories to denigrate our principal, our presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; issuing and churning out all kinds of lies, ridiculous and the mundane because they have no track record of performance to push out to the public.

"And in any case, we absorb all of this. Why? Because we know that our candidate is the candidate to beat. He's the frontrunner in this race.

"Where I come from, my part of the country, there is an adage that says that it is only the tree full of fruits that people throw stones at.

You can't get anybody throwing stones at a tree that is barren."

Alake argued that the PDP and others were barren, describing Tinubu as the only fruitful candidate, hence the reason why they had been throwing stones at him.

Asked if the campaign was doing anything to win those people in Aso Rock to their side, Alake said the most important person was Buhari.

His words: "Oh! The most important person in the presidency that I have said is the president and Commander-in-Chief and the man has reiterated it often and often that Bola Ahmed Tinubu is his party's candidate and he has appealed that you should vote for him.

"He is the one who is coming to consolidate on his achievements and address whatever challenges remaining, because, why? He has the managerial competence, he has the administrative acumen, He has a track record of experience and performance" Alake argued that neither Atiku Abubakar of the PDP nor Peter Obi of Labour Party nor any other person contesting for the presidency could point out lasting legacies they have left anywhere when they held offices According to him, Obi was Governor for eight years, “point at any enduring legacy of Obi today in Anambra. Atiku was Vice President for eight years, point out any enduring legacy whether in Adamawa or even in Nigeria that was an initiative of Atiku that you can point at today.”

Earlier, Director of Strategic Communications, Idris, said the “Thinking Caps” was an epithet

hope that others would take the Supreme Court decision in good faith and make the APC stronger in the end.

Taraba Refutes over N200bn Indebtedness Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

Taraba State government yesterday debunked insinuations that the administration of Darius Ishaku had plunged the state into indebtedness of over N200 billion.

Fielding questions from journalists during a media briefing on the 2023 approved budget, the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Solomon Elisha, noted that the figures being bandied about were a figment of the imagination of opposition elements

FG REPLIES EL-RUFAI, SAYS BUHARI FOCUSED ON DELIVERING FREE, FAIR POLLS categorically that El-Rufai only stated the obvious.

The APC PCC made this known yesterday, in Abuja, during the launch of "ThinkingCaps" app, aimed at bridging the knowledge gap among youth and rally them behind the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

Also in attendance at the event were: Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Deputy Director; Bayo Onanuga, Director, Media and Publicity; Mr. Dele Alake, Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs and Mallam Mohammed Idris, Director of Strategic Communications.

Reacting to El-Rufai's comment, Alake, there was really nothing spectacular about what he had said, adding that the governor's comment was self-explanatory.

"There is really nothing spectacular about what he had said and it's even self-explanatory, he did say that some people, he never said the president and in any organisation including your own individual media houses, you have your editorial policy and their elements within your organisations that don't agree with editorial policy, but they still work there.

"So it is not a spectacular thing, it is a natural phenomenon in all organisations, in all institutions, you cannot have 100 percent of all the operatives in an organisation seeing issues exactly the same way.

"However, it is the preponderance of views that matter. Now, in terms of the presidency, who is the power base? It is the Commander-in-Chief, he holds all the aces. We do not expect that all his staff will actually see eye-to-eye with him, but they are still there. But again, you also need perspective from various angles."

Alake explained that one of Tinubu's strengths was his ability

appellant, Hon. Kente described the judgment as a land mark decision that has brought hope to the people of the state, and expressed

used to depict Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima, as possessing the requisite capacity to think out of the box to procure lasting solutions to diverse socio-economic challenges confronting our nation.

He noted that the demographic analysis of the population showed that the youth aged 35 and below constituted over 60 per cent of the population.

Idris stated: "It means Nigeria is a very young country - too young to know that there was a world without computers and GSM phones, not to talk of internet and social media. As far as these youths are concerned, End-SARS protest was the biggest civil disobedience and fight for citizens’ rights that has ever happened.

"They cannot understand what the older population mean when they talk about military rule and how rights and privileges of citizens were curtailed. “They have no idea that some people came face to face with gun-wielding soldiers and some paid the supreme price fighting for democracy.

“They are not familiar with what it means to be pro-democracy activists, and the sacrifices they made that culminated in the democracy we enjoy today.

"So, it suffices to say if 60 per cent of our population did not witness these events and have no knowledge about them, they are not able to make informed choices amongst the front-runners in this race, with particular reference to the candidature of Asiwaju Tinubu.

“This is where the “Thinking Caps” app comes in, to bridge this knowledge gap amongst the Gen Z and millennials and rally majority of this demography behind the Tinubu-Shettima ticket."

in the state.

According to him "I don't know where they got their figures, but what I can tell you is that the state is not owing over N200 billion as its being speculated.

“Though I cannot claim that the state is not indebted, because government and debt is synonymous, but this administration has ensured that it does not incur loans unnecessarily and it must be in the best interest of the state."

