FRIDAY 2ND APRIL 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

OPEC, Allies Agree to Ease Oil Production Curbs Transparency influenced financing deal for refinery rehabilitation, says NNPC Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, yesterday resolved

to gradually ease its oil output cuts from May till July. Sources said OPEC, which has been implementing deep cuts since oil prices collapsed in 2020 due to the COVID-19

pandemic, agreed to ease production cuts by 350,000 barrels per day in May, another 350,000bpd in June and a further 400, 000 to 450,000bpd in July.

Saudi Arabia is also expected to ease up on its own voluntary cuts of one million bpd, which it has been implementing in addition to reductions under the OPEC+

deal by 250,000bpd, 350,000bpd and 400,000bpd respectively. The planned relaxation of of the production quota cut came just as Group Managing Director of the

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, yesterday said the African Export and Continued on page 40

FG: Nigerians without NIN Risk 14-year Jail Term... Page 8 Friday 2 April, 2021 Vol 26. No 9490. Price: N250

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APC State Chairmen Demand Immediate Conduct of Congresses, Convention Party extends membership registration, revalidation by three weeks Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja State chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday demanded an immediate conduct of the party’s congresses to pave the way for the national convention to usher in a new National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. The party chairmen, under the auspices of the Forum of State Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress, told

journalists in Abuja that it was time for the party to hold the national convention, billed for June, after the conclusion of the membership revalidation and registration. However, contrary to expectations that the membership drive would've been concluded by Wednesday as originally planned, the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Continued on page 40

Shun Agents of Disunity, Buhari Urges Nigerians Lawan preaches peace, love, tolerance Deji Elumoye and Udora Orizu in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday urged Nigerians not to allow those he described as a few mischief mongers to destroy the country’s unity. Buhari also acknowledged the efforts of frontline health workers in the nation's fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The president, in his Easter message to Nigerians, issued in Abuja yesterday by his media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, commended law enforcement agents and military personnel, who continued “to confront evilminded individuals through the darkest of nights to keep us safe.” Continued on page 40

REPORTING PROGRESS… Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka (left), and Group Chairman, UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu, at the 59th Annual General Meeting of the bank in Lagos…yesterday

Air Force Chief Relocates to Borno to Oversee Fighter Jet's Recovery... Page 5

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

Air Force Chief Relocates to Borno to Oversee Fighter Jet’s Recovery

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao,

yesterday arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to supervise the search for the missing fighter plane that

Access Bank Grows Profit to N126bn, Recommends 55k Final Dividend

Goddy Egene

Access Bank Plc has recorded positive results despite a challenging economic and regulatory landscape in 2020, the bank’s audited financial statement has shown. The bank recorded gross earnings of N764.7 billion, up by 14 per cent from N666.8 billion in 2019. Profit before tax grew by 13 per cent to N125.9 billion from N111.9 billion, despite the high cost of operating the enlarged franchise and the increase in net impairment charge of near N43 billion arising principally from a Structured Trade Finance(STF) portfolio in the Access Bank UK. According to the bank, the STF impairment is one-off/COVID related and recoverable over the next 12-18 months against insurance cover from world class insurers. However, profit after tax (PAT) rose by same margin from N94.1 billion to N106 billion in 2020 on the back of a 32 per cent growth in operating income, which offsets the rise in impairment

charges and operating expenses. Customer deposits grew by 31 per cent to N5.59 trillion in December 2020, from N4.26 trillion, while net loans and advances grew by 18 per cent to N3.61 trillion, up from N3.0 trillion in 2019. The board has recommended a final dividend of 55 kobo per share bringing the total dividend to 80 kobo per share. According to Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, the performance attests to thebank's s long history of resilience, scale, dedicated people and sustainable business model. “Our resilient business model ensured that the group adapted to accommodate the resultant macro-economic downturn and headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our asset quality also continued to improve as guided to 4.3 per cent (December 2019 5.8 per cent) as we intensified recovery efforts, undertook significant write off and leveraged our robust risk management practices.

disappeared from radar on Wednesday night. Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said Amao was briefed on the ongoing efforts to locate the aircraft. "The CAS, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, @CAS_

IOAmao, arrived Maiduguri this morning and was briefed on ongoing search and rescue efforts in connection with the missing Alpha Jet aircraft", he tweeted. THISDAY gathered that all search-and-rescue tools had been activated in the

North-east to ascertain the whereabouts of the fighter plane. The fighter jet was on a routine mission in the Northeast when it disappeared from the radar on Wednesday night. The aircraft was deployed to support troops at one of

the theatres of operation in the North-east. Gabkwet had in a statement said: “A NAF aircraft on routine mission in support of own troops at one of the theatres of operation in the Northern part of Nigeria has lost radar contact.”

COMMUNAL SECURITY... L-R: Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; and Amotekun Corps’ Commander, Mr. David Akinremi, during the inauguration of the corps’ patrol vehicles and motorbikes in Abeokuta…yesterday

INEC Resumes Continuous Voters Registration June Restates determination to prosecute Kogi gov

Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced dates for the resumption of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR), which was suspended in 2017. The commission, however, ruled out making the National Identity Number (NIN) mandatory for the registration of voters. It also reiterated its determination to prosecute the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, for double registration. INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said at a news conference in Abuja that the registration would be done both manually and electronically. According to him, the exercise, will commence on June 28. Other dates for the exercise, he said, were for the expansion of voter access to polling units, to take place on May 11, while the building and testing of the online registration portal were scheduled for May 15. According to him, the arrival of a new generation of registration devices will be on May 31. This, he said, would be

followed by the recruitment and training of voter enrolment staff on June 14. "Effective from Monday, June 28, 2021, the continuous voters registration exercise will commence nationwide and carried out continuously for over a year until the third quarter of 2022," he added. Yakubu said emphasis during the exercise would initially be on Anambra State where more centres would be established in view of the governorsip election scheduled for November 6, 2021. He added that in order to complete the preparations for the governorship election, the CVR in the state would be suspended in August. "This will enable the commission to clean up the data for the state and print the PVCs for registrants. As time goes on, the commission will provide more details on the CVR exercise, particularly the innovations that will ensure a safe and stress-free experience for registrants. "In doing so, we will fully consult stakeholders. In fact, the first in the series of these consultations will take place after the Easter break,” he said. Yakubu called on all intending registrants, especially those that turned 18 recently,

to to register from June 28. He said that the commission would be targeting fresh voters between 16 to 20 million during the exercise, adding that over 14 million new voters were registered in the previous exercise. "The following categories of Nigerians are particularly encouraged to seize the opportunity of the CVR in order to fulfill the important civic responsibility of voting. "All Nigerians who are 18 years of age and have never been registered to vote; any registered voter who has had any issue during accreditation at previous elections so that the commission can’t rectify the problem; all registered voters who wish to transfer their voting locations from the present one to another; all registered voters who have lost their PVCs or whose PVCs have been defaced or damaged; and all registered voters who wish to correct their information such as misspellings of names, dates of birth etc,” he added. He stated that when the commission promised the nation to re-commence the CVR in the first quarter of 2021, it had hoped that before 2021, it would have completed all outstanding off-season

governorship elections and that the pandemic would have eased. He, however, said the commission needed time to put in place new systems to facilitate safer registration of voters, should the pandemic persist. He said the first quarter of 2021 ended Wednesday without the commission resuming the CVR. Yakubu identified three reasons why the exercise could not start earlier. He said: "The first is the establishment of new systems that would ensure safer CVR exercise in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The commission is building a new online registration portal that would enable new registrants to commence registration online and subsequently complete the capture of their biometric data at designated registration centres. "This is designed to reduce crowding. Through the online portal, they can schedule their visits to the registration centres to suit their convenience. Above all, a CVR locator is integrated into the new portal, which will enable online registrants to locate the nearest registration centre

available to them to complete their registration. "Previously, registered voters who wished to transfer their voting locations, apply for replacement of their PVCs or correct their personal information had to appear physically at the registration centres. The development of this portal, which is being done in-house by our engineers, has taken a little more time to complete than the commission anticipated." The second reason, he said, was the commission’s determination to expand voter access to polling units, with both season and off-season elections. He said the commission introduced a new voter registration equipment and technology, adding that the present generation of voter registration equipment, which the commission introduced in 2011, is the Direct Data Capture Machine (DDCM). This, he said, was based on a laptop and a series of peripherals connected to it, including large power packs to power the laptops in the field. "In consideration of these challenges and the measures we have taken to overcome them, the commission is now in a position to

announce Monday, June 28, 2021, as the date for the re-commencement of the CVR exercise nationwide," he added. Yakubu said NIN would not be mandatory for the exercise as there were other forms of identification approved in Electoral Act. He stated that no additional budget would be required for the exercise as the funds had since been approved. He warned that double registration remains an offence under the law. He reiterated that the commission was still determined to prosecute the Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello, for double registrations. Yakubu said the commission would prosecute the governor as soon the immunity he enjoyed is over. Citing the recent violence in Ekiti State by-election, Yakubu said the commission was worried because of the spike in violence, but warned that nothing would deter the commission in prosecuting perpetrators of electoral violence and electoral malpractices. According to him, more than 40 electoral offenders have been successfully prosecuted and convicted since 2016.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

The Ultimate

Sacriﬁce

On this day in history two thousand and twenty one odd years ago, He paid for us in full.

May the blessings of this day be with us.

FRIDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Stock Market Loses N634bn in First Quarter Goddy Egene The Nigerian stock market shed N634 billion or three per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021 as policy reversal, continued absence of foreign investors influenced the performance of the market. The market, which soared by over 50 per cent last year, was projected to sustain the uptrend in the 2021. However, after rising 5.3 per cent in January, the market declined 6.1 per cent in February and fell 1.9 per cent in March, bringing the total decline for the first quarter to three per cent or N634 billion. The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) market capitalisation fell from N21.063 trillion at the beginning of the year to N20.429 trillion on Wednesday, which was the last day of the quarter. Similarly, the NSE AllShare Index (ASI) declined from 40,270.72 to 39,045.13. However, the decline in Q1 of 2021 was better than the 20.6 per cent recorded in Q1 of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the market negatively. Although the market was expected to sustain the growth recorded in January on the expectations of positive earnings season and better yields in the market, delayed dividend declarations and uptick in fixed income instruments’ yields reversed the trend in February, leading to a decline of 6.1 per cent. But the loss was moderated in March following dividend declarations by companies for the 2020 financial year, hence, the market dipped by only 1.8 per cent in month. Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Dangote Cement Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, United Capital Plc, BUA Cement Plc are among some of the companies that attracted increased demand for stocks by investors, which

led to the moderation of the decline. Commenting on the performance of the market in Q1, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blackstone Capital, an investment management firm, Dr. Lizzie Kings-Wali, said following a sterling performance of 50 per cent return in 2020, the equity market ended the first quarter of the year with a negative return of 3.04 per cent, as most sectoral indices closed bearish, except for the insurance and oil & gas sector indices, which recorded positive returns. “Notably, equities had a good start in January with the NSE ASI recording 5.32 per cent gain as the risk-on sentiment that dominated investor appetite for equities in 2020 persisted, albeit that was short-lived in February by the rising yield environment, which undermined fund managers' allocation to equities and even spurred a sell-off, leading to 6.2 per cent and 1.9 per cent loss in February and March respectively, especially as the strong rally in 2020 has moderated the compelling dividend yield on some value stocks,” Kings-Wali said. According to her, uncertainties over probable naira devaluation were keeping foreign investors on the fence, with barely 25 per cent participation in the equity market. “On the flip side, domestic investors, especially institutional investors such as pension fund managers and conventional asset managers, who are currently key providers of liquidity in the equity market are increasingly seeking new opportunities in the fixed income market, as yields steadily rise for a number of reasons,” she said. However, she added that there are still value opportunities in the equity market as some counters with

sound fundamentals still offer attractive valuations and potentially strong upsides. “Hence, our approach is to continue to diversify our clients' portfolio with the right investment options, including equities, fixed income securities and alternative assets, based on different clients' profile and market dynamics. “Whilst higher inflationary pressure, persistent uncertainties in the currency market and tapered outlook on corporate earnings performance may remain overhang factors for equity market performance in the months ahead, especially as earnings season winds down, we see prospects for bargain hunting and trading opportunities in the market and would continue

to explore such for our clients to ensure they grow their wealth, especially as it is important to preserve their networth against the rising risk of inflation uptrend,” she said. Also, the Executive Vice Chairman of Funds Matrix and Assets Management Limited, a leading broker/ dealer member of the NSE, Mr. Yadinma Onwu, said with the strong 50 per cent rally in 2020 and a steep run of 5.3 per cent gain in January 2021, the modest price correction in the equity market in February and March, which led to the 3.04 per cent loss, was expected. “Equities is a volatile asset class and the level of volatility seen thus far has been moderate. In fact, today's

bearish market portends new bargain opportunities for astute investors, who would take advantage of the price weakness to take position in value-laden stocks with strong fundamentals and price upside,” he stated. According to Onwu, notwithstanding the rising yield environment, which has influenced some investors risk-off sentiment and moderated funds flow into the equity market, the level of liquidity is still strong, with the NSE recording an average daily transaction of N5.4 billion daily. “More importantly, Nigerian equity market still trades at discount to peers and dividend yield on many value counters are still very attractive, with some stocks

offering 10 per cent dividend yield at current price levels. “It imperative for investors to seek relevant advice and ensure due diligence in investing in the market, as the recent price moderation in quality stocks presents new opportunities in the equity market, albeit investors need to be effectively guided by professionals to ensure that their investments match their objectives and profiles. “For us at Funds Matrix and Asset Management Limited, we remain bullish on equities and maintain our positive outing for the market in 2021, even so we expect modest gain, compared to the sterling 50 per cent return on the NSE ASI in 2020," he said.

2023 IN VIEW... L-R: Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Obo Eﬀanga; National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu; and Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a news conference in Abuja…yesterday

FG: Nigerians without NIN Risk 14-year Jail Term Says 51m have identification number Deji Elumoye in Abuja The federal government yesterday put the number of Nigerians that have obtained the National Identification Number (NIN) as of Wednesday at 51 million, warning that those without NIN risk 14 years' imprisonment. Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, said at a ministerial briefing in Abuja, coordinated by the presidential media team, that there were no plans to lift the ban on Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card registration. Pantami also put the number of SIM card subscribers at over 150 million. He stated that while 51 million had completed their NIN registrations, the remaining 99 million had problems of improper registration. The minister warned that

those who failed to obtain their NIN could be jailed for between seven and 14 years as stipulated by law. According to him, while obtaining a SIM card may be optional, NIN is mandatory as prescribed by Section 27 of the NIMC Act of 2007. He added that it is a criminal offence to carry out business activities without first acquiring the NIN number. He said: "Clause 27 of the NIMC Act states that you need the NIN number for opening bank account, for insurance, land transactions, voters’ registration, drivers’ licence. So, it is an offence to transact any business activity without first having your NIN. “Based on the requirement by law, each and every citizen and legal resident must obtain his/her National Identification Number, which is being coordinated by the National Identity

Management Commission (NIMC). It’s a requirement by law, but many citizens ignore it. “What we achieved in the area of enrolment from the time Mr. President has directed me to supervise NIMC till date is unprecedented and we would continue to ensure that in the next few years we have an almost complete data base of all our citizens in the country. “No country will be successful in education, health, budget planning or national planning without data base of its citizens in place. “What I inherited in the database was less than 20 per cent of our population. But we want to ensure that before we leave office we would look at the database and be proud of our country.” Pantami added that the number of enrolment centres has doubled while

the number of computers has tripled. He stated that NIN would determine the total number of Nigerians that had registered because of the unique number. He said government had no plan to lift the ban on new subscriber identification module (SIM) registration any time soon for security reasons, noting that when it comes to addressing security issue, the economy takes a back stage. He added that SIM registration carried out in the past compromised the system. “The ban on new SIMs remains in place for security reasons. We know this ban is painful but very necessary. In the past, SIMs registration process were compromised, most of the SIMs were improperly registered hence we have most of the SIMs used to commit crimes in the country. So what we are doing now is matching

all the SIMs with NIN this has become necessary for security purposes. “The ban may affect our economy, but when addressing the issue of security, the economy takes back stage. People used the biometrics of one person to register about 100 SIMs, after people are given money, this is even as some SIMs were improperly registered. This is one of the most difficult decisions taken as a minister. It is a very painful decision, but we had to take it,” Pantami stated. According to him, the cost of data provided by telecommunications companies has been halved since last year from about N1,200 per gigabyte to less than N500 now. The minister, however, blamed some state governors for the high cost of data production by inflating the charges telecommunication firms pay for right of way in

installing their cables. He said: "Some states charge as high as N60,000 per linear metre whereas it should not ordinarily be more than N145." Pantami said his ministry had engaged the governors through the Nigeria Governors' Forum and pleaded with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to intervene in the matter. He expressed optimism that if the anomaly is corrected, the telecom companies will produce even cheaper data. On the performance of the ministry in 2020, Pantami stated that but for the ICT sector, Nigeria would not have been able to exit recession occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic. He said within the period under review, the ICT sector grew more than 0.9 per cent, adding that the growth in the ICT is key to the successes recorded in the economy.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021

COMMENT

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

A SENATOR WHO LIVED FOR OTHERS

Eyitayo Lambo pays tribute to Joe Funso Obasaju, a politician and educationist

hen he came to the University of Ibadan for the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme, I was away to the United States of America on sponsorship from the University of Ibadan. After I returned in 1974 and particularly when he was the Principal of St. Monica’s College, Kabba, I always heard good news about how he had transformed the college. When Joe represented Kabba/Bunu in the Kwara State House of Assembly, many of us from Okunland who were members of the academic staff at the University of Ibadan were proud of his contributions to debates on the floor of the House and the various bills that he sponsored.When Joe won election to represent the good people of Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu/Yagba Senatorial District in the Senate in 1983, the Okun people in the University of Ibadan felt very proud and hopeful that he would be a voice to be reckoned with in the Senate and that he would also bring development projects to Okunland. Similarly, we were elated by the election of Chief Cornelius O. Adebayo as the Governor of Kwara State because we believed that he would bring meaningful development to all parts of the then Kwara State which included our Senatorial District. Unfortunately, our hope was dashed with the military coup that took place a few months after Joe and Chief C. O. Adebayo were elected. I did not have physical contact with Joe until 1983 when I was appointed a Foundation Professor by the University of Ilorin, an appointment that I did not take up fully until 1984. It was during my weekly trips to deliver lectures at the University of Ilorin on part-time basis in the 1983/84 academic session that we met and chatted on numerous occasions. He was one of the Okun people who urged me to move from the University of Ibadan to the University of Ilorin and contribute to the socio-economic development of our state then. From the discussions that we had together, I saw that Joe was very passionate about the development of Kwara State, in general, and Okunland, in particular. When I finally decided to move my family from Ibadan and joined the services of the University of Ilorin in August

FROM THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD TOGETHER, I SAW THAT JOE WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF KWARA STATE, IN GENERAL, AND OKUNLAND, IN PARTICULAR

1984, I remember that Hon. Abraham Goshie of blessed memory (who was the Commissioner for Education then), Dr. Job Adewunmi, Chief J.T. Omotowa and Chief D. L. Obasa (both of blessed memory), Prince Olusola Akanmode (who was in the Military Governor’s Office then), and Joe played different roles in ensuring that my wife was able to transfer her services from the Oyo State Civil Service to Kwara State with ease. I can never forget this. Joe and I interacted throughout the period that I was at the University of Ilorin (1984-1990) but there was a break in our interaction for the subsequent 13 years largely because I went to work outside the country. We reconnected in 2003 when I was appointed Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by President Olusegun Obasanjo. We were in close contact throughout my tenure (2003-2007) and Joe was one of the people from Okunland that constantly sent me words of encouragement and commendation during my tenure. I really appreciated this. Since Joe’s passing, many people have given good testimonies about him. Those who attended St. Augustine’s College, Kabba, with him have not only testified to his academic performance but also to his achievements in sports, especially soccer. Those who attended St. Monica’s College, Kabba, have paid glowing tributes to him for the academic and physical development he brought to the College during and after he was the Principal of the College. Joe’s community, Kabba, has testified to his contributions to the socio-economic development of the area. Some other people have testified to how he helped them to get jobs or how he was instrumental to their gaining admission into institutions of higher learning. The list goes on and on! These testimonies affirm that Joe has done well and that he has lived an impactful life to the glory of God. Adieu my dear brother Joe. May his soul enjoy eternal peace and may the Holy Spirit comfort members of his family in Jesus’ name. Amen. Professor Lambo is a former Minister of Health

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OLU OBAFEMI Tunde Olusunle celebrates Obafemi, scholar of note, at age 71

e was the sole recipient of the Nigeria National Merit Award, NNMA, in 2018. Chairman of the Governing Board of the NNMA, Prof Shekarau Yakubu, noted late October 2018, that out of three dozen nominations for the award, his own was the only entry which met all the criteria enunciated as prerequisites for the award. The NNMA is traditionally conferred on scholars, academics, professionals and practitioners who have distinguished themselves locally and internationally in a select spectrum of disciplines, notably the humanities, arts, culture, engineering, technology, science and medicine. The honour, which is the Nigerian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, has over the years been awarded to standard-bearers such as Professors Wole Soyinka; Chinua Achebe; John Pepper-Clark Bekederemo; Adeoye Lambo; Femi Osofisan; Niyi Osundare and Tanure Ojaide. Other recipients include: Professors Ayo Bamgbose; Laz Ekwueme; Anya Oko Anya; Bruce Onobrakpeya; Ladipo Ademolekun; Inyang Hilary Inyang; Abiodun Oluwole and Alexander Animalu, among others. Imam Abubakar; Ladi Kwali; Mohammed Lawan; Pius Okigbo; Akinola Aguda; Dorothy Mabel Segun, have also earned the award at various times in four decades of its inauguration. While reading his citation December 6, 2018, on the occasion of his investiture in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja, which was performed by President Muhammadu Buhari, the oration had noted inter alia that: “Olu Obafemi is a multi-talented and many-sided personality. Playwright, poet, novelist, scholar, teacher, translator and much more. He is the public intellectual par excellence, one who has exhibited throughout his turbulent, multifaceted career, a moral commitment to interrogate the social injustices in our nation and elsewhere, while striving to build bridges of understanding across the contentious gulfs of class, culture and race.” No description perhaps, better encapsulates the man, the persona, the endeavours of Professor Olu Obafemi, immediate past President of the Nigeria Academy of Letters (NALs), than this excerpt read at his inauguration into the NNMA hall of fame. Obafemi is a multivalent, multi-talented, all-round creative persona, who has etched his name in gold, across space and time. Ahead of his induction into the club of septuage-

narians last year, friends, colleagues and proteges of Obafemi had put together a National Conference of the Department of English, University of Ilorin, in his honour to commemorate his 70th birthday. It was supposed to be a week-long event, beginning March 31 and climaxing on April 4, 2020, to coincide with Obafemi’s 70th birthday at the time. The unfortunate global outbreak of COVID-19, however, occasioned a postponement of the programme. The event is now to hold as a virtual conference from April 2 to April 4, 2021. You could not miss him in a crowd. He was famous for his beard in those good old days and some roughing of the hair. Those were days when dialectical materialism predicated on the enterprise of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, denominated humanist scholarship. Professor Olu Obafemi was one of the younger teachers who welcomed us, freshmen, into the English sub-set of what was then the Department of Modern European Languages at the University of Ilorin, in 1982. Indeed, if you took courses in “Dramatic Literature,” “Practical Theatre” and “Literary Criticism,” among others, you were bound to encounter him in his usually lively and typically interactive classes. You were spellbound by this lecturer who rarely came to class with lesson notes, but who delivered so much that even the smartest note-takers could barely keep pace. Sunday Joshua Adeleke, one of the older guys in our class those days, who would later become a Director of Information in Kwara State, was famous for his orthographic speed, way back then. Then of course, for us aficionados of new lexical items and grammatical constructions, there were one or more takeaways from every lecture, which we in turn dramatised as we mimicked the tutorial mannerisms of our teacher. Between Obafemi and the late Professor Tayo Olafioye, most of us had the biggest additions into our linguistic repertoires. We delighted in mimicking him minutes before his entry into the classroom and got accustomed to being labelled “a clown” when caught in the act. As his citation at the investiture noted, “Obafemi made the study of literature exciting. He would start each author’s work with his biography, creating a nexus between the text, the writer or the context.” Outside the classroom, Obafemi founded and mentored the “Ajon Players,” a group of artistically minded students and non-students, which performed and staged several plays, for the theatre-loving academic community. Beyond the University of Ilorin, Ajon Players staged several road-shows in the

Universities of Jos and Benin, among other institutions. On the occasion of the visit of Major General Muhammadu Buhari to Kwara State in his capacity as Head of State in1984, Ajon Players was invited to stage a performance for him at the Nigerian Papermill Company, Jebba. Together with the late Prof David Cook (Irish); Russell Chambers (American); Prayag Tripathi (Indian) and Stephen Hesbon Lubega (Ugandan), Obafemi helped in grooming a critical core of young creative writers who were students of the University, at the time. The “first fruits” of these upcoming writers were published in an anthology titled: Rising Voices: An Anthology Of New Nigerian Poetry,” co-edited by Cook, Obafemi and Wumi Raji. Obafemi can take pride in the fact that some of his mentees at the time, have blossomed into writers and intellectuals who are holding their own as poets, novelists and playwrights among others. They include Sunnie Enessi Ododo (professor of theatre, dramatist and poet); Rasheed Na’ Allah (professor of literature and poet); Sola Babatunde (professor and poet); Wumi Raji (associate professor and poet); Tivlumun Nyitse (academic and poet) and this writer (scholar and poet). Along with Drs Chambers, Lubega and a few others, Obafemi was one of the lecturers who broke down the walls of hierarchical barriers between teachers and students. Between them, they allowed we their younger friends access to the hallowed Senior Staff Club, an elite watering hole for high ranking members of the academic community. There, discussions and disputations carried forward from class work, were resolved over bottles of typically ice-cold lager and simmering plates of pepper soup. My classmates and good friends who veered into the academia, notably Gbenga Ayeni, a professor of communication at East Connecticut University and Tivlumun Nyitse, an assistant professor in mass communications at Bingham University, Karu, regularly allude to the fact that the demystification of teacher-student relationship by some lecturers back in time, influenced their decisions to pursue careers in teaching. For my masters degree, also at the University of Ilorin, Obafemi taught me three courses: “Poetry of Conflict and Conviction,” “Drama and Dramatic Criticism” and “African Oral Literature.” This of course, brought us much closer and afforded me the opportunity to relate with him more intimately. Indeed, with the exit of the original supervisor of my masters thesis, Dr Prayag Tripathi (Indian), following

the completion of his contract in Nigeria, Obafemi took over and berthed the work. Despite the fact that I enrolled for my doctorate degree programme at the University of Abuja, far from his base in Ilorin, he insisted on seeing every chapter of my thesis, taking time to read and to make comments and observations. He granted me access to his much prized personal library in the course of the research. An accomplished playwright, Obafemi has authored and published over a dozen plays notably: Pestle On The Mortar; The New Dawn (1986); Nights of A Mystical Beast (1986); Suicide Syndrome; Naira Has No Gender (1999); Dark Clouds Are Over? (2005); Ogidi Mandate (2010) and Running Dreams (2015) among others. Ogidi Mandate won the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA/JP Clark Drama Prize in 2010. Many of these plays have also been performed by his students either as coursework or as performances by Ajon Players. Obafemi has also published two collections of poems, Songs of Hope (2001) and Illuminations. His only novel thus far, Wheels (1997) was first serialized in The Herald newspaper over several months. Obafemi’s versatility as the total artist that he is, birthed the translation of D.O. Fagunwa’s novel, Adiitu Olodumare into its variant English titled The Mysteries of God, published in 2016. The prolific and profound scholar that he is, Obafemi has written and published almost a century of academic critiques, essays, reviews and articles in journals, books, compendiums and monographs, internationally and locally. He has equally authored, co-authored and edited several books on dramatic and literary discourse. His notable works include: Nigerian Writers on the Nigerian Civil War: Anguish, Commitment and Catharsis (1992); The Contemporary Nigerian Theatre: Social Vision and Cultural Heritage (2001) and Politics and Aesthetics: Essays in Drama, Theatre and Performance (2008). The citation read at his investiture noted that Obafemi “is an erudite scholar of international repute... His works all reflect the social consciousness and activist tendencies that have characterised the writings of the generation of writers and scholars who came to the fore in Nigeria in the 1980s. His writing, according to him, has been an exploration of the question: Why should the society be organized in such a way that so many people can be suffering while a few have so much to waste?” Dr Olusunle, journalist and poet, wrote from Abuja

T H I S D AY • FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021

EDITORIAL THE STRIKE OF RESIDENT DOCTORS It’s in the nation’s interest that the dispute is resolved immediately

arely 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari left for the United Kingdom on ‘routine medical checkup’, the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) began another indeﬁnite strike to press home their demand for better welfare. Already, patients requiring healthcare in most government hospitals across the country are either being turned back or are left unattended to with all the dire implications. Many who may require emergency services and without enough funds to seek healthcare in private hospitals could unfortunately lose their lives. This frequent face-off between health workers and government at all levels has not only left an indelible stain on the image of the public health care system, it has also brought untold hardship to many Nigerians. The demands of the doctors are quite legitimate. They include review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers and payment of the outstanding COVID-19 allowance especially in state-owned tertiary institutions. They also seek immediate payment of salary arrears INCESSANT STRIKES for their members ARE HUGELY INIMICAL in all federal and TO THE HEALTH OF THE state tertiary ECONOMY AND, IN MANY health institutions WAYS, DISRUPTIVE OF THE across the country SOCIAL ORDER especially ASUTH, IMSUTH and UNIMEDTH, according to NARD President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi. In addition, the doctors are seeking the payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance especially in state-owned tertiary institutions besides the payment of death-in-service insurance for all health workers “who died because of COVID-19 infection or other infectious diseases in the country.” We fully support the aspirations of resident doctors in terms of their welfare, conducive working environment, training and recognition of their contributions as sacrosanct to an efﬁcient healthcare

Letters to the Editor

system. Lack of continuity of dialogue and diligent oversight by relevant stakeholders in government have over the years contributed to this perennial unfortunate challenge. If government realises after signing agreements that it lacks either ﬁnancial wherewithal or that existing instruments do not support proposed actions, ofﬁcials ought to reconvene the parties for another round of talks. That they never do this is why the problem persists.

H T H I S DAY EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI DEPUTY EDITOR YEMI AJAYI, DAVIDSON IRIEKPEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR KAYODE KOMOLAFE CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR JOSEPH USHIGIALE

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Is Lagos Anti-Cultism Bill A Sham?

arlier this year, the Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) passed the Anticultism Bill.

