THURSDAY 22TH JULY 2021 by THISDAY Newspapers Ltd

EIU Report: FG May Raise VAT to 15% Before 2025 Govt's tax take among world's lowest, undermined by widespread evasion, large informal sector Dike Onwuamaeze A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), London, has predicted that the federal government might

effect a 100 per cent rate increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) from the current rate of 7.5 per cent to 15 per cent before 2025 in order to raise government’s revenue. The report titled, “Country

Report Nigeria,” stated that the anticipated increase in VAT was inevitable given the rising public debt burden and the likelihood that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) might not be able to deliver considerable

increase in government’s revenue. It also stated that the predicted VAT increase would be implemented instalmentally in 2022, 2024 and 2025. The report from the research

arm of The Economist magazine explained: “We expect three equal VAT rate increases, taking the rate to 15 per cent by 2025. The first is expected in 2022, prior to the next elections but seemingly

inevitable given a rising debt burden, with further rises in 2024 and 2025. Even then we expect fiscal revenue to peak at just five per cent of the GDP Continued on page 10

Protests Rock Cotonou Court over Igboho's Extradition Hearing ...Page 6 Thursday 22 July, 2021 Vol 26. No 9600. Price: N250

www.thisdaylive.com TR

TODAY'S WEATHER

ABUJA 25°C-33°C

MAIDUGURI 31°C-31°C

UT H

& RE A S O

ENUGU 25°C-28°C

KANO 27°C-33°C

LAGOS 24C-27°C

PORT HARCOURT 20°C-30°C

NNPC Records 63% FAAC Remittance Shortfall in Five Months Corporation pays N225.5bn into joint account Deficit may hit N820.6bn by year end Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja The statutory payments made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Account, a joint pool operated by the local, state and federal governments, declined by over 63 per cent in the first five months of 2021, documents obtained by THISDAY have

Brent rises to $71pb

indicated. An analysis of the data presented by the national oil company to the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), in the first five months of this year showed that of the calendarised total sum of N613.834 billion, the corporation was only Continued on page 10

Air Force Chief: Threats by Bandits Require Robust Security Architecture Hints personnel energised by survived pilot's heroism Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, yesterday, said the present security challenges in the country required robust security architecture and a versatile air force capable of rapid air power deployment across the theatres of war. Speaking against the backdrop of concerns that bandits and terrorists had acquired the capacity to bring

down fighter planes, Amao, who was addressing troops in Maiduguri, Borno State, during the Sallah celebration said, the security threat confronting the nation required robust security architecture capable of rapid deployment of air power. He allayed fears over the vulnerability of the fighter planes, insisting that the air force pilots were equipped for such encounters with Continued on page 10

AKEREDOLU MARKS 65TH BIRTHDAY... L-R: Oladipo Okpeseyi, SAN; Bishop of Owo Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Revd. Dr. Stephen Ayodeji Fagbemi; Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, at the Holy Communion Service marking the 65th birthday of Governor Akeredolu held at the Chapel of the Epiphany, GRA, Owo, Ondo State... yesterday.

Senate Directs AGF to Sanction Oﬃcials Involved in Alleged Mismanagement of $274.2M... Page 5

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

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

COURTESY VISIT TO FORMER PRESIDENT JONATHAN... L-R: An Associate of the former president, King A.J. Turner; Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, during a visit to the former president at his residence in Asokoro, Abuja... yesterday

Bishops to N'Assembly: Stop Working against Electoral Reform, Press Freedom Legislation on e-Transmission of results not over, says senator

Emma Okonji, Nosa Alekhuogie in Lagos and Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, has condemned the National Assembly for allegedly voting against electronic transmission of election results and other issues of national interest based on partisan interests. The Bishops described as absurd and grotesque, a situation, where elected federal lawmakers put parties' interests above national interests, by working against electoral reform, press freedom and other issues that affect Nigeria. The Archdiocese, comprising Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo Dioceses, spoke in a communique issued after its meeting at Domus Pacis Pastoral Institute, Igoba, Akure, Ondo State, and made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday. The communique signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Bishops Gabriel Abegunrin and John Oyejola respectively, felicitated Muslims on the celebration of this year's Eidel-Kabir. "The ongoing controversy surrounding the proceedings of the National Assembly gives ample evidence of the theatre of the absurd, which democratic representation has become in Nigeria – be it on the electoral reform, electronic transmission of electoral results, press freedom or the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB). "The work of those, who represent the people on the federal level in Nigeria does not seem to bring much satisfaction to the people for whose interest they were allegedly elected. With the National Assembly at various occasions prioritising

party and privileges over people’s rights and interest, relief and progress continue to elude Nigerians. "Simply put, those who claim to represent the people seem to have perfected the art of sabotaging the progress of the same people. Indeed, the time may have come for Nigerians to no longer simply roll over and accept non-representative decisions of the assembly but to challenge them by all legitimate means," the communique said. The Bishops appealed to Nigerians to resist attempt being allegedly contrived to silence the press and penalise journalists for merely doing their job in the country. They insisted that the freedom of expression was a fundamental human right, guaranteed by the constitution and could not be alienated by any government least of all in a democracy. The Clerics also backed the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Hassan Kukah in his effort to unveil the truth about the Nigerian situation in order to ameliorate things, calling on the government not to perceive criticism as a crime. The Clerics further stated: "Our sympathies with those who continue to pay a high price. We express our deepest sympathies for the Nigerians, who bear the brunt of Nigeria’s debilitating situation, because of economic depression and hunger, armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, unemployment and injustice. "Many have died as has happened in Igangan in Oyo State and elsewhere while so many are still dying. May the departed souls rest in perfect peace and may those who are suffering at various levels find help and comfort". Congratulating Muslims on

Sallah celebration, the men of God urged Muslims to in the spirit of the festival work together for peace and make all necessary sacrifices to build a nation on the strong pillars of fairness, justice, equity and the rule of law. Meanwhile, the Senator representing Ekiti North at the National Assembly, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, has said the legislation on e-Transmission of election results from polling units was not over yet, despite the position of senators, who voted against it. According to him, “I am convinced that there will be a reconciliation between the positions taken by the House of Representatives and the Senate and I see it

as a window of opportunity, where the lawmakers from both chambers will respond to all of the controversies surrounding electronic transmission of election results from polling units. I believe that the intention of the senate will be for good governance, regardless of partisan and regional affiliation of its members.” Adetunmbi, who spoke yesterday on the Morning Show of ARISE NEWS Channel, added that, “Electronic transmission of results is as good as existing and cannot be killed. My thinking is that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), should be allowed to decide whether it is possible and convenient to transmit election results. The

argument is that while some voted in support of electronic transmission of results, others voted for INEC to be checked by an external body before transmitting results.” He said since the public had raised some concerns about the matter, the National Assembly would not want to ignore it, because they represent the people who have complained. “For me as a person, I will want objective reasons and will not support the law that will tend to suggest that the parliament does not have confidence in judgment of people that have been assigned the responsibility of running INEC. These are my thoughts, but the Senate has taken a position on the Electoral

Bill, which in my view, is still work-in-progress and can still be revisited,” Adetunmbi said. Asked to speak on the position of PDP caucus in the House of Representatives, which has called for the prosecution of NCC officials for alleged perjury and for misleading the House over the possibility of electronic transmission of election results, Adetunmbi shared the view of the opposition party. He said: “If there is a report that showed that Nigeria has enough internet capacity to transmit election results electronically from polling units, as against the submission of NCC staff that Nigeria does not have enough 35 and 4G broadband capacities to transmit election results, then such submission by NCC could be verified, because it is verifiable.”

Senate Directs AGF to Sanction Officials Involved in Alleged Mismanagement of $274.2 million Deji Elumoye in Abuja The Senate has uncovered how some officials of the Office of Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) made Nigeria to lose difference of $274.2 million (N54.1bn) on external loan. The revelation was contained in the report of Senate Committee on Public Accounts on 2015 Financial statement of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federation Account which was approved by the Red Chamber before proceeding on its annual recess last week. The upper chamber has therefore asked the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to identify the

officers responsible and sanction them for mismanagement of public fund in accordance with Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulations and for gross misconduct. Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulations states," An accounting officer who is queried for his failure to manage or spend public funds, effectively or who spends public money without due regard to economy contrary to FR 415 and fails to reply to the query, shall be removed from the schedule and be disciplined in accordance with the Public Service Rules. The query to Accountant General of Federation from Auditor General of Federation titled ;" Inconsistent Exchange Loss Difference on External Loans" which was contained

in the 2015 report of the AuditorGeneral of the Federation which the Senate upheld at plenary reads: "During the examination of Note 51 and Appendix to Note 52, it was observed that there was a total exchange loss difference of $278.2 million (N54.1bn) reported by the Office of the Accountant- General of the Federation in the document provided but this could not be found in the DMO document. "Also, the criteria for arriving at the exchange loss difference of $274.2 million ( N54.1bn) was not disclosed. "The Accountant General of the Federation in his response maintained that the closing balance is as provided by DMO while the exchange difference of $274.2 million (N54.1bn) was as

a result of multiple currencies that were involved and single exchange rate. "The Account-General of the Federation is thus required to provide the source (s) of the exchange loss difference of $274.2 million (N54.1 billion ) with documentary evidence. "Provide the calculations showing how these figures were arrived at and the reasons for the exchange loss for each of the figures should be explained. "Disclose the source of Exchange difference in a note." The upper chamber in its resolution after the presentation of the report by the Committee Chairman, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, upheld the recommendation of the Committee for officials involved to be sanctioned.

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

SALLAH HOMAGE TO MR. PRESIDENT... L-R: Former Governor of Ogun State, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun; President Muhammadu Buhari and Group Chief Executive Officer, Oando Plc, Wale Tinubu, during their sallah homage to the president in Daura... yesterday.

Protests Rock Cotonou Court over Igboho's Extradition Hearing How ex-army chief, Buratai's letter, facilitated Igboho's arrest SDP says agitations won't stop until social justice is in place Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja Supporters of a Yoruba secessionist agitator, Sunday Adeyemo otherwise known as Sunday Igboho, Wednesday, thronged a Benin Republic Appeal Court (Palais De Justice, Cour D’Appel De Cotonou) in solidarity, following his arrest on Monday by security agents working with International Police (Interpol) in that country. Curiously, however, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Tukur Buratai, has been fingered in Igboho’s arrest after he allegedly wrote a letter to Benin authorities ahead of Igboho's trip and consequently facilitated his arrest. Buratai, who is Nigeria's Ambassador to Benin Republic, allegedly knew that Igboho's exit route would be a neighboring country and therefore pulled a fast one, which culminated in his arrest alongside his wife, Ropo, a German, at the Benin Airport on their way to Germany. The Contonou court was billed to hear Igboho's extradition trial, which prompted his supporters to

stage a protest, chanting Yoruba anthem and rendering songs to show solidarity with the activist. Some of their placards bore such inscriptions as: “No going back on Yoruba Nation”, “Igboho Oosa is our hero”, “General Buhari is a dictator”, “We are tired of Buhari and his Fulani killers”. Igboho was to be arraigned in the court in lieu of his extradition to Nigeria. Media aide to Igboho, Mr. Olayomi Koiki, shared footage of the protest on Wednesday. In the video, the protesters were seen singing solidarity songs demanding the immediate release of Igboho. They also demanded Yoruba self-determination, even as they debunked claims that Igboho had been freed, saying he was still in custody. Similar protests were also held in Ibadan, Oyo State and in the United Kingdom. Some lawyers were also seen at the court premises in Cotonou as security agencies were deployed to the area to maintain peace, the protesters called for his release. Meanwhile, Buratai reportedly

knew about the likelihood that Igboho would explore the option of travelling through a neighbouring country. "The ex-army chief knew that Igboho has the only option of first fleeing to any neighbouring African country sharing borders with Nigeria and as Nigeria’s ambassador to Benin, which shares several borders with Nigeria, he could not be caught napping,” an Intelligence officer told PR Nigeria. According to him, Buratai tinkered with the idea penultimate week and then wrote to the government of Benin Republic. “Gen. Buratai insisted on the arrest and extradition of the self-acclaimed Yoruba secessionist leader. His secret letter to the Benin government was delivered through the Nigerian Embassy in Benin asking them to be on the lookout for Igboho.” Buratai’s letter, according to the intelligence officer, was instrumental to the arrest of Igboho and his wife at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the largest city in the French-speaking country. “Igboho was arrested in

Cotonou on Monday night while he attempted to travel. He was already at the airport with a passport. The immigration officers suspected the passport and so they stopped him. In the process, they discovered he was the one, and arrested him,” he said. Buratai had served as Force Commander of the then reconstituted Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTNF) in 2014 under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Benin Republic. Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Olu Agunloye, said agitations would continue in the country until President Muhammadu Buhari adopted the principle of social justice that would bring about peace, progress and prosperity to Nigerians. Agunloye, a former minister, said this in a statement titled: “Sunday Igboho, FGN and Us”. He said “intercepting Sunday Igboho in a foreign land in a similar way to that of Nnamdi Kanu, also in a foreign land, shows that our government will

Analysts Back Emefiele on Growth Potential in Agriculture Sector James Emejo in Abuja Analysts yesterday backed the views of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, that the country may record significant strides within the next three years in current efforts to reposition the agricultural sector for greater growth. Emefiele, had during the recent inauguration of the maiden integrated farm estate established by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) in Daura, Katsina State, expressed optisimism that the combined efforts of the apex bank and the authority in making land and credit available to farmers will further add to the gains

so far recorded through the bank's intervention support in the sector. The CBN governor, further described the 100 hectare - farm as a milestone achievement which will catalyse the desired agricultural revolution in the state and the country in general. However, the analysts in separate interviews with THISDAY, said Emefiele hit the nail on the head regarding the immense potential which the agricultural sector possesses to make the diversification programme of the federal government a reality within the shortest period. The analysts however, pointed out that with more investments in agriculture as well as the ability of

the government to subdue insecurity, the sector is set for a major breakthrough. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Dignity Finance and Investment Limited, Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, told THISDAY that the optimism of the CBN governor was realistic. He, however, pointed out that the, "only major threat is insecurity which for now does not have a mitigant, except to fight it head on". He said once there is the will, there will be a way, adding that, "It will be one out of many other interventions of federal government through the CBN. There has to be optimism and commitment to make it work." Also commenting on the

prospects for the sector, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Credent Investment Managers Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Shelleng, said agriculture has massive potential of transforming Nigeria’s economy as it currently contributes a significant amount of to GDP and provides employment to a large number of the population. He also said as much as it was possible to make a breakthrough in agriculture within the near term, the major issues faced in the sector remained financing, poor techniques, inadequate use of technology and lack of storage and processing adding that more recently, insecurity Continued on page 8

accomplish whatever it considers a priority. This latent political determination now uncaged can be very useful for positive and productive impacts. “This is why we can only hope and expect that the government will include in its priority list, the principles of social justice comprising equal access, inclusiveness, equity and respect for human rights in order to assure peace, roundtable conference and integration in Nigeria. “ln this Cotonou interception, it will appear that abuse of rule of law and breach of the international process such as

extraordinary rendition (or kidnap by government) won’t be part of bringing Igboho back to Nigeria. This is because federal government has commenced the due process of legal extradition. However, at this stage, it does not matter much what happens next," he said. He asserted that, “If federal government of Nigeria gets Igboho, a new dimension of the epic legal battle will commence in Nigeria and so will be more fuel for the agendas and agitations for separationist moves. If federal government fails to get Igboho, the de-novo activists cum traditionalist will go and cool off abroad. He will count his losses as well as ponder over his next moves. “Either way, agitations will not abate in Nigeria until President Muhammadu Buhari and his presidency adopt principles of social justice to bring about peace, progress and prosperity to a Nigeria,where the people have agreed on how to live together, work together, weather storms together and develop together.”

NDLEA Arrests Lady with Multiple Identities for Trafﬁcking 296,000 Tabs of Illicit Drugs Suspect wears hijab to evade detection as 465kg of skunk seized in Ondo Michael Olugbode in Abuja A 36-year-old lady, Chioma Afam, who used multiple identities and wore hijab to evade security scrutiny, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Benue State along with her partner, Peace Chidinma Caleb, 22, for trying to smuggle a total of 296,000 tablets of Diazepam and Exol-5 from Onitsha, Anambra State to Gombe State. Chioma, who used such names such as Amina, Uzoamaka and Ifunaya to cover her criminal activities was arrested on Saturday 17th July, 2021, along with the 22-year-old Peace Chidinma Caleb, who also wore hijab as a cover for her nefarious activities during routine checks and profiling of inward vehicles into Makurdi, the Benue State capital. Their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra State was intercepted along Makurdi-Alliade road while heading to Gombe State via Makurdi. A search conducted on their vehicle led to the discovery of 43kilograms of Diazepam and 33kg of Exol-5, both weighing 76 kilograms with a total of Two Hundred and Ninety Six Thousand (296,000) tablets packed in four large ‘Ghana must go’ bags.

Meanwhile, the two interstate drug traffickers had rebuffed efforts to take pictures with the exhibits without wearing their hijab. In a related development, the Ondo State command of the Agency on Sunday 18th July, 2021 intercepted one Olu Ameh, a commercial motorcycle rider with 465 kilograms of cannabis sativa along Ijagba-Ute road in Ose Local Government Area of the state. The illicit substance was said to have been bought from one Joseph in Ago-Akure, Akure North LGA and being conveyed to the buyer, a certain Egbonwon at Ijagba village in Ose LGA. Reacting to the two seizures and arrests, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Maj. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the commanders, officers and men of the Benue and Ondo States’ Commands of the Agency for their efforts to ensure that no illicit substance was allowed to pass through their areas of responsibility under whatever guise or cover to destroy the lives of innocent Nigerians in other parts of the country. While wishing them and their colleagues in other Commands across Nigeria a happy sallah celebration, he charged them to remain vigilant at all times.

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

NEWS

HOLDING AGM... L-R: Newly elected oﬃcers of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC): Vice-President, Mr. Akin Osuntoki; Immediate Past President, Mr. Kayode Falowo; President/Chairman of Council, ABAYOMI AKINYELE Mrs. Bisi Adeyemi; Deputy President, Mr. Ray Atelly, and Vice President, Mr. Seyi Adeyemi, at the NBCC 2021 Annual General Meeting in Lekki, Lagos... recently

Pﬁzer, BioNTech Seal Deal to Manufacture COVID-19 Vaccine in South Africa

Hamid Ayodeji with agency report

Pfizer and BioNTech have struck a deal for South Africa's Biovac Institute to help manufacture around 100 million doses a year of their COVID-19 vaccine for the African Union. Reuters reported that the firms disclosed this yesterday. The deal is to "fill and finish" the vaccine, the final stages of manufacturing where the product is processed and put into vials. It does not cover the complicated processes of mRNA drug substance production, which Pfizer and BioNTech will do at their own facilities in Europe, the report explained. The agreement comes as Pfizer and BioNTech try to sway World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) members from supporting a waiver on some intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines. It will make Biovac - a joint venture between the South African government and private sector partners - one of the few companies in Africa processing and distributing COVID-19 shots, and the first to do so using the mRNA technology. South African pharmaceutical company Aspen has a "fill and

finish" deal with Johnson & Johnson for its viral vector COVID-19 vaccine. African countries have some of the lowest vaccination rates worldwide, and many are dependent on global vaccine sharing scheme COVAX, which has struggled to deliver. CEO at Cape Town-based Biovac, Morena Makhoana, told Reuters that the aim was to start producing shots, "towards the second half of 2022" and then ramp up to maximum output of around 100 million doses a year by early 2023. On-site development and equipment installation would begin immediately, Pfizer and BioNTech said. Makhoana said Biovac would modify its plant by expanding next to the filling line and investing in new freezers, as the vaccine needs to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whom the African Union had named its "Champion on COVID-19," called the agreement a breakthrough in efforts to overcome vaccine inequity. He added it entailed a shared investment of 200 million rand ($13.6 million) in the coming six months. WTO members have been in talks for months on waiving drug firms' intellectual property (IP) rights for COVID-19

vaccines. Many developing countries including South Africa and India support the waiver, but several wealthy countries remain opposed, saying it would deter research that allowed COVID-19 vaccines to be produced so

quickly. "Weakening IP rules will only discourage the type of unprecedented innovation which brought vaccines forward in record time and make it harder for companies to collaborate," Pfizer CEO,

Albert Bourla, said in remarks prepared for a WTO summit later on Wednesday. The World Health Organisation last month chose a consortium including Biovac for a, "tech transfer hub" in South Africa, part of efforts to

Protest as Contractor Allegedly Abandons N22bn Akure/Ado-Ekiti Road Dualisation James Sowole in Akure Vehicular movement was shut down for hours on the AkureAdo Ekiti road as some residents of the two state capitals, yesterday, protested over the abandoned N22 billion Akure/ Ado-Ekiti road dualisation as well as the lack of commitment on the part of the contractor to fix the road. The residents under the aegis of Great Patriot for Better Initiative (GPBI) trooped out with placards alleging lackadaisical attitude of the contractor towards the project 15 months after mobilisation fee was allegedly paid by government for the road dualisation. The protesters pointed out that the state of the road has continued to aid activities

of criminals engaging in kidnappings and killings. Some of the inscriptions read: "Too much of kidnapping, raping on Akure-Ado-Ekiti road," "Governor Fayemi may not be too happy with the slowness of Akure-Ado-Ekiti road," "Revoke Akure-Ado-Ekiti road contract from Dantata and Sawoe.” Others read: "Dantata and Sawoe is frustrating the effort of Mr. President on road infrastructural development," "Fix our roads, save our souls," "After 15 months of mobilisation Dantata and Sawoe company is nowhere to be found", "Too much killings and robberies on Akure-Ado-Ekiti road. According to the head of Project Monitoring of GPBI, Mr. Niyi Majofodun, the project as a matter of urgency should be revoked from the contractor,

Dantata and Sawoe. The protesters, who barricaded the ever-busy highway at Igoba junction, Akure North Local Government, alleged that, "The dualisation of the road was awarded to Dantata & Sawoe in 2020, and the company was subsequently mobilised for it in November 2020. The spokesperson of the group, however, alleged that the contractor refused to move to site until few days ago after the organisation had petitioned the office of the Director-General of Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) over the abandonment of the project. He said, "It is on record that killings, kidnappings, robbery, raping and terrible motor accident have become uncontrollable on the Akure– Ado Ekiti road. We cannot

A N A LYST S B AC K E M E F I E L E O N G R O W T H P OT E N T I A L I N AG R I C U LT U R E S E CTO R

had greatly affected farming. He however, said attracting private sector funding though key to the development of the sector, "will be increasingly difficult if the insecurity problem is not tackled." According to him: "Government alone may not be able to tackle all the limiting factors to agricultural growth. However, they certainly could encourage participation in the sector by addressing some of the challenges faced by stakeholders." Shelleng, said to harness more value from agriculture, stakeholders must also look to process raw materials into secondary products in order to increase their export value. On his part, Managing Director/Chief Executive, SD&D Capital Management Limited, Mr. Idakolo Gbolade,

said the intervention of the CBN remained practical and direct adding that the initiatives ought to have been replicated and implemented by state governments. He said: "We have seen several interventions by the CBN including the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme yielding positive results because of implementation. "The CBN in intervening in the agricultural value chain has studied the peculiarities of the area and the income generating trajectory of these interventions before embarking on them. "Whereas most initiative by states and federal government in most cases are for political reasons and spur the moment approach without even considering the tremendous returns it could generate for

give poor and middle-income countries the knowledge and licences to produce COVID-19 vaccines. Biovac has partnered with Pfizer since 2015 to manufacture and distribute its Prevnar 13 pneumonia vaccine, although it is still awaiting regulatory approval, Makhoana said. "Having an existing relationship always helps," he said on his company's expanded ties with Pfizer.

government." He added that most of these initiatives at the state levels are not monitored for performance hence, the reasons why they fail on the long run. Gbolade, however, advised the government to hands off agriculture and engage critical stakeholders in the private sector with collaboration with government agencies particularly the CBN, NEXIM, NIRSAL among others that can actually take professional and informed decisions to measure and evaluate input and return and maintain standards across board. He added: "This will enable the country see reasonable development in agriculture as seen in other areas where the PPP initiative is implemented." However, the CBN governor had said that the bank will

work with the Executive Secretary of the authority, Mr. Paul Ikonne to explore the potential of providing affordable and accessible finance to the beneficiaries under the agricultural scheme to scale up productivity. He pointed out that the strategic mandate of NALDA aligns with the current developmental priorities of the CBN. Emefiele also disclosed that that the CBN is positioned to ensure the integration of farmers into the federal government’s Economic Sustainability Plan, which is focused on providing five million homes with electricity using renewable energy. He explained that under the programme, farmers with good repayment records under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme

(ABP) will be eligible to get solar home systems (SHS) to supply electricity to their homes. He said the bank will develop a repayment framework that will allow the farmers to use their farm produce to pay for electricity consumed under the scheme. The CBN governor added that the initiative is expected to improve the standard of living of smallholder farmers across the country and motivate prompt loan repayment, as well as enhance the sustainability of the programme. Emefiele said the CBN intervention programmes and schemes were introduced with the core objectives of stimulating investments in the real sector, thereby catalysing growth and inclusive development.

afford to die in silence, we want to strongly appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to please look into this matter as a matter of urgency. We also express our displeasure at the manners at which Director General of BPP awarded the road. "Mr. President should not allow his name to be dragged into the mud on this matter since he had performed his Constitutional right by awarding the contract and subsequently mobilised the contractor. Therefore, he must ensure his directive is complied with and carried out. "The contract should be revoked to save the life of the road ushers. The road is expected to be delivered within 30months of award and up till now no sophisticated equipment is seen on ground.” Also lamenting the development, one of the stakeholders, Biyi Poroye stated that the attitude of the contractor towards the project had become a huge concern, saying residents and motorists had been going through agonies on a daily basis. On his part, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Citizen Engagement and Grassroot, Josemaria Adeusi said, "If a contractor has been mobilised 15 months ago and he has not done anything significant that we can see to attest that he is ready to work, the best to do is to revoke the contract.” A former Chairman of Akure North Local Government, Rotimi Adeleye, said, "It is highly embarrassing and disgusting that nothing has been done. We are pleading with the government to come to our aid. Several lives had been lost on this road alongside several kidnappings."

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

PAGE TEN

NGE: Media Not Disposed to Giving Terrorists Exposure Cautions NBC over consistent anti-media policies The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), has said contrary to the insinuation by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigerian journalists, especially, its members, were not friends to terrorists and bandits and as such, would never be disposed to giving the criminals any exposure. The professional group however maintained that journalists have a responsibility to help the country cope with the prevailing threat and consequences of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in Nigeria, and would continue to be responsible and responsive in their

reports. NGE stated this on Wednesday while expressing concern over the recent directive by the NBC, warning journalists, television and radio stations in Nigeria against “glamorising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists and kidnappers” during their daily newspaper reviews. In the directive titled: “Newspaper Reviews and Current Affairs Programmes: A Need For Caution’’, signed by the Director, Broadcast Monitoring, Francisca Aiyetan, on behalf of the new Director-General of the Commission, Balarabe

IIeah, the regulatory agency cautioned broadcasters against glamorising and giving too many details on the nefarious activities of terrorists and kidnappers. But, in a statement by its President, Mustapha Isah and General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the NGE said the directive was unhelpful and described it as a subtle threat to free press, freedom of expression, access to information, and victims’ right to justice, which it insisted were essential to public debate and accountability in a democratic space. The Guild added that given the consistent anti-

media policy of NBC in recent times, its members were concerned about what the commission meant by the expansive definitions of what might constitute “too many details”, “glamorising”, “divisive rhetoric” and “security issues” in its directive. “We hope it is not a ploy by the NBC to ban newspapers review in broadcasting stations, because, the content of the directive doesn’t specify what kind of conduct would fall within their realm. It is our view that the role of independent, critical, and trustworthy journalism has never been more important

than now in our country”, the Guild explained. The Guild added that Nigerian media were very mindful of their responsibility in the current collective efforts to address the security challenges in the country, adding that the relationship between the security agencies and the media has been more respectful and trustful along this mission in the past few years. “While we are mindful of our responsibility at this trying moment of our nation, we must also not lose ability to see that security, in a democratic nation, is not an end in itself.

“Its single purpose is to protect the capability of institutions, including the media, to guarantee citizens the free exercise of their fundamental human rights, without discrimination. “History has revealed time and again that efforts to increase security through the clampdown of liberty and freedom have threatened both liberty and security,” it stated. While reiterating that there was no security without free media and free expression, and no free expression and free media without security, NGE said these two terms should come hand-in-hand and not fight each other in the general interest of the nation.

lane to recall his days as the Theatre Commander of OPHK, where he enjoyed unfettered access to all the platforms and facilities under the air component commander, while expressing gladness that the cooperation between the land and air component had continued even after his tenure. Yahaya singled out the air power characteristics of speed and reach which, when combined with the army's ability to hold the ground as critical to bringing the current security challenges to a halt. The service chiefs also took time off to pay a courtesy visit to the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum. The governor praised both service chiefs for the synergy

their joint efforts brought to the battle against insurgents in the state, while urging them to sustain the momentum. The service chiefs were accompanied on the visit by the Theatre Commander, Maj. Gen. Chris Musa; GOC 7 Division Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen. Abdulwahab Eyitayo; Chief of Operations (Army), Maj. Gen. Olufemi Akinjobi; Chief of Training and Operations NAF, AVM James Gwani and Provost Marshal, Maj. Gen. Robert Aiyenigba. Others were Chief of Air Intelligence, AVM Ibukun Ojeyemi; Air Officer Commanding Tactical Air Command, AVM Gamsu Lubo and Ag. Chief of Military Intelligence, Brig. Gen. Danladi Salihu.