However, despite much pressure on the Commissioner to disclose the exact amount the state was owing, he declined from doing so as he told journalists that he would do so at a later date.

Nonetheless, he stressed that the government would not hesitate to obtain loan to execute projects that would impact the lives of the people of the state positively.

"The Ishaku administration

would continue to borrow to meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people of the state. Government and loans are inseparable,” he added.

Giving a breakdown of the approved 2023 budget, Elisha maintained that the estimates were based on some macroeconomic assumptions among which was the international oil price benchmark of $70 per barrel.

Other assumptions, according to him include oil production quota of 1.69 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N435.57 to a dollar as well a national inflation rate of 17.16 per cent and GDP growth of 3.75 per cent."

Part of the objective of the 2023 budget, according to him, is to step up revenue generation drive and reduce dependency on the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).

AT I K U AT TAC KS T I N U B U OV E R E XC H A N G E R AT E , SAYS H E ’S H Y P O C R I T E introducing the GSM revolution, banking consolidation and other economic policies which stimulated growth in the economy,” he said.

He said Atiku was determined to take Nigeria out of deluge of debts by getting the people to work by creating jobs for them.

“Atiku wants to bring back the jobs. In his policy document, he intends to discuss with our creditors to seek their support in rescheduling these debts and possibly get forgiveness by ensuring utmost transparency and responsibility in deployment of loans.

"As at the last quarter of 2014, our domestic debts was N9.6trillion today it is N26.9trillion; as at the last quarter of 2014, our foreign debt was as low as 1.6trillion, today it is N17.1trillion.

"Our ways and means was just about 0.6billion as allowed by the law but today it is about N23billion and that is a government that claims to have done so well.

Atiku and Obasanjo did it in 1999 and I have said earlier that where we are now is almost like where we were in 1999.

"Atiku will get private sector involved to stimulate productivity and he is already reaching out to the international community with a view to getting debt relief for the country. He will reduce

unemployment by stimulating growth in the agricultural sector and also partnership with the private sector, which employed a lot of Nigerians during the GSM revolution,” he said.

Nevertheless, Chairman of Media and Publicity Committee, (Local Organizing Committee), Atiku Presidential Campaign Rally, Dr. Sule Yau Sule, told journalists that the proposed February 9 rally was designed to be the mother of all rallies.

According to him, going by the strategic nature of Kano in the nation's politics, PDP was planning a very big rally.

"Our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will be coming to Kano on February 9.

He is coming to tell Kano people, and indeed, Nigerians, what PDP has to offer. He is coming to talk to the people, he is fit and strong to talk and discuss with the people.

He will explain to Nigerians how he is going to turn things around and offer good leadership.

"Please, come and see for yourself whether Atiku will be someone that will come, dance and go, without speaking! Atiku Abubakar, our next President, Insha Allah, will come, walk, speak and even dance more than those who danced without saying a word."

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2023 ˾ T H I S D AY

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NEWS

ROAD REHABILITATION FLAG-OFF…

L-R: Commissioner of Public Works and Transport, Oyo State, Dahud Shangodoyin; Managing Director, HFP Engineering Limited, Dele Martins; Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal; Governor Seyi Makinde; his wife Tamunominini Makinde; Asiwaju of Eruwa, Olatunji Fadairo, and Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Debo Ogundoy, during the flag-off of rehabilitation of 48km Eruwa-Iddo-Ibadan road…yesterday

2023 Elections: Lagos CP Assures Residents of Adequate Security Wale Igbintade Ahead of the forthcoming general elections, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi has assured residents of the state of adequate security before, during and after the elections.

The CP also disclosed that in preparation for the elections, the State Command had commenced raiding of some black spots in the State and it’s environs.

Speaking at a ‘Town Hall symposium with 2023 Lagos

State Gubernatorial Candidates’ organised by Societal Concern in conjunction with the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba Lagos, the CP, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Oludotun Odubona, said it is the duty of the Police to identify all the polling units in all the local government area of the State, and start planning ahead of the election.

He said: “There cannot be crime without influencing substances, people that intend

NYSC Seeks Improved Security of Orientation Camps Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has appealed for more police protection at all its orientation camps and corps members’ lodges nationwide.

The Chairman, NYSC National Governing Board, Ambassador Fatima Balla Abubakar, made the appeal yesterday when she led members of the board on a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

In a press statement, the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations (DPPR), Eddy Megwa said: “The chairman, who commended the Nigeria Police Force for its numerous assistance to NYSC also

requested for adequate security for the corps members that would participate as ad hoc staff in the 2023 general elections.

“The Police have been able to keep our Corps members safe.

You have always been giving us good officers to represent you on the NYSC National Governing Board. We also request for the deployment of more Police officers in our orientation camps.”