Interestingly, the bill, among its other salient issues, stipulates a 15-year jail term for anyone found guilty of abetting cultists, and residents who willfully allow their property to be used as meeting points by cultists. Some weeks later, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu assented to the bill, which also stipulates a 21-year jail term for convicted cultists in the state. All these happened within the space of February and March, 2021. But the ‘incredulous’ was only yet to happen. Just within 48 hours after Sanwo-Olu, assented to the anticultism bill, it was reported that a bloody clash between rival cult groups had erupted somewhere in Ikosi-Ketu. It involved the Eye and Aiye confraternities. Though 15 suspects were apprehended by the police and paraded at the State Police Command headquarters, spokesperson for the Police in the State, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the attack was connected to disputes concerning revenue generation at the Ketu fruits market. Such a development does not bode well for a government committed to restoring normalcy in the state and ensuring civil rights and social justice. The Ikosi-Ketu incident should have been a perfect opportunity to put

owever, we are of the view that a strike will not resolve the list of problems confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system at the moment. As previous cases have proven, parties would still return to the negotiating table after several lives have been lost. We therefore plead with the resident doctors to return to work. A more strategic way to resolve this logjam can be attained without bringing untold hardship to patients and other citizens that may need their services in the hospitals. A new mechanism for dispute resolution platform should be explored. The federal government must understand that this is not an auspicious moment to dither on the issue of healthcare for the people. It is not lost on Nigerians that their president is seeking solution abroad for his own medical challenge at a time they are practically left to their own devices. So, it is important that there be a quick resolution. Meanwhile, time has also come for the federal government to overhaul its collective bargaining machinery with a view to ensuring effective implementation of agreements it freely enters into. Incessant strikes are hugely inimical to the health of the economy and, in many ways, disruptive of the social order. Beyond addressing the current challenge with NARD, the federal government needs to urgently improve the quality of lives of healthcare professionals by making deliberate efforts in that direction. This will not only help to reduce brain drain and medical tourism—two ‘monsters’ that should easily be blamed on insensitivity of government—but also help in the bid to revamp the health sector in the country.

the bill to test, by placing the full wrath of the law on offenders. They should have, before saying Jack, been arraigned in court and prosecuted. There have been a series of reported cases of police arresting cultists, robbers, and hoodlums since the Ikosi-Ketu incident. One of the most disturbing areas is Ikorodu. According to media reports, over 500 persons have been arrested by the Police between July 2020 and March, 2021, on offenses related to cultism, and robbery. Recent findings have also revealed that 1,592 hoodlums had been arrested and linked with the crimes of rape, gangsterism and assault. While there were 127 reported cases of domestic violence, 82 vehicles were impounded for driving against traffic. A recent police report also confirmed that the majority of the robbery cases were from the Ikorodu area, even as the police also recovered no fewer than 35 firearms. With these long lists of arrests, I still wonder why the courts are not preoccupied with prosecuting and sentencing these ‘beasts’ to the dungeons, for the rest of their lives. It is time the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration began to take action and do the needful as Lagos State is gradually becoming the hub of cultism in Nigeria. If the unknown happens, I don’t think the Lagos State government will survive the ‘apocalypse’. Segun Michael Adeyemi, Lagos

Nepotism Is A Weapon For Underdevelopment

epotism is a form of favoritism which is granted to relatives in various fields, including business, politics, entertainment, sports, religion and other activities. It is the bestowal of patronage by public officers in appointing others to positions by reason of blood or marital relationship. It is the showing of favoritism for relatives or friends based upon their relationship, rather than on an objective evaluation of ability or suitability. For instance, by offering employment to a relative, despite the fact that there are others who are better qualified and willing and able to perform the job. The presence of nepotism in Nigeria has taken a toll on our development. How can new thinking, worthwhile policies and development occur when those appointed are there to defend tribal interests rather than those of the majority? In a country where ethno-religious considerations, zoning and federal character are deemed more important than talent, how can we be surprised that nepotism and ethnic competition are rampant and things seem to remain the way they are? Where being a relative of politicians comes with advantages. where close relatives of politicians are likely to be employed in the public or even private sector and earn higher salaries, while those that are suitable and best for the positions are ignored? Several states restrict nepotism by expressly prohibiting public officials from hiring relatives. In Nigeria, it has resulted in bias in decision-making, and unfair treatment given to qualified and suitable workers. It has made people lack courage, lack confidence and alienated, and hinders competition and innovation. This results in protests, conflict, terrorism, crime, extortion, fraud and forgery, abuse of power, disobedience. Until Nigeria goes against nepotism, that being close to a politician or a head of a public sector will not offer an individual an opportunity meant for someone who is qualified, Nigeria will continue to wallow in underdevelopment. Kamarudeen Kudirat Iyabode, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

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FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021

POLITICS

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

Anambra PDP Stakeholders Should Give the Party’s Governorshio Flag to Ozigbo Valentine Ayika, Director of Strategy and Media of the Valentine Ozigbo Campaign Organisation for the Peoples Democratic Party governorship ticket for Anambra State makes a strong case for his principal

or every human action, whether positive or negative, there is a corresponding consequence. As the consultations by aspirants of Anambra’s most dominant political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), gains momentum, the nature of the race begins to take shape. The people’s favourite aspirants emerge, the least popular also become evident. As aspirants are given their natural positions in the race - based on acceptance, visibility, and popularity, those who feel rejected by the party’s delegates and the grassroots become agitated. The feelers from the public space indicate that they are doing poorly in the race, and at the same time, the top contenders are gaining grounds, building momentum towards the primary. Frustration is building up among aspirants who are tailing in the race. This frustration will lead to a desperation that will culminate in negative acts of namecalling, casting of aspersions on leading aspirants, and mudslinging. This is the reality as it concerns the race for the gubernatorial ticket of the PDP. Stakeholders, local government, and ward executives with whom the aspirants are interfacing will confirm that desperation and frustration are now directing some aspirants’ conduct and speeches. Many Nigerians have become accustomed to viewing Anambra from a prism of a politically vibrant, violent and brutal state. So it is expected that an aspirant for the state’s governorship would be a tough-talking, overly aggressive, antagonistic, anything-goes, do-or-die kind of person. Indeed, some of the aspirants vying for the coveted seat fit this mould. There is a need for circumspection, however. We must interrogate our beliefs and bring some consciousness to politics. Is violence in our politics necessary? Must we continue the behaviours of our past? Can’t we chart a new path? After all, this is the 21st Century; the brain is superior to brawn. There’s a new class of citizens who eschew violence and embrace decency. Isn’t it possible for a decent, softspoken, civil, easy-going, down to earth aspirant to be given a chance to lead? These are the qualities that Valentine Ozigbo, a globally celebrated Nigerian CEO and business mogul, brings to the game. Suffice it to say that if he wins the PDP ticket, it signals a change for the better for the PDP and Anambra politics at large. All PDP’s stakeholders and party executives at all levels can attest to the fact that Valentine Ozigbo does not indulge in name-calling of any kind. He does not criticise, run-down, or malign his fellow aspirants. In a media briefing in January 2021, a journalist asked him, “Are you not too gentle, too civilised, and too peaceful for Anambra politics?” This question sums up the way and manner Val is perceived. With his graceful disposition, gentle mannerism, soft-spoken nature, and his choice of compassion and community over hatred and antagonism is Valentine Ozigbo fit for the party’s ticket? Before answering the question, let us consider the implication of the ugly developments and state of affairs where members of the PDP family, brothers and sisters of the same state, in the quest for the party’s nomination, would say unprintable things about their fellow aspirants. Making false statements, denigrating other aspirants, and maligning their colleagues is now commonplace.

Those who do these things appear to forget that they will need their fellow aspirants, in one way or another, to win the general election, that is, if they end

up clinching the party’s ticket. A wise man makes a friend before he needs the friend and keeps a friend he knows he will need in the future.

For National Assembly Staff, It’s a New Deal Austen Adesoro, Media Aide to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Ojo Olatunde Amos raises hope for an enduring healthy working relationship between the management of the National Assembly and the workers

lerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Ojo Olatunde Amos, recently constituted a nine-man implementation committee to resolve workers’ demands in order to stop a proposed strike. The setting up of the committee was sequel to a 21-day ultimatum by the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), who threatened to embark on strike if their demands were not met. While inaugurating the Committee Olatunde said that the management would continue to make staff’s condition of service and welfare a matter of priority. The Special Adviser to the CNA on Media and Labour Matters, Austen Adesoro, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said that the nine-man panel, chaired by the Secretary, Human Resources and Staff Development, Elder Felix Orunwese, was set up by management in order to attend to issues of welfare raised by staff. The statement quoted the CNA to have said that the National Assembly’s management would do all within its powers to ensure that staff get what is due to them on a proactive basis. He stressed the need for dialogue as a pragmatic panacea to the situation on ground instead of unnecessary agitations. He noted that the management under his leadership, upon assumption of duty, had on its own volition and without threats, paid three separate allowances to staff, namely: leave bonus, legislative duty allowance (LDA) and end of the year bonus. He said that the management also ensured the prompt release of its promotion list. Olatunde added that the National Assembly management has concluded plans to provide staff buses to ease staff transportation, especially in the face of

the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CNA said: “You will agree with me that this historic meeting is actually called to demonstrate our commitment and passionate desire to make your Condition of Service (CoS) a continuous priority. “I want to say it loud and clear that we shall never rest on our desire to make all staff of the National Assembly very important always, because of the high value management places on you. “This proactive dimension we have tailored out informed the inauguration of the Committee on the Implementation of the Condition of Service which shall continuously be used within the National Assembly under our watch.” The CNA however tasked the committee to be committed to the terms of reference which include: “To work out modalities towards further sustainable implementation of the condition of service and other related welfare matters. “To cost each of the allowances and present a feasible timetable for a staggered implementation.” Olatunde also advised the staff not to allow themselves to be used to foment unnecessary trouble as this would not augur well for the stability and image of the National Assembly. Chairman of PASAN, National Assembly Chapter, Mr. Sunday Sabiyi, in his remarks, said that the pending staff welfare issues that needed to be urgently addressed include non-payment of 22 months minimum wage arrears. Sabiyi noted that other staff demands that need urgent implementation are rent subsidy at 40 per cent of consolidated annual salary, hazard allowance at five per cent of consolidated monthly salary, gratuity for every retiring staff and pending promotion arrears.”

The answer is that it is a pointer in the direction that, if nothing meaningful and urgent is done to mitigate the division, suspicion, and hatred among the aspirants, then it would be difficult if not impossible to build the highly needed consensus by the party to approach the general election under one united front. The urgent question, therefore, is: Who will bell the cat? The national leadership of the PDP, the Anambra Board of Trustee members and His Excellency Mr Peter Obi, the party leader in the state, should intervene and admonish the aspirants to apply the brakes to the hostile, destructive, and disuniting act of discussing persons rather than issues. There is sufficient evidence for me to conclude that Anambrarians, including you, reading this, want civility over rudeness, calmness over violence, discussion of issues over persons, and orderliness over arbitrariness. We, the people of Anambra State, are not interested in who can criticise others for a whole day; instead, we are interested in who can tell us how our lives and properties will be secured, how jobs will be created for our teeming youth, how our hospitals will be equipped to care for our people, how our children will be given free and quality education, how our roads will be made motorable, among other responsibilities of government. These are the things Valentine Ozigbo talks about when he meets with the party faithful. No wonder he is currently the leading aspirant for the Agu Awka race under the PDP platform. It isn’t easy to learn new things in adulthood. Valentine Ozigbo was raised by a disciplinarian mother and his catechist and headmaster father. He was not nurtured along the path of violence, falsehood, or hooliganism. His upbringing was founded on the noble virtues of fair competition with clear rules of engagements, respect, and love for others. This upbringing formed the habit of excellence, which earned him excellent results in his academic and career lives. He was taught from the cradle that ideas, not brawn, rule the world. Disappointment awaits those who may be expecting Val Ozigbo to jump into the fray of name-calling and telling of lies against others or to start responding to the lies against him. Such time may never come as there are so many topical issues about the state to be discussed. Mr Ozigbo has gone on record several times, espousing his ideology and approach to politics. He has spoken of the need for politicking with respect. He has repeatedly called for love among the aspirants and has taken practical steps to demonstrate it. He has equally appealed for unity in the party and respect for the party’s leadership at all levels. Publicly and privately, Val has said that the leader of the party in Anambra State, HE Peter Obi and other leaders should be accorded their due respect and recognition. He has also repeatedly appealed to them to collaborate and synergise with each other so that the party gets on one page and becomes a united family. His unalloyed position is that all party members, irrespective of rank and designation, are valuable, and their opinions count. Thus, he calls for carrying everyone along and building consensus across the board. And I ask again, is he fit to fly the PDP flag with his background and disposition to life? What do the Anambra people want of their next governor?

T H I S D AY ˾ FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021

PERSPECTIVE

A President Africa Deserves

Long Live Eze Aro, Diaspora and Identity Chido Nwangwu, Publisher, USAfricaonline.com uses the event of the ﬁnal rites of passage for the paramount ruler of Arochukwu kingdom in Abia State, His Majesty Mazi Ogbonnaya Oloro to explain the inﬂuence of that Igbo sub-culture across the South-east, South-south and Middle-belt

rom Los Angeles to Dublin, from Ihiala to Ndikerionwu, from Atani to Ajatakiri, the focus, clout and dedication of those of us who share in the heritage of the ancient Aro Kingdom of Arochukwu are worthy and remarkable. Today, evident in this first weekend of April 2021, is the climax of the national rites of passage in honor of late Eze Aro, His Majesty Mazi Ogbonnaya Okoro, CFR. The distinguished scholar and cultural custodian was on the throne for 25 years (1995-2020). He was born on March 26, 1932. Why and how is the Aro identity challenged and/or protected at home and abroad — including our international community which I named ‘Aro America’? Here’s a real life moment in Houston (Texas), in the early 2000s with one of my friends, former National President of the Aguata Orumba Association, USA, Ralph Obijiofor. He holds the chieftaincy title of Okaka Nanka Town. Like him, I am one of the founding fathers of the local chapter. “How can you say you’re an Aro man when your hometown is Ajalli (Ujari). Aro is Arochukwu, right? And, Arochukwu is in Abia State,” he insisted. Then, giddily, with an exultant tone of magisterial finality, he ruled: “Chido, you’re only from our Anambra State. You’re not from Aro. Abia State. Leave this Aro thing….” I smiled in fraternal pity for the man’s profound truncation of organically interconnected heritage roots and ancestral origins. Then, I thought we should have been given — as required reading in high school — such books as ‘Trade and Politics in the Niger Delta, 1830-1885: An Introduction to the Economic and Political History of Nigeria’, by the foundational scholar of African history, Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike. It was published in 1956. Prof. Adiele Afigbo’s books and contributions to academic journals are expository and authoritative. Prof. Okoro Ijoma’s seminal work, titled, ‘Igbo Origins and Migrations,’ in 2010. One of the vital books on Aro history written by the meticulous and engagingly readable Mazi O.P Kanu titled, ‘The Pre-British Aro of Arochukwu: Notes & Reflections on a Vanishing Civilization,’ which I had the privilege of serving as editorial publisher in December 2001, through USAfricaBooks.

Perhaps, Chief Obijiofor’s familiar quandary could have been caused by his own inadequate access to the forest of historical materials on the diverse origins and dynamics of the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial economies and structures of influence around and in Igbo land. It is a slice of the social and cultural reality of an overwhelming majority of persons of Aro heritage. Therein lies the false, existential demand to chose one or the other. To be sure, in many instances, it does not come as a binary demand. In such situations, they simply demand that we must shed our Aro-ness and be autochthonous with the community the diaspora Aro had since generations been apostolic voices for entrepreneurship. In every community, they have remained catalysts for progress, education and fairness to all. In every single diaspora (Aro Uzo) community (at least 211) across the entire South-east, South-south and around the Benue River and Nigeria’s Middle-belt, they are productive and highly valued. First, to understand the rise of the Aro imperium, the growth of the Aro Confederacy, the dominance and the consolidation of the economic, cultural, spiritual and political juggernaut of the Aro nation by its core leadership who were mainly in their ancestral home (Aro Ulo), you will have to know that was the product of the sensible, confluence of the administrative/ organizational efficiency, deployment of — where necessary — coercive power by the “Aro Uzo”, the Aro in diaspora. O.P Kanu characterized them as “those ebullient Aro who settled permanently in new homes outside Arochukwu. In pre-British times, they lived in some 200 Aro settlements (sometimes called colonies) which were founded between AD 1650 and 1900 in South-eastern Nigeria.” I believe that in the next 100 years (2121), the Aro (at home and abroad) will embody and manifest in the history of the world, again. We need more Alvan Ikokus. We have to, proactively, empower. new sets of young visionaries and algorithms scientists whose works on AI (Artificial Intelligence) will get our Aro Civilization and Aro Identity to stand far substantial achievements beyond Prof. Afigbo’s circumscribing description of its 18th and 19th centuries roles as being a “slaving oligarchy.” Also, there is this ‘beauty’ from the warm but racially patronizing 1905 written notes by Frank Hives, the British Colonial Resident in the Owerri Province of Eastern Nigeria who, stated that: “The Aros were quite a distinct racial type from the indigenous inhabitants of the Ibo country …. People who came in contact with this section of the Ibo people found them so superior in intelligence and diplomacy that only European origin could account for such traits.” Finally, on this issue of identity, I’ll give the world’s foremost hip hop mogul, artiste and poet, Beyonce’s husband, Jay Z, the last words: “Identity is a prison you can never escape, but the way to redeem your past is not to run from it, but to try to understand it, and use it as a foundation to grow.” Who knows? May be, he’s an Aro.

Ignatius’Nat Muotoh writes a moving tribute to celebrate the life and times of the late President John Magufuli of Tanzania

he death of the Tanzanian President Dr John Pombe Magufuli on Wednesday 17th March, 2021 has brought to an end one of the best African presidency. Certainly, the best President to come from the continent of Africa in recent times. Prior to becoming the President of Tanzania at the age of 55, the average age of an African President as at 2016, oscillates around 83 years. Going by this average age for an African President in 2016, one must appreciate the unique achievements of Magufuli at the age of 61 years. Dr John Pombe Magufuli popularly known as the Bulldozer, passed away after a terminal heart failure which according to rumours by the opposition party in his country Tanzania; was directly linked to the COVID-19 complications. He was undoubtedly a known sceptic of the Coronavirus pandemic, with critics blaming him for his own death and that of other Tanzanians. A mere mortal of course, hence an unpopular sceptic of the Coronavirus pandemic, he was by an exceptional standard, a really down to earth man who left his nation far much better than he met it. Magufuli defied all odds to rise from being a secondary school teacher with only a Diploma in Education; majoring in Mathematics and Chemistry, to earn a Doctorate degree in Chemistry. He represents a true son of Africa who despite a very tough background, worked so hard to make an exemplary success in his chosen field. He ventured into politics, and would later go on to become an MP at the young age of 35. As the President of Tanzania under The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, which in Swahili means “The Party of The Revolution” at the age of 55, the CCM party became the dominant ruling party in Tanzania; and the second longest-ruling party in Africa, only after the True Whig Party of Liberia. Despite being a president for only five years which is not in tandem with a typical African president’s quest for a 2nd, 3rd or even a 4th term ambitions; Magufuli achieved unprecedented successes for his country Tanzania during his first five years. His tremendous successes are considered impossible by many for a typical African president. Though Tanzanians are mourning a great statesman; they take solace in the loss of a leader who has accomplished tenfolds in a short period of five years, that which hadn’t been achieved in the past 50 years. Looking at the litany of his successes, one wonders if he really was first an African, and secondly if he really was a president of an African nation. Within his first five years in office, the Bulldozer, sacked over 13 ministers and over 19,000 civil servants for corrupt practices and inefficiencies Within the same period also, he built 96 district hospitals, and over four hundred 400 health centres in Tanzania. Again under his presidency within the first five years of his administration, over 90% of the whole country were connected to the national electric grid, an unprecedented record for an African president. This was up from 20% national electrification at the time his predecessor, Mr Jakaya Kikwete left office in 2015. It is anticipated that by the end of this year 2021, Tanzania will be the first African nation to electrify the whole country thus achieving a 100% electrification of the entire nation. Of course, this is a rare feat for an African nation. During the same period, Magufuli built a water project similar to that of the late President Gaddafi of Libya. He tunnelled and channelled water from Lake Victoria 500kms away to Tanzanian cities. His administration, controlled the mining and selling of tanzanite thereby ending the monopoly India and Kenya had as the leading sellers of tanzanite in the world market. As an ardent believer in Africa, President Magufuli never left the continent of Africa, and only visited two African countries of Kenya and Rwanda before his demise. Amongst his other

achievements, is his most ambitious project which is the construction of the most modern and longest railway in Africa- the Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (TSGR). The Tanzania Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is a railway system currently under construction, linking his nation to the neighboring countries of Rwanda and Uganda; and through these two countries, to Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a part of East African Railway Master Plan, with a total length of 1,800 km (1,100 miles). When completed, it will be operated by the (TRC) Tanzania Railway Corporation; and will be powered by a 25kv 50 Hz AC electrified overhead catenary. This project is expected to be completed and operational by the third quarter of 2021. Again, under President Magufuli, Tanzania in collaboration with Egypt, is currently building the largest Power Dam in the whole of Africa at River Rufiji which is approximately 220 kilometres South-west of Dar es Salaam. It is expected that this dam will generate 2GW of electricity when completed. That’s not the end of the list of his achievements. Magufuli succeeded in modernising most of the infrastructures in Dar es Salaam, making it the fastest growing city in Africa. In addition to these, he negotiated an oil pipeline project with Uganda that will earn his country billions of dollars in revenue for the next 30 years. Again, under his government, Tanzania was able to nationalise the mining sector, bringing all the mines under the effective control of his government. Discipline and a zero tolerance for corruption was his mantra. And he was able to pass such mindsets to the Tanzanian civil service. It is said that no civil servant despises another in any government office, since one could unwittingly be despising an undercover cop at his own peril. Under his education policy, he completely reorganised and refurbished the nation’s educational institutions with the result that Dar es Salaam University, currently has the largest library in the East and Central Africa. He promoted Kiswahili as the official language for all government businesses within Tanzania. Kiswahili language is now used in all court proceedings running up to the Supreme Court. The Bulldozer as he was popularly called, went as far as defying the Western imperialists nations from forcing his country to support same sex marriages. While these policies attracted some backlash from some Western nations, they were found very favourable and popular by the people of Tanzania. Did I forget his other achievements within the same five years period in office as the president? Yes I did. He constructed the largest Children Cancer Centre in the entire East African sub-region at Muhimbili Dar es Salaam. Finally, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli was truly a nationalist in the real sense of the word and a man who truly lived for, and died for his country. May the soul of this unsung hero of Africa, a President par excellence, Rest in Perfect peace.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 •T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD R A T E S MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

A S

A T

REPO 10.50 % 10.75 %

CALL 1-MONTH 3-MONTH

11.50 % 12 % 12.50 %

M A R C H S & P INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY MONTH-TO-DATE

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

2 6 , 2 0 2 1 564.06 % 0.01 % 0.27 %

S & P INDEX 1/4 TO DATE -15.85 % YEAR TO DATE -15.85 %

EXCHANGE RATE N379/1US DOLLAR* ̩

Quick Takes

DPR Assures of Products Availability

The Department Petroleum Resources (DPR) has assured Nigerians of petroleum products availability during the Easter season. Head, Public Affairs, DPR, Mr Paul Osu, who gave the assurance in a statement issued in Abuja, said that there was product sufficiency nationwide and advised marketers againsthoardingas well as creatingartificial scarcity. HesaidtheDPRwouldintensifyits monitoringandsurveillanceofproduct outletstoensurecompliancewithquality, quantity,integrityandsafetyof operations inlinewithits regulatorymandate. Osuadvisedconsumerstoreportanyinfractionsuchasunder-dispensing of products to any DPR office nationwide and reiterated the agency’s commitmentto safety. He advised consumers to observe all necessary safety protocols in the handlingofpetroleum products especiallyhis harmattanseason. Osu said the regulatory agency would continue to initiate appropriate initiatives to enable business and create opportunities for investors and stakeholders intheoil andgas industryinNigeria.

Air Peace Deploys B777 to Enugu

PROMOTING AGRICULTURE

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (left) and Protem Chairman, Edo State Oil Palm Project (ESOPP) Investors Group, Mr. Rasheed Sarumi, during the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ESOPP Investors Group in Benin …recently

High Airfares May Linger Till July, Analysts Predict Chinedu Eze There are indications that the current high airfares being charged on domestic destinations might linger till July when it is expected that Nigerian airlines would bring in more aircraft from maintenance facilities overseas. THISDAY investigations revealed that currently there is paucity of aircraft operating domestic service at a time more people have chosen to travel by air due to insecurity on the roads. THISDAY checks also indicated that air fares have increased further as the Easter season draws closer as one-way ticket costs between N60, 000 to N70, 000, and got as high

AVIATION as N85, 000 for economy class. On Wednesday, March 30, 2021, the lowest fare was about N60, 000 for one hour flights and to all destinations, and as high as N85, 000 for economy class and business class was going to N150, 000 and above. A travel agent who pleaded to remain anonymous, told THISDAY that, “There is no more average ticket fare now. Everything has gone up. I bought economy ticket for N60, 000 Air Peace, N65, 000, Dana Air. “Arik Air tickets went up to N70, 000 and even the new airline, United Nigeria and Ibom Air are selling tickets at over N70, 000. They said the

cause is the increase in price of aviation fuel.” THISDAY also gathered that besides the fact that more people now travel by air and the price of aviation fuel has increased, Nigerian airlines do not have enough equipment that could reach equilibrium with passenger demand. Some of the airlines have their aircraft ferried overseas for mandatory checks and were yet to be brought back because the maintenance facilities have not completed work on the equipment due to hiccups occasioned by COVID-19. Spokesman of Air Peace, Stanley Olise, told THISDAY that there was expectation that more aircraft would have returned by July, saying that

when more aircraft are brought in they would meet the passengers demand and tame the high airfares. “I am hopeful. You know we have a lot of aircraft outside. By July many of them would have come back and likely the fares will come down,” he added. But Corporate Communications Manager, Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa expressed doubt that airfares would come down in July. According to him, besides the paucity of aircraft, there are other factors that influence airfares and these include increase in demand, cost of aviation fuel, charges, tariffs charged on aircraft spares and Continued on page 22

BPE Boss Seeks Increased PPP in Maritime Sector Eromosele Abiodun The federal government has called for more private sector partnership to attract the needed investment to drive the maritime sector and boost the economy. Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, stated this during a webinar session monitored in Lagos. The BPE boss reiterated the need for an increase in the private sector involvement in the financing critical infrastructural development in the maritime sector in order for the industry to become a major revenue earner for the federal government. The webinar session tagged, “Public Private Partnership as alternative financing model in the maritime sector,” was hosted by the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by SIFAX Group.

MARITIME He cited the success of the port concession as a justification for more private sector funding stressing that investors have more to gain by investing in the country. The BPE boss also revealed that the federal government’s revenue from the sector had more than doubled 10 years post-concession. Okoh, further posited that competing needs for government’s lean resources has also made Public Private Partnership (PPP) a welcome option. The BPE DG further revealed the federal government has simplified the PPP process, which now allows for private sector players to scout for projects that can be financed through PPP model. According to the BPA boss, “The BPE has been entrusted

with a significant part of the PPP responsibilities in Nigeria through the federal government’s circular of September 2020. “What this means in effect is that players in the country’s maritime and other key sectors of the economy can identify and suggest projects to the government through the BPE or relevant MDAs. “Once these projects are examined, approval will be given to the relevant parties to undertake an appraisal, feasibility study or outline of business case which will be scrutinised by the government. Thereafter, a tender will be published.” He added: “The benefit of this is that the originator of the project will be allowed to provide a matching offer with that of the highest bidder and if the party is able to match this offer, they will be declared the preferred bidder.”

He urged members of the private sector to carefully identify the gap in transport infrastructures in the nation’s maritime sector and work towards providing solutions to these gaps. Okoh noted that such investments in and around Nigeria’s ports will help reduce the high shipping and terminal charges and local transport to warehouse costs which will in turn make the country’s port more competitive and business friendly in comparison to other African countries. In his remarks, Group Executive Director, Corporate Services, SIFAX Group, Mr. Bode Ojeniyi, the sponsors of the webinar, says that the subject matter was timely and germane given the huge infrastructural deficit in the sector that could be addressed with PPP.

In order to ensure sufficient flights to meet the travel needs of Nigerians during this Easter season, Air Peace has deployed one of its wide-body Boeing777aircraftto servicetheEnuguroute. Theairlinehas also increasedflightfrequencies to Owerri andAsaba. Spokespersonoftheairline,StanleyOlisa,madethisknown,sayingthatthe jumbo,extra-comfyaircrafthasbeenspecificallydeployedtooperatethe Lagos-Enugu-Lagos andAbuja-Enugu-Abuja routes. He added that customers would have international flight experience on domestic routes while flying the state-of-the-art B777 aircraft with enhancedcomfort,styleandluxury.

Arik Wins Award

ArikAirhasemergedastheA ‘ irlineoftheDecade2010-2020,’attheTravellers Award 2020 organised by publishers of African Travel Quarterly (ATQ)/ Travellers magazine. TheawardsceremonyheldinAbuja,recently,attractedtwoAmbassadors, CommissionersofTourismandCulturefromfourstatesaswellastoptravel agents andtouroperators. The publisher of ATQ magazine andTourism ambassador, Mr Ikechi Ukoh saidArikAirwasthechoicefortheAirlineoftheDecade2010-2020because, “itstill holds theflagofits timeinthesun”. Accordingtohim,“ArikAirisstillaglobalbrandfromNigeria,kudosgoesto thefounders andtheworkers who helpedbuildthebrand”. ArikAirhasalsosofarprovedresilientaswellasdemystifiedthemyththat no Nigeriancarrierwith10aircraftlastbeyond10years. RespondingwhilereceivingtheawardfromtheAmbassadorofTrinidadand Tobago,MrWendellDeLandro,ArikAir’sChiefPilot,CaptainChrisNajomo, thanked the organisers of the award for finding the airline worthy of the honour.HesaidArikAirwouldcontinuetobeasafe,reliableandcustomer focusedcarrier. Arik Air, which was founded in 2006 is now under receivership following the takeover of its management by the Asset Management Corporation ofNigeria (AMCON)inFebruary2017.

Inoyo Harps on Capacity Building

FormerPresident,CharteredInstituteofPersonnelManagementofNigeria, Mr.UdomInoyo,hascalledforthemergeroflawfirmsinAkwaIbomState, sayingthetrendwhereeveryindividuallawyersoughttooperate,asasole proprietorshipwas inimical to thegrowthoftheprofession. Inoyo, a former vice-chairman, boards of ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria, also announced plans for capacity building in diverse areas of law and the economyforlawyers inthestate. He said the first phase of the training programme, which would be both physical and virtual, would cover areas such as project finance, concepts ofarbitrationinconstructioncontracts,energyregulation,aviationlawand opportunities intheoil,gas andenergyspace,amongothers. He stated this in a keynote address titled: “Akwa Ibom State: The legal profession and emerging global economy,” delivered at the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA)Uyo branchweek,recently. “Asmostofyoushouldknow,ittakesalottobuildaviablebusiness,especially in our clime, so I hope you will take advantage of the knowledge sharing opportunity.However,tomakethislearningoptimal,itmaybeworthwhile foryoutobegintoexploremergingsomeofthelawofficesasopposedto theprevalentpracticeofeveryonerunninghis/herlittlelawfirm.Remember, thereis strengthinunityandprospects indiversity,”hesaid.

“Travel agents are the highest sellers of domestic tourism. We recognise that some places are not safe, but there are many places that are safe to market to outsiders” President, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA),

Mrs. Susan Akporiaye Continued on page 22

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD HIGH AIRFARES MAY LINGER TILL JULY, ANALYSTS PREDICT others. He said since October last year airfares have remained high, not bowing to low or high seasons because consistent high demand has obliterated the traditional high and low seasons which peaks in December and comes down in January. “I do not have 100 per cent confidence that the fares will come down in July or any time because a lot of things determine the increase besides the availability of more aircraft. “More aircraft may come and may not have impact on the fares because more people travel by air every day. Some factors influence the price of tickets and these include duties, cost of fuel, demand and supply and exchange rate. “So if by July all these parameters remain the same, airfares may not likely going to come down,” Ezenwa said. He said the only way travellers could get cheap fares was to book their flights early, adding that once a passenger buys ticket one or two days to his flight date the fares are likely going to be high, adding that for domestic air travel, there are no more high or low season. “Before now we used to have high season and low season. High season peaks in December and low season is January and after Easter the high seasons continues into summer; but since October last year the season has remained high. “So that projection that fares will come down might not work. The secret is to book early. Plan your trip early. Plan early and get low fare. From the way the demand is rising, the season may peak till December,” Ezenwa said. Industry insider said that more people travel by air despite the economic crunch because that is the only way to travel safely in the country.

BPE BOSS SEEKS INCREASED PPP IN MARITIME SECTOR He, however, urged that the government should do better at making the country more business friendly by removing the crippling bureaucratic bottlenecks that are currently making investments in any sector very unattractive.

NEWS

Shippers’ Council Moves to End Indiscriminate Boarding of Vessels Stories by Eromosele Abiodun The implementation of the Nigerian Ports Process Manual (NPPM) has recorded some progress with the decision to stop indiscriminate boarding of vessels calling at the nation’s ports by security agencies. Under the NPPM, only officially designated agencies are allowed to board vessels at the ports jointly as against the practice in the past. Before now, some agencies chose to board vessels at their own time and schedule in what was described as indiscriminate and time consuming for the ships. The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello, said the council which is the lead agency overseeing the implementation of the process in collaboration with others, had introduced joint boarding of vessels by security agencies to save the time of the vessels. Bello in a chat with newsmen also disclosed that the number of the agencies has been reduced to achieve the same purpose of trade facilitation, adding that only specified agencies now board the vessels. On joint boarding of vessels, he explained that some of the specified agencies who are by law empowered to board vessels separately have cooperated to do so for the purpose of saving time of the vessels. He also said the team of security agencies boarding the vessels try to conclude their inspection in the vessel within 30 minutes of boarding

in what he explained was also to save time. He said: “We are taking one issue at a time, take for example of boarding of vessels. Boarding of vessels should be done by specified agencies. So we have stopped some agencies from boarding vessels. “There should be joint boarding. Before now agencies board vessels at separate time, but we have been able to get them to board the vessel jointly. Then the time allocated, it will not be more than 30 minutes we are out of the ship because delay is dangerous”. He also disclosed that the implementation of the NPPM

by the agencies in the ports has led to arrests of some individuals who demanded bribe from the ships, adding that the bribe proceed (money) has been seized while investigation on the matter continues. “The issue is doing it as it is based on international acceptability. Do it on time so that our ports will be efficient. So it is about efficiency of the ports, reduction of corruption. “We have made arrests involving people who go into vessels and demand bribe. We are investigating the issue. We have seized some money and this will be an example to everybody

that things have changed now. This is to send signals that it is not business as usual. What we want is validation from stakeholders internationally to know something is happening in Nigeria”, Bello said. Among the specified agencies empowered to board vessels on arriving at the ports for inspection include the Port Health officials who board first separately to check the health status of crew on board, Nigeria Customs, Nigeria Immigration and NDLEA. He explained, “They will go jointly. We assemble at 8.30am and go by 9am – 9.30am we are out of the place because of

delay. Then, we monitor that nobody should demand bribe or anything because there are the unhidden charges that make Nigerian shipping very costly, even the freight.” Bello described the assignment of the port process manual as fascinating experience, adding that it was not new as it is what the ports economic regulator has been doing. He also explained that the national assignment had been made easy for the ports economic regulator with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) t had developed and introduced in the past.

HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

L-R: Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji; Chairman, Lagos State House Of Assembly Committee on Establishments, Training and Pensions, Yinka Ogundimu; Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; and Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle, at the oﬃcial launch of Lagos State Government learning management system (LMS), in Alausa, Lagos...recently PHOTO: ETOP UKUTT

CCG’s Strike Force Generates N1bn in Q1 The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS), Strike Force Unit said it raised debit notes worth N1 billion from importers, shippers and clearing in the first quarter (Q1) of the year. The service also said smugglers now make use of cattle, camels, vehicles fuel compartment, used tyres and booths to smuggle rice and other dangerous goods into the country. The Officer in charge of the unit, DC Ahmadu Bello Shuaibu, in a chat with news men said the amount gener-

ated would have been lost to smugglers, fraudulent importers and clearing agents who under declared their cargoes at the seaports. He stated further that the unit in the last three months intercepted foreign parboiled rice, printed label materials, used vehicles, textiles material, used tyres and second out clothing. He, however, charged importers who involved in false declaration of cargoes and under declaration to turn a new leave and uphold true declaration. He said: “The Comptroller General, strike force zone A of

the NCS, generated N1.03 billion from debit note on major and minor infractions on cargoes that exited the seaport the Tin-Can Island and Apapa ports.” “The essence of the strike force ICT and raising of alerts on consignments is to raise debit notes. Also, importers and agents that we got this huge Debit notes from won’t be appreciate us for what we have done rather that will castigate us.” Shuaibu also raised the alarm of new methods used by smugglers to smuggle contrabands especially rice into the country.

He said, smugglers now endanger lives of Nigerians by smuggling cargoes through the use car booths, fuel compartment, tyres, vehicle engines e.t.c Corroborating Shuaibu, the National Public Relations Officer of the service, Joseph Attah, said the N1billion generated from alert in the first quarter have justified the creation of the Strike force Unit. He also said the new method used by smugglers have shown that big vehicles can no longer be used to smuggle rice and other contrabands into the country.