A I R F O R C E C H I E F: T H R E AT S BY B A N D I T S R E Q U I R E R O B U ST S E C U R I T Y A R C H I T E CT U R E adversaries hence downing of the war planes by bandits and insurgents were not regular occurrences. He, however, said air force personnel were energised by the heroism of Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, who survived the air crash in Zamfara State by ejecting from the aircraft and wading through strongholds of bandits to safety. Amao, who celebrated sallah with troops in company with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya said, "The security threats currently facing the nation and the challenges therein required the emplacement of a robust security architecture capable of rapid employment of air power in all spectrums of warfare. "The paradigm shift in the way air warfare is waged in the fulfillment of mission objectives necessitates a highly versatile air force capable of executing a wide range of airpower roles across multiple theatres of operation to deal with these security threats". He said the collaborative efforts between the NAF and sister agencies, which had enhanced operational effectiveness of the entire (AFN) contributed in minimising the threats posed by insurgents. Amao, therefore, assured the troops that the NAF would continue to enhance its synergy with other arms of the military and security agencies while leveraging each other’s capabilities to secure the nation. In a chat with THISDAY, Spokesman of the Air Force, Air

Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said the air force was aware of the lethal weapons wielded by bandits and insurgents, insisting that pilots were equipped for such eventualities. "The likelihood of bandits possessing such weapons have always been considered and the NAF have been aware of the lethality of these weapons. Our pilots have also been trained to guard against such attacks hence the reason why we haven't had this type of situation in the past until last Sunday", he said. Gabkwet maintained that Dairo's heroism was a pointer to the determination of the air force chief to fight until the criminal elements were defeated. "So, there is nothing to worry about as the NAF is fully prepared to deal with the situation. The sheer bravity of Flight Lieutenant Dairo in the face of glaring danger recently has energised our personnel. Dairo's heroism should also convince Nigerians that the NAF under Air Marshal Oladayo Amao will continue to fudge on until these criminals are brought to their knees," he said. A statement issued by the air force also said the coming together of the two service chiefs to celebrate Sallah with troops in Maiduguri "was a demonstration of the jointness at the highest echelon of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya and Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, who feted personnel of the

Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) to a buffet lunch at Maiduguri.” In his remarks at the lunch, the CAS captured the essence of the visit, which he said provided an opportunity to not only bond with frontline troops but also to promote comradeship and regimentation in the service. The lunch, according to the CAS, also provided an opportunity to remember colleagues, who had paid the supreme price in the service to fatherland. While expressing pride in the efforts of all NAF officers, airmen and airwomen participating in internal security operations in different parts of the country, Air Marshal Amao stated that, the NAF, through the Air

Component of OPHK, would continue to perform overly critical roles in providing the much-needed air support for the effective conduct of ground operations by the Land Component. On the gallantry displayed by Fight Lieutenant Dairo, after successfully ejecting from an Alpha Jet, before it was downed by the terrorists, the CAS commended NAF and Nigerian Army personnel, who worked tirelessly to locate the crash site and the pilot’s parachute, while also combing nearby locations for the pilot. On his part, Yahaya commended the personnel for their dedication and commitment to counterinsurgency operations under OPHK. He went down memory

NNPC RECORDS 63% FAAC REMITTANCE SHORTFALL IN FIVE MONTHS able to remit N225.852 billion. The documents obtained from one of the federal ministries showed that N387.982 billion remained unpaid during the period under consideration, representing about 63.21 per cent actual budgetary forecast. According to the NNPC/ FAAC data, while the corporation was expected to pay a net amount of N122.767 billion monthly into the federation account, it was only able to remit N90.860 billion in January, N64.161 billion in February and N41.184 billion in March. But as it earlier announced, the national oil company was unable to make any payment

into the federation account in April, while a paltry N29.647 billion was remitted in May. As exclusively reported by THISDAY earlier in the month, the corporation said it would deduct N114.337 billion from the June federation proceeds at a meeting, which took place last week. The documents showed that N225.852 billion was remitted as of May, while a projected N820.684 billion shortage of the net total forecast of N1.473 trillion for 2021 might be recorded by the end of the year if the current challenges continue. While there might be other ancillary issues leading to the inability of the corporation to

EIU REPORT: FG MAY RAISE VAT TO 15% BEFORE 2025 in 2024, which also assumes no fuel subsidies beyond 2022. “The federal government's tax take is among the world's lowest, undermined by widespread evasion and a large informal sector. The PIB is likely to be balanced between the interests of the treasury and investors, and so not deliver a considerable increase in revenue. “Consequently, the VAT, currently at 7.5 per cent, is likely to be used as a means of repairing the public finances.” The report also projected that public finances would remain in deficit between 2021 and 2025, because an average global crude oil price of $63.8/ barrel in 2021-25, which makes up for more than 50 per cent of the federal government's retained income, would be insufficient to balance the budget. It added that the percentage of public debt to the GDP

would stand at 35.4 per cent of the GDP in 2025. “Overall, we expect the fiscal deficit to narrow to 3.3 per cent of GDP in 2021 (from 3.7 per cent of the GDP in 2020) as international oil prices rise. “Also, the VAT rate increases and rising oil prices will push down the deficit to 2.6 per cent of the GDP in 2023-24, but a decline in average global oil prices in 2025 will cause the shortfall to widen to 3.0 per cent of the GDP in that year. “The government has raised its public debt limit to 40 per cent of GDP to incorporate higher budget shortfalls over the medium term and to accommodate securitisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s deficit-financing as long-term debt. We expect public debt to reach only 35.4 per cent of the GDP in 2025,” the report added. It further projected that,

“high debt-servicing costs, a large public wage bill, and the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines will elevate expenditure. Capital investment will be emphasised to compensate for the disappearance of petrol subsidies once the PIB is enacted (which is expected in late 2021). “The government will justify price deregulation by promising to invest the savings in infrastructure and will face pressure to match rhetoric with action.” The report also identified price controls on petrol prices and electricity tariffs as another important area of focus, stressing that in spite of the astonishing is lacking.” It, however, hinged the hope of market-determined petrol pump price on the Dangote Refinery, a new 650,000-barrel/ day refinery near Lagos expected to come on-stream in 2022.

It, therefore, opined that Nigeria’s economic policy choices would be skewed, “towards protectionism and, for reasons of incompatibility will lean away from internationalism,” even though the country would remain a major player in Africa, given its size. It added: “Land borders that were closed to goods since late 2019 have reopened, but Nigeria's approach to encouraging regional trade will be minimalist, beyond its obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTFA). “The trade pact compels Nigeria to eliminate 97 per cent of tariff lines over the next five to 10 years. This deadline will not be met zealously, given high prices in Nigeria and declining external competitiveness for industries that could otherwise benefit from regional market access.”

meet its obligation to the three tiers of government, the NNPC has had to deal with the major challenge of shouldering the government's petrol subsidy payments in the last couple of months. The elimination of payments for what the government now terms under-recovery has been a controversial issue for decades as attempts to alter the existing arrangement has always met with stiff resistance from the labour unions, civil society organisations as well as a cross-section of Nigerians. Last year, specifically on March 19, at a time the international prices of crude oil took a downward spiral, the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had announced the total deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector. However, there has been a rollback of that policy following the gradual recovery of the price of the commodity in the international market, which has invariably affected the pump price of fuel in the country. In all, added to the funding of its ongoing major projects, payment for under-recovery, among others, the funding performance of the corporation showed that as of May, N1.088 trillion had been disbursed by the NNPC, including N195.652 billion in January and N191.194 billion in February. In March, also, N224.589 billion was distributed, while in April and May, N156.366 billion and N320 billion were disbursed respectively. The Group General Manager, NNPC, Mallam Mele Kyari, in March, said the federal government was subsidising petrol with about N120

billion monthly, describing the development as unsustainable. He said while the actual cost of importation and handling charges amounted to N234 per litre, the government had been selling at N162 per litre, therefore, bearing the cost burden. He said the NNPC could no longer afford to bear the cost, saying Nigerians would have to pay the actual cost sooner or later. But the government has since then said it was in negotiations with organised labour on the matter. On June 30, the NNPC boss revealed that the price of the product had further skyrocketed and that without subsidy, petrol would be selling at N256 per litre at the filling stations. At the time Kyari spoke, crude oil was selling for $74.40 per barrel at the international market. It has since then hit a high of $77, before slumping below $70 on Monday and Tuesday. Meanwhile, yesterday, the Brent crude sustained its upswing rising from $69.05 per barrel to close at $71.02 per barrel. The price rally was in reaction to an industry report which showed an unexpected build-up in US oil inventories last week, which heightened worries about a resurgence in COVID-19 infections potentially dampening fuel demand. Earlier, a deal by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC,) and its allies, known as OPEC+ to boost supply by 400,000 bpd each month from August through December, sparked an oil price slump on Monday, exacerbated by demand fears with cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus picking up in major markets.

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

COMMENT

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

CLIMATE CHANGE OR ‘GREED CHANGE’? Some moments of global greed incite current wrath by nature, writes Okello Oculi

randma heard horrified talk about rain eating hundreds of people in a land called ‘Europe’ and, from a deep breath, said: ‘’Nature is angry with their ways’’. Children around her laughed at her old thinking.

Television pictures reported about terrible heat waves gripping Canada and California/ Oregon regions of north America. Huge flames of fires turned horizons red. Hundreds of families run away from homes doomed to be consumed by these fires; losing material possessions and objects of ancestry. Many also lost hopes of completing debts owed to companies as mortgages for homes. Television pictures of rapidly flowing rain water which drowned cars; thrown some against trees and torn walls of houses; of wrecked bridges and livestock and persons carried to unknown endings. Wreckages also include the reputation of northern Europeans as conquerors of nature by highly organised use of scientific knowledge. The Norwegian sociologist and mathematician, Johan Galtung once made that claim with lavish arrogance. Germany, for example, had nurtured a reputation for building stout infrastructure and machines; even in conducting competitive football matches. The genius of the Dutch for reclaiming land from the Atlantic Ocean and creating waves of tulip flowers, and cities, were under challenge. Descendants of Holland and Germany who carried to South Africa and Namibia their habits of clenched teeth in fighting nature, have continued to sustain Silent Genocide by malnutrition and hunger as they stubbornly hold vast fertile land which they robbed in yester-centuries. Little wonder that rivers of youths running back and forth (like red soldier ants)- hauling booty and food grabbed from shops, malls and street kiosks. While some fell over each other in their surges, security officials were shown shooting unarmed looters that were not throwing stones or grenades on military tanks rolling comically on empty streets. Victims of official protection against realising ‘dividends of antiapartheid wars’ had resorted to a hunger-based revolt and grabbed food and low-quality consumer goods. After World War 2, fear of Socialism spreading to Western Europe and Asia outside China, had compelled the United States to pump heavy economic investments into Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong in Asia and West Germany and its conquered neighbours. Their economic revival and prosperity around territories ruled by Communist parties became beacons to arouse appetites against socialist countries ravaged by war. The triumphs of liberation wars across Southern Africa have not

THE TRIUMPHS OF LIBERATION WARS ACROSS SOUTHERN AFRICA HAVE NOT EARNED SURGES OF INVESTMENTS TO INOCULATE EXPLOITED AND OPPRESSED MASSES OF AFRICANS AGAINST SOCIALISM

earned surges of investments to inoculate exploited and oppressed masses of Africans against socialism. President Robert Mugabe’s resolve to recover land from European immigrants was met with ruthless economic embargo meant to impoverish his people and turn them against the struggle for economic prosperity for themselves. From Mali to Mozambique, violent Muslim militias financed and ideologically inspired by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates are killing inhabitants, seizing livestock, burning down houses in areas rich in minerals. In Mozambique, there are reports of children beheaded in a region rich in natural gas already under commercial exploitation. In South Africa, a government led by Cyril Ramaphosa, a beneficiary of the ‘’Black Economic Empowerment’’ scheme, has found itself resorting to guns and tanks once used by racist rulers to smash the current ‘hunger revolt’. The death of over 120 looters between 11th and 16th July, 2021, reminds South Africans of Sharpeville killings in their past. In Eastern Africa, yesterday’s Tigray rulers of Ethiopia now are fighting a war for secession from Ethiopia following their loss of power inside a former ruling coalition. Following the fall of the military rule of Mengistu Haile Mariame, the Tigre –led coalition broke up centralised government into semi-autonomous languagebased districts. It shattered Amhara hegemony. As a minority ethnic group, they resorted to ruthless violence and mass imprisonment of challengers from the larger and bitter Amhara nationality. They were also accused of channelling economic benefits to their region. Both a legacy of violent and selfish rule produced deep fears of revenge by other controllers of government at the federal centre. The internal bleeding in Ethiopia’s body politic erodes achievements by Meles Zenawe’s government. It detracts from glorious examples in Senegal and Tanzania where Leopold Sedar Senghor and Julius Kambarage Nyerere as Christians from Minority nationalities were elected and governed for 20 unbroken years over Muslim ethnic Majorities. In the Americas, Cuba’s scientists have invented a Vaccine against COVID-19 that is 92 per cent effective. Her provision of education and health care to the highest quality to all citizens, provokes the ‘’Black Lives Matter’’ movement globally. The United States of America conducts economic terrorism against this brilliant example of human development. It is little wonder that these moments of global greed for indulging in doing evil deeds incites current wrath by nature through tossing out hurricanes, earthquakes and belches by climate change.

FIXING A DYSFUNCTIONAL PARTY SYSTEM Wale Bakare writes that the APC must go for a chairman with vision, integrity and character

s the APC’s Congress draws nearer, political patronage is central to what ails the political party administration viz-a-viz system of governance. We must not continue depicting Nigeria as a soft state and a weak nation, unable to apply the law equally to all its citizens. It is no longer news that our political parties and institutions are captives of the oligarchy and serve mostly their interest and that of the few rich allies and powerful politicians. Our leaders failed to unite and inspire our diverse peoples as a nation. These are symptoms of political patronage, peripherals feeding on themselves, defining us after many decades of this practice. Our dysfunctional democracy gets its root from failed party system, and administration is one that can best be described as a failure of an electoral system to excise the virus of the politics of patronage that has infected our so-called elections. This vicious politics of patronage has allowed few oligarchs and bosses to rule us from colonial times to post-colonial times, and their rule has brought us nothing but a facade of democracy. Furthermore, the agenda of the oligarchy, the political dynasties, clans and cabals who get their candidates sponsored by their over-burdened influences in party administration and get elected allow their legitimate capture of state institutions. They build on this dominance and perpetuate themselves in power, positions and wealth. It is unfortunate that all these deformities are intertwined and protected by the lapses of adhering to our 1999 Constitution. And this clearly calls for a paradigm shift both from the political parties and to the system of governance. The best that can happen to any of our political parties is having an enigmatic leadership that is full of energy, vibrancy, intellectualism, focus driven and free of all liabilities. The country needs leaders who will lead and not hide behind the power to escape accountability. There must be an agenda with patriotism as the hallmark for all those seeking party and public offices. Those that don’t require us reading between

the lines. At this time what we don’t need are those that go to the extent of using God in courting votes but they’re actually after their personal interests. As the public expects more drama to unfold, the bunch of aspirants seeking the chairmanship of the party is a welcome development for a party in governance. And this is starring the party and its various leadership groupings. Other political alliances may also step in as the election fever heats up. At this point, however, neither those in the old class nor maintaining the status quo deserve a place in the new party leadership; the APC deserves it better now than ever to maintain the lead and improve its electoral fortunes. To all of the aspirants to the chairmanship, the decision to go for it should be as sacred as going to the poll booth to vote. Since the vote is sacred, there is a bigger responsibility on the part of potential leaders to decide and prepare to be a leader of this party and country. A chairmanship candidate must bring before the APC members, and by extension the people a vision of the future and the nation, which he will strive to realize if he is fortunate enough to get elected. That vision must be personal, shared by his party and supporters if he is lucky. He cannot substitute for this the vision or record of his predecessor or political godfathers; in the end he must lead alone. Any of the aspirants could quickly become serious and viable candidate for the party’s highest office if he can do things differently when he announces his candidacy in the coming party Congress. First, he should run on a platform of conviction politics - of his fundamental values as a new breed politician, and what he believes will best serve the party and its purposes. Second, he should go against the grain of the entrenched political culture of dynastic politics, sectionalism, favouritism, money politics, parasitism on the public payroll, cronyism and patronage. From the foregoing it will not be out of place to give a brief of the possible contenders to the position of National Chairman of the APC. In recent

weeks, names of former governors, ex-ministers and serving senators such as Tanko Al-Makura, Danjuma Goje, George Akume, Abdulaziz Yari, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, Abdullahi Adamu and Mohammed Sani Musa have been pronounced as the likely successor to the former national chairman, Adams Oshiomole. No doubt, they are all eminently qualified and loyal to the party. One of the most unassuming contenders on everyone’s lips is Senator Mohammed Sani Musa – the Senator representing Niger East in the ninth Senate. Senator Mohammed Sani Musa is a credible and potentially winning candidate if he can mould a vision for the party which will eventually translate to the nation and the future that the people can believe in. Musa is a plausible alternative candidate because he has chalked up a long and creditable record of service in both private and public sectors, his performance especially in the legislature stands him high even if he had spent just a little more than two years. The exercise of power will not be foreign to him. Senator Sani Musa has been a long time student and observer of the Nigerian political system; he must have been learning the skills to be a go-getter and researching more on what a candidate must bring to the office in order to succeed as a true party leader. It can well be said that this coming APC Congress will be an election about the future, not the past. Hence the real intentions of those seeking party and public office must be ideologically defined and promoted on the basis of shifting grounds from the status quo to a “new vision – new direction” doctrine that Senator Musa so believed in. Despite APC seeking a consensus to the emergence of a new chairman, conviction politics should be the main drive. The party needs someone that will campaign based on his own fundamental values or ideas rather than attempting to represent an existing consensus or simply take positions that are popular in polls. And from various analysis it is keen to mention that only thorough-bred new political actor can best be described to fit in to this category and from all indications Senator Sani Musa

is on this radar. There are a number of arguments for conviction politics of Senator Musa. One is that he is seen to be more honest to be accepted by the various interests and groups that form the APC; he is a politician that simply says what he believes rather than shading his opinions to be palatable to his audience. Another is that he is always voicing strong opinions, pushes public debate forward and promotes a genuine discussion of political issues. Even if he loses, he will have promoted his particular political ideas and persuaded some voters of his value. There are also more instrumental reasons why Sen. Musa is best for the party at this time. He is known to be forceful in arguing for his positions during deliberations and campaigns; he is a politician that many believe he will be able to pursue the goals of transforming the party once in office. Also, proponents argue that a conviction politician like Sen. Musa is more likely to win. When he was a candidate to the Senate in 2011 for his Senatorial District, Sani Musa stated: “As usual and more often, our way of playing politics has been so cruel, but for me one of the deepest connections I have with others is to disagree and agree. I do not shy away from speaking the truth and they know at least that I will tell the truth.” While some strategists focus on positioning candidates on issue after issue, for Senator Musa he believes that most voters focus more on whether the candidate has integrity and character on the whole than mere propaganda. And this is the hallmark of demonstrating the conviction that he is a man that always take a stand, which is what the APC needs most at this time. Pundits argued that the coming APC leadership should position the party for big, bold changes, grounded in the central principles of the driver’s ideology. The party needs selfless, self-made and contented personality, who cannot be compromised easily, but a decisive personality that will set policies for the party based on clear and firmly held principles and which many believe Senator Sani Musa can accomplish for the APC. Bakare, public policy analyst, wrote from Abuja

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

EDITORIAL

KIDNAPPERS IN THE PALACE Security agencies could do more to contain the menace

ver the past few months, Nigerians have lost count of victims of the gangs who operate everywhere in the country, extorting money from people, both rich and poor, in the name of kidnap for ransom. The crime is not only well organised, but also becoming a thriving industry with network of support staff. That traditional rulers who ordinarily are the custodians of the cultures, values and norms of the people have become easy prey for kidnappers is an indication of how low society has lost its values and essence. It is also a testimony to the increasing sophistication of these criminals that they could easily get to these royal fathers who are hardly alone. In April this year, the Obadu of Ilemeso in Oye local government area of Ekiti State was kidnapped in his palace by gunmen. Same week, the traditional ruler of Umuezie community in Nguru, Aboh Mbaise local government area of Imo State, was also abducted in his palace in GOVERNMENT AT ALL what has become a LEVELS SHOULD ADDRESS familiar story across the country. The SOCIAL ISSUES LIKE governing mercantile UNEMPLOYMENT AND logic among the POVERTY WHICH HELP TO kidnappers must be FEED THIS CRIME that the abduction of monarchs is bound to attract huge attention and sympathy, which could in turn translate to heftier ransoms from the monarch’s subjects. Since traditional rulers have also become prime targets, members of our various communities must realise they have a critical role to play in providing useful information to security agencies that should also begin to act with urgency while deploying all necessary and available resources. Above all, we call on government at all levels to begin to address social issues like unemployment and poverty which help to feed this crime. With ransom being paid for victims, kidnapping now seems to be a serious vocation for

Letters to the Editor

some idle hands.

T H I S DAY

EDITOR SHAKA MOMODU DEPUTY EDITORS WALE OLALEYE, OBINNA CHIMA MANAGING DIRECTOR ENIOLA BELLO DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR ISRAEL IWEGBU CHAIRMAN EDITORIAL BOARD OLUSEGUN ADENIYI EDITOR NATION’S CAPITAL IYOBOSA UWUGIAREN MANAGING EDITOR BOLAJI ADEBIYI THE OMBUDSMAN KAYODE KOMOLAFE

T H I S DAY N E W S PA P E R S L I M I T E D

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN NDUKA OBAIGBENA GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS ENIOLA BELLO, KAYODE KOMOLAFE, ISRAEL IWEGBU, IJEOMA NWOGWUGWU, EMMANUEL EFENI DIVISIONAL DIRECTORS SHAKA MOMODU, PETER IWEGBU, ANTHONY OGED ENGBE DEPUTY DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR OJOGUN VICTOR DANBOYI SNR. ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR ERIC OJEH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR PATRICK EIMIUHI CONTROLLERS ABIMBOLA TAIWO, UCHENNA DIBIAGWU, NDUKA MOSERI DIRECTOR, PRINTING PRODUCTION CHUKS ONWUDINJO TO SEND EMAIL: ﬁrst name.surname@thisdaylive.com

t is particularly unfortunate that most victims regain freedom only after their families had parted with huge sums of money. But not everyone survives to tell their stories as many of the victims have also been killed. While the spread of kidnapping for ransom may be the symptom of wider problems in the society, it is important for the security agencies to device strategies for tackling the challenge of this most heinous crime. Initially, the targets were rich businessmen, politicians, and other well-heeled professionals. However, kidnappers also come to the lower bracket, perhaps out of desperation. In some cases, these criminals randomly stop vehicles on the road in the hope of finding someone worth kidnapping. So notorious has our country become in this crime that when the African Insurance Organisation, a non-governmental outfit, held its forum in Mauritius last year, Nigeria was designated the global capital for kidnap for ransom, having overtaken countries like Colombia and Mexico that were hitherto frontrunners. Sadly, the authorities have been unable to find a lasting solution to combat the crime, despite increased patrols of the highway. In many of the 36 states, there are laws that any person who kidnaps, abducts, detains, captures, or takes another person by any means or trick, with intent to demand ransom or do anything against the victim’s will, commits an offence punishable either with death or life sentence. Sadly, not a single person has been brought to justice on account of these laws. Even the case of Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, which began in 2017 has more or less ended in media drama. That the current security system needs a major shake-up has been harped upon by critical stakeholders. But now that kidnappers target the palace, the message is clear: many of our communities are no longer safe. The security agencies must mobilise the necessary skills and resources to combat this threat.

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

BANDITS AND BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY

ntense fire from bandits caused a Nigerian attack jet to crash in northwestern Zamfara State last week, but the pilot survived by ejecting from the aircraft. Zamfara and neighbouring Kaduna are among the states worst affected by a surge in criminality including mass abductions of schoolchildren and armed robberies, often carried out by large gangs of outlaws, locally known as bandits. Bandits are now members of Boko Haram. The only avenue left for Boko Haram to raise funds now is through banditry. Bandits are occupying Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna States to raise funds for Boko Haram. Boko Haram is using banditry to infiltrate all parts of Nigeria. Banditry represents the financial wing of Boko Haram, to raise funds to finance terror activities. Bandits are terrorists who can raise funds for Boko Haram across Nigeria. Bandits have negotiated with many state governors in the north-west of Nigeria. President Buhari should treat bandits as terrorists. Bandits have participated in kidnappings where ransoms were collected to finance terrorism across Nigeria. Boko Haram has also been known to raise funds through mass kidnapping of foreigners and civilians for ransom. Boko Haram has a specialized kidnapping task force led by bandits that set out to abduct school children, politicians, business people, foreigners, rulers and civil servants with the intention of trading them for large sums of money or for the return of other Boko Haram militants. Nigeria’s Northwest is suffering

deadly conflict involving many armed organisations which Boko Haram has used to infiltrate the region, including herder-allied groups, vigilantes, criminal gangs and jihadists. The violence has killed many people since 2011, and displaced millions, some into neighbouring Niger. Despite several security operations and dialogue efforts, a durable peace remains elusive. Frequent acts of violent crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria’s national security. These include instances of militancy, insurgency and banditry. Banditry includes cattle rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom. Kidnapping for ransom has remained the most virulent form of banditry in Nigeria. It has become the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country. Kidnapping can be targeted at individuals or at groups. School children have been kidnapped in groups in various parts of Nigeria. Usually, the prime targets of kidnapping for ransom are those considered to be wealthy enough to pay a fee in exchange for being freed. Kidnapping is the unlawful detention of a person through the use of force, threats, fraud or enticement. The purpose is an illicit gain, economic or material, in exchange for liberation. It may also be used to pressure someone into doing something—or not doing something. Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of kidnap-forransom cases. Other countries high up on the list include

Venezuela, Mexico, Yemen, Syria, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. Thousands of Nigerians have been kidnapped for ransom and other purposes over the years. Kidnapping has prevailed in spite of measures put in place by the government. The Nigerian police’s anti-kidnapping squad, introduced in the 2000s, has endeavored to stem the menace. But this has been to no avail, mainly due to a lack of manpower and poor logistics. These efforts have also failed because of weak sanctioning and deterrence mechanisms. Kidnapping thrives in an environment that condones crime; where criminal opportunism and impunity prevail over and above deterrence. This obviously calls for an urgent review of Nigeria’s current anti-kidnapping approach to make it more effective. Similarly, Boko Haram insurgents have used the proceeds of kidnapping to keep their insurgency afloat. The insurgents engage in single or group kidnapping as a means of generating money to fund their activities. Huge sums are often paid as ransom by the victims’ families and associates to secure their release. In addition to militants and insurgents, organized local and transnational criminal syndicates have been involved. This is happening in huge proportions in Northwest where rural bandits engage regularly in kidnapping in the states of Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Katsina and Sokoto. Inwalomhe Donald, Sokoto State

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021

POLITICS

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

‘Some States’ll Die If We Embrace True Federalism’ As discourse continues over the issue of restructuring to achieve true federalism, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information, Barr. Uchenna Orji in this encounter with Vannesa Obioha cautions that some states may go into extinction if Nigeria embraced true federalism

ears ago, the founding fathers of Ebonyi State came up with what they coined ‘The Charter of Equity’. The objective was to ensure that no bloc in the state was left behind especially in the light of the dominant role played by people of Abakaliki bloc who control two senatorial districts with eight local government councils as against Afikpo bloc with just five councils. Now that Governor Dave Umahi emerged from Afikpo bloc, do you think it has fulfilled objectives of the charter of equity? It really did. And I can say that it is divine. Of course, it came from the platform of the Divine Mandate and when he was going to contest, the whole story everywhere was that you have never seen a deputy governor that ever succeeded his boss when the boss’ own establishment said no. That was the story all over the country. Of course, he became the first in our clime to become a governor from his position as a deputy even when the establishment was totally against him. And so, it would be as if it was God’s decision that this equity should be respected because at that point it was going to be abused, it was going to be disregarded, or discountenanced. But God, through a means I cannot comprehend to date had to bring him on board. He brought him on board and made him a governor to beat, made him a governor that every other state would want that he be their own governor. Some will say they want to borrow our Governor for six months, some one year. I can tell you that we are most amazed that in our time, we are seeing a Governor like that. A man that within the shortest record of time in Nigeria’s political history, was able to transform a state, from grass to grace, from zero to something. I have never seen within the shortest record of time, a governor that did that. And that’s why today you cannot compare Ebonyi with other South-east states in terms of development. There is the raging discourse on restructuring the country to achieve true federalism. Is Umahi more concerned about restructuring the mindset of Nigerians than the country itself? The governor has a concept about this restructuring. He’s talking about economic restructuring first of all, before we go into administrative restructuring. Economic restructuring in the sense that it is better that every state, every zone, be made to really harvest its area of comparative advantage. Today in Ebonyi State, we have a comparative advantage in solid minerals. And so what can we do to devolve the powers given to the Federal Government in solid minerals to devolve into the state so that we can take advantage? What can we do to see that there is deliberate funding of agriculture because in the South-east we have a lot of advantage in agriculture? What can we do also to create empowerment programmes through social investment programmes or other programmes, so that our teeming entrepreneurs, youths, women can take advantage and fend for themselves through MSMEs programmes, liaising with financial institutions? So, that is the restructuring the governor is thinking about. The governor is thinking about restructuring that will take care of equity in the sharing of the national cake. If a Minister for Works can come from Lagos, then a minister can also come from Ebonyi State or vice versa. The President can come from the North, he can also come from the South. These are all the restructuring measures that the governor thinks will make it possible. When people say that they want a true Federation and you are still talking about independence of the local government system, that is not true federalism. So these are restructuring issues that the government is also looking at. A situation whereby the

Umahi

Orji

judiciary should also be given the environment, the necessary funding. In Ebonyi State, we are giving the House of Assembly, the judiciary, a level playing ground. Whatever is due to them, the governor releases. The governor doesn’t buy vehicles or whatever for them, he releases the money for them to build houses or to do whatever they like. Of course, our governor doesn’t want a situation whereby we can just say ‘restructure’ without providing for the states, because if you do that, all the states that are not viable will go into extinction. That will be another form of colonisation, and neocolonialism, that will impact states, Ebonyi inclusive because we’ve got no Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), other states have got their own IGR. We’ve not gotten full industrialization, other states are a step ahead of us. We have not got so many facilities that will make for independence- the kind people think. The governor thinks that we need to be given time, through economic restructuring so that we can meet up with other states.

to be republicans, whenever we go outside our place and we develop that place, and we cannot say that we have all the advantages. In the north, they have advantage in agriculture, they have the land, they have the passion, and they are doing that, they have the funding from the Federal Government, and these are all things that you cannot rule out. In the South-south, you have the oil there, and if you are saying, you want restructuring and if you’re not looking at how you can fend for yourself after the restructuring, then they may be in a total disadvantage because Southsouth cannot give you the oil because you are South-east, that is not possible. They can’t give you because you are South-west. They will have to make use of what they have and if we are looking at federating units, Bayelsa will say no, my oil cannot go beyond Bayelsa. Then we have problems. I think that all of us are one under God, and from far north, far east to far west, where we are helping one another. We must keep it that way, and move forward.