In his remarks, the NYSC Director General, Brig. General Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed prayed for stronger collaboration between the two agencies.

In his response, the IG lauded the contributions of the NYSC Scheme to national development since inception almost fifty years ago.

‘Chidoka Best Choice for Idemili North/South Constituency, Anambra’ Ugo Aliogo

Less than one month to the 2023 general election, the Idemili Solidarity for Good Governance (ISGG) has thrown their weight behind the current member representing Idemili North/ South Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Obinna Chidoka, to return to the House to continue to represent the constituency for another tenure, saying he remains the best choice for the people of the area.

Members of the group led by the convener and chairman, Dr. Oluebube Nwangwu, said they were supporting the sitting lawmaker, who is running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to be re-elected to the House because he would return as a ranking member.

The group noted that returning Chidoka as a ranking member would give him the chance to emerge as a principal officer or chairman of a major committee of the House, stressing that he stands the chance to even become the Speaker or Deputy Speaker in the next dispensation.

Addressing journalists at the meeting where the group endorsed Chidoka’s candidacy, Nwangwu said: “Obinna is presenting a brighter chance, a wonderful opportunity for that matter for Idemili to go to the rooftop and occupy a top ranking position in Nigeria. So, we have to work on that opportunity and see how it goes by re-electing him back to the Federal House.

The picture is very clear that Obinna has acquired enough experience to serve at a higher level and in any capacity he finds himself.”

to engage in crime, are influenced by one drug or the other. That is why we are going after areas where they are selling drugs and where they are smoking”.

Asked to identify areas that have been raided, the commissioner

said: “I will not tell you all the black spots that we have raided.

Arrests have been made and screening are being done, some have been taken to court, while some have been arraigned before the Mobile Court. All the DPOs

have been directed to continually raiding and ensuring that these areas are well swept before the election. Raiding are already going on, to sweep areas where we believe there are concentration of all these bad boys”.

He stated that as the nation gets closer to the general election, Police would engage in stop-andsearch exercise, to search out for weapons and arms that are on the move, and being transported to different areas.

… NBC Cautions against Violation of Broadcasting Code Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) has reminded all broadcasters covering the forthcoming general election to take note of the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and other relevant regulations guiding the broadcast of elections in

Nigeria.

The Director General NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah issued the caution yesterday in a statement.

He said the commission was concerned about how politicians using broadcast media platforms throw ethics and ethos to the winds contrary to the provisions

of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which provides that in using materials for news and current affairs programmes, the broadcaster shall avoid hate speech, inflammatory, derogatory and divisive remarks or allusions.

He decried some stations for glamorizing these situations on their platform, warning

such station shall pay for their professional misdemeanor.

The commission enjoined all broadcasters to desist from using or allowing their platforms and facilities to be used by politicians, their supporters and/ or sympathisers, for the broadcast of contents that may lead to the breakdown of law and order.

Ikpeazu: Everything Humanly Possible Done to Save Ikonne Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

The Governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has revealed that everything humanly possible was done in the battle to save the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Eleazar Uche Ikonne.

But he regretted that all the

efforts made to pull Ikonne out of the grip of death did not yield the desired result hence it should be seen that it was his time to answer the last call.

The professor of Optometry, who was the immediate past Vice-chancellor of the Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) died on January 25, 2023 following multiple cardiac arrests.

Governor Ikpeazu expressed his lamentations yesterday during a condolence visit to the family of the man he had anointed to be his successor. The governor with his entourage was received by the widow of the deceased, Uzoamaka Uche Ikonne, who is the Solicitor General of Abia State, and his first son Dr. Chike Uche-Ikonne.

Ikpeazu said that Prof Ikonne’s

death was “shocking, enormous and irreparable”, adding, however, that no one can question the Almighty God over any happenstance.

Explaining his choice of Ikonne as successor the Abia governor said that his love, vision and dream for a better Abia led him to Prof Ikonne as a worthy successor from 29th May 2023.

APC, PDP Absent as NHRC Holds Gubernatorial Townhall in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) were conspicuously absent at the gubernatorial town hall that was organised yesterday by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Minna,

Niger State.

The parties did not also send any apologies for their absence despite reports that they were invited for the programme almost one month ago.

Nine other political parties including the Labour Party, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the NNPP the ARM, AA, ACP participated in the programme,

which also had in attendance the Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ogundele Ayodeji, and a representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Zagana Gbagi, as well as that of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Hamza Waziri.

Virtually all the gubernatorial candidates decried the level of

insecurity in the state, which they claimed has led to a serious decline in economic and social activities in the state.

Specifically the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the NNPP, Mr. Pius Wakili, lamented that most schools in some parts of the state have been closed for several months as a result of insecurity.

Obi’s Campaign Witnesses Unprecedented Crowds in Adamawa

Daji Sani in Yola

The presidential candidate of Labour Party(LP) Mr. Peter Obi campaign train witnessed an unprecedented crowd despite his time of arrival in Numan and particularly Mubi town in Adamawa state.