“We have suppressed smuggling to the extent that they no long make use of big trucks, vehicles, motorcycles to smuggle anymore. They now make use of camels, cattle, donkeys to move them in trickles. For instance, the three wonder cars were reconstructed and redesigned for the purpose of smuggling. They are reconstructed to get as much rice as possible, the smugglers can no longer use trucks and motorcycles because they are becoming difficult due to the anti-smuggling drives of our officers,”Atah added.

AMANO Applauds MAN’s Improved Facility Group Business Editor

Obinna Chima

Capital Market Editor

Goddy Ogene

Comms/e-Business Editor

Emma Okonji

Asst. Editor, Money Market

Nume Ekeghe

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

Chinedu Eze (Aviation) ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ (Maritime) James Emejo (Finance) Ebere Nwoji (Insurance) Chineme Okafor (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

The Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (AMANO) has commended the academy’s efforts to enhance its profile and technical capacity with more stimulators, better remuneration for staff, and its plans to build a modern marine exhibition center. Members of the alumni gave the commendation when they paid a working visit to the institution. Speaking during the visit, the Rector of MAN Oron, Comr. Duja Efedua (rtd), said the academy now has three major simulators, which is one of the latest in the world, noting:“they are Multifunctional

Classroom Simulation system, Full Mission Bridge Simulation and Full Mission Engine room Simulation.” The rector who also received an award of excellence from the academy’s Alumni Body commended AMANO led by its President, Mr. Emmanuel Maiguwa for their continuous support the institution and the entire maritime sector. He also assured that his leadership had a goal to restore the Academy to its proper place as a world-class maritime training institution. Effedua also expressed delight that most of the problems that

bedeviled the institution in the past had been addressed, including the challenges of overcrowding of cadets in hostels and classrooms with a hostel room accommodating up to 18 cadets per room in the past, poor medical facility and poor transportation system. According to him, the Academy was able to carry out an upward review of salaries, especially for contracted instructors with special skills, to be able to attract and keep quality personnel with regular training. Noting that the academy was expecting two Master Mariners to join, the MAN Oron rector

said this transformation has resulted in the employment of over 100 members of the host community, and assured that more would be employed as things progress. He also mentioned that the institution is now ready to start pursuing international certification and as a means to propagate the shipping profession to those who come on an excursion to the school, the Academy is working on a marine exhibition centre. The rector went further to opine that one of the reasons for the recorded failures in Certificate of Competency (CoC)

is attributed to participants’ inability to attend classes as most of them tried to juggle between retaining their jobs on a ship and attending the CoC classes. He, however, informed AMANO that the Academy had sent about 15 members of staff to India for training that will close most of the gaps limiting the Academy. The Rector also seized the opportunity to introduce the newly introduced Security Certificates that addressed the issue of counterfeits, adding that the certificate could also be verified online.

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Onyema: Aircraft Maintenance Abroad Cost Over N1bn Per Plane Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema has revealed that it costs $3 million or over N1 billion to carry out a Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) on a single commercial plane outside the country. Speaking on Arise News Channel, THISDAY’s broadcast arm, Onyema stated that it was challenging having to spend such a huge amount with the current foreign exchange issues, positing that the Covid-19 pandemic has made the situation even worse. The businessman stated that it was laudable that Aero had to set up a maintenance facility, noting that the company has to get its act together in terms of curbing service disruptions due to issues like unionism. According to him, such a facility ought to be running seven days a week. “That’s one of the challenges we have in Nigeria, having to maintain our planes abroad and doing the checks. For example, when I send any of my 727s abroad, I spend about $3 million

for each aircraft before they come back. That’s a lot. That’s over a billion naira. That’s for a twomonth maintenance regime and it’s a problem,” he stated. On the recent federal government bailout for the aviation sector, Onyema argued that no amount of money given for that purpose would be enough, but stressed that it was also understandable because the government has limited resources. “A lot of people said the money was too small, yes it was small because just one of your engines will gulp the entire N4 billion, or even over. But N4 billion was given to all of us to share because the government was trying to help us, even if it’s just to pay a few salaries. It’s not enough, but we shouldn’t be comparing ourselves with America. The truth is that we don’t have the same capacity,” Onyema added. He stated that it was to the credit of the current federal government that airlines in the country now enjoy concessions

on import duties, saying it will encourage others to bring in brand new airplanes and save millions of dollars. Onyema explained that the country was not immune to the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the airlines have been the worst hit by the situation. He noted that there have been a reduction in number of flights as Air Peace which was doing about 10 flights between Abuja and Lagos in a day now does two. According to him, while it used to be 120 generally, it is now just over 30. The businessman said the company currently has 21 planes abroad for maintenance, stressing that because of the Covid-19 restrictions, the workers doing the job have not been able to deliver on schedule because of the lockdowns. He added that the local airlines had given their foreign counterparts too much space to operate in the past, noting that it was time to take over , reason he recently brought in the 777 airplanes.

Ethiopian Airlines Named ‘Best International Airline in Nigeria’ Stories by Chinedu Eze Ethiopian Airlines has disclosed that it was recently was honoured with the Best International Award at the just concluded Abuja Jabamah Wonders of Nigeria Expo. Receiving the award from the Ambassadors of Trinidad and Tobago Wendell Lago and the Ambassador of Jamaica Esmond Reid, the Traffic and Sales Manager of the airline, Mrs. Senait Ataklet thanked the organisers. She said last year was a difficult year for everyone but Ethiopian Airlines focused on cargo to shore up its fortune. According to Ataklet, the focus on cargo by Ethiopian

Airlines saw the airline converting some passenger airplanes into freighters. She said the award came as Ethiopian celebrated one year anniversary of conversion of B737 into a Freighter. Ataklet said since the start of its first cargo flight on passenger seat last year, Ethiopian has been increasing its capacity to become an ideal shipment partner of many humanitarian organizations including the WFP. Besides, Ethiopian has been hailed for its efficient delivery of essential medical supplies donated by Alibaba Foundation, WHO and donor governments to all African countries. The airline is currently working in collaboration with UNICEF and

Cainiao for the global vaccine distribution. Commenting on the milestone, Ethiopian Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said: “Today marks one year since the beginning of our first Preighter flight service as a way to manage the unprecedented global crisis. The single Preighter flight that started on this day last year has helped our airline navigate the storm so far. “We are extremely honored to have served our customers during the most difficult times. Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services has been a critical player in the global fight against the pandemic by distributing medical supplies and PPE to places with limited access to transportation.”

Emirates Marks UAE Vaccination Milestone Emirates is keeping the trust in air travel and showcasing the UAE’s remarkable progress in its vaccination programme. Owing to this, the airline would be operating a special flight on April 10, 2021, that would carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. The special flight EK2021 is expected to depart Dubai International Airport at 12:00hrs local time, to cruise over various areas across the UAE. The flight will return to Dubai at 14:30hrs local time. The one-off flight EK2021 is a unique event that not only celebrates the success of the UAE’s vaccination programme to date, but also highlights Emirates’ progress in vaccinating its staff and in particular its pilots and cabin crew. The airline said aviation has been and continues to be an

irreplaceable force for good, connecting people and cities, facilitating important trade flows and passenger journeys that bring economic prosperity and joy to millions of people. Passengers would have the opportunity to experience Emirates’ newest A380 aircraft, which features the airline’s brand-new Premium Economy seats, and refreshed cabin interiors across all cabin classes. “The Emirates A380 remains a customer favourite for its unmatched comfort and spaciousness. From the award-winning ice inflight entertainment experience, to the iconic A380 Onboard Lounge service for Business and First Class passengers, from a full-course gourmet meal in all classes to the friendly Emirates cabin crew, flyers can expect the full Emirates experience onboard this special flight,” the airline said.

Passengers travelling on EK2021 would be able to experience all of Dubai International Airport’s services and amenities on the ground before boarding. In addition, the airline said customers could also try out first-hand, all the latest safety measures including the new biometric and contactless technology which Emirates has recently implemented at the check-in areas and boarding gates at Dubai airport. As with any regular flight, customers for special flight EK2021 would be expected to arrive at check-in with their flight ticket, from three hours before flight departure. They would be required to bring their UAE ID or passports, as well as vaccination certificate. All customers travelling on EK2021 would be provided pre-departure rapid Covid-19 testing, free of charge.

Maximising FG’s Delineation of Free Trade Zones at Airports

New Port Harcourt Airport terminal Chinedu Eze Recently the federal government announced the designation of five international airports as free trade zones to support the implementation of both the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) agreements. These airports include the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano; Port Harcourt International (PHIA), Omagwa, and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika said that the facilities at these airports would be upgraded to meet international standards so that they would compete effectively with the best facilities in Africa. Industry observers said that the major challenge would be how to maximise the benefits of these free trade zones, noting that such facilities should provide a platform industrial development, boost in export and impetus to manufacturing. THISDAY spoke with a specialist in this area who is the Managing Partner, TMSS Logistics and former General Manager, Business Development, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Alhaji Nuhu Adam who pointed out the invaluable gains of a free trade zone, noting that if entrepreneurs and foreigners who wish to invest in the country, explore the offer given by the federal government, the free trade zones would become a game changer in business enterprises around these airports. Alhaji Adam noted that of the five airports, Port - Harcourt airport has the advantage of a complimentary existing Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, stating that the logistics hub of this zone should take advantage and set the ball rolling immediately to sustain the gains for Oil and Gas cargo, while building capacity at the airport for agro allied export and others, using the aviation logistics hub. “Practice in developed and developing countries indicates the existence of numerous and heterogeneous free zones as well as the different role which they have in the economic development of countries that have implemented them. Different industry-specific economic zones can be created to fill certain business needs with the ultimate goal of empowering the economic potentials of the countries in which they are situated. It is along this premise that we make bold to say the free trade zone would offer a huge potential for continental aviation given the potential of Nigeria’s dominant market in the West and Central Africa,” he said. Adam said the Nigeria aviation logistics hub is about to experience a game changer if the Free Trade zone is well coordinated and implemented and private sector driven. “Aside the increase in the dynamics of

economic activities, it will also encourage the advancement of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in aviation value chain, including the establishment of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) supply chain, Fixed Based Operators (FBO), capacity building and generation of new entrepreneurial opportunities in e – commerce fulfilment; this is in addition to the likely changes in the real estate market in the airport and its environs among other services,” he also said. Adam identified the benefits accruable to the establishment of a free trade zone and observed that there are loads of advantages available to a company operating within a Free Zone including, but not limited, to the following depending on the model approved for the airport free trade zone. “No pre-shipment inspection and issuance of Bank Form M required prior to shipment of material from the country of origin. Customers with Bank Bonds executed with the Customs can take their goods into the Nigerian territory after examination and within a very short time. “While importing cargo the traditional way, you’re subject to clear your material and equipment and pay Customs Duty within 30 days. In the Free zone you are enjoying unlimited time to custom clear your consignment,” he disclosed. Adam explained that this makes for increased shipments and cargo movements, enhances better cash flow management in terns of Customs Duty Scheduling System and with a Bank Bond/Guarantee in place, “you will be able to obtain Customs release of cargo required in the Customs territory.” He said that payment of duty/perfection of Customs entries is then scheduled to be completed within 14 days after delivery – thus deferring Customs Duty payment and obtaining a better cash flow. “This further translates into increased revenue and earnings in the associated private sector (airlines, clearing/forwarding agencies, banking/finance, services and supplies), increased government revenue and earnings (for Nigerian Customs, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Cargo Handling Companies, Federal Inland Revenue Service, among others),” he said. The free trade zone, he said, would enhance the creation of job opportunities and entrepreneurial development of budding investors, technology transfer and enhancement of local content participation in the nation’s Aviation industry, no VAT and withholding tax chargeable on Free Zone storage facilities, services and activities and no corporate and personal income tax payable. “There will be easy facilitation of expatriate employees working in the Free Zone. No expatriate quota and residence permit are required for the expatriate staff working and domiciled within the area delineated as the Free Zone territory,” Adam also said.

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BUSINESSWORLD

INTERVIEW

Mahmoud: Lack of Capacity Restricting Air Travel in Nigeria The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Abdullahi Mahmoud, in this interview insists that if domestic airlines have adequate aircraft, air travel would have returned to full capacity in Nigeria. Chinedu Eze provides the excerpts:

ongratulations, can you tell us about your new appointment? I took over this position on the 4th of January 2021. I took over from Captain Ado Sanusi. So I am here now and I am looking forward to, at least, take the company to another level. Captain Sanusi has done wonderfully well. He was really good. He met a dying company and resuscitated it. He brought the company back to life. My own is to make it stronger from where he stopped. That is why right now I am here and I am focused and I will make sure that I try as much as possible to see that the staff are happy. This is because the greatest assets of any organisation that you have are your employees. In as much as I want to make them happy, we are constrained because of the situation in the global aviation industry due to the COVID-19 devastation. As you can see, the tourism industry has been hit so badly by this pandemic. So we are just trying to get out of it. God-willing from what we are seeing, hopefully, we will get out of it, although we are living in a very challenging environment. Apart from the pandemic, we are having a serious, forex problem. And that is one of the biggest challenges. If we will have that taken care of then probably we will come up. Now Aero has three divisions, you have oil and gas service; you are the only airline that has a maintenance facility and then you have schedule ﬂight service. When you look at these three divisions, what is the situation on ground now? Yes. Like I said earlier, Captain Ado has done wonderfully well. Now, what I have seen, the potential that Aero has, Aero has special potential that no airline today in Nigeria has. It is only now for me to capitalise on those potential and see how to move the company forward. Because I have been hearing about the oil and gas of Aero Contractors, but when I went to Port Harcourt, my mind was blown with what I saw. When I look at the facility that they have in Port Harcourt, it is something that all you need little resources to bring it up to speed. It is a fantastic facility, but I know it has been laid down for a while and attention was not put to it much. So I think it is one of the things that I want to focus on apart from the airline. And another thing is the MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul), as you know, the MRO Aero contractors is the only MRO in West Africa. But I think the capacity of the MRO need to improve, we need to have bigger hangar, so we are just working on getting variation with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to include the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft, like the one Arik flies. And even Allied Air just bought one of recent. So we want to include that type in our MRO. So, once we have that included, all we need to do is to expand our hangar. We are trying to see how we can expand this hangar and then, make it bigger and accommodate more aircraft into this facility. This is because it is one of the biggest assets of Aero Contractors as of today. With these challenges, I think, the MRO is the major division that is keeping the line. I see a lot of aircraft from different airlines under your maintenance? You can see, a lot of third party aircraft are here in the hangar. As you can see, it is not only Nigerian airlines. There is the Democratic Republic of Congo, they have their Boeing 737 here and we have already signed with the Ghana Civil Aviation and they have given us approval to maintain aircraft registered in Ghana. And so we have agreement with Passion Air in Ghana. So is Tunisia, they are working on it to get their approval and then Malta also, we are working on it to get their approval. Yes, we are working on all those approvals; once we have those approvals we will maintain aircraft registered in those countries in our facility here.

Boeing B777 to Kano. So, I called Air Peace’s Head of Flight Operations, Captain Victor Egonu and told him about our passengers in Kano and he asked me to tell our station manager to go meet their station manager in Kano and the flight airlifted our passengers. That is cooperation. That is the way airlines should work. So the airlines need to come together, sign protection agreement. If you don’t want to sign interlining, you can sign the protection agreement. Anytime I have a challenge I come to you. When you have a challenge you come to me.

Mahmoud One of the major constraints Nigerian airlines have is the fact that they need to ferry their aircraft overseas for major maintenance. They face a lot of costs and the problem of forex. What more advantages do you think Aero will offer them? I think there are so many disadvantages taking your aircraft out of the country for maintenance. If you talk about how much it is going to cost an airline to fly its aircraft from Nigeria, to probably Europe, or wherever it is going to, if you talk about the fuel that they would burn to go, navigational charges paid, the aircraft goes there, then fly it back again. All these costs are saved by having an MRO here; we have saved the airlines such huge costs. Then, if you come to the maintenance aspect, you are talking about the labour. If they go there, they pay for man hour in dollars, but here we charge them the man hour in naira. So it is easy for them if they cannot assess the forex, at least we are giving them an opportunity to pay naira here. More so, apart from that, the only thing that had now, the airline can say, okay, is tough, because they have to look for source, because they have to supply the parts that they will put on the aircraft that is it. But if we are talking about cost saving, it saves them a lot. It saves them a lot money, having their aircraft maintained here than flying the aircraft out. Are you looking at getting additional aircraft to boost your schedule service? Of course, we are working on it. You see this aircraft that you have right here, they are just finishing the C- check. The only thing that they are waiting for is one spare. We have paid for it. By the time it comes this aircraft is going to be out. And this will also be in the next 10 days. So we are going to have more fleet, we are working on it. We are making sure that probably this Easter period we will boost our flights so that passengers will travel to go and see their loved ones. We will make sure that we will take them to places to meet their loved ones and enjoy their Easter celebration.

Lack of cooperation and what many in the industry described as bitter rivalry affect domestic operations and indirectly the passengers. Is there any way you can canvass for airlines to come together and take advantage of working together? One of the biggest challenges that airlines in Nigeria are having is that they find it very, very difficult to come together. There is dirty professional politics that is being played, which is unfair. And it is so disappointing because when an airline is having problem another airline is rejoicing at the misfortunes. But if the airlines agree to work together we will have what is called passenger protection. You will sign a protection agreement with that other airline. When you have a challenge, all you need to do that is look, I am having a problem, can you protect my passengers? It is like what happened to us the other day. We had a bird strike in Kano, after the bird strike, the Captain of the flight did a fantastic job. He heard the sound, despite the fact that all the engine parameters were showing them that everything was okay, but he decided not to continue to Lagos, but to turn back, land and look at what happened. So he landed back in Kano. He looked at the aircraft; there was the bird strike. He could see blood by the side of the engine and whatever it is, he disembarked the passengers, still went ahead and did power engine run. We contacted NCAA and Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and we agreed to ferry the aircraft empty back Lagos so that the engineers will look at it properly. We put the aircraft in order and got it ready to resume service. We regret the stress our passengers suffered; although it was not our fault, it is something that happens in flying. Their departure was on schedule because they boarded the flight on schedule, but unfortunately this thing happened. But I look at it, the passengers have been out all day, because we don’t have any aircraft to go and rescue them. So we had to get this one ready, which was what we did. They fixed this aircraft. We wanted to leave for Kano when fortunately Air Peace deployed its

One of the biggest challenges that airlines in Nigeria are having is that they find it very, very difficult to come together. There is dirty professional politics that is being played, which is unfair. And it is so disappointing because when an airline is having problem another airline is rejoicing at the misfortunes. But if the airlines agree to work together we will have what is called passenger protection

COVID-19 vaccine is now available, but the pandemic is still affecting the global economy and air travel. What is your projection of when things will get better, especially in Nigeria? I don’t think that there is anyone who can tell when this is going to end. But at least we could see light coming at the end of the tunnel gradually. And if you look at some countries and what they are going through, I think we are good. We are doing well. The only challenge that we have is that the airlines do not have equipment. If the airlines have the right equipment we could have gone back to full capacity in Nigeria. It is not coronavirus that is restricting us in Nigeria. No, coronavirus is not restricting anything in Nigeria today because if we have capacity to carry the passengers, the passengers are there. But unfortunately the airlines do not have the capacity. In Nigeria, we cannot complain about the coronavirus because we cannot say it is restricting travel. We can operate to full capacity. So in this context, some countries around the world are suffering more than Nigeria. Yes, they are still suffering, but in Nigeria, no. We are restricted from having more aircraft due to lack of funds. Talking about forex, can you justify why the central bank designed special arrangement for Nigerian airlines in terms of foreign exchange and also bailout for airlines? Look at the bailout that American government gave to their airlines. They did so because they know the importance of air transport. That is the honest truth. But I think in this part of the world, we are not getting that benefit. In the US they give you money and oversea the utilisation of the money. With such bailout you can buy spare parts. Or if you want to take your aircraft for maintenance, you can do so. It is not like it is free money. The money will be paid back. The federal government does not have money to give everybody free. They don’t have it. They should give airlines forex because aviation plays critical role in the economy. The first impression foreigners see, is your airport. That is his first point of contact. So that has to be standard. And the next thing you want to see, at least you have domestic carriers that are so good, when people come, they want to travel from point A to B in your country. And you want to make them safe and make them feel good. I know that to certain extent aviation fuel supply is stable and the price is high, do you share the optimism that if Dangote begins reﬁning fuel products in Nigeria, it will help the Nigerian airlines? I totally agree with that because once we are producing, Jet A1 in Nigeria, I see no reason why the price would go high. Now they are importing, they are paying in dollars. They pay with forex too. So by the time the refinery comes on stream, the price will be relatively low. But when you are producing, it is just like when we started the local production of a lot of things; the price has stabilised. I just give you an example with maintenance, when they are bringing their aircraft for maintenance here; it is cheaper for them because it is domestic. You don’t need to look for forex to buy. If Dangote starts producing, he is not looking for forex to buy. He is just producing it here. So it is just local market, all that he does is to give his benchmark.

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BUSINESSWORLD

PERSPECTIVE

Dissecting Buhari’s Fertiliser Revolution Ajayi Wuyiwa

igeria is Africa’s largest country with the fastest growing population. Consequently, the nation’s food needs continue to rise. However, the increase in food production has not kept pace with population growth. This scenario is mirrored in the rising food imports and declining levels of national food self-sufficiency. Clearly, one of the main factors undermining agricultural output is the general suboptimal yield per hectare due to low fertilizer application among other factors. For decades, this has been the bane of the agricultural sector in Nigeria. Curiously, the role of fertilizers in crop yields and agricultural productivity are usually underestimated by many. That’s why mineral fertilizers are used to supplement the soil’s nutrient stocks with minerals that can be quickly absorbed and used by crops. Late distribution of fertilizer to farmers, delivery to unintended beneficiaries, price distortion in markets, crowding out private sector investments and late payment of suppliers added to the mix that made the national agricultural policies of 2006 to 2015 untenable and incapable of improving Nigeria’s fortune in food production. Encumbered by a debt burden of over N60 billion in subsidies, moribund blending plants and over-reliance on imports, the Buhari administration incepted the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) - beginning from the 2nd of December 2016 - kick-started the process that eventually liberated the agricultural sector from the clutches of poorly implemented policies of past administrations. The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) was set up and designed to ‘disrupt’ the status-quo of importing blended fertiliser, by directly negotiating discounted contracts to procure the four constituent raw materials for NPK Fertiliser sourced from Europe - and blending these locally to produce NPK Fertiliser at reduced cost. In the first stage of the five-stage fertilizer initiative, the President engineered the supply of high-quality raw materials at scale to domestic blenders. Secondly, the current government’s import substitution programme was scaled and gradually, restrictions were placed on importation of finished blends of fertilizer. As the blenders attained financial independence and operational wherewithal, the third stage - a total ban on importation of finished fertilizer products - was then implemented. In the fourth stage, the President sought the backward integration towards the domestic production of raw materials (Phosphate, Potash etc.) not currently produced locally - while in the fifth and final phase, government will stimulate a gradual move towards open market commercial production of fertilizers. Notably, the President has made significant strides in ensuring that all the stages above are achieved before the conclusion his administration. In order to manage the programme on behalf of government as a fund manager and programme manager in strict compliance with the programme objectives and under clear governance systems, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) was appointed to serve as the implementing entity. Besides the centrality of NSIA, operating through a Special Purpose Vehicle, NAICNPK Limited and responsible for funding and implementing the PFI, there are other key parties to the programme. These include - the Federal Ministry of agriculture and Rural Development, Office of the National Security adviser (NSA), Central Bank of Nigeria and the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN). Others also include OCP: State-owned Di Ammonium Phosphate producer, on behalf of the Government of Morocco, the Blending Plants accredited under the PFI, the Agro-Dealers and State Governments who off-take the finished products from the Blending Plants and retail to the farmers, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – for testing the products to ensure

consistent in quality of product mix. The PFI has successfully resuscitated the fertilizer blending industry, increasing operational plants from 4 in 2016 to 41 as of year-end 2020, saved Nigeria a whooping US$200 million in foreign exchange, and 60 billion in budgetary provisions for fertiliser subsidy, enhanced food security as a result of the increase in food production, reduced food-induced inflation and stimulation of economic activities across the agriculture value chain and created over a hundred thousand direct and indirect jobs. Looking at the fertilizer and closely related agricultural sector big picture, it is worth recalling that in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari inherited an agricultural sector that was weakened by serial policy inconsistencies. Nigeria solely depended on importation of fertilizers and a subsidy regime that only served to assuage the thirst of corrupt middlemen. But in the last six years, Buhari has led a revolution which has seen millions of Nigerians salvaged from the fangs of poverty and squalor. These Nigerians are farmers: the hitherto forgotten majority and silent majority of our 200 million population. Buhari’s revolution succeeded not because his predecessors had not tried. There had been various agricultural policies over the years - all targeted at helping the Nigerian farmer. There was the Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution, the Growth Enhancement Support (GES), the Agricultural Implements and Mechanisation Services (AIMS), among others. They all failed to achieve their mandates partly because they were centered around the elite. They substantially excluded the real farmers, who are in the rural areas. For instance, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of President Goodluck Jonathan administration was elite centered, used urban-based mechanisms such as mobile phones to distribute fertilizer and other farming requirements to the farmers who are scattered across the width and breadth of Nigerian rural areas. The e-wallet system for fertiliser allocation and distribution introduced by Jonathan’s administration fed fat the voracious middlemen and unscrupulous government officials. The real grassroots farmers were craftily and systematically shortchanged. When the President assumed office, he made it clear he would have none of that. He was determined to reverse this position in a sustainable manner. He had clearly studied all the failed past attempts to revive agriculture and understood the key challenges. He identified adequate financing and access to these financing by rural peasant farmers as a cog in the wheel of progress of the country’s agricultural development. Without any delay, the president co-opted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Under the dynamic leadership of Godwin Emefiele, the apex bank accurately understood the president’s body language and swung into action. The CBN become a strategic driver of economic growth of the country. The CBN under Emefiele introduced various initiatives for concessionary funding of agriculture, which is widely recognised as the sector that has the potential to drive economic growth. In the agriculture sector where rice

production has received the most focus, the CBN development finance initiatives such as the Agricultural Credit Guaranty Scheme, Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme and Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), among others have tremendously helped to reposition the agriculture sector in the country. The key initiative, amongst several, that became the epicenter of the agricultural revolution is the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), which was launched by President Buhari on November 17, 2015 to create a linkage between anchor companies involved in the processing and small holder farmers of the required key agricultural commodities. The programme has focused primarily on rice production. Emefiele recently said that in line with President Buhari’s directive, the bank would boost provision of improved seedlings and access to finance for rural farmers in the agricultural sector, across 10 commodities: Rice, maize, cassava, cocoa, tomato, cotton,

oil-palm, poultry, fish, and livestock/dairy. His words: “Our choice of these 10 crops is driven by the amount spent on the importation of these items into the country, and the over 10 million jobs that could be created over the next five years if efforts are made to expand the cultivation and processing of these items in Nigeria.” But Buhari’s silent agricultural revolution is reincarnating the Nigerian pyramids all over the country. Recently, the biggest rice pyramid in Nigeria was unveiled in Kebbi State. It was unveiled by President Buhari. Before that of Kebbi, other rice pyramids were built and unveiled in Taraba, Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Cross River, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Lagos, Katsina, among others. As statistics from the CBN showed that the ABP has added six million metric tons to rice supply in the country annually and created nearly six million direct jobs in a year. Official data from the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) reveals that about two million direct jobs are created every cropping season. And Nigeria has three cropping seasons in a year, all of them fully funded by the CBN. These jobs are restricted to only the production value chain of rice, and not include millions other jobs created in the processing, packaging, transport, marketing sectors of the rice ecosystem. The ABP has so far saved Nigeria a whooping sum of N369 billion per annum, while the country consumes N1.5 billion worth of rice every day. This breakthrough has saved the country the challenge of sourcing forex or devaluing Nigeria’s currency to finance this monstrous import wage bill. President Buhari has clearly demonstrated leadership at a very difficult period in the evolution of a stable, just and progressive Nigeria state - and the results are showing. -Muyiwa writes from Lagos

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BUSINESSWORLD

MARITIME

Dock Workers Collective Bargaining Agreement Eromosele Abiodun writes that last week renewal of the Collective Bargaining Agreement first signed in 2019 shows that Nigeria is now committed to the welfare of dock workers in line with global best practices

n May 1, 2019, members of the Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN). The agreement, which was midwifed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) alongside other associations in the maritime sector, will improve the welfare of dock workers in line with global best practices. For those who may not be aware, shipping contributes over 90 per cent to the world economy. There are about 51,400 merchant ships plying all over the world, transferring goods between places, keeping the economy running. Whether it is oil from the Gulf or iPhones in containers being delivered from one part of the world to another – everything is running round the clock, with precision and diligence. Also, ships carry more than 90 per cent of the world trade and these ships are manned and operated by seafarers. At the tail end of it are the dockworkers that offload the ships. Hence, it can be safely said that 90 per cent of mankind’s needs are being served by directly or indirectly by seafarers. However, as critical as dock workers and seafarers are to the nation, they are often treated shabbily by ship owners and terminal operators. This has resulted in industrial action leading to shutdown of activity at the ports. For instance, in 2018, maritime workers grounded port operations across the country as they staged protests against the repeal of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) Act. The industrial action by the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transportation and Corporation, which lasted for six and half hours, saw the terminal operators, seafarers, dockworkers and thousands of indirect workers at the Apapa, Tin Can, Onne and other port formations downing their tools. President of NWUN Adewale Adeyanju, had alleged that the presentation of a new bill to repeal the NPA Act, 2004 was not done in good fate as none of the stakeholders in the sectors, especially the two unions, were invited to make input before passing the bill in the Senate. According to him, the new bill sponsored in the House of Representatives by Nicholas Ossai, which aims to establish the Nigerian Ports and Harbour Authority, is a threat to the survival of the ports and job security of workers. He recalled that the concession of the seaports in 2006 had led to the loss of 12,000 jobs when the operations of the NPA were ceded to private terminal operators. “We cannot pinpoint any major deficiency in the present NPA Act that warranted this bill except that the promoters of the bill want to corner for themselves harbour operations, which are the major foreign exchange earner for the NPA and by extension the Federal Government, without thinking about the security implications to the nation and the negative effect on the workforce as it was previously done during the concession exercise, “Adeyanju said. That was not all, early 2016, dockworkers at ENL Consortium, operator of Terminals C and D of the Lagos Port Complex (LPC), Apapa embarked on a strike to protest ill treatment by the management of the company. While the company argued that it was ready to pay off dockworkers who have elected to quit their jobs, the dockworkers insisted it was not so. Legal Adviser of ENL Consortium, Uzamot Boye had said that contrary to claims in certain quarters, workers were issued with valid employment letters when they joined the company. NJIC Intervention However, in a bid to ensure a better living standard for dock workers in the Nigeria maritime industry, STOAN, NIMASA alongside other associations in the sector under the aegis of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC)

Adeyanju

Vicky Haastrup

in 2019, signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is intended to improve the welfare of dock workers in line with global best practices. The agreement, which was documented involves increases in their wages and allowances and certain emoluments and benefits, which include: payment of redundancy and retirement benefits by terminal operators to aged dockworkers, payment of specified allowances to a deceased dock worker’s next of kin and pension contribution scheme for dock workers amongst other items listed in the agreement. The NJIC is the body responsible for negotiating and reviewing of minimum standards for dock labour industry. It was constituted in 2008 following the need to establish minimum standards for the Dock Labour Industry after the ports were concessioned in 2006. The agency is statutorily empowered under section 27(1) (b) of NIMASA Act 2007 to facilitate the NJIC meetings and circulate signed Agreements to all concerned parties. Further to this, the Agency is also to ensure strict compliance on implementation of the CBA. Before the CBA was signed, NIMASA had early 2017 restated its commitment to the welfare of dock workers in the industry. Ahmed had during a meeting with employers and labour unions in Lagos noted that the initiative was with a view to use the tool of constant engagement to ensure that the dock workers’ get better living conditions in line with International Labour laws. Speaking during the signing ceremony of CBA in Lagos, the former Chairman of the NJIC, Mr. Gambo Ahmed, noted that dock labour was an integral part of the maritime industry, hence the need to place priority on their welfare. He urged operators to bear in mind that the welfare of the dock workers would impact a lot on ports operations and in turn the entire economy, hence the need to ensure that they are properly catered for.

they rightly deserve. It is always our joy to bring succour and joy into the hearts of our workers. Before the 2006 port concession, the monthly income of an average dockworker was less than five thousand naira but today, we make bold to say that we now pay our dockworkers very well. “Our dock workers are now well respected and well compensated for the work they do. This is because we acknowledge dockworkers as the bedrock of port operation. Before we became their employers, dockworkers were not respected. They were seen as troublemakers and thugs at the ports. But today, we have worked together with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria to change narrative.” She added: “Dockworkers are professional quayside workers who are vital to port operation. They are essential workers and we are happy to treat and remunerate them as such. I am proud to say that the present crop of dock workers at the various ports across the country are well trained and they conduct themselves professionally.” Also speaking, the President-General of MWUN, Adeyanju, commended the federal government for concessioning the ports to private terminal operators. Adeyanju said the port concession programme had impacted positively on the lives of port workers through the improved welfare package instituted by terminal operators. He said prior to the port concession in 2006, the wages of dock workers were “nothing to write home about” but all that has changed since the concessionaires (terminal operators) took over. He said: “The era of using dockworkers as slaves in their fatherland no longer exists. We want to thank the Federal Government for concessioning the ports because that reform has changed the lives of dockworkers all over the nation’s seaports. “Before concessioning, the wages of dockworkers was nothing to write home about. In those days, an average dockworker that worked for eight hours a day would go home with four thousand naira at the end of the month. We used to have stevedoring contractors but they did not care about the welfare of the workers. Some of the stevedoring contractors even ran away with the pensions of dockworkers.” Adeyanju added “But since the terminal operators came in, we have seen the difference between the stevedoring contractors of those days and the terminal operators of today. We have been enjoying the present arrangement. My happiness today is to see the dockworkers retire back home with something reasonable as retirement benefit.” Also speaking, Executive Director, Cabotage and Maritime Labour at NIMASA, Victor Ochei, commended STOAN and MWUN for signing the new agreement. He urged all concerned to ensure full implementation of the agreement for the benefit of the dockworkers. Ochei, who represented the Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, stated that NIMASA

Renewed commitment The latest CBA, which was signed at the NIMASA in Lagos, was expected to lead to further increase in the wages, allowances and retirement benefits payable to the dockworkers. The agreement would be operational for three years. The CBA, which is for a two-year period, is intended to ensure industrial peace in the maritime industry. It involves requirements for the fair treatment of dockworkers, principally, making sure every employee gets an employment letter and a package of terminal benefits when their contract expires. The Chairman, STOAN, Vicky Haastrup, who led other members of STOAN to sign the agreement with the union, noted that terminal operators had ensured industrial harmony at the seaports since 2006 by prioritizing the welfare of dockworkers. She said: “We are happy as employers of labour to give the dockworkers the wages

was committed to the pursuit of global best practices in the design and implementation of conditions of service for dockworkers. He said: “NIMASA would monitor the implementation of the CBA to ensure that all dockworkers in Nigeria are protected and catered for in line with the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Work Agenda, which focuses on job creation, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue, with gender equality as a crosscutting objective.” Ochei clarified that there would be followup agreements by the different dock labour employers and stakeholders to guarantee maximum protection for dockworkers wherever they worked within the sector. “But all other agreements subsequent to this one would be an addendum to the CBA, which is intended to ensure that minimum standards, as enshrined in the relevant laws and conventions, are respected, “Ochei stated. In her remarks, Director, Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations (TUSIR), Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mrs. Omoabie Akpan, who represented the Minister, said the improved conditions of service in the CBA would have a ripple effect by increasing the productivity of the dockworkers, all for the good of the industry and the economy. Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, praised the leadership of the dock labour community in Nigeria for helping to create the conducive atmosphere in which the agreement was hashed out. Amaechi, who was represented by a deputy director in the ministry, pledged the federal government’s commitment to the implementation of the CBA. Protecting dock workers NIMASA had last year assured stakeholders of its commitment to the protection of the rights and welfare of dockworkers as guaranteed in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Decent Work Agenda. Ochei had gave the assurance in Lagos during a meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC). The meeting discussed a revised minimum wage and improved living standard for dockworkers through the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) initiative endorsed by NIMASA and NJIC in 2018. Ochei stated: “Dockworkers are integral to efficient and effective stevedoring operation and the NJIC has remained resolute in ensuring harmonious working relationships through the principle of tri-partism and the execution of Collective Bargaining Agreements on minimum standards for the dock labour industry.” Ochei, who is also Chairman of NJIC, extolled the efforts of the dock workers to keep the maritime industry afloat, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He said NIMASA was determined to ensure the dockworkers got what was due to them. He called on the council members to cooperate with NIMASA towards ensuring meaningful negotiations that would culminate in the signing of another CBA. He stated that the agency had made necessary arrangements for successful council proceedings. He added that the success of the exercise would further demonstrate Nigeria’s compliance and commitment to the ideals of the ILO Decent Work Agenda, which seeks to promote safe work, decent wage, and freedom of association. The representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Mrs. Joyce Udoinwang, expressed the Ministry’s commitment to the welfare of dockworkers, assuring of its resolve to ensure no dockworker in Nigeria is short-changed. Udoinwang appealed for more cooperation from all the parties involved in the tripartite agreement. Speaking also at the meeting, the representative of the Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Kunle Folarin, applauded NIMASA for its role over the years to promote peace and harmonious labour relations in the industry. Folarin said NJIC would cooperate with the Agency to sustain peace and sanity at the ports.