A northern group recently said that the north developed the South-east and the South-south. How do you react to this? I am not aware of that. If it is a quotation from them, I do not know. But all I know is that we should, at this point, de-emphasise inflammatory publications, conferences, or press conferences that are very inflammatory across the north and the south, because no two wrongs can make a right. So the words of the mouth and the works of the weapon are the same before the eyes of God. But I can say that we have our individual differences, individual mannerisms. In the South-east, we are known to be entrepreneurs, we are known to be very enterprising, we are known to be good business people, we are known

The youths come up in conversation about violence in Ebonyi State and a recent report showed that the state has the highest rate of drug abuse. The governor has likewise said that the youths are brainwashed and susceptible to hard drugs. How is the government addressing these and ensuring there is reorientation of values among the youths? The problem we have now is the issue of value reorientation, Ebonyi State, inclusive. Our youths have derailed and this has been brought about by long years of bad leadership. Ebonyi State is not an exception. I agree that before the governor came on board, our youths and women have been in the streets of major cities of Nigeria hawking and that is gradually being attended to in Ebonyi State

The governor injected a N4 billion credit scheme for the civil servants. A minimum of N200,000 was accessed by every civil servant who showed interest and a maximum of N4 million was accessed. Now, the governor is looking at ensuring that the civil service should be very efficient, effective, and there should be no reason to use the civil service to siphon scarce resources in the state by injecting more numbers that have got nothing to do. Now that the governor has seen the need to inject more numbers into the civil service, he is injecting 5000 civil servants; 2000 at the local government level, 3000 at the state level and it is already working

under our Governor. But beyond all of these things, the Governor thinks that the creation of a conducive environment will do a lot in reorienting the youths and women through engaging them in a dignified means of livelihood, keeping them busy. A couple of months ago, the governor hosted a seven-day youth Summit, we called it EndSARS Summit. It was arising from the Federal Government directive that every state must engage her citizens, to ensure that the young ones would have a say in the affairs of the nation. So the governor has done that and has got to see that the creative industry will do a lot to bring them on board. We’ve got to see that the entertainment industry will do a lot to bring them on board. The governor did not only create this initiative through the creative industry, he also introduced a policy of what we call ‘catch them young’ or talent initiative, and that is happening through sporting events. Recently, we introduced a sporting competition for different events in a school, primary and secondary, and there will be competition across the local government, competition across the zone, and within the state, and this will make for a talent hunt and will make for people to also identify their talents, that way, they will be built. In our individual capacity, we are introducing what we call Talent Hunt Initiative whereby we look at all trades of life and engender a kind of competition, a fair competition in all trades, ward-by-ward, local government-by-local government and at the state level, we wrap it up. The idea is to raise the best in each of these fields and give that person empowerment. We call it the Vertical and Horizontal Empowerment Programme. Now, apart from this, the governor is also ensuring that school education is really fortified, especially at the primary level. What did the government do? The government injected N7.5 billion for out-of-school children programmes, and taking away children who are drop-outs from the streets and taking them back to school, that is, by giving them counselling, and also giving them scholarships, giving them free education, but it’s going to be compulsory. And this is working in every local government and development centres are given a task: look at the minimum number of students you must take away from the street before you are given a pass mark. And this is actually helping a lot because the governor is building a lot of infrastructure in the area of education to make them comfortable. Of course, he is training our teachers, and giving them necessary equipment that will make them do better, as it were. So these are the things the government is doing. But beyond this empowerment programme that’s ongoing, the governor declared that 2021 through the budget, which is citizen participatory budget, empowerment was given the pride of place. It is the most funded sector in our budget and the idea is to use the opportunity to raise the human capital of our teeming youths and women. That way, they will leave all those idle kinds of businesses, I can assure you in no distant time, you will see an Ebonyi State that would be really an example of excellence in terms of human capital development. Let me mention that we’re beginning to see the impact. The inferiority complex that we’re wearing before, the governor has pulled it out and has given us a new cloth of some sense of self esteem and self worth, and that is what is really helping us to compete and talk favourably with everybody, no matter where you’re coming from, no matter where they are from; Lagos or from the UK. I can confidently say if you are from the UK, come to Ebonyi and do a sleepover. I won’t be afraid to invite you from Lagos or from Akwa Ibom to come to my state. NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdaylive.com

T H I S D AY ˾ THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021

POLITICS

‘Matawalle’s Defection is Home Coming’ The former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator Ahmed Yerima, in this interview with Adedayo Akinwale bares his mind on political happenings in his state and in the country

Yerima

hat is your view on the recent defection of the State Governor, Bello Matawalle from the PDP to APC? It is a good development for us and he is coming back home. He was in the All Peoples Party (APP). He was a founding member of APP. He was also with us in All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP). It was only when my deputy who succeeded me left the party for People Democratic Party (PDP) that he went along with him and contested for the House of Representatives under the PDP and won the election. So, for me and for him, it is a home coming. There is issue of leadership of the APC in the state, what is your position on that? The constitution of APC is very clear, everything under democracy is governed and guided by the constitution of either the party or the country or the Electoral Act. The constitution of APC has stipulated that the President and Commander-in-Chief is the leader of the party at the national level and at state level, all the governors are leaders of their party at that level. There is insinuation that those who he met upon his joining the APC are not comfortable with the proclamation that he automatically becomes the leader of the party in the state? Can they change the constitution by their actions or can they just follow the rules and regulations of politicking? It is the constitution of the APC that said the governors are leaders of the party in the states. I was a founding member of APP, I became the first governor in Zamfara state. When my deputy succeeded me, I left the position for him. You cannot do your time and do another person’s time. I’m sure that every member of the party now knows, as declared by the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC that he is the leader of the party in the state and the state executive has

been dissolved. What are the chances of the party in the state in 2023? Zamfara is an APC state. From APP we have never lost an election, not one time. When I won election in 1999, I won again in 2003. My deputy won as governor in 2007. He defected to PDP and we recovered our seat when Abdulaziz Yari became governor in 2011 and 2015. Yari also won election as the governor and in 2019, the party also won, but because of the crisis, the Supreme Court gave it back to the PDP. So, PDP tested power in Zamfara through the defection and through Supreme court action. What is the update on your presidential aspiration? I’m in the race, I have already declared my intention and I am mobilising. By the grace of God I am trying to mobilise. Mr. President won the election with a little above 15 million and I assure you, before I even declared

officially I would have had 20 million supporters. The President is from the Northwest where you come from…? Nigerians should know that democracy is democracy. We are not the one that brought democracy, there is nothing in our constitution that talks about moving power from one place to another. Every Nigerian, according to the Nigerian constitution, unless it is amended, has the right to aspire to any political office once he is qualified. So, it is not wrong for anybody to say he is contesting the election, even from Daura. Any person from Daura local government where Mr. President comes from can aspire to be President, Governor or anything in Nigeria. You see, some people are political illiterates or maybe mischief makers. You cannot say this is my turn because it is about election. All of us are going to go for election to elect the person that we think should be president. Our problem in Nigeria is

Nigerians should know that democracy is democracy. We are not the one that brought democracy, there is nothing in our constitution that talks about moving power from one place to another. Every Nigerian, according to the Nigerian constitution, unless it is amended, has the right to aspire to any political office once he is qualified. So, it is not wrong for anybody to say he is contesting the election, even from Daura. Any person from Daura local government where Mr. President comes from can aspire to be President, Governor or anything in Nigeria. You see, some people are political illiterates or maybe mischief makers. You cannot say this is my turn because it is about election

that this issue of citizenship has not been accepted fully in Nigeria. We still have tribal, ethnic and religious differences which is very wrong. And until and such a time we believe that we are Nigerians, then the issue of Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaws, will continue to haunt us. But this is not a good talk because they know... even today if APC says we have zone this Presidency to Rivers State, will you force people in Lagos or people in Sokoto to go and vote for the person in Rivers state? No! You can’t. It is not something you are allocating, if it is an allocation, you can say I have allocated this position. Only those people will aspire to be in that position. The issue of insecurity is a major problem in the country and Zamfara is one of the most ravaged, what do you think is the way out of insecurity in the country? Challenges are bound to happen over time in all countries. Every time you have this challenge or another challenge, but the ability of leaders to face these challenges and resolve them makes them leaders. I believe that the current government is up and doing. There has been change of baton in the military and I have just also heard that there have been movement of officers, General Officers Commanding (GOCs) and so on. I’m sure with the rejig of the military force something will happen. I’m sure now with the coming of the governor to the APC, all of us will put hands on deck to ensure that we go to the president and seek his support and also offer our advice. Before now, as a member of an opposition party in my state, as an APC member and the government was in PDP, it was very difficult for me to come and say governor you must do this. He will think that we are not even in the same party, but now he knows that I am a stakeholder, I’m looking for his success, for the success of our party and I am also looking at our people. We now have common interests because we are members of APC.0

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

FEATURES

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

Excitement as Community Discovers Water UkomeVillageinIbekurecentlydiscoveredwateraftermanyyearsofunbearablehardship. CharlesAjunwa and Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo write on how this jinx was broken

or years several attempts made by government and private individuals to sink borehole in Ukome village did not yield water. The search for underground water in this agrarian village located in Umuahia North local government of Abia State was so difficult and frustrating that everybody appeared to have given up the search for water. Yet the thirst for underground water from their land remained strong. They could not understand why water that nature has stored beneath their soil could not be reached to quench their thirst. The Ukome villagers said that over the years they had been made to believe that borehole drilling would never yield water in their area. More so “experts” had tried without success and handed down the discouraging verdict that underground water was beyond reach. The people resigned to their fate. “Some of our people had tried to sink boreholes but did not succeed in finding water,” said Israel Eluwa, the secretary of Ukome Development Union. According to him, the process of drilling the borehole some of the contractors “abandoned their equipment and ran away” after the machines developed problems. With no public water supply and no borehole the villagers depended on alternative means of water supply. Those who could afford bought plastic tanks of various capacities and paid for tankers that supply them water. Others had to contend with the difficulty of trekking a long distance with bad terrain to reach a spring far away. However, the youth leader of the community, Chimezie Eluwa noted that the available sources of water were not only difficult to access but in most cases the water is not fit for drinking. He said: “The villagers trekked long distance to a place where water comes out from the rock. The villagers’ another source of water is the farm well dug during the colonial period. The water from the farm well is dirty and not drinkable. We also ask tanker drivers to supply us water especially for those that can afford it. But with this borehole from Ochendo the community is relieved of the burden of the scarcity of water which bites so hard.” Indeed, the topography of Ukome did not help matters. The village sits on a high plain with undulating valleys all-around. The valleys covered with thick vegetation and frightening depths make them largely inaccessible. Though the valleys are covered in lush vegetation rising and falling in conformity to the contours of the land. The rather captivating scenery has the potential of becoming a tourist haven if developed for that purpose. With the construction of a primary health centre by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) the search for solution to the water problem of Ukome was given a new impetus. The healthcare facility attracted by the Senator representing Abia Central in the National Assembly, Senator Theodore Orji, needed regular water supply to function effectively. Chief liaison officer to the Abia Central Senator, Mr. Ifeanyi Umere, said that though “everybody had gone to bed with the notion that water cannot be found in Ukome” there was still a compelling need to further explore the possibility. According to Umere, Senator Orji had insisted that every modern technology available to man should be deployed to make sure that the purpose of finding water here is achieved because this is a Primary Health Centre and you cannot have a Primary Health Centre function without water. He said that he ran with the marching order from the former governor and frantically searched for people that have the equipment that could bring out water from the difficult landscape of Ukome. “I had to be exceptionally adventurous that we find a way out of that problem to make history. Luckily enough we found a foreign-based firm that brought the much needed technology that broke this jinx,” he said. According to the chief liaison officer, the foreign contractors with the appropriate technology set to work and struck water after drilling

Ifeanyi Umere (2nd left back), teachers and pupils of Migrant Farmer Nursery and Primary School, Ukome

Community market in Ukome

Woman Leader, Beatrice Peters Ogbonna and Youth Laeder, Chimezie Eluwa

Water from the ﬁrst ever borehole in Ukome since the creation of man

The only well in Ukome built by the colonialists

Orji

for over 260 metres deep. “Today, we have found water in Ukome Village in Umuahia North local government in Abia Central courtesy of the doggedness of the Distinguished Senator,” Umere declared triumphantly. He noted that in normal situations water could be reached at depths between 110 and 120 metres but drilling a borehole in Ukome was not an ordinary task because of the nature of the land. He said that they went to that unusual depth in search of water because Senator Orji had insisted that there must be a way out when he was told that search for water in Ukome had been fruitless in the past. The news that a borehole was successfully drilled with good water gushing out to the surface was received with ecstasy. “This water project is a dream come-true. I’m overwhelmed seeing this water project happening in my community. In the past, we tried to drill a borehole in my community but to no avail. Today, i’m very happy and I thank Ochendo for giving us this borehole in our community,” the youth leader said. Chimezie, who said that he was “physically present when they were drilling this borehole” had watched with bated breath, given the failure of similar projects in the past. “I was amazed when water came out from the borehole something we were told can never happen,” he said. “In fact, the whole thing was like a miracle to me and others couldn’t believe it. The villagers were excited when they received the news.” The woman leader of Ukome community, Mrs. Beatrice Peters Ogbonna said that it was a big relief that “water has now been found in Ukome because in the past we were told that water cannot be found here.” She said that it has always been a harrowing experience for women over the years as they searched for water for domestic use. “Many women have been disfigured carrying water up and down the hill,” she lamented. She expressed profound gratitude to the Abia Central Senator for the twin projects of water and health centre which were among the major needs of the agrarian community. The community leader, Chief Austin Ukonu was equally grateful to Senator Orji for the water project. “We have been praying for this type of project. We are farmers and our needs are water and roads,” he said, adding that reticulation of the water would make it generally beneficial to most people in the community.

Apart from the health centre. the Migrant Farmers Nursery and Primary School, Ukome, is also an immediate beneficiary of the newly found water. The school shares fence with the health centre both facilities sitting in the valley on the edge of the community. The Assistant Headmistress of the schools. Deborah Nwahiri said the water project has come as a big relief to the pupils and teachers because of the difficulties of bringing water to the school. “W are very happy that our Big Daddy (Senator Orji) has drilled borehole here,” she said. “We are happy because it’s going to help these children maintain hygienic environment as they can now readily wash their hands especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.” According to the assistant head teacher, “we have been suffering so much to get water here.” As a way out of the problem, Nwahiri said she was always bringing water to school all the way from Ahia Eke where she resides. Once the supply is exhausted it becomes impossible to replenish because “immediately we are in here you cannot go out or send the pupils out in search of water” trekking over one kilometre. She therefore expressed gratitude to Senator Orji “for wiping away our tears” with the water project. Perhaps the euphoria in Ukome over the borehole would not have come to light if Senator Orji had heeded the expert advice. Umere recalled that Senator Orji actually got a brief from the water authority in Abia that from their geophysics (findings) it’s impossible to get water here, that there are other villages in Ibeku clan that you cannot find water. But, the Abia Central Senator, according to Umere, refused to take the expert advice which would have foreclosed what has turned out to be a successful venture. He said that Senator Orji’s perseverance and passion for the welfare of his constituents eventually paid off. “For us, it’s a record breaking venture courtesy of the determination of His Excellency, Senator T.A.Orji and his love for his people,” the chief liaison officer said. He further described it as “history making because we have broken a jinx” with the borehole. Now that water has started gushing out from underground, the next step is taking it from the area where the health centre is located to other parts of the village for maximum impact. Umere said that the reticulation was the next stage in the process of solving Ukome’s water

problem. “We are going to reticulate the water to the village so that the villagers will not put pressure on the Primary Health Centre,” he assured. He stated that the Abia Central Senator would stop at nothing to ensure the full completion of the water project to bring happiness to the people that gave him mandate to be in the Senate for the second term running. “Ochendo is legendary for being passionate and compassionate and those who know him can attest to this. He is always emotional about the welfare of his people and he has been known as a man of fidelity and when you are a man of fidelity and honour you delight your people,” Umere said. “It’s that process of delighting his people that made him insist that as long as man exists that there must be a way out. Even in the Sahel if the camel could still find one pint of water so we compared it here with the Sahel and we have broken the jinx.” The successful sinking of borehole at Ukome is good news to other villages in Ibeku clan that share the same fate of having been classified as “impossible” area to find water. Those villages could expect that the same “miracle” would be performed in their areas with the same technology that worked at Ukome. Though the technology is said to be expensive, Umere said that the high cost “cannot be compared with the happiness of the people” when they get accessible potable water to drink and use for other purposes. “Having broken this jinx means that we can now deploy this technology to every community in Ibeku Ancient Kingdom that have no water, having discovered the secret,” Umere said. He regretted that people had been suffering with no potable water to drink because of “primitive technology in the past that gave negative results”, adding that with new technology everything is possible and water can be be provided everywhere. “Every community in Ibeku now should expect that after reticulating here, we are going to make sure that every Ibeku village gets water having gotten this technology down here at Ukome,” he said. Meanwhile, the Ukome villagers continue to relish their new source of water supply, hoping and waiting for the provision of other amenities. For the Ukome community, the finding of water here is like the discovery of oil,” Umere noted. The feeling here is that the hitherto impossible situation has been made possible.

T H I S D AY ˾ ˜ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

#THISISNIGERIA - Adeoluwa Adebayo

Fighting for Nigeria: Thoughts from the Life, Career, and Activism of Wole Soyinka Adeoluwa Adebayo

or a nation judged as the giant of Africa, Nigeria is a conundrum. From the attainment of independence to the collapse of the first republic ultimately resulting in a civil war, the meandering military governments intertwined with the second and third republics, to the current democratic dispensation (which is the longest in the country's history) Nigeria has had mediocre leadership which has failed to provide welfare and security for its citizens. In 2018, Nigeria overtook India to become the poverty capital of the world, and the 2020 Fragile States Index ranked Nigeria as the 14th most fragile state in the world and 10th in Africa. Through the chaos, there have been individuals who through their lifetime serve as a voice in the wilderness consistently speaking the truth to Nigerian Leaders. Margeret Ekpo, Herbert Macaulay, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawenhinmi, Ken Saro Wiwa, Omoyele Sowore, Oby Ezekwesili top the list of these individuals. One voice that has stood the test of time and the whips of Nigeria's military & civilian rulers from pre-independence till date is the literary giant, Wole Soyinka. Wole Soyinka (WS) was born into a family of outspoken individuals, his mother Grace Eniola Soyinka joined her aunt-in-law Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti to protest outrageous taxes levied against shopkeepers by the Alake of Egbaland with support from the British colonial officers. Soyinka's activism will not begin till he was on scholarship at the University of Leeds in England where he joined a community of West African students, with whom he explored the idea of a pan-African movement to set South Africa free from the apartheid regime. He returned to Nigeria in 1960 to research traditional performance practices in Africa at the University of Ibadan courtesy of a Rockefeller grant. His return was near the time of Nigeria's independence and his play A Dance of the Forest - a satirical piece portraying the Nigerian colonial elite as a new type of oppressor - was presented at the Nigeria independence celebration. The play ruffled the feathers of the colonial elite. At the age of 31 in 1965, he was arrested after taking over the Western Nigeria Broadcasting Service and broadcasting a message denouncing electoral fraud in Western Nigeria. This bold act which young Nigerians replicated in October 2020 when they occupied the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos for 9 days during the #EndSARS protests landed Soyinka in prison and he was only released two months later after an outcry from the international community. While he continued to blossom in his career as a playwright producing the legendary play, Kongi’s Harvest in 1965, Soyinka did not deter from seeking a Nigeria that works for all. With the coup and counter coup of 1966, the young Nigeria nation descended into a civil war. With the hope of brokering peace, he secretly met with the military governor of Eastern Nigeria, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu who had seceded the region into a new country, Biafra. The Nigerian government led by Yakubu Gowon was displeased with the meeting and subsequently arrested him. Wole Soyinka (WS) would be in prison till 1969, a period he mostly spent in solitary confinement. His incarceration did not break him, with scrap materials he continued writing critical pieces against the Nigerian government. His collection of notes from prison served as the

base for his memoir The Man Died which was published in 1972 and was banned by a Nigerian court in 1984. WS continued to be a heavy critic of successive Nigerian governments. As his career grew, authoritarian African leaders and the apartheid regime in South Africa were not spared from his whip of words. He became the first African to be awarded The Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. In his prize acceptance speech, This Past Must Address Its Present he said: “And of those imperatives that challenge our being, our presence, and humane definition at this time, none can be considered more pervasive than the end of racism, the eradication of human inequality, and the dismantling of all their structures. The Prize is the consequent enthronement of its complement: universal suffrage, and peace.” The award further exposed WS to the international community and it was a testament to the fact that one does not need to quit a career to stand up for the rights of others. WS would have to flee Nigeria on a motorcycle through the Benin Republic to the United States in 1994 when the military regime of Sanni Abacha sought his arrest. In exile, he supported pro-democracy activists

in Nigeria and abroad publishing The Open Sore of a Continent: A Personal Narrative of the Nigerian Crisis in 1996. The Abacha regime charged him with treason in 1997, the charges were dropped upon Abacha’s death in 1998. He subsequently returned to Nigeria as the country transitioned into its current democratic dispensation. WS has not failed to be a consistent voice in criticizing successive governments to date. Presently 87 years old (Tuesday, July 13), his opinion is still sought on major ills battling Nigeria, and here lies the problem - a country whose highest demography is under the age of 35 cannot continue to seek a voice in him. It is understandable why young Nigerians are reluctant to take the reins of this country owing to its steady decline, even with consistent criticism of its leaders and systems from prominent activists like WS but in their reluctance lies the opportunity for them to fix the country. WS has for most of his life been a lone voice. While in some instances he has led and supported efforts on fixing Nigeria, none of them is known to have a long-term strategic outlook. With Nigeria having experienced 22 years of uninterrupted democracy, a

fresh opportunity presents for a new crop of Nigerians in their 20s and 30s to define a long-term agenda on what they would love Nigeria to be and begin to take daily steps to actualize it. More like WS, they must be prepared to stand the test of time against all odds. Happy birthday WS! Adeoluwa Adebayo is a Nigerian and a Brand Strategist. He is an avid believer in 'Project Nigeria' and has dedicated his life to producing leaders that will work for Nigerians. When he's not on 'Project Nigeria', he plays on the intersection of brands, innovation & storytelling. His engagements on social media are from @theadeoluwa. t"EFPMVXB "EFCBZP JT B /JHFSJBO BOE B #SBOE 4USBUFHJTU )F JT BO BWJE CFMJFWFS JO h1SPKFDU /JHFSJBh BOE IBT EFEJDBUFE IJT MJGF UP QSPEVDJOH MFBEFST UIBU XJMM XPSL GPS /JHFSJBOT 8IFO IFhT OPU PO h1SPKFDU /JHFSJBh IF QMBZT PO UIF JOUFSTFDUJPO PG CSBOET JOOPWBUJPO TUPSZUFMMJOH )JT FOHBHFNFOUT PO TPDJBM NFEJB BSF GSPN !UIFBEFPMVXB

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

Group Business Editor Eromosele Abiodun

Email oriarehu.eromosele@thisdaylive.com 08056356325

ͯ ʹ ˜ Ͱ ͮ Ͱ ͯ MONEY MARKET OBB OVERNIGHT

REPO Ͳ˛ͳͮ ϱ Ͳ˛͵ͳ ϱ

CALL 1-MONTH

Ͳ ϱ ʹ ϱ

S & P INDEX INDEX INDEX LEVEL 1-DAY

S&P ͳͱͳ˛ͳͱ ϱ ͮ˛ͯͮ ϱ

1/4 TO DATE YEAR TO DATE

EXCHANGE RATE ͮ˛ͲͶϱ ̋Ͱͮ˛ͯͮ ϱ

Ͳͯͮ˛ͱͶ˹ͯ ̩ ̩

Quick Takes Forum to Address $2.6bn Capital Flight

AforumofexpertsacrossNigeria’spublicandprivatesectorsissettostem ͜Ͱ˛ʹ ÌÓÖÖÓÙØ ÝÚÏØÞ Ìã ÞÏÖÏÍÙ×Ý ÙÚÏÜËÞÙÜÝ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÍÙßØÞÜã ÓØ ÝÏËÜÍÒ ÙÐ ÐÙÜÏÓÑØ solutionsandinputs. ËÑÑÏÎ ÙÖÓÍã ×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞËÞÓÙØ ÝÝÓÝÞÏÎ ÙÜß× ̙ Ù̚˜ ÞÒÏ ÐÙÜß× ÒËÝ ÌÏÏØ ÚßÞ ÞÙÑÏÞÒÏÜ Ìã ßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÏÞÜÓÍÝ ÓÑÏÜÓË˜ Ë ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ËØÎ ÞÏÍÒ̋ÎÏÎÓÍËÞÏÎ ØÏáÝ ÚÖËÞÐÙÜ× ÞÙ ÝÞÓ×ßÖËÞÏ ÏÐÐÏÍÞÓàÏ Ó×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞËÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ËÞÓÙØËÖ ÙÖÓÍã ÐÙÜ ÜÙ×ÙÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ØÎÓÑÏØÙßÝ ÙØÞÏØÞ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØ ÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ÏÍÞÙÜÝ ÜÏÍÏØÞÖã ÖËßØÍÒÏÎ Ìã ÜÏÝÓÎÏØÞ ßÒË××ËÎß ßÒËÜÓ˛ ÍÍÙÜÎÓØÑ ÞÙ ÞÒÏ ÍÙØàÏØÏÜÝ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÐÙÜß×˜ ÝÍÒÏÎßÖÏÎ ÞÙ ÒÙÖÎ ßÑßÝÞ ͳ˜ ͰͮͰͯ˜ ÙÞÒÏÜ ÝÞËÕÏÒÙÖÎÏÜÝ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÞÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ÓØÎßÝÞÜã áÙßÖÎ ÌÏ ÖÏÎ Ìã ÞÒÏ ÓØÓÝÞÏÜ ÙÐ Ù××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ËØÎ ÓÑÓÞËÖ ÍÙØÙ×ã˜ Ü˛ ÝË ÌÜËÒÓ× ËØÞË×Ó˜ áÒÙ ÓÝ ÏâÚÏÍÞÏÎ ÞÙ ÎÏÖÓàÏÜ Ë ÕÏãØÙÞÏ ËÎÎÜÏÝÝ ËÞ ÞÒÏ ÐÙÜß×˛ ÒÓÖÏ Ù ÓÝ ÎÏÝÓÑØÏÎ ÓØ ÝÏÜÓÏÝ ÞÙ ÌÜÓÎÑÏ ÚÙÖÓÍã Ó×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞËÞÓÙØ ÑËÚÝ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÍÙßØÞÜã˜ ÞÒÏ ÐÙÜÞÒÍÙ×ÓØÑ ×ËÓÎÏØ ÏÎÓÞÓÙØ ÓÝ ÞÒÏ×ÏÎ˝ ËÞÓÙØËÖ ÙÖÓÍã ÐÙÜ ÜÙ×ÙÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ØÎÓÑÏØÙßÝ ÙØÞÏØÞ ÓØ ÞÒÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØ ÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ÏÍÞÙÜ˛ ÒÏ ËØËÑÓØÑ ÎÓÞÙÜ ÙÐ ßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÏÞÜÓÍÝ ËØÎ ÒËÓÜ×ËØ˜ ÜÑËØÓÝÓØÑ Ù××ÓÞÞÏÏ˜ Ù̋ͮͮͯ˜ Ü˛ ×ÙÌËãÙ äÏÏä˜ ËÝÝßÜÏÎ ÞÒËÞ ÚËÜÞÓÍÓÚËÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÝÞËÕÏÒÙÖÎÏÜÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ÞÒÏ ÍÙØÍÏÜØÏÎ ÝÏÍÞÙÜ ÒËÎ ÌÏÏØ ÝÏÍßÜÏÎ ÞÙ ÍÒËÜÞ Ë áËã ÐÙÜ ÞÒÏ ÏÐÐÏÍÞÓàÏ Ó×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞËÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÚÙÖÓÍã˜ áÒÓÍÒ ÝÏÏÕÝ ÞÙ ÝÞÏ× ͜Ͱ˛ʹ ÌÓÖÖÓÙØ ËØØßËÖ ÍËÚÓÞËÖ ÐÖÓÑÒÞÝ ÓØ ÞÏÖÏÍÙ×Ý ÓØÎßÝÞÜã Ìã ÚÜÙ×ÙÞÓØÑ ËÖÞÏÜØËÞÓàÏ ÝÙÖßÞÓÙØÝ ÞÒËÞ ÍÙ×Ï áÓÞÒ ÏËÝÏ ÙÐ ÎÙÓØÑ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ˛ ÍÍÙÜÎÓØÑ ÞÙ ÒÓ×˜ ÞÒÏ ÐÙÜÞÒÍÙ×ÓØÑ ÐÙÜß× ÍÙ×ÌÓØÏÝ ÞÒÏ ÍÜÓÞÓÍËÖÓÞã ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÞÏÖÏÍÙ×Ý ÝÏÍÞÙÜ ËÝ ËØ ÏØËÌÖÏÜ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÏÍÙØÙ×ã ËØÎ ÞÒËÞ ÙÐ ÚÜÙ×ÙÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÖÙÍËÖ ÍÙØÞÏØÞÝ˜ áÒÓÍÒ ÓÝ ËØ ÏÍÙØÙ×ÓÍ ÍËÞËÖãÝÞ ÞÙ ÌÜÓÎÑÏ ÞÒÏ ÚÙÖÓÍã Ó×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞËÞÓÙØ vacuuminNigeria.

CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS

Chairman, Cybersafe Foundation, Dr. Adewale Peter Obadare (Left), discussing with the Executive Director, Cybersafe Foundation, Conﬁdence Staveley, during a media parley to raise awareness on cybersecurity, which held in Lagos...recently

Harmonisation of Regulatory Framework, Key to African Trade Integration Stories by Emma Okonji Experts in regional trade from across Africa and Europe have called for harmonisation of regulatory framework across the 54 African countries that are driving the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), in order to have successful trade integration among member state. They advised policy makers to develop clear regulatory policies that resonate with better regulatory framework for AFCFTA. They also called for reduction in customs duties across African countries and increase in the adoption of technology to enable AFCFTA succeed. They were of the view that reduction of Customs duties would increase trade volume among African

ECONOMY nations. The experts who spoke at a webinar panel session organised recently by Webb Fontaine, suggested a unified tax regime across AFCFTA member countries and called for the political will of African governments to implement some of the trading instruments that Customs has developed, in order to ensure the success of AFCFTA. Tagged: Technology and Trade in Africa-Challenges and Opportunities, the discussants called on all AFCFTA member countries to consider the implementation of the national single window for trade and investment, and to reduce the number of security personnel at the borders, in order to facilitate

faster movements of goods across borders. Analysing the different operating hours at the borders of different African countries, Executive Director, Corporate Services, Malawi Revenue Authority, Agnes Katsonga Phiri, with over 40 years experience in Customs and Excise, said uniformity of the different operating hours, remained key to achieving huge success in regional trade. She advised on the implementation of some of the policies of World Trade Organisation (WTO) on trade and investment, in order to improve trade within Africa, adding that AFCFTA will open opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) within the African trade region. Trade Facilitation Specialist,

Kenya Revenue Authority, Fridah Kimani, one of the panelists with over seven years experience in Customs and Excise, said: “Regulatory framework across African countries differs from country to country, and this is a challenge for smooth trade across Africa, hence the need for harmonisation of regulatory framework.” According to her, AFCFTA would enhance trade integration in Africa and reduce poverty among Africans. “Africa has large population of 1.3 billion people, and 70 per cent of the population is made up of youths, which I think is an advantage in inspiring innovation among African youths. With 54 countries under the AFrican Continental Free Continued on page 24

ALTON: Funding Challenges Forced Early Telcos into Extinction Ahead of the 20th anniversary celebration of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operations in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, has narrated the ordeals of the telecoms sector despite’s its many achievements. Adebayo who witnessed the rollout of GSM services in 2001 said telecoms operators passed through difficult challenges in the past 20 years, especially the lack of access to funding, which he said forced most of the early operators out of market. Adebayo, in an interview with THISDAY, said: “While

TELECOMS the telecoms industry still looks promising in terms of growth, the truth is that it is still a very fragile sector. It is fragile because there are many variables and dependencies that are not within the control of the players, like policy, regulation, access to funding and environmental factors. I am not sure that our risk factors are emerging technologies because we have adapted to changes in technology very rapidly as an industry. The challenges that led to the extinction of some of the early players in the telecoms sector, are the listed variables that are not within

our control, and the greatest of them is lack of access to funding.” According to him, the early players like Multi-Links, Intercellular, Starcomms, VGC Communications, faced challenges of access to funds to run the capital intensive telecoms business, because the economy we find ourselves does not grant long term loans for investments. “Since telecoms operation is capital intensive, the players need regular cash to stay afloat in business, but our financial sector in the early days, did not see the need for long term loans, a situation that forced most of the early players into extinction. What the banks were

after at that time, was short term loans, and because of the capital intensive nature of the telecoms business, it became absolutely difficult for some of the players to take short term loans with lower interest rates, and alone, pushed many operators out of the market,” Adebayo said. The technology driving telecoms operations, is fast changing and operators need to constantly update their facilities in line with emerging technologies in order to serve their customers better, and that was a challenge for telecoms operators who could not afford the money to purchase new Continued on page 24

Lamidi Wins Manufacturer Leader’s Award

ËØßÐËÍÞßÜÓØÑ ÓÜÏÍÞÙÜ ËÞ ÜÓÏÝÖËØÎ Ë×ÚÓØË˜ Ü˛ ÎÏÕÙÖË Ë×ÓÎÓ˜ ÒËÝ ÌÏÏØ ØË×ÏÎ ÞÒÏ ËØßÐËÍÞßÜÓØÑ ÏËÎÏÜ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ÏËÜ ËÞ ÞÒÏ ͱÜÎ ÐÜÓÍË ÜÙÍßÜÏ×ÏØÞ ËØÎ ßÚÚÖã ÒËÓØ áËÜÎÝ ̙ ̚ ͰͮͰͯ ÒÏÖÎ ÓØ ÍÍÜË˜ ÒËØË˜ ÜÏÍÏØÞÖã˛ Ë×ÓÎÓ˜ áÒÙ ÙàÏÜÝÏÏÝ ͲͲ ÍÙßØÞÜÓÏÝ ËÝ ÞÒÏ ÝßÌ̋ ËÒËÜËØ ÐÜÓÍË ÎÓÜÏÍÞÙÜ ËÞ ÜÓÏÝÖËØÎ Ë×ÚÓØË ÌËÑÑÏÎ ÞÒÏ ËáËÜÎ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÝË×Ï ÎËã ÒÏ áËÝ ÍÏÖÏÌÜËÞÓØÑ ÒÓÝ Ͱͮ ãÏËÜÝ ÙÐ áÙÜÕ ËÞ ÞÒÏ ÍÙ×ÚËØã˛ ÒÏ ËáËÜÎ ÙÜÑËØÓÝÏÜÝ ÎÏÝÍÜÓÌÏÎ Ë×ÓÎÓ ËÝ ËØ ÏâÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏÎ ÞÜËØÝÐÙÜ×ËÞÓÙØËÖ ËØÎ ÍÒËØÑÏ ×ËØËÑÏ×ÏØÞ ÖÏËÎÏÜ áÓÞÒ ÙàÏÜ Ͱͮ ãÏËÜÝ ÙÐ ÚÜËÍÞÓÍËÖ ÏâÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏ ÓØ Ó×ÚÖÏ×ÏØÞÓØÑ ÍÙØÞÓØßÙßÝ Ó×ÚÜÙàÏ×ÏØÞ ËØÎ ×ÏÞÒÙÎÙÖÙÑÓÏÝ ÞÙ ÎÜÓàÏ ÚÜÙÎßÍÞÓàÓÞã ËØÎ ÝßÍÍÏÝÝÐßÖÖã ØËàÓÑËÞÏ Ë ÐËÝÞ̋×ÙàÓØÑ ÏàÏÜ̋ÍÒËØÑÓØÑ ×ËÜÕÏÞ˛ ˫ Ë×ÓÎÓ ÓÝ Ë ×ßÖÞÓÚÖÏ ËáËÜÎ̋áÓØØÓØÑ ËØßÐËÍÞßÜÓØÑ ÓÜÏÍÞÙÜ áÓÞÒ ÙßÞÝÞËØÎÓØÑ ËÌÓÖÓÞã ÞÙ ÖÏËÎ ÞÙÚ̋ØÙÞÍÒ ×ßÖÞÓÍßÖÞßÜËÖ ÞÏË×Ý˜ ÌßÓÖÎ ÍÙÖÖËÌÙÜËÞÓàÏ ÜÏÖËÞÓÙØÝÒÓÚÝ˜ ÛßÓÍÕÖã ËØËÖãÝÏ ÕÏã ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÎÜÓàÏÜÝ˜ ÞÜËØÝÖËÞÏ ÎÓÜÏÍÞÓÙØ ÙÐ ÞÏÍÒØÓÍËÖ áÙÜÕ ÓØÞÙ ÝÚÏÍÓÐÓÍ ÚÖËØÝ ÙÐ ËÍÞÓÙØ ËØÎ ÎÏàÏÖÙÚ ÝÞÜËÞÏÑÓÏÝ ÞÙ ÑÜÙá ÞÒÏ ÌÙÞÞÙ× ÖÓØÏ˛ ˫ Ï ÒËÝ ÌÏÏØ ÙØ ×ËØã ÏâÚËÞÜÓËÞÏ ËÝÝÓÑØ×ÏØÞÝ ÞÙ ÞÒÏ ÏÞÒÏÜÖËØÎÝ ËØÎ ÝÙ×Ï ÚËÜÞÝ ÙÐ ÐÜÓÍË˜ áÒÏÜÏ ÒÏ ÎÏ×ÙØÝÞÜËÞÏÎ ÝÙßØÎ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÔßÎÑ×ÏØÞ˜ ÜÏÓØÐÙÜÍÏÎ ÒÓÑÒ ÝÞËØÎËÜÎÝ˜ ÖÏÎ ÎËÞË̋ÎÜÓàÏØ ËØËÖãÝÏÝ˜ ÝÍËÖÏÎ ÑÜÙáÓØÑ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ßØÓÞÝ˜ ËØÎ ÚÜÙàÓÎÏÎ ÝÞÜÙØÑ ÖÏËÎÏÜÝÒÓÚ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ×ßÖÞÓÚÖÏ ÚÖËØÞÝ˜ˬ ÞÒÏ ÙÜÑËØÓÝÏÜÝ ÙÐ ÞÒÏ ËáËÜÎ ÝËÓÎ ÎßÜÓØÑ ÒÓÝ ÍÓÞËÞÓÙØ˛

Boomplay Partners Airtel on Data Streaming

ÐÜÓÍË˪Ý ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ÚÖËÞÐÙÜ×˜ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã ËØÎ ÞÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØÝ ÝÏÜàÓÍÏÝ ÚÜÙàÓÎÏÜ˜ ÓÜÞÏÖ ÓÑÏÜÓË˜ ÒËàÏ ËØØÙßØÍÏÎ Ë ÝÞÜËÞÏÑÓÍ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ ÞÒËÞ áÓÖÖ ÙÐÐÏÜ ÝßÌÝÍÜÓÌÏÜÝ ËÍÍÏÝÝ ÞÙ ËÐÐÙÜÎËÌÖÏ ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ÙØ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã˛ ÒÏ ÓÜÞÏÖ̋ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ ÜÓÎÏÝ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÓÜÞÏÖ ÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ËÞË ÖËØ ËØÎ áÓÖÖ ÑÓàÏ ×ßÝÓÍ ÖÙàÏÜÝ ÞÒÏ ÙÚÚÙÜÞßØÓÞã ÞÙ ÝËàÏ ×ÙÜÏ ÙØ ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ÎËÞË ÍÙÝÞ ËÝ ×ßÝÓÍ ÖÙàÏÜÝ áÓÖÖ ÏØÔÙã ͳͮͮ ÏâÍÖßÝÓàÏ ÎËÞË ÐÙÜ ÙØÖã ͯͮͮ˛ Ù ËÍÞÓàËÞÏ ÞÒÏ ÚÖËØ˜ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜÝ ËÜÏ ÜÏÛßÓÜÏÎ ÞÙ ÎÓËÖ ̩ͯͲͯͭ ÐÜÙ× ËØã ÓÜÞÏÖ ÖÓØÏ˛ ÒÓÖÏ ßØàÏÓÖÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ØÏá ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ˜ ÏØÏÜËÖ ËØËÑÏÜ˜ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã ÓÑÏÜÓË˜ ÖËÎÏÖÏ ËÎÓÜÓ˜ ËÐÐÓÜ×ÏÎ ÞÒÏ ÍÙ×ÚËØã˪Ý ÍÙ××ÓÞ×ÏØÞ ÙÐ ×ËÕÓØÑ ×ßÝÓÍ ×ÙÜÏ ËÍÍÏÝÝÓÌÖÏ˜ ÝÞËÞÓØÑ ÞÒËÞ˜ ˫ Ï ËÜÏ àÏÜã ÙÚÞÓ×ÓÝÞÓÍ ËÌÙßÞ ÞÒÏ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ áÓÞÒ ÓÜÞÏÖ˜ áÒÓÍÒ áÓÖÖ ÏØÒËØÍÏ ×ßÝÓÍ ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ËØÎ ÎÙáØÖÙËÎÓØÑ ÐÙÜ ÙßÜ ßÝÏÜÝ˜ ÞÒÜÙßÑÒ ËÐÐÙÜÎËÌÖÏ ÎËÞË ÚËÍÕËÑÏÝ˜ áÒÓÖÏ ËÖÝÙ ÍÏ×ÏØÞÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÌßÝÓØÏÝÝ ÜÏÖËÞÓÙØÝÒÓÚ ÌÏÞáÏÏØ ÞÒÏ ÞáÙ ÍÙ×ÚËØÓÏÝ˛ˬ Ù××ÏØÞÓØÑ ÙØ ÞÒÏ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ˜ ÓÜÞÏÖ ÓÑÏÜÓË˪Ý ÒÓÏÐ Ù××ÏÜÍÓËÖ ÐÐÓÍÏÜ˜ ÓØÏÝÒ ËÖÝÓØÑÒ˜ ÝËÓÎ ÓÜÞÏÖ áÙßÖÎ ÌÏ ÎÏÖÓÑÒÞÏÎ ÞÙ ÙÐÐÏÜ Ë ÚÖËÞÐÙÜ× ÞÒËÞ áÙßÖÎ ÍÙØØÏÍÞ ×ÙÜÏ ÓÑÏÜÓËØÝ ÞÙ ÞÒÏ ×ßÝÓÍ ÞÒÏã ÖÙàÏ ËÞ Ë ×ßÍÒ ×ÙÜÏ ËÐÐÙÜÎËÌÖÏ ÍÙÝÞ˛ ˫ Þ ÓÜÞÏÖ˜ áÏ ËÜÏ ËÖáËãÝ ÏâÚÖÙÜÓØÑ ÙÚÚÙÜÞßØÓÞÓÏÝ ÞÒËÞ áÓÖÖ ×ËÕÏ ÖÓÐÏ ÌÏÞÞÏÜ ËØÎ ×ÙÜÏ ÏØÔÙãËÌÖÏ ÐÙÜ ÙßÜ àËÖßÏÎ ÍßÝÞÙ×ÏÜÝ˛ ÓÞÒ ÞÒÓÝ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ áÓÞÒ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã˜ ×ßÝÓÍ ÖÙàÏÜÝ ØÏÏÎ ØÙÞ áÙÜÜã ËÌÙßÞ ÏâÙÜÌÓÞËØÞ ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ÍÙÝÞ ËÝ áÏ ÒËàÏ ÝÓ×ÚÖÓÐÓÏÎ ÞÒÏ ÏâÚÏÜÓÏØÍÏ ËØÎ ×ËÎÏ ÓÞ ×ßÍÒ ×ÙÜÏ ËÐÐÙÜÎËÌÖÏ ÐÙÜ ÏàÏÜãÙØÏ˜ˬ ËÖÝÓØÑÒ ÝËÓÎ˛ ÒÜÙßÑÒ ÞÒÏ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚ˜ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã ÓÝ ÖÓàÓØÑ ßÚ ÞÙ ÓÞÝ ÚÜÙ×ÓÝÏ ÙÐ ×ËÕÓØÑ ×ßÝÓÍ ÝÞÜÏË×ÓØÑ ×ÙÜÏ ËÍÍÏÝÝÓÌÖÏ˛ ÏÖÏÍÙ××ßØÓÍËÞÓÙØ ÚËÜÞØÏÜÝÒÓÚÝ ËÍÜÙÝÝ ÐÜÓÍË ÚÖËã ËØ Ó×ÚÙÜÞËØÞ ÜÙÖÏ ÓØ ÙÙ×ÚÖËã˪Ý ËÎàËØÍÏ×ÏØÞ ÝÞÜËÞÏÑã˜ ËÝ ÞÒÏ ÍÙ×ÚËØã ÝÏÏÕÝ ÞÙ áÙÜÕ áÓÞÒ ÝÞËÕÏÒÙÖÎÏÜÝ ÞÙ ËÍÒÓÏàÏ ÓÞÝ àÓÝÓÙØ ÙÐ Ï×ÚÙáÏÜÓØÑ ÞÒÏ ÐÜÓÍËØ ×ßÝÓÍ ÏÍÙÝãÝÞÏ× ÞÙ ßØÖÙÍÕ ÓÞÝ ÐßÖÖ ÚÙÞÏØÞÓËÖ˛

“With 100 per cent uptime track record since inception, the expansion of Rack Centre Tier III Data Centre is the first stage of a trajectory that is in progress to add an additional 13MW of IT load capacity ready for service in 2022 in Lagos” Managing Director, Rack Centre,

Dr. Ayotunde Coker

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD HARMONISATION OF REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, KEY TO AFRICAN TRADE INTEGRATION Trade Agreement, coming together to have a single market place, will amount to a massive market and an avenue to promote trade integration among African countries. For the past 50 years, Africans have been involved in disjointed trades that were in silos and this has not helped in growing the manufacturing industry in Africa. Intra-AFrican trade accounts for only 17 per cent, whereas intra-trade within Europe, accounts for over 60 per cent, and 59 per cent in Asia,” Faridah said. Comptroller, Modernisation ICT and Risk Management, Nigerian Customs Service, Adekunlè Oloyede, who also spoke at the panel session, said: “For AFCFTA to succeed, African need robust automation system across all 54 countries driving the AFCFTA initiative, in order to have a better trade interface between trade partners. If some African countries are fully automated, and some are not, then it will generate trade barriers.”

ALTON: FUNDING CHALLENGES FORCED EARLY TELCOS INTO EXTINCTION equipment in line with the trend, a situation that forced most of them out of business, Adebayo said. Adebayo further explained that policy implementation in protecting smaller operators, was another compelling factor, such that the Tier 1 operators that had the financial muscle, were doing everything possible to stop the growth of Tier 2 operators, who were smaller in size and in financial strength. He said the lack of policy to protect smaller industry players, forced many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) out of market. “While the Tier 1 operators have the size and scale, the Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators do not have such scalability and it was easier for the Tier 1 operators to force them out of market, through sharp practices. So the telecoms industry was regulated in a way that there were no provision for smaller operators to survive stiff competition with the bigger operators who are the Tier1 operators that have the size and scalability,” Adebayo said.

NEWS

New Report Urges Africa to Integrate to Accelerate Transformation Stories by Emma Okonji The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) has launched its third African Transformation Report (ATR), exploring the critical need for African countries to pursue greater economic integration to transform the continent. The report stressed the need for Africa to harness regional opportunities through heightened integration, increased collaboration, and visionary leadership. The report was unveiled recently during the 2021 virtual African Transformation Forum, featuring leaders from both the public and private sector, such as Mastercard Foundation and World Bank Group. The report urged African countries to work together beyond trade to accelerate transformation and improve lives by creating more jobs, enhancing digital innovation, and managing the impacts of climate change. ACET Founder and President Dr. Kingsley Amoako, said: “The report highlights the critical need for African countries to confront key issues to allow economies to scale. Increased collaboration across Africa, especially through the delivery of regional public goods, will be critical to tackling shared challenges to successful economic transformation. Integrating to transform demands visionary leadership at all levels that goes beyond national interests to pursue collective actions for the common good.” The latest edition of the ATR

is well-timed against the backdrop of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) coming into practice earlier this year, giving fresh impetus to the continent’s integration project and affirming the commitment by African countries to accelerate intra-African trade and boost Africa’s competitiveness in global markets, Amoako further said. Former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, also said: “Making a success of the new African Continental Free Trade Area is one way to reinforce badly needed integration in

Africa. This larger market will attract greater investments, boost productivity, provide better jobs, and improve human well-being, all of which support the continent’s economic transformation. Now is the time to reinforce the push for African integration, not just through trade, but also through greater collaboration to provide regional public goods. Only then will Africa see its economies transform and develop the leadership and institutions to build the Africa we want.” According to the report, deepening regional integration would

require shifting the integration narrative from pursuing not just regional market integration but also increasing broader regional collaboration. Citing previous reports, the recent ATR Report underlines the urgent need for countries to look beyond trade and markets to collaborate in delivering regional public goods such as transport corridors, free movement of people, well-managed river basins, cross-border digital connectivity, and systems to control future outbreaks of pests and disease. ACET is a pan-African

economic policy institute that supports governments and businesses to transform economies and deliver sustainable growth that improves livelihoods. ACET follows a unique approach that combines analysis, advice, and advocacy in critical program areas, encompassing economic management and governance, youth employment and skills, regional integration and gender equality, to foster collaboration among policy makers and the private sector as they look to accelerate Africa’s sustainable growth.

UNVEILING SAMSUNG’S BRAND AMBASSADOR

L-R: Managing Director, Samsung Nigeria, Danny Kim; Samsung Ambassador, Dakore Egbuson-Akande; Head, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Nigeria, Oluwaremilekun Ogunsan and Marketing Manager, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Nigeria, Chika Nnadozie, at the unveiling of Dakore as Brand Ambassador for Samsung, in Lagos...recently

Groups Partner CBN to Raise Awareness on Cyber Fraud Worried about the various online risks faced by over 40 million Nigerians that have access to the internet, the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI) and Cybersafe Foundation, have partnered Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to sensitise Nigerians about online risks, the dangers and how to mitigate them. The groups who spoke recently at a media parley in Lagos, organised by CCISONFI and Cybersafe Foundation, to create awareness on cyber fraud

across the country, said so many Nigerians have inadvertently fell victims to fraudsters, who tricked them to defraud them of their money and valuable data. The Director, Banking Supervision Department at CBN, Mr. Haruna Mustafa, said the collaboration would help in creating cybersecurity awareness among Nigerians, and make them resilient to cyberattacks whenever they are online or offline. Mustafa who was represented at the media parley by his deputy, Dr. Adedeji Adetona, said Cyberattacks remained the

major threat to financial system stability, not only through their impact on the institution, but also through their impact on multiple components of the financial system. Mustafa added that the collaboration between CBN, CCISONFI and Cybersafe Foundation, would go a long way to help Nigerians avoid falling victims of cyber fraud. He said CBN took some steps in 2018 to further improve the cyber-resilience of supervised institutions through the issuance of the CBN Risk-based Cybersecurity Framework and Guidelines for Deposit Money

Banks (DMBs). “The framework outlined the minimum cybersecurity baseline to be put in place by DMBs and Payment Service Providers (PSP). The framework also mandated the procedures into bank’s broader risk management policies and an annual Cybersecurity self-assessment,” Mustafa said. Chairman, CCISONFI, Mr. Abumere Igboa, said the cyber awareness initiative campaign, tagged #NoGoFallMaga, would assist in promoting general public awareness on cybersecurity, with a target to

reduce cybercrime and financial fraud. He said CCISONFI, a committee formed under the guidance of CBN, and made up of the Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Deposit Money Banks and Payment Service Providers, became necessary due to the need to have an industry body supporting the CBN in providing guidance and advisory services related to Cyber, Data and Information Security across the Nigerian payment ecosystem, as the cyber threat landscape continued to evolve.

Nigerian Businesses Crave for Data Liberalism Raheem Akingbolu

Group Business Editor

ÜÙ×ÙÝÏÖÏ ÌÓÙÎßØ Comms/e-Business Editor

××Ë ÕÙØÔÓ Asst. Editor, Money Market

ß×Ï ÕÏÑÒÏ

Senior Correspondent

ËÒÏÏ× ÕÓØÑÌÙÖß (Advertising) Correspondents

ÒÓØÏÎß äÏ (Aviation) Ë×ÏÝ ×ÏÔÙ (Finance) ÌÏÜÏ áÙÔÓ (Insurance) ÒÓØÏ×Ï ÕËÐÙ (Energy) ××ËØßÏÖ ÎÎÏÒ (Energy) Reporters

ÙÝË ÖÏÕÒßÙÑÓÏ (ICT) ÏÞÏÜ äÙÒÙ (Energy)

For businesses to flourish and contribute meaningfully to the economy, there is a need for easy access to data, a leading media buying practitioner, Emeka Okeke, has stated. According to a report by MarketingEdge, a marketing journal, Okeke, who is the Group Managing Director of Mediafuse Dentsu International admitted that data is still a challenge in Nigeria and that there is no single source for people-based marketing data. He pointed out that platforms that aggregate robust personal data are either don’t exist and where they exist, are

only scratching the surface of masses of data in the market and constrained by privacy laws to use them for marketing. He maintained that data is still in the hands of big media tech companies like Google, Facebook and others. He said: “We are still working with proxy data to determine trends as sample numbers represent segments. Compare this to people-based marketing data that targets individuals and follows their behaviour across the various touchpoints using both their digital and offline footprint given the growing convergence nature of the communication ecosystem.

“We have data, yet we don’t have data. Robust data requires a lot of investment and with the potential death of cookie data, investment in platforms and private data networks becomes imperative for marketers. Cookies have been the backbone of the open internet, but with the clock fast ticking on thirdparty. Cookies, we need to plan for disruption tomorrow by rethinking data strategies today. Measurability is still an issue. What data are we using today in the market? For instance, media independent agencies use AMPS (All Media Products Survey), Radio and Linear TV diaries for planning purposes (RAMS and TAMS).

“RAMs and TAMs (Radio Audience Measurements and TV Audience Measurements) parameters are still the industry standard for traditional radio and tv channel planning. The major challenges with these are, recently, real time access and coverage. AMPS comes once a year. I am not sure if anyone would have done anything in 2020 given the disruption caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Good as these data sources are given the market’s level of sophistication, they are essentially passive and don’t yet measure overnight changes in channel consumption. They are unlike real time digital data that are associated with digital

media reporting dashboards.” “Given the difficulty in accessing sales data from most clients and that can be used for econometric modelling to actually unearth the contribution of the different channels in the marketing mix deployed by clients attributable to product sales and revenue, traditional communication agencies will continue to struggle to rationalise investments made by clients through them to manage their campaigns. Econometric modelling is not cheap and therefore requires data stacks from both clients and third parties over a period of time to deploy to make a sense of it all,” he stated.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Achieving Widespread Digital Connectivity with STORM The STORM initiative recently launched by Galaxy Backbone in collaboration with Interra Networks for South-east and South-south, will deepen digital connectivity in the regions, writes Emma Okonji

Pantami

alaxy Backbone, a government agency providing digital and network communication services, in collaboration with Interra Network, a private organisation, penultimate week, launched STORM, a broadband internet connectivity infrastructure, designed to provide connectivity access for the South-east and South-south regions of the country. STORM was launched in Enugu though a hybrid event, which attracted physical audiences in Enugu and virtual audiences from across the country. An initiative of Galaxy Backbone, STORM is a connectivity infrastructure, built for large, small and medium businesses to offer a range of broadband packages for residential, offices and commercial sites, designed to help businesses stay connected digitally with their customers. The launch of STORM in Enugu, will address issues around internet connectivity for South-east and South-south regions of the country, while providing Value Added Services (VAS) that rides on the network of Galaxy Backbone, such as hosting service, storage and cloud services. Public-private sector collaboration The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, while declaring open, the launch of STORM in Enugu, stressed the need for collaboration between the public sector and the private sector, in order to drive widespread digital connectivity. He was confident that the STORM initiative would enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors, to further drive digital transformation across the country. Pantami who connected to the event through video conferencing, said in the last couple of years, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has championed the need to transform Nigeria into becoming one of the leading digital economies in the world. According to the Minister, “In our attempt at achieving this, we came up with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy with the clear vision to transform Nigeria into a leading Digital Economy providing quality life and digital economies for all. This vision is strengthened by our mission, which guides our daily activities towards building a nation where digital innovation and entrepreneurship are used to create value and prosperity for all. “With the launch of STORM, which has the capacity to provide high speed internet and hosting services everyday across the South-east and South-south regions, covering Enugu, down to Ebonyi to Owerri, Portharcourt, Awka, Onitsha and Asaba, the objectives of the initiative is gradually being met.” Pantami said STORM would open up massive opportunities for corporates, small businesses and for homes looking to improve the quality of internet services at their location. We are much more convinced also that the project will lead to the creation of new businesses and bring about improvement in the living

Abubakar

conditions of citizens across these locations, Pantami said. Job creation In his welcome address, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Muhammad Bello Abubakar, said change remained the only constant thing in life. He therefore advised everyone living in a fast changing digital world, to embrace change so that no one is left behind at the ‘speed of light’ transformations taking place all around the globe. “We are confident that by making fast and reliable internet services available in urban and rural communities, greater number of job opportunities will emanate and we can lift more people out of poverty. History has shown us that in every major pandemic, one or two sectors begin to thrive and lead to the transformation of the lives of entire communities and indeed the world. In this case, digital technologies have taken centre stage especially in Nigeria where we have noted its great contribution to the GDP of our country in the last quarter of the year 2020. Projections continue to show an upward movement in this even in this year 2021,”Abubakar said. He added that the broadband internet connectivity and hosting service being offered by STORM would lead to an experience that people would find efficient, reliable and with great support. Abubakar called on the people of South-east and South-south regions to take advantage of the digital opportunity that Galaxy Backbone is bringing to the regions in collaboration with Interra Networks. Capacity building Former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka, who was physically present in Enugu for the launch of STORM, said Nigeria’s future development would depend on capacity building that would drive human capital development, which he said the STORM initiative would achieve. “STORM will empower Nigerian youths to develop technology skills that will help build the Nigerian digital economy much faster,” Chidoka said. According to him, “When I was appointed the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in 2014, I was confronted with the challenge of digitalising the salary structure of all FRSC commands in the country, which led to the automation of all staff across all commands, and Galaxy Backbone came to

our rescue and FRSC became the biggest Wide Area Network (WAN) in the public sector, a development that allowed it to adopt and implement emerging technologies in driving FRSC operations across all commands in the country. “Today Nigeria is still battling with the adoption and growth of emerging technologies, and it is the collective responsibility of the people of South-east and South-south to embrace STORM in driving digital transformation across both regions. There is therefore need for collaboration between the public and private sectors, in order to enhance faster digital development.” He further said the COVID-19 pandemic has further compelled businesses and government transactions to go online, and that STORM would provide that access to sustain online transactions and communications. Chidoka encouraged the people of South-east and South-south regions to embrace the STORM infrastructure to improve education, healthcare, transportation, e-commerce, agriculture and sports, across the regions. Digital connectivity Citing the importance of digital connectivity in South-east and South-south regions of the country, Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who was represented at the launch by the Commissioner of Science and Technology, Mr. Obi Kama, said the people of Enugu State and the entire South-east region, had long clamoured for digital connectivity access to further drive businesses. According to him, a number of businesses across the state have decided to engage three different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) at the same time in order to meet the growing demands of customers who have become digitally savvy. “It is therefore our belief that with the launch of STORM, people can have access to effective digital connectivity that will meet the demands of people, while providing better technical support. With digital communications becoming a much sort after commodity, there is absolutely nothing that anybody or organisations can do without internet for effective digital connectivity. Enugu State will support the widespread adoption of STORM to enhance digital connectivity across the state,” Ugwuanyi said. The Commissioner of Science and Technology in Imo State, Prof. Boniface Ginikanwa Nwogwu, who lauded the initiative of STORM, said it would help the people of South-east

With the launch of STORM, which has the capacity to provide high speed internet and hosting services everyday across the South-east and South-south regions, covering Enugu, down to Ebonyi to Owerri, Portharcourt, Awka, Onitsha and Asaba, the objectives of the initiative is gradually being met

to connect digitally and be part of the global digital transformation. “In Imo State, we understand the importance of technology in building capacity that will improve the welfare of citizens and the state government. Technology is a cardinal focus of Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and he has leveraged technology to digitalise the state’s salary structure and to transform the entire state,” Nwogwu said. The Director of ICT at Ministry of Science and Technology in Delta State, Mr. Rocky Ighoyota, said the STORM initiative would help states in the regions to develop much faster into smart cities, where all transactions will be digitalised. “Since Galaxy Backbone has decided to extend its fast internet connectivity offerings to the South-east and South-south regions, it is evident that the regions will have access to digital infrastructure that will boost ICT skills among youths and enhance digital transformation,” Ighoyota said. ICT as new oil The Chief Executive Officer of Interra Network, Mr. David Onu, said Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has remained the new oil that is driving global development, and has overtaken oil that used to be the main stay of global economies. According to him, “Global oil companies that used to be rated top ten about 15 years ago, have now been overtaken by ICT companies that had lowly beginning. ICT is now the driver of global economies and Nigeria must leverage technology to develop her citizens and her economy. The launch of STORM is a gateway to advance faster technology development, because it provides access to connectivity that will enhance online visibility.” Hs assured the South-east and South-south people that the partnership between Galaxy Backbone and Interra Networks, would further improve access to technology that would drive development in the regions. “The STORM initiative will help Nigeria to build on digital and intellectual resources, rather than natural resources like oil and gas. The initiative will provide access to technology that will fast develop agriculture, education, manufacturing, e-commerce, communications, healthcare, among others,” Onu said. He added that the STOTRM initiative would provide the infrastructure that the people would leverage to put an end to urban migration, while developing regions faster and digitally. The STORM infrastructure comes with dedicated bandwidth, static IP address, and internet access that will enhance customer experience. Onu listed some of the packages to include STORM Thunder, STORM School. STORM Enterprise, STORM Cool, adding that the various packages support line offering valuable after-sale support, advisory services to clients, 99 per cent reliability with fast speed internet and custom solutions that are unique to the requirements of each business and residence.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

NEWS

Committee of Vice Rack Centre Expands Tier III Data Chancellors Select Centre, Doubles Capacity Layer3Cloud Services Emma Okonji

Emma Okonji The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has selected Layer3Cloud for its cloud services. The CVCNU, which is the umbrella organisation for ViceChancellors of Nigerian Federal, State and Private Universities, will use Layer3Cloud to innovate faster and offer its homegrown plagiarism detection software code-named EagleScan. By running on Nigeria’s leading cloud, CVCNU can scale its application on top of Layer3Cloud’s reliable infrastructure, enhancing the site’s availability and reliability to give users in Nigeria, and around the world, better performance even during periods of peak demand. CVCNU is leveraging the breadth and depth of Layer3Cloud’s features’, including virtual data center, managed databases, compute, storage, security, and data warehousing, to accelerate innovation of new customer-facing products and services while reducing development costs for those products significantly. Secretary General of CVCNU, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, said: “As

our preferred choice for cloud infrastructure and services, we are excited to leverage their platform with the increased availability, low latency, performance, and security that come with running on Layer3Cloud. “Using Layer3Cloud also allows us to fulfill the local data residency and data sovereignty requirement of the Federal Government since the company is a local cloud service provider with its data centers in Nigeria.” Layer3’s Head of Cloud Business, Adeniyi Osibeluwo, said: “We are living in an era of deep and rapid digital transformation and we are proud to be able to support the CVCNU in providing them the right platform to launch their innovative product. By leveraging our cloud, CVCNU can access an innovative infrastructure that is local, agile, robust and easily adaptable to the expanding needs of their organisation.” Layer3Cloud is Layer3’s purpose-built cloud infrastructure running out of multiple data centers in Nigeria. It is an award-winning platform with multiple ISO certifications such as the ISO27001 and ISO27017 as well as the PCIDSS industry certification.