Obi also held a town hall

meeting in Yola, the state capital to canvass for votes for his party and himself in the coming general elections few days from now.

The large crowd in Numan and Mubi respectfully left their homes at the early hours of yesterday waiting to receive Obi , shouting and describing

him as the messiah that Nigeria needs at this time following his track records.

While addressing the large crowd in Mubi , Obi told them that he had presented himself to serve and transform the country to a new Nigeria.

“I have presented myself to serve with you, to build

a new Nigeria. I will do my best to improve the economic base of Mubi which is not only the economy hub of Adamawa but also Nigeria, stressing that Nigeria has generated a lot of revenue from Mubi and its still generating and together we will move Nigeria from a consuming Nation to a producing Nation.”

APC Group Rallies Support for Tinubu, AbdulRazaq in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Coalition of Kwara State Chapter of All Progressives Congress(APC) Young Stakeholders have urged Nigerians irrespective of their political differences to rally support for the emergence of party’s presidential candidate,

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other APC candidates in the forthcoming general elections in the country.

The group said: “We have put in place all measures to ensure effective mobilisation

for the Tinubu/AA and all other candidates as we are embarking on our door-to-door canvassing/ campaign across the 193 wards in 16 LGAS of Kwara State for the polls”.

Speaking at a news conference in Ilorin yesterday, the state coordinator of the group,Mr.

Ahmed Mahmud said:” The APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and other APC candidates have all it takes to add more values to the socio economic development of Nigeria and Kwara state respectively.”

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JAMB to Prosecute 32 Students, Others over Exam Malpractice Ibrahim Shuaibu inKano The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has uncovered 32 students and six collaborators in two Computer-

based Centers (CBT) in Kano that were involved in various examination malpractice.

The Registrar of the Board, Prof.

Isaq Oloyede, made the disclosure during an inspection tour of some

Ondo Takes Gender-based Violence Campaign to Grassroots Fidelis David in Akure The Ondo State Government, in conjunction with Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), yesterday took its campaign on gender-based violence and child protection policy to grassroots communities.

The sensitization exercise, which took place at the secretariat of Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State, had teachers, traditional ruler, healthcare providers and security with judicial operatives represented.

Speaking at the event, the Country Director of WFD, Mr. Adebowale Olorunmola, said that the gathering was to sensitise the people at the grass root on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAAP) Law and the drafted Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy in the state.

He said that the visit to the town was to build on previous activities of supporting the state government to deepen the implementation of the VAAP Law and Child Right Protection Policy of the State.

NADECO Loses Dan Suleiman The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO ) yesterday formally announced the painful and most unexpected death of one of its founders and titans, Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd).

NADECO in a statement said they were formally informed by the current President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Bitrus Porgu, that their consistently courageous, nationalistic, genuinely patriotic Dan, passed on to eternity by noon yesterday.

NADECO said: “Our indefatigable leader, Dan was

born in Guyuk, now in Adamawa State, in 1942, so he was 81years old at his transition to glory.

Cmdr. Dan Suleiman(DS)’s life and times was rich for good purposes and services to God and humanity.

“First, DS was a member of the General Murtala Mohammed’s Supreme Military Council (SMC) between July 1975 and March 1976 and was Military Governor of Plateau State from March 1976 to July 1978 after the State was created from part of the old Benue Plateau State.

centers in Kano.

He said six persons out of the number were engaged in thumb printing for several candidates and would be prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

“As far as JAMB is concerned, we have seen there is little or nothing to be corrected though we have discovered some sharp practices that had been done, ‘’ he said.

“ I am in Kano to Monitor the UTME Registration exercise. So far the exercise is going on well and its excellent as well though we have discovered sharp practices that are being done to sabotage us.

“The media has seen how some people, in a bid to impersonate candidates during examinations, have been substituting their fingerprints. We have seen two to three places where we showed evidence and almost all the suspects have confessed to

committing the crime.”

He said instead of the candidates’ thumbprint, they ended up in putting their own and would eventually use them to coerce or force the candidates to pay ransom or threaten them with all kind things to perpetuate their criminal act.

At the Federal College of Education (FCE), Kano, the Registrar publicly showed evidence of malpractices where two ad hoc staff at the centre were

accused of thumb printing for a female candidate.

He said the lady had confessed over the phone before the pressmen that the ad hoc staff thumb printed on her behalf.

Oyelode, who led other staff of JAMB to strategic centers like Bayero University BUK CBT Centres, Tez Computer Centre, and Butale Computer Centre where four of the ad hoc staff were fished out for similar offenses of thumb printing for Candidates.

Sanwo-Olu Hits Epe, Woos Electorate to Deliver Town for APC SegunJames

Epe township came alive yesterday for the Lagos East mega rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as party faithful converged on the suburb’s recreational centre to woo voters in support of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s re-election.