THIS WEEKEND WEEKLY MAGAZINE

NEWS METRO THISLIFE ART WEEKEND ENTERTAINMENT Group Features Editor: Chiemelie Ezeobi chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com 07010510430

Harvey Ugochukwu Igbanugo: Real Estate Entrepreneur, Philanthropist at 40

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Harvey Ugochukwu Igbanugo: Real Estate Entrepreneur, Philanthropist at 40 Harvey Ugochukwu Igbanugo, a philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO Zelo Homes Limited. Havy Don, as popularly called by friends, who would clock 40 on Easter Monday, has carved a niche for himself through his several empowerment programmes, community development services and thousands of housing projects executed in Lagos. Rebecca Ejifoma reports

young kid. Formula1 is a game I cherish a lot maybe because of when Hamilton came on board and he happened to be the first black man in the race, and as God will have it, he started making us proud. So I’ve been following him and other good driver. Formula1 is my game any day.

ou will be 40 by Easter Monday, so how do you feel about that? Of course I feel fulfilled, coming this far. I thank God for bringing me this far in good health, with a lot of achievements. It’s something to really thank God for. Many people wish to celebrate this day and I thank God I’m among the people God has chosen to be celebrated. So it’s all fun for me and I must first of all be grateful to Almighty God that has given me sound health to witness this great day In my life.

Can you share your happiest moment with your wife and how you met her. Also, with your decade of experience in marital bliss, how were you able to overcome most of the teething challenges of marriage? My wife is a unique one and meeting her too was unique. I have a wonderful marriage as I have been enjoying everything. She doesn’t give me problems, we’ve never had issue that so many people will come and plead on our behalf. Marriage is all about gallops, ups and downs but She makes me happy. She gave me a boy and girls. Of course, I adore her. I make sure she’s happy too as I celebrate her always. I know it might sound surprising when I say things about my son. You see as a child, I used to have girlfriends so when I married it was different from having a girlfriend. There is a bond I have with her that makes her exceptional and exquisite to me, without her I won’t have a son. She played a vital role in my family, taking care of my kids and making sure they have the best things in life.

Looking back in the last 40 years was it an easy journey. Can you share your growing up and some of the things you’ve been able to achieve that makes you feel fulﬁlled as a person? I’ll first of all say that my life has been one of testimony, half of this my year for the past 20 years it has been all testimony upon testimony. While I was a kid, I always had this big dream that I’ll be somebody great. Today, like I said earlier, I feel fulfilled because most things I desire in life has been accomplished with extra so it’s a very big testimony for me. My accomplishments isn’t something I can start naming one by one-they’re too much for me start mentioning. I wouldn’t start telling you how I’ve been progressing in my businesses. I’ve done so many housing in Nigeria- thousands and to God be the glory, I’m still in business considering all the tragedy that has befallen the world including COVID-19. God has a way of making a way for us which I’m so much grateful. That’s why I’ve decided on this my day that I’m also going to touch people’s lives to thank God for the great things He has been doing. You have successfully done some empowerment programs and carried out infrastructural development projects in your community, what inspired you to do these. Are you aspiring for any political position in your state? To be honest, I’m not a politician and I never intend to be one someday. Whatever I do for my community is out of love, I have loved my town from when I was born. I’ve never spent my Christmas holiday anywhere in the world apart from here-this is how much I cherish my town. I have so many friends that come around to visit me and some of them come with exotic cars and complain that we don’t have good roads. So I saw it as a priority for me to make sure I fix the road leading to some of the villages in my town and thank God we’ve been able to do a lot to make sure we develop our town. We can’t just be developing cities whereas your town is in debris. It gives me joy and I’m willing to do more You’ve been able to register your name in the hearts of the people no doubt, but can you say at 40 you’re proud of your achievements? I’ll first of all applaud myself for how far God has brought me and how I’ve been able to manage my relationship with people. It is not easy because 40 years is not four years. So if you’ve been able to create good relationship with so many people in the last 40 years, that’s to say that the next 40 years will be better. I’m not content with what I’ve done in the last 40 years but I’m happy with what I’ve achieved in the last 40 years and I pray that the next 40

Igbanugo and family

will be better than the previous. You’re one person that’s loved by virtually all your friends, what’s the secret behind that? I have this belief that there’s great value in friendship. I’ve been in so many places whereby people I don’t even know helped me. We started being friends and those relationships yield great fruits in my life and create great impact in me. So I value friendship a lot. I’m this kind of person that I give friendship 99 per cent and it has always favoured me most times. Everything must not always go the way you want it but I can tell you half of the time, it’s been nice sharing testimonies from friends. I have so many friends I can’t even mention their names one by one, but to be honest with you, one way or the other, they’ve stood by me in times of difficulty and challenges many things. So I value friendship, I have friends spread all over the world. There’s no place you’ll mention I know somebody there and anybody I know knows me. That’s the kind of friendship I build, because I want to put something in you that you won’t forget about me in a hurry. At 40, do you have any regrets as a person? At 40, like I said earlier it’s all about testimony. I don’t have any regrets, everything about me has been the way I wanted it. God

has been so kind to me. I have a family and three beautiful kids. So I have a boy and two girls, a wife, my parent because my dad is late. I have my siblings and we’re all fine and in good relationship with everybody. So everything that revolves around me is love. Like I said, I’ll say that my 40 is fulfilled. Can you share your happiest moment in life? One of the happiest moments is the day I had my son. I felt like I’ve gotten the whole world because that was the only thing left for me at that moment. I believe I need to do it and feel accomplished. So the moment he arrived and we looked at each other, in as much as they say he can’t see I believe he was looking at me, I feel that I’m made. So it’s one of the joy I can’t just erase and he has been making me proud till date. So any other thing is the same kind of fun I’ve been feeling, there’s nothing different, wealth, money, cars all those things revolve around each other. That’s why I call him my original love. What are your hobbies? I know how to do a lot of things. I remember back in secondary school I used to be the best prefect. I can run, play tennis, football, badminton and javelin. I had an idea of many things but today, one of my favourite games is formula1. I love cars and I love F1. I know all the rules and I follow them a lot as a very

How has your wife inspired you as a person? She’s my number one cheerleader, she puts me on gear five always to make sure I get things done. She looks out for me. Whenever I’m depressed in business , she calls everybody in the office to know what’s happening, why I’m sad, why things aren’t going well. She got my back and she doesn’t want me to spend so much on things that aren’t necessary. She’s considerate and not materialistic. I can tell how many things she has asked me to buy for her, I fight to buy things for her. Having seen four decades on earth, what is your advice to young people? This life is all about focus. My advice to the young generation is for them to keep their head up, focus in everything they’re doing. If you’re a mechanic, know that you have to be strong and determined to do the work well, put in your effort. You can be a car manufacturer tomorrow if you understand the mechanism of how the car is produced. But today, everybody wants to be on the fast lane. I use myself as an example-when I started real estate, I started with just one plot of land project and every morning I’ll be there to count my sand and iron planks to make sure the supplier supply the right quantity I ordered for and today I have employees that do all those counting for me. I was steadfast in what I was doing as I resume very early to make sure everything is in place and I’ll leave my site at the close of work, but I can tell you today I don’t go to most of my sites. So my advice to young people is be focused. Whatever you’re doing, give it time, nobody can add value to your own business. Nobody can promote your business more than you do. So if you put your best in whatever you do, you’ll actualise a positive reward.

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Akwa-Cross Indigenes Express Dismay over Governments’ Neglect

Easter:BasketMouth,Obesere ExciteAudienceatLiVE!Lounge

Stories by Mary Nnah The Association of AkwaCross Indigenes Nigeria has expressed dismay over the seeming negligence exhibited towards the association by both theAkwa Ibom and Cross River State governments. This was revealed during the annual thanksgiving service of the association held recently to thank God for His unwavering faithfulness, mercies and divine intervention, despite numerous challenges facino be one, and there is still need to promote that brotherhood as we still share things in common.” In his sermon, which dwelt on the powers of thanksgiving,

LiVE!... “A Night of Fuji Music” with fuji legend Obesere

President General, Association of Akwa-Cross Indigenes Nigeria, Etubom Unyime Samson (5th from left), wife, Elizabeth (6th from left) ﬂanked by other executive members

sacrifice and praises to God, minister in-charge of the host church, Evang. Victor Robert, said the mystery of expressing gratitude to God should not be taken for granted, as

God honours the praises and thanksgiving of his people Highpoints of the occasion was a presentation of a brand new 5.5 KVA petrol generator by the association to the host

church, special prayers for the two sisters states and Nigeria in general, as well, members of the association by the General Overseer of the host church, Prophet Benjamin Abia.

Toast to a Visual Icon, Pa Femi Akintobi It was a moment of joy for Pa Femi Akintobi and his immediate family as he was hosted to a grand reception in commemoration of his 78th birthday by the Guild of Photojournalists Nigeria (GPN) in Lagos recently. GPN, a professional body born to give a new narrative to photojournalism, chose to identify and celebrate the septuagenarian for his advisory roles in the affairs of the profession. The chairman of the GPN and Photo Editor of THISDAY Newspaper, MrAbiodunAjala, in his eulogy described PaAkintobi as “a rare photojournalist, an inspiring leader and a true senior citizen of the country who lives and works by the principles of justice, fair play and Integrity”. Ajala continued, “During our trials in the Machiavel-

Toast to a Visual Icon... Pa Femi Akintobi ﬂanked by his colleagues

lian hands of our erstwhile colleagues in PJAN, he stood for truth, justice, fair play and ultimate good of photojournalism nationwide. “For the pursuit of such noble ideals, he got insulted and blackmailed. Despite all the sabotaging distractions, he stood firm and threw his professional weight onto the cause of justice, fairness and

MoreplexTVBerth in Nigeria Markets A new pay TV service provider company, Moreplex TV, is set to disrupt the pay TV markets in Nigeria. This was made known recently in a chat with some journalists in Lagos. The President/Chief Executive Officer of Moreplex TV, John Okorocha, said his firm is set to break into the existing tough pay TV markets by providing the consumers indigenous contents that reflect the Nigerian tradition and culture at a very reasonable price. “We will provide flexible payment that will make it easy for the consumers to sign on, at prices so low and so flexible that they will continue to subscribe, we basically will be giving control back to where it belongs, which are the subscribers.” Moreplex TV, the CEO said, would be focusing on the economics of success in the Pay TV business adding, “with our platform, there will not be any need for anyone to purchase a decoder and not use it. “Consumers can also return their decoders for a refund, as long as it is in good working condition, we do not think that it is right for Nigerians to purchase many decoders, only for them not to use them but continue to accumulate dust. “We will use price and quality indigenous contents

Moreplex TV CEO, John Okorocha

to keep our customers, we are very confident that our product will be so good that no one will want to reject our service, and that is why we are willing to give you back your money after you have made a purchase”. Explaining further that Moreplex TV has designed any sort of flexibility that anyone can think of, he added, “we have channels grouped into the traditional packages that most people already know. “ We have saily, weekly, monthly, and yearly pay for the packages, we also have a la carte payment per channel per day. That means that someone can choose to watch a particular channel on any particular day, we also have Pay Per View, in terms of premium contents, like brand new cinema movies, live sporting events, and so on, all will be at affordable prices”.

team spirit.” Amember of GPN and Photo Editor, Independent Newspapers, Mr Kunle Ajayi attested to the celebrant’s great moral compass. “Pa Akintobi is being celebrated because of his audacity to stand for truth when the group(GPN) was wrongly treated. I urge us to take a clue from Baba’s exemplary

character and always stand for the truth.” he said. A veteran and senior photojournalist, Mr Benedict Uwalaka, also in his remark commended Pa Akintobi as an astute achiever and worthy of emulation. “I count it a privilege to be part of this gathering. Your integrity stands you out among your equals without an iota of doubt and this was proven during the pre/postelection period of PJAN that culminates in GPN.” Pa Akintobi, is one of the founding fathers of the Photojournalists Association of Nigeria. He worked at Concord Newspapers and PUNCH. During his active years, PaAkintobi documented the Afro beat legend, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti and also had a sizable cut in Nigeria football history.

LivingEncouragedMinistriesReach outtoUnderprivilegedWomen Living Encouraged Ministries, a vision given by God to reach out to people in every walk of life with one message - renewed hope, is set to hold another outreach scheduled to take place today, April 2 at BSK Event Centre, Egbe, Lagos Tagged, “Sought out Conference”, over 80 women would be benefitting from the exercise, where they would be given free skill acquisition training. The Founder, Pastor Rosemary Akaette, said “We have seasoned entrepreneurs who will be training these women on simple money making skills they can build on - everyday makeup, hair making, liquid soap/detergent production, simple snacks and cake making”. She revealed further that one of women who has been under scheme will be given salon equipment to start her salon business. She said further that after the empowerment programme the organisation will continue touching lives. “By God’s grace, next month, May 2021, we will be reaching out to single mothers and widows in Akwa Ibom State to empower these women. “We are also working on an outreach in Cameroon with a focus on abused women

As the Easter season chimes with expectations and awesome ideas for relaxation, LiVE! Lounge has unveiled two amazing experiences for the week. In anticipation of the celebration, the venue is set to host “A Night of Fuji Music” with fuji legend Obesere on Easter Sunday, April 4. Kicking off the week last Wednesday March 31, was the popular and rib-cracking Laugh Out LiVE! show hosted by Basketmouth alongside some of Nigeria’s finest comedians. As witnessed on the first day, guests will enjoy a front row experience of Lagos City’s finest comedians while devouring the best of LiVE! menu. The Easter celebrations caps off with a special fuji night with Obesere. A first of its kind, the evening will feature energetic performances from Nigeria’s music icon Abass “Obesere” Akande, aka Omo Rapala. The native of Ibadan gained notoriety through his unusual music style and slang usage that throws his fans into frenzy. Famous for his monster hit, ‘Egungun Be Careful’, Obesere is widely celebrated amongst millennials for his wide spread influences in Afro-pop culture and recent transcendence into contemporary music and mainstream media.

Bank Challenges Women to Take Centre Stage Given the challenges women face in the workplace and their attempt to break away from societal stereotypes, Africa’s largest retail bank, Access Bank Plc, held a virtual fireside chat recently. The chat analysed the issues women face and proffered solutions to help them own their voices, fight impostor syndrome and maintain assertiveness in a non-inclusive workplace. The fireside chat was themed “Take the Centre Stage: Speak Up!” and featured keynote speakers Dr DereAwosika - Chairman, Access Bank Plc.; Aishah Ahmad - Deputy Governor, CBN; Ayona Trimnell Group Head, W Initiative at Access Bank; as well as an interesting line-up of panelists including; Marketing and Innovation Director, Guinness Nigeria - Adenike Adebola, Director of Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group Limited - Pearl Uzokwe, amongst other remarkable women. Group Managing Director and CEO, Access Bank PLC, Dr Herbert Wigwe , gave the welcome address for the event while the keynote speech was given by Aishah Ahmad. Ahmad discussed the challenges women have faced and are still facing, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic – highlighting issues ranging from unemployment to domestic violence. Awosika in her address on impostor syndrome shared some interesting insights which highlighted the various ways women can overcome self-doubt. She said, “As women, we must understand that we live in a world that recognizes confidence, so be confident. A woman must wear her confidence and not throw a pity party for herself. We must change that long-standing narrative that women must be pious and stop fostering narratives that promote imposter syndrome in women. Identify allies - mentors, advocates, friends, who are supportive of your talents and professionalism and work with them.”

Living Encouraged Ministries Founder, Rosemary Akaette

Lord’sChosenHoldsAnotherCrusade

and children, especially rape victims. “I must state though, we try not to make public most of the things we do because we are dealing with people’s lives and destiny. We try to respect their privacy.” Akaette who said that her experiences in life inspired her to start Living Encouraged Ministries, added, “I came from a humble background, raised by a single mother who struggled to provide for four children. “Life has also taken me through parts and terrains that have made me see life from different angles and tasting different experiences, good, bad and the ugly. However, through it all, one factor never failed to pull me through…and that was God.”

The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Church is set to hold a special two-day Easter programme titled, God’s Covenant of Peace and Blessing scheduled to hold on Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4 at the Chosen Revival Ground, Along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, by Ijesha, Bus Stop, Lagos, by 8am daily. According to a press release made available to THISDAY by the church’s Director, Public Relations, Pastor Louis Chidi, the programme is divinely inspired to help bring to mind the significance of Easter which symbolises the victory of Jesus Christ over death and which by extension is the victory over hopelessness and misery. “It is at Easter that we are reminded of how God sent His son to die as a sacrifice for all our sins in order to rescue us from the impending destruction that has been meted out as punishment for us as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve. “Accordingly, by His death and resurrection, the covenant of peace and blessing which mankind originally had with God at creation is restored. Christ thus became the great sacrifice for our peace and blessing. “The General Overseer Pastor Lazarus Muoka is therefore inviting all to come and witness the demonstration of God’s power that will bring a lasting peace to the country.” The church said a free transport arrangement has been made by the ministry to convey people to the venue from any location within the Lagos metropolitan city.

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E-TRENDS

MUSIC SHOWBIZ

…Your weekly entertainment delight

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Busiswa on Barriers Facing Female Artists in Africa Stories by Vanessa Obioha The music landscape in Africa is still maledominated and competitive for female artists. Only a handful have been able to mark their footprints in the industry. Such artists include South African singer-songwriter and poet Busiswa Gqulu. The artist was in the country recently to promote her new reality TV series ‘Her Majesty: Busiswa’ showing on BET Africa. In a chat, Busiswa lamented the pressure being placed on female artists in Africa. “There’s still a lot of barriers to women becoming successful artists and I always use the example of how men will never know what it’s like to be pregnant and be in the public eye. That’s something that men will never experience and understand.” The way the artist whose musical fame began in 2012 sees it, women are expected to bloom later in the music industry. “You don’t see young females blowing up in

Busiswa

the industry so quickly because females are not encouraged to be public figures or artists for a living. We know that our continent is struggling

with poverty and females become concerned with feeding their families, rather than flourishing as individuals and creatives, which is what boys tend to be more encouraged to do,” she argued. Other contributing factors include the perception that upcoming female artists have to be like established female acts. “They realise later that they have to walk the journey as their authentic selves. As long as they are connecting with other people, that is fine. They don’t have to be like the iconic beautiful females out there. Being authentic is what is going to sell you and that is the beauty in every artist.” ‘Her Majesty: Busiswa’ hopes to convey that message to young girls with musical dreams on the continent. The 13-part local reality TV series premiered on BET Africa on Saturday, March 20 and serves as a visual companion to the musical journey of the 32-year-old musician. It is the second time the artist is giving fans a glimpse of her life. Her first documentary, ‘Busiswa: An Unbreakable

Ogidi Studios Scores High Points, Gets Support from FG The recent unveiling of Ogidi Studios, a multi-functional creative facility by Temple Company drew accolades from top dignitaries and stakeholders. In a two-day launch ceremony, celebrities in attendance were left in awe at the sight and functionality of the production outfit nestled in a quiet neighbourhood in Lekki. To an extent, the reactions were expected. Since it began operations in Nigeria, Temple Company has built an enviable reputation, starting with the management arm that signed many big wigs in sports, arts, music, film as talents. With Ogidi Studios, the company is again positioning Nigeria as a world-class creative hub for both local and international productions. “With the Ogidi Studios, Nigeria now operates on the same level of sound and video technology with major global players,” said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in a video message. “The entire value chain in music and entertainment can now be local. So, we are at the cusp of

Sanwo-Olu and Olorunnimbe at Ogidi Studios opening

a revolution in entertainment production, creative talent and services, and a major economic opening for business in Nigeria.” Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola who also delivered a recorded message said that Ogidi Studios “is consistent with the government of the Buhari administration to revamp, expand and improve on Nigeria’s infrastructure as a critical driver for national economy and growth.” For the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare,

the facility represents a unique opportunity to engage the youths. He announced that the Federal Government through his ministry will train 1000 Nigerian youths in two to four weeks courses. The partnership will cover courses in graphic design, 2D animation, video editing pro, sound production, cinematography, art direction, filmmaking 101 and creative writing. “We want to make sure that every month, a hundred of them come here. We will pay full expenses; they can get certified,

Femi Sofela and Friends Perform Tonight at International Afrofusion Night Tonight, Femi Sofela and friends will be performing at the International Afrofusion Night taking place at Freedom Park, Lagos. British-Nigerian born Femi is a prolific bassist, singer, composer, arranger and producer. He was born into a musical family and started his musical journey on the drum kit. He later moved to rhythm guitar and finally, bass when the band he formed with his other friend in secondary school needed a bassist. Femi has produced countless albums for different artists, both secular and gospel, from different genres and was a music director for many artists both in Nigeria and the UK. He produced a project for BBC RADIO 4. He also played with The African Jazz Allstars in many con-

Femi Sofela and friends

certs globally. He is the in-house music director for Joyful Noise Productions and has currently produced two successful albums for them including ‘Funmi Ti De’ by Funmi Olawumi. In 2012, he formed Femi and the InRhythms (an afro-funk embellished with African traditional jazz) band that is managed and funded

by Joyful Noise Productions The band had toured both locally and internationally. Their latest album is ‘Pressure To Pleasure’. International Afrofusion Night is produced by Joyful Noise Records and will also feature Ace Trombonist Femi Slide, Adunni Nefertiti and DJ Raymond Brown.

become entrepreneurs, creators of wealth, employees of labour and also contribute to national economic development,” he said. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu who was present at the launch endorsed the facility as part of his administration agenda to promote entertainment and tourism in the state. “Ogidi Studios has no peers but we realized the need for more infrastructures to spring-up so that as stakeholders we can take African talents to global dominance. As Templers, we pursue our goals with African excellence in mind, anything below that is not good enough,” remarked Group Chief Executive Officer of Temple Management, Idris Olorunnimbe. Other prominent faces at the event include US Consul General to Nigeria, Claire Pierangelo; Chairman, First Bank Plc, Ibukun Awosika, Oniru of Iru land, Oba Abdulwasiu Lawal, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Uzamat AkinbileYusuf, Don Jazzy, Seun Kuti, Tee-Y Mix, Victor Ehikhamenor, Bisola Aiyeola among others.

Filmmaker Nnaebue to Hold Masterclass with Bournemouth University Students Nigerian filmmaker Ike Nnaebue has been invited by Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Media and Communication to give a practical masterclass on film directing. The masterclass is part of the postgraduate directing course taught in the institution. “Knowledge sharing is at the core of my essence, so I am always delighted every time I have an opportunity to share tricks and techniques that I’ve picked up over two decades of plying this trade,” said Nnaebue. He added that he is very passionate about encouraging an exchange of cultures and ideologies. “This masterclass exposes students from the university and students from our creative hub to one another’s film culture, workflow and production approach.”

Story’ focused on her upbringing. In ‘Her Majesty: Busiswa’, the artist takes the viewer on the intricacies that make up the artist she is today. “It delves deeper into who I am and my future. How I see myself going global at a time the spotlight is on African music.” For Busiswa, sharing her journey on a platform like BET Africa is a testament to the company’s commitment to investing in local talent and content. “When channels like BET invest in talent and in content that is local, it is true to us. There are many girls like me in my country who grew up rural, in towns, and are 100 per cent thoroughbred South African. When these girls see me on this platform, they feel represented. Understanding that as a public figure, so much can be said, read or written about you, but when you tell your own story, that is the most powerful part of yourself that you can share with the world. And when you share that, then all the girls who see themselves in you can see themselves on such a big platform.”

TheVoiceNigeriaS3:Four ContestantsMakeitThroughFirst Weekof BlindAuditions Rachel Ogonodi, Oluwabukola Ogunbodede, Oluwatosin Emehinola and Peace Amaefula are the first contestants to sail through the first week of the blind auditions of The Voice Nigeria. The show returned for the third season last weekend with glam and heat as the coaches performed snippets of their songs to usher in the new season. Rachel, a 31-year-old singer and music coach kicked off the competition with her performance of Lara George’s ‘Ijoba Orun’. She got four chair turns and had the coaches pitching fiercely to have her on their teams. She would finally pick Darey, one of the new coaches of the season. However, she was Darey’s only pick for the episode as Yemi Alade and Falz —, equally new— snatched up other contestants. Oluwabukola and Oluwatosin chose Yemi while Peace settled for Falz whom she believed had an ear for her kind of music. Of all the contestants of the episode, only Rachel had four chair turns. Oluwabukola who performed Alicia Keys ‘Girl on Fire’ had three while Oluwatosin and Peace had only two turns. Returning judge Waje is

yet to have a contestant on her team. She had hoped that Peace who sang Tems’ ‘Try Me’ would pick her as a coach. For newbies Darey and Falz, subsequent weeks will see how they fare in the show. Falz already sets himself apart as one with a keen eye for Gen Z talents while Darey, who is versatile in hosting shows is yet to step out of that shoe. On more than one occasion, he urged the contestant to make their choice as if he was a presenter rather than a coach. This season of The Voice Nigeria marked the first time the show will be fully produced in Nigeria. Previous editions were produced in South Africa. By the quality of the production, it was evident that the producers of the show UN1TY Ltd and Livespot360 threw all in the ring to meet the global standards of the show. The season is hosted by Toke Makinwa and Nancy Isime and will involve four stages: blind auditions, knockouts, battles and live shows. It airs every Saturday night on African Magic Showcase (DStv 151), Urban (DStv 153), and Family (DStv 154, GOtv 2) at 8pm, and Sundays on AIT, Views TV, Wazobia TV and Max at 6pm.

Rachel Ogonodi performing at The Voice Nigeria S3

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NNS BEECROFT Holds Valedictory Parade for Former Commander Chiemelie Ezeobi Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT recently held a valedictory parade of Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shettima, its immediate past commander, who held sway from April 19, 2019 till his recent appointment as Managing Director, Navy Building and Construction Company (NBCC), Abuja. Shettima who commanded the premiere base was also the Maritime Component Commander, Operation Awatse. In his valedictory remarks, Rear Admiral Shettima, who gave account of his stewardship, said the base made considerable progress in the areas of welfare, operations and infrastructural development, adding that strategies were articulated upon his assumption of command to safeguard maritime-based resources and assets, reduce incidences of oil theft as well as ensure general improvement in the overall security of his Area of Responsibility (AOR). He said: “NNS BEECROFT’s strategic location in the busiest and largest economic zone of the country puts a lot of responsibility on the base as its functions have direct bearing on

the socioeconomic well being of Lagos State, the South-west and the nation at large. “Accordingly, the base leveraged existing cooperation of the Lagos State government, relevant stakeholders in the maritime sector and other security agencies to synergise efforts at enhancing the security of all key and vulnerable points. “I am pleased to state that the strategy paid off and gave spur for the operational successes achieved by the base. “For instance, unlike in the past when pipeline vandalism and oil theft were rampant, a robust and vigorous security strategy by the base led to a massive reduction in the activitives of these vandals who attempt to siphon and sell these stolen products at the detriment of the nation’s finances. “Under my watch, the base conducted numerous operations which led to the dismantling of many illegal connections along our pipelines. “These efforts by the base have led to a reduction of PMS losses along this line from 27.25 per cent in the past, to less than five per cent today saving the nation billions of naira. “This was achieved through

Rear Admiral Shettima reading his valedictory remarks

Outgone NNS BEECROFT Commander, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Shettima handing over to his successor, Commodore B Mohammed

clearance operations at the Atlas Cove and Tarkwa Bay, which used to be havens for pipeline vandals and criminal syndicates, resulting in significantly fewer disruptions to NNPC operations within the area.

“Additionally, the base conducted patrols which led to the arrest of several vessels involved in illegal bunkering and other illicit activities. All the vessels were handed over to appropriate prosecuting agencies.”

On the role the base played during the #EndSARS protest last October, Rear Admiral Shettima said they safeguarded critical infrastructures, office and private properties and carried sting operations to recover loots worth several millions that were handed over to the state government for return to the rightful owners. On infrastructural renewal of the base, he said: “A key aspect of my stewardship as Commander NNS BEECROFT was geared towards the infrastructural renewal of the base. This was aimed at improving the overall security, functionality and aesthethics of the base. “Some of the projects undertaken include the construction of an automated main gate, complete rehabilitation of the motor transport yard, provision of additional office spaces for officers and the renovation and equipping of the operations rooms. “Others include the installation of a 60 camera high definition CCTV surveillance system which covers the base as well as its seaward approaches. “Addtionally, the parade ground stand which we are

seated for this ceremony was completed and recently commisioned during our watch. “Another key area of the base’s achievement during my tenure was the welfare of personnel and civilian staff, which was accorded high priority. These include various projects executed to boost personnel morale and the wellbeing of their families.” Security personnel at the parade included the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Lawrence Fejokwu; Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) Rear Admiral Kamaurudeen Lawal; Commissioner of Police (CP) Hakeem Odumosu; and Commander Ninth Brigade, Brigadier General Sale Kawugana. Others include the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), as well as heads of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state.

New Samsung Galaxy A Series Make Innovation Accessible to Gen Z Vanessa Obioha As part of its commitment to making its products available to all, particularly the trendsetting Gen Z, Samsung recently launched a new Galaxy A series. The phones A32, A52 and A72 come with a higher quality camera that allows users to immerse themselves in a clear viewing experience

with a smooth scrolling display and enjoy greater peace of mind with innovative Galaxy foundation features including water resistance and a long-lasting battery. This new powerful innovation makes communication seamless. “Samsung strives to give consumers what they want and need most. That’s why we set out with a vision for the Galaxy

KERNOtoThrillMusic LoverswithNewSingle Rebecca Ejifoma Nwatu Kennedy Uchechukwu, best known as KERNO, came prepared for 2021, as his new yet-to unveil single aims to wow music enthusiasts home and abroad when it finally drops. The artiste, who is a professional architect, said he had been deep neck trying to wrap up his new project. “I’ve been working on my project, Fast

Life, lately and I am glad to say I’m almost done”. While recalling that he began music as a rapper in church rapper, KERNO shared how he would exhibit his skills in rapping during youth weeks. Having dropped his first album in 2020 – same year he started music professionally, the musician groaned at the common challenge among newbie artistes, “finance and record deal basically,” said

GoodgirlLA’sBando,aBreathofFreshAir Rebecca Ejifoma Nigeria’s fast rising singer, Euphamiarunyi Ekunah, with stage name Goodgirl LA, has dropped her new banging single, Bando – a breath of fresh air. Inspired by the traumatic experiences of young people last year, Goodgirl LA described Bando as a soothing relief for young minds to vibe with. “Bando is a word for a

house”, she expressed “where there are a lot of young people engaging in quite a lot of interesting things,” she shared with pressmen in Lagos. While weaving her life story into what the youth does today – make money and have fun – the reality singer conceded, “that is what I do most of the time”, as she described the Nigerian youth as the most industrious globally.