TETFund Joins Science Granting Councils in sub-Saharan Africa Nosa Alekhuogie The Science Granting Councils Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa (SGCI), has announced that the Nigeria Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has joined the initiative to advance research excellence in sub-Saharan Africa. TETFund is an agency set up by the Federal Government to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary institutions. It’s Research and Development (R and D) support is becoming an institutional reference and has changed Nigeria’s narrative in many aspects. Nigeria is already a major producer of research in Africa, though a recent study suggests that it has the clear potential to do more, given the number of its 196 universities, think-tanks and research professionals. Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Prof. Suleiman Elias Bogoro, said: “National growth and competitiveness (in the context of globalized economy) depends very much on continuous technological improvement and innovation driven by a well-organized vibrant Research and Development System. “We are confident that our admission into SGCI will open a new window of opportunities that will provide platforms that can serve as a fulcrum in achieving our goals of Nigeria’s transition to a knowledge economy in the 21st century. We are assured of quality partnerships and collaborations on the continent of Africa and beyond.” Starting in 2015, the Science Granting Councils Initiative has

been jointly funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). The initiative aims to strengthen the capacities of Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in sub-Saharan Africa in order to support research and evidence-based policies that will contribute to economic and social development. Through the engagement with TETFund, facilitated by FCDO’s West Africa Research and Innovation Hub, Nigeria has become the 16th country in SGCI. Initially it will join other SGCs through the SGCI Annual Forum, bilateral exchange visits and other activities to share lessons in managing research funds for maximum impact and to identify areas for future collaboration, such as joint research calls, as resources become available. According to the VicePresident, Programs and Partnership Branch at Canada’s International Development Research Centre, Dr. Dominique Charron, “With the largest population and economy in Africa, Nigeria’s participation expands the potential for the Science Granting Councils Initiative to achieve its goals of strengthening science systems and building alliances between science granting councils in multiple regions across the subcontinent and internationally.”

Rack Centre, a carrier neutral data centre colocation provider in West Africa, has completed the doubling of its Information Technology (IT) load capacity to 1.5 MW at its Lagos campus, further serving cloud providers, content providers, and enterprise customers with additional 600 square metres of data centre white space. According to the company, the facility provides comprehensive carrier neutral ecosystem benefits with over 40 carriers/Internet Service Providers (ISP) and a diverse Cloudmarketplace. As a key Tier III Constructed Facility Certified hosting location for

the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, it addresses the growing need for proven reliable hosting, flexible interconnection and enabling companies to advance their digital transformation. With 100 per cent uptime track record since inception, the expansion is the first stage of a trajectory that is in progress to add an additional 13MW of IT load capacity ready for service in 2022 at the same campus in Lagos Nigeria, the company said in a statement. It further explained that the newly completed LGS 1 facility boasts two redundant, independent, and diverse meet-me rooms, three fibre entry routes into the facility

and an open access mast for connectivity providers. The Managing Director of Rack Centre, Dr. Ayotunde Coker, said: “The Lagos Campus data centre has grown to be the largest carrier neutral digital infrastructure hub in West Africa and West Central Africa, halving the latency of data transfer from South Africa to Europe and the USA. All undersea cables are directly connected, so every country on the Atlantic coast of Africa are directly connected. We have achieved a track record of 100 per cent uptime since launch and gained an unprecedented list of highprofile global accolades for an African data centre company,

the most recent being winner of the Excellence in Data Centre Award at the 2021 DataCloud Global Awards, which was held digitally and has customarily been held in Monaco.” He added that Rack Centre had set the bar for quality in Africa, being the first carrier neutral company to be Constructed Facility Certified by the Uptime Institute in April 2017. In March 2020, Rack Centre announced the controlling stake by Actis, the UK Private Equity company, and Convergence Partners, the Africa technology private equity company, with Jagal remaining a significant investor.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Recipient of Vanguard’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020 and Managing Director, Sujimoto Construction Limited, Sijibomi Ogundele (Left), with the former Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, at The Vanguard Personality of the Year Award in Lagos...recently

Foundation Partners UNESCO on Internet Governance Policy Emma Okonji The African ICT Foundation is partnering United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to host a stakeholders’ engagement for the advancement of evidence-based policy making of Internet governance The virtual even, which holds next week,is the first of the Foundation’s partnership with global organizations across to the world to deepen internet penetration in Africa. The event which is jointly

organised by UNESCO Headquarters and the African ICT Foundation, seeks to engage in an extensive partnership with the West African Internet Governance Forum community via the newly launched Dynamic Coalition of IUIs, so as to join forces for advancing evidence-based policy making of Internet governance and fostering digital collaboration in line with UN SG’s roadmap of digital cooperation. The discussion at the forum will focus on Advancing digital transformation in the West Africa Sub-Region via applying

UNESCO’s Internet Universality ROAM Principles and Indicators. The President of the African ICT Foundation, Mr. Tony Ojobo and the Director for Partnership and Operational Programme Monitoring, UNESCO, Marielza Oliveira, will give the opening remark at the event that will be moderated by the West Africa Regional Director at the Foundation, Dr. Kossi Amessinou and with the Executive Secretary, Mr. Bassey Emmanuel and the Benin Focal Point Director, Nazaire Hounghihin as rapporteur. A statement from the Founda-

tion’s Secretariat, in Lagos South West Nigeria, issued by the Director of Communication, Mr. Isaiah Erhiawarien stated that Internet governance-related issues would be addressed and covered during the session. According to the statement, the Forum would allow national leading experts from West African sub-Region countries to present their national assessment projects using Internet Universality Indicators and foster further engagement with West African IGF communities and stakeholders.

Zoho Advances BI, Analytics Market with Self-service Platform Nosa Alekhuogie Zoho Corporation, a global technology company, has said its new Business Intelligence (BI) Platform, which is Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven data analytics solution, will empower businesses to surface precise and actionable insights, through self-service data preparation and augmented analytics. Zoho also launched Zoho DataPrep, an augmented self-service data preparation

and pipeline service. Zoho’s end-to-end self-service BI Platform, which combines newly-launched Zoho DataPrep with an enhanced version of Zoho Analytics, enables organisations to cleanse, unify, and analyze cross-departmental data, obtain an encyclopedic view of the company, and ultimately move toward a more competitive business strategy based on real-time insights. Announcing the develop-

ment, the Regional Manager, Africa, Zoho Corp, Andrew Bourne, said: “For data to be a true catalyst of business growth, there can’t be any gaps in the collection, management, or analysis process. “Too few BI platforms in the market excel in both data preparation and analytics, which leaves businesses with weak—or worse, flawed— insights. Zoho’s BI Platform is industry-leading because it ensures organisations are

acting on legitimate data, which can be effectively leveraged to determine new revenue streams, refocus funds, drive productivity, and overall gain a competitive edge among peers in their market.” Zoho’s BI platform brings together pre-built, visual dashboards, comprehensive data integrations, data preparation, augmented and embedded BI, security and privacy capabilities, flexible deployment models and scalability.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

Marketing Lessons of COVID-19 2020 was considered not too good for new businesses to enter any market but despite the odds, a few brands, including Amber Energy Drink took the risk and weathered the storm. Raheem Akingbolu takes a look at the circumstances that helped the brand to survive the turbulence.

n the last 14 months, many businesses have faced unique and difficult challenges in the face of new regulations and social distancing constraints. As a result of this ugly circumstance, many existing businesses have closed or are operating with reduced capacity through effective use of cashless and digital payments. Globally, brand owners recognise the strain this is placing on businesses as storefronts are seeing lower foot traffic or closing temporarily. To cushion the effect, many merchants quickly adapted business models that support customers online as well as using other measures to maintain physical distance while keeping their businesses running. It is therefore unimaginable that a new brand may choose such a period to launch into a new market. That was exactly what the management of Amber Energy Drinks Ltd did in 2020. They entered Nigeria’s market with a bang when many experts had predicted that new businesses could not survive the heat. Beyond COVID-19 and the lockdown that followed, the Amber brand from the stable of the company had more challenges to contend with but its promoters damned the consequences. First, the energy drink market was almost saturated. Another challenge is the fact that there were existing brands that had become household names at the time of Amber’s arrival. Of course, not a few market watchers predicted that it would be an effort in futility but the promoters moved on. One year later, the brand has not only survived the heat but beaten competitions to it. The question today is; how did the brand and its promoters make it? General Manager of Amber Energy Drinks Ltd, Ms. Titilola Adedeji while responding to this, simply captured it in two sentences. “The management of Amber Energy Drinks Ltd believed in the market and were sure of the quality of what they were bringing. They plugged in with confidence and arrays of innovative ideas and strategies that would empower trade partners and connect consumers,” According to Adedeji, the joy of the handlers of the brand is not only because it’s succeeding in the market but satisfaction it has given to trade partners and

Adedeji

the consumers. Loking back, one can simply conclude that the brand has actually sailed through bravery and boldness to dare the lions in their dens and seized the market from the grip of the oldies. No wonder, its promoters can now possibly state that the mustard seed planted a year ago has grown in equity and relevance. Like every business venture, the company came in with brand promises. It is believed that it has started fulfilling the promises and proving its essence as it continues to stimulate the energy in all Nigerians. As an enduring brand, Amber has continued to gain market traction and set an agenda. The brand presence is beginning to be felt across the country as its promoters spread their tentacles through the states of the Nigerian Federation with the care and concern for the brand’s teeming consumers. Perhaps the first major step that ease the journey was that Amber started connecting with the consumers by activating the market long abandoned due to the

Covid-19 pandemic and its vicious imports and percussions in untimely deaths, suffering, hunger, anger and isolation. After activating the market, the team went on a social charity binge by innovating Free BRT Bus Ride for millions of Lagosians and commuters just emerging from the pains and pangs of the pandemic. To consolidate the inroads the brand is currently making, the management just re-assured stakeholders with the latest campaign- ‘Amber Dey For You’ which has continued to resonate with the target audience even as they relish the high premium quality the brand offers on their palate. Observers have concluded that it is a bonding that has a beginning but may never have an end as the brand remains a legacy brand and a trustee of posterity. As part of efforts to push the brand further, the company had earlier launched an empowerment programme aimed at improving the standards of living of several thousands of Nigerian citizens in becoming self-employed and financially independent.

Through the initiative, the company has succeeded in creating a huge number of entrepreneurs popularly called Amberssadors who now own their own in the Nigerian enterprises sector. Then when everybody thought the brand had seen it all, its manufacturers again launched a web-based game called “Amber Rush” that seeks to entertain, relieve and reward its teeming consumers as part of activities marking its one year anniversary in the Nigerian energy drinks market. The game, which was formally unveiled recently, is a major driver of the brand’s one year anniversary aimed at creating awareness, arousing interest while inciting more consumers purchase and also further bonding with the key target audience. Commenting on the new innovation, Adedeji, said the game is a representation of what Amber stands for which includes stimulating the energy in consumers and tapping into the company’s TGs active lifestyle, social connections, and digital convenience.

GOtv’s SabiMan Initiative Impactive, Say Beneficiaries Raheem Akingbolu

ear in, year out, beneficiaries of GOtv’s Sabiman initiative come out to tell the world how the programme has helped them to have a breakthrough in their businesses. Another set of beneficiaries of the empowerment platform established for Nigerian youths by Multichoice, have also expressed their delights over how it has impacted and changed their economic status. Among other opportunities, Sabiman programme is designed to tutor participants on the rudiments of service activation, response to customer enquiries and resolution of issues about GOtv services. For the management of the PayTV company, the initiative was introduced as part of their drive in empowering the youths of today across religious and ethnic divides in Nigeria. As at the last count, Nigerian youths in their thousands have benefited from the empowerment schemes. One of the latest beneficiaries, Aghadiuno Chiamaka from Onitsha who said she received the information about the programme from her former boss, Mr. Samuel Chinwe, said the initiative was not only enlightened but has exposed her to a lot of skills like interpersonal skills, communication and problem-solving skills. She also described the various supports

and souvenir supplied by GOtv management as morale boosters, which she admitted went a long way in helping her to showcase her works. On what her job as a Sabiman entails, she said: “My job as a Sabiman agent is an outdoor-to-outdoor marketing strategy that enables us to meet our customers’ aim in terms of finding solutions to their recharging problems, reconnection issues and others. Above all being a Sabiman, it is

my priority to have a good relationship with my customers so as to promote my job,” Looking back at the last five years as a GOtv Canvasser, Chiamaka said it is difficult to quantify how well the programme has impacted her but admitted that it has successfully changed her life for the better. “The impacts are countless. I don’t even know where to start from but they are all positive” she stated. She was enthusiastic when asked if

she could recommend enlistment for the programme to other young people, pointing out that a career at MultiChoice will forever enrich one’s life for good. While expressing her appreciation to the promoters of the initiative, the young entrepreneur urged other organisations to follow the footsteps of the company by impacting the lives of youths by providing employment opportunities. “I say a very big thank you to MultiChoice Nigeria for making me a better person, for giving me a life after many lost hopes. Indeed, MultiChoice is a place where lives are changing for the better,” she added. The GOtv Sabiman and Canvasser scheme which is a job creation through skill impartation and entrepreneurship is part of the company’s contributions to empowering young Nigerians to make them contributors to the economic and social well-being of the country. The scheme, which was established in 2016, provides willing young Nigerians with technical training that enables them to resolve various issues related to the GOtv service. Meanwhile the testimonies shared by Chiamaka has confirmed the declaration of the Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, when he stated at the beginning that the empowered youths identified by the company, ended up becoming ambassadors for the brand.

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Tackling Skills Deﬁcit in MSME Sector Ugo Aliogo examines the growth prospects of Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country

he need to train more artisans to acquire skills that will drive development in the country, has become inevitable as Nigeria lacks sufficient skills in repairs and maintenance from various fields. Organisation also need to invest more in their corporate social responsibility programmes in order to train more people to bridge existing skills gap in the country. Tackling Skills Deﬁcit Commenting on the skills deficit in the MSMEs space, the Founder, Field of Skills and Dreams (FSD), Mrs. Omowale Ogunrinde, stated that a lot of the manufacturing industries that are doing well usually engage the services of foreign experts, adding that tertiary institutions and training institutes don’t teach students technical skills that would be useful for industries. She also asserted that in the last 18years, the training school has been providing professional and technical training for unemployed youths, and they have realised that as the students are given professional training, they get jobs immediately in the labour market. Ogunrinde said: “For the past 18years, we have been providing professional and technical training for unemployed youths. We have realised that as we give them professional training, they get jobs immediately. I recently reviewed a report which showed that we graduated 68 technicians on June 15 and everyone of them is in a well-paying job. For most of these jobs, we have no connections with the employers, we give them the letters, ensure that our students have the skills and they go for their interviews and selection process and they are given the jobs to start immediately. The organisation confirms with us and we give our endorsement. We are not an agency that connects people to jobs; we provide the skills that grant these guys access to jobs. In the electrical installation department in the school, we realised that many of our students who had gone through five years of training in higher institutions don’t have practical knowledge of anything in that space. So the question is how many people are going to employ them? If they are employed their services will not be required in the technical skills department, but administration department.” The FSD founder argued that tackling the skills deficits requires training university graduates in professional technical skills programme to ensure that they are employable in industries. She remarked that many of the students after going through the school’s intensive training programme become reluctant to go for internship programmes; therefore they decide to setup on their own and employ others to work for them. In his reactions, the Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Timothy Olawale, stated that efforts have been in place to tackle the skill gap in the MSME space, while pointing out that 12years ago, a survey report revealed that most factories had a deficit with regards to mid-levels and lower-level skills requirements. He argued that the skills gap is very wide despite the availability of technical school and polytechnic graduates that should fill space, “we discovered that they passed through the school, but the school didn’t pass through them.” He maintained that many of those graduates had paper qualifications, but they were not job-ready and jobs that are skills driven require practical experience. According to him, “We introduced the interventions of the technical skills project that we are partnering with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on. Our focus is to identify our partners such as FSD that are willing to make available their training centers for us to support these MSMEs with equipment and funding, so that they can train these youths on these skills that they are deficient in society. We are not only focusing on the factories, because even when you train for the world of work, there is a limit to how much you can train which is why most of them are really relevant especially those of them that focus on the daily skills of the MSMEs, so that these youths can become employers of labour. “We have had wonderful testimonies when we graduate these students; however you can only do the much your funding capacity can take which is also one of the reasons why we are showcasing the model to the federal government to expand the capacity to accommodate more youths. The jobs are available, but the capacity

be clarity about what the expectations are in the event of any form of hazard.”

Ogunrinde

is lacking. Another area, we have discovered is the digital space which keeps increasing and there is a knowledge deficit. It goes beyond being able to use the computer and our youths are not ready. We need to help them by giving them those requisite skills.” Record keeping and Governance Culture The FSD boss explained that for every training organised at FSD, the focus revolves around teaching business owners’ management strategies, book keeping, bankable finance, and others. She added that as part of the provisions of the curriculum, the other phase of the training focus on teaching the students skills that would help them to access jobs in terms of teamwork, communication, grooming and etiquette, the mindset of an entrepreneur, and others. She posited that the school provides training for the students in the areas mentioned above because “we want them to understand that by the time they are going to startup on their own, they should understand that business is different from personal affairs.” Continuing, Ogunrinde stated: “We usually organise a two-day vocational conference known as emerging entrepreneur to support MSMEs. The conference doesn’t talk about vocational skills, but the only section that focuses on vocational skills is the mentoring session, where we bring resources persons to talk about the challenges they faced in business, agro-allied, ICT, food science technology and how they were able to overcome those challenges. “The focus of the training is to help emerging entrepreneurs understand what is required to scale up their businesses, management strategies and under it, you have things such as Business Model Canvass (BMC) that gives you the understanding and clarity on what you need to do. “BMC is pictorial information that describes your business just at a glance. It has nine major aspects which include value proposition, channels, revenue streams, target size or market, raw materials sourcing, key activities, key partner-

ship, cost structure, and others. It is designed in such a way that you either go from left to right or right to left. It was an enlightening conference so when you are even talking to them about the business model canvass and how they need to put things into perspective, it is not as if they didn’t know, but they don’t have access to information and education.” Market Growth and Business Performance The NECA boss explained that the economic growth of a country is premised on MSMEs, adding that it goes down to the root and takes care of the disadvantaged and vulnerable. He espoused that businesses prefer to stay longer as MSMEs because it insulates them against regulatory gangsterism, “even those in the formal business space don’t have pleasant experiences. So when you occupy your space as an informal business, you still have your relief.” MSMEs and Insurance Policy He remarked that the issue was not about adopting insurance policies, but queried the end results of those who even insured and if the insurance policy came through for them after the destruction caused by the #ENDSARs protest. “We understand that some businesses were not compensated because the insurance companies said they defaulted in the prompt payment of premium. Even those that paid there were so many issues of technicalities which we felt should not even come up. For us, as business people, it is very simple, if you insure a building and it was attacked and looted, there is a value to it. All I expected was for the insurance company to compensate me so that I can get back to business, but instead, we started seeing different technicalities that you insure the building, not the content, which was aligned to the owner of the business, the facility was insured against fire and natural disaster not against looting. I’m saying it is not good to take up insurance policies, but there must

Our focus is to identify our partners such as FSD that are willing to make available their training centres for us to support these MSMEs with equipment and funding, so that they can train these youths on these skills that they are deficient in society. We are not only focusing on the factories, because even when you train for the world of work, there is a limit to how much you can train, which is why most of them are really relevant especially those of them that focus on the daily skills of the MSMEs

Challenges of MSMEs In defining the problems facing MSMEs, Ayeni was of the view that one of the major problems of MSMEs is a lack of access to finance. He argued that government support to MSMEs is still very low and when they even provide intervention funds for MSMEs don’t get to those who need the finance, and at other times, the processes are cumbersome. According to him, “There is a particular machine needed for servicing air conditioning, it is known as AC Service station and it is sold for N1.5 million and the highest loan I have received for LSTE is N250, 000. “Another challenge facing MSMEs is lack of knowledge sharing. Most business owners don’t like sharing knowledge with their workers so that those workers cannot grow and understand the trade properly, the owners enjoy hoarding such knowledge. As a result, when the business owner is not around everything is put on hold, which is not supposed to be. “There is also the issue of lack of division of labour is a problem also facing Small businesses. You find out that in most small businesses, the business owner handles everything in the organisation, without delegating duties and functions to his workers and that affects the business, especially when the owner is not around.” In her remarks, Ogunrinde argued that the major challenge for MSMEs is the absence of the requisite information that would be needed to start setup and sustain viable businesses that would have a multiplier effect on the economy. She hinted that many MSMEs are looking for access to the right information, the market for their products, and who needs their services. “Most people are of the view that MSMEs are looking for capital and the most important things to them are capital. There are some businesses that don’t require anybody’s money to setup especially when you are selling intellectual capacity. So even before you offer your service, they have paid you ahead of time. So MSMEs require access to the right information that will help them to scale up the business. Access to information is the important thing that is lacking in our economy and that is what FSD has positioned itself to do to support MSMEs,” she stated. Addressing Challenges In addressing, the problems facing MSMEs, Ayeni called for the provision of loans with low-interest rates, and improving the ease of doing business which he said would translate to having the enabling environment. He said: “Government needs to reduce the taxation for small businesses. The few days we have been here, we have been paying taxes to different government agencies. Another area in which government will help us is to see how they can regulate the auto spare parts market that is infiltrated by crafty and dubious businessmen. Most of the auto spare parts we have in the market are substandard and they are brought from China. This is the time for the agency of government to step in and regulate the problems in that sector.” The NECA DG stated that in positioning the MSMEs for growth, there is a need for government to review the ease of doing business indices and address them one after another. He stressed that access to capital is very critical to the growth and survival of MSMEs, adding that there is a need to free capital for MSMEs. “There are a lot of windows that the federal government has created through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) unfortunately they are political windows that the MSMEs find difficult to access because of the bottlenecks and conditions that different MSMEs cannot meet. There is need to review those conditions and make it easy for them to be able to enjoy the benefits in all those schemes. “Importantly, there is need for experience sharing, our policymakers and implementers should create that forum where they listen to the MSMEs and share experience, and they take learning points from them on what they are going through in business. But what we have done today is that representatives of government feel they know what is good for MSMEs without getting feedback from those concerned.”

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ˜ ͰͮͰͯ

BUSINESSWORLD

DEVELOPMENT

Brifo: Food-afﬁliated Industries Can Operate with Best Ingredients Managing Director of Freddy Hirsch Nigeria and West Africa, Mr. Kojo Brifo, speaks on food insecurity, the impact of AFCFTA on food sustainability and the supply chain vulnerabilities of food manufacturers in Nigeria. Ugo Aliogo presents the excerpts:

ou play in the food industry across Africa. Can you share what you think are the challenges of food security in Nigeria? Food Security is very critical for the socio-economic development growth of any country. In Nigeria, the current state of a high reliance on food imports, erratic food supply, and supply shocks due to crisis, for instance in the North and the high costs of food reveals the vulnerability of the country to food insecurity. We have to find a way to improve that. There are impliedly several gaps to tackle; last-mile, supply side, distribution, marketplace, logistics, and others. There is also the lack of infrastructure, limited rural development, credit, and land for farming. A key challenge across the entire food chain is the lack of resources to modernize our current agricultural production process. We need to adopt technology and mechanization more, as, without technology, we would not be able to increase productivity. Our value chains need to be integrated. A significant challenge is our lack of manufacturing firms that can process raw materials into value-added products. For instance, the Birds Eye Chili is grown in West Africa, yet it is exported to countries that process it and turn it into products like chili extracts, oleoresin peppers, and other flavors used to make hot chili sauces; this is then sold back to West Africa at a higher cost value. The Nigerian ginger is the most dynamic in the world as its attributes are many, yet we export the raw ginger, which is transformed outside the continent and used for commercial products that are sold back to us. Without value-adding firms, we cannot guarantee food security. Thanks to inadequate storage systems, inaccessible road networks and dysfunctional agricultural value chains. About 50 per cent (230 million tonnes) of agricultural produce is wasted in sub-Saharan Africa annually. For Nigeria and the rest of Africa to improve its food security, it has to urgently tackle these issues. COVID-19 has impacted almost all industries, some positively, some inversely. How has it impacted food security in Nigeria? One of the major economic implications of COVID-19 is the weakened levels of food security in many countries. Global hunger numbers that were already dire before the outbreak of COVID-19, underline how desperate the situation has become. World hunger had been rising before the pandemic, increased significantly: for instance, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated the number of undernourished people in the 35 countries within which it works increased a whopping 60 per cent within a year, from 177 million to over 296 million. With its vulnerable agricultural food chain, several countries in Africa were severely affected by the pandemic, with huge supply chain disruptions. In Nigeria, food insecurity in Nigeria has been aggravated by myriad factors, including communal conflicts, the presence of militant groups like Boko Haram, violent clashes between herders and farmers, and COVID-19. Specifically, COVID-induced border closures and lockdowns reduced food access, reduced production as many agro process companies were unable to manufacture due to a shortage of resources such as raw materials, process equipment parts, etc. So, COVID-19 impacted Nigeria like other African countries. What are the opportunities for food security in African countries, and what are the similarities you see across countries? The opportunities lie in the ability of West Africa to enter food production, processing, and distribution. We have good land to cultivate produce. The opportunities lie in manufacturing and adding value to the product. We

lenge on local manufacturers who now have to spend more to produce the same product in our quite elastic market. The current state of the affairs has also affected the supply chain. The ports are congested and it takes a long time to get your goods from/to the port via sea. The other option is airfreight which is about 4x the cost of sea freight. Food ingredients businesses have complex supply chains with many unique characteristics: tight margins, fresh products that may spoil, expiration dates on products, complicated inbound requirements, and more. Getting the right volume of products at the right time, and at the right location, is no easy task. These supply chain vulnerabilities are more pronounced in African countries, with ineffective logistics and transportation systems and so on.

Brifo

must develop the competence to transform our agricultural systems into profitable and sustainable systems and introduce some form of end-to-end processing from raw materials to finished goods. We can increase the federal allocation for agriculture and rural development from less than three per cent to about 10 per cent of the national budget, as specified in the 2003 Maputo Declaration, and develop an institutional framework across stakeholders to support subsidies, credit financing, and insurance for small and rural farmers. We must also create an enabling environment for more marge-scale investors to create state-of-the-art processing firms, good roads, and irrigation systems. Also, thanks to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its potential to lift millions of people out of poverty and end chronic food insecurity in Africa, African nations can improve food security by developing inclusive regional value chains around priority commodities, led by a dynamic and diverse private sector of smallholders, commercial farmers, processors, and service providers. It is expected that strengthening national food production capacities and linkages to regional markets will provide a strong basis for countries to boost regional trade. The increased integration of stakeholders along agricultural value chains, from farmers to processors, transporters to retailers, is likely to create sustainable jobs and improve long-term agricultural productivity and, ultimately, food security and nutrition. How will the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), improve food security

in Africa? The African continental free trade agreement is welcoming news for the African continent. It aims to expand intra-African trade and boost economic growth. Africa depends on exports of agricultural commodities such as cocoa, coffee, cotton, and spices. However, we are also a huge importer of finished food products such as chocolate, sauces, dairy, and oil which is a huge concern. Total trade between African countries is very low, under two per cent. The AFCFTA can change the dynamics, increasing free trade among Africa countries at low or no tariffs will improve the flow of goods and services across the countries. The potential is huge. The policymakers should expedite this agreement. In the agric processing sector, each part of the continent should identify strategic commodities that can be harvested and processed, and exchange within the regions. This will accelerate Africa’s economy. As a leading African provider of extracts for spices, ingredients, and ﬂavours, you provide essential services to food manufacturers in Africa. What are the challenges you see in the food ﬂavour and food manufacturing industry? There is some reliance by manufacturers on foreign items. In producing food ingredients and flavors, there are two components; the local component, which involves the items you have or can procure locally, and the imported component. During COVID-19, up till now, we have seen the Nigerian Naira being devalued to other currencies and a FOREX shortage. To order from abroad, you need FOREX, which is unavailable. This has placed a huge chal-

These facilities allow us to tap into the pulse and gain valuable insights from our customers, meet the unique taste preferences of the regional market and develop competitive solutions in culinary, bakery, confectionery, and dairy. With these competencies, we can offer cost and FOREX savings with best in class in-country food ingredients and flavours to reduce capital flight, drive job growth and improve the lives of our teeming youth population

You mentioned supply chain vulnerabilities as critical issues for food manufacturers. Can you shed more light on this? Our suppliers give us lead times of six to eight weeks when we place an order, but to avoid disappointments, we typically add an average of three to four weeks as the transit time for the goods, followed by about two to three weeks for clearing at the ports. Things have changed, the transit time and clearing times have increased. You can now do six months waiting for a food ingredient, with most of the time at local ports. Another challenge is also land transportation to our warehouse. The road network in the port creates huge traffic. At Freddy Hirsch Nigeria, we have to overcome these bottlenecks by placing emphasis on planning and looking at local solutions in the ingredients business. To satisfy our customers, and achieve our vision of creating authentic African flavours and tastes, we have invested in a Research, Development, and Application laboratory and a manufacturing facility with world-class quality management systems, in Nigeria, where our experts develop flavors for various application areas, especially savory foods, sweet applications, and beverages tailored to the African market. These facilities allow us to tap into the pulse and gain valuable insights from our customers, meet the unique taste preferences of the regional market and develop competitive solutions in culinary, bakery, confectionery, and dairy. With these competencies, we can offer cost and FOREX savings with best in class in-country food ingredients and flavors to reduce capital flight, drive job growth and improve the lives of our teeming youth population. How is the pandemic affecting consumers’ food and ﬂavour interests? We have seen consumer trends shifting towards clean labels and natural products; health and wellness. This has created additional opportunities for innovation that can boost health. This immunity-type product comes with a taste challenge. Our role is to provide food ingredients and flavors that taste good, We know that ‘Taste is King’. Our team creates systems that improve health as well as enhance taste. For our customers, we have made a difference in the supply chain management, They are looking for ingredients and flavors companies like Freddy Hirsch, which is based in Nigeria who are flexible, require low minimum order quantities, short lead times, and also trade in Naira as compared to huge FOREX costs. Freddy Hirsch is uniquely focused on providing local solutions with speed and agility. We are passionate about what we do and partner our customers to provide winning solutions. Our customers are looking for end-to-end solutions post-Covid 19 and we have become an extension of our customers, thanks to our research and development capabilities. At Freddy Hirsch Nigeria, we understand the taste of West Africa and our goal is to create customized taste solutions for the regional market.