A large crowd of residents and supporters attended the rally from all towns and villages in the Epe

Division, including Ibeju Lekki, Ikosi Ejirin, Awoyaya, Langbasa, Lakowe, Eredo, Ilara and others towns.

Impressed by the large turnout, Sanwo-Olu said the huge attendance confirmed theAPC’s strong presence in Epe and environs, praising the residents for keeping faith with the party.

The governor gave a record of his administration’s accomplishments in Epe Division, listing the construction of Lekki Deep Sea Port in the Lekki

Free Trade Zone as one of the most significant projects completed by his Government.

Sanwo-Olu said his government was on the verge of enhancing economic growth on the corridor with the securing of an approval to build an international airport in the area.

He said he could not have achieved much in the Epe Division without the support from the citizens, pleading for their continued support in order to deliver more

dividends of good governance in the area.

He said: “We have come here to show our appreciation for the support you have shown us in the last three and half years. You have not only stood by our government, you have also stood behind our party.”

“The massive crowd at this rally is a testament to your dedication and strength to keep your faith in APC. We are happy we have not disappointed your trust in us.

Katsina NSCDC Warns Petroleum Marketers against Hoarding Product Francis SardaunainKatsina The Katsina State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has warned Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the state against hoarding or selling the product to black marketers who may be smuggling it to neighbouring countries.

The newly posted state

Commandant of the NSCDC, Jamilu Abdu Indabawa, gave the warning in a meeting with the leadership of the association at the Command headquarters in Katsina.

He said diversion of petroleum allocated to the state, economic sabotage and inadequate supply of the product from the deports have been hampering the efforts of the government at both the federal and state level to maintain an adequate

supply of fuel.

The NSCDC boss in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Tukur Abdara, warned the marketers in the strongest terms that he has been posted to Katsina State with a renewed vigour to tackle the menace as part of the Corps core mandate.

He said the NSCDC is committed to crippling the activities of economic saboteurs

and criminals by ensuring proper surveillance, patrol and monitoring of the supply and distribution of fuel, with the anti-vandal team of the command on the prowl for the saboteurs.

The state Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji Abbas Hamza, who spoke earlier, assured the commandant of their readiness to fully cooperate with the command to ensure the continuous supply of fuel allocated to and are sold in the state.

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THURSDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺͻ ˾ T H I S D AY

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Golden Eaglets Draw Morocco, S’Africa, Zambia in U17 AFCON Peseiro tips team for greatness after scoring 15 goals in two friendlies

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Five-time world champions Nigeria must successfully navigate a tricky Group B that includes Morocco, South Africa and Zambia in other to be eligible for a spot at this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup finals

in Peru.

At the draw ceremony conducted inside the Cercle Nationale d’Armee in Algiers yesterday, host nation Algeria birthed in Group A and must be in attrition with Senegal, Congo and Somalia.

Cameroon, Mali, Burkina Faso and

South Sudan make up Group C. Nigeria, who are champions of WAFU B zone and are coached by former FIFA Under-16 World Cup winner Nduka Ugbade, will contest their games in the city of Constantine. Group A will make home in Algiers while Annaba

welcomes the teams in Group C. All four top-placed teams at the tournament now scheduled for between 29th April and 19th May will qualify to fly Africa’s flag at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Peru later this year.

Meanwhile Super Eagles’

head coach, José Santos Peseiro, was on hand as Golden Eaglets hammered Ikon Allah Academy 9-0 and Propel Sporting Academy 6-0 in two friendly sessions played within hours at the NFF/FIFA Goal Project in Abuja yesterday morning.

The Portuguese gaffer was excited by the quality of play put up by Ugbade’s wards and have kind words for them.

“I must say I have been impressed by a number of players in this team. They are headed for great things if they keep level heads and remain disciplined,” Peseiro said as he welcomed NFF General

Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi towards the tail end of the second encounter.

The Golden Eaglets were clinical in front of goal in both matches, after the team demolished Ikon Allah Academy 9-0 before thumping Propel Sporting 6-0 shortly after.

The five-time world champions were very assertive from the blast of the whistle against Ikon Allah as they controlled the game scoring four goals to go into the break. On resumption, the woes of Ikon Allah were further compounded when the Eaglets added five more goals.

Genk: We Didn’t Want to Stop Onuachu’s Premier League Dream

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets have been drawn with Morocco, South Africa and Zambia for the Under-17 AFCON tournament

Belgium top club, Genk, have announced they did not want to stand in the way of Paul Onuachu from fulfilling his dream to play in the glamorous Premier League in England.

Onuachu signed a contract of three and half years with Southampton worth 18 Million pounds with add-ons.

He joined Genk in the summer of 2019 and scored 84 goals in 134 matches.

In the 2020-21 season, he won the Belgian Cup, finished top scorer in the league with 33 goals and scooped the Golden Boot as the best player in Belgium.