A series to democratise Galaxy innovations for everyone,” said Iretiogo Oke, Head of Marketing at Samsung Nigeria. “The Galaxy A32, A52and A72 encapsulate the Galaxy brand philosophy with cutting-edge innovations, services and features at an accessible price.” The latest A series stands out with its unique camera features. The A52 and A72 allow users to

turn 4k videos into 8MP resolution images with 4K video snap; create sharp and steady images day or night and add style and unique flair to content using AR Emoji, My Filter and AR lenses from Snapchat with Fun Mode. To enable users to enjoy their phones without the fear of running low on battery, the new A series provides a long-lasting

battery for users. For instance, the Galaxy A32 and A72 come with a 5,000mAh battery while the A52, a 4,500mAh battery. The A52 and A72 are equipped with the Galaxy essentials including stereo speakers and external memory up to 1TB. Also, the redesigned One UI 3 helps enable more intuitive experiences and consistent interactions by increas-

ing speed, reducing distractions and highlighting important information. The Galaxy A52 and A72 will support software upgrades for three generations, and regular security updates for a minimum of four years. With a sleek design, the new A series van be found in Awesome Violet, Awesome Blue, Awesome Black, andAwesome White.

Group Cries Out over Alleged Unfair Treatment by NPA Mary Nnah Petroleum Products Depot Owners Association (PPDOA), made up of depot owning companies who utilise the key jetty located long Dockyard Road, Apapa, for discharge, operation and services of petroleum products to various part of the country, particularly Lagos, has cried out over what it termed injustice and unlawful treatment by the management of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) at the Apapa Ports Complex, Lagos. The injustice, they alleged was being meted by the Port Manager, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Bolanle Olotu, who for a while now, closed the Waziri Jetty in alleged flagrant disobedience to a subsisting court injunction protecting the group’s business operations. During a briefing in Lagos addressed by the aasociation’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Trisha Okereke , the group consisting of Hensmor Nigeria Limited; A-Z Petroleum Nigeria Limited; G-Eurafric Nigeria Limited; One Terminal Nigeria Limited;

PPDOA members duirng the brieﬁng recently

Aiteo Energy and NIPCO Plc, alleged that the “port manager has taken up illegalities against the injunction which mandated that NPA, its agents and/or assigns should not lease out the common user facility of the Waziri Jetty and should not interfere with our petroleum business by preventing use and / or access to the Waziri Jetty”. Okereke explained further that the injunction was issued to protect the operators’ rights when NPA attempted to stop their business operations in 2007 when the group protested on the lease of the common user jetty land for base oil business, to one of the users of the jetty. She lamented that, unfortunately, today, the Port manager has locked up the Waziri Jetty, preventing the operators from

accessing the jetty for the legitimate operations of their petroleum businesses. “The port manager’s flawed reasoning is based upon investigating erroneous facts and hearsays from one company whom she claims has been given a lease of the jetty land. “This admittance which the port manager has made in writing, flouts the subsisting court injunction given in favour of the petroleum company users of the jetty”, Okereke noted. Speaking further, she said: “As if that was not enough, the port manager took steps to padlock the jetty water front, preventing the users of the jetty from accessing it. Okereke who described this action as a, “clear and unacceptable abuse of power

which the current injunction barred, explained that, “the jetty land which is in dispute and contention is one that borders the jetty waterfront area which is the portion of the jetty used for our operations. “ But because we are resisting and protesting any lease and /or use of the jetty land, the port manager has taken actions to sanction our protests by preventing our use of the water front.” She said Olotu’s actions show a shocking disregard for the law and must there be stopped, adding, “Olotu’s reprisal was in direct reaction to our heavy protests against the alleged lease she claimed was issued to Leader Marketing by NPA”. PPDOA lamented further that the closure of the jetty has interfered with their businesses and livelihood that the masses derive from them. They appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi; members of the National Assembly and all the authorities concerned to come to their rescue.

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ 2021

ART WEEKEND

…For pure art enthusiasts

Explosive Curiosity in Lekan Ajayi’s ‘Questioning Voices’

MosaicTheatre Production Revs with ‘DRIVE-IN’Theatre in Abuja A poet’s internal war of wit is glaring in his new collection of poems arising from every day realities to the crescendo of globaldiscourse,Yinka Olatunbosun writes

uring the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic, a former journalist, banker and writer, Olalekan Ajayi found himself working from home, like most people around the world. Apart from the usual distractions, Ajayi had his own personal struggles with procrastination. In his own words, his last collection of poetry titled “A Day Shall Come’’ was published in 2015 after several years of procrastination. In that collection were poems as old as 20years and some had been previously published in anthologies and journals. This new collection, ‘Questioning Voices’ is out six years after the debut collection and the poems were completed during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘Questioning Voices’- 80-poem strong piece-is a product of thoughts and curiosity. This collection also raises questions on behalf of individuals who had either been silent or silenced by the complexity of human nature and justice. In a rather humorous tone, the poet asks difficult questions from the mundane to the consequential. Sub-divided into six parts, the collection offers varied length of poems, with quite a few in narrative style. Even the most mundane subject matters convey serious undertones. For instance, in the poem “Sleepless,’’ the poet marvels at the ease with which night watchmen fall asleep while he who has engaged the service of the watchmen deals with insomnia. That, it itself, forms a larger picture of the

Book Cover

rise in insecurity from the failure and sheer irresponsibility of those who had been entrusted to keep the citizens of a nation safe. Another interesting piece in the collection is “The Land of the Free’’ which is a symbolic take on racism, black identity and culture shock for a

Nigerian or any African who travels for the first time to the United States of America, touted as the home of civil liberty. With the renewed call for an end to racial discrimination through movements like Black Lives Matter, a poet’s commitment has been redefined by this duty to conscience

and consciousness. Ajayi also situated the work against its period, documenting the agony and hopelessness that accompany the Covid-19 pandemic in the poem titled “Waiting for the Plague to Pass.’’ That mood of despair is mirrored in “At the Foot of the Unknown Soldier’’ where the poet raised a barrage of questions around the lasting horrors of war and the morality of having a repeat of such in a nation’s history. The poet also offers a very benign commentary on the decay in infrastructure in his creative use of figure of speech in the piece titled “Conversation with Myself.’’ In it, he likens the gush of his questions to a “burst public pipe.’’ This imagery is relatable for many Nigerians who had often watched public roads degenerate into an appalling state just because a burst public pipe had not been fixed by the supposedly concerned authorities. But he boldly takes a swipe at the feminist movement for challenging tradition and being “more passionate than religious’’ in their global call for equality with men. The poet questions the intent of the peddlers of this propaganda and the unity of purpose. It is not uncommon to find many leading feminists dissociate themselves from other shades of feminism. This trend speaks volumes about the evolution of this well-meaning movement that had become saturated by many who embellish the movement with other beliefs. But that is not to say that the poet is blind to causes that serve the interest of women and girls. In his poem, “Unmindful mind,’’ he gives a powerful statement on rape, molestation and sexual abuse. Truly, ‘Questioning Voices’ is a handy mix-bag of rational debates about humanity.

In Lagos, Amadi Unmasks his Chemical Poems Yinka Olatunbosun Ifeanyi Amadi, a UAE-based Nigerian writer recently hosted journalists in Lagos to mid-day conversations around his two books titled “Tourist in Wahala Land” and “The Chemical Poems of Ayatollah Khameni.” The graduate of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) left the Nigerian shores five years ago in pursuit of his dreams as a biomedical technologist. But when he is not in a laboratory mixing chemicals, he is probably preparing reagents for socio-political discourse through his writings. As a former student union member at UNIPORT, he had been disillusioned by the ineffectuality that often trails the fight against corruption and human rights abuses in his home country. In his frustration, he was prepared even for violent revolution against the corrupt leaders. With the hunger for positive change, he started to map out a strategy for activism. But when much didn’t change during the time of President Musa Yaradua, he had a serious rethink. “I tried to start a movement during the Yaradua period but it failed. But after that, I decided that starting a

L-R: Author Ifeanyi Amadi, Archie Abia and Tajudeen Sowole at the unveiling of the two books

movement will not be the best option. I have to reach people individually by channeling my energy into writing,’’ he recounted. Upon his arrival at UAE, he started working on his collection of poetry, largely influenced by his knowledge of Iran, French and Cuban revolution as well as “The Rosicrucian Manifestos.’’ But the acerbic truths loaded in the poetry collection made it hard to be published in the UAE, a country

where there is strong government interference in publications. “I finished the book and published it through AuthorHouse in the UK. The chemical poems ofAyatollah Khameni is a collection of poems expressing my opinion and my anger towards the ills and the evil that is happening in the society. Most of the poems are about corruption and the backwardness of our race when compared to other races in the world,’’ he revealed. For this

poetry collection, he was nicknamed “Ayatollah Khameni’’ during his university days. Like his poem, his play ‘Tourist in Wahala Land’ dramatizes corruption through the archetypal characters. With a colourful cover made of animated graphics, the book is a fictional satire based on a tourist’s sojourn to a third-world country. As a Nigerian living in the UAE, he has had a taste of how the image of Nigeria has depreciated in the last three years. “The image of Nigeria was good when I moved there five years ago. But a year later, things started deteriorating. I noticed a mass movement of Nigerians into UAE. Both educated and noneducated, skilled and unskilled people moved to Dubai. When other Africans commit a crime, they claim they are Nigerians. The situation is worse now. More and more Nigerians are caught in crimes. That was part of my motivation for writing this work. I am trying to make them see that there are also Nigerians who are in their country to make positive impact and create positive change,’’ he said.

A view of a drive-in theatre

Yinka Olatunbosun Mosaic Theatre Production in partnership with MTN Foundation is all set for another ‘Drive-in’ theatre in Abuja. The Director, Mosaic Theatre Production, Agozie Ugwu has disclosed this during a virtual press conference at the weekend. The unconventional theatre will usher in the play titled “Tony Wants to Marry” written by Jerry Alagbaoso, on April 4, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The play features A-List actors like Francis Duru, Osas Ighodaro, as well as Cynthia Nwadiora better known as CeeCee of Big Brother Naija fame. While unravelling the plot, Agozie revealed that the play is set in a typical Nigerian family system where parents mount pressure on their children to get married at certain age hence the idea of Tony, the protagonist opting to marry when the parent wants. Agozie noted the performance integrates elements of dance and music at its best and a theatrical experience no one in Abuja would want to miss. He said the idea of ‘drivein’ theatre is to ensure safety of people in this covid-19 era and curb the spread of the virus. The ‘drive-in’ theatre as a kind of theatre consist of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles where audience can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. While expressing his gratitude for the support from MTN Nigeria as the lead sponsor of the production, he also listed Transcorp Hilton, Abuja and Play Network Africa as other corporate partners on the project. Nonny Ugboma, the Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, while commending Agozie for the upcoming show said MTN is committed to cultural development that will provide a platform for Nigerian creativity to find expression through capacity building of young people in theatre. She maintained that theatre will help true narration of Nigerian stories and promote understanding of our rich cultural diversity. She reiterated MTN Foundation’s continued support for arts and culture in Nigeria. The Drive in Theatre is expected to be replicated in Lagos on a later date.

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Stephanie Kadiri: The Genius Activator Stephanie Kadiri, popularly known as StephREDD is a connoisseur coach with a passion to help people live optimally. In a chat with Vanessa Obioha, the certified Life Coach and HR expert with a degree in French Language talks about how a personal loss inspired her to help people deal with loss and discover their hidden geniuses through her annual Unveil, Review, Redefine and Relaunch Conference

n January 2020, you hosted an event tagged UR3 to equip people dealing with loss and challenges. What inspired the event and did you envisage the type of year 2020 would become at that time? I was inspired by my personal account of experiencing a loss that brought me to my knees and literally left my back on the ground. I had suffered a job loss a few years earlier and having gone through a very challenging yet intentional healing process, I felt strongly obliged to help others move swiftly past and rise high above the pits of loss, grief, emotional turmoil, despondency and depression and guide them on how to recommit intentionally to win and finish strong despite life’s adversities. I didn’t see 2020 coming but the 2020 edition of the UR3turned out to be an anchor through which many of the participants who attended, navigated the challenging year that 2020 was. What was your experience hosting the event virtually this year? Honestly, it was scary at first. The thought of having it all virtual really bothered me as I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. No volunteers to help with arrangements, no video coverage, no physical hugs and capturing real-life emotions on camera during heated sessions, no paparazzi… (laughs). It was surreal to me. There were just so many questions that generated fear and deep anxiety. But as always, I like to go for the challenge whenever it presents itself and like I would usually say to others, “Why fear what you haven’t tried? The worst that will happen is that you’ll fail. When you fail, review, learn and try again.” But it’s very easy to admonish and give others a charge that doesn’t involve you. When it’s your turn, it’s a different ball game. However, as we would say in local parlance “All die, na die!” So I always say, “Choose your die!” For me, I rather die trying than cowering. And hey, it was a good first! Being majorly a self-sponsored event for now, I totally appreciated the savings on the logistics that a physical event would have required. For this year’s edition, you teamed up with renowned speakers like Lanre Olusola, Steve Harris, Anita Okoye and more. What is the feedback you have received so far and what poignant lessons from UR3 can the society at large draw from? The feedback has been overwhelmingly heartwarming. I have received several messages in my emails, my social media direct messages and text messages; and they have been majorly centered on having found hope to believe and live to reapply self with clarity of mind and a recommitment to purpose. The most poignant lesson would be taking charge of your mind regardless of whatever comes at it; because like Lanre Olusola said during his session, “you can’t win in your life what you haven’t first won in your mind.” Tapping from this year’s theme ‘Blooming Regardless’, how can individuals, corporate bodies and institutions bloom amid so many uncertainties such as what we are experiencing now? I believe one of the things that can help us

Stephanie Kadiri

as a people, corporations and institutions to bloom would be the constant reminder of our “WHY”, that is, the Big Picture. That picture sits pretty on the mountain of our desires. But between where we are now, and that mountain lies several valleys. We must continually fan aflame the fires of the Big Picture regardless of times and seasons which always come and go. We must remember that valley moments, like night and day, don’t last forever. This reminder will help us stay charged despite the times and seasons and keep us consumed, not by the momentary challenge, but by the eventual victory/glory. So, like the popular saying, we move! As the convener of such an event, how would you recommend that people approach the year as it unfolds? This may sound cliché but can never be overrated; be intentional! Eat right – both physical and mental food; Sleep right – don’t just lie down, rest; exercise – 30 minutes daily

I believe that building an impactful and lasting legacy should spring from the truth and genuineness of one’s identity and blossom through life’s gold mine. People call it purpose, I say it is that thing that you are willing to live for in contentment, joy and peace

walk in the least is a great medicine to your mind and body. Set goals for yourself for the short, mid and long-term and evaluate yourself frequently. Get an accountability partner. Love wholly and truly. Commit daily to being and giving your best to work/ business, family, relationships, health/ wellbeing and every aspect of your life. And so long as you are sure that you have given your best, it is good enough up until you know better. And in the words of Maya Angelou, “When you know better, (ensure to) do better.” You have chosen a niche that is foundational to human happiness and wealth creation. What led you to this path? Losing my job was the most defining life experience for me as it made me introspect and allowed me to discover how I had built my identity on everything else and from everyone else, except by my own definition of what living fulfilled really was. I believe that building an impactful and lasting legacy should spring from the truth and genuineness of one’s identity and blossom through life’s gold mine. People call it purpose, I say it is that thing that you are willing to live for in contentment, joy and peace, and if death comes in the course of it, you also will be willing to die for it. That was my reason. You are a Certified Identity and Communication Coach, what does this mean for you and where has your impact been felt the most? I call myself the Genius Activator because I guide people to discover, rekindle,

engage and thrive with their genius for self-fulfilment and societal impact/benefit. This is where many people who encounter my services have felt the most impact. As an accomplished HR professional and a bilingual trainer, what will you consider to be the biggest workplace challenge? It would be a lack of congruence between personal values and organisational values, which eventually leads to a conflict of interest. I will also relate it to a lack of career clarity and vision before engagement caused by the alarming rate of unemployment in the society which compels jobseekers to commit without a clear career strategy. Even more, is the aspect of organisations not fully stepping into the third level of parenting, to nurture for societal impact. Do you think companies and government institutions are investing enough in improving their human resources, especially in the pandemic? I wish I could say a definite yes, but no. What is your wish for Nigerian women? Dear woman, remember that you are strong, you are able, you are enough and you can! do not consider the raging winds, nor pay any mind to the thunderous rains, but learn to dance through, despite the storm. Do not seek to prove, just be! Dare to challenge yourself, first! Step up with faith in you. Step out with faith to do. Step out with belief to become. Step out with the intention to win. Because you can, you must and you will.

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ͰͮͰͯ

XTRA

Easter Sunday: Sinach’s A Celebration of Joy Concert to Stream Worldwide Exclusively on YouTube Acclaimed Nigerian singersongwriter Sinach, who is also one of the top 10 most subscribed artists in Africa on YouTube, will treat viewers to a celebration of joy and freedom during a 60-minute live stream on her YouTube channel on Easter Sunday. Sinach, best known for her hit single Way Maker with +171 million views on YouTube, is the first singer-songwriter to top the Billboard Christian Songwriter chart for 12 consecutive weeks. With over 2 billion watch time and more than 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, Sinach is the most streamed Gospel Artist from Africa. Way Maker is the most translated and most globally sung gospel song in recent times, with a cumulative +300 million views on the official and licensed handles on YouTube. The virtual concert, Sinach Live: A Celebration of Joy, will be

Sinach

streamed exclusively on YouTube on Sunday, April 4 2021, at 6PM

WAT. It promises a unique performance by this global star, who will

bring an uplifting message of love, healing and hope through music during this Easter celebration. Sinach said: “I am particularly delighted to be able to connect with my friends from around the world on the YouTube platform, where they can expect me to minister some of my popular songs, and others from my new album, Greatest Lord.” “Easter Sunday is a time to reflect on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the celebration of life. I am extremely excited that, while this past year has been challenging for so many, we are able to connect on this platform to share uplifting songs during this long weekend.” Google spokesperson, Addy Awofisayo, YouTube Content Partnership Lead, Google, SubSaharan Africa said: “Music is a universal language that has the ability to uplift and connect people

across the world. YouTube is proud to be able to host this very special concert from Sinach, and delighted to promote courage, optimism and joy at this time when it’s much needed.” YouTube is a platform that helps music lovers discover music they connect with. The platform has enabled musical enthusiasts to gain access to, and inspiration from music from across the globe. In Africa, YouTube has played an essential role in the discovery and development of the African sound, exporting African music to listeners worldwide, enabling collaborations within the global and regional music industry, and accelerating the transition to digital for fans on the continent. According to the organisers, the Concert Hashtag is #SinachLiveYouTube

NCS Partners FOSDA to Establish Libraries in Prisons Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) has given an NGO, Foundation for Socio-Cultural Development and Alternative Economic Empowerment (FOSDA) approval to set up libraries in Nigerian prisons. The Chief Librarian NCS, Ilya Haruna Goni disclosed this at the public unveiling of FOSDA. Goni said the correctional services would key into the vision of having a library installed at the facility as such would help in reducing boredom among the inmates. The chief librarian represented the acting Comptroller General of NCS, John Mrabure at the occasion. He stressed that Section 14 sub section 1 of the new Act on correctional service spoke about encouraging inmates to acquire education while describing the initiative by FOSDA as laudable as it is geared at helping inmates to meet up with their target of acquiring knowledge and information. Goni assured that NCS will support

Third from left; the Chief Librarian NCS, Ilya Haruna Goni; the Chairman of the occasion, Rev. Dr Magaji Jirapye; and the Founder of FOSDA, Miss Maina Caleb at the unveiling of FOSDA

FOSDA by providing them a space in the prisons to build their library and allow them to be coming to check in whatever they put in there as their own personal property and not deter them from coming to the prisons or

Dano Milk, Nkoli Host Easter Carnival in Enugu Rebecca Ejifoma Dano Milk, in partnership with Nollywood actress, Rachael Okonkwo, popularly known as Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, is set to host a three-day Easter Carnival slated from Sunday, April 2 to 4 this year in Enugu State. As a Dano Milk Ambassador, Nkoli Nwa Nsukka expressed her aim to reach out to the less advantaged persons and widows in the society during a media briefing. “We get caught up in the need to fend for ourselves so much that sometimes we forget to remember those around us – the less privileged. “The three days Easter carnival with Nkoli Nwa Nsukka is totally a non-profit event that is inspired by my love for education and the desire to put a smile on people’s faces,” she said.

According to the philanthropist, she is not only giving back to the society, but she is also making the kids understand the importance of education and most importantly, empower the widows. Supported by the state government, the event will have some celebrities like Patience Ozokwor, Eucharia Anonubi, Ngozi Ezeonu, Chiege Alisigwe, Nkiru Silvanus, Ebele Okaro, Kcee, Ken Erics, Fedrick Leonard, and Zubby Michael among others. Some items to be doled out are Dano milk, educational materials, lunch boxes, school bags, and some leisure items like toys and bicycle for kids. Over 800 pairs of solid shoes for hawkers, conductors and other needy persons while bags of rice, tomatoes, salt, seasoning, wrapper and semovita are for the widows.

the correctional service at all times. “Establishing libraries at this time is coming at the right time and is in the right direction to enable inmates that have not been well informed, especially we are partnering with

NOUN we have graduates already. “We have some that are into a course as at now. We have been receiving book donations from different NGOs and National library to encourage our inmates to acquire

their education. “It may also interest you to even know that we have people or inmates that have graduated – there are some of them that are into the courses of today and we have one doing his Ph.D. programme based on the fact that he met the existing facility. “ And with FOSDA coming again, it will help in no smaller measure to meet up with their challenges,” Goni said. The founder of FOSDA, Miss Maina Caleb advised inmates not to see being in jail as a hindrance to achieving their goal. She also said prisoners should engage themselves by reading books. “Some of the materials they will read since it is only on school reading materials will change their mindset positively. It will help them not to give up on the society and make them realise there is another world for them outside that place. By the time they come back to society they don’t have to feel different anymore,” Maina said.

OPPO Collaborates with Mayorkun & L.A.X on Smash Hit ‘Dance’ Rebecca Ejifoma Dano Milk, in partnership with Nollywood actress, Rachael Okonkwo, popularly known as Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, is set to host a three-day Easter Carnival slated from Sunday, April 2 to 4 this year in Enugu State. As a Dano Milk Ambassador, Nkoli Nwa Nsukka expressed her aim to reach out to the less advantaged persons and widows in the society during a media briefing. “We get caught up in the need to fend for ourselves so much that sometimes we forget to remember those around us – the less privileged. “The three days Easter carnival with Nkoli Nwa Nsukka is totally a non-profit event that is inspired by my love for education and the desire to put a smile on people’s faces,” she said. According to the philanthropist,

OPPO Song Blog Creative

she is not only giving back to the society, but she is also making the kids understand the importance of education and most importantly, empower the widows. Supported by the state government, the event will have some celebrities like Patience Ozokwor, Eucharia Anonubi, Ngozi Ezeonu, Chiege Alisigwe, Nkiru Silvanus, Ebele Okaro, Kcee, Ken Erics, Fedrick Leonard,

and Zubby Michael among others. Some items to be doled out are Dano milk, educational materials, lunch boxes, school bags, and some leisure items like toys and bicycle for kids. Over 800 pairs of solid shoes for hawkers, conductors and other needy persons while bags of rice, tomatoes, salt, seasoning, wrapper and semovita are for the widows.

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ͰͮͰͯ

POLSCOPE

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

$1bn Arms Deal: What are the Soldiers Hiding?

Canticles….

Rising Oil Price: When a Blessing Turns to Problem

very year, the army gets a chunk of the national budget. Most times, the Defence budget is higher than even education or works, essentially because we value security. But we have not got quite a good deal in the issues of security. It all got worse with the advent of the Boko Haram terrorism in 2009. It has only worsened in recent years with the raiding of communities and mindless killing of innocent people. If nothing else, the rising cases of Internally Displaced Persons across the northern and even in certain southern parts of the country are eloquent testimonies that we are in danger. So, when it got clear that the regular budgetary allocations were not enough to tackle the rising cases of insecurity, the decision to pull out $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) was taken. With the $1bn, more arms and ammunition would be bought to combat and over run the terrorists. That was the whole idea I am aware that the former service chiefs once complained of having not received the said $1bn at a time. When it was eventually released, perhaps in tranches, the public was no longer carried along. But what is perhaps key is that the money got released. Some arms were bought. How many? We do not know. Did the service chiefs buy the entire items on the weapons’ inventory list? Nobody is sure. What was the cost of the weapons bought thus far? Was the entire $1bn expended as planned on the arms and weaponry? No! Does anybody actually audit or oversee the activities and transactions of the service chiefs, except the Commander-in-Chief? Does our C-in-C bother about such details? Not sure! The last check point is therefore the National Assembly which exercises oversight functions on every aspect of governance, include the military. That, perhaps, explains why in recent times, the National Assembly had to invite (and later summon) the service chiefs to explain some of the fog surrounding the utilization of the $1billion. The trigger to this inquest must have been the alarm earlier raised by the National Security Adviser, Gen Babagana Mungono, to the effect that the sum of $1billion was missing as neither the money nor the arms can be seen. In an interview he granted BBC Hausa service, Mungono noted that, “We don’t know where the money went to. The president has given out some money for equipment but they are yet to arrive,” he said. “The president has done his best by ensuring that he released exorbitant funds for the procurement of weapons which are yet to be procured, they are not there. Now the president has employed new hands that might come with new ideas. I am not saying that those that have retired have stolen the funds, no. But the funds might have been used in other ways unknown to anybody at present. “Mr President is going to investigate those funds. As we are talking with you at present, the state governors, the Governors Forum have started raising questions in that direction. $1 billion has been released, that and that has been released, and nothing seem to be changing. So I assure you that the president will not take this lightly. The tongue-in-cheek allegation of the NSA is that the money meant for arms is missing, hence the emphasis on Mr President’s determination to investigate the issue. But the President’s spokesman,

Timipre Sylva

his is a special day, so let me wish you a Happy Good Friday

What is good about this Friday? Not only does it remind us of the wickedness of mankind, in crucifying the messiah, it actually foretells what is to come to us as a people. Maj Gen Lucky Irabor

Mallam Garba Shehu, dismissed the “misinformation(?) that some money meant for arms purchase were missing. He explained that not all the arms procured by the former service chiefs have arrived the country. He noted that the sum of $536 million was paid directly “government-to-government” to the government of the United States of America for the supply of some arms. He noted further that the biggest catché of arms will soon come from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). So, is it that the NSA is not informed on such core and sensitive issue under his purview as to raise the alarm he raised? Not surprisingly, the NSA had, a day after the interview was published issued a statement claiming that, as usual, he was “quoted out of context”, even when his subsequent explanation of what he purportedly said at the interview was not significantly different from what the BBC published. But Nigerians had fallen back on the lawmakers to know the whole truth about the arms deal. However, efforts by the lawmakers to get to the root of the matter which has been suffering setbacks from the military chiefs who have refused(?) to honour the invitation from the lawmakers investigating the matter. They have been invited about three times without any of them (military chiefs) showing up at the National Assembly Committee room. So why are the Service Chiefs shunning the lawmakers’ invitation? Are they afraid that their appearance before the lawmakers could reveal some classified information about the deal? Are they desperate to protect their predecessors from being further investigated? Are they guilty? Only the guilty are afraid! Or are the Service Chiefs shunning the invitation because they do not have the expected information? Were they not the ones who complained to the NSA that they can neither see the arms nor the $1 billion? If the new Service Chiefs must make a difference in the fight against the terrorism menace, then the fog covering the $1billion arms deal must be cleared. Nigerians need to know. It should not and cannot be swept under the carpet. Luckily, the members of the House of Representatives probing the arms funds said they have details of all

arms procurements since 2016 and that they also have records of the many diversions that have taken place on the fund. Nigerians cannot wait to get the full details. Thus far, only the Defence Headquarters, Civil Defence Corps and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have co-operated with the lawmakers’ investigations. This is even more important now as the Buhari administration , at its inception , had made a song and a dance over how some service chiefs in the previous administration stole huge sums of money meant for the prosecution of the war, leading to the endangering of the lives of soldiers in the front line including the lives of many civilians who could have been protected of the soldiers were better armed. I recall how the sum of N3billion was traced to the accounts of Mrs Lara Amosu, the wife of former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, and even another $1 million found in a newly constructed septic tank in their Badagry country home. How can I forget also how the former Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh who was said to have stolen N558 million and later converted same to $20 million. He was being tried, after one of his seized properties was gifted to Voice of Nigeria. He was later shot and killed on the Abuja-Keffi road by assailants. So it is not enough believing the explanations of Mallam Garba Shehu, especially as the NSA do not know what Shehu is explaining. How many arms and weapons are being expected from the UAE? How many altogether have we received? What is the total cost of the ones received as well as the ones expected? And pray, what is the diplomatic impasse stalling the delivery of the said arms and weaponry from the UASE. Our soldiers are dying. Our nationals are dying! With better weapons the gallantry of our soldiers will be exceptional. We cannot layback and compromise on this. You cannot literally send soldiers to go confront charged terrorists bearing sophisticated weapons with “catapults”, so to say. If the soldiers are not hiding anything, let them show up at the National Assembly and answer all questions that can help Nigerians reinforce their belief in the Nigerian system.

I don’t understand. What is to come to us? You know this is April. If I am not sure of anything, I am sure that the price of petroleum products, especially petrol will be hiked this month. Are you a prophet of doom? You don’t even need to be a prophet to know this. Did you not hear the Group Managing Director, Mr Mela Kyari, grumbling the other day that the NNPC cannot continue to bear the burden of subsidising the landing cost of petrol? Did you not hear him say that the corporation has been spending N120 billion monthly to subsidise the landing cost of petrol? Don’t you understand the import of that lamentation? Don’t you know it is putting Nigerians on notice that the price of petrol will change? What is this running lingo about landing cost? It is the total cost incurred in getting petrol into Nigeria: cost of the refined product, plus freighting, plus clearing cost plus all other ancillary charges….. they all make up the landing cost. And so, when the price of crude oil increases in the global oil market, it affects the cost of refining and shipping and all such other charges…. Then we pay more to get the product. On the contrary, if the price of crude drops in the international oil market, the landing cost similarly drops and so the end users will have to pay less. So are you saying we should pray for the price of crude to drop radically at the international oil market so Nigerians can have some relief of not paying more for petrol? What a question! Shouldn’t we be happy to hear that our product is selling well and competitively in the global market? But if the increase in price of crude will translate to more troubles for us, why should we not pray for the fall of crude oil? That will be sabotage! Don’t forget it is an era of deregulation. The product has to suffer the whims of market forces! (mimicking)…. Chat wii be shaboshage! Don’t you know that the higher the price of crude the more money

Nigeria earns into its treasury? And with more money in the treasury, the government will do much more: build more schools, build more roads, equip hospitals and generally be more responsive to the need of the people? Look, we don’t believe all those packaged excuses from government. They have always recited these deceitful cathecism to lure us into supporting them. But year—in, year out, we do not see the roads, we do not see pipe-borne water, we do not still have common drugs in our hospitals, even as medical personnel are shabbily treated. Imagine all the stories and arguments right from the 1988 SAP riot. Nothing has changed. We are still an impoverished people, gnashing our teeth in anguish and lack. So, instead of making life even more brutish and nastier, let the price of crude fall indeed. After all, if the crude oil ceases to be a blessing to the people, it should not become an agent of punishment to the people. If in it rising, we cry, let it fall and let our tears be saved. You know it is a budding economy. Don’t forget it is a global problem, so we need to exercise… (cuts in) we need to exercise what? Did you say it is a global problem? How ? Go to Oil-producing countries that do not even have half the volume we export everyday… check out their living standards, their GDP, their facilities , their everything and you will weep for Nigeria. Do you realise that the N120 billion figure bandied by the NNPC boss, may just have been cooked figure? Do you know we don’t have the exact way of measuring production of crude? Do you know that those who benefit from the said importation will work towards ensuring that our local refineries will never produce, so the importation racket will continue? Do you know that the continuous importation of refined products inadvertently provides job to the citizens of the exporting countries, while we languish in pain and dejection? Do not forget Nigeria has Excess Crude Account, where monies from increase in cost of crude is saved. Nigeria has been saving those monies. They shall be used to grow the economy. Just watch and wait.You know Mr President himself is the substantive Petroleum minister . That is if he knows what is happening at the ministry. Look, all Nigerians are saying, is that whether the price of crude rises in the international market or not, Nigerians back home should not be pummelled further with any increase on the cost of petrol. The so-called subsidy belongs to Nigerians too. That is the crux of the matter!

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ 2021

BUSINESS/MONEYGUIDE

FBN Holdings Records 22% Growth in Profit Obinna Chima FBN Holdings Plc yesterday released its audited results for the financial year ended December 31, 2020, which revealed that its profit after tax grew by 21.8 per cent to N89.7 billion. This was higher than the N73.7 billion recorded by the holding company (holdco) the previous year. The bank in a statement explained that in the year under review, its profit before tax grew by 11.2 per cent year-on-year to N83.7 billion, while non-interest income recorded a growth of 26.7 per cent year-on-year to N174.7 billion. However, gross earnings were down by 1.9 per cent to N579.4 billion, as against the N590.4 billion realised the previous year. This, the bank explained

was driven by a 10.9 per cent decline in interest income to N384.8 billion in 2020, lower than the N431.9 billion recorded last year. Its customer deposit increased by 21.8 per cent year-on-year to N4.9 trillion, as against the N4 trillion recorded in 2019. “The Group benefited from increased agent banking/ customer penetration and adoption of services on the digital platform. These deepened our solid retail base and improved our current and savings account (CASA) to 91.3 per cent (Dec 2019: 85.6%),” it stated. FBN Holdings’ total assets were also up 23.9 per cent year-on-year to N7.7 trillion, compared with the N6.2 trillion recorded as of December 2019. This, the

holdco explained was driven by a 59.1 per cent year-on-year increase in cash and balances with central banks, as well as, a 19.7 per cent year-on-year y increase in customer loans. Cash and balances with Central Banks, loans to banks and customers and investment securities constituted 83.4 per cent of its total assets in 2020, slightly higher than the 81.4 per cent it was the previous year. Commenting on the results, the Group Managing Director, FBN Holdings, Mr. U.K Eke said: “FBNHoldings is pleased to close the year in a healthy financial position despite the difficult operating environment that has been characterized by unprecedented events as a result of the pandemic and challenging economic environment. Eke

Minister Bemoans Insurgents’Attack on Power Facilities in North-east Emmanuel Addeh ÓØ ÌßÔË The Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman, has lamented the increasing attacks on the country’s electricity infrastructure, especially by insurgents in the north-eastern region of the country. The Boko Haram sect had since this year bombed facilities belonging to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), cutting off supply to the state capital and injuring at least five in one of the attacks recently. A statement by Mr Aaron Artimas, the minister’s spokesman, quoted him as calling on Nigerians to assume ownership of

the various electricity installations in their respective communities, to guard against sabotage, vandalism and natural disasters like erosion and bush burning. The minister who spoke while receiving the paramount ruler of Ipetu-Ijesa kingdom, Osun State, Samson Oke, who visited him in Abuja, urged Nigerians to take responsibility for protecting the public utilities as the best guarantee of ensuring steady and uninterrupted electricity supply to their areas. “The people should raise the alarm and report to security officials whenever they see people tampering with power equipment,” Mamman noted.