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ ͰͰ, ͰͮͰͯ

IMAGES

Photo Editor Abiodun Ajala Email abiodun.ajala@thisdaylive.com

L-R: Head, Media and Marketing, Rotimi Ogunwede; Executive Head of Content and West Africa channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, Busola Tejumola; Chief Customer Oﬃcer, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho,and, Head of Business Development, Abeg App, Ayo Akinola at the Big Brother Season 6 Media Brieﬁng in Lagos… recently

L-R: District Chair, West African Project Fair Rotarian Nosa Edo-Osagie, District Chair, Public Image Rotarian Kelechi Ekezie, President Rotary Club of Warri Rotarian Helen Douglas and Past Assistant Governor Innocent Azeke during the installation ceremony of the District Governor, District 9141 Andy Eyone Uwejeyan in Asaba...recently

L R: The Country Director PharmAccess Foundation, Njide Ndili and Executive Secretary National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Mohammed Nasir Sambo, at the signing of MOU between PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria and NHIS to provide technical assistance on accreditation and quality improvement tools in Abuja... recently

L-R: Controller of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr Liman Ibrahim; Deputy Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Idi Gubana; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Wali and others, during the inauguration and handover of newly acquired ﬁreﬁghting truck by the Controller-General to Yobe to state government in Damaturu…recently

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (4thleft) and the organizers of the ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organization during the inaugural dinner in Abuja..recently

Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Plateau State Command, Alexander Barunde; Comptroller of NIS, Plateau State Command, Kemi Nandap and the Representative of the ComptrollerGeneral, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Tijani Lawal, during the closing ceremony of the 2021 Nationwide SERVICOM/Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit sensitisation and enlightenment campaign in Jos.. recently

Speaker, House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila (right) and Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje during the presentation of an award of the Leading Governor in Infrastructure/Education to Ganduje at the House of Representatives Press Corps Annual Dinner/Award of Excellence in Abuja…recently

THURSDAY JULY 22, 2021 • T H I S D AY

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 22, 2021

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

ÜÙßÚ ÏËÞßÜÏÝ ÎÓÞÙÜ˝ ÒÓÏ×ÏÖÓÏ äÏÙÌÓ ×ËÓÖ chiemelie.ezeobi@thisdaylive.com, Tel: 07010510430

FCT on Red Alert over Cholera Outbreak The spread of cholera in the nation’s capital and across the country in the last six months is highly concerning, Olawale Ajimotokan and Onyebuchi Ezigbo report

holera is a highly virulent gastro intestinal disease characterised in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death arising from dehydration. In the last one month, an increasing number of cholera cases has been reported across states of the federation. The most affected states are Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, Zamfara, Bayelsa, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory. A report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said 10,833 suspected cholera cases have been reported in 15 states, including the FCT between January and June this year. The number of confirmed cases is 112 while the fatality is 289. The FCT has witnessed the most frightening outbreak of the sporadic faeco-oral disease during the raining season. This results from the contamination of food matters and water sources by pathogens. The outbreak is usually triggered by poor living conditions and lack of access to potable water supply, in over-crowded communities. As at the last count, about 514 suspected cases have been reported in the current outbreak in three Area Councils of the FCT. The worst affected area councils are Bwari, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Gwagwalada. While giving situational updates on the outbreak at a recent advocacy meeting with various agencies, the acting Director, FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Saddiq Abdulraheem, said 36 deaths have so far been recorded since the outbreak of the disease. Early in July, the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to FCT Minister, Abubakar Sani presented the latest figure on the number of cases. The update via a statement was sequel to the first official pronouncement on the outbreak in June by the Acting Secretary FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), Dr Mohammed Kawu. According to Kawu, the seven deaths in the territory were linked to 91 suspected cases and were all reported in AMAC. He said that HHSS immediately began to investigate the cases after it received complaint of sporadic cases of gastroenteritis in some FCT communities. The communities were Dei-Dei, Zuba, Shenagum, Kubwa and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP Camp) in Wassa. He noted that the secretariat deployed some Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits, drugs and consumables to some of the facilities that have reported Cholera cases. But sadly, that intervention, however, has failed to stop the transition as many more people are falling sick to the bacteria. A good case is the Wassa Resettlement community, better known as the IDP camp, where many of the dwellers, resettled from crisis torn communities in the North-east and some parts of Kaduna State, live in squalid conditions. The Secretary of the IDP camp, Usman Ibrahim revealed that the 5,317 people that presently reside in camp divided into seven divisions are exposed to Cholera because of the hazardous hygienic conditions. He clarified that though eight cholera cases have been confirmed in the camp, only two persons have died from the disease.The victims, who were elderly residents, died before they got proper medical attention. Ibrahim blamed the tendency of the people to be drinking from the nearby stream due to lack of access to portable water as the cause of the outbreak. “Lack of clean water is the cause of the outbreak. Although we have about seven bore holes in the camp, regrettably not all of them are working. As a result, women have been fetching water from the stream that is contaminated with human faeces,” Ibrahim said. He said the bore holes had not been put into use in the last three months due to unavailability of generating sets to power them given that the camp is not connected to the national gridlock. Ibrahim, who is from Bornu State, thanked the wife of the Chief of Army Staff, Mrs Salamatu Faruk

Row of buildings at the Wassa IDP camp

Makeshift convenience that serves the people in the camp

Dilapidated house in the camp

L-R: Chairman of the IDP camp, Mr Geoﬀrey Bitrus; Secretary, Usman Ibrahim; and a health worker, Taminu Osu, fronting the health centre, recently renovated by the wife of COAS, Mrs Salamatu Faruk

for procuring two generators for the camp and other relief items when a delegation of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) on Humanitarian outreach programme visited the camp on July 5 to commemorate Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2021. “The problem here is the water that is not clean. Besides many residents live in squalid conditions that is not good for habitation. We are appealing to government to resolve the water challenge by providing more generators to aid the pumping of the bore holes that are serving the seven quarters,” he said. In addition, he appealed to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to hasten to the completion of the proposed health centre designated to service the community. He lamented that work on the health centre has been abandoned half way. Joshua, who resides in the community and

specialises in bore hole drilling, said the scale of the cholera outbreak that afflicted the community had been downplayed because of lack of data given that the residents mainly patronise local chemists if the need for medical intervention arose. “There was a time I had a meal with a man at a canteen but two days, he died of Cholera. In the same week, about seven people died of Cholera, but the data was never collated. The outbreak spilled over to the nearby Madalla Village, leading to the death of unspecified number of people. “I have started telling people I know to be careful about their eating habit given the outbreak here. Although there is a borehole here, it can barely produce enough water, warranting many go to the stream to source water which is impure and contaminated with pathogens,” Joshua said. He also decried the poor attitude of most the IDPs to personal hygiene. He said that the people

habitually defecate in the bushes around the camp and in some of the improvised conveniences that litter the open spaces as almost all the blocks don’t have toilets. “Lack of toilet is major problem here. I reliably learned that there is a standing order from the building engineers to the IDPs not to use the toilets as the buildings have not formally handed over to government, which is yet to pay the contractors for the job executed”. This claim was reinforced by another resident, Samuel Musa. He said many of the houses in the camp lack conveniences. But the FCTA has said it is taking proactive measures to tackle the sudden outbreak of Cholera in the FCT. Kawu said the Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) has commenced sanitisation and advocacy visit to the heads of key management agencies in the Territory. The HHSS also said its officials have identified and met with key stakeholders such as Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), FCT Water Board and the management of FCT Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), towards curtailing the outbreak. On his part, Sani said the FCT Administration was also working very closely with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) on all the necessary interventions to end the scourge of the disease in the Territory. He said continuous surveillance on communities with suspected cases were being conducted in the six Area councils of the FCT to confirm the prevalence of the disease. He said the FCTA had taken several measures to stop the further spread of Cholera as well as provide the highest level of care to those affected by the disease. Some of the measures taken from early May 2021 when the diarrheal outbreak was reported in the FCT include: the formation of Cholera Emergency Operation Centres and training and sensitisation of health care providers in both secondary and primary healthcare facilities and some private ones as well as community sensitisation on causes and means of treating and prevention of Cholera. The FCTA also said it had embarked on high level engagement with all the six Area Councils chairmen, religious and traditional leaders on handling the scourge. Also the NCDC, which is the lead agency on infectious disease control in the country, said that it has activated a multi-sectoral National Cholera Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), following an increase in cholera cases across the country. The EOC is co-led with the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, given the link between cholera and water, sanitation and hygiene. The National EOC has also been supporting states to ensure a coordinated, rapid and effective response to the ongoing outbreak. This includes the deployment of National Rapid Response Teams (RRT) to support the response at state level, provision of medical and laboratory supplies, scale up of risk communications amongst other activities. Additionally, the resources that have been developed as part of Nigeria’s COVID-19 response are being used to strengthen the response to the cholera outbreak. This includes the digitalisation of the national surveillance system, establishment of laboratories and treatment centres, training of health workers among others. Cholera is a preventable and treatable epidemic -prone disease which is transmitted by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. The number of cholera cases tends to increase with the onset of the rainy season. The risk of death from cholera is higher, when treatment is delayed. It is very important to visit a health facility if you have symptoms such as watery diarrhea and vomiting. The NCDC urged members of the public to be aware of the risk of the disease and adhere to g precautionary measures to ensure safety including boiling and storing of water in a clean and safe container before drinking. Washing of hands frequently with soap under clean running water to prevent infectious diseases including cholera. This is especially important after defecation and before handling food or eating.

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 22, 2021

NEWS

FG to Protect Nine Million Vulnerable Children with ARC Project Sunday Ehigiator The Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, has revealed that over nine million Nigerian children exposed to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and exclusion would be protected by the newly launched At-Risk Children Project (ARC-P) by her office. Mrs Uwais made this known in Lagos, at the unveiling of the programme, which she described as a strategic national response to address the problem of vulnerable children. She explained that the ARC-P’s vision was to comprehensively address cross-cutting concerns of at-risk children and provide them with a life of dignity. “In the family and communities, children should be fully protected so they can survive, grow, learn and develop to their fullest potential,” she said. She added that the project’s

mission was to facilitate programmemes that will ensure the integration of at-risk children and young adults by creating opportunities for skills and empowerment to reduce their vulnerabilities. She said ARC-P would nurture children with dignity and respect, raise equal citizens and bridge the poverty gap. “A key objective of the programme will provide protection and hope to youth and children who are vulnerable, for a productive life through learning, combined with improved health outcomes, values and skills. “It will also provide meaningful, impactful and pragmatic quality programmes that empower the children to become productive to themselves, their families, communities and society.” She further disclosed that the programme would leverage on successfully tried and tested intensive learning initiatives, to

expand, deepen and broaden the scope of the programme. She added that the programme would be institutionalised to continue beyond the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and called for support from Corporate Nigeria to implement interventions including basic literacy and numeracy, health and nutrition, entrepreneurial, financial literacy and vocational skills and digital skills. Responding, some of the companies, including Lafarge Africa Plc, ANAP Holdings, Airtel Nigeria, International Finance Corporation, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Wema Bank, Aliko Dangote Foundation, FBN Quest Trustees, StanbicIBTC, InterSwitch, Murtala Muhammed Foundation and Accelerex Network, all commended the initiative. They noted that it was an innovation that would help resolve the out-of-school children problem and insecurity.

Kidney Disease Now a Global Burden - Dr. Osunbor Adibe Emenyonu ÓØ ÏØÓØ ÓÞã A Consultant and Case Manager, Stella Obasanjo Hospital in Edo State, Dr. Osariemen Osunbor, has said that kidney disease is gradually tilting towards being a global pandemic. He expressed fears that the disease which occupied the 27th position in the causes of deaths in 1990 to 18th position in 2010, is now the 10th position as the leading cause of deaths worldwide. Osunbor expressed this apprehension in Benin City, on the occasion of the second Ordinary General Meeting/Scientific Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Edo State Health Management Board. The consultant who gave a lecture on the topic, “The Menace of Chronic Kidney Disease; Way Forward”, declared that the disease has become a global burden. While describing as ‘alarming,’

the increase in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in the country, Osunbor said the disease had risen astronomically as one of the major causes of death globally. According to him, “While the case of HIV that ranked above CKD in 1990 have decreased over the years, that of the kidney disease had continued on it upward movement unabated.” Dr. Osunbor attributed the reason for this rise to lack of awareness and inadequate enlightenment campaign on the subject matter, adding that “CKD ranked among the causes of premature deaths as its estimated prevalence is between 16 to 18 percent globally which varies from country to country.” He also said: “The disease is constituting a drain on the economy of countries as it majorly affects the economically productive age of between 25 and 45 years.” Osunbor identified urgent and adequate funding for kidney

care by government, especially through health insurance schemes and regular routine screening programme. “There should also be awareness and enlightenment programmes about kidney disease,” he said. Also, Dr Egbe Enobakhare, who spoke on the topic: “Gender Based Voilence (GBV) During the COVID - 19 Lock Down, called for actions on responses to be stepped up. The Wife of the Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki, who was the special guest of honour, commended the doctors for their steadfastness improving the health indexes of the state. She noted that her office will continue to give priority to issues of GBV that she is passionate about. Represented by Dr. Bridget Okaeguale, Mrs Obaseki said, “I have been doing and will continue to do my best as regards GBV.”

COVID-19 Created Poverty, Nigerian Music Artiste Rues Olawale Ajimotokan ÓØ ÌßÔË Nigerian Artiste, Amodu Francis Eneojo, has bemoaned that COVID-19 and its aftershocks are threatening to wipe out decades of hard-earned progress in the fight against extreme poverty. Eneojo, popularly know as Frannels, said the pandemic resulted in musicians remaining indoor and working tirelessly, especially during the lockdown with low on shows and events. The pandemic for the first time in more than 20 years, led to a rise in global poverty. The World Bank estimated that the number of people living in extreme poverty globally increased by 120 million (including 40 million in Africa) in 2020 due to the pandemic. The outlook is grimmer still as a further increase of up to

40 million people is projected to be affected in 2021. Frannels described the situation as unfriendly for business, noting that the artistes during the period were left to make music and spend time with families. Speaking on how it effected his career as a musician and the entire entertainment industry in Nigeria, Frannels noted that it boils down to show business, especially in Nigeria. He confessed the difficulty an artiste will encounter without a show will compel him to spend time at home with friends in Nigeria. He advised the federal government to be guided by conscience and do the right thing to minimise the hardship orchestrated by the pandemic in as a way of lessening the hardship inflicted on the masses by the pandemic.

He reiterated his passion for music, while saying his genre is spiritual. The up and coming musician,who has his latest release as “Trail” which was released on March 12, 2021, noted that he has the intention of releasing a new album. He appealed to the elite artiste to support the upcoming stars, who are mostly impacted by the pandemic. The musician with his most popular song: “Gbege,” described his type of music as more or less an afrobeat kind sound. “Personally, I would describe my music as the heart’s radio. I always express myself and put together my life experiences in my music. I don’t really create music from abstract. I use the things around me, people’s experiences and events,” Frannels said.

FERTILITY

Info@lifelinkfertility.com; Website: lifelinkfertility.com 08033083580

Repeated Ivf/ Implantation Failure (RIF) Part 1

ssisted Reproductive Technology (ART) seem to have the answer to most forms of infertility challenge, it may be however very discouraging to be faced with repeated Invitro Fertilization (IVF) failures which is an indication that the embryos (a baby in the early stage of development) transferred into the womb did not implant and pregnancy has failed for that cycle. At present, worldwide IVF success rate ranges from 30-35%, with cycle to cycle variation ranges up to 50-60%, a number which has remained static for so many years. IVF has helped many couples across the globe to complete their families and experience the joy of parenthood but the heartbreak and emotional trauma surrounding repeated failed IVF cycles remains. A failed IVF takes an emotional toll on a woman who is attempting pregnancies as well as financial toll on families, with a single IVF cycle costing million of Naira This week’s discussion would be looking at all the possible causes of repeated implantation failure, resulting in numerous IVF attempts, the evaluation and current trends in the treatment of RIF. What Is Repeated Implantation Failure? (RIF) Repeated Implantation Failure is diagnosed when transferred embryos fail to implant following several In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment cycles. This means that at least three or more consecutive IVF treatment has been carried out with at least 1-2 high grade embryos transferred back to the womb at each attempt without successful pregnancy. The failure may be a consequence of uterine or embryo factors. What is Implantation? The process of implantation involves two main components, a healthy embryo that should have the potential to implant and a receptive endometrium (inner layer of the womb where an embryo or embryos are attached). These factors are mandatory for successful implantation and subsequent normal placentation. These processes are under thorough investigation and seem to involve many mediators originating in the embryos, as well as in the endometrium, and also involve the maternal immunological system. Any abnormality attributed to the embryo, the endometrium or the immune system will result in implantation failure / failed IVF cycles. Evaluation and Treatment of Repeated Implantation Failure Causes may be classified as: Maternal Factors or Embryonic Factors. Maternal Factors. Assessment of the Uterine Anatomy: The first step in evaluation should be the uterus (womb) and the integrity of the uterine cavity. Anatomical malformations of the uterus, either congenital (septate uterus or bicomuate uterus) or acquired (uterine fibroids especially submucosal fibroids growing into the uterine cavity or endometrium,

endometrial polyps, intrauterine adhesion and hydro-salpinx) can interfere with normal implantation. When possible, the intrauterine abnormality should be examined by ultrasonography and hysteroscopy. Hysterosalpinogram or hydro-salpinx, with laparoscopy can be done to confirm or refute diagnosis if necessary. Thrombophilia: Although the thrombophilic state is either inherited or acquired, it has been mainly associated with repeated pregnancy loss. Several investigations have reported an association between RIF and a tendency for increased ability of blood to form clot (hyper coagulations). It is assumed that the mechanism of implantation failure is similar to that of pregnancy loss, mainly disturbed blood flow to the endometrium and placenta. Disturbed blood flow on one hand can hamper endometrial receptivity and on the other hand cause miscarriage. For patient with RIF, diagnosed with thrombophilia, treatment with medications that thins the blood has been shown to significantly improve implantation, as well as in clinical pregnancy rate in subsequent IVF attempts. Immunological factors: A number of studies have shown that the immune system plays a major role in the process of implantation and in the subsequent maintenance of pregnancy. A conception must be recognised as non-self in order not to trigger an immunological process that prevents the maternal immune system from rejecting it. The HLA compatibility system evidently plays a vital role in this recognition. HLA means Human Leucocyte Antigen; they are proteins or makers found on most cells of one’s body. The immune system uses these markers to recognise which cells belong to one’s body and which do not. Couples who share the same HLA alleles may experience recurrent pregnancy loss and repeated implantation failure. The reason why this is so, is poorly understood. However inadequate response of the maternal immune system to stimulation by the paternal antigen, due to HLA sharing has been implicated, this usually results in imbalance of T-helper cells which basically are immune cells, causing the maternal systems to become intolerant to the fetus. Management of immunological factors includes carrying out immunological screenings to identify women with immunological problems as well as couple with same HLA allele. r 5IF VTF *7*H *OUSBWFOPVT *NNVOPHMPCJO before embryo transfer and a second dose when a fetal heart is noticed has been found to improve implantation and live birth. r *OUSBMJQJE *- JT B GBU FNVMTJPO UIBU IBT CFFO reported to suppress the normal activity of NK (natural killer) cells in the body. The infusion of 20% Intralipid solution has also been reported to improve outcome in women with RIF, a 50% pregnancy rate was achieved using Intralipid in women with RIF insome studies with no difference in other studies. IL is normally administered between day 4 and day 9 of the ovarian stimulation and again within 7 days of a positive pregnancy test…TO BE TO BE CONTINUED

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 22, 2021

NEWS

Rotary Maryland Gives Succor to Ososa Residents Rebecca Ejifoma Monday June 28 this year will remain a remarkable day for residents of Ososa community in Ogun State, who witnessed the unveiling of a fully equipped medical portacabin at the Ososa Primary Healthcare Centre in the state. This medical intervention project was powered by Rotary Club of Maryland, Lagos in partnership with the Ogun State government, Rotary Club of Kuching Central District 3310, and Rotary Club of Singapore District 3310. For the young and old in Ososa, this health cabin will prevent maternal and child morbidity and mortality as well as treat and prevent diseases. The President, Rotary Club of Maryland, Rotarian Obafemi Obadina, expressed: “I’m quite excited because the project is going to touch so many lives possible.” Apart from donating it, the club also furnished the cabin with the necessary equipment. Obadina emphasised, “It’s going to save a lot of lives, reduce maternal and child death, and it will treat and prevent a lot

of diseases.” The commissioning of the project falls under two areas of focus of Rotary. They include disease prevention and treatment, and also enhance maternal and child health. “As you are aware, this is a community that has a lot of elderly people. The elderly people need basic healthcare to sustain their health. So they will have access to healthcare from this portacabin we donated. “We did not just donate the project, it’s in collaboration with the Ogun State government Ministry of Health, who will ensure sustainability and maintenance of the project going forward. “Before the donation of the project, Rotary Club of Maryland carried out a needs assessment. Consequently, they understood that Ososa women didn’t have access to anti and prenatal services and some of them give birth in their homes. “We all know it’s not ideal,” Obadina frowned. Following the assessment, the club pledged to bridge the gap to accessing healthcare service, hence, the commissioning of the cabin. In his reaction, the Gbegande of Ososa-Ijebu, Oba (Dr) Adetoye

Alatishe, expressed gratitude to God and the club. “It’s a fantastic project, not just in line with my profession as a medical doctor, but in line with our aspiration and vision for our people.” Alatishe described Ososa town as formerly laid-back, slippery and majorly agrarian in nature. “Since we came here, we have been having a series of

developments not just because our sons and daughters in the diaspora are giving back to the community, but because the government also recognises some of the things we have been doing. “We are hoping that a number of things like that will continue to come to our community. The next thing we need is a labora-

tory,” while assuring the club that they would take care of the portacabin. “We will make the best use of it”. The health portacabin, which is fully equipped to start operations immediately, comprises a consulting room, observation room, kitchenette, bathroom and a toilet. It is meant to support the work of the Ososa PHC, as

an outpatient unit. Others present at the commissioning included the Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on Health, Dr Tayo Lawal, representing the Commissioner for Health Ogun State, Dr. Tomi Coker; and the Executive Secretary, Ogun State PHC Development Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola among others.

L-R: President Rotary Club of Maryland; Rotarian Obafemi Obadina; Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Health, Dr Tayo Lawal; the Gbegande of Ososa-Ijebu, HRH Oba (Dr) Adetoye Alatishe; Past District Governor Rotary International District 9110 Rotarian Kola Sodipo; Past District Governor Rotary International District 9110, Rotarian (Dr) Wale Ogunbadejo

NGC Commissions Senate Mulls Passing Law to Establish FCT College Civic, Health Centres in of Nursing and Midwifery Edo Communities Olawale Ajimotokan ÓØ ÌßÔË

Adibe Emenyonu ÓØ ÏØÓØ ÓÞã The Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has commissioned and handed over a Civic Centre and a Basic Health Centre to Oben and Evboesi communities in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State. The company said the facilities were part of its promises to live up to it’s corporate social responsibility to host communities as a company. In his address, NGC Managing Director, Seyi Omotowa, who was represented by the Director, Support Services, Mrs. Uche Ossai, said the commissioning of the projects in the two communities, was the company’s contribution to the development of the communities which they cherished dearly as two of the most peace- loving communities. Omotowa said that as a company, it will continue to solicit for the communities cooperation and assistance in the maintenance of peace in order to support NGC’s business growth aspirations for the benefit of people in the two communities and Nigerians generally. “Let me reiterate that NGC will always encourage and appreciate communities that promote peace, dialogue and understanding in the resolution of any issue. This indeed, is the hallmark of our community relations engagement process. “We will appreciate direct contact with NGC Management through our Public Affairs Department on any community issues and not through a third party. Problems are better solved where there is constant communication between entities with vested interest, for the mutual benefits of all”, he said. Also, the Group General

Manager, Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Dr. Kenny Obateru, who was represented by the Manager, Community Relations, Mrs. Doris Ohia, congratulated the benefiting communities of Oben and Evboesi, for creating the enabling environment for the projects which will improve the social economic life of the people. The Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC), Farouk Usman who was represented by the General Manager (Commercial), Mrs. Chuddy Okocha, also thanked the communities for the opportunities to erect the projects in their land. He said: “Without your permission, the company, wouldn’t have been able to do this. Without you collaborating with us, there wouldn’t have been this project. I thank you for your supports. We ask that you continue to serve any other subsidiary of NNPC the same way you have served us and even better.” In an address read by the Secretary of Oben community Elders Council and the Enogie of Oben, HRH Odojijie Ogiewonyi, Mr. John Omokaro; thanked NNPC and NGC’s Management for executing the civic Centre in their land, promising to guide the civic centre jealously against vandalism and other unholy acts. According to him, “This project no doubt will help to attract our youths to relocate to the community for available jobs thereby reducing rural-urban drift.” Omokaro also noted that Oben community have experienced a lot of negative environmental impact resulting from gas flaring, gas emission and oil spillage since the inception of NGC’s operation in their domain and appealed to the oil firm to fashion ways of mitigating the impact of gas exploitation on their environment.

The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory(FCT), has considered a bill for an Act for the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory College of Nursing and Midwifery and other related matters 40 years after the College of Nursing and Midwifery Gwagwalada, has been operating without an enabling Act. Senate President, Ahmed Lawan stated this at the public hearing on the bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the FCT College of Nursing and Midwifery and other related matters. He described the bill as crucial for the development of the FCT. He was represented at the hearing by Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda. He expressed confidence

that the public hearing will allow stakeholders and the general public to make inputs and comments on the bill. The FCT College of Nursing and Midwifery started in 1981 at a temporary site in Suleja, Niger State and has since been functioning without legal backing. Stating some of the derivable benefits of the bill, Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Abubakar Kyari said the bill will provide training and research in nursing and midwifery and other specialties of nursing, leading to the award of professional certificates, diplomas and other post basic certificates and such other courses as may be approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and National Board of Technical Education. In reaction, FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello described

as a great day for FCT residents the historic move to provide the needed legislation for the age long health institution. Bello was represented by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola. He expressed his delight over the proposed bill during his presentation to the Committee on the bill for an Act to provide for the establishment of the FCT College of Nursing and Midwifery and other related matters and the bill for an Act to establish the Abuja Geographic Information Systems(AGIS) and for related matters. Canvassing reasons for members to see the need to enact enabling law for the College, the minister explained that apart from bringing efficiency and effectiveness in the management of the College, giving the School legal

framework will also open up the institution to access financial support from multilateral institutions as well as boost man power development for the health sector of the Territory. He proposed some recommendations to the bill, such as making provision prohibiting exclusion or discrimination based on race, religion, gender, among others. On the bill for an Act to establish AGIS and for related matters, he said the core function of the AGIS is to record, store and manage geospatial data on land and attributes generated by core stakeholders in land administration in digital form and therefore a passage of the bill in its present form will clash the responsibilities of existing statutory departments of the administration.

Experts Warn Sickle Cell Patients against Opioid Pain Relievers Rebecca Ejifoma The Chairman Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria (SCFN), Prof. Olu Akinyanju has warned sickle cell patients to stay away from pentazocine, an opioid pain reliever that is allegedly addictive. The chairman said this at the commemoration of the World Sickle Cell Day marked with patients and their families, which was held at the SCFN in Lagos. “Until the doctor prescribes it, don’t go to the pharmacy to buy pentazocine,” he cautioned sickle cell patients while explaining that it is very addictive. According to Akinyanju, some sickle cell patients, who became addicted after taking pentazocine, are being treated at Yaba Neuropsychiatric hospital. While noting that the drug is in oral and injectable forms, the chairman bemoaned that

the drug is available in many pharmacies. “Please be warned,” he implored, “Don’t go and take this pentazocine.” Lending her voice, the National Director and CEO of SCFN, Dr. Annette Akinsete said SCFN has written formally to the minister of health and to the commissioner for health. “We are hoping that when they have the National Council for Health meeting this should be brought up and discussed.” In her view, she described the situation of access to medication across the counter as unfortunate. “People just access medication across the counter and that should not be. “Pentazocine is an addiction and addiction is a psychiatric disorder. Some of our patients are already getting those addictions and are getting treated at Yaba.” However, Akinsete added

that one of the things SCFN is promoting is the use of nonpharmacological means of handling pain. “Many of our patients are into art - painting. There is a way you can manage pain without taking medication. There is music, yoga, and exercise. We are promoting it. Keep drugs for later.” Meanwhile, SCFN has established a cure for sickle cell disorder. “One of the things we are excited about today is that SCFN has established a bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in partnership with Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which is the cure for sickle cell even though people say it’s a disease that has no cure.” Akinsete highlighted that SCFN has made it available and accessible to Nigerians. “We are getting enquiries from other parts of the world, even

from the UK and the US,” she said. The comprehensive state of the art BMT centre, SCFN noted, aims to bring a life changing cure to Nigerians and attract foreigners. The Founder of the Sickle Cell Champion’s Club, Atinuke Adeleye, explained that the club is out to encourage persons with sickle cell disorder to live normal lives. “At the club, persons with sickle cell disorder come together to share views or ideas about the control of Sickle Cell Disorder in Nigeria,” she adds. Entertaining participants at the occasion, the SCFN distributed free medicine and foodstuffs. This was achieved with sponsors like Zolon Health Care Ltd, Shoprite, La Roche Leadership Foundation, Food Concepts, and FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc.

T H I S D AY ˾ , JULY 22, 2021

INTERVIEW

Evercare: Making Nigeria a Destination for Inbound Medical Tourism Evercare Hospital Lekki officially commenced operations of its 165-bed, purpose-built, multispecialty tertiary carefacilityinMarch2021.Withthehospital’srangeofspecialtyservices,itispositionedtobeatrustedhealthcare partnerandpreferreddestinationinNigeriaandtheWestAfricansub-regionI.Inthisinterview,Evercare’sChief Medical Officer, Dr. Ayo Shonibare speaks on the hospital’s offerings, strategy for curbing medical tourism as well as leveraging technology for quality healthcare services. Chiamaka Ozulumba brings excerpts

vercare Hospital has now started operations. Can you brieﬂy tell us about the hospital? Evercare Hospital Lekki is a 165-bed, purpose-built, multispecialty tertiary care hospital. We offer care across a range of specialty medical and surgical services. The hospital is a member of the Evercare Group, an integrated healthcare delivery platform operating in growth markets across Africa and South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria. Evercare Group’s portfolio includes 30 hospitals, 16 clinics and over 75 diagnostic centers. Evercare Hospital is wholly owned by the Evercare Health Fund, a US $1bn emerging markets healthcare fund managed by The Rise Funds and the impact investment platform of global alternative asset manager TPG. What specialties and services does the hospital offer? Can you also share your unique value proposition? Our facility in Lekki Lagos is a multi-specialty tertiary care Hospital with 165 inpatient beds and over 20 daycare beds. Evercare Hospital aims to be at the forefront of advanced clinical care in major specialties, including Mother and Child, Cardiac Sciences (including Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgeries), Oncology (Surgical and Chemotherapy), Minimal Access Surgeries (Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, and Gynaecological Surgery), Critical Care (Adult, Paediatric & Neonatal) as well as Emergency & Trauma amongst other services. Our unique value proposition revolves around the provision of quality and accessible healthcare with a team of qualified, well trained, and experienced doctors and consultants. The hospital harnesses technology as the future of healthcare and makes best use of technological developments to provide effective services to enhance quality of life, diagnostic, and treatment options. What impact will Evercare Hospital have in Nigeria? The hospital is determined to significantly improve the healthcare sector by focusing on delivering value based, accessible, high quality care that will focus on tertiary care. We will constantly innovate to ensure the delivery of best-in-class standards of patient safety, clinical excellence, and outstanding clinical outcomes with an unparalleled patient experience. Finally, with our team of dynamic and passionate team of caregivers, we are looking forward to transforming healthcare in Nigeria. The Nigerian Healthcare system is losing over $1 billon dollar to outbound medical tourism. How is Evercare planning to tackle outbound medical tourism and provide quality healthcare to Nigerians? Nigeria is one of the top contributors to the global medical tourism spend estimated at US$1.0-1.5bn annually with an average of 30,000 patients travelling abroad annually for healthcare services. With over 40% physician migration, Nigeria is also one of the leading African sources of foreign-born physicians. With our state-of-the-art, multispecialty, tertiary care hospital, the first of its kind in the Nigerian private healthcare sector, Evercare Hospital Lekki seeks to reverse this trend making Nigeria a destination for inbound medical tourism across the West African region and beyond. Also, leveraging on our access to the global Evercare platform, as well as a group of experienced Nigerian doctors in the Diaspora,

Dr. Ayo Shonibare

we have developed a robust plan for local and international training of our doctors, nurses, and allied staff. How will you describe doctor-patient relationship at Evercare Hospital? Essentially, at Evercare Hospital, we recognize that Doctor-patient relationship is a foundation of clinical care which should be built on trust. We believe that every individual has the right to respectful and compassionate

For us, quality is at the core of the hospital’s healthcare mission and a robust clinical governance process has been implemented to ensure continuous quality improvement and adherence to international standards for ethics and compliance...Innovation is at the heart of our operations to simplify processes to improve the patient experience, make best use of resources, provide better value, improve health outcomes, and expand access to care

care. We have introduced our doctors to a framework for patient experience, encouraging each caregiver to treat every patient as they would treat their own family. Our caregivers are passionate about providing patient focused care and this reflects in their attitude to the patient’s overall experience at the hospital. One of the areas of complaints by the public about healthcare in Nigeria is that it is relatively expensive. How is Evercare responding to these challenges to make healthcare more accessible? Through our scale, platform, access and innovative blended financing solutions, the hospital seeks to over time drive down the cost of healthcare delivery thereby increasing accessibility to quality healthcare. Our tariffs were carefully curated to ensure the pricing of services are highly competitive and, in most cases, outrightly lower than our competitors. Additionally, Evercare has partnered with a few local and international health insurance companies) to ensure care is provided to cash paying patients as well as patients with health insurance cover. What are the main competitive beneﬁts of Evercare Hospital Lekki services? We have numerous benefits which include but are not limited to focus on exceptional patient experience; best in class diagnostics and medical equipment; experienced doctors, nurses, and medical personnel (local as well as expatriate personnel); access to laboratory, diagnostics, outpatient, inpatient, surgical, dental, optical services all in one location; focus on patient safety and outstanding clinical outcomes; competitive pricing which offers great value for money; offer of Laparoscopic methods of surgery for quick recovery and

better pain management; various room options to suit different patient categories; and robust technology that eliminates paper records, saves time and protects patient data. Can you share some of the quality assurance structures put in place to ensure efﬁciency at Evercare Hospital to continue meeting global standards? For us, quality is at the core of the hospital’s healthcare mission and a robust clinical governance process has been implemented to ensure continuous quality improvement and adherence to international standards for ethics and compliance. What are some of the innovations Evercare Hospital Lekki seeks to harness in the future to improve wellness in Nigeria? Innovation is at the heart of our operations to simplify processes to improve the patient experience, make best use of resources, provide better value, improve health outcomes, and expand access to care. We harness technology as the future of healthcare and make best use of technological developments to provide accessible, affordable, and effective services to enhance life expectancy, quality of life, diagnostic, and treatment options. Does Evercare Hospital have any expansion plans or major projects in 2021 and beyond? The hospital was only officially commissioned in March 2021 and is the first Evercare project in West Africa. At the moment, we are looking to establish Evercare as the most trusted healthcare partner and preferred destination in Nigeria and the West African sub-region. Expansion plans may be considered in the future.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Gunmen Abduct Bayelsa SSG’s 90-year-old Mother Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa Unknown gunmen in military fatigue who were suspected to be kidnappers have again abducted the mother of the Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Mr. Kombewie Benson.