Genk’s Sports Director, Dimitri De Conde, however admitted that they are happy Onuachu has finally realised his dream

“We could no longer stop him from making his dream come true. I am pleased that Paul is also grateful to the club for that,” he said.

“His departure is of course a great loss for our current selection.

We shouldn’t be silly about that. But we were prepared for a possible departure.”

Onuachu himself said goodbye to the club and fans in a personal video on social media.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped me grow here.

The different coaches, the technical staff and of course the supporters,” he said.

“I wish the club the best for the future. It is my greatest wish that they can take the title. Genk will always be my home, wherever I go.”

NPFL: Bendel Insurance Unstoppable, Beat El Kanemi in Maiduguri *Stretch Winning streak to five wins in five games Bendel Insurance’s quest for a silverware in over a decade received a massive boost yesterday after the Benin Arsenal stretched their winning streak in the NPFL with another away win over El-Kanemi Warriors in Maiduguri.

The Match-day 5 victory has now stretched Insurance’s winning run to five matches in a row and probably a record-breaking feat in the history of the domestic football scene since the advent of professional football in the country.

It was Deputy Echeta’s goal in the 29th minute that settled the score and his first goal for the free-scoring Insurance as they now maintain a perfect score of 15 points from five matches and in firm command of Group A. In Ikenne, Remo Stars returned to winning ways with a lone goal win over former champions, Enyimba of Aba. Remo’s goal-poacher Samuel Anakwe’s low drive in the opening minute of the match gave the hosts the maximum points at stake. The goal was ranked the fastest so far this season.

In Ibadan, Kwara United recorded their first win of the season with a slim 2-1 win over visiting Akwa United of Uyo. Wasiu Alalade opened the scoring for the home side in the 15th minute but Cyril Olisemah cancelled that edge.

Kwara however got the winner in the 86th minute.

Shooting Stars of Ibadan continued their poor run of the

season as they fell 1-2 to Gombe United.

After a goalless first half, two quick goals from Yusuf Taiye in the 52nd and 61st minute unsettled the visitors who only managed to half the score line when Falke Ghali scored from close range four minutes later.

Former champions Plateau United won away at Nasarawa United with Ibrahim Mustaph scoring for the Jos side in the 20th minute but King Moses Osanga equalised in the 33rd minute before Onyebuchi scored the winner in the 69th minute.

In Group B, Rivers United maintained their domination with a 2-0 win over the visiting Wikki

Tourists. Goals from Gideon Duru in the 25th minute and a penalty kick converted in the 64th minute pushed the side to 13 points and maintained the lead.

Lobi Stars also pipped Sunshine Stars of Akure by a lone goal scored by Joseph Atule in the closing minute of the match via a penalty kick. The win pushed the side to just one point behind Rivers United.

Enugu Rangers won by a lone goal against Dakkada FC while Bayelsa United and Doma United settled for a 1-1 score line but Abia Warriors pipped Niger Tornadoes by a lone goal and moved to third position in pecking order in the group.

RESULTS Group A El Kanemi 0-1 B’Insurance Gombe 2-1 Shooting Kwara Utd 2-1 Akwa Utd Nasarawa 1-2 Plateau Utd Remo Stars 1-0 Enyimba Group B Abia War 1-0 Tornadoes Bayelsa Utd 1-1 Doma Utd Rangers 1-0 Dakkada FC Lobi Stars 1-0 Sunshine Rivers Utd 2-0 Wikki

Paul Onuachu...dream comes true with transfer to the English Premier League

Premier League Clubs Shatter January Transfer Spending Record The British transfer record was smashed on deadline day as an unprecedented January transfer window ended with Premier League clubs having spent £2.8bn during the 2022-23 season.

Chelsea's 121m euro (£107m) deal for Benfica's Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez- once confirmed - will take the total expenditure by top-flight clubs in January to a record-breaking £815m.

More than £275m was spent on deadline day alone before the window closed for English clubs at 23:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The deadline day outlay was an

increase of 83% on the previous January record of £150m, set in 2018.

And, while an all-time high season expenditure across both the summer and winter windows was guaranteed after a record of £1.9bn was set in September, the final total is double the previous record of £1.4bn in 2017.

The 2018 winter record spend of £430m by Premier League clubs had also already been smashed prior to Tuesday's deadline day, with the eventual total in 2023 an increase of 90% on that - and almost triple the previous January window (£295m), according to

financial services firm Deloitte.

The Premier League's financial dominance in Europe increased to the highest proportion ever reported, as the spending by English top-flight clubs accounted for 79% of the total across Europe's 'big five' football leagues, where January spending fell by 35% from 2022 to €255m (£225m).

Indeed, Chelsea spent more in January - around £288m -than the combined total of all clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1.

Among English Football League clubs, spending rose to £25m, up

from £20m in the previous winter window.