Mamman stated that it was the desire of the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari to supply electricity to every community in Nigeria, stressing that the efforts were being constrained by the sabotage and wilful damage to electricity installations across the country. The minister said he was greatly pained by the recent destruction of the power tower supplying electricity to Maiduguri, Borno State, which was recently restored by the TCN. “This act of desperate and wicked damage of public utilities should not be a justifiable means for any agitation,” he added.

Chivita 100% Wins Award One of the leading fruit juice brands, Chivita 100%, has emerged as the Best Premium Quality Natural Fruit Juice Brand of the Decade at the recently held West Africa Brands Excellence Awards in Lagos to mark its 10th anniversary of recognising excellence. The West Africa Brands Excellence Awards is awarded annually to companies, agencies & brands that have been consistent in delivering impressive results within the 12 months of review, as well as to individuals who have shown true achievements in their respective sectors. The award was in recognition of Chivita 100%’s market leadership in the fruit juice category as the brand continues to be at the forefront of enlightening and

promoting 100% fruit juice consumption for everyday wellness. Chivita 100% is a Proudly Nigerian premium fruit juice produced from best quality real natural fruits with no added sugar, no artificial colors, and no preservatives. It is perfect as a daily source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which provide nourishment for health-conscious consumers. According to the Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria, the organisers of the awards, “Chivita 100% has been recognised as the fruit juice brand of the decade because of its immense contributions to the growth, development, continuous innovation, and market leadership in the fruit juice category of the Nigerian Fast Moving Consumer

Goods (FMCG) industry.” Speaking on the award, Managing Director of CHI Limited, Mr. Deepanjan Roy, thanked its organisers for recognising Chivita 100%’s strides for innovative excellence in the last decade. “The fruit juice brand of the decade award for Chivita 100% is a positive scorecard of our efforts to maintain dominance in the fruit juice category through innovation, consumer satisfaction and driving the 100% fruit juice consumption narrative in Nigeria through advocacy and engagements,” he added. Chivita 100% offers consumers a range of nourishing 100% fruit juice choices. It is available in 1Litre pack size in five variants – Orange, Apple, Pineapple, Red Grape, and Real Lychee.

Glenfiddich Unveils NewProduct Glenfiddich, a malt whisky brand has unveiled Grande Couronne, the newest addition to products. With this, the whisky brand continues to challenge conventions with the unexpected marriage of two luxury worlds, according to a statement. “Grande Couronne is a 26-year-old whisky matured in American and European oak casks at the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Scotland, before the crowning glory - an extended finish of up to two years in meticulously sourced French Cognac casks – providing a true

taste of elegance,” it explained. It further described the Glenfiddich Grand Series, “as a beautifully disruptive series of single malts that oozes opulence and is designed to elevate occasions and celebratory moments in a whole new way. “Grande Couronne is the latest addition to the series, which includes Glenfiddich Grand Cru, aged for 23 years in American and European Oak casks and then finessed in French cuvée oak casks and Glenfiddich Gran Reserva, patiently mellowed for 21 years in bourbon casks before a final flourish in Caribbean rum casks.

Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman, was quoted to have said: “The Grand Series perfectly encapsulates Glenfiddich’s spirit of innovation and our ability to experiment with aged liquid and intriguing finishes. “Grande Couronne is the latest to exemplify that approach. It is the only Glenfiddich single malt that has matured in American and European oak casks and finished in rare French Cognac casks. “The length of the finish, two years, is highly unusual and adds extra layers of sweet toasted oak and velvety aromas of café crème, brown sugar and soft spice.”

MARKET INDICATORS MONEY AND CREDIT STATISTICS

(MILLION NAIRA)

JANUARY 2021 Money Supply (M3)

38,779,455.43

-- CBN Bills Held by Money Holding Sectors

1,039,129.55

Money Supply (M2)

37,740,325.88

-- Quasi Money

21,779,302.69

-- Narrow Money (M1)

15,961,023.19

---- Currency Outside Banks

2,364,871.13

---- Demand Deposits

13,596,152.06

Net Foreign Assets (NFA)

7,414,275.50

Net Domestic Assets(NDA)

31,365,179.93

-- Net Domestic Credit (NDC)

42,916,586.63

---- Credit to Government (Net)

12,304,773.44

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

0.00

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

0.00

---- Credit to Private Sector (CPS)

30,611,813.19

--Other Assets Net

3,892,112.74

Reserve Money (Base Money

13,264,585.14

--Currency in Circulation

2,831,167.19

--Banks Reserves --Special Intervention Reserves

10,433,417.96 317,234.17

˾ ÙßÜÍÏ ̋

Money Market Indicators (in Percentage) Month

March 2018

Inter-Bank Call Rate

15.16

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

14.00

Treasury Bill Rate

11.84

Savings Deposit Rate

4.07

1 Month Deposit Rate

8.82

3 Months Deposit Rate

9.72

6 Months Deposit Rate

10.93

12 Months Deposit Rate

10.21

Prime Lending rate

17.35

Maximum Lending Rate

31.55

˾ ÙØÏÞËÜã ÙÖÓÍã ËÞÏ ̋ ͯͱϱ

OPEC DAILY BASKET PRICE AS AT WEDNESDAY, 31 MARCH 2021

The price of OPEC basket of thirteen crudes stood at $63.07 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $63.37 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. The OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Djeno (Congo), Zaﬁro (Equatorial Guinea), Rabi Light (Gabon), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). SOURCE: OPEC headquarters, Vienna

T H I S D AY ˾ Ͱ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Elumelu: UBA Positioned to Deliver Higher Returns to Stakeholders Goddy Egene The Chairman of pan-African financial institution, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Tony Elumelu, yesterday assured shareholders and investors of higher returns, stating that the bank has established a diversified business model that ensures impressive performance even in periods of uncertainty, across its geographical network.

He gave the assurance to shareholders at the 59th annual general meeting (AGM) in Lagos, explaining that the bank had made strategic decisions that would strengthen its resolve to earn the industry leadership that it had envisioned in Nigeria, Africa and globally. “We spearheaded strategic investments in our digital banking and technology platforms to further promote self-service

P R I C E S MAIN BOARD

F O R DEALS

banking; we have also focused on enhancing the capabilities of our people through various online capacity development programmes. Our African operations (ex-Nigeria) have contributed approximately 55 per cent of our profits for the year, illustrating that we are truly a pan-African bank,” Elumelu said. According to him, the bank remains committed to

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ensuring its viability amid an ever-changing business environment and to continue be a role model for African businesses by showcasing the best of Africa to the world. “The work we have done in strengthening our governance structures Group-wide and in improving our business and operating models in 2020 positions our bank to benefit from these recovery trends and to

T R A D E D MAIN BOARD

A S

achieve significant market share gains across our operations,” he noted. UBA’s profits grew remarkably by 27.7 percent to N113.8 billion at the end of 2020, compared to N89.1 billion in the 2019 financial year..3 billion at the end of the 2019 financial year. The bank proposed a final dividend of 35 kobo for every ordinary share of 50 kobo, bringing the total dividend for the

O F

year to 52 kobo as the bank had paid an interim dividend of 17 kobo earlier in the year. Shareholders at the meeting commended the bank’s decision to plough-back some of its profits into business consolidation, adding that these times call for prudent and effective management of financial resources for all businesses especially those with high shareholding rate such as UBA.

0 1 / 0 4 / 2 0 2 1 DEALS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

MARKET NEWS

Seplat Petroleum’s $650m Bond Excites Standard Chartered Bank Goddy Egene

Commercial and Institutional Banking, Nigeria & West Africa, Standard Chartered Bank, Mr.

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

Olukorede Adenowo, has said the bank was proud to be part of the Seplat Petroleum Development

floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. A REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) is an investment vehicle that allows both small and large investors to part-own real estate ventures (eg. Offices, Houses, Hospitals) in proportion to their investments. The assets are divided into shares that are traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. GUIDE TO DATA: Date: All fund prices are quoted in Naira as at 31Mar-2021, unless otherwise stated.

Company Plc’s $650 million bond. “The success of this issuance, demonstrates investors’

confidence in the Seplat strategy as a leading independent energy supplier. We continue to work

with our clients across Africa to deliver on their growth aspirations.”

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

DAILY PRICE LIST FOR MUTUAL FUNDS, REITS and ETFS MUTUAL FUNDS / UNIT TRUSTS AFRINVEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD aaml@afrinvest.com Web: www.afrinvest.com; Tel: +234 818 885 6757 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Afrinvest Equity Fund 154.18 155.70 -4.70% Afrinvest Plutus Fund 100.00 100.00 3.61% Nigeria International Debt Fund 332.84 332.84 -16.32% Afrinvest Dollar Fund 107.01 107.01 -4.47% ALTERNATIVE CAPITAL PARTNERS LTD info@acapng.com Web: www.acapng.com, Tel: +234 1 291 2406, +234 1 291 2868 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ACAP Canary Growth Fund 1.04 1.06 16.26% ACAP Income Funds 0.65 0.65 -10.98% AIICO CAPITAL LTD ammf@aiicocapital.com Web: www.aiicocapital.com, Tel: +234-1-2792974 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AIICO Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.71% AIICO Balanced Fund 3.42 3.58 -3.55% ANCHORIA ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED info@anchoriaam.com Web:www.anchoriaam.com, Tel: 08166830267; 08036814510; 08028419180 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Anchoria Money Market 100.00 100.00 1.66% Anchoria Equity Fund 127.56 129.04 -4.05% Anchoria Fixed Income Fund 1.13 1.13 -15.04% ARM INVESTMENT MANAGERS LTD enquiries@arminvestmentcenter.com Web: www.arm.com.ng; Tel: 0700 CALLARM (0700 225 5276) Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn ARM Aggressive Growth Fund 18.35 18.91 1.20% ARM Discovery Balanced Fund 404.70 416.91 1.08% ARM Ethical Fund 35.48 36.55 5.24% ARM Eurobond Fund ($) 1.18 1.19 -2.98% ARM Fixed Income Fund 1.04 1.05 -6.79% ARM Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.09% AVA GLOBAL ASSET MANAGERS LIMITED info@avacapitalgroup.com Web: www.avacapitalgroup.com Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AVA GAM Fixed Income Dollar Fund 103.33 103.33 1.59% AXA MANSARD INVESTMENTS LIMITED investmentcare@axamansard.com Web: www.axamansard.com; Tel: +2341-4488482 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn AXA Mansard Equity Income Fund 124.50 125.38 -1.32% AXA Mansard Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.54% CAPITAL EXPRESS ASSET AND TRUST LIMITED info@capitalexpressassetandtrust.com Web: www.capitalexpressassetandtrust.com ; Tel: +234 803 307 5048 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn CEAT Fixed Income Fund 2.05 2.05 -20.38% Capital Express Balanced Fund(Formerly: Union Trustees Mixed Fund) 2.19 2.23 -8.37% CHAPELHILL DENHAM MANAGEMENT LTD investmentmanagement@chapelhilldenham.com Web: www.chapelhilldenham.com, Tel: +234 461 0691 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Chapelhill Denham Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 3.11% Paramount Equity Fund 15.53 15.82 -2.88% Women's Investment Fund 131.13 132.57 -1.49% CORDROS ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmgtteam@cordros.com Web: www.cordros.com, Tel: 019036947 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Cordros Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.70% Cordros Milestone Fund 2023 128.05 128.95 Cordros Milestone Fund 2028 N/A N/A Cordros Dollar Fund ($) 110.58 110.58 CORONATION ASSEST MANAGEMENT investment@coronationam.com Web:www.coronationam.com , Tel: 012366215 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coronation Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Balanced Fund N/A N/A N/A Coronation Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A mutualfundng@ecobank.com EDC FUNDS MANAGEMENT LIMITED Web: www.ecobank.com Tel: 012265281 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class A 100.00 100.00 2.30% EDC Nigeria Money Market Fund Class B 1,000,000.00 1,000,000.00 2.32% EDC Nigeria Fixed Income Fund 1,159.09 1,163.47 -3.35% FBNQUEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD invest@fbnquest.com Web: www.fbnquest.com/asset-management; Tel: +234-81 0082 0082 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn FBN Fixed Income Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Balanced Fund 184.39 185.65 -1.75% FBN Halal Fund 110.47 110.47 4.57% FBN Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Institutional N/A N/A N/A FBN Nigeria Eurobond (USD) Fund - Retail 123.98 123.98 3.07% FBN Smart Beta Equity Fund 148.15 150.13 -2.00% FCMB ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED fcmbamhelpdesk@fcmb.com Web: www.fcmbassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 462 2596 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Legacy Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 1.51% Legacy Debt Fund 3.91 3.91 1.05% Legacy Equity Fund 1.55 1.58 1.78% Legacy USD Bond Fund 1.15 1.15 1.22% FSDH ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD coralfunds@fsdhgroup.com Web: www.fsdhaml.com; Tel: 01-270 4884-5; 01-280 9740-1 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Coral Growth Fund 3,784.78 3,834.99 0.98% Coral Income Fund 3,349.72 3,349.72 2.24% FSDH Treasury Bills Fund 100.00 100.00 2.03%

GREENWICH ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gtlgroup.com Web: www.gtlgroup.com ; Tel: +234 1 4619261-2 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Greenwich Plus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 1.57% Nigeria Entertainment Fund 126.88 127.41 18.01% GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED assetmanagement@gdl.com.ng Web: www.gdl.com.ng ; Tel: +234 9055691122 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn GDL Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A INVESTMENT ONE FUNDS MANAGEMENT LTD enquiries@investment-one.com Web: www.investment-one.com; Tel: +234 812 992 1045,+234 1 448 8888 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Abacus Money Market Fund 100.00 100.00 2.18% Vantage Balanced Fund 2.69 2.75 17.34% Vantage Guaranteed Income Fund 1.00 1.00 4.50% Kedari Investment Fund (KIF) 145.75 146.12 -6.24% Vantage Dollar Fund (VDF) - June Year End 1.07 1.07 4.81% LOTUS CAPITAL LTD ﬁncon@lotuscapitallimited.com Web: www.lotuscapitallimited.com; Tel: +234 1-291 4626 / +234 1-291 4624 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Lotus Halal Investment Fund 1.35 1.37 -1.38% Lotus Halal Fixed Income Fund 1,145.17 1,145.17 1.93% MERISTEM WEALTH MANAGEMENT LTD info@meristemwealth.com Web: http://www.meristemwealth.com/funds/ ; Tel: +234 1-4488260 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Meristem Equity Market Fund N/A N/A N/A Meristem Money Market Fund N/A N/A N/A PAC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD info@pacassetmanagement.com Web: www.pacassetmanagement.com/mutualfunds; Tel: +234 1 271 8632 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn PACAM Balanced Fund 1.58 1.62 7.51% PACAM Fixed Income Fund 12.31 12.44 0.66% PACAM Money Market Fund 10.00 10.00 1.50% PACAM Equity Fund 1.57 1.59 -0.29% PACAM EuroBond Fund 109.90 112.69 0.49% SCM CAPITAL LIMITED info@scmcapitalng.com Web: www.scmcapitalng.com; Tel: +234 1-280 2226,+234 1- 280 2227 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SCM Capital Frontier Fund 128.67 130.93 3.84% SFS CAPITAL NIGERIA LTD investments@sfsnigeria.com Web: www.sfsnigeria.com, Tel: +234 (01) 2801400 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn SFS Fixed Income Fund 1.01 1.01 3.31% STANBIC IBTC ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD assetmanagement@stanbicibtc.com Web: www.stanbicibtcassetmanagement.com; Tel: +234 1 280 1266; 0700 MUTUALFUNDS Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund 1.32 1.34 -3.11% Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 1.46% Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund 0.89 0.91 2.77% Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund 1.00 1.00 4.17% Stanbic IBTC Iman Fund 118.85 118.85 1.51% Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund 1.06 1.08 -1.84% Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund 1.03 1.03 2.61% Stanbic IBTC Dollar Fund (USD) 1.24 1.24 1.42% Stanbic IBTC Shariah Fixed Income Fund 112.91 112.91 1.65% UNITED CAPITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD Web: www.unitedcapitalplcgroup.com; Tel: +234 803 306 2887 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn United Capital Balanced Fund 1.32 1.34 -3.11% United Capital Bond Fund 1.92 1.92 1.46% United Capital Equity Fund 0.89 0.91 2.77% United Capital Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 4.17% United Capital Eurobond Fund 118.85 118.85 1.51% United Capital Wealth for Women Fund 1.06 1.08 -1.84% United capital Sukuk Fund 1.03 1.03 2.61% QUANTUM ZENITH ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENTS LTD service@quantumzenithasset.com.ng Web: www.quantumzenith.com.ng; Tel: +234 1-2784219 Fund Name Bid Price Offer Price Yield / T-Rtn Zenith Equity Fund 12.12 12.23 2.16% Zenith Ethical Fund 13.40 13.51 9.62% Zenith Income Fund 24.24 24.24 1.10% Zenith Money Market Fund 1.00 1.00 2.39%

REITS NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

121.90 52.85

0.96% 0.86%

Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

12.28 118.60 93.15

12.38 118.60 94.90

-7.09% -2.58% -6.26%

Fund Name SFS Skye Shelter Fund Union Homes REIT

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

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

funds@vetiva.com Bid Price

Offer Price

Yield / T-Rtn

3.82 5.39 16.76 1.00 18.80 174.09

3.86 5.47 16.86 1.00 19.00 176.09

0.93% -5.25% 2.54% 2.42% -8.35% -21.04%

NAV Per Share

Yield / T-Rtn

107.40

13.11%

INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Fund Name Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund

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

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 • T H I S D AY

FRIDAY, ͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE FOURTY OPEC, ALLIES AGREE TO EASE OIL PRODUCTION CURBS Import Bank (Afreximbank) agreed to be part of the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery as a result of the renewed openness in the corporation. Under yesterday’s deal, oil cuts implemented by OPEC+ would be just above 6.5 million bpd from May, compared with existing curbs of slightly below seven million bpd in April. Brent crude, which slipped on news of the deal, was still trading above $64 a barrel yesterday, more than 20 per cent up on the start of the year. But the price was still lower than this year’s high of about $71. A statement by the cartel after the 15th meeting of ministers said OPEC emphasised the ongoing positive contributions of the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) in supporting a rebalancing of the global oil market. It said: “The meeting approved the adjustment of the production levels for May, June and July 2021, while continuing to adhere to the mechanism agreed upon in the 12th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting (December 2020) to hold monthly OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meetings. “This is to assess market conditions and

decide on production level adjustments for the following month, with every adjustment being no more than 0.5 mb/d.” OPEC added that the ministers reviewed the monthly report prepared by the Joint Technical Committee (JTC), including the crude oil production data for February, noting that though there are improvements in the market, the volatility observed in recent weeks warrants a continued cautious and vigilant approach in monitoring market developments. It welcomed the positive performance of participating countries, with overall conformity reaching 115 per cent in February, reinforcing the trend of aggregate high conformity by participating countries. The ministers added that since the April 2020 meeting, OPEC and non-OPEC participating countries had contributed to adjusting downward global oil supply by 2.6 billion barrels of oil by the end of February, which has accelerated the rebalancing of the oil market. OPEC urged all participants to conform to achieve the objective of market rebalancing, avoid undue delay in the process and agreed to the request

by several countries that have not yet completed their compensation for an extension of the compensation period until the end of September. In addition, participating countries with outstanding overproduced volumes were asked to submit their plans for implementation of any required compensation for overproduced volumes to the OPEC secretariat by 15 April 15. While thanking the stakeholders for their contributions to the meeting, OPEC said the next meetings of the ministers would hold on April 28. Earlier, the cartel's Secretary-General, Dr Sanusi Barkindo, had described the experience of April last year as “traumatic”, with demand dropping by more than 20 mb/d, and WTI plunging to a negative $37 per barrel. He stated that the situation improved after the historic production adjustments from the cartel and lauded members and allies’ steadfastness to conformity and compensation. He urged the group to continue to be guided by data and analysis, noting that the cautious approach has proven effective thus far, as can be viewed in the decision taken at the 14th OPEC and non-OPEC

ministerial meeting. He said: “Last month, we saw global economic growth in 2021 at 4.8 per cent, but expectations are now higher at 5.1 per cent. "Our recent scenario analysis suggests that this slight uptick may need to be revised given the many uncertainties elsewhere. “Global oil demand in 2021 is slightly lower at 5.6 mb/d. We also need to remember that demand contracted by 9.6 mb/d in 2020, so a return to 2019 levels is not expected before 2022.” From the supply perspective, Barkindo said non-OPEC liquids could grow by almost 1 mb/d in 2021, compared to 0.7 mb/d expected at the cartel’s last meeting. Also while opening the meeting Co-Chair, Abdul Aziz bin Salman, said the group should maintain a “cautious stance,” while Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak offered a more bullish overview, saying the global economy is recovering and fuel demand was rising. Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Kyari has said the Afreximbank agreed to be part of the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery owing to the renewed openness in the corporation.

Kyari, while playing host to the management team of the Nigeria Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative (NEITI) led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Ogbonaya Orji, in Abuja, stated that there’s now growing investors' confidence in the corporation. Kyari added that NNPC had begun to reap the benefits of its management’s commitment to transparency and accountability with bountiful opportunities of private sector financing for its projects. A statement by the Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru, quoted Kyari as saying that the publication of the corporation’s audited financial statements has improved the general image of the corporation. Kyari added that this was instrumental to the speedy facilitation of the financing agreement for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery. “Since we opted to disclose our financial statements, the speed with which we close financial transactions has been monumental. We now close deals at a quarter of the time we used to them and that is very critical,” the GMD added.

He restated his commitment to work with NEITI and urged Orji and his team to avail themselves of details of the corporation’s operations, especially the monthly engagement with the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), on the NNPC website. Earlier, Orji had described NNPC as a key partner of the agency whose role in the industry stands “clearly on the orbit”. He commended the GMD for the regular engagements and effective communication between the two organisations, adding that such engagements are necessary to create value. He said there was need to build on the relationship with a view to deepening the culture of transparency in the oil and gas industry. “When we see an agency like NNPC listening and being able to make themselves available for discussions, we will explore that option, it’s more useful to us than fighting on the pages of newspapers,” he stated. Orji also expressed support for the ongoing engagements on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which he said would help close gaps in the proposed legislation.

into the next decades to provide the needed leadership to the country as the party in power, not only at the centre but in almost all the states of the federation." Also yesterday, the party, in a statement in Abuja by the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, announced the extension of the ongoing membership drive by three weeks. The exercise, which started on February 9 was scheduled to terminate on March 31, 2021, before it was extended for additional three weeks.

The latest extension was the second time the national leadership of the party would be extending the exercise. Akpanudoedehe stated: “The Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) under the leadership of His Excellency, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, had done everything possible to keep to the earlier timeline; however, it has become imperative to extend the duration of this very important party activity. “Consequently, the committee has approved the recommendation of the National Committee for the Membership Registration, Revalidation and Update to

extend the duration of the exercise for three weeks.” Akpanudoedehe added that the audit of the reports received from the National Membership Registration, Revalidation and Update Committee; the States’ Registration Committees and that of the party Situation Room indicated most states for varied reasons, started late, and required additional time to conclude the exercise. He said the party’s decision was also sequel to the applications from critical stakeholders, including all states’ caretaker chairmen for an extension of time to capture Nigerians desirous of joining the party.

Lawan Preaches Love, Hope, Tolerance

which is to celebrate the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. With abiding hope in our manifest destiny of greatness, I believe we shall overcome the challenges and build the Nigeria of our dream. "Let us also continue to support the government in its efforts to provide security and an enabling environment for economic growth and prosperity.” According to him, the National Assembly has stayed focused on its legislative agenda and has been providing legislative support to government and its policies. Lawan added that various committees of the National Assembly are working on many proposals for amending the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Reforms Act, as well as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), among others.

APC STATE CHAIRMEN DEMAND IMMEDIATE CONDUCT OF CONGRESSES, CONVENTION Convention Planning Committee of the party yesterday extended it again, by three weeks. The Chairman of the forum and APC Chairman in Borno State, Hon. Ali Dalori, said at a press conference that the membership drive had increased the base of the party. Dalori said: “Thus, after the conduct and conclusion of membership registration/ revalidation exercise, we urgently call for the immediate conduct of congresses and convening of the national convention; and to allow for the completion of all other tasks assigned to the committee by NEC within the time frame.”

He stated that the ruling party had witnessed tremendous turnout of Nigerians and a mass increase in the party’s numerical strength in the last few months. He added that it was only proper that the party allowed the exercise to progress to the best of conclusion. He said immediately after the commencement of the exercise, members saw the need for an extension to accommodate the second stage of the exercise in view of the mass turnout of Nigerians. “Due to logistics bottleneck and the complexity of the distribution process of

registration materials, a number of states only received the materials to commence the second phase of the registration exercise not too long ago, and will therefore not be able to meet up with the reviewed scheduled timetable of the exercise without denying so many willing citizens the opportunity to join the party,” he added. According to him, the membership drive so far has provided a prelude to what would be expected in future elections in Nigeria. He described the turnout of Nigerians to join the party as a vote of confidence in the APC, adding that “just like projected, we will continue

SHUN AGENTS OF DISUNITY, BUHARI URGES NIGERIANS President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, in a similar message, stressed the importance of peace and love in promoting national unity. Buhari expressed the conviction that the new resolve of the security personnel to combat insecurity would be successful. He said: "We should not allow the antics of a few mischief mongers to fragment the unity and faith that the vast majority of citizens of this country cherish and believe in. As I’ve said before, we are better and stronger as one nation under God.” Buhari also acknowledged the sacrifices of doctors, nurses and other frontline health workers “who have made the difference in saving lives and ensuring the reduction of the spread of the virus." “I thank Nigerians who

have religiously adhered to various interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19, including regular hand washing; safe distancing, wearing of face masks and embrace of vaccination. We are united in our belief that if we do the right things, take the right decisions and act responsibly, the pandemic, like others before it, will no longer be a threat,” he stated. While rejoicing with Christians on the occasion of this year’s Easter celebration, the president stated that a year ago, “in most of our major cities, our celebrations were somewhat subdued, as we battled the effect of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. “The restrictions meant that our brethren could not attend traditional church services as they would have wished. I salute their resilience and understanding. Today, we are able to congregate

and worship together, cautiously.” The president described the season as an opportunity to renew hope and faith, show love and appreciation to one another and not to despair, no matter the challenges of the period. “As a government, we will continue to ensure that the weak, the poor and the underprivileged in our midst are not abandoned. "We have reached out with palliative care even in the midst of dwindling resources; we have tried our best to provide support to families and businesses affected at this time. That is the spirit of Easter; the spirit of faith; the spirit of belief; the spirit of hope. “I congratulate our brothers and sisters once again on this occasion and wish everyone a Happy Easter celebration,” he added

Lawan, in his message, felicitated with Nigerians, particularly the Christians, as they joined the rest of the Christian world in celebrating Easter. Lawan urged Nigerians to use the occasion to preach religious tolerance, love for neighbours and commit to civic responsibilities. According to him, building a great nation requires sacrifice, endurance and hope, especially in Nigeria where diversity in tongues and faiths make the task complex. He assured the people that the National Assembly would continue to work for them, in their legitimate pursuit of peace, happiness and prosperity. Lawan said: ''Easter is one of the most important events in the Christian calendar,

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NGN NGN 0.03 0.33 0.90 9.90 0.04 0.45 0.19 2.23 0.06 0.72 NGN 0.04 0.42 0.17 2.13 0.05 0.70 REGENCY 0.01 0.29 LIVESTOCK 0.05 1.87 HPE Nestle Nig Plc ₦1,375.00 Volume: 239.421 million shares Value: N2.315 billion Deals: 4,450 As at yesterday 1/4/2021 See details on Page 37

% 10 10 9.7 9.3 9.0 % 8.7 7.3 6.6 3.3 2.6

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

Banks, MTN Dispute over USSD, Airtime Fees Deepens Obinna Chima

There were strong indications last night that some commercial banks may have yanked off their USSD, airtime purchase, and other online services from MTN network due to the disagreement between the financial institutions and the telecommunication company on the amount to be charged. THISDAY gathered that the bank Chief Executive Officers had at a recent meeting agreed to shut down purchase of MTN services across all their channels beginning from 11 pm last night until further notice. Attempt by THISDAY to purchase airtime from GTBank last night showed that the commercial bank had removed MTN among the network its customers could purchase airtime from. However, Fidelity Bank was still offering the service as of midnight. A source close to the banks explained that the disagreement arose after MTN recently reduced the discount offered to banks on airtime sales from four per cent to 2.5 per cent, which did not go down well with banks considering the cost of

managing the infrastructure and other operational costs they incurred. A top bank official, who pleaded to remain anonymous, said other banks are expected to comply with the decision of their CEOs from today. He disclosed that over 60 per cent of airtime vending by telcos presently were done electronically through the banks. The CBN and the NCC, had in a recent communique issued at the end of a meeting to resolve the disagreement on USSD fee between the banks and telcos agree that with effect from March 16, 2021, USSD services for financial transactions conducted at banks and all CBN- licensed institutions would be a flat rate of N6.98k per transaction. This replaced the previous per session billing structure, ensuring a much cheaper average cost for customers to ensure financial inclusion. “To promote transparency, the new USSD charges will be collected on behalf of MNOs directly from customers’ bank accounts. “Banks shall not impose additional charges on customers for the use of USSD channel. “A settlement

Six Soldiers, Policeman Feared Killed as Bandits Attack Niger Communities Laleye Dipo in Minna No fewer six soldiers and one policeman were feared killed yesterday when over 200 bandits stormed some villages in the Shiroro Local Government of Niger State. The bandits also reportedly set the military base in Allawa town on fire and burnt down their operational vehicles. A successful businessman in Bassa village in the area, Alhaji Sule was also said to have been killed in his farm by the attackers, who also stole several motorcycles belonging to the villagers. The incidents, according to eyewitnesses, started at about 2am yesterday when the bandits stormed Allawa village riding on motorcycles and brandishing AK-47 rifles. THISDAY gathered that the bandits caught the security operatives in the town unawares. It was learnt before they could repel the attack, six of the soldiers and one mobile policeman have been felled by the bandits’ bullets and their camp set ablaze. The Co-convener of Concerned Shiroro Youth, Mr. Abubakar Yussuf Koki, told THISDAY on telephone that the area had become a war zone with bandits ransacking homes killing and maiming innocent

villagers. “Their intention is to rid the area of security presence so that they will always have a field day,” Koki said. “We have been left on our own; nobody is coming to our assistance, “Koki lamented. When contacted, the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane confirmed the incident. “Yes, there was an attack at our army base at Allawa; usually it is a deployment point. We deploy soldiers and security agencies to black spots in that area from that base “Allawa you know is a huge forest; it has become a sanctuary for bandits. What we have done is to deploy security agencies to be able to address and respond to attacks in that area. Unfortunately, this is what happened,” Matane said He said security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, the Brigade Commander had visited the area “to verify and validate what has happened.” Meanwhile, the remains of the soldiers killed have been evacuated. The remains were evacuated in several pick-up vans with military colours under heavy armed escort at about 3pm yesterday.

plan for outstanding payments incurred for

USSD services previously rendered by the MNOs is

being worked out by all parties in a bid to ensure that

the matter is fully resolved,” the communiqué explained.

IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY…

Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji (left), and Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, during a visit of the NEITI’s management team to the NNPC Towers, Abuja...recently

NDLEA Nabs Chadian Boko Haram Drug Supplier Michael Olugbode in Abuja A 35-year-old Chadian male alleged to be the supplier of illicit drugs to Boko Haram and bandits, has been arrested by the operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with assorted hard drugs. The suspect, Adama Issa, according to a statement by the Head, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi was arrested on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 in Jalingo, Taraba

State with 21.7 kilogrammes of Tramadol and other illicit substances. His arrest came barely a week after a 70-year-old Nigerien who supplied Boko Haram and bandits with illicit drugs was apprehended by NDLEA. According to the Commander, Taraba State Command of the NDLEA, Mr. Suleiman Jadi, the suspect could speak only French and Arabic. He claimed he was taking the illicit substances to Chad Republic

before he was intercepted in Jalingo. Jadi said investigations had however shown that he was a major supplier of illicit drugs to Boko Haram insurgents. He said at the point of interdiction, that the drugs, which he bought from Onitsha in Anambra State, were concealed inside new ladies’ handbags and shoes. In a related development, operatives of the anti-drug law enforcement agency have

raided drug joints in Warri Street, Kaduna, where 29.5 grammes of cocaine and heroin were recovered along with 456 grammes of rophynol tablets. Two peddlers: Suleiman Yusuf and Abubakar Abdullahi were arrested during the sting operation. In another interdiction, a 181-kilogramme of cannabis sativa was seized in Gaidam, Yobe State and a suspect was arrested in connection with the seizure.

NBA to Investigate CCT Chairman’s Alleged Assault on Security Guard Alex Enumah in Abuja The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), yesterday registered its displeasure over the reported assault of a security guard by the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Mr. Danladi Umar. A video where the CCT Chairman was alleged to be assaulting a security guard at the Banex shopping complex, Wuse ll, Abuja, went viral earlier this week. In its first reaction since Tuesday when the video surfaced, the umbrella body of legal practitioners disapproved the public conduct of Umar, which it stated was not

deserving of a public officer of such a high standing. “The attention of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has been drawn to the video making the rounds where the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) - Danladi Yakubu Umar was seen, together with his security detail, allegedly assaulting a citizen at Banex Plaza, in Wuse Abuja. “We understand that this citizen turned out to be a 22-year-old employee of Jul Reliable Guards Services Limited, posted as a security guard to the Plaza and who is now reportedly hospitalised,” the NBA said in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Dr.