According to sources, Mrs. Betinah Benson, who is 90 years old was abducted at about 10p.m. on Tuesday at her old Assembly Quarters residence in Yenagoa, the state capital. This is the second abduction of the mother of Benson, who was also the former Speaker of the State

House of Assembly, as she was ﬁrst kidnapped in January, 2013 and released after some ransom was alleged to have been paid. Though the family is yet to issue an ofﬁcial statement, but sources close to the SSG alleged that the kidnappers have established contact with the victim’s family.

Several attempts to get comments from the SSG proved abortive as he refused take calls or respond to text messages that were sent to him. Conﬁrming the incident, the Spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command Asinim Butwats, said that police had launched a

manhunt to rescue the victim and arrest the perpetrators. A statement by the police conﬁrmed that Mrs. Benson was kidnapped on July 20, 2021, at about 23.00 hours at her residence at Old Legislative Quarters, Azikoro Road, Yenagoa. “The kidnappers, who were

dressed in military camouﬂage, stormed the residence and kidnapped the victim to an unknown destination. “The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, C.P. Mike Okoli, and other detectives have visited the scene and investigation is in progress,”the statement added.

More Corrupt Politicians will Join APC, Says ADC Chairman David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Ralphs Okey Nwosu, has said more corrupt politicians will join ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Nwosu, who spoke to THISDAY in his country home in Awka yesterday, said it was not a surprise to him that many politicians, especially in the National Assembly, have been moving in droves into the APC. He regretted that his party, which he ranked the third most popular political party in the country, lost some of its lawmakers to the ruling APC because APC has never hidden its determination to get corrupt politicians on their train. He said: “During the 2019 general election, we came third in terms of the number of votes cast for political parties in the entire

country. ADC is the party that got the third highest votes. We got 15 House of Assembly members, and save for the crooked nature of our system, ADC should have gotten about five governors. We also got seven House of Representatives members, but unfortunately, we lost two. “You know the Nigerian system, politicians go into office, and the corrupt ones among them soil their hands, and the next thing is, they want soft landing, and APC is ever ready to provide that. “This advert APC is doing everywhere, and saying once you join their party, your sins are forgiven, I find it very bizarre. They don’t mind how corrupt you are, they just want you to join their party. Oshiomhole (former APC national chairman) was the first to say that, and they have been advertising it. So, I think more politicians, especially the corrupt ones will still move to APC.”

Recommit Yourselves to National Unity, Businessman Urges Nigerians David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka Oil magnate and philanthropist, Arthur Eze, has urged Muslims and Nigerians in general to recommit themselves to national unity. Eze in a statement by his media adviser, Mr. Oliver Okpala, said Muslims should use the period of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration to think deeply about the need to shun divisive tendencies. He stated that Nigeria is better off as a big entity than thinking of disintegration. He also called

on all Nigerians to join hands to ensure that the country’s unity was maintained. The statement reads: “Eze felicitated with Muslims in Nigeria on the occasion of this year’s Eidel-Kabir, urging them to continue their prayers and support for the President Muhammudu Buhari led administration to overcome the current challenges confronting the nation. He urged Nigerians to use the season to recommit themselves to the ideals of national unity, peaceful coexistence and togetherness.

Nigerians Tasked to Sustain Pressure on N’Assembly over Election Result Sylvester Idowu in Warri Nigerians and particularly the media, have been urged to sustain the pressure on the National Assembly, federal government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the merit of electoral transmission of election results in the coming 2023 polls. Chairman, DAS Energy Services, Udu near Warri and politician, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, made the appeal yesterday in Warri, Delta State. Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly

rejected the electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act. But Onuesoke disclosed that with the rejection of electronic transmission of votes by the lawmakers, it is the duty of Nigerians and the media, as the fourth estate of the realm, to rescue the hapless masses from the oppressive representation. He described the action of APC senators in particular as an assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians, who had looked up to them for improvement in the electoral process in a manner that would engender a free, fair and credible process.

FIGHTING CORRUPTION... L-R: Programme Manager, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Oluwatomi Okeowo; Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi; Executive Director, the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, Dr. Otive Igbuzor; and representative of the Founder/Executive Director, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, during the launch of the foundations’ End-Line Report on its Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Project/Campaign Corruption Not in My Country in Abuja…recently. KINGSLEY ADEBOYE

Two killed, King, Residents Flee A’Ibom Community over Cult War Okon Bassey in Uyo Two persons were reportedly killed in Akwa Ibom community following attack by a rival cult group. The cult war reported in Udianga Enen community of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of the state, caused the residents to flee their homes just as the village head, Chief Mendie Josiah Udoekoriko, equally fled his

throne for dear life. THISDAY gathered the latest cult invasion of the community occurred Monday night as members of rival cult group said to be of the Icelaand group, led by one Oto, from Obon Ebot village, stormed the Udianga Enem community to retrieve stolen items, allegedly seized by the opposing gang in the nearby community of Obong

Ntak. Efforts to speak with the Udianga Enem village youths’ President, Udeme John, could not yield result as his phone line was not going. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a member of the Udianga Enem community youths association, said the invaders led by the Icelaand leader, “came for a truce with the

other group, Debam, led by one Samuel Jessy Okonko, popularly called ‘Angel Boy’ with a view to recovering those properties through negotiation”. “But unfortunately, scuffle ensued, leading to the death of one person while others fled”, he said, adding that the resurgence of gun violence has forced people to abandoned their farms and fled.

Congresses: APC Recommends Consensus Option to Reduce Acrimony Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the ruling party has recommended a consensus option for the election of party officials at all levels to reduce acrimony ahead of the forthcoming Congresses.

The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja. According to him, the party recommended the consensus option for the election of officials

at all levels to reduce acrimony. “For us, we have to take into consideration the need to accommodate everyone because the APC is a party for all Nigerians,” he said. Akpanudoedehe noted that the party was encouraging states to adopt the consensus arrangement

because it saves costs and reduces acrimony. He added:”That is why when you look at Article 20 of our constitution which talks about elections, the first thing there is for members to try reaching a consensus. When that fails, then you go to cast ballots.”

Dangote Refinery: NNPC Lacks Power to Borrow $3.2bn, Group Alleges The People’s Alternative Political Movement (TPAP-M), a coalition of labour and civil society organisations, has said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) lacks the power to take loan to fund the corporation’s proposed acquisition of stake in Dangote Refinery. The NNPC recently announced plans to take a loan of $3.2 billion to acquire 20 per cent in the Dangote Refinery which

is expected to be completed in 2022. It is estimated that the 20 per cent will be valued at not less than $4 billion. However, in press statement signed by Comrade Omotoye Olorode and Comrade Jaye Gaskia, a copy, which was made available to THISDAY yesterday, TPAP-M, alleged that NNPC lacks the power to take any loan to fund the planned investment. It said: “Upon a critical review

of the relevant provisions of the Constitution and other relevant statutes TPAP-M has found that the NNPC lacks the power to take a loan from financial institutions to fund the enterprise owned by a private corporate body or individual. It is pertinent to point out that the power of the NNPC to borrow is circumscribed by section 82 of the NNPC Act which provides that “The Corporation shall not, without the approval of

the National Council of Ministers, borrow any sum of money whereby the amount in aggregate outstanding on any loan or loans at any time exceeds such amount as is for the time being specified by the National Council of Ministers”. TPAP noted that from the information at its disposal the NNPC did not seek the approval of the Federal Executive Council to borrow the said sum of $3.2 billion.

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Nigerian Army Takes Military Exercise to Bandits’ Enclave in Niger Laleye Dipo in Minna In what appeared like taking the battle to the Lion’s den, the Nigerian Army has taken its two-day military exercise to Kagara, headquarters of Raﬁ Local Government Area of Niger State where bandits and

kidnappers have held sway in the last couple of months. The “training exercise” will start today and end on Thursday. It will entail the use of heavy military equipment and live bullets. A statement made available to newsmen in Minna by the Chief Press Secretary to the Niger State

Governor, Mrs. Mary Noel Berje, said: “The two-day range classiﬁcation exercise will see soldiers carryout life ﬁring of heavy guns within the period. “The general public is hereby informed that the military is carrying out a routine training exercise for

some of its soldiers around Kagara town, headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area and its environs from July 21to 22,”adding that:“The range classification exercise will see soldiers carryout life firing of heavy guns within the period. “There would be lots of noise

from gun ﬁring by the soldiers. There should be no public panic because it’s a routine military training exercise. The people around Kagara town and its environs are advised to disregard any attempt by mischief makers who may want to spread false rumour of an impending

danger.” A lot of banditry and kidnappings have taken place in Kagara and Tegina, with the most recent being the kidnap of 156 school girls and some of their teachers from the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School Tegina.

Edo Muslims Pledge to Support Oba of Benin over Return of Looted Artefacts Adibe Emenyonu in Benin-city The Chief Imam of Benin, Edo State, Alhaji Abdulfatai Enabulele, has pledged the support of the Muslim community in Edo State to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, over the alleged intention of the state government to take custody of the potential return of looted artifacts by some Europeans countries. Enabulele, who was at the Oba palace in Benin-city with some Muslims faithful to pay homage to the monarch as part of their tradition to mark the Eid-Mubarak celebration, said the Muslims were behind the Oba over the return of the looted artifacts. According to the chief Imam, “We Muslims do not support what is not right and what will cause problems. But we will support what will bring peace and

development in our community as Muslims. “That is why we are praying that anyone who will want to do anything that is not right, may God should change that person. You don’t challenge nor contest with the Oba in Benin Kingdom.” The Muslim cleric said they decried the intention of the state government to possess the artifacts through a third party when they are returned, pointing out that the Oba of Benin is the chief custodian of “our revered culture and tradition as well as the stolen artifacts wherever they are in the world.” He lamented over the “double standard of some persons in the state over the proposed return of the looted artifacts because of their personal interest and executive positions,” which he described as greed and an attempt to fuel crisis in the Benin Empire.

Plateau: Two Days after Peace Pact, Farmers’ Crops Destroyed Seriki Adinoyi in Jos Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong has described as callous, criminal, inhuman and wicked, the reported willful destruction of farm crops in some communities in the state by yet to be apprehended criminals. Lalong was reacting to a massive destruction wreaked on farmers’ crops in Kpachudu, Jebbu Miango, in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. He said, “The recent case of

such intentional decimation of farm crops in Kpachudu, Jebbu Miango in Bassa Local Government area is totally condemnable and unacceptable. From the reports, this is a carefully planned and executed act that is not only meant to provoke crisis, suspicion and instability in the area, but also render the victims poor and hungry. “What these criminals fail to understand is that such actions will eventually leave the entire state and the country with food shortages where even the perpetrators will not escape.”

Mother Narrates How 14-year-old Daughter Was Raped to Death Emameh Gabriel in Abuja Mother of 14-year old Premier Academy student, Karen-Happuch, who was sexually abused and later died of complications as a result of a condom left in her private part, has narrated the involvement of the school in the crime. This is just as she has appealed to relevant government agencies to look into the matter to unmask those behind the death of her daughter. Mrs. Vivien Akpagher, who had declined speaking with the media since the death of her daughter, told newsmen in Abuja yesterday that there is “deliberate distortion of facts and publicity stunt by Premiere Academy, Lugbe in order to preserve their business

interest without regards to the life of my daughter which they have cut short”. She said: “I named my daughter Keren-Happuch, which means God has filled my cup, but Premiere Academy, Lugbe took the cup emptied the water and broke the cup. The cup I gave to Premiere Academy full, they returned to me empty and broken. This is too much to take. My heart is in turmoil. “You would have noticed that since my daughter died, instead of the management of Premiere Academy, Lugbe allowing my family to grieve and mourn her, Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja has been preoccupied with wanting to look good to the public rather than work to bring out the rapist.

PROJECT INSPECTION... L-R: Project Manager, CCECC, Mr. Greg Williams; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Sola Agbede, during an inspection of ongoing road projects in the state… recently

Eid-el-Kabir: Bauchi Gov Charges Traditional Rulers to Combat Crimes Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has challenged traditional rulers in the state to join hands with security agencies and the state government in combating crimes in the state. The governor specifically charged the Emir of Bauchi, Rilwanu Sulaiman, to ensure that Bauchi, the state capital, is rid of all forms of crime, for peaceful coexistence of the people of the state. Mohammed, who spoke when the Emir of Bauchi led his emirate council to pay homage to the governor during this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration, urged the emir and his council

to caution their subjects to shun acts, which he said is detrimental to the peaceful coexistence in the state. According to him, “I am calling on you as a father in Bauchi State to please lend your voice to everyone in the position of authority so that there will be effective security network for peaceful coexistence in the state. “All these things (crimes) happening in the state is not pleasing (rape, robbery, indiscipline), and should be corrected for us to live in a safe environment. We thank you and your traditional rulers; imams and pastors for your wise counsel and prayers which have made it possible for us to live in a secure environment in the state.

We will continue to ensure that we assist the security agencies in order to live in a safe and secure state.” He appreciated the Bauchi traditional ruler for his kind words on his achievements since assumption of office, and promised to ensure that the traditional institution is protected and accorded the privileges it deserves. Mohammed lauded the emir for the visit, saying his administration is not unaware of the hardship faced by the majority of the populace, even as he added that he is doing everything possible to ensure that the citizens of the state are taken care of.

The governor said his government would not prioritise construction of roads or building of hospitals over the welfare of the citizens, “which is why they have paid July salary in advance for the people to enjoy the Sallah celebrations”. He promised the emir that his government would ensure that farmers in the state are provided with fertilizer for the farming season. In remarks, the emir appreciated the governor for his giant strides in changing the face of the state. The monarch said he and his council members were there to pay Sallah homage to the governor.

APC Group: How Buhari Revolutionised Aviation Sector Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja The All Progressives Congress (APC) Legacy Awareness and Campaign, a voluntary thinktank group of the ruling party, yesterday stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has revolutionised the country’s aviation industry, ‘especially in terms of investments in infrastructure and capacity-building’. The group disclosed this in a statement issued and jointly signed by former party Scribe, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu; APC National Youth Leader, Ismail Ahmed;

Presidential aide, Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi, and the Director-General of Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman. The group recalled that the Buhari-led administration in May 2016 launched its Aviation Roadmap with the aim of transforming the sector in terms of safety, infrastructure and economic viability. The statement said major highlights of the roadmap included the establishment of a national carrier, development of agro-allied/cargo terminals, concessioning of the major international airports, establish-

ment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre, establishment of an Aviation Leasing Company, Development of Aerotropolis (airport cities), establishment of an Aerospace University, designation of four international airports as Special Economic Zones, upgrade of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT). The group stressed that since the launching of the aviation roadmap, the Ministry of Aviation has focused on implementation. It said: “In terms of infrastructure, the new terminals at the

Port Harcourt, Abuja and Kano International Airports, inherited from the previous administration, have been completed, while the new Lagos terminal is close to completion. Brand new runways were constructed at the Abuja and Enugu International Airports in 2017 and 2020 respectively. “More than a dozen airports in the country have had Low Level Windshear Alert Systems (LLWAS) installed to improve flight safety. Investigations revealed that the Sosoliso and ADC plane crashes of 2005 and 2006 respectively, were caused by the absence of LLWAS in the airports.”

T H I S D AY • THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021

NEWSXTRA

Forge Strong Alliance to Tame Rising Prices, Expert Advises CBN, Fiscal Authorities Says inflation rate may rise in July Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja Former Imo State Commissioner for Finance, and the National President of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria, Professor Uche Uwaleke, has called for a strong collaboration between ﬁscal and monetary authorities to stem the spiraling prices of food and other commodities in the country.

He argued that given the major drivers of inflation in Nigeria, the federal government has a major role to play in line with the fiscal theory of the price level, noting that:“This calls for a strong handshake between the fiscal and monetary authorities.” President Muhammadu Buhari had last Monday blamed rising food prices on the destruction caused to rice farms by floods

and exploitation. In an essay:‘Near-term Inﬂation Outlook: Bleak Prognosis’, which he made available to THISDAY, Uwaleke also stated that inﬂation outlook in the near-term is bleak, adding that the 2021 budget

projects inﬂation rate at 11.95 per cent by December 2021. This projection, he argued, was most unlikely and could possibly come to fruition sometime in 2022. He said: “The public holidays

provide an opportunity to reﬂect on the capital market and economy in general. One macroeconomic indicator that readily comes to mind is the inﬂation rate, which is one of the most closely watched economic

metric by investors. “A few days ago, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a slowdown in headline inﬂation for the third consecutive month with June inﬂation rate at 17.75 percent.

Rotary Club Maryland to Build Maternal, Childcare Centre Oluchi Chibuzor In its quest to improve the quality of healthcare in the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State, the Rotary Club of Maryland in conjunction with the Chris Bamidele Onalaja Foundation (CBOF) has concluded plans to build a new maternal and childcare centre in the community. The Maternal and Childcare Centre, Amuwo-Odofin, is expected to last nine months with its completion date set for April 2022. Speaking in Lagos to journalists during the foundation laying ceremony for the new facility recently, the President of the Rotary Club of Maryland, Mr. Bamidele Onalaja, explained that the project was part of their effort to bring about change in the health sector.

Describing the project as the ‘star project’, Onalaja revealed that provisions have been made to ensure that the project becomes a reality, as key sponsors, Rotary of Maryland and CBOF, have taken into consideration that the government alone cannot solve health challenges in the state. He said: “Rotary and CBOF have come together to make this project a reality because we know the government cannot do it alone. We want to support the government to make sure that healthcare services are provided for all Lagosians and Nigerians in general. “The hospital is our star project for the Rotary of Maryland, and we are planning to deliver it within the next nine months or less.”

NDDC: Itsekiri Leader Demands Result of Forensic Audit Sunday Okobi Rights activist, and Itsekiri leader, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has demanded the result of the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), saying a new board for the commission should not be nominated until the outcome of the audit is made public. The veteran journalists and businesswoman also dismissed calls for the inauguration of the disbanded board of the commission. Lori-Ogbebor made the demands in Lagos while briefing journalists yesterday on the situation of the interventionist agency in the region. According to her, “We all have been waiting for the results of the forensic audit. We must know it,

or how else do we move on from this rot created in the NDDC? “For some time, you have witnessed the surge of demands from sponsored people, who are putting pressure on the federal government to inaugurate a new board for the NDDC. “Let me state clearly that the federal government never inaugurated any board. This can be confirmed from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). “Today, the pressure is on and ultimatums are being given to the president and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to inaugurate a new board. “This time, Akpabio, who is also desperate to keep his job, runs around to make promises to set up a new board of the NDDC.”

Kaduna Loses Traditional Ruler John Shiklam in Kaduna A first class traditional ruler in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, The Etsu Chikun, Mr. Danjuma Barde, is dead. He died in the early hours of yesterday at the 44, Nigerian Army Referral Hospital Kaduna, after a brief illness.

The President of the Gbagyi Development Association (GDA), Mr. Peter Aboki, confirmed the death of the traditional ruler in a telephone interview yesterday. Aboki said: “Yes we have loss our traditional ruler who has been having some health challenges. He died in the early hours of today, at 44, Army Hospital.”

HUMANITARIAN DEVELOPMENT... L-R: Legal Adviser, North-East Development Commission (NEDC), Mr Benjamin Wesley; representative of Minister of Humanitarian Aﬀairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mr. Sadeeq Shehu; and Executive Director, NEDC, Alhaji Goni Alkali, during the Humanitarian Development and Peace building forum in Abuja...recently ENOOCK REUBEN

Tension Rises in Bayelsa Community over Choice of King Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa There is palpable tension in Aghoro ll community of Iduwini kingdom in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, as indigenes and residents of the community went on rampage over the alleged plot by the state government to impose a king, which they alleged was disposed over financial recklessness in the community.

The protesters, who trooped out in numbers, reminded the state government, through the state Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, that their choice of King Afro Biukeme is nonnegotiable. They said Biukeme is the ruler they have unanimously chosen as the new Amananaowei of Aghoro II community. The residents warned that any attempt to tamper with their

choice would be vehemently resisted, and would definitely lead to another round of crises in the community. The protesters said their action stemmed from the information they got that the state government had allegedly concluded plans to bring back the former traditional ruler, King Ojunkonsin Ibamughan, whom they had rejected. They claimed they rejected King

Ibamughan due to his alleged corrupt system and his failure to account for over N90 million belonging to the community. The people of the community said instead of the former monarch to show remorse for what he did and tell the community on how he would refund the money, “he was boasting that he was untouchable and that he had people in government to protect him.”

Group Faults INEC over Crisis in Anambra PDP Primaries Emma Okonji and Nosa Alekhuogie Following the controversy surrounding the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, a group, the Anambra State Indigenous Lawyers Forum (ASILF), has held the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

culpable for the resulting crisis. The President of the group, Joe Nwokedi, who spoke yesterday during the Morning Show programme of the Arise News television channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, described the present situation as very pathetic, as there is a conflict of laws, orders, rulings and interest over the conduct of the primary election in the state. According to him, “The

constitution mandates INEC to monitor and be involved in any election for it to be valid, but the question now is ‘has INEC been monitoring these elections? The law is very clear; if the election isn’t monitored by INEC, such election should be declared null and void. “INEC is supposed to ask questions as well as exercise due diligence about the group inviting them for the congress, and inquire

if they are the authentic leaders of the political party. If they happen to engage in that diligent action, this issue of factional and nonfactional leadership in political parties would have been resolved even before the congress, and it is worthy to note that INEC attends the congress, and they send their representatives there. This is to prevent a re-occurrence of court cases emanating from primary elections.”

Niger APC: Sacked Chairman, Secretary Can’t Speak for us Laleye Dipo in Minna The All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger State Chapter, has said that its sacked chairman and

secretary, Mr. Jibrin Imam and Mr. Mohammed Liman, respectively cannot no longer speak for or on behalf of the party. Imam and Liman were sacked from the party in July 2020 for

alleged gross misconduct, misappropriation of funds and disregard to the constitution of the party. The Legal Adviser of the APC, Mr. Khaleel Ibrahim Aliyu, in a statement made available to

newsmen in Minna yesterday said that the clarification about the position of the erstwhile leaders of the party had become necessary following a statement in circulation purportedly authored by them.

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

THURSDAYSPORTS Team Nigeria Flag Bearer Role Excites Adekuoroye, Dreams Wrestling Gold

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

0811 181 3083 SMS ONLY

Duro Ikhazuagbe As the opening ceremony of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is barely hours away, wrestling sensation, Odunayo Adekuoroye, is excited about her role as Team Nigeria’s flag bearer. Adekuoroye who is one of country’s biggest gold medal prospects, is looking forward to the role tomorrow when Team Nigeria will join the 206 other countries scheduled to participate in the symbolic opening ceremony Match past of the biggest multi-sports fiesta globally. She regarded it as a big honour for her to be chosen to play the role for a country of over 200 million people. The 56kg wrestler said: “The

TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS news of my role at the Games came to me as a shock. I am so happy to be chosen and I will do my best both for the flag bearer role and in the events proper. “I have people here around me putting me through. Aunty Funke (Oshonaike) has played that role two or three times and I’m talking to her to put me through on the expectations. “It is a big honour and I am so elated. I can’t wait to lead the team out on Friday,” gushed Adekuoroye who is getting all the tips on how to Win her event from Daniel Igali who won Olympic wrestling gold medal for Canada at the Sydney 2000 Games. On the wrestling event proper, Adekuoroye said she

was working hard to be at her best at the games. “We have many other top wrestlers with similar aspirations here in Tokyo but I am focused to go all the way,” pledged wrestler who is ranked top most in her category globally. Adekuoroye, who reached the quarterfinals at the last Olympic Games in Rio however have her focus on the ultimate silverware: the gold medal. “I find myself often thinking about how the gold medal will be represented to me… my dream is finally coming true. “I can’t wait to experience that moment and make history as the first African woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling,” Adekuoroye stressed .

Table tennis players practicing at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium yesterday ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games starting oﬃcially tomorrow PHOTO: Getty Images

NPFL: Akwa Utd Inch Close to First Title with Six Points Lead

Odunayo Adekuoroye...excited selected as Team Nigeria’s ﬂag bearer in tomorrow’s opening ceremony match past

Super Eagles’ AFCON 2021 Opponents to Emerge Next Month Femi Solaja with agency report After over one month postponement, the much-awaited draw ceremony for next year’s AFCON tournament will now hold next month, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the development yesterday. The final draw for the premier continental football event was to hold on 25th of June but was postponed due to some logistics reasons at the last minute but the Secreatry General of CAF, Mosengo-Omba, last night confirmed that the ceremony will hold in Yaounde, Cameroon on the 15th of August. Nigeria is among the 24 countries to be placed in six groups of four teams for the group phase of the tournament. “The draw will take place during the first half of August. And now we have confirmed the 15th of August and hoping that all things will come up according to plans,” the CAF scribe stated in a Morocco World News report. The scribe also denied any intention to relocate the AFCON 2021, confirming that

the competition will indeed take place in Cameroon. “AFCON will be organized here in this country (Cameroon) in January next year," he noted as he expressed his wish for a successful tournament. “We have to work together to deliver an AFCON that will be the first of its kind in the continent,” Mosengo-Omba stated. The Secretary-General

congratulated Cameroon for its level of preparedness to host the continental competition. The tournament, which was scheduled to take place between January and February 2021, was moved to between January 9 and February 6, 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the new 24-team format, the winners and the runner-ups of each group will advance to the

round of 16 along with the four best-ranked third-placed teams. Super Eagles of Nigeria, placed third at the last edition held in Egypt and would be seeding alongside defending champions, Fennec of Algeria, host Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, runners up at the last edition, Teranga Lions of Senegal, Pharaohs of Egypt and Atlas Lions of Morocco complete the list of top seeds.

Akwa United have opened up a six-point at the top of the NPFL following a comfortable 3-0 home win over Warri Wolves With four rounds of matches to the end of the season, ‘The Promise Keepers’ now have 64 points from 34 matches. Striker Charles Atsimene grabbed a brace for the Uyo club. Closest rivals Nasarawa United and Kano Pillars both lost on the road. Nasarawa United fell 3-2 at Lobi Stars, while Pillars went down 2-0 to Enugu Rangers. Nasarawa United have 58 points, same as Pillars, who have a game in hand. Nasarawa United and Kano Pillars will be plugged down from second and third spots in the event of Enyimba defeating FC IfeanyiUbah in Nnewi today. Rangers close in on Rivers United with a point now separating the pair after the Pride of Rivers lost 1-2 away to Jigawa Golden Stars. Lobi Stars are seventh as they wait the outcome of Kwara United's fixture against Wikki Tourists today. At the Agege Stadium, MFM FC defeated former champions Plateau United 3-1. MFM took control of the game late in the first half with Akanni Elijah firing home. He doubled his side’s advantage in the 65th minute. Buhari Ibrahim reduced the deficit for Plateau United in

the 71st but Tunde Azeez made the maximum points safe for the hosts three minutes later. In Okigwe, Abia Warriors recorded a 2-1 win against Heartland in the oriental derby. Paul Samson put the home team ahead on 16 minute, while Yakubu Hammed scored the second goal in the 39th minute. Chijoke Akuneto reduced the deficit two minutes before the break. Sunshine Stars were held to a 0-0 draw by Katsina United in another game. Jigawa Golden Stars' victory sees Sunshine Stars crash back into the relegation zone while FC IfeanyiUbah, Warri Wolves and Adamawa United have their situation unchanged at the bottom.

MATCH DAY 34 Jigawa GS

2-1 Rivers Utd

MFM FC

3-1 Plateau Utd

Akwa Utd

3-0 W’ Wolves

Abia Warriors 2-1 Heartland Rangers

2-0 Kano Pillars

Sunshine

0-0 Katsina Utd

Lobi Stars

3-2 Nasarawa

TODAY Kwara Utd

v Wikki

Dakkada

v Adamawa

Ifeanyiubah

v Enyimba

Antetokounmpo Leads Bucks to First NBA Title in 50 Years Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points as the Milwaukee Bucks claimed their first NBA title for 50 years with a 105-98 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks' 4-2 series win was sealed in front of a 17,000 crowd as 65,000 celebrated outside the Fiserv Forum. They are only the fifth team to win the best-of-seven finals series after losing their first two matches. "I'm happy I was able to do it with this team for Milwaukee," said Antetokounmpo born to Nigerian immigrant parents in

Greece. His name was anglicized from Adetokunbo by Greek authorities when issuing him his first passport. The Suns were seeking a first NBA crown in their 53-year history, having also lost NBA Finals series in 1976 and 1993. However, they were unable to contain Antetokounmpo, who became only the seventh player to register 50 points in a Finals game. It was also the third game in the series in which the 26-year-old has managed at least 40 points and 10 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo matches the feat of Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon by collecting a regular season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and NBA defensive player of the year awards. "I want to thank Milwaukee for believing in me. I want to thank my team-mates for playing hard with me," Antetokounmpo said. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer described the Greek forward as "a special human being". "I've learned so much from him. He's a special leader," he said.

"These players are champions every day. They've embraced getting better every day." Budenholzer was only four years old when NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led the Bucks to their only previous NBA tile in 1971, when some of the current players' parents had not been born. Unlike the 2020 NBA Finals which were played without fans, the Bucks' win kicked off a wild party inside the arena and on the streets of Milwaukee. More than 10% of the city's

population, crowded together in the Deer District outside Fiserv Forum, with some fans waiting in line for five hours before the game to ensure they would have seats. Isaiah Tyler, a 43-year-old painter who was born and raised in the city, said: "This is history. I grew up here and have gone to a lot of lousy games - so this is the pay-off." "Milwaukee is a very segregated city, so to see us all together, all races, for one cause, this is how the world should be."