However just 3% of Premier League clubs' total outlay (£25m) was spent on acquiring players from the EFL, with a record 85% spent on talent playing outside the UK. Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said: "The record spending by Premier League clubs this season is beyond anything that we've seen before.

"Premier League clubs have outspent those within the rest of Europe's 'big five' leagues by almost four to one in this transfer

window, allowing them to hold on to their key players, while attracting top-talent from overseas.

"However, while there is a clear need to invest in squad size and quality to retain a competitive edge, there will always be a fine balance to strike between prioritising success on-pitch and maintaining financial sustainability.

"The decline in spending across the English football system is likely to be of growing concern for members of the EFL and could further fuel the debate around distributing finances more evenly across the pyramid."

Thursday, February 2, 2023

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MISSILE

Nasir El-Rufai to President Buhari “People are blaming the CBN Governor for the currency redesign, but No. You have to go back and look at Buhari’s first outing. The Buhari/Idiagbon regime changed our currency and did it in secrecy with a view to catching those who stash away illicit funds. It is a very good intention. But doing it at this time does not make any political or economic sense”—Kaduna State Governor on how people around the president are hurting APC chances at the coming polls.

OLUSEGUNADENIYI The Governor and the Cemetery Boy A THE VERDICT

rthur Brisbane, 10th century American journalist and writer was credited with the statement, “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” He could not have been more apt. The picture featured on this page today is that of the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule condoling a crying boy crouched beside the grave of his deceased father. It happened last week at the cemetery where Sule had gone to bury his 36-year-old eldest son, Hassan. “It was the helplessness of the boy in his grief-stricken state that caught the attention of the governor,” according to the report being circulated on social media. “The strength in Governor Sule even in the embrace of such huge loss of a son is legendary.

It takes one with stoic embrace of faith to have this kind of attitude.”

The writer went further to wax lyrically: “United in same tragedy, the boy and the governor found solace in each other. Just when you think your woes are (the) worst, you are reminded of the more gripping woes of others. Stricken by the death of his first son, the governor saw a boy enveloped by the loss of his father. While the governor may be comforted with the existence of his other children, this boy will never have another father to call his again.”

I wager that the person who posted both the text and the photo must be a friend (or perhaps staff) of the governor. But I cannot fault him. Especially given Sule’s admission that he lost his son barely 24 hours after condoling someone else. “I see this as a test from God. I was the person consoling somebody that lost his nine children and 70 cows yesterday, and today, God decided to test me, to see whether I was sincere in consoling that bereaved father,” the governor told visitors who went to commiserate with him. “My son grew up carrying all his siblings along. It’s only God that has the power to take him away. He was the one taking decisions on our businesses.”

While cemeteries are where important lessons can be learnt about life, there is something in the photo of that grieving boy that commands greater attention. It is not every bereaved child that goes to the cemetery to wail beside the grave of their father. We can only conclude that he had lost someone who made a lasting impression on him. The issue here is about the legacy left behind by his father. And it is also something we can personalize.

Legacy, according to Susan Bosak, is about taking stock of our accomplishments and failings and striving to do better for ourselves and the society we are in.

“Legacy is fundamental to what it is to be human.

Exploring the idea of legacy offers a glimpse not only into human relationships and building strong communities, but also the human spirit,” Bosak argued. “The idea of legacy may remind us of death, but it’s not about death. Being reminded of death is actually a good thing, because death informs life. It gives you a perspective on what’s important.”

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

When an elderly person dies, the popular saying is that we lose a part of yesterday. When the deceased is a young person for whom one cared, we lose a lot of tomorrow. The irony in this story is that it is the governor who lost a lot of tomorrow in his late first son while the boy lost a part of yesterday with his deceased father.

Neither yesterday nor tomorrow can be retrieved in circumstances that end in cemeteries.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, consoling the bereaved boy at the cemetery We can extrapolate that to politics. Death in the political context is the certainty of tenure. For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari will leave office on 29th May. He is not coming back to power as Nigerian president ever again. What follows will be memories and the legacy he may have left behind. In the context of power, that boy can then be seen as representing the public. How will the president be remembered when his job is done in a matter of weeks from now? That is a question that should concern Aso Rock handlers.

I commiserate with Governor Sule on the loss of his

first son just as I commend him for having the presence of mind to show empathy for the boy that he found at the cemetery in such a time of grief. It takes character to do that, and it is the hallmark of leadership. But the story does not end there. Meeting the boy may have been a chance encounter, but perhaps the governor should also see it as an opportunity to learn a few lessons. Whether we are young or old, poor or rich, powerful or powerless, beautiful or ugly, the cemetery is where all our stories will end. Such reflection will help politicians to understand that pursuits of power

are meaningful only to the extent in which they advance the public good.