Rapulu Nduka. Nduka who disclosed that the NBA had read the statement credited to the Head, Press and Public Relations of the CCT in response to the actions of Umar, said the “NBA frowns at any display of naked power by a public officer especially one who, by virtue of his high office, is expected to exhibit a high standard of conduct”. He stated that the situation become more critical when such conduct involves the head of an agency of government set up to ensure compliance, by public officers, with the Code of Conduct. “Further, as a member of the legal profession, Danladi Yakubu

Umar is expected, by the extant rules that regulate the conduct of legal practitioners in Nigeria, to maintain a high standard of professional conduct, and not to engage in any conduct which is unbecoming of a member of the legal profession. “Prima facie evidence available at the moment raise questions regarding whether such standards have been met. “In view of the foregoing, the NBA shall through its relevant committee, investigate the circumstances leading to the altercation, and depending on its findings, will ensure that appropriate action is taken to address this occurrence,” the statement said.

Soludo: How Gunmen Attacked Me Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has narrated how gunmen attacked him and his security details. Soludo, who described the killing of three of his police orderlies as senseless, prayed for the repose of their souls. Soludo was on Wednesday attacked in his hometown in Isuofia in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. The former CBN governor is a leading governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the November 6 governorship poll in the state. Speaking last night on

the incident on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today,’ Soludo said, “we were having an interactive session and we finished the mass about 4pm and the scheduled interactive meeting with the Isuofia youths. By the way, Isuofia happened to be my hometown. I’m a village boy and this is where I feel safest anywhere in the world. I walk the street, I jog in my community, I take long walk, I am everywhere as a village boy. “With this interactive session, there were over a thousand youths seated and I was just making preliminary remarks to open up the interactive session with other dignitaries from the

communities, commissioners and members of the house of assembly. And just as I was about to wrap up and I said, ‘Finally!’ for them to open up for comments and answers, gunshots! At first, I thought may be the policemen were shooting in the air with the kind of exuberance in the hall until I began to hear people screaming and we all scampered for safety. “It took more than 10, 15 minutes of continuous gun battle. By the time we all came back, we saw three bodies there lying in the pool of their blood – they were the three policemen. May God grant their souls eternal rest. We

will continue to pray and support the family.” “I was totally unhurt, not in anyway hurt,” he narrated. When asked whether the attack was linked with his governorship ambition, he said, “I am friend with everybody contesting the office. I don’t think the office is worth the blood of even a chicken let alone a human being. I will be shocked that it was politically-motivated and that it was aimed directly at me.” He expressed worry over the kidnap of the state Commissioner for Public Utilities, Mr. Emeka Ezenwanne, during the attack.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Police Arrest Five Suspects over Attack on Soludo David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The Anambra State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the attack on a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Monday Bala Kuryas, has also visited Soludo and ordered security to be beefed up around him. Spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, Mr. Toochukwu Ikenga, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said in a statement yesterday that four more suspects had been arrested after an earlier arrest of a suspect. He said: “Police operatives attached to Anambra State Command today, April 1, 2021, arrested four additional suspects in connection with the recent attack and gruesome murder of three policemen at

Isuofia Civic Centre in Aguata LGA of Anambra State. “The suspects, who are all male, include: Mbah Victor, aged 30 years; John Olisakwe, aged 21 years; Chigozie Omeh, aged 20 years and Emmanuel Nnobi, aged 28 years. “The suspects confessed to have actively taken part in the attack and subsequent abduction of the Commissioner for Public and Utilities, Mr. Emeka Ezenwanne, who the command is working assiduously to rescue.” Ikenga said efforts were still on going to apprehend other accomplices, to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring perpetrators to book. He also quoted Kuryas as reiterating his commitment to ensure the security of Anambra residents. Kuryas urged the public not to relent in providing information to assist the police

to curb crimes. Ikenga, in an earlier statement, had said one suspect had been arrested in connection with the attack. Ikenga, however, did not disclose the identity of the suspect. But a source told THISDAY that the suspect was tracked down and arrested after his

mobile phone was found at the scene of the attack where three policemen were killed. “One of the killers forgot his phone at the scene of the attack, and we found it when the CP visited the place. We tracked down the owner and arrested him, and he is helping us with investigation,” the source added. The source stated that the

three slain policemen were still alive when the commissioner visited the scene of the attack on Wednesday. “As at the time the CP arrived the scene of the attack, the policemen were still moving. One of them was even muttering something, but we could not hear him. They were certified dead at the hospital,”

the source said. Ikenga said: “CP Kuryas visited the scene of the attack on Wednesday night with a crack team of police operatives for an on-the-spot assessment to the venue, where the APGA governorship aspirant held a stakeholders/ community meeting at Isuofia Civic Centre in Aguata LGA.

FG Threatens to Invoke ‘No Work, No Pay’ as Doctors FUTURE PILOT… Embark on Strike Enugu-born winner of the 2021 edition of ‘The 774 Young Nigerian Scientists Presidential Award,’ Master Izuchukwu Godswill Edeani

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The federal government has threatened to apply “no work, no pay” rule against the resident doctors, who embarked on an indefinite strike yesterday to protest alleged failure by the federal government to fulfill its obligations to them. The doctors whose umbrella body, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had earlier met with the federal government team on Wednesday over their grievances, rejected the proposals put forward by the government on how to make up for the shortcomings in the implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between both parties. Speaking on a live TV programme, the association’s president, Dr. Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, said the strike commenced at 8 am yesterday. “The strike commenced 8 am,

and we enjoin all resident doctors to start the strike immediately. “We had a meeting with the minister of labour from 4 pm to about 12 am this morning, but as it stands; we are used to memorandum of understandings for over a decade now, and we insist on the implementation of what we wrote on our strike message. “We’re not just doing this for resident doctors, we’re doing this for all health workers.” Speaking on the proposals put forward by the federal government, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige said, “12 hours is a lot of time. Everybody will be working. Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) will be working. And hopefully by tomorrow, you will experience the payment as agreed here for the second category of doctors (an overflow of the MDCN quota). We hope it must happen tomorrow and continue.

Nigeria’s Sonariwo, Collins on Glo-sponsored African Voices Two Nigerians, who have become talent exports to the global scene on account of their interests in fashion creation and visual arts, will this week grace the studios of African Voices Changemakers, a magazine programme of the Cable News Network (CNN) sponsored by telecommunications service provider, Globacom. Chuks Collins, a New-Yorkbased fashion designer, began his adventure in 2010 when he launched his clothing line with a mission to style people in a manner that will confer respect and pride on them. He suffered a major health scare in 2012 with a bad accident and a terrifying kidney issue that necessitated a kidney transplant. Rather than become despondent by his situation, he returned with his debut collection ‘Survival’ and followed it with two more collections named ‘The Journey’ and ‘The Dream’ in quick succession. Collins who once worked with telecommunications giant,

Globacom, in Nigeria, has been a celebrated participant in fashion shows in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey. He has also displayed his versatility in Canada and Belarus while designing for Ralph Lauren and other notable fashion labels in New York. Also on the programme is Adenrele Sonariwo, an Art Curator and proprietor of Rele Arts Gallery which was established in 2010. She has two offices - one at Onikan, Lagos, and the other in Los Angeles, United States of America. A princess of Sagamu in Ogun State, she won The Future Awards for Arts and Culture in 2016 and has been on the Power List of influencers in culture in 2016 and 2017. In March, 2017, she was listed as one of the 100 Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria. She has shared knowledge at TEDx events and was also a member of the jury at the Dak’art Biennale which took place in 2018.

(left); and Enugu State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, when the governor received the national award winner, at the Government House, Enugu … yesterday

South-east Leaders to Meet over Ebonyi Massacre The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday said it would convene a meeting of Igbo leaders following the recent massacre of 22 people from Egedegede, Obeagu and Nkaleha communities of Ebonyi State and some parts of Enugu State between Sunday and Monday nights, by Fulani

hersdmen. According to a statement signed by the Chairman, Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, the elders of Igboland have directed that the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor and the Chairman of South-East Governors’ Forum,

Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, should call an immediate meeting of stakeholders, including the National Assembly. “This meeting will deliberate on ways and means to protect Igbo people wherever they live. The meeting will also establish an emergency relief fund from where help can be

given to people exposed to attack of terrorism anywhere in Igboland. We wish to say with pride that all through the history of Nigeria, Igbo are known to live in many places outside Igboland and they have never launched any attack against the lives and property of the people of that area.”

Fidelity Bank Records N28.1bn Profit, to Pay N6.4bn Dividend Goddy Egene Fidelity Bank Plc has announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020, showing resilience by posting growth in core operating profits, net revenue and other key financial indices. It posted a 50.9 per cent growth in core operating profits from N29.8 billion in 2019 to

N44.9 billion while net revenue increased by 15 per cent from N111.8 billion in 2019, Customer deposit, which is a measure of consumer confidence, rose by 38.7 per cent from N1.225 trillion to N1.699 trillion while total assets grew by 30.5 per cent from N2.114 trillion in 2019 to N2.758 trillion. However, due to increase in bank’s loan provisions to shield

it from headwinds, profit before tax(PBT) dropped by 7.6 per cent to N28.1 billion from N30.4 billion in 2019. Encouraged by the healthy results, the board of Fidelity Bank is proposing a N6.4 billion payout, which translates to 22 Kobo dividend per share to its shareholders. Commenting, Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Bank Plc, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe,

said: “We are pleased with our financial performance, which clearly showed the resilience of our business model as core operating profit increased by 50.9 per cent to N44.9 billion from N29.8 billion in 2019. We also saw a significant improvement in our efficiency indices as the cost-to-income ratio moderated downward to 65.1 per cent from 73.4 per cent in 2019.

EFCC Nabs 34 Yahoo Boys in Ibadan, Lagos Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday arrested a total of 34 suspected internet fraudsters, also known as yahoo yahoo boys. They were apprehended in separate operations in Ibadan, Oyo State and Lagos. An EFCC statement said 24

of the suspects, most of whom claimed to be undergraduates, were rounded up yesterday at their hideout in Apete area of Ibadan, Oyo State by operatives from the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission. The suspects are: Isiaka Quadri Olawale, Ojubanire Akindimeji Abdulquadri, Shobowale Michael Morenikeji,

Adeyemi Yusuf Ekundayo, Alabi Gift Jesse, Owolabi Yakubu Josebh, Olasupo Ogooluwa Ayomide, Emmanuel Segun Omogbolahan, Mufutau Sarafa Adewale, and Adekunle Habeeb Olamilekan. Others are Usman Abdullahi Olamilekan, Adurota Emmanuel Tosin, Adekunle Ibrahim Babatunde, Adeyiga Ayobami

Emmanuel, Olubanji Remilekun Michael, Ibrahim Damola Iremide, Okunlaja Joshua Opeyemi, Aiyelokun Bolaji Emmanuel, Akintokun Olalekan Ibukunmi, Kehinde Victor Boluwatife, Oni Olanrewaju Gabriel, Shobowale Samuel Durodola, Owolabi Quadri Damilola and Monday Blessing Patrick.

Fayemi Harps on Unity among Nigerians Udora Orizu in Abuja

The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has urged Nigerians to always give room for unity and peace to reign so as to strengthen the ties that bind the country to ensure a better future for all. Fayemi, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), made the call when members of the Ekiti caucus in the House of Representatives

organised a get-together to honour him on his birthday in Abuja. He said such ties predated colonialism, adding that the country could only triumph when everyone put their hands together and ensure they did whatever they could in their various spheres to strengthen the bridge of togetherness. The governor expressed gratitude for the gesture to honour him by the National

Assembly members, saying they had contributed immensely to the successes recorded in the state. “I am immensely proud of the work you are all doing. “We still have a long way to go. It is not a destination. It is a journey and that journey you would always find undulating lands, valleys, hills, potholes, but ultimately what is important is to continue on the journey. And I know God in his infinite

mercy would continue to help us overcome these challenging times,” he said. He added that though it was difficult to be a leader in turbulent times, it was also the best time to be a leader because in every adversity, there was always and opportunity. Speaking on behalf of the Ekiti caucus of the House, Hon. Oluremi Ogunlola , commended Fayemi for piloting the affairs of the state effectively.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWSEXTRA

Bandits Attack Home of former Minister, Sango, Shoot Three Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the attack on the Riyom residence of a former

Minister of Sport, Chief Damishi Sango where three persons, including security men were allegedly shot. Spokesman of the command,

Mr. Gabriel Ubah Ogaba said in a statement yesterday that, “The Command is aware of the incident at Riyom and the victims have been rushed to the hospital where they are receiving

treatment.” He however said he was not aware yet whether the security personnel were dispossessed of their rifles. Ogaba said, “a team of

detectives and intelligence officers have already commenced investigation and manhunt for the criminals.” He assured that the former minister and his family were

safe and unhurt. The bandits, THISDAY gathered, carried out the attack on Wednesday night at about 9p.m, when two security personnel and a young boy were shot.

Falana Rejects US Report on Lekki Toll Gate Shooting Human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr. Femi Falana has rejected the report issued by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on the October 20, 2020 shooting incident at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos. The US in the report, published on Wednesday, said there was no accurate information on the incident. The report noted that while the Amnesty International alleged that 10 protesters were killed, the Nigerian government disputed the report, adding that no other organisation was able to verify the report. But in a swift reaction, Falana, in a statement issued yesterday described the US report as an attempt to cover up the brutal killings at Lekki and other parts of Lagos from October 20 to 27, 2020. The senior lawyer also described the report as a contradictory report, which on one hand, claimed that the members of the security forces

were enforcing curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters, and on the hand alleged that some protesters had turned violent after criminal elements infiltrated them, resulting to the use of fire power by security forces. Falana said the report did not mention the detachment of the Nigerian army, which perpetrated the mayhem. “Do soldiers shoot into the air to enforce curfew in the United States?” Falana queried. Falana urged the media to stop treating Nigerians like colonial subjects by celebrating a foreign report that was subversive of the rule of law in Nigeria. “How can the United States Government be allowed to treat the proceedings before a properly constituted Judicial Panel of Inquiry so contemptuously? The report is prejudicial in every material particular. It should be ignored by the Judicial Panel as it is designed to pre-empt the evidence being adduced by the survivors of the barbaric attack,” Falana explained.

Fayemi Won’t Cede Ekiti Land for Ranching, Council Tells Monarchs Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti The Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ajibade Alabi, has appealed to the state monarchs not to be agitated by fear that the state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, was planning to acquire lands in some towns for ranching for Fulani herders. The head of the monarchs, who is the Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, said he had got assurances from the state government that the wish of the traditional rulers and Ekiti people would prevail in the matter. Last Wednesday, some traditional rulers under the aegis of Majority Obas of Ekiti Land (MOBEL) had opposed the establishment of ranching proposed by the federal government under its National Livestock Programme. The monarchs in a letter dated March 25, 2021, and addressed to the governor expressed opposition to the Ekiti State decision to adopt the project following preponderance of complaints from subjects both home and abroad. The letter was signed by the Chairman of the Majority Obas in Ekiti Land, Olomuoke of Omuooke-Ekiti, Oba Vincent Otitoju; the Secretary, Onikun of Ikun Amure-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Olusola, and 79 other monarchs.

They said the federal government proposed plan to acquire land for herdsmen for grazing activities is a ‘crystal imperialist agenda’ with potent potential to cause serious security challenges for the host communities. But dousing the tension elicited by the fear that the government was allegedly contemplating keying into the federal government project, Oba Alabi in a statement issued yesterday said: “The attention of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers has been drawn to a publication made by some traditional rulers under the aegis of Majority Obas in Ekiti Land (MOBEL) alleging that Governor Fayemi intends to cede land to some people for cattle ranching or grazing. “I wish to state unequivocally that the allegation was not true as the governor has no plans to cede an inch of our land to any group of people for ranching. “Available information from the state government revealed that the news making the round on plans to cede land was meant to cause disaffection among our people. The chairman of the traditional council, therefore, appealed to monarchs to show some circumspection in reacting to news from social media in this era of misinformation, disinformation and fake news.”

EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP…

L-R:ChiefofDefenceSpaceAdministration,RearAdmiral WilliamsKayoda;EkitiStateGovernor,Dr. Kayode Fayemi;Director,Communication Satellite, Major General NC Ugbo; Principal Staff Officer, Brig. Gen. AC Adetoba; andTechnical Adviser on the Airport Project, Air Vice Marshal Adeniyi Ojuawo (rtd); during the visit of the Defence Space Administration to the governor in Ado-Ekiti...yesterday

PDP Mocks APC over Extension of Membership Registration Exercise Chuks Okocha in Abuja The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop pushing “its fake membership registration exercise in the public space” as Nigerians can no longer be swayed by such derisory venture. The PDP further noted that the moves by the APC to declare another extension of the ‘phony’ membership registration, have confirmed that the entire exercise was a mere sitting room manipulation

designed to produce a bogus membership figure. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP said: “Our party has nothing but pity for the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee, which has become overweighed by the burden of producing an inflated membership register following the rejection of the APC by Nigerians.” The PDP stated that this is especially as the public is already aware of the disagreements among APC leaders over

allocation of figures, which led to the bloody clashes that trailed the failed exercise in many states of the federation. According to the spokesperson of the PDP, “APC ought to have known that the game is over after Nigerians rejected their monetary inducement of N10, 000 per registration, even after they offered night registration in some state.” The PDP counseled the APC leadership to note that further extension of the botched exercise cannot attract the sympathy of Nigerians or give any credence to any ‘fake

figure they intend to come out with’. PDP said the outburst by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and other APC leaders, who were ostensibly edged out in the membership allocation racket, had already exposed the plots by the APC to launch a fabricated register. “Our party urges the APC leadership to listen to voice of reason coming from elders of their party like former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande, and end this dance of shame,” he stated.

Okowa Advocates Progressive Taxation to Capture Rich Evaders Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba The Governor of Delta State, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has advocated that progressive taxation should be used to bring large percentage of tax evaders into the tax net. Okowa made the call yesterday in his remarks at the 2021 Maris Public Lecture that was organised by the Maris Trust Council in the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba. The lecture, with the theme “Effective Tax Administration for the Delivery of Democratic Dividends,” was attended by

professionals from relevant fields. The governor, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mr. Chika Ossai, said: “The theme of the lecture is quite timely and appropriate as it will serve to draw attention to the critical role of effective tax administration in the entire revenue generation, availability of resources and how they can be generated. “A good tax administration system itself serves as a means towards the redistribution of wealth as does the social

spending on programmes designed to overcome poverty and inequality. “The tax regime should not overburden the very poor citizens who are trying to eke out daily living. The system should identify the affluent group who more often than not are unwilling or reluctant to pay taxes. “To expand the revenue base, this class of citizens should be identified and incorporated through reform strategies to ensure increased internally generated revenue.

However, in doing so, a conscious effort should be made to not to overcharge. “I sincerely encourage companies, individuals and relevant organisations to pay taxes promptly because government needs money to perform civil obligations and running of the state.” Okowa noted that government needed additional revenue to finance numerous programmes and projects like infrastructure, roads, water, electricity, education and health.

Akeredolu Begins 15-day Working Vacation Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State yesterday commenced a 15-day working vacation, as the first installment of his 2021 annual leave. A statement issued

yesterday in Akure, the state capital by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Richard Olatunde, said that the governor had transmitted the development in a letter addressed to

the Speaker of House of Assembly, Mr. Bamidele Oleyelogun. According to the statement, the leave commenced from yesterday, April 1 to Friday, April 23,

2021, both days inclusive. “While Gov. Akeredolu is away on vacation, the Deputy Governor, Mr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa will perform the functions of the office of the Governor.

Buhari Writes Senate, Seeks Confirmation of Abdullahi as FCT CJ Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has written formally to the Senate seeking the confirmation of Justice Salisu

Garba Abdullahi, who has been in acting capacity, as the substantive Chief Judge of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The President, in a release

on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, said he was making the request pursuant to Section 256 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

(as amended). In the letter, dated April 1, 2021, President Buhari urged the upper legislative chamber to do the confirmation, “in the usual expeditious manner.”

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

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Man Beaten to Death, Burnt for Alleged Blasphemy in Bauchi Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Tragedy struck in Sade village of Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State when a middleaged man, Talle Mai Ruwa, was set ablaze by yet-to-be identified youths for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Mohammed. THISDAY checks revealed that the deceased, who was taken to

the police station in the village last Monday after his alleged blasphemous act, was forcefully taken away from the station by a mob of angry youths last Tuesday and lynched in broad daylight. Mai Ruwa, who was said to be mentally deranged, was alleged to have blasphemed against Prophet Mohammed

when a girl came to fetch water from his borehole without his consent, an act which was said to have infuriated him, thereby kicking her bucket and spilling its content in the process. According to a source in the village who narrated what happened to journalists, the girl begged the deceased in the name of God and the Prophet to allow

her to fetch the water, but Ruwa was so angry to the extent that he allegedly insulted her parents and the Prophet. The alleged blasphemy, it was learnt, raised temper among the villagers, leading to tension in the village. “The tension in the village last Monday made the village head to take him to the police

station in the village where he spent the night. “By the next morning, the issue had spread, and everyone in the village was provoked. Later, a group of angry youths stormed the police station, subdued the police officers and grabbed Ruwa. He was beaten to death and his dead body was burnt,” the source said.

Another villager narrated that the irate youths, after beating him to death, dragged his lifeless body round the village and set it on fire and burnt it to ashes. The source said the irate youths later dragged the remains to the front of his compound, where his aged mother helplessly watched them set his body ablaze and burnt it.

Appeal Court Frees Dokpesi from N2.1bn Fraud Charges Alex Enumah in Abuja The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal yesterday discharged founder of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi from the N2.1 billion fraud charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). A three-man panel of the appellate court in a unanimous judgment freed Dokpesi from the charges after it held that the prosecution failed to establish the ingredients of the charge. The EFCC had in 2015 dragged Dokposi to court accusing him and his company of illegally receiving funds considered as proceeds of crimes

from a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd). He pleaded not guilty to the charges and went further to file a no-case submission after the prosecution closed its case in November 2018 after calling 14 witnesses. However, trial judge, Justice John Tsoho, rejected the nocase submission and ordered Dokpesi and his firm to enter their defence. Not satisfied, the defendants then approached the Court of Appeal, with a request to nullify the decision and free him from the charges on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.

Kano NLC Issues Seven-day Ultimatum to Govt over Salary Deductions Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano Kano State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given a seven-day ultimatum to the state government to refund and stop what it described as “illegal deduction” from civil servants’ salaries or face industrial action. The NLC Chairman, Mr. Kabiru Ado Minjibir, disclosed this to journalists yesterday after an emergency meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) in Kano. He insisted that failure of the government to stop the

“unexplained” deduction before the end of its ultimatum, which would begin on April 6, 2021, workers would embark on a three-day warning strike from the midnight of April 7. Minjibir expressed disappointment over the action of the state government, which he described as a clear violation of the agreement on the new minimum wage law of 2019. At the meeting, they also rejected in its entirety the ‘illegal and illogical’ deduction from workers’ salaries and pensioners allowance.

SEALED AND DELIVERED …

Coordinator, Special Purpose Committee, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Lanre Ipinmisho (left), and Chairman/CEO, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), when the coordinator presented a report to the CEO at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja …yesterday

Ekiti Reduces Stake in Wema Bank Goddy Egene

Ekiti State, one of the shareholders of Wema Bank Plc, has reduced its stake in the bank by 666.670 million from 1.191 billion shares. Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, and Osun States are shareholders in Wema Bank. While Oyo, Osun, and Ogun held 666.670 million or 1.73 per cent each, Ekiti held 1.191 billion or 3.09 per cent as at December 31, 2019.

But in a notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), signed by the Company Secretary of Wema Bank Plc, Johnson Lebile, the bank said Ekiti State Government sold 666.670 million shares at 65 kobo per share on the floors of the NSE, amounting to N433.336 million. According to the bank, the transaction took place between March 3 and 4, 2021. With the transaction, Ekiti State now holds about 524.1

million shares. Neem Tree Limited remains the majority shareholder of Wema Bank with 10.696 billion shares or 27.7 per cent, followed by SW8 Investment Limited that controls 14.9 per cent. Petrotab Limited holds 8.5 per cent, while Odu’a Investment Company Limited holds 8.2 per cent. Wema Bank Plc had last month reported gross earnings of N80.852 billion in its unaudited

results for the year ended December 30, 2020, indicating a decrease of 14.7 per cent compared with N94.890 billion in 2019. Net interest income improved by 19.4 per cent to N31.038 billion in 2020 from N25.986 billion in 2019. But net trading income slumped by 73 per cent from N14.789 billion to N3.0966 billion following the crash in Treasury Bills yields last year.

House Minority Leader Condemns Ebonyi Killings, Attack on Soludo Udora Orizu in Abuja The Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, has condemned the killing of citizens in Egedegede community of Ebonyi State by suspected herdsmen, and the attack on former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma Soludo, by gunmen in Isuofia, Anambra

State, in which three policemen were killed. The lawmaker in a statement issued yesterday said that the prevailing killings across the country were ominous indications that things were falling apart, which if not immediately arrested, would spell doom for the country. Okechukwu suggested that time was overdue to breathe life into the reports of the 2014

National Conference and the Governor Nasir El-Rufai-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Committee on True Federalism, both of which he said favoured state police as the answer to the rising insecurity in the country. He said with the country’s present security architecture, it was apparent that citizens could not be protected, stressing that the APC government had lost its mandate for which it was

hired in 2019. According to him, ‘’this continuous carnage as evident from the attack in Ebonyi is a clear indication that things are really falling apart. This massacre of hapless citizens is another sad reminder that we are in a season of anomie where innocent people are unexpectedly mowed down in cold blood without consequences.

Protests Erupt in Ibadan Market over Invasion by Customs Officers Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Angry youths in their hundreds, comprising members of the Oyo State Traders Association and members of the public, took to the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to protest the midnight invasion of Bodija, Ibadan market and seizure of hundreds of bags of rice.

The angry protesters accused the Customs officers of storming the market and taking away cash worth millions of naira in the midnight invasion. There was traffic snarl along the Secretariat-Bodija-UI Road as motorists and other roads users were stranded for several hours. THISDAY learnt that officers of the Nigeria Customs Service

(NCS), who carried out the operations, were from the Federal Operations Unit in Lagos. The controversial midnight operation, it was gathered, was done without the knowledge of the Oyo/Osun Customs Command. Protesters had attempted to break into the headquarters of the Oyo/Osun Customs Command, but were prevented from entry

as the officers locked the massive gate. After the botched attempt, the angry protesters were said to have proceeded to the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan where they called on the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, to wade into the alleged illegal invasion and stealing of cash by FOU Customs officers.

Kwara Police Parade 16 Suspected Cultists Hammed Shittu in Ilorin The Kwara State Police command yesterday paraded 16 suspected members of Eiye and Aye confraternities, who have been allegedly terrorising the people of the state in the past few weeks. Parading the suspects in Ilorin, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Muhammed

Badega, told journalists that: “The suspects had earlier in the week unleashed terror in Oko Olowo area of Ilorin, over girlfriend rivalry. “Many shops and offices in the area were hurriedly shut down during the melee early in the week as members of the two rivalry gangs attacked themselves with local guns and charms, as members of the

secret cult groups sustained various degrees of injuries before the police arrested them. “The two local guns recovered from the suspects, as well as axe, charms, many wraps of Indian hemp, one Bajaj motorcycle and one Bajaj tricycle were displayed at the police headquarters with the suspects, who sustained various degrees of injuries.”

While speaking on the arrest of the suspected cultists, the police commissioner said: “Acting on a highly potent intelligence regarding the plans and near execution of an attack at Oloje/Okoolowo area of Ilorin by some cultist, I immediately dispatched the newly created team of anti-cult unit in collaboration with local vigilantes to storm the area.”

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

24 HOURS...

Bawa: EFCC Arrested WORLD OF ISLAM 400 over Internet Fraud Fasting During Sha’ban in Three Months

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

By: Zaid Shakir/NewIslamicDirections/IslamiCity

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, said yesterday that the commission arrested more than 400 young Nigerians for internet related fraud in the first three months of 2021. A statement by the commission said Bawa made the disclosure while receiving a delegation from the University of Abuja led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na ‘Allah, in his office. According to the EFCC Chair, “from January 2021 to date, we have arrested more than 400 Nigerians suspected to be involved in various cybercrime or advanced fee fraud-related offences and that is to tell you

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as MARYAM OLUBUSOLA OYEBANJO now wish to be known and addressed as MARYAM OLUBUSOLA ADEBAYO. All documents remain valid. General public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as ADERONKE CHRISTIANA ADEBOYE now wish to be known and addressed as ADERONKE CHRISTIANA ADEBOYE-ABEGUNRIN. All documents remain valid. General public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as FIELEIFA GANBOTEI DAUBOTEI now wish to be known and addressed as JACOBS GANBOTEI LIGHT. All documents remain valid. General public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as FLORENCE GOODLUCK JAJA now wish to be known and addressed as KALANNE GOODLUCK JAJA. All documents remain valid. General public should please take note. I, formerly known and addressed as EVANGELIST EUNICE FREDRICK now wish to be known and addressed as JONATHAN EUNICE FREDRICK. All documents remain valid. General public should please take note. 7KLV LV WR FRQ¿UP WKDW WALTER INEMESIT GEORGE refers to one and the same person as GEORGE INEMESIT WALTER. All former documents remain valid. LEADWAY PENSION and the general public should please take note.

how huge the problem is. “Less than 48 hours ago, we arrested 18 individuals in Abuja”, he said. He said among those arrested were students of tertiary institutions. While bemoaning the impact of cybercrime on the image of the country, Bawa advocated the reorientation of the younger generation, adding that the university had a crucial role to play in realising the objective. He expressed optimism that there would be more collaboration between the EFCC and University of Abuja in the areas of sensitisation and deterrence to mitigate youth involvement in financial crimes. The EFCC boss, however, commended the long standing relationship between the EFCC

and the University of Abuja, particularly the affiliation of the EFCC Academy to run specialised postgraduate programmes in forensics. “It is our desire that our officers are up to date as you are aware that crime is changing and evolving and the world has turned digital. “Everything is on the internet and there is the need to know new trends coming up and we hope that the collaboration through the establishment of different programmes will yield results in combating corruption”, he said. He further assured that the EFCC would do everything possible, including upgrading the facilities at the EFCC Academy to ensure the success of the programmes.

Don’t Trample on Citizens’ Rights, Abiodun, Soyinka Warn Amotekun Operatives Kayode Fasua in Abeokuta Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, and Nobel Laureate, Professor ‘Wole Soyinka, yesterday warned operatives of the state’s chapter of the South Western Security Network (SWSN), code-named Amotekun Corps, against trampling on the rights of the citizens in the course of fighting criminality. Abiodun has also decorated Soyinka as the Super Marshall of the Amotekun. The governor specifically charged operatives of the Amotekun Corps to operate within the ambit of the law and diligently add value to efforts aimed at safeguarding lives and properties in the state. Abiodun and Soyinka spoke yesterday during the official inauguration of Amotekun, which held at the Arcade Ground of the state secretariat complex, Oke -Mosan in Abeokuta, the state capital.

While decorating the Nobel Laureate, the governor said, “this outfit is very close to his (Soyinka’s) heart and issues of security particularly in the South-West. “On that note, I have a singular honour and privilege to present Prof some of the Amotekun insignias being the Super Marshall of Amotekun in Ogun State.” Recalling the circumstances which led to the establishment of the Corps, Abiodun explained that governors and leaders of the six South-western states at a security summit held on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, unanimously consented to establishing the security. The inauguration of the Amotekun Corps came barely 24 hours after two Chinese expatriates were kidnapped from their work place at Oba town in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.

DBN Disbursement to MSMEs Hits N191.7bn James Emejo in Abuja The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) Plc has stated that the total loans disbursed to small businesses had increased by 89 per cent to N191.7 billion in 2020 compared to N101.5 billion in 2019. This was contained in its 2020 financial report, which was made available to journalists yesterday. The bank Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Mr. Tony Okpanachi, said the growth was in line with its core mandate of facilitating sustainable socio-economic development by improving financial access for MSMEs in the country. According to him, the bank worked through its Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) to facilitate increased lending to MSMEs, thereby accelerating economic growth. He expressed optimism in its capacity to weather the effects of the global pandemic and other challenges.

The MD said: “We appreciate the full cooperation of our board, management, staff, and other stakeholders as we were able to operate within strict health and safety guidelines, while increasing our reach to our target market. “By onboarding more Participating Financial Institutions, we were able to deepen financial inclusion for more Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) whose businesses were adversely affected by the pandemic, thereby injecting a new lease of life and providing the right environment for their sustained growth. “We will continue to focus on our core mandate of driving developmental impact.” The bank recorded a growth of 4 per cent in total assets from N474.7 billion in 2019 to N493.5 billion in 2020, while outstanding loans increased by 110 per cent from N101.9 billion in 2019 to close at N214.0 billion in 2020.