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION EME AWA: A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE! But everything changed one morning when on arriving campus, Awa noticed some strange developments. “Now there were massed all the Yoruba staff and students on one side, demanding that Njoku must go, and on another side the Igbo staff and students massed up, chanting that, Njoku must stay. Some major national politicians of both Igbo and Yoruba origin were seen coordinating the shouting prowess of each group. Soon enough the conflicting groups on the campus engaged in a scuffle in which Mike Adeyemi (a lecturer) was injured. Because of his prominence, Ben Nwabueze was fingered by the Yoruba group as the culprit who had inflicted the injury on Mike. Nobody who knew Ben well enough could believe that he would want to hurt a fly but everybody in the opposition group ‘saw’ him as he lashed out at Mike. When the case opened in the court, Mike appeared there fully swathed in bandages which looked as if they had been tainted by some blood. I wondered about the matter in some vague sort of manner, asking myself whether indeed there was beneath those bandages any injury worth talking about. The court however decided the case against Ben.” With the university closed and Balewa staying out of the fray, all lecturers of Igbo descent took a decision to resign if Njoku was not to be reappointed. Let’s continue the story from Awa: “The Igbo leaders firmly supported the resignation move. The staff, apart from the two hawks, wanted a face-saving measure desperately. Could somebody, Hausa, or Yoruba, tell us, even in a perfunctory manner, not to resign? Nobody obliged and our discussions assumed a gloomy look as the days went by. I approached a Yoruba man and requested him to take me to Dr Shodeinde, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, so that I could discuss the issues with him. For more than one hour I tried to persuade Dr Shodeinde to make some appeal on our behalf on the question of resignation. That would be the face-saver that we needed. No matter how I framed the statement, his reply was always ‘no’. What about inducing some other members of the Council to take this action? The reply was still ‘no.’ He explained to me that he was reliably informed that the primary objective of the Igbo group in the conflict was to destroy the university by leaving it abruptly. He had been further informed that we had signed the resignation letter on the first day when the students barricaded the gates. He was not properly informed as no date had been put to the letter of resignation. “Later, a Lagos woman told me that we were wasting our time and that the Council would never accept Njoku again. She explained that Dr Shodeinde and the other members of the council considered Njoku to be too arrogant and tended to treat the Nigerian members of the Council with contempt. But an Ekiti friend dismissed this! His explanation was as follows: The Egba people were the first Nigerians to acquire Western education and to hold important appointments in the colonial service. On attainment of independence, they felt that an Egba person should have been appointed to one of what they considered the critical positions in the country, namely, the post of Governor-General (later President), Prime Minister, Vice-Chancellor at Ibadan, or Lagos. They lobbied other Yoruba people successfully on this matter, especially when they argued that it was unjust to let two Igbo scholars head the two federal universities in the south. They were now vigorously pushing forward Saburi Biobaku as the Vice-Chancellor to succeed Njoku.” When entreaties failed and Njoku was not reappointed, all lecturers of Igbo descent left the University of Lagos. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), according to Awa, was instructed by the Southeast regional political leaders to receive all staff and students emigrating from Lagos. Njoku and the ‘UNILAG refugees’ were soon joined by the ‘Ibadan refugees’ when, following the coup d’état of January 1966, Igbo people fled different parts of the country. “Since Eni Njoku had taken over as the Vice-Chancellor at UNN, Kenneth Dike, Vice-Chancellor at Ibadan who also exited from Ibadan, had some problem on his hands: He would not settle at UNN and serve merely as a lecturer (two captains in one boat?) and so requested the region to establish another university for him.” Amid these developments, Awa said he never felt comfortable at UNN where the image of Zik (with whom he had an acrimonious relationship) loomed large. Reprieve soon came from the University of Ife where the VC, Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, offered him (Awa) a professorship. Before he could take up the offer, the University of Lagos also sent him a message that he (Awa) had been assessed successfully for promotion to a full professorship and he should feel free to return and assume the appointment. Awa decided to return to the University of Lagos

Babangida and he explained why. “My motivation was three-fold. In the first place, I assumed that the disturbances in the nation would subside soon enough, and I could constitute a bridgehead for enabling other eastern academics to take up appointments again at UNILAG. In the second place, I wanted to get myself into General (Aguiyi) Ironsi’s kitchen cabinet in Lagos and be able to advise him on the dangers likely to flow from his Decree No. 34; the composition of his advisory group (virtually all were Igbo), and the promotions he made, as at the time, in the military establishments. Thirdly, I considered Lagos a vantage point from which I could work with many other interest groups on national issues. “My attempts to meet General Ironsi were in vain. He informed those close to him that he had no intention of listening to the advice of any Igbo person other than those already working for him. As things happened, I was on my way to make the last attempt at meeting him when I heard the rumour about his murder. Lagos became almost totally chaotic, and the lives of Igbo people were not safe at all. The debate about what was to be done went on throughout the country: form a confederation of the regions, let the Igbo people alone go their own way or let the Eastern Region secede? I was fanatically attached to the idea of a Nigerian Federation and did not allow the atrocities committed by various people to push me towards the option of secession. I wrote a long letter to Colonel O. Ojukwu, Military Governor of the Eastern Region.” Readers will find Awa’s letter and his counsel

for Ojukwu insightful. “When some friends of mine at the American Embassy got to know about this letter, they asked me again and again about a reply from the Colonel. At their insistence, I sent a reminder. Actually, I did not expect a reply. Rather I thought it might be possible for my views to influence the decisions being made. I was aware of the point that if secession did occur, the letter might put me in the category of the presumed unpatriotic Biafrans. But that was a chance that one had to take. “The soldiers, unmindful of the socio-political consequences of their action, continued to attack and kill one another and many civilians. By September/October 1966, law and order had broken down completely in Lagos. Every morning and afternoon I would settle to determine which route to take from my house in Itire Road, Surulere, Lagos, to UNILAG at Akoka and back home. On which road would I encounter no soldiers or only a minimum number of soldiers? My wife gave birth to a baby boy on the first of October 1966 and my mother-in-law came to stay with us. Every time a vehicle screeched to a halt on Itire Road near my house, my mother-in-law would shout: ‘Professor, they have come. Run for your life.’ “Then one day a cousin of mine told me that soldiers were actually searching offices for Igbo people and one junior lecturer had jumped through his window to escape. Victor Adu (a senior lecturer) gave me shelter for two days and then I went to UNN like a prodigal son and asked Njoku to allow me to return there. Very graciously he said, ‘Go and collect your

I assumed that the disturbances in the nation would subside soon enough, and I could constitute a bridgehead for enabling other eastern academics to take up appointments again at UNILAG. In the second place, I wanted to get myself into General (Aguiyi) Ironsi’s kitchen cabinet in Lagos and be able to advise him on the dangers likely to ﬂow from his Decree No. 34; the composition of his advisory group (virtually all were Igbo), and the promotions he made, as at the time, in the military establishments.

family and come back. This is the only place where we all are safe now.’ He sounded like a leader of the early Christian sects in times of persecution.” Awa spent the civil war years in his (Ohafia) village where his car was stolen by Biafran soldiers and the bicycle he bought to replace it forcefully confiscated by Nigerian soldiers who beat him mercilessly. Even at that, his perspective on the civil war years is quite different from many others that I have read though the fact that this book was completed 26 years ago, without opportunity to filter the content with current events in the country, may explain why. But this summation from his Biafra recollection is very apt on the Nigerian condition: “Within the campus we had scientists and technologists who had ingeniously devised means of refining petroleum and also produced the Ogbu N’igwe (a special type of bomb or missile made by Biafrans). They could have turned out to be great scientists and technologists of world standing if they had been encouraged to continue their work. Not only were they not encouraged to continue their work but were also deliberately frustrated so that they could not resume their normal teaching duties. This was a great loss to the nation. But I believe that it was not merely because the people concerned were Igbo. Had the position been reversed and the scientists been from other ethnic groups, I think that this type of treatment would have been meted out to them. The point is that temperamentally the country was not, perhaps is not, ready yet to make deliberate efforts to foster greatness among its citizens. The veto mentality is too deeply ingrained in the minds of the leadership groups.” Meanwhile, the journey that took Awa to national limelight started at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) which was established in 1979 “to serve as a centre for high-level reflection, research and discussion for Nigerian intelligentsia drawn from the public service, the private sector, the academic community, the military and the police.” The subjects dealt with at NIPPS, according to Awa, “cover policy and strategic studies, defence and security, science and technology, social studies (domestic, regional and international) and economic planning. Admission into the course of studies is severely limited. The level of previous achievements of acceptable participants is quite high: directors-general or directors in the public service and the equivalent positions in the private sector; colonels and their equivalent in other arms of the service; senior lecturers or their equivalent among the non-academic staff of the universities, etc. Training in the Institute for the military people is an open sesame to promotion to the higher ranks.” Following a famous lecture Awa delivered at NIPSS which analysed the Nigerian political system, he was asked to take up appointment as Director of Studies at NIPSS the moment he retired from UNN in 1982. “In an Institute where professors in the universities can come to acquire more knowledge in the areas of the subjects covered, it is understandable that for me and other staff, academic work would be continued on a high level.” But the unique thing about NIPSS, according to Awa, was bringing together leaders and potential leaders of the country. “The NIPSS people formed themselves into an Alumni Association, which some people refer to today as the Kuru Mafia because of its secretive methods,” wrote Awa who believe that NIPSS has not fulfilled its mission in Nigeria, despite conceding that great individual friendships were forged at Kuru. “It was there that Professor Omo Omoruyi and Brigadier Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) met in the First Senior Executive course in 1979 and remained friends after that. When the coup d’etat of 1983 occurred, IBB was made Chief of Army Staff. Babangida informed Omoruyi he would like the military regime to install a new social order in Nigeria. He requested Omoruyi to recommend to him two political scientists who were good and could help work out plans for the new social order. Omoruyi recommended me and A.D. Yahaya. So, Babangida, Omoruyi, Yahaya and I were to plan the new social order.” But nothing came of the idea apparently because neither the then Head of State, Major General Muhammadu Buhari nor his late deputy, Brigadier Tunde Idiagbon seemed interested. However, when Babangida toppled Buhari and took over power in August 1985, “he seemed to renew his interest in the attempt to install a new social order in Nigeria,” wrote Awa. “Omoruyi, Yahaya, myself, and often (Tunji) Olagunju, met frequently with him to discuss the issues involved. The salient issues that he raised included the following: the number of political parties for the country, the nature of the political class, the need for a self-reliant society, Continued on page 47

THURSDAY, ͺͺ˜ ͺ͸ͺ͹ ˾ T H I S D AY

BACK PAGE CONTINUATION EME AWA: A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE!

how to establish a polity that could achieve world power status, the rule of consultation and debate in governance.” In their discussions with Babangida, Awa said he saw three types of forces at play that would eventually militate against the success of the administration. “One was the traditional military authoritarianism, which also impeded Buhari’s success. Another was Babangida’s involvement with the quasifeudal forces of the caliphate group of which he became some sort of adopted member through his connections with Alhaji (Ibrahim) Dasuki. The third was a strand of the Latin tide of thought in Babangida. He seemed to have spent some time studying Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ through his contacts with some academics and some highly educated military men.” Babangida, according to Awa, saw multiparty system as the source of chaos and disorder in Nigerian politics. “His preference was for a single-party system located in the extreme right-wing of the political spectrum. He did not spell out in so many words the ideological position which he favoured because he did not want to alienate me and Yahaya whom he knew as left-wingers. I devoted some time trying to assess him and his ideas. I felt that perhaps I knew less about him than did Omoruyi and Yahaya. I assessed him in the following way: He was not essentially concerned with the question of economic development but rather with macro-growth of the economy, which could render the nation strong, self-reliant, and powerful. Problems of social justice could be swept neatly under the carpet. There would be powerful interest/pressure groups such as traditional rulers, religious leaders, economic and financial groups which would easily buy any right-wing policies to satisfy him and enrich themselves.” By early 1986, Babangida established the Political Bureau. “I believe the idea was derived partly from the discussion we held with him. He may also have held similar discussions with some members of the bureaucracy and derived some ideas from these also. Tunji Olagunju, Adviser to the President, was generally with us although perhaps not one of us…I thought he retained Olagunju (from the Buhari regime) because of his intimate knowledge of the presidency. In my view, looking back now, neither Omoruyi nor Olagunju tended generally to play the sycophant to Babangida in the handling of crucial matters of state policy, but Babangida had several centres of power and in crucial matters ultimate advice seemed to come from his kitchen cabinet group. The point, however, is that Babangida and the four of us worked out the composition of the Bureau as follows: Awa, Yahaya, Tunde Adeniran, Oye Oyediran, Pascal Bafyau, Edwin Madunagu, Haroun Adamu, Sam Oyovbaire, Bala Takaya, Amma Ogan and an executive known as Abdullah Augi. Amma Ogan hails from the same state as myself. “After we had constituted the Bureau, some strange developments occurred. Two men, both highly placed in Babangida’s administration and close to him, made moves to upset the composition of the Bureau. One was in the police. The other was in the army. Both men approached Babangida and requested him to drop me as chairman of the bureau on the grounds that they did not want an Igboman to head such an important and delicate organisation since it was not so long ago that the Igbo made war on Nigeria. They specifically wanted someone from their own state to be included and to have S.J. Cookey as the Chairman of the Bureau. For them this meant that they had secured representation of the minorities in the East. I later learnt that equitable representation was not an important consideration with these people. They had thought that heavy allowances would be paid to members of the Bureau and the idea of sharing the cake was uppermost in their minds. Some other ethnic/religious groups got wind of the sharing of the cake and foisted their candidates on Babangida. When the announcement was subsequently made, I knew for the first time on the radio that I was no longer Chairman of the Bureau. On the day of the announcement, the composition of the Bureau was shown as follows: All the original members as mentioned above but excluding Amma Ogan. The new names added were Ibrahim Halilu, Mrs Hilda Adefarasin, Hajia Rahmatu Abdullahi, Okon Uya, M. Zahradeen, Ola Balogun and S.J. Cookey as the Chairman. The chairmanship did not matter to me as much as the fickleness of the President in succumbing to the pressures indicated above. But I got over the matter quickly and concentrated on the assignment itself.” Awa’s insights on the workings of the bureau, how they arrived at their conclusions, the subsequent interactions with Babagida on the direction his mind was working are quite revealing. Perhaps more enjoyable is the account of his relationship with Dr Edwin Madunagu,

Omoruyi “an extreme left-wing radical” whom he said distrusted him (Awa) and anybody he considered to be close to the military. “Then one thing led to another and Madunagu left the Bureau and never returned. That was a pity for I had begun to enjoy his posturing as the spokesman of the masses.” As a member of the ‘Intellectual Quartet’ (my description) around Babangida comprising of himself, Omoruyi, Yahaya and Olagunju, the appointment of Awa as NEC chairman was no surprise. At about the same period, Babangida also sent Omoruyi to pioneer the Centre for Democratic Studies and Yahaya to the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) as Director General. But the relationship with Awa began to sour shortly after the December 1987 local government election with problems in 312 wards out of 5,024 in the country. “Entirely relying on its own findings and without prompting from aggrieved persons, NEC cancelled the elections in these 312 wards and directed that they be repeated,” wrote Awa but that was not enough to pacify those who were already looking for ways to oust him. Disputing the claim by Babangida in a TELL magazine interview that he (Awa) was removed because he was too old to carry on the burden of administering NEC and that he was confused when grilled at the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) meeting over the report of the local government elections of 1987, Awa wrote: “Let me state first of all that many important members of the AFRC were hostile towards me. Three of these people demanded that I should pay to the AFRC about 20% of the funds I was controlling at NEC. They referred to this as the shareholders’ dividend. They said they wanted somebody who would play ball with them. As I could not fulfill this request, I was sure that I could be removed anytime. “There was secondly a group that wanted me to be removed so that a Yoruba man could take over and thus pave the way for an alignment of the Hausa/Fulani groups and the Yoruba after military rule. Thirdly, there were Babangida and Aikhomu, whose impartial standing on the debate I could not take for granted. Both had felt that it would be better for me to be removed. Further, there was no question of grilling me. The report I made before the AFRC was straightforward. The election in 93.8% of the constituencies was fair, free, and successful and it was only in Lagos State and in Onitsha that we encountered problems. Despite these figures, some members of the AFRC stated openly that it meant that the politicians had won the day and the military would never be able to clean up the system. I did not accept that the politicians had won the day. “I explained the broad arrangement that NEC would make for the re-election scheduled for 26th March 1988. I had before then informed Babangida and Aikhomu of the threat letter (reproduced in the book) which implied that serious efforts would be made by some unknown

groups to sabotage the March re-election. Both dismissed the threat as the handwork of crackpots. I had the problem of deciding how much information I should give to the AFRC regarding the strategies I would adopt in handling the re-election. I did not have any doubt in my mind that whatever I disclose would promptly be transmitted to the sabotage groups. All the groups opposed to me looked forward to March 26 (1988) as a kind of waterloo for me. If the re-election failed, the chairman of NEC must go. Babangida, Aikhomu, Olu Falae and others accepted this view.” Even though the election went without any hitch despite the hurdles placed on his ways, Awa knew he was a marked man. One man who wanted him out desperately was Chief Olu Falae who started out as Secretary to the Federal Government before becoming Finance Minister. Falae, according to Awa, was scheming to be the civilian president after Babangida and was intent on blocking anybody he thought would not play his game. But there were other forces at play within the military, including a member of the AFRC who allegedly faulted him (Awa) for not giving 20% of a total of N200 million worth of contracts by INEC to them to share. Eventually, a man (name withheld by me) who contested the 1987 elections for the chairmanship of a local government in Benue State and lost, filed a court action, making allegations of impropriety in the conduct of the elections. He later withdrew the action from court and then petitioned NEC about the elections on grounds that the elected chairman failed to satisfy the residency requirement at the time of the elections in 1987. NEC set up a committee to investigate the matter and to recommend what should be done. “On 2nd February 1989, (name withheld) met me in the office and stated that the report, which he had apparently seen, did not favour him. He was clutching a paper which he handed over to me. In the paper, he made false, malicious, and essentially frivolous accusations against me relating to the handling of some funds. He demanded to be appointed chairman of the local council otherwise he would cause the fabrications to be published. I could not possibly submit to such blackmail, and I informed him so. In the next few days, I managed to trap him into speaking on tape where he repeated a lot of the issues he had raised originally, and he also uttered a threat to my life. I made a full report of the goings-on together with the tape record to the authorities, but no action was taken against the man. “On 19th March 1990, Godwin Daboh’s scandal sheet published blatantly libelous materials against me, making accusations which were absolutely false. I believe strongly that the whole episode was contrived by Dodan Barracks in retaliation for the report I made about the wrongdoing of a managerial staff of NEC,” whom he described as a relation of the president. Awa also detailed several intrigues with Babangida who reportedly played one

group against the other, telling him one thing and telling other people another before his (Awa’s) eventual removal from office. Documented in Awa’s memoir are many stories, including his role in the creation of Katsina and Akwa Ibom states, the encounters he had with the late Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola (for whom he wrote many briefs after the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections) as well as his perspectives on why Nigeria’s federal structure may not work, how the minorities are disadvantaged in the country etc. While I urge Mrs. Awa to get a proper publishing house that will have the book printed in a manner that is appealing and available, including on Kindle, the memoir is a significant addition to the literature on Nigeria’s political development. As I write this column, I received a WhatsApp message credited to the late Chief Richard Akinjide, Minister of Education in the First Republic and Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister in the Second Republic. Since we live in an age in which people write their fancy and attribute it to others, I wasn’t so sure of its genuineness. Attributed to a speech Akinjide made on 12th June 2000 at the public presentation of the book, ‘Fellow Countrymen-The Story of Coup D’etats in Nigeria’, by Richard Akinnola, I called Mr Akinnola and he confirmed its authenticity. Incidentally, Awa fingered Akinjide, “who had some Igbophobia strain in him” as the person who insisted on the removal of Njoku as VC at the University of Lagos in 1965. But in this instance, Akinjide spoke about the complexity of Nigeria, the ethnic relations as well as his own reading of the North-South divide, despite playing a prominent role in Nigeria. “Our problems did not start yesterday. It started about 1894. Lord Lugard came here about 1894 and many people did not know that Major Lugard was not originally employed by the British government. He was employed by companies. He was first employed by East Indian Company, then by the Royal East African Company and then by the Royal Niger Company. It was from the Royal Niger Company that he transferred his services to the British government. Unless you know this background, you will not know the root causes of our problems. The interest of the Europeans in Africa and indeed in Nigeria was economic and it’s still economic.” What flows from Akinjide’s thesis, and the memoir of Awa, is that we are yet to build a nation out of the disparate unions cobbled together by Lord Lugard, acting at the behest of the British colonial overlords. Our First Republic leaders were too suspicious of one another to create a nation. The military only compounded our problem with their coups and countercoups. Now, the responsibility on what kind of society we want to build rests with the current generation and there are no easy options. But to pretend that we have no problem is to continue living in denial. More distressing is the fact that we are not even engaging any of the challenges that stare us in the face. Which is why I understand the cynicism by those who argue that even if we restructure, not much will change if the same mindset and leadership failures persist. So restructuring is not the magic wand that some people are marketing, it comes with hard work and a new attitude to nation-building. In recent months, I have made several contributions to Ransom Support Funds being raised by people I know to pay kidnappers—evidence of the fact that we are now in a very bad place as a nation. In a brilliant piece in ‘London Observer’ last weekend, Kenan Malik warned that the current turmoil in South Africa is a demonstration of a “phenomenon we are witnessing in different ways and in degrees of severity across the globe: the old order breaking down, with little to fill the void but sectarian movements or identity politics.” While the judicial travails of former President Jacob Zuma may have triggered the mayhem, what is driving it, according to Malik, is a “combination of people made desperate by poverty and hunger, gangsters seeking to profit from mayhem and political activists settling scores.” We saw a little bit of that last year when the EndSARS protests were hijacked by hoodlums, and it is a warning about the looming danger if we imagine we can muddle our way through the current crisis without interrogating the existing structure that is founded largely on sharing the ever-shrinking ‘National Cake’ at a period our population is ballooning and opportunities are shrinking. In all, I find in Awa’s memoir a disturbing history of Nigeria, even if from the perspective of one man. But the central thesis in his conclusion is that “the philosophical foundation of our political system must be rooted in humanism and be geared toward action, which can promote the dignity of all our men and women of all ages as well as the free enterprise system.”

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Book Your COVID-19 Tests & Vaccinations TEXT

‘COVID’ TO 58123

This service is provided in association with accredited service providers

UT H

& RE A S O

Price: N250

MISSILE Yul Edochie to Nigerians “Some people are sending me messages begging me to show them where they can do money rituals. Na film I dey act. Just like American action films where one man will defeat a whole city of bad guys. Na storyline be that; E no dey happen. Is it now a crime to be a good actor?” –Nollywood actor, lamenting how wealth seekers flood his social media handles to ask him questions about money rituals

OLUSEGUNADENIYI Eme Awa: A Voice from the Grave! THE VERDICT

olusegun.adeniyi@thisdaylive.com

he bombshell memoir of the late Eme Awa, a professor of political science and former chairman of the National Electoral Commission (NEC), was completed 25 years ago in December 1995 and six years before his death in March 2000. Mrs. Selome Awa (Mummy Awa as we call her) published it posthumously. I was availed a copy ahead of its presentation. It tells a compelling story of the political journey of Nigeria before and after independence, the mutual ethnic suspicions that ultimately led to the civil war, the mismanagement of our diversity by the military, the incursion of tribalism into the academic community and of course the ‘transition’ to civil rule programme of General Ibrahim Babangida in which Awa played a critical role. Some may remember his controversial removal as NEC Chairman as well as the drama of how his name was displaced at the last minute by J.S. Cookey as chair of the 1986 Political Bureau. Describing his memoir as “hurdles of consciousness from my being an Ohafia person through various levels of growth – Ohafia Clan, Bende Division, Igbo ethnic group and finally Nigeria”, the late Awa said his experience allowed him to see serious structural defects in our country which he attributed to “the lack of moral code or ethos that binds all Nigerians together.” He argued that “even today (1995 that is) if one went into the inner recesses of many villages, one could find many people who, if told that they are Nigerians, may well ask: ‘Really?’ That emotional bond, the feeling that we are all fellow citizens and therefore entitled to certain basic or minimum rights, does not exist in the minds of many people.” That, he explained, was why he titled the memoir, ‘My Journey to Nigeria’, suggesting that we need to move “from the inchoate state to a highly integrated political system.” Awa, who would have been 100 years old in December this year, returned to Nigeria in 1955 from the United States with a doctorate degree in Political Science. At different epochs he held important positions in academia as well as public service. That is what makes his memoir fascinating. But let me begin with an anecdote taken towards the end of the book. After recounting several unpleasant experiences under Babangida, Awa wrote of an incident that happened a few years after his removal as NEC chairman: “During an interview I gave to a reporter, I mentioned one of the issues discussed above and informed the reporter that I wanted the matter off the record at least in the meantime.

Awa The young woman apparently possessed of a fertile brain, and because of this reservation, she gave the whole interview the title of: ‘If I open my mouth, this country will burn’…other newspapers gleefully followed in the wake of her brilliant ‘innovate’ reporting. Anybody who makes even a cursory content analysis of my writing and speeches will easily see that I could never have spoken in the ‘EnglishIgbo’ language to reporters. Later, however, I began to feel that anytime I opened my mouth before reporters, they might put fire into it.” Given how history is often conveniently distorted to create the impression of a glorious past in relation to our current challenges, the present state of our country begs a larger question about the place of memoirs such as Awa’s. While I remain a proponent of restructuring the country because the system is just not working for the majority of our people, I do not belong to the school that frames the argument as a North-South affair. Or that the First Republic was a model to which we can return. If there is anything I have taken from Awa’s memoir, it is a reminder that the mismanagement of the past led us to where we are today. We must therefore engage in genuine conversation (as opposed to the current shouting match) if we are to reposition our country for peace and prosperity. We must envision a better

future. The proposition that allocating every ethnic group in Nigeria their own fiefdom will bring peace and equity is not supported by empirical evidence. And Awa made that very clear by his own experience. “When the composition of NEC was announced, many things happened all at once, calling attention to the relatively ‘raw’ nature of Nigerian politics. I was the first person from a majority ethnic group (Igbo) to be appointed chairman of the electoral commission. There was some major rumbling from Anambra State as to why such an honour coming to the Igbo for the first time should have gone to Imo and not Anambra,” Awa wrote. “Inside Imo, there was a minor rumble. Why should Awa be appointed to this position when it was known that he hailed from the Aro-Chukwu/Ohafia local government area?” But of course, Awa’s biggest challenge at that period was that “a small Yoruba clique objected to my appointment and took steps soon afterwards to have me removed.” A decade later, Awa again experienced what he described as the “stratification of the Igbo society along clan lines” when his appointment as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria (UNN) was resisted, although there was also another angle to that. As a student at Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, in the late 1940’s, Awa was President of the Nigerian Students Association in the USA and Canada and some of the actions during this period brought him “near conflicts with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)” that threatened him with deportation. But the real battles he fought were with Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe over scholarship funds from ‘Ohafia Improvement Union’ that were deposited with the African Continental Bank (ACB) which, according to Awa, were never remitted. It is an interesting recall that defined Awa’s acrimonious relationship with Zik and Mbadiwe. Although Awa said he and Mbadiwe eventually made up, it is evident that he and Zik were, to put it mildly, unfriendly throughout their lives. He had a lot to say about Zik in the book, mostly unflattering. Zik, according to Awa, “had a pitifully false image of dissenters as invertebrate enemies and this coloured his attitude towards those who disagreed with him on any subject on grounds of logic and ethics.” Meanwhile, Awa’s perspective on the political leaders in the country before and after independence goes against popular grain. He said when “the confrontation between the major leaders grew bitter, I became apprehensive of

Many thanks, ‘Run Club, Abuja’

n March this year, I shared briefly the story of how the idea to help some children within the vicinity of our house has become a cause for my wife (Amatala and Other ‘Unforgotten’ Children | THISDAYLIVE). My wife and I have benefitted immensely from the generousity of far too many friends. When about three weeks ago, my friend and younger brother, Buchi Onyegbule reached out to my wife on behalf of the ‘Run Club, Abuja’ (a fitness & lifestyle club) to inquire about what NFI School pressing need was, nobody had any idea of what he had in mind. To commemorate their first anniversary, members

were organising a 15-day charity run/walk in collaboration with givingng, an affiliate of Sterling Bank to raise funds. The grand finale, ‘Charity Half Marathon’, a 21 kilometres run took place last Saturday after which a cheque of N2.2 million was presented to NFI. But the highlight was how members mingled with and hugged the children, in an experience they will never forget. I thank Buchi and members of the ‘Run Club, Abuja’ for their sacrifice and generousity of spirit. As I have kept telling people, we never set out to establish any formal structure. We just wanted to help 14 children within our vicinity who were roaming around.

Now we have 55 in the ‘school’ and 121 others on ‘waiting list’ without any clue as to what to do about them. Sadly, two of the indigent children placed in a boarding secondary school in Nasarawa State by NFI arrived on Monday to say kidnappers had written their school to expect them, making us to resolve they would not be going back as we explore other options. Gradually, the education space is being closed in our country by the sundry criminal cartels we now give some fanciful names—including those who have acquired the capacity to shoot down aircraft. And nobody seems to be doing anything about it!

the ethnic fights”, and then added: “In the small circle where I belonged, we used to think that S. L. Akintola was the brightest political strategist in the country. He could make manoeuvres, which puzzled everybody: Awo, Zik, Sardauna, et cetera, all could be outmanoeuvred. We used to call him ‘Akin Wonder’”. The first major issue tackled by Awa was the politics within academia. He recounted his experience at University College, Ibadan, which he joined in September 1957 after leaving a promising career in the federal civil service, and at the University of Lagos which he moved to a few years later. Awa described the travails of Professor Eni Njoku as an eye opener on the challenge of ethnicity in Nigeria: “The University of Lagos was founded by the Federal Government in 1962 and Eni Njoku had been appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor by Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, presumably on the advice of expatriate scholars, some of whom were senior staff at the University of Ibadan (then University College). The University of Ibadan was then headed by Professor Kenneth Dike, another Igbo man, who also had been recommended for the position by expatriate scholars. Eni Njoku had worked hard and within a short time he had assembled good staff of Nigerians. My recollection now is that most of the Nigerian staff were Igbo, but this was entirely fortuitous. Njoku considered himself a good Nigerian. He could never have been forced by considerations of ethnicity or nepotism to give appointments to anybody. I believe that he administered the University with great competence. Thus, when his removal as the Vice-Chancellor was mooted, both staff and students protested sharply. The students barricaded the gates of the institution and marched around in a raucous demonstration as befits such an occasion.” NOTE: Please see pages 46 and 47 for the continuation

Adedoyin

Raheem Adedoyin at 60 Ilorin, the Kwara State capital will tomorrow play host to the Who is Who in journalism in Nigeria as my own dear egbon, Mr. Raheem Adedoyin, marks his 60th birthday with a public lecture. Mr Dapo Olorunyomi is guest speaker, Aremo Olusegun Osoba is father of the day, Mr Lade Bonuola is chair of the occasion and the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) President, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf is guest of honour. I wish Adedoyin, the Oloriewe of Oro Kingdom, happy birthday, long life and good health.

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