When an elderly person dies, the popular saying is that we lose a part of yesterday. When the deceased is a young person for whom one cared, we lose a lot of tomorrow. The irony in this story is that it is the governor who lost a lot of tomorrow in his late first son while the boy lost a part of yesterday with his deceased father. Neither yesterday nor tomorrow can be retrieved in circumstances that end in cemeteries. But for the boy, his tomorrow is still before him. Therefore, Sule should ask his aides to look for the boy he left at the cemetery. Is he in school? Does he see the death of his father as the death of hope? And these same questions can apply to thousands of young children in Nasarawa State.

Sule is a first term Governor who is seeking re-election.

I have not been to Nasarawa State, so I do not know about his stewardship. But I met the engineer a couple of times when he was working for Alhaji Aliko Dangote before he contested for public office, and I found him engaging and warm. I believe it would serve him to reflect on that encounter with the boy at the cemetery on the day he went to bury his son. When his assignment is done in Nasarawa State, how would the people feel about his stewardship? Put simply, what legacy is he working to leave behind?

In a society where there is so much obsession with acquiring power and money, without much thought about advancing the public good, that question will also serve the rest of us.

Death and the Containers

Understanding The ‘Japa’ Generation T

T

he report that no fewer than 159 Nigerians renounced their citizenship in 2022 elicited several comments by those who seem to look for negative things about our country.

While I am concerned by the rate at which too many of our young professionals appear to be trooping out of the country, we must understand that it has nothing to do with renunciation of citizenship which, in any case, is a global phenomenon.

Ordinarily, renunciation of citizenship is a voluntary loss of citizenship. Every country has procedures for how it is done. There are also countries that do not allow renunciation of their citizenship. In Argentina, for instance, citizenship is akin to a Catholic marriage: It is irrevocable. In Singapore, citizenship cannot be renounced until the completion of military service.

Despite that, as many as 1,200 Singaporeans renounce their citizenship every year with the total number of renunciants in the decade (2001 to 2011) put at 10,900.

But let’s go to the United States since that is where most Nigerians like to draw parallels. A February 2017 report by Phineas Rueckert in the Seattle Times

revealed that “More than 5,000 Americans renounced their citizenship in 2016, a 26% increase over 2015 and 23 times more than in 2008.” According to Rueckert, “While 5,000 people in a country of more than 300 million is by no means a mass exodus, the number of Americans renouncing their citizenship seems to be growing at an exponential rate.”

The interesting thing is that the reason for renouncing their citizenship is purely economic: Americans who live abroad pay taxes. Most Nigerians at home don’t even pay tax while expecting all the goodies of life. But that is not the issue for today. And in the case of the Americans who ‘Japa’ because of tax, they are mostly elite citizens. “It’s all super highly educated individuals I’m hearing from — masters, Ph.D.s, doctors, senior business executives,” a Vancouver-based immigration lawyer told the Seattle Times. “They’re foreign-born, and quite frankly they’re afraid of your country now.

They want out.”

The point here is that whether in Africa, Asia, or the Americas, we are dealing with what Patrick Gilligan has described as the ‘No Nation’ Generation whose

members “are breaking ties with their birth countries and seeking a more affordable and better standard of living overseas,” as I once wrote. That’s because globalization has created a generation of virtual citizens whose attachment to national space and cultural roots now counts for less than material fulfillment.

However, I must also stress that in the case of Nigeria, dwindling opportunities resulting from mismanagement of our affairs amid a population growth that far exceeds our resources accounts for why many of our young citizens are leaving the country. I explained this in my 1st October 2016 Platform Nigeria presentation, ‘If we stay here, we die’. Therefore, the challenge of the moment is how to win back the loyalty and patriotism of these young people who feel betrayed that a nation they call theirs has failed to provide them with a fighting chance to prove themselves or justify their skills and training.

I hope those who are currently seeking power (both at the centre and in the 36 states of the federation) in the general election that is now upon us are paying attention.

he string of untimely, and sometimes brutal, deaths from preventable causes that have become our lot as a nation is a sad commentary on the value we place on human life in Nigeria.

Last Sunday, nine bus passengers were crushed to death when a 20 ft container-laden truck fell at Ojuelegba bridge in Lagos. I cannot count the number of times we have witnessed this recurring tragedy that has claimed dozens of lives and featured prominently in a 2017 series I wrote on ‘Made in Nigeria Tragedies’.

Nigerians may have forgotten but in September 2015, in the same Ojuelegba, a trailer fell off the same bridge, crushing two private vehicles – a Toyota Corolla and a Nissan Sunny whose occupants were immediately killed. Also in April 2019, a container-laden truck rolled back on the bridge, damaging seven cars in the process, although no life was lost. But the problem of container falling and killing people is a common occurrence in our country. Perhaps the most tragic of these incidents occurred in July 2018 when 14 students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye were crushed to death on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway by an unlatched 20 feet container which fell from a fast-moving truck that lost control.

Continued on page 23

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