Sha’ban is a month of good that introduces the great month of Ramadan. The Prophet, peace upon him, used to fast voluntarily during this month more so than in any other month. One of the motivations for that, as we will mention below, is that Sha’ban is the month during which the deeds performed by the servant ascend to God. What follows is a discussion around fasting during the month of Sha’ban. Usama b. Zayd relates: “The Prophet, peace and mercy of God upon him, used to fast so many days in succession that we said, ‘He will never break his fast.’ At other times he would go without fasting for so long until we said, ‘He will never again fast;’ except for two days, which he would fast even if they occurred during the times he was not fasting consecutive days. Furthermore, he would not fast in any month as many days as he fasted during Sha’ban. I said: ‘O Messenger of God! Sometimes you fast so much it is as if you will never break your fast, at other times you leave fasting for such a long stint it is as if you will never again fast [voluntarily]; except for two days that you always fast.’ He asked: ‘Which two days are those?’ I replied: ‘Monday and Thursday.’ The Prophet, peace upon him, said: ‘Those are two days in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds are presented while I am fasting.’ I said: ‘I do not see you fasting in any month like you fast during Sha’ban.’ The Prophet, peace and mercy of God upon him, said: “That is a month occurring between Rajab and Ramadan that many people neglect. It is a month in which the deeds ascend to the Lord of the Worlds, be He Mighty and Majesty, and I love for my deeds to ascend while I am fasting.” Related by Imam Ahmad and Imam Al-Nasa’i The narrations conveying this meaning are numerous. Among the important points conveyed by the tradition narrated by Usama b. Zayd, may God be pleased with him, is that the Prophet, peace upon him, frequently fasted during Sha’ban, as is supported by a tradition mentioned by A’isha, may God be pleased with her. She said: “I did not see the Messenger of God fast any month in its entirety except Ramadan, and I did not see him fast as frequently in any other month as he did during Sha’ban.” Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim Among the reasons for that, as mentioned in the initial tradition, is that Sha’ban is the month in which the deeds done throughout the year ascend to God. The Prophet, peace upon him, wished for his deeds to ascend while he was fasting. This should be sufficient motivation for all of us to fast some days of this month. Fasting purifies us of the physical dross that collects in our system and makes our spiritual faculties sharper. What could be a better state could we be in as our deeds are ascending to our Lord? However, there are other reasons to fast during this month, which we will present shortly. Another very important point that we can gain from these narrations is that The Prophet, peace upon him, did not fast perpetually, even though it would not have weakened him to do so. In this is an important lesson for us. We should balance between the days that we fast and the days that we refrain from fasting. Ibn Rajab mentions many reasons for this. Among them are the following: 1. For many people, excessive fasting leads to languidness that in turn makes it difficult for them to supplicate or invoke God or to undertake intense study. All four of the Sunni Imams mention that studying sacred knowledge is better than supererogatory prayers, and that supererogatory prayers are better than voluntary fasting. Hence, pursuing sacred knowledge is naturally better than voluntary fasting. 2. Just as fasting may make some people languid and hence affect their worship, it may weaken them and thereby compromise their ability to provide for their families or jeopardize their ability to fully satisfy their wives. This latter meaning is implied in the saying of the Prophet, peace upon him: “Surely your wife has a right over you.” 3. Similarly, a person’s body has a right over him, as indicated by the Prophet’s saying: “Indeed your body has a right over you. Be sure to give everyone so deserving his right.” 4. [Finally], a person’s life might be long, as indicated by the Prophet’s saying to ‘Abdullah b. Amr b. al-’As when the latter committed himself to fast every other day: “Perhaps you will live a long life.” This means whoever commits to an overly strenuous regimen of worship during his youth might not be able to maintain that regimen during his old age. If he tries his utmost to do so he might exhaust his body. On the other hand, if he abandons it he has left the best form of worship, that done most consistently. For this reason, the Prophet, peace upon him, mentioned: “Undertake religious practices you can bear. I swear by God, God does not become bored with you, rather you bring boredom upon yourself.” The important issue here is to understand that

Islam does not demand that we torture ourselves, and it places no virtue in doing so. When a desert Arab who had accepted Islam returned after a year’s absence to see the Prophet, peace upon him, his entire appearance had changed to such an extent that the Prophet, peace upon him, did not recognize him. When he finally realized who he was, the man said to him: “I have not eaten during the daytime since I entered Islam!” The Prophet, peace upon him, asked him: “Who ordered you to torture yourself!?” Related by Abu Dawud Another point mentioned by many of the scholars in that regard is that by fasting sometimes and then going some days without fasting, we never reach a state where we totally lose our appetite for food and thereby lose the physical challenge of fasting. For this reason the Fast of David, where the worshipper fasts every other day, is considered more virtuous than the fast of the individual who fasts perpetually, as the latter eventually feels no longing to eat during the day of his fast--he might even become sick were he to eat. The tradition of Usama b. Zayd, may God be pleased with him, mentions that people’s deeds are presented to God on Mondays and Thursdays, and the Prophet, peace upon him, loved to have his deeds presented while he was fasting. There are many narrations that affirm this reality. Ibn Majah relates a tradition from the narrations of Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him. In it he mentions the Prophet, peace upon him, saying: “God forgives every Muslim on Monday and Thursday, except those who have broken relations with each other. He says, ‘Leave them until they reconcile.’ “Imam Muslim mentions a similar narration from Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, in which he mentions that the Prophet, peace upon him, said: “The Gates of Heaven are flung open on Monday and Thursday and every servant who has not ascribed partners to God is forgiven, except a man who harbors enmity against his brother. He [God] says, ‘Leave these two until they makeup.’ “A different version of this tradition mentions at the end of the narration: “...and people who despise each other are left harboring their spite.” These narrations emphasize the importance of maintaining good relations. There are other religiously significant actions where a reward is withheld from those who harbor enmity or have bad relations with their peers. Therefore, it is extremely important that we work to maintain good relations with each other, and avoid petty bickering. The opportunity to do much good for our souls is missed when we fail to maintain good relations with each other. The presentation of people’s deeds mentioned in these narrations is a specific one that occurs on these particular days. It does not contradict the general presentation that occurs on a daily basis, as related in the following tradition: “By night and by day the angels follow each other in visiting you. They gather [before God] at the time of the morning and evening prayers. God asks those who spent the night among you, and He knows best the answer, ‘In what state did you leave my servants?’ They say, ‘We came to them while they were praying, and we departed from them while they were praying.” Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim There are other reasons we are encouraged to fast in Sha’ban, Ibn Rajab mentions a few. Among them, in summary: 1. People tend to neglect Sha’ban as it occurs between Rajab, one of the sacred months, and Ramadan, the great month of fasting and Qur’an. Therefore, we are encouraged to fast it by way of reviving it and not neglecting it. 2. Fasting during it is easier to hide. All observant Muslims are fasting in Ramadan, and many place great emphasis on fasting during Rajab. Therefore, those who fast Sha’ban are doing so against the expectations of most people and can therefore more easily hide the fact that they are fasting. There is great virtue, under normal circumstances in hiding our voluntary acts. One anecdote in this regard mentions a man who fasted voluntarily for forty years without anyone knowing it, even his family. Every morning he would leave home with two loaves of bread in his hand. He would give them away in charity. His family thought that he was eating them, and the people in the marketplace where he worked thought that he was selling them. 3. A third reason is related to the previous one. Because many people are fasting during Ramadan and Rajab, it is easier to fast then as large groups engaging in a particular act of worship make it easier for an individual to undertake that act. Hence, the increased difficulty of fasting during Sha’ban led the Prophet to place great emphasis on it. In conclusion, we encourage everyone able to do so to fast as much as possible during this month. By so doing we will revive the Sunna of our Prophet, peace upon him, and bring much good to our souls and to our communities. May everyone be blessed to use these days as a preparation for the great month of Ramadan, and may our deeds ascend to God while we are in the very best spiritual state.

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FRIDAYSPORTS

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

Former NBA Star, Ekezie, to Redefine Basketball Academy April 5 Duro Ikhazuagbe Former NBA’s Atlanta Hawks centre, Obinna Ekezie, is set to launch his Organised Basketball Network (OBN) Academy in Lagos on Monday, April 5, 2021. The Academy, a 700-capacity state-of-the art facility is situated in Ajah area of Lagos Island. Speaking with THISDAY recently, Ekezie who played five American NBA teams including Vancouver Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers between 1999 and 2005, said the OBN Academy has been his dream in the last 20 years. “The Academy is essentially for the development of kids between 6 to 18 years. I have

since realized that the biggest challenge facing basketball growth in the country is infrastructure and that is why we have gone the extra mile to put in place an academy with all the necessary facilities to help the kids reach their potentials,” stressed Ekezie who was flanked by his wife Noella and two of the academy’s coaches: Gift Anukam and Louis Aghaulor. The OBN facilitator insisted that as someone who enjoyed American collegiate basketball facilities and played in the NBA, he knows the several opportunities that are available for Nigerian children to tap from. “I did high school and college education in Maryland and aware of over 300 schools where

our kids can get basketball scholarships to help them develop. According to him, the purpose for setting up OBN Academy is to “develop these children to make sure that they can compete with the rest of the world in terms of their talents. We want a situation of combining basketball with education so that they can have something to fall back on after their basketball careers. “Don’t forget that the life span of every sportsman or woman is short.” Ekezie who prior to his NBA

career played with the Maryland Terrapins between 1995 and 1999, said it is for the reason of quality education that the OBN Academy is partnering several schools around the neighborhood where the facility is based. “We are going to partner multiple schools around the area to develop the basketball talents and also set up a sustainable befitting high school or secondary school basketball league and also encourage schools managements to build their own facility as this will be

a huge opportunity for the development of basketball in Nigeria.” The former NBA player who also had stints with Red Star Belgrade in Serbia, Lottomatica Roma in Italy and Dynamo Moscow before calling it quit, remains excited by basketball talents in the country. “Nigeria produced nine NBA players last year, the highest in the world aside the United States. Many Nigerian players have made the NBA most of the time with little or no development here in Nigeria.

“Take for instance, the men’s league has been off in the last three years due to squabbles in the governing of the game in Nigeria. This Academy is to give the kids the chance to get their talents honed by experienced coaches we have here through a youth league. Apart from the basketball hall capable of seating 700 fans, the OBN Academy also boasts of a well-equipped Fitness Centre for aerobics as well as a studio with High Definition equipment for producing quality podcast contents.

Pinnick Confirms Lagos as New Home for Super Eagles Femi Solaja

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, yesterday confirmed that subsequent matches of the Super Eagles will now hold in Lagos. Pinnick who in company with some board members of the federation were at the MTN Head office in Lagos on a ‘Thank You Visit’ confirmed to THISDAY that Lagos has returned as the home of the Super Eagles with all subsequent games played in the former federal capital city. Before Tuesday’s last AFCON 2021 qualifying game against the Crocodiles of Lesotho, Pinnick had tagged the encounter “Football Returns Home” with Lagos hosting the first competitive in 20 years. Now, it has been confirmed

that Super Eagles will begin their qualifying campaign for one of the five African slots to the next FIFA World Cup in Qatar this June at the Teslim Balogun Stadium against Liberia. Other teams in Group C that will also visit Eagles in their new nest include; Central African Republic and Cape Verde. “Yes our return to Lagos is good for the players and the NFF as well going by logistics arrangements. Within the next 10 days, we will conclude the ‘Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lagos State Government and this will lay to rest the idea of movement around the country. “The players and the coaching crew are pleased with the excellent football pitch and this alone is a major factor and when we look at other logistics we need to put in place before

Rivers State’s Target is to Win Edo 2020, Says Iyaye Rivers State, winners of the 17th National Sports Festival and one of the top three sports states in Nigeria, is prepared to dust all comers to the 20th edition of the games scheduled to start on April 4 in Benin, Edo State. Rivers Sports Commissioner, Boma Iyaye, stated this at a media conference in Port Harcourt as the state’s contingent prepares to depart for Benin City yesterday. He disclosed that Rivers would be participating in 29 events at the Sports Festival and was optimistic that they would all produce medalists. Iyaye praised the state’s Governor, Nyesom Wike, for his “unprecedented support which shows that he truly understands the role sports can play in the unity of the state, youth empowerment, wealth creation and tackling youth restiveness.” He stressed that the athletes that would represent the state have been provided with the best of facilities and welfare, hence their satisfaction with

the preparations so far. The sports boss disclosed that in order to ensure the best of atmosphere for the athletes, they would travel to Benin with the full compliments of all logistics that include ambulance, medical personnel, among others. Iyaye stated further that as a state that takes the issue of Covid-19 seriously, all the officials and athletes in the state’s contingent have so far been vaccinated, while PCR Testing as required by the festival organizers has been concluded. “We are going to the Sports Festival to compete and win fairly against other states. We are sure that our athletes will come out tops, we will be among the best, that is our charge. “It is not possible for us to participate in all the events, so we have chosen the ones we are sure of winning medals. The team spirit is very high, motivation is tops and we have done well to provide all they need,” he concluded.

L-R: Mrs Noella Ekezie, Obinna Ekezie, Coach Gift Anukam and Louis Aghaulor during a facility tour of the OBN Academy complex in Ajax, Lagos...recently

Odaudu to Lead D’Tigers Scouting Team to Edo The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) will be extending its dragnet to the National Sports Festival in its quest to assess domestic players that can add value to the senior men and women national teams. NBBF yesterday the secondment of D’Tigers Assistant Coach, Ogoh Odaudu as Chief Scout for the festival NSF holding in Edo. On the latest decision, NBBF

President, Musa Kida, said the federation is determined as always to give all eligible Nigerians the opportunity to fight for a chance to represent the country whenever possible. “The festival will give us a chance to evaluate the readiness and suitability of some of our local talents. Due to the peculiar situation we found ourselves where we could not hold the apex league due to the lawsuit that dragged on for so long.”

“We have seen another opportunity and we hope that the players who will be on display will come with their best game and make it difficult for the Technical Crew to overlook them.” Appointed in 2019, the former Nigerian international was part of the technical crew that led the D’Tigers to a decent World Cup run while becoming the first African team to book the 2020 Olympics ticket.

The Benue State-born coach will be leading his team to the final round of NBA/FIBA Africa Basketball League after emerging as Champions of the 2019 President’s Cup with Rivers Hoopers. Meanwhile, veteran coach and basketball administrator, Andrew Isokpehi was named as Technical Director for the National Sports Festival expected to start on the 4thof Aprilin Benin City.

..Niger Athletes in High Spirit as Team Depart for Edo 2020 Laleye Dipo in Minna

Niger State’s contingent to the 20th National Sports Festival Edo 2020 are set for the games with the athletes in high spirit. A contingent of 120 made up of 74 athletes, 30 coaches and secretaries and 16 others are to represent the state at the festival. The contingent is expected

to depart Minna for Benin by road this morning. The State’s Director of Sports, Mr Baba Sheshi, told THISDAY that the government approved N22million for the prosecution of the festival project including purchase of equipment, kits and allowances for athletes and officials. Sheshi said at least eight vehicles made up of two big

buses and six smaller ones have been acquired for the transportation of the athletes and officials to and fro Benin City. In addition, the Director of Sports said in compliance with the directive of the organisers of the festival, all athletes and officials have taken the Covid-19 test in addition to their being vaccinated. “The team is in high spirit,

the athletes are ready to go do the state proud,” Sheshi said while assuring stakeholders in Niger State sports of decent outing in Benin City. Niger State placed 15th on the overall medals table at the end of the last games which held in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja in 2018. The state won 4 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals.

NFF Commends MTN Over Robust Relationship with Nigerian Football

The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has commended MTN Nigeria in appreciation of the ICT giant’s immense contributions to Super Eagles’ qualification for 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). MTN Nigeria provided two boats and seven crew members in addition to insurance policy covers required for the team to embark on the journey to Cotonou, Benin Republic for the AFCON qualifier against the Squirrels. The Gernot Rohr-led team took

off and docked at the Falomo jetty in Ikoyi, Lagos, which was built by the telecommunications service provider for the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA). Speaking during the courtesy visit to MTN’s corporate headquarters in Lagos yesterday, Amaju Pinnick said, “On behalf of the NFF, I want to thank MTN Nigeria wholeheartedly for the support, especially the trip to Port Novo. I put a call to Karl that we needed extra boat to take us to Port Novo and we got the support. It was an

experiment that went very well. “We want to thank MTN for helping us achieve this. We are proud to be associated with this brand. We are very proud of this relationship and the next big thing that will happen is for them to have a union with the NFF and I can assure them that the relationship will be beneficial to our teeming youth population,” he remarked. Appreciating the NFF team for the visit, the CEO, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola said: “We are looking for ways to support in a significant manner things

that are important to Nigerians and football is central in this regard. “We have complete faith that whatever initiative we agree on together will be properly executed by the NFF, led by Amaju Pinnick. This is the starting point of that engagement. Our various teams are going to look at the manner in which MTN can be significant in terms of supporting football in Nigeria and when we have distilled that down to an executable plan, we will progress.”

FRIDAY APRIL 2, 2021 ˾ T H I S D AY

FridaySports

AFCON 2021 to Kick-off Jan 9 in Cameroon Motsepe appoints Jordaan as advisor, Pinnick, others listed in committees The Africa Cup of Nations tournament will be staged in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6 next year, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official confirmed yesterday. A virtual executive committee meeting chaired by recently elected president Patrice Motsepe from South Africa

also decided that a draw to divide the 24 qualifiers into six groups will be held on June 25. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal,

Ramos Suffers Calf Injury Ahead of Madrid, Liverpool UCL Clash Sergio Ramos suffered a calf injury while on international duty with Spain, just five days before Real Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Liverpool, the LaLiga champions announced yesterday. The veteran centre-back made his 180th international appearance in Spain’s World Cup qualifying win over Kosovo as a late substitute, but said he felt the problem after the match. Real also play Barcelona in a league Clasico meeting on April 10. “After the game, I was training on the pitch and I noticed a pain in my left calf,” the 35-year-old Ramos said on Instagram.

“If there is something that hurts me, it is not being able to help the team in these highly demanding matches we have to play this season.” Real confirmed Ramos had suffered a muscle injury, but did not say how long he would be out of action for. “He has been diagnosed with a muscular injury to the internal calf in his left leg. His recovery will be monitored,” the team said in a statement. Zinedine Zidane’s men host Liverpool in the last-eight first leg next Tuesday, with the return game at Anfield on Wednesday, April 14. Real also face Eibar on Saturday, looking to cut the gap to LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid to three points.

Sudan, Tunisia and Zimbabwe have qualified. The remaining place rests between Benin and Sierra Leone, whose fixture in Freetown this week did not take place because the visitors challenged Covid-19 results after five of their key players tested positive. A CAF statement said the match had been rearranged for the May 31-June 15 international window, following which Sierra Leone launched an appeal against that decision. The Sierra Leone Football Association said the appeal was based on the “failure (of Benin) to report for a match and/or refusal to play”. Sierra Leone trail Benin by three points in Group L and must win to replace them in the second qualifying place and go to the Cup of Nations for the first time since 1996. Pre-match Covid-19 tests are currently performed in CAF competitions by the host national team or club and there have been numerous allegations of

false positive results depriving opponents of stars. The CAF meeting acknowledged that having hosts in charge of testing was problematic and is planning, with World Health Organisation (WHO) assistance, to use independent medical staff instead. Concern was also expressed by the executive at the degradation of football infrastructure in many African countries, highlighting a longstanding problem of poor stadium maintenance. Meanwhile, CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, has appointed SA Football Association (SAFA) President Danny Jordaan as advisor to the president in charge of Sport and Marketing. The former FIFA World Cup 2010 CEO has vast experience in this area, having served on FIFA’s Marketing and Television Board as well as CAF’s marketing in the past. Jordaan, who was CAF Vice-President until last

Wale’s Gareth Bale (right) on duty for country during March window for the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualiﬁers

month’s Elective Congress in Morocco served in various departments during the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and 2014 in Brazil and his recent appointment will add much-needed value in CAF’s Marketing and Competitions departments. In other appointments, Jacques Anouma from Cote d’Ivoire was appointed Senior Special Advisor to the CAF

President. Somali Football Federation President Abdigani Said Arab has been co-opted to the CAF Executive Committee while Fouzi Lekjaa will continue the functions of Chairman of the CAF Finance Committee. Egypt’s Hany Abou Rida and Amaju Melvin Pinnick of Nigeria have been added as members of the CAF Emergency Committee.

‘Ibrahimovic Brought Back Winning Mentality to AC Milan’ The youngest squad in Serie A has propelled AC Milan to a surprise title challenge this season but according to midfielder Ismael Bennacer, the Rossoneri’s oldest player Zlatan Ibrahimovic is largely to thank for their transformation. The Swede returned to his former club in January 2020 aged 38 and sparked a turnaround in form for the seven-time European champions, who have not won Serie A since 2011. Milan lost two league matches in 2020 and enjoyed a 27-match unbeaten run. They bore little resemblance to the inconsistent side that suffered a 5-0 defeat at Atalanta in their final game of 2019. Ibrahimovic, now 39, is Milan’s top scorer this season with 15 goals in 15 league games but Bennacer, 16 years his junior, believes the striker’s influence off the pitch has been pivotal. “Everyone knows him, his mentality - he’s a winner,” Bennacer told Reuters. “Maybe we didn’t have this experience that he brought with him. It’s

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been credited with AC Milan’s resurgence this season

good for us young players because we improved in this. Now we want to win like he wants to win. “Our level is better even at training. In training, we want to win, and he brought that.” Milan have suffered a dip in form recently, winning three of their last 11 games in all competitions, but they are not yet out of a title race they led for much of the season. Stefano Pioli’s second-placed side welcome Sampdoria to San Siro on Saturday, six points behind leaders Inter Milan, although their city rivals have a game in hand. “We have to be proud of what we are doing,” said Algeria international Bennacer. “But there are still 10 games until the end of May and if we don’t do well everyone will forget everything we did before. Every game has to be like the last for us.” Bennacer recently returned from a lengthy battle with a muscle injury that restricted him to three league games in almost four months. “It was hard because it was the first big injury of my career. I didn’t know what to do, how to think. But everything that happens in life, I will stay positive,” he said. Fitness problems have plagued Milan during a season with an unusually packed schedule, the result of a late start caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and Bennacer acknowledged that the relentless run of fixtures had required a different approach. “Even if we played every day I would want to play. But it’s true, I’ve never played every three days in my career,” he said. “To play two or three times a week is a little bit different for me and my body. You must recover better, eat better, sleep better. You have to do everything better.”

Algeria’s Desert Foxes are the cup holders from the last AFCON edition in Egypt two years ago

UEFA Considering Bigger Teams for European Championship UEFA is considering whether to allow squads of more than 23 players at this summer’s European Championship. The matter was raised at Wednesday’s executive committee meeting. It was also confirmed a rule allowing five substitutes to be used per team would be extended for the tournament. With coronavirus cases

rising across Europe, some coaches feel bigger squads will be needed to cover the chances of positive tests within a camp given there is no scope to postpone matches. No decision has been made and it is not clear whether additional players would stay with the main squad or be placed on a standby list. It is one of the number of

complications that still need to be worked on. European football’s governing body is due to receive guidance from each of the 12 host venues about their ability to host matches and the potential crowd numbers by next Wednesday. This will determine whether the competition can proceed as planned or

if some hosts will need to be dropped. In addition, travel exemptions are required for the match officials, who are due to have a pre-tournament training camp in Turkey, and - potentially - media given, as it stands, no country could reach the semi-finals without having to play in at least two destinations.

GOTV BOXING NIGHT 22

Real One, Baby Face in First Battles for WBF World Titles Today Two of Nigeria’s finest boxing talents, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu and Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, will, today, take their first steps into the ranks of the global boxing elite when they fight for World Boxing Federation (WBF) world titles at GOtv Boxing Night 22. Oladosu will take on Ghana’s Emmanuel “Afuko Addo” Quartey for the WBF world super featherweight title, while Babatunde will face crack Tanzanian boxer, Mkalekwa Salehe Omari, for the WBF

world welterweight title. The seven-bout event, which is scheduled to hold at Lagos’ Rowe Park Sports Centre, will be open to only 150 fans in fulfilment of Covid-19 physical distancing requirement. Fans coming for the show are expected to come to the venue with their face masks. The event will be broadcast live on GOtv channel 34 and DStv channel 209. In addition to the two international bouts, there will be five others across weight

divisions. In the light heavyweight division, Timothy ‘Nsiefinagaije’ Gonze will take on Segun “Success” Olanrewaju in a challenge duel. The super middleweight category will see Femi “Small Tyson” Akintayo take on Sulaimon “Olags” Adeosun. Another super featherweight matchup will see Yusuf “Innocent” Ogunbunmi face Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan. Also, in the welterweight category, Sikiru “Lion” Ogabi

will face William “Kaki” Amosu, while Isaac “I-Star” Chukwudi will swap punches with Taiwo ‘Gentle Boy’ Olowu. The best boxer of the night, to be selected by journalists, will go home with N1million cash prize attached to the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Prize for the award. GOtv Boxing Night 22 was initially scheduled to hold on 1 January but had to be postponed, following a resurgence in Covid-19 infection figures in the country.

Friday April 2, 2021

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MISSILE

Lamido on APC Government “In the last ﬁve years of APC government, Nigeria has become more divided. There is more hate and disunity between North and South, East and West, Muslims and Christians. From top to bottom, it is all confusion and crisis” – Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, lamenting “disunity” in Nigeria under the Buhari government.

MAGNUSONYIBE GUEST COLUMNIST

Buhari, Bandits and the Law F rom cattle rustling to ‘human rustling’, all seem to be fair game to the bandits disguised in the garb of cattle rearers now testing the skills and will of the new chiefs of our armed services. The spate of killings, abduction of students and the general state of insecurity in our country are so grim that putting a value to life in Nigeria has become such a harrowing experience due to the horrific pains of counting dead bodies. That is going by the terrifying account given by Mike Inalegu, one time Sole Administrator of a local government in Benue state , who stated that in Agatu, about 6,000 people were killed between 2013-15 due to herdsmen-farmers conflicts. So also is the ritual of burials of those murdered in cold blood such as the over sixty (60)-some say over one hundred (100)-farmers whose throats were slit in Zabarmairi , Borno state. Included in the orgy of killings and burials are large numbers of children as well as hordes of pregnant women, some of whom their wombs were reportedly ripped open across the north east, north west and north central parts of our country. In total , some 20,000 Nigerians are estimated to have died due to violent conflicts in our country since the return to multi party democracy in Nigeria from 1999. In kaduna state, north west Nigeria alone , 937 people were killed and 1,972 were kidnapped. That is according to the 2020 report recently presented by the state commissioner for lnternal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan. The grisly deaths described earlier are usually accompanied by the agonizing cries of the bereaved family members, whose wailing and weeping from their deep pain can be so blood cuddling that even the devil’s heart may be stirred or melt. Yet the victims and families of the gruesome murder are Nigerians that have entrusted the safety of their lives and properties to our leaders who have largely been unable to help them fend off the hunters of their lives. When all of the forgoing miseries are put together, the weight is so crippling and gut wrenching that the feeling of loss of sanctity of human lives becomes very gripping and beyond description. That is simply because the number of deaths is so stunning and the process of dying is so careless that the word Hobbesian is appearing to be too mild to describe how precarious the lives of Nigerians are today . The stunningly and astonishingly horrible state of anarchy is even made worse by the increased tempo of kidnapping of students in schools in the frontline states. It’s stating the obvious by pointing out that the students are now living in mortal fear of being kidnapped or killed by bandits any moment . How traumatizing and what a disincentive for them to attend school in the future ! Given the reality described above , it is certainly not an exaggeration to state that parts of our country are steadily becoming gangster territory where the rule of the jungle appears to have replaced the rule of law which seems to have been abrogated by the rampaging bandits . The level of lawlessness is encapsulated by the currently circulating video of the terrified innocent school children being tortured by the bandits that kidnapped them last Thursday, from the school of forestry, near Nigeria Defense Academy, (NDA) kaduna . It is obvious that the risks to life in states like Borno,Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe,katsina , and kaduna where criminality is carried out with such reckless abandon is so rife that one may be led to believe that human life is less valuable than that of the cattle that the criminal elements are using as camouflage. For far too long, bandits have been mocking

Buharri Nigerians, particularly the leadership. Like the abduction of students in Kankara, near president Buhari’s hometown of Daura on the eve of his official visit to the state. Under the noses of political leaders since the past 21 years of return to multi party democratic system of Government , the nefarious ambassadors have been hounding our fellow citizens with minimum or no consequences at all . While the death enterprise of the criminals have been thriving, the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians have been in severe jeopardy. The outlaws seem not to even care that a new set of military service chiefs have just been installed and therefore their increased tempo of kidnapping and killings even before the military top brass settle into the job, would be infuriating, as such it could result in severe consequences for them. Clearly, the bandits who have become dyedin-the-wool, and emboldened by each success in their missions, are highly motivated criminals and therefore only subscribe to the philosophy of raping , maiming and killing either as hobby, passion or mission. These merchants of death hounding fellow country men and women, in my view, are nothing short of domestic terrorists and they come in a wide variety. There are the religion extremists that have transformed into insurgents currently wreaking havoc on the lives and livelihoods of fellow citizens in the north and setting the region back,development wise ; the environmental rights agitators that morphed into militants and sea pirates that were wrecking oil/gas facilities in the Niger Delta,thereby upending the economic growth of Nigeria; and the castle rustlers disguised as pastoralists who have now expanded their ‘trade’ into kidnapping humans instead of just rustling only cattle. It is worth pointing out that human “rustling” has become more attractive simply because of the high Return on Investment , (Rol) on kidnapping for ransom that is currently more financially rewarding than Cattle Rustling and therefore the latest focus of the bandits. This is evidenced by the huge income they must be raking in from their new line of ‘business’ of kidnapping of humans on highways which has recently been expanded into breaking into schools and carting away students in the manner that robbers break into banks vaults and cart away cash. It is very likely that in the dark minds of kidnappers, schools are like ‘sitting dock’ or bank vaults where huge volumes of cash are warehoused . Apparently, to them , why should they take

the risk of staging road blocks on the highways just to hijack only a handful of motorists , when they can easily breach a wall or gate and gain access into school hostels and cart away hundreds of students and wait for state governors to send emissaries to negotiate the payment of ransom to secure their release? Unsurprisingly, the Americans in making their recent offer to help Nigeria find and recover the latest victims of kidnap, have acknowledged what most of us have been stressing , which is that those abducting students for ransom are not members of Boko Haram and ISWAP. It is now affirmed that the kidnappers are common criminals with the sole of purpose of extorting money through intimidation like armed robbers do to their victims and their family members . Although , some governors of the affected states have chosen to keep living in denial by claiming that they did not pay any ransom, l wonder why the kidnappers would persist in the business of kidnapping, if they were not getting handsomely rewarded. The fact that they kidnap a new set barely hours after releasing their last victims (back to back) speaks volumes about how lucrative and less risky the business of kidnapping has become to the outlaws compared to Rustling cattle. It reminds me of how indigenously fabricated crude oil refineries spring up in the Niger Delta soon after existing ones were destroyed by government authorities.They were serving a purpose -creating jobs for the displaced farmers due to oil/ gas exploration. In the absence of opportunities fishing and farming, operating crude refineries created opportunities. That’s why bursting of crude oil pipelines to siphon some for refining was thriving and sustaining the local economy. The proposed establishment of modular refineries in the Nigerian delta region for the communities via cooperative unions are now about to solve the environmental and piracy problems in the manner that the establishment of ranches would settle the herders-farmers conflicts across Nigeria . Pardon the deviation which is to remind relevant authorities that there is no problem without a solution if they choose to think outside the box. Comparing cattle rustling to kidnapping of humans , the risk that the bandits face from genuine cattle herdsmen who put up resistance by fighting back fiercely when they attempt to rustle their livestocks is higher than when they simply stroll into schools , shoot sporadically into the air to intimidate the young lads or lasses and abduct them from their hostels without resistance. Apparently, President Buhari was very sure of what he was saying (after all, the security agencies report to him) when he admonished governors not to negotiate with or pay ransoms to bandits as it would only embolden them to continue to engage in the obnoxious practice. We need not be rocket scientists to figure out that ransom money would provide the bandits with more funds to acquire more deadly weapons to intimidate more victims. With the current increasing spate of kidnapping, particularly of students , from Chibok, in Borno in 2014 to the recent abductions of Kankara boys in katsina to Jangebe, in Zamfara state and Kagara , Niger state to the current abduction of more students in the school of forestry near Nigerian Defense Academy in kaduna state, president Buhari’s prediction of an endless circle of kidnapping, paying ransom and kidnapping again, has come to manifestation. One is befuddled by the fact that the governors who have been paying ransom failed to heed the advice of mr president who is in a pole position to have hard facts on the matter of insecurity and the consequences of ransom paying. It is a no brainer to conclude that the siege by the bandits has despoiled the north east, west, and central so much so that it is now on the

verge of not only causing famine in the north, but by extension, the whole nation that depends on farmers from the zone for staple food. That is because our brothers and sisters in rural northern half of our country have been unable to engage in the practice of agriculture for their own sustenance, how much more sell to the rest of Nigerians. And the destructive activities of the bloody religious insurrectionists still festering out there could also have severe negative impact on education in a region where the rate of out of school children is already very alarming-10.5m in the country as a whole and 69% of whom are in the north. The assertion or narrative on the worsening number of out of school children is underscored by the fact that the schools where the criminals have not already kidnapped students (which are now like high valued ‘cargoes’ in the ways that robbers target bank vaults or bullion vans) had to be shut down. If the shutting down of schools to avoid exposing our young ones to the danger of kidnap persists, then Boko Haram, the religious insurgents who pioneered the kidnap of students , with Chibok girls in 2014, would have succeeded in their mission to upend Western education in the north. It would be in consonance with the extremist ideology of the Boko Haram sect, which when translated into English language is: Western Education is sacrilege. Taken from the foregoing optics, president Buhari must have been at his wits end and rankled so very badly to have given the nation’s security forces the order to shoot-at- sight any AK47 wielding persons found in the forests of our country. To take such a draconian measure , he must have come to the conclusion that his reluctance to take drastic actions over the past five years has probably not been the best path to ending the rising tide of insecurity. That’s quite unlike the case in Ghana where the law courts ruled against open grazing of cattle and the police boss started enforcing the court order by directing his men to shoot-at-sight any cattle found roaming the streets. That’s what solved the problem in Ghana when the country was faced with a similar threat of pastoralists and farmers crisis, in Agogo state. It was scary when l saw the police boss captured in a video footage directing his men, based on the court order, to shoot-to-kill any cow found roaming the streets or forests . I was nonplussed, but it is believed that it is the brash and harsh action by the Ghanaian authorities that has put an effective end to open grazing of livestock and thus diffused the herdsmen-farmers conflict that was looming in Ghanaian horizon like a bad storm. But l believe that the leadership of cattle herders in Nigeria that is much more organized wouldn’t allow the situation to degenerate to such bizarre level in our country. Hence l’m encouraged by the recent statement credited to the umbrella body of our own cattle herders,miyetti allah , particularly the Ondo state chapter that they are now open to embracing the initiative of plying their trade in ranches. That’s an initiative already undertaken in Ghana where the authorities have set up a ranch in the Volta Region in compliance with the law banning open grazing.It is also a venture that Kano state governor Abubakar Ganduje is equally implementing in Kano state,Nigeria, even without being compelled by law,but by existential reality.